What's up with Yep Roc?

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Do they have a story or did they just coincidentally become the label of choice for 80's indie rockers?

Billy Bragg, Paul Weller, Bob Mould, Minus 5, Robyn Hitchcock, Go-Betweens, Jason and the Scorchers, John Doe, Chris Stamey, Fleshtones! And that's just a start. how did this happen?

― dan. (dan.), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

don't know how it ended up that way, but a band from here (Little Rock) comprised of several friends of mine was recently signed with yep roc. theyr'e recording debut now.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 20:34 (twenty-one years ago)

band is American Princes, btw. not a big fan of the name and style-wise it's not totally up my alley, but they're my bros and i hope they blow it up!

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 20:36 (twenty-one years ago)

It is one of the labels that's been snapping up artists that are being dropped by majors but who have a following and are willing to tour. But it seems to have gone on a signing binge in the last year; I don't remember all those guys being on Yep Roc before.

It's not just 80s indies, though. There's a lot of North Carolina in their list, too, and some overlap (Chris Stamey, for one). And some relatively young artists. Mainly a roots-rock/alt-country/s/s vein. The new additions are pretty consistent with that. It's a good list.

― Vornado, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

only thing I know them for is that they put out the last solo album by Ken Stringfellow of the Posies (whose first album came out on an indie label in the 80's, so I guess that counts)

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

i interviewed dave alvin last year and he said that one of the main reasons that he signed with yep roc was that (with his deal at least) he retained the rights to his masters. so that may be a deciding factor for some of these veteran acts as well. that list really does look like a college radio playlist circa 1986 though. when will steve wynn sign with them? only a matter of time...

― tylerw, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Yep Roc's really have a great year, besides the older guys, they've got people like the Comas, Chatham County Line, and the Sadies. Plus good new projects from Jon Spencer (Heavy Trash) and Melissa Swingle (the Moaners).

― JC-L (JC-L), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 21:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, I believe the new Kingsbury Manx full-length will be out this year on Yep Roc.

― matt2 (matt2), Thursday, 19 May 2005 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Yep Roc vs. Cooking Vinyl: a Tupac/Biggie-style war waiting to happen?

― Curt (cgould), Thursday, 19 May 2005 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Nick Lowe too!

― Huk-L, Thursday, 19 May 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Yep Roc released Bigger Lovers' Honey In The Hive, a fine record.

― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Thursday, 19 May 2005 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

that Moaners record ain't half bad--better than anything I've heard on Fat Possum, anyway.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 19 May 2005 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

nine years pass...

CDs with download codes in them? That expire? What the fuck is this label ON?

― ^^^ NOT METAL (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 22 April 2015 04:16 (eleven years ago)

that is weird. but they just had a $10 record sale and I nabbed the last two Robyn Hitchcock albums on vinyl plus the two soft boys albums; the hichcock vinyls came with CDs as well which is good.

― akm, Wednesday, 22 April 2015 18:48 (eleven years ago)

haha, yeah thought it was weird that my robyn hitchcock CD came with a download code... i guess a lot of laptops these days don't even have disc drives, so ...

― tylerw, Wednesday, 22 April 2015 18:49 (eleven years ago)

oh yeah that must be it, god I am old

― sleeve, Wednesday, 22 April 2015 19:10 (eleven years ago)

cds are going to be as hard to play as LPs and cassettes soon! then they will become cool again.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 22 April 2015 19:13 (eleven years ago)

I thought their download codes bundled with CDs were for bonus content? My copy of Jesus of Cool came with a certificate for some extra demos that expired a year or so before I bought it.

― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 22 April 2015 19:58 (eleven years ago)

Yeah the Underwater Moonlight CD came with a code for like two-three discs worth of bonus content, I remember. Which is kind of cool but I wish they'd just have done it as a two disc set.

Anyway I emailed their customer service and got the download for the Nick Lowe album I bought even though it was expired. Nice of them.

― ^^^ NOT METAL (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 22 April 2015 23:12 (eleven years ago)

two years pass...

Great list, terrible vinyl pressings. Every YR record I have is average or - in some cases - much, much worse.

― bumbling my way toward the light or wahtever (hardcore dilettante), Tuesday, 7 November 2017 02:24 (eight years ago)

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