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Sub Pop

May 19, 2023

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement.[1] They are often credited with helping popularize grunge music. The label's roster includes Fleet Foxes, Beach House, The Postal Service, Sleater-Kinney, Flight of the Conchords, Foals, Blitzen Trapper, Father John Misty, clipping., Shabazz Palaces, Weyes Blood, Guerilla Toss, Bully, Low, METZ, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, TV Priest and The Shins. In 1995, the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group.[citation needed]

Sub Pop
We're Not the Best, But We're Pretty Good
Parent companyWarner Music Group (49%)
Founded1986 (1986)
FounderBruce Pavitt, Jonathan Poneman
Distributor(s)ADA (US)
Outside Music (Canada)
Merlin Network (digital)
Genre
Country of originUnited States
LocationSeattle, Washington
Official websitewww.subpop.com

History

Formation

The origins of Sub Pop can be traced back to the early 1980s, when Bruce Pavitt started a fanzine called Subterranean Pop that focused exclusively on American independent record labels. Pavitt undertook the project in order to earn course credit while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. By the fourth issue, Pavitt had shortened the name to Sub Pop and began alternating issues with compilation tapes of underground rock bands. The Sub Pop #5 cassette, released in 1982, sold two thousand copies.[2] In 1983, Pavitt moved to Seattle, Washington, and released the ninth and final issue of Sub Pop. While in Seattle, he wrote a column for local music magazine The Rocket titled "Sub Pop U.S.A.", a column he ended in 1988.[3][4]

In 1986, Pavitt released the first Sub Pop LP, the compilation Sub Pop 100, which featured material by artists including Sonic Youth, Naked Raygun, Wipers, and Scratch Acid. Seattle group Green River chose to record their Dry as a Bone EP for Pavitt's new label in June 1986; Pavitt couldn't afford to release it until the following year. When finally released, Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as "ultra-loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation".[5] Also in 1987, Jonathan Poneman provided $20,000 in funding for Sub Pop to release the debut Soundgarden single "Hunted Down"/"Nothing to Say" in July 1987, followed by the band's first EP Screaming Life that October.[6] Poneman soon became a full partner in the label. Pavitt focused on the label's artists and repertoire aspects, while Poneman dealt with the business and legal issues.[7] Both men decided they wanted the label to focus on "this primal rock stuff that was coming out," according to Pavitt.[8]

The "Seattle sound"

 
Advertising card to subscribe to Sub Pop's single club.

In early 1988, Pavitt and Poneman quit their jobs to devote their full attention to Sub Pop. Raising $43,000, they incorporated that April. "Of course that was spent in, like, thirty days", Pavitt recalled. "We almost went bankrupt after a month".[9] That August Sub Pop released the first single by Mudhoney, a band featuring former members of Green River. Sub Pop released the Mudhoney single "Touch Me I'm Sick" in an intentionally limited first pressing of 800 copies to create demand. The strategy was later adopted by other independent labels.[10]

Pavitt and Poneman studied earlier independent labels ranging from Motown to SST Records and decided that virtually every successful movement in rock music had a regional basis. The pair sought to create a cohesive brand identity for Sub Pop. The label's ads promoted the label itself more than any particular band. The label also sought to market a "Seattle sound", which was accomplished with the help of producer Jack Endino, who produced 75 singles, albums, and EPs for Sub Pop between 1987 and 1989. Endino recorded cheaply and quickly; in order to operate this way, he utilized some consistent studio techniques, which gave the records a similar sound.[11]

In November 1988, Sub Pop released "Love Buzz", the debut single by Aberdeen, Washington band Nirvana, as the first entry in the Sub Pop Singles Club, a subscription service that would allow subscribers to receive singles by the label on a monthly basis by mail. At its peak in 1990, the club had two thousand subscribers.[12] The club made Sub Pop a powerful force in the Seattle scene, and effectively made the label's name synonymous with the music of the Seattle area—much in the same way Motown Records was to Detroit—and helped to secure the label's cash flow.[13] The original series was discontinued in 1993, followed by Singles Club V.2, launched in 1998 and discontinued in 2002.[14]

Some commentators have argued that Sub Pop reframed the history of Seattle's music scene as part of their marketing campaign. Even in the late 1980s, the peak of grunge as a regional scene, Seattle's bands could not easily be contained by one genre often experimenting and blending multiple styles and techniques. Different sounds were combined like folk rock, psychedelic rock, garage rock with pop hooks and acoustic harmonics. The "Seattle sound" cultivated and marketed by Sub Pop became known as grunge, while other Seattle bands like The U-Men, who preceded Sub-Pop, became pioneers of avant garde post-punk.[15]

Mindful that garnering the attention of the American mainstream music press was difficult for all but the largest indie label, Pavitt and Ponemen took inspiration from alternative bands like Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, and Dinosaur Jr. and sought to publicize the label via the British music press. In March 1989, Pavitt and Poneman flew Melody Maker journalist Everett True to Seattle to write an article on the local music scene. As Pavitt had anticipated, the British press became enamoured with Sub Pop and the grunge sound. Pavitt said, "I really felt that the Brits and the Europeans wanted to see something that was unruly and that was more of an American archetype -- something that was really primal and really drew from the roots of rock & roll, which was very American."[16] Poneman explained the label's success: "It could have happened anywhere, but there was a lucky set of coincidences. Charles Peterson was here to document the scene, Jack Endino was here to record the scene. Bruce and I were here to exploit the scene."[13]

When Nirvana moved to Geffen Records, Sub Pop received royalties from sales of Bleach that kept the label going for years afterwards.[13] A stipulation was also implemented where selected future Nirvana studio LPs were required to carry the Sub Pop logo alongside Geffen's. After the mainstream success of Nirvana, many successful grunge bands had left Sub Pop for major record labels. Soon afterwards, a joint venture was formed with Warner Bros. Records (which had distributed Geffen since that label was founded in 1980; after 10 years under Warner, Geffen was sold to MCA Music Entertainment Group), thereby ending Sub Pop's status as an entirely independent label.

Post-Pavitt

Poneman and Pavitt had a disagreement about the direction the label should take, with Poneman wanting the label to become larger and make more money.[13] In 1996, unable to take the new corporate culture following the Warner partnership, Pavitt left the label and was able to spend more time with his family.[17] The split between Pavitt and Poneman was not amicable, and they did not speak for seven years.[17]

The label opened offices worldwide and began major investment in new artists, but without achieving great commercial success, prompting a scaling down and a return to Seattle.[13]

In 2006, Sub Pop Records became the first Green-e certified record label. Through work with the Green-e program and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Sub Pop "greened" their label by purchasing enough renewable energy certificates to offset 100 percent of the electricity they use in their office, showing their commitment to putting renewable energy in the mainstream as a way consumers can take action to do something about global warming.[18]

In early 2007, Sub Pop started a sister label by the name of Hardly Art.[19][20] This label is also partially owned by Warner Music. In August 2008, Sub Pop relaunched the singles club for one year to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.[21]

In 2009, they signed their second hip-hop group, Seattle-based Shabazz Palaces – the first being The Evil Tambourines in 1999.[22] Ishmael Butler, one half of Shabazz Palaces and former member of jazz rap group Digable Planets became A&R for Sub Pop.[23]

Commercial success

Domestically Sub Pop has released two albums that have been certified as platinum, for sales of over 1 million units, by the Recording Industry Association of America: Bleach by Nirvana and Give Up by The Postal Service.[24]

Six albums released by the label have been certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies: Oh, Inverted World, Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away, all by The Shins, Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes, The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart, and Everything All the Time by Band of Horses.[24]

The following singles released by Sub Pop have received RIAA certifications: "Space Song" by Beach House, "New Slang" by The Shins, "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine, and "The Funeral" by Band of Horses have been certified platinum.[24] "Real Love Baby" by Father John Misty, "No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses, "Myth" by Beach House, "Boy With a Coin" and "Naked as We Came" by Iron & Wine, and "Another Story" by The Head and the Heart have been certified gold.[24]

Deluxe editions

Starting in 2008, Sub Pop has released Deluxe Editions of its top-selling albums, which features the remastered album as well as some live tracks. Some of the deluxe editions are known to contain some demos. The albums with deluxe editions include Nirvana’s Bleach, Mudhoney's Superfuzz Bigmuff, Sebadoh's Bakesale, Jason Loewenstein's Codes, The Postal Service's Give Up, and Red Red Meat's Bunny Gets Paid.

Rejection letter

Sub Pop is famous for its blunt form letter to aspiring artists informing them that they would not be taken on by the label. The letter opens with "Dear Loser".[25]

In popular culture

Sub Pop, its founders, and some acts on the label were featured on season 1, episode 5 of Vice Media's Dark Side of the 90's entitled "Grunge and the Seattle Sound."[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ Robert Weinstein (April 23, 2001). "An Interview with Bruce Pavitt". trip. Tripzine. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Azerrad, p. 413.
  3. ^ Azerrad, p. 414.
  4. ^ from the Sub Pop website.
  5. ^ Azerrad, p. 420.
  6. ^ Azerrad, p. 422.
  7. ^ Azerrad, p. 423.
  8. ^ Azerrad, p. 423-24.
  9. ^ Azerrad, p. 425.
  10. ^ Azerrad, p. 426-27.
  11. ^ Azerrad, p. 436.
  12. ^ Azerrad, p. 439.
  13. ^ a b c d e Jelbert, Steve (2008) "Labelled With Love", The Times, August 2, 2008.
  14. ^ . Sub Pop Records. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved November 24, 2006.
  15. ^ Tow, Stephen (2011). The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. ISBN 9781570617874.
  16. ^ Azerrad, p. 441.
  17. ^ a b Yarn, Mark (July 2008). "Sub Pop Oral History: "Going Out of Business Since 1988!". Blender.
  18. ^ . Bonneville Environmental Foundation. July 31, 2006. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  19. ^ Justin Sheppard (March 9, 2007). . Prefix. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008.
  20. ^ Todd Martens (March 9, 2007). "Sub Pop Launches Hardly Art Imprint". Billboard.biz. Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  21. ^ . Sub Pop Records. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
  22. ^ "The Evil Tambourines". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  23. ^ . Billboard. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  24. ^ a b c d "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Sub Pop label". RIAA. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  25. ^ . Letters of Note. September 1, 2011. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011.
  26. ^ Topel, Fred (August 12, 2021). "Nirvana Blew up 'Monotonous' Music Industry, 'Dark Side of the '90s' Narrator Mark McGrath Says". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved September 27, 2021.

Bibliography

External links

  • Official Sub Pop site
  • BrucePavitt.com
  • Youtube Channel

May 19, 2023
record, label, founded, 1986, bruce, pavitt, jonathan, poneman, achieved, fame, early, 1990s, signing, seattle, bands, such, nirvana, soundgarden, mudhoney, central, players, grunge, movement, they, often, credited, with, helping, popularize, grunge, music, la. Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana Soundgarden and Mudhoney central players in the grunge movement 1 They are often credited with helping popularize grunge music The label s roster includes Fleet Foxes Beach House The Postal Service Sleater Kinney Flight of the Conchords Foals Blitzen Trapper Father John Misty clipping Shabazz Palaces Weyes Blood Guerilla Toss Bully Low METZ Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever TV Priest and The Shins In 1995 the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49 stake of the label to the Warner Music Group citation needed Sub PopWe re Not the Best But We re Pretty GoodParent companyWarner Music Group 49 Founded1986 1986 FounderBruce Pavitt Jonathan PonemanDistributor s ADA US Outside Music Canada Merlin Network digital GenreAlternative rockpunk rockindie pophip hopcomedyCountry of originUnited StatesLocationSeattle WashingtonOfficial websitewww wbr subpop wbr com Contents 1 History 1 1 Formation 1 2 The Seattle sound 1 3 Post Pavitt 2 Commercial success 3 Deluxe editions 4 Rejection letter 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksHistory EditFormation Edit The origins of Sub Pop can be traced back to the early 1980s when Bruce Pavitt started a fanzine called Subterranean Pop that focused exclusively on American independent record labels Pavitt undertook the project in order to earn course credit while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington By the fourth issue Pavitt had shortened the name to Sub Pop and began alternating issues with compilation tapes of underground rock bands The Sub Pop 5 cassette released in 1982 sold two thousand copies 2 In 1983 Pavitt moved to Seattle Washington and released the ninth and final issue of Sub Pop While in Seattle he wrote a column for local music magazine The Rocket titled Sub Pop U S A a column he ended in 1988 3 4 In 1986 Pavitt released the first Sub Pop LP the compilation Sub Pop 100 which featured material by artists including Sonic Youth Naked Raygun Wipers and Scratch Acid Seattle group Green River chose to record their Dry as a Bone EP for Pavitt s new label in June 1986 Pavitt couldn t afford to release it until the following year When finally released Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as ultra loose grunge that destroyed the morals of a generation 5 Also in 1987 Jonathan Poneman provided 20 000 in funding for Sub Pop to release the debut Soundgarden single Hunted Down Nothing to Say in July 1987 followed by the band s first EP Screaming Life that October 6 Poneman soon became a full partner in the label Pavitt focused on the label s artists and repertoire aspects while Poneman dealt with the business and legal issues 7 Both men decided they wanted the label to focus on this primal rock stuff that was coming out according to Pavitt 8 The Seattle sound Edit Advertising card to subscribe to Sub Pop s single club In early 1988 Pavitt and Poneman quit their jobs to devote their full attention to Sub Pop Raising 43 000 they incorporated that April Of course that was spent in like thirty days Pavitt recalled We almost went bankrupt after a month 9 That August Sub Pop released the first single by Mudhoney a band featuring former members of Green River Sub Pop released the Mudhoney single Touch Me I m Sick in an intentionally limited first pressing of 800 copies to create demand The strategy was later adopted by other independent labels 10 Pavitt and Poneman studied earlier independent labels ranging from Motown to SST Records and decided that virtually every successful movement in rock music had a regional basis The pair sought to create a cohesive brand identity for Sub Pop The label s ads promoted the label itself more than any particular band The label also sought to market a Seattle sound which was accomplished with the help of producer Jack Endino who produced 75 singles albums and EPs for Sub Pop between 1987 and 1989 Endino recorded cheaply and quickly in order to operate this way he utilized some consistent studio techniques which gave the records a similar sound 11 In November 1988 Sub Pop released Love Buzz the debut single by Aberdeen Washington band Nirvana as the first entry in the Sub Pop Singles Club a subscription service that would allow subscribers to receive singles by the label on a monthly basis by mail At its peak in 1990 the club had two thousand subscribers 12 The club made Sub Pop a powerful force in the Seattle scene and effectively made the label s name synonymous with the music of the Seattle area much in the same way Motown Records was to Detroit and helped to secure the label s cash flow 13 The original series was discontinued in 1993 followed by Singles Club V 2 launched in 1998 and discontinued in 2002 14 Some commentators have argued that Sub Pop reframed the history of Seattle s music scene as part of their marketing campaign Even in the late 1980s the peak of grunge as a regional scene Seattle s bands could not easily be contained by one genre often experimenting and blending multiple styles and techniques Different sounds were combined like folk rock psychedelic rock garage rock with pop hooks and acoustic harmonics The Seattle sound cultivated and marketed by Sub Pop became known as grunge while other Seattle bands like The U Men who preceded Sub Pop became pioneers of avant garde post punk 15 Mindful that garnering the attention of the American mainstream music press was difficult for all but the largest indie label Pavitt and Ponemen took inspiration from alternative bands like Sonic Youth Butthole Surfers and Dinosaur Jr and sought to publicize the label via the British music press In March 1989 Pavitt and Poneman flew Melody Maker journalist Everett True to Seattle to write an article on the local music scene As Pavitt had anticipated the British press became enamoured with Sub Pop and the grunge sound Pavitt said I really felt that the Brits and the Europeans wanted to see something that was unruly and that was more of an American archetype something that was really primal and really drew from the roots of rock amp roll which was very American 16 Poneman explained the label s success It could have happened anywhere but there was a lucky set of coincidences Charles Peterson was here to document the scene Jack Endino was here to record the scene Bruce and I were here to exploit the scene 13 When Nirvana moved to Geffen Records Sub Pop received royalties from sales of Bleach that kept the label going for years afterwards 13 A stipulation was also implemented where selected future Nirvana studio LPs were required to carry the Sub Pop logo alongside Geffen s After the mainstream success of Nirvana many successful grunge bands had left Sub Pop for major record labels Soon afterwards a joint venture was formed with Warner Bros Records which had distributed Geffen since that label was founded in 1980 after 10 years under Warner Geffen was sold to MCA Music Entertainment Group thereby ending Sub Pop s status as an entirely independent label Post Pavitt Edit Poneman and Pavitt had a disagreement about the direction the label should take with Poneman wanting the label to become larger and make more money 13 In 1996 unable to take the new corporate culture following the Warner partnership Pavitt left the label and was able to spend more time with his family 17 The split between Pavitt and Poneman was not amicable and they did not speak for seven years 17 The label opened offices worldwide and began major investment in new artists but without achieving great commercial success prompting a scaling down and a return to Seattle 13 In 2006 Sub Pop Records became the first Green e certified record label Through work with the Green e program and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation Sub Pop greened their label by purchasing enough renewable energy certificates to offset 100 percent of the electricity they use in their office showing their commitment to putting renewable energy in the mainstream as a way consumers can take action to do something about global warming 18 In early 2007 Sub Pop started a sister label by the name of Hardly Art 19 20 This label is also partially owned by Warner Music In August 2008 Sub Pop relaunched the singles club for one year to celebrate its twentieth anniversary 21 In 2009 they signed their second hip hop group Seattle based Shabazz Palaces the first being The Evil Tambourines in 1999 22 Ishmael Butler one half of Shabazz Palaces and former member of jazz rap group Digable Planets became A amp R for Sub Pop 23 Commercial success EditDomestically Sub Pop has released two albums that have been certified as platinum for sales of over 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America Bleach by Nirvana and Give Up by The Postal Service 24 Six albums released by the label have been certified gold for sales of 500 000 copies Oh Inverted World Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away all by The Shins Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes The Head and the Heart by The Head and the Heart and Everything All the Time by Band of Horses 24 The following singles released by Sub Pop have received RIAA certifications Space Song by Beach House New Slang by The Shins Such Great Heights by The Postal Service Flightless Bird American Mouth by Iron amp Wine and The Funeral by Band of Horses have been certified platinum 24 Real Love Baby by Father John Misty No One s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses Myth by Beach House Boy With a Coin and Naked as We Came by Iron amp Wine and Another Story by The Head and the Heart have been certified gold 24 Deluxe editions EditStarting in 2008 Sub Pop has released Deluxe Editions of its top selling albums which features the remastered album as well as some live tracks Some of the deluxe editions are known to contain some demos The albums with deluxe editions include Nirvana s Bleach Mudhoney s Superfuzz Bigmuff Sebadoh s Bakesale Jason Loewenstein s Codes The Postal Service s Give Up and Red Red Meat s Bunny Gets Paid Rejection letter EditSub Pop is famous for its blunt form letter to aspiring artists informing them that they would not be taken on by the label The letter opens with Dear Loser 25 In popular culture EditSub Pop its founders and some acts on the label were featured on season 1 episode 5 of Vice Media s Dark Side of the 90 s entitled Grunge and the Seattle Sound 26 See also EditList of Sub Pop artists Lists of record labelsReferences Edit Robert Weinstein April 23 2001 An Interview with Bruce Pavitt trip Tripzine Retrieved August 21 2021 Azerrad p 413 Azerrad p 414 Sub Pop USA The original articles by Bruce Pavitt from the Sub Pop website Azerrad p 420 Azerrad p 422 Azerrad p 423 Azerrad p 423 24 Azerrad p 425 Azerrad p 426 27 Azerrad p 436 Azerrad p 439 a b c d e Jelbert Steve 2008 Labelled With Love The Times August 2 2008 Singles Club V 2 is Dead 2002 Sub Pop Records Archived from the original on December 9 2006 Retrieved November 24 2006 Tow Stephen 2011 The Strangest Tribe How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge Seattle Sasquatch Books ISBN 9781570617874 Azerrad p 441 a b Yarn Mark July 2008 Sub Pop Oral History Going Out of Business Since 1988 Blender Green e certification press release Bonneville Environmental Foundation July 31 2006 Archived from the original on October 15 2007 Retrieved 2007 12 07 Justin Sheppard March 9 2007 Sub Pop founder starts new label Hardly Art Prefix Archived from the original on October 8 2008 Todd Martens March 9 2007 Sub Pop Launches Hardly Art Imprint Billboard biz Billboard Archived from the original on 21 July 2012 Retrieved September 10 2012 Sub Pop Singles Club 3 0 Sub Pop Records Archived from the original on July 5 2008 Retrieved July 3 2008 The Evil Tambourines Sub Pop Records Retrieved August 21 2021 Sub Pop Signs Shabazz Palaces Ishmael Butler to A amp R Team Exclusive Billboard Archived from the original on August 26 2013 Retrieved August 23 2013 a b c d Gold amp Platinum RIAA Sub Pop label RIAA Retrieved August 21 2021 Dear Loser Letters of Note September 1 2011 Archived from the original on September 24 2011 Topel Fred August 12 2021 Nirvana Blew up Monotonous Music Industry Dark Side of the 90s Narrator Mark McGrath Says Showbiz Cheat Sheet Retrieved September 27 2021 Bibliography EditAzerrad Michael Our Band Could Be Your Life Little Brown and Company 2001 ISBN 0 316 78753 1 Furek Maxim The Death Proclamation of Generation X A Self Fulfilling Prophesy of Goth Grunge and Heroin i Universe 2008 ISBN 978 0 595 46319 0 Gaar Gillian G World Domination The Sub Pop Records Story BMG RPM Series 2018 ISBN 978 1 947 02618 6External links EditOfficial Sub Pop site BrucePavitt com Youtube Channel Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sub Pop amp oldid 1154712519, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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