New Alliance Records
Encyclopedia
New Alliance Records was the record label
founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon
and Mike Watt
and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich
after the example of Black Flag
's SST Records
. The existence of SST led Watt to understand, according to a 1987 interview he gave to Musician magazine, how easy it was to get a record made: "All you had to do was pay the record plant man."
Amongst the first releases on New Alliance were Hüsker Dü
's first album Land Speed Record
and the Minutemen's second-ever release, the seven-inch EP
Joy
. Eventually the label grew to nurture the early career of the Descendents
, issue various-artist compilation albums (such as Mighty Feeble), and release other recordings by The Minutemen (The Politics Of Time
) and Hüsker Dü (the In A Free Land
EP). The label showcased a number of post-punk bands from the South Bay area of southern California, notably Slovenly, Phantom Opera, and Invisiblechains.
After D. Boon's car-accident death in 1985 and the increasingly busier schedule of Watt's post-Minutemen band fIREHOSE
, Watt and Tamburovich sold New Alliance to SST in 1987. Greg Ginn
, SST's owner and Black Flag's guitarist, proceeded to transfer all of The Minutemen and Descendents back catalog and Hüsker Dü's Land Speed Record to SST and turned New Alliance into a subsidiary label of SST that concentrated on more adventurous and non-mainstream records, including jazz, instrumental, poetry, and spoken-word releases.
New Alliance ceased its operations in 1995 in order to save money. Its back-catalog has been deleted, its releases are no longer available through SST Records, and there is no mention of the label or its artists on SST's website.
Label co-founder Tamburovich died of a bacterial infection in 2003.
Rapp Records founder Rad Ramsey & Martin Tamburovich
reactivated New Alliance in 2000 as a Rapp Records sublabel. It also brought back its back-catalog. This time it was specialized for Rap, Rock & Reissuing its old material. However, in 2006, SST filed a case against Rapp & forced Ramsey to close down New Alliance.
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,...
founded by The Minutemen's D. Boon
D. Boon
d. Boon born Dennes Dale Boon, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Active between 1978, when he joined The Reactionaries, and 1985, when he was killed in a van accident, Boon was best known as the guitarist and vocalist of the Californian punk rock trio Minutemen.-Youth:Dennes Boon...
and Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
and longtime friend and associate Martin Tamburovich
Martin Tamburovich
Martin Tamburovich was the co-founder of New Alliance Records and vocalist for the short-lived Punk/New Wave band The Reactionaries. Tamburovich, along with his San Pedro High School classmates D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley, formed the band in 1978; they disbanded a year later...
after the example of Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
's SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
. The existence of SST led Watt to understand, according to a 1987 interview he gave to Musician magazine, how easy it was to get a record made: "All you had to do was pay the record plant man."
Amongst the first releases on New Alliance were Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
's first album Land Speed Record
Land Speed Record (album)
Land Speed Record is the first full-length record by Hüsker Dü, released in January 1982. It was recorded live on August 15, 1981 at the 7th Street Entry, a venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The album is a fast and furious hardcore workout that bears almost no resemblance to the melodic post-punk...
and the Minutemen's second-ever release, the seven-inch EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Joy
Joy (EP)
Joy is a three-song seven-inch EP by American hardcore punk band Minutemen. Recorded not long after the release of their first EP Paranoid Time, it was the first release that Minutemen had issued on their own New Alliance Records label in 1981...
. Eventually the label grew to nurture the early career of the Descendents
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...
, issue various-artist compilation albums (such as Mighty Feeble), and release other recordings by The Minutemen (The Politics Of Time
The Politics of Time
The Politics of Time is the seventh overall release, third album-length release, and first compilation by American hardcore punk band the Minutemen....
) and Hüsker Dü (the In A Free Land
In a Free Land
"In A Free Land" is a song by Hüsker Dü released as a single in 1982. It was the band's second single.This release finds the band in a period where its music was still strictly hardcore punk, but does have a hint of their future melodic style, particularly in the title track.The songs were written...
EP). The label showcased a number of post-punk bands from the South Bay area of southern California, notably Slovenly, Phantom Opera, and Invisiblechains.
After D. Boon's car-accident death in 1985 and the increasingly busier schedule of Watt's post-Minutemen band fIREHOSE
FIREHOSE
Firehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...
, Watt and Tamburovich sold New Alliance to SST in 1987. Greg Ginn
Greg Ginn
Gregory Regis Ginn is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986....
, SST's owner and Black Flag's guitarist, proceeded to transfer all of The Minutemen and Descendents back catalog and Hüsker Dü's Land Speed Record to SST and turned New Alliance into a subsidiary label of SST that concentrated on more adventurous and non-mainstream records, including jazz, instrumental, poetry, and spoken-word releases.
New Alliance ceased its operations in 1995 in order to save money. Its back-catalog has been deleted, its releases are no longer available through SST Records, and there is no mention of the label or its artists on SST's website.
Label co-founder Tamburovich died of a bacterial infection in 2003.
Rapp Records founder Rad Ramsey & Martin Tamburovich
Martin Tamburovich
Martin Tamburovich was the co-founder of New Alliance Records and vocalist for the short-lived Punk/New Wave band The Reactionaries. Tamburovich, along with his San Pedro High School classmates D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley, formed the band in 1978; they disbanded a year later...
reactivated New Alliance in 2000 as a Rapp Records sublabel. It also brought back its back-catalog. This time it was specialized for Rap, Rock & Reissuing its old material. However, in 2006, SST filed a case against Rapp & forced Ramsey to close down New Alliance.