Light In The Attic Records
Encyclopedia
Light In The Attic Records is an independent record label
established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington
by Matt Sullivan, known for its roster of reissue projects, and for its distribution catalog. . As reissue label, Light In The Attic has re-released works by artists such as Betty Davis
, Serge Gainsbourg
, Jim Sullivan, Jane Birkin
, The Free Design
, and many more. The record label has also released albums by contemporary bands like The Black Angels and Nicole Willis
and The Soul Investigators.
. Josh Wright, the then Metal Director at KASB, and Sullivan shared a night time radio show. During these years, Sullivan was interested in starting his own label. "I always wanted my own label," Sullivan told The Stranger
in 2006, "but it was always the wrong time."
After high school and college at the University of Arizona
, Sullivan interned for Seattle, Washington
-based record labels like Sub Pop
and the now-defunct Loosegroove Records
. Susie Tennant, Sub Pop
’s then radio-promotions director, offered Sullivan a chance to intern with Madrid, Spain-based record label, Munster Records. Munster Records focused primarily on reissues of bands like The Stooges and Spaceman 3, inspiring Sullivan to begin rethinking his own concept behind the still active idea of starting a record label
.
Upon Sullivan’s return to the states he began producing live shows in the Seattle area including performances by performers like Saul Williams
, Clinic
, and Kid Koala
. With a stronger interest in the production of records, Sullivan returned to his original idea of a reissue label that focused on the rare and eclectic in 2002. In 2003, Sullivan brought long time friend and KASB co-host Josh Wright on board.
Eventually, Light In The Attic won a reissue deal with pop-psych band The Free Design
.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
by Matt Sullivan, known for its roster of reissue projects, and for its distribution catalog. . As reissue label, Light In The Attic has re-released works by artists such as Betty Davis
Betty Davis
Betty Davis is an American funk, rock and soul singer. She was also Miles Davis's second wife.- Background :She worked as a model, appearing in photo spreads in Seventeen, Ebony and Glamour...
, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, Jim Sullivan, Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
, The Free Design
The Free Design
The Free Design was a Delevan, New York-based vocal group playing jazzy pop music. Their music can be described as sunshine pop and baroque pop, which were pop music subgenres at the time, which later influenced the bands Stereolab, Cornelius, Pizzicato Five, Beck and The High Llamas.-Early...
, and many more. The record label has also released albums by contemporary bands like The Black Angels and Nicole Willis
Nicole Willis
Nicole Willis is an American singer/songwriter and painter. Willis lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.-Biography:Willis contributed vocals in London, United Kingdom in 1985 with Washington Week In Review...
and The Soul Investigators.
The Early Years: 1993-2002
Light In The Attic Records first took shape for Matt Sullivan in high school. Sullivan spent his senior year in high school (1993-1994) as the Music Director of KASB, a 10-watt station at ellevue High School] in Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
. Josh Wright, the then Metal Director at KASB, and Sullivan shared a night time radio show. During these years, Sullivan was interested in starting his own label. "I always wanted my own label," Sullivan told The Stranger
The Stranger
- Fiction :* The Stranger , by Albert Camus* "The Stranger" , by J. D. Salinger* The Stranger , a 1987 collection of short stories by Gordon R...
in 2006, "but it was always the wrong time."
After high school and college at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Sullivan interned for Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
-based record labels like Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
and the now-defunct Loosegroove Records
Loosegroove Records
Loosegroove Records was a Seattle based record label formed by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard and Brad drummer Regan Hagar in 1994. Initially a subsidiary of Sony before going independent in 1996, Loosegroove signed many up and coming artists from various musical genres, especially rock and hip...
. Susie Tennant, Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
’s then radio-promotions director, offered Sullivan a chance to intern with Madrid, Spain-based record label, Munster Records. Munster Records focused primarily on reissues of bands like The Stooges and Spaceman 3, inspiring Sullivan to begin rethinking his own concept behind the still active idea of starting a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
Upon Sullivan’s return to the states he began producing live shows in the Seattle area including performances by performers like Saul Williams
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, Clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, and Kid Koala
Kid Koala
Eric San , who records under the name Kid Koala, is a Canadian DJ, turntablist, musician and an author of graphic novels. He is signed to the British record label Ninja Tune, is a member of alternative hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030, and The Slew with Dynamite D and former members of the...
. With a stronger interest in the production of records, Sullivan returned to his original idea of a reissue label that focused on the rare and eclectic in 2002. In 2003, Sullivan brought long time friend and KASB co-host Josh Wright on board.
Eventually, Light In The Attic won a reissue deal with pop-psych band The Free Design
The Free Design
The Free Design was a Delevan, New York-based vocal group playing jazzy pop music. Their music can be described as sunshine pop and baroque pop, which were pop music subgenres at the time, which later influenced the bands Stereolab, Cornelius, Pizzicato Five, Beck and The High Llamas.-Early...
.
Bands
- Michael Hurley
- Michael ChapmanMichael ChapmanMichael Chapman may refer to:* Mike Chapman , record producer* Michael Chapman * Michael Chapman * Michael Chapman...
- The VagrantsThe VagrantsThe Vagrants were a Long Island-based rock and blue-eyed soul group from the 1960s. The group was composed of Peter Sabatino on vocals, harmonica, and tambourine, Leslie West on vocals and guitar, Larry West on vocals and bass guitar, Jerry Storch on organ, and Roger Mansour on drums.- Rise to...
- The Overton Berry Ensemble
- Pastor T.L. Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir
- Jim Sullivan
- Gábor SzabóGábor SzabóGábor Szabó was a Hungarian jazz guitarist, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music.-Biography:...
- Kris KristoffersonKris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
- Lou Bond
- Wheedle's Groove
- Summer Records Anthology 1974-1988
- The Black AngelsThe Black Angels (band)- History :Formed in May 2004, the band's name derives from the Velvet Underground song "The Black Angel's Death Song".In 2005, the Black Angels were featured on a dual-disc compilation album of psychedelic music called Psychedelica Vol.1 from Northern Star Records...
- The BlakesThe BlakesThe Blakes are an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. The band had several independent releases before signing to Seattle record label Light In The Attic, and then had two more studio releases: The Blakes LP and Streets EP...
- Karen DaltonKaren DaltonKaren J. Dalton was an American folk blues singer and banjo player associated with the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk music scene, particularly with Fred Neil and the Holy Modal Rounders as well as Bob Dylan.-Biography:Dalton, whose heritage was Cherokee, was born Karen J. Cariker in Enid,...
- Betty DavisBetty DavisBetty Davis is an American funk, rock and soul singer. She was also Miles Davis's second wife.- Background :She worked as a model, appearing in photo spreads in Seventeen, Ebony and Glamour...
- Doug Randle
- Earth, Roots & Water
- Noel Ellis
- The Free DesignThe Free DesignThe Free Design was a Delevan, New York-based vocal group playing jazzy pop music. Their music can be described as sunshine pop and baroque pop, which were pop music subgenres at the time, which later influenced the bands Stereolab, Cornelius, Pizzicato Five, Beck and The High Llamas.-Early...
- Jamaica to Toronto
- The Last PoetsThe Last PoetsThe Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread...
- Wayne McGhie and The Sounds Of Joy
- Jackie MittooJackie MittooJackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
- Jane BirkinJane BirkinJane Mallory Birkin, OBE is an English-born actress and singer who lives in France. In recent years she has written her own album, directed a film and become an outspoken proponent of democracy in Burma.- Early life :...
- Monks
- Os MutantesOs MutantesOs Mutantes ) are an influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band that were linked with the Tropicália movement of the late 1960s. It was formed by two brothers and a vocalist, but has gone through numerous personnel changes throughout its existence...
- Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
- Sixto Diaz RodriguezSixto Diaz RodriguezSixto Diaz Rodriguez is an American folk musician, born in Detroit, Michigan on . He was named 'Sixto' because he was the sixth child in his family. Rodriguez's parents were middle-class immigrants from Mexico, who left in the 1920s...
- Stephen John KalinichStephen KalinichStephen John Kalinich is an American poet.-Early Days:Kalinich drifted from the East Coast to California in the mid-‘60s, transferring from New York’s Harper College to UCLA. Immersing himself in the anti-war movement, he began working the LA scene as a poet and performer, appearing at legendary...
- The Saturday KnightsThe Saturday KnightsThe Saturday Knights are a Seattle and Tacoma, Washington-based musical group whose music spans many genres, ranging from hip hop to pop music. Their debut full-length CD, Mingle features guest appearances from the Dap-Kings, Chris Ballew, Jack Endino, Holly Deye , Kim Thayil, and Jim Horn & the...
- Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators