Sub Pop Rock City In Ruins

Sub Pop records were an essential part in signing grunge bands in the Seattle area and hyping their label with shirts, stickers and all that fun stuff. Back in the 80’s and 90’s it seemed like the label could do nothing wrong, signing the best local acts and even distributing the famous Sub Pop Singles Club records every month. But for whatever reason the label has gone down the toilet and has turned to shit by signing indie bands like Iron & Wine, Flight Of The Conchords and Kelly Stoltz. This revelation occurred to me when I heard the Sub Pop 300 compilation, and needless to say I was disgusted at what I heard and appalled that Sub Pop would even think about splitting a compilation between bands like TAD, Green River and TAD with Red Red Meat, Flight Of The Conchords and The Shins.

On a long drive today I thought I’d listen to all 3 Sub Pop compilations in a row, and I honestly couldn’t believe in the direction Sub Pop was going in. Before I go in depth about these compilations I want to give everyone a brief history of Sub Pop Records:

Before Sub Pop “the record label” formed, Sub Pop was Bruce Pavitt’s photocopied music fanzine back in 1979. While writing this fanzine he would also simultaneously release Sub Pop cassette compilations that chronicled the underground music scene going on at that time. Now, I know these cassettes exist, and I know what the covers and all look like, but I have no idea what bands were features on here and have never seen them anywhere. But from what I have heard he did a great job in documenting the bands that were less prevalent in major magazines and focused on those who performed in the bars.

Sub Pop than evolved further from being a small fanzine with occasional cassette compilations to getting state-wide and perhaps regional attention when Bruce Pavitt began writing Sub Pop as an article in the magazine The Rocket. He featured local bands like Malfunkshun and did record reviews by the likes of Green River and Skin Yard. But he also delved into the national limelight by writing and reviewing records by bigger bands of all genres. I luckily have on issue of The Rocket of where Bruce writes about Malfunkshun and a few other bands that I happen to forget. But it was an amazing read.

In 1986, Bruce relocated to Seattle and began assembling Sub Pop’s first ever LP compilation called “Sub Pop 100” which featured the likes of Sonic Youth, Skinny Puppy, Scratch Acid and The Wipers. This compilation is a great introduction to the label. For the most part this compilation really gels with me. My favorite track on the compilation has to be the U-Men “Gila”. Despite me being a fan of the U-Men since I picked up their “Solid Action” CD, they picked a great song for the compilation (even though I would’ve enjoyed “Dig It A Hole” even more). The Naked Raygun track “Baracuda” is also quite a nice track, and a nice introduction to a band I only heard of. Of course you can’t go wrong with including punk legends in Sonic Youth and Portland icons The Wipers. This compilation was only limited to 5,000 pressings and really began Sub Pop as a real record label.

In the midst of releasing and compiling the Sub Pop 100 Pavitt was presenting Sub Pop as a radio show on the University of Washington’s student show KCMU. While here, he was introduced to volunteers of the radio station, Mark Arm of Green River (and later Mudhoney), Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, and future Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman. It was here where the first grunge seeds were planted, and Sub Pop began cultivating the future of the grunge sound and leading the charge in bringing the sound to a national audience.

The label started off rather rocky, slow, and practically went out of business before it got off the ground. In 1987 Poneman had to borrow $20,000 from family and friends just to release Soundgarden’s debut record “Screaming Life” which was a huge hit in the underground with songs like “Hunted Down” and “Tears To Forget”. Along with signing and releasing records from bands such as Blood Circus, Green River, TAD, the label were making great strides in releasing local talent with that fuzzed out grunge style. Now the label had an identity, and they were documenting a regional sound, the label was off the ground and really doing well, and often spoke about “world domination”.

From my standpoint these early records were Sub Pop’s peak. Blood Circus’ “Two-Way Street/Six Foot Under”, Swallow’s “Trapped/Guts” and Green River’s “Dry As A Bone” were just simply brilliant, and everything I ever wanted in music. But that was not the peak of Sub Pop, for the mainstream and national public’s standpoint that is. It wasn’t until Sub Pop signed an unknown band called Nirvana and released the now, highly valuable, expensive, and rare record “Love Buzz/Big Cheese”. It was produced by the famous Jack Endino and is hand numbered, if you’re looking on eBay for this record it can go from $3,000 and northward.

The label thrived on word of mouth promotion, and having people wear their merch, and have their logo on everything and even had a “Sub Pop” store in downtown Seattle. Of course the most popular thing the label has done, and probably will ever do is the Sub Pop Singles Club. They were a limited run of 45” records that was released by a slew of bands, both local and over time not-so-local. They flew off the shelves in stores, thus creating a subscription listing where those who subscribed would get their copies, no questions asked…Of course with a fee. I luckily collected a bunch of the Singles Club over time, and amazingly the Sub Pop postage is still inside to subscribe to them. Awesome!

As fans got their records by mail thanks to the Singles Club, the people overseas were now just seeing, and hearing what Sub Pop had to offer thanks to the British writer Everett True. For those who don’t know who Everett True is, he is the man responsible for writing and publishing a lengthy article in the British magazine “Melody Maker” in 1989. And from this point onward, the grunge sound was no longer something the people of Seattle would call their own, but something that everyone in the entire world would gobble up, listen too and in one way or another exploit.

Three months later Sub Pop released Nirvana’s first full length album, “Bleach”. It wasn’t an immediate hit however, but did generate some buzz in small indie and punk circles. It seemed like overnight a band that had crowds of a few hundred in venues like The World Theater, to selling out such places like the Moore Theater. I hate to go into a Nirvana story here, because this is not what this blog is about. But I think Sub Pop owes Nirvana, but also ALL OF THE EARLY BANDS a huge amount for pulling the label out of the financial difficulties that plagues them for years. Just a few years after releasing “Bleach” Nirvana released “Nevermind”, sold 4 million records and had access to mass amounts of royalties afterwards. Than when you think of Mudhoney, they’ve been making music for what seems like forever have been pulling large crowds and making countless of records.

Even to this day, Mudhoney remains the only original member of Sub Pop’s hayday, perhaps it’s because Mark Arm works at the merchandise area of the company, or because they realize Mudhoney is simply an amazing band. While Sub Pop enjoyed Nirvana’s success of Nevermind, they also in the meantime crowned the “Bleach” a platinum selling record.

So, as maybe you all can tell, everything is going great! Signing amazing bands, releasing some earth shattering records, and gaining national notoriety. Everything is going well for the label, and everyone loves the bands on the label and how they are running it.

That is, until 1995 or so. It seemed like Sub Pop lost sight of what they wanted to achieve, and did achieve back in the 80’s and 90’s. In the coming years they would sign indie “bands” like The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie, Iron & Wine, Wolf Parade and Postal Service.

Once more and more and more of these bands began to get signed by Sub Pop, the more and more I began to just forget the label existed, or just pretend the label went out of business by 1997. There are times where I wish the label did go under by 1995, because it is completely not right what their doing in the business sense. The label started out by focusing on the local bands and focusing on a regional sound. I think they lost what the label was really about, and is just so focused on becoming internationally known.

This revelation came to me while listening to Sub Pop 300 which practically was a split between their 90’s label and their shit…I mean, new sound. This irritates me and makes me nearly barf every time I hear a song or band from this newer age. I mean no one on this green planet will ever want to hear some fake, flannel wearing indie dude grab his acoustic guitar and start singing about, go knows what. I love this label, and everything that it has done, it brought the genre I fell in love with to the forefront of every music lovers visions in the 90’s and made “grunge” a household name. I owe it to them for doing great things for the genre I love, but I can not stand back and watch this label turn in the wrong direction. They’re deviating from signing talented local bands, and are straying away from being a local label. I have no idea why when you have extremely talented local artists like Zombie Jihad, The Baseball Project, or how about former Sub Pop pioneering musicians Tad Doyle’s new band, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth.

Sub Pop Records is too busy looking outside the northwest for bands that are terrible and completely not what the label was founded upon. There are amazing bands bashing it out in bars and clubs locally that are being overlooked and scooped up by other labels.

A few weeks ago I talked with James Burdyshaw of Cat Butt and 64 Spiders, and he told me he wanted to release a compilation of Cat Butt tracks that were unreleased and other tracks from their only two vinyl releases. But says that Sub Pop doesn’t hold this as a priority…….

How on earth can Sub Pop not hold this as a priority and hold bands like The Birthday Party and Blitzen Trappen a priority? Sub Pop owes it, not only to their fans but to themselves. If it wasn’t for bands like Cat Butt, Swallow, Blood Circus, TAD, or any of the pioneering artists their label would’ve been bankrupt before it ever started. Their business and their corporate attitude are blinding what is truly in demand and what is truly great. I for one would be more inclined to purchase a Cat Butt compilation rather than the new Foals record. Even to this day the label is still riding the grunge wave by releasing Green River t-shirts and a how about that re-released “Bleach” with bonus material. Oh, and how about that 20th anniversary show where these bands and more performed. And yet, they don’t see releasing a Cat Butt compilation a priority?

I’ll tell you one thing, if I were in charge of this label I’d bring it back into the hands of the Seattle bands and promote what the true Seattle Sound is. No one cares about these bands, or what their releasing. There is still a high demand for grunge acts, and if the labels excuse is that there either is A) no grunge acts out there, or B) there is no demand…Tell it to the thousands of people who bought the re-releases of many records, who bought the shirts and who sold out that anniversary show.

When I hear the Sub Pop 300 compilation it made me angry to hear the raw passion, emotion and spirit in the music, the liveliness of it all, than only to listen to a toned down, drawn out, pointless music. It left me scratching my head wondering why the label did this, so I asked people who are associated with the label, want to know what they said? NOTHING! None of my e-mails were answered and refused to answer any questions about why they turned to such corny and dumb bands and completely turn their back on the people and bands that put their label on the map.

I guess Sub Pop really is a record label and really is a company. They turned their back on the bands that they owe it too for keeping the labels head above water, and turned their backs on the fans that followed them for years. They want to keep riding the grunge wave and accumulating revenue from it than anything else.

Hey Sub Pop, do yourselves a favor and look at your label, and look at what it was. There is no explanation for the direction they are taking. I suggest look at your city, listen to your fans that was with the label from day 1, sign the bands that are selling out the venues in Seattle now and not the ones that are NOT selling them out. I can name countless of amazing local acts, unsigned looking for labels. Look at you label very closely and look at where you were to where you are now. I understand progression is a part of a record labels growth, but what Sub Pop is doing is not growth, they are stagnating.

Instead of promoting shitty bands like Fruit Bats, CocoRosie, No Age and Tiny Vipers I suggest re-releasing some legendary records that help pull your label out of financial difficulties, sign local acts, and bring the label back into the hands of the Seattle public. I spoken to numerous people who want the Sub Pop Singles Club back in circulation, and people who want those rare, and now out of print releases they releases years ago.

It’s amazing to think, they still ride the glories grunge and those bands gave them, yet deviate so badly and refuse their existence. Why not push for a new Green River release? I know there are unreleased material laying around and a new record on the horizon, why not do something with that? Soundgarden reformed, why not get involved, I mean they were THE FIRST band you guys were interested in? Oh, how about signing bands like Zombie Jihad, get Girl Trouble in the studio again, or how about jumping on TAD front man Tad Doyle’s new band? These acts would be ideal for the label, and ring familiarity of the grunge explosion. Oh, why your at it, drop these shitty indie bands and release a Cat Butt compilation for god sake.

I guess Sub Pop is a company and a record label who cares more about “profit”, or the lack-there-of than what gave them their identity. I owe it to Sub Pop for bringing the genre that I have studied and adored since I was a toddler into the national eyes and bringing amazing bands into my peripherals, But I won’t lay back and see the labels bullshit antics. If I were heading this label, I wouldn’t pull what these guys are doing….So with all this said, as long as they ignore a long time fan and customer of their label by not answering my questions, ignoring fans pleas for more hard hitting bands, and ignoring their past musicians I will boycott any new “artist” they release. And I will tell people, no matter who they are that Sub Pop went out of business in 1996. Thanks Bruce and Jon, for turning your back on us, and thank you for ignoring the people that were with you guys from day 1.

I want more Green River, I want Cat Butt, and I want local, aggressive, and passionate bands, not what you guys are signing and delivering…Thanks for what did in the 90’s, and thanks for introducing me to a couple of my favorite bands, In fact Green River was one of the first ever records I ever bought!! Sub Pop is a real company and a real label; doesn’t give a shit about the fans or the bands that brought it to where they are at now…Good work.

I apologize for being a bit harsh here, but I feel passionatly about this topic, and just listening to Sub Pop 300 made me angry beyond belief. Oh, and apparently Sub Pop has a new line of merchandise out, the Sub Pop Record shoe...Great business decision guys, just what the world needs an ugly yellow shoe and even uglier sounding bands....Sub Pop, you guys are surely batting a thousand.I just want my small, independent grunge label back!