99 Records Poll

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3358/99recordswi1.jpg

I'm biased, but if I had to chose something I don't have a stake in, Liquid Liquid's Optimo would be it.

lol knew you'd chime in with a plug

Didn't 99 issue African Head Charge's first LP My Life In A Hole In The Ground?

no, they didn't. singers and players was the only on u thing they released.

going to have to vote for "optimo" i reckon. so many i love though.

just gotr th vivien goldman in a garage and its really good..great violin work

but i have to vote for y pants or else barbara will kill me

can't decide between butch tetras, ESG and the ascension. probably go for "too many creeps"

but y pants are totally boss

i love all that i've been able to find/hear, but the first esg record for me.

i had no idea about most of this until that 99 records tuba frenzy article ~10 yrs ago.

That article was pretty watershed, a contributing factor in the initial post-punk revival of the mid 90s, which led to the post-punk revival of the early 00s, which led to the post-punk backlash of the last several years, judging from my record sales, at least.

Seriously though, Tuba Frenzy ruled.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-Oz-0DTnL._AA240_.jpg
this

I'm pretty sure record sales going down is an industry-wide phenomenon, Dan ;P xp

ASCENSION all da way.

the post-punk backlash of the last several years

sigh :-/

everyone knows that if u wanna be hip these days you need tight jeans and a cowboy hat. a few years ago it was tight jeans and a too-small leather jacket. the more things change. . .

judging from more things then just record sales, "post-punk" does not have the cache it did in 2002. If only I acted faster to cash in.

http://acuterecords.com/edit/ACT2/ACT2_photos.html

http://acuterecords.com/images/ACT2/photos_and_art/big/longo2.jpg

Liquid Liquid, ESG, Singers & Players nearly impossible.

Were there any albums other than the Hose singles that were "Distributed by 99 Records" without actually being on 99 Records?

they distributed the first couple of def jam 12"s and "lawnchairs" by our daughters wedding.

heh! I am so not surprised to see certain folks on here, its a wonder at least one Glasgow contributor isn't setting up multiple puppet accounts just to vote for all of these. Actually if you look at the picture of Dan which is showing next to his radio show, he looks like Stirmonster (admittedly Stir on a good day)... maybe there was some 99 records enthusiasts cloning going on.

Weirdly, my first, and for a quite a while favourite, was Maximum Joy because of the Bristol Connection (eagerly waiting a plot line in Ashes to Ashes that features 99 and Ze records), but I voted for Optimo.

I didn't actually know our daughters wedding was distributed by 99 and I think I have it. Wouldn't have voted for it though, its rubbish.

he looks like Stirmonster (admittedly Stir on a good day)

don't know what yr getting at there, but for what it's worth, that picture's a few years old and was taken by somebody who's really good at dramatic and flattering lighting. A more accurate photo is what you'll find on my myspace page.

But that Our Daughters Wedding single is not rubbish, it's a fun bit of synth pop!

What a wonderful label!! The closest we ever had to a Yankee version of Factory or Rough Trade. I'll vote for the first ESG record.

liquid liquid s/t

(admittedly Stir on a good day)

hmmm. i think the last time i saw you sandy was some monday morning when i was doing the walk of shame at an ungodly hour after a post optimo party. i probably wasn't looking my very best :-)

I think at the very least, perhaps those of us inclined to spent all our time seeking out and playing such records, that maybe we're more likely then not to go unshaven for some time (though I do have a beard now). One friend said I reminded him of Trevor Jackson. In any case, good company.

Dan Selzer looks like any number of New England fishermen.

(at least in his facebook photo.)

Bush Tetras.

http://www.optimo.co.uk/liquidliquid.jpg

That's a beautiful album cover. Does anyone know what happened to Ed Bahlman? After the ESG copyright debacle didn't he just sort of disappear?

Stuart from Ike Yard ran into him at the post office a few years ago, that's the last I've heard.

i love that liquid liquid cover!

oh but i voted for maximum joy..

I went with the first ESG EP (still have never seen an actual copy of their second one), but it has LOTS of competition (including Bush Tetras and both Brancas, for starters.)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

stirmonster and me for the tie...

I think I forgot to vote.

this is all just a thought experiment, there is no answer

Thanks to one of my friends, I just discovered this link to an archive of a radio show on WFMU that plays a shitload of 99 records stuff and only 99 records stuff. It's a lot of fun, I'm really enjoying it.

http://www.wfmu.org/Playlists/Douglas/dw.000720.html

http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/something-like-a-phenomenon-the-complete-99-records-story/

The story of 99 (pronounced “nine nine”, not “ninety-nine”) begins and ends with one Ed Bahlman, a born-and-bred Brooklynite with a strong work ethic and an intense passion for music, especially new and underground music that wasn’t wholly embraced by the mainstream or even punk establishments. It should be noted that not only did Bahlman refuse to be interviewed for this article, but the man has kept an extremely low profile and has remained completely detached from the music business and the NYC scene that he once ruled. For unspecified reasons, Ed Bahlman has refused to give up any of the 99 master tapes for any monetary price, thus infuriating many of the 99 artists who have repeatedly tried to get their out-of-print recordings reissued on other labels. Bahlman has been equally reluctant to shed any light on the many unanswered hows and whys of 99’s history and demise, but by talking to many of the other key 99 figures, I was able to discover many things about the 99 years.

Ed Bahlman discovered ESG while serving as a judge at a CBS Records-sponsored talent search. The band struck out with the rest of the judge panel, failing to even place in the contest, but Bahlman went nuts over the band and offered to be ESG’s manager and soundman.

I feel for the artists that Bahlman won't let master tapes be used for reissues

Very cool article, thanks! Never knew it was pronounced "Nine Nine." And I can't believe I've never heard that Y Pants track before today.

Seems like most of this stuff _has_ been reissued on other labels, so was it all just done off vinyl copies or something?

I guess...