Shelflife Records
Encyclopedia
Shelflife Records is a Portland
and San Francisco
based independent record label run by Ed Mazzucco and Matthew Bice and has produced such bands as Days, Acid House Kings
, and The Radio Dept.
and Sarah
Records, Ed Mazzucco launched the label as a way to expose foreign indie pop
groups to US audiences. Shelflife's first release was the August 1996 compilation Whirl-Wheels which included tracks by Club 8
, Boyracer
, La Buena Vida
, and Ed’s own band The Autocollants.
In 1997 Ed moved Shelflife to New York
where he began long-time collaborations with graphic designer Jill Bliss and producer Jon Chaikin. The mail order and distribution service were discontinued in order to devote more time to the growing roster of artists, a move that quickly propelled the label out of its hobby status. During the late 90's Shelflife steadily gained recognition as twee pop and indie music became increasingly popular. From 1998 until 2001 the label hosted The September Set, an annual showcase of live pop music from bands on Shelflife and other labels.
In June 2007 Ed and Matthew Bice relaunched the label with a new focus on blending art with music. Their newsletter explained, "Each release will feature exclusive tracks in a limited edition, collectable package designed by various up-and-coming artists."
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
based independent record label run by Ed Mazzucco and Matthew Bice and has produced such bands as Days, Acid House Kings
Acid House Kings
Acid House Kings is a Swedish indie pop band. It was founded in 1991 by Joakim Ödlund and brothers Niklas and Johan Angergård .-History:...
, and The Radio Dept.
The Radio Dept.
The Radio Dept. is a dream pop band from Lund, Sweden signed to Labrador Records.-History:The band was conceived in 1995 by schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson, who named the group after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen"...
History
Shelflife Records traces its 1995 origins to a bedroom in a southern California suburb, where it began in conjunction with a mail order and distribution service. A fan of 80's English pop and inspired by labels such as FactoryFactory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
and Sarah
Sarah Records
Sarah Records was a UK independent record label active between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop.The label was formed in Bristol in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes, and grew out of the fanzine scene at the time, Haynes having previously edited Are You Scared To Get...
Records, Ed Mazzucco launched the label as a way to expose foreign indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
groups to US audiences. Shelflife's first release was the August 1996 compilation Whirl-Wheels which included tracks by Club 8
Club 8
Club 8 is a Swedish musical group consisting of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård .-History:Formed in 1995, Club 8 were signed to the Spanish record label Siesta...
, Boyracer
Boyracer
-History:Boyracer was founded by vocalist/guitarist Stewart Anderson in 1990 and released their first single in 1991. Richard Adams left the group in 1993, after which the group released its first EP, Naked. They then arranged to release further recordings via Sarah Records including two more EPs...
, La Buena Vida
La Buena Vida
La Buena Vida is an indie pop group from San Sebastián, Spain. The band was formed in 1988 and continues to make music as of today. They have recorded 7 albums and 14 EPs. Their music is a form of pop also known as the Donosti Sound, a 1990s indie pop movement in San Sebastián.-Biography:The...
, and Ed’s own band The Autocollants.
In 1997 Ed moved Shelflife to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he began long-time collaborations with graphic designer Jill Bliss and producer Jon Chaikin. The mail order and distribution service were discontinued in order to devote more time to the growing roster of artists, a move that quickly propelled the label out of its hobby status. During the late 90's Shelflife steadily gained recognition as twee pop and indie music became increasingly popular. From 1998 until 2001 the label hosted The September Set, an annual showcase of live pop music from bands on Shelflife and other labels.
In June 2007 Ed and Matthew Bice relaunched the label with a new focus on blending art with music. Their newsletter explained, "Each release will feature exclusive tracks in a limited edition, collectable package designed by various up-and-coming artists."
Bands
- Acid House KingsAcid House KingsAcid House Kings is a Swedish indie pop band. It was founded in 1991 by Joakim Ödlund and brothers Niklas and Johan Angergård .-History:...
- The Arrogants
- Artisokka
- A Smile and a Ribbon
- The Autocollants
- Brideshead
- Brittle Stars
- Burning Hearts
- California Snow Story
- Call and Response
- Champagne Riot
- The Castaway Stones
- Champagne Riot
- Charming
- ChurchbuilderChurchBuilderChurch Builder is 3D Computer Environment created by Brian Farrimond of the School of Computing at Liverpool Hope University. It allows children as young as 9 to create virtual models of Churches and Cathedrals.-Description of Church Builder:...
- Club 8Club 8Club 8 is a Swedish musical group consisting of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård .-History:Formed in 1995, Club 8 were signed to the Spanish record label Siesta...
- The Consultants
- Days
- Evening Lights
- The Fairways
- Free Loan Investments
- The Frenchmen
- Horse Shoes
- Kawaii
- Kuryakin
- Language of FlowersLanguage of Flowers (band)Language of Flowers are a five piece indie-pop band originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland signed to San Francisco indie label Shelflife Records. As of 2006 its members are located in London, Manchester and Belfast...
- Le Coupe
- MajesticMajestic (band)Majestic, formerly known as Lab Rat, was a neo-classical power metal band, founded in 1997 by Richard Andersson. They made two albums : Abstract Symphony and Trinity Overture , under the label Massacre Records.-Discography:...
- Majestic 12
- The Maybellines
- Moving PicturesMoving Pictures (band)Moving Pictures was a rock music band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980. They are best known for their hit single, "What About Me" and multi-platinum album Days of Innocence, both of which topped the charts in Australia.-Biography:...
- Phoebe Quest
- Postal Blue
- The Radio Dept.The Radio Dept.The Radio Dept. is a dream pop band from Lund, Sweden signed to Labrador Records.-History:The band was conceived in 1995 by schoolmates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson, who named the group after a gas-station-turned-radio-repair-shop called "Radioavdelningen"...
- River
- The Ruling Class
- The ShermansThe ShermansThe Shermans were an indie rock band from Stirling, Scotland, not to be confused with the Swedish indie pop band of the same name. They included various styles such as punk, pop, and alternative rock in their music....
- Soda ShopSoda shopA Soda shop, also often known as a Malt shop, is a business akin to an ice cream parlor and a drugstore soda fountain. Interiors were often furnished with a large mirror behind a marble counter with gooseneck spouts, plus spinning stools, round marble-topped tables and wireframe sweetheart...
- Souvenir
- Sushi
- Thieves Like Us (band)Thieves Like Us (band)Thieves Like Us is a Swedish-American band.The band's music is mostly electronic and is also influenced by krautrock, italo disco, glam punk, post-punk, French touch and hip-hop genres, and consider themselves a pop group....
- Warm Morning
- Laura Watling
See also
- Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba!Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American children's television show currently airing on the Nick Jr. cable network in the United States and the Nick Jr. networks in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Italy, France and Australia as well as Treehouse TV network in Canada and RTE2 on RTEjr see Raidió Teilifís...
- A children's television on Nickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
co-created by Scott SchultzScott SchultzScott Schultz is a former Canadian football defensive tackle for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League...
of the band MajesticMajestic (band)Majestic, formerly known as Lab Rat, was a neo-classical power metal band, founded in 1997 by Richard Andersson. They made two albums : Abstract Symphony and Trinity Overture , under the label Massacre Records.-Discography:...
.