How to Help Labels Affected by London Riots – 6 Records You Should Own

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As many of you many have heard, a Sony/PIAS distribution warehouse in London burned down to the ground during the riots earlier this week. Many labels we love suffered significant losses and you can see the full list of those impacted below.

Some of the individual labels have released information about their situations (you can read it here on Pitchfork),  but we decided to take the most positive path we could think of and just highlight some of the great bands and albums issued by these labels. If you’re so inclined, please purchase one or a few.

A HUGE thanks to KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence for his recommendations:

1) Brownswood Recordings – Jose James

Brownswood Recordings is acclaimed DJ Gilles Peterson’s own label, and while they are strong advocates for the vinyl revolution, under the circumstances I’m sure they would love to offer you a download of Jose James’ masterful neo-soul/jazz debut album, “The Dreamer.”  And you in turn will love your purchase!

2) Finders Keepers – Pomegranates

Finders Keepers & its ancillary labels specialize in releasing some of the most amazing and most obscure records in the world.  Run by some serious musical archivists, such as Doug Shipton and sometimes-Badly Drawn Boy collaborator Andy Votel, they unearth some incredible musical gems, such as can be found on “Pomegranates,” a collection of mind-blowing pre-revolutionary pop songs from Iran.  (Hear Tom Schnabel interview the producers of this album here.

3) Memphis Industries – Field Music

Memphis Industries is the UK label home for bands such as The Go! Team, Colourmusic, El Perro Del Mar, Black Moth Super Rainbow and many others.  They are also home to Field Music, whose entire catalog can be found for sale at their website.  Click on the “MORE FORMATS” link under each release to get to the digital downloads.

4) Brainfeeder – Tokimonsta

Although Brainfeeder doesn’t sell their records via download directly through their website, they are available on iTunes, such as Tokimonsta’s “Creature Dreams” EP.  Otherwise they do have some nifty t-shirts, including a nice Thundercat one that will mark you as a forward thinking individual, as Thundercat’s album doesn’t come out until the end of the month.  But when it does, everyone will be talking about it!

5) Full Time Hobby White Denim

Full Time Hobby is a London-based label, so I’m sure the troubles there have hit them hard, both in terms of losing their merchandise in the fire, but even just seeing the turmoil in their hometown.  Thankfully music can heal many wounds, and with a roster such as theirs, with bands like Tuung, Let’s Wrestle, Erland and the Carnival, Fujiya & Miyagi, The Leisure Society, Timber Timbre, White Denim and others, your purchase could do some serious healing.

6) Soul Jazz Records – all of them!

Another terrific reissue label, Soul Jazz is at its best when they expertly summarize a particular genre (or sub-genre) with a disc or two of the best songs in that genre.  From Brazilian tropicalia to Jamaican dancehall to NYC no wave to Southern swamp rock, Soul Jazz covers it all, with their compilations serving as excellent jumping off points for future musical discoveries.  So get started on your own sonic journey here!

Editor’s Note: A source close to some of these labels tells me most would prefer fans buying music directly from their websites or local record stores — rather than via iTunes, etc – if at all possible.

PIAS Labels:

[PIAS] Recordings
[PIAS] Recordings Belgium
4AD
A Camp
Absynthe Minded
Accidental
AEI Music
Air Recordings
ALC Music
Alsation
Ambush Reality
Ancient & Modern
Angular Recording Corporation
Arcady Records
Ark Recordings
Asthmatic Kitty Records
Atlantic Jaxx Recordings
Bad Magic
Balling The Jack
Banquet Records
Battered Ornaments Records
Beggars Banquet
Best Before
Big Brother
Big Dada
Bird Records
blackmaps
Bloody Chamber
Blowout Music
Blue Chopsticks
Border Community
Borstal Beats
Boysnoize Records
BPM
Brainfeeder
Brassland
Bright Star Recordings
Brille
Broken Sound Music
Bronzerat
Brothers and Sisters
Brownswood Recordings
Buzzin’ Fly
Cache Cache
Cadenza Records
Celluloid Records
Chalkmark / IE
Chemikal Underground Records
Cocoon
Control Tower
Counter Records
Dance To The Radio
Dead Oceans
Deceptive
Defenders Ent UK
DESOLAT
Dessous
Different
Dirtee Stank
Divine Comedy Records
Domino Records
Double Six Records
Drag City
Dreambrother
Drive Thru Records
Drowned In Sound
Dummy Records
Duophonic
Eat Sleep Records
Fabric Worldwide
Fake Diamonds
FantasyTrashcan
Fatcat Records
Fence
Feraltone
Finders Keepers Records
Flock Music
Flying Circus
Freerange Records
Friends Vs Records
Full Pupp
Full Time Hobby
Gang Of Four Recordings
Geographic
Ghost Ship
Glaze Recordings
Groenland Records
G-Unit
Hardly Art
Hassle Records
Helpless
Hem Hem Records
HFN Music
Immune
Independiente
Infant
Infectious
Jagjaguwar
Kartel
Kitchenware
Kitsune
KMS Records / Fabric
Laughing Stock
Lex Records
Lipservice
Little Sister Recordings
LO-MAX Records
Loose Music
Lovepump United
Low Life Records
Lucky Number Music
Lucky Seven Records
Mantra
Matador
Memphis Industries
Merok
Metric Music International
Metroline Limited
Model Citizen
Moikai
Motion Audio
MyMajorLabel Ltd
Nation
Ninja Tune
No Quarter
NovaMute
Nusic Sounds
One Four Seven Records Ltd
One Little Indian
Organs
Outcaste
OVNI
P.I.L.
Peartree Records
PeMa
People In The Sky
People Tree
Pirates Blend Records Inc
Planet Function
Play It Again Sam
Playlouder
Poker Flat
Polyvinyl Records
Poseidon Records
Post Present
Pschent
Raw Canvas
Red Cord Records
REK’D
Rekids
Rekords Rekords
Renaissance
Reveal Records
Riverman Records
Rock Action Records
Roots Records
Rough Trade Records
Rubyworks
Sea Note
Search and Destroy
Secretly Canadian
Setanta
Shape
SideOneDummy Records
Silva Screen
Slam Dunk Records
Smekkleysa
Soma
Sonic Cathedral
Soul Jazz Records
South Paw
Southern Fried Records
Stereo Bang Media
Stolen Recordings
Stranger Records
Streamline
Sub Pop
Suicide Squeeze
Sunday Best
Thrill Jockey
Tirk
Too Pure
Torque Records
Touch & Go Records
Transmission Recordings
Tri Tone
Trouble Records
True Panther
Try Harder
Turnstile
Twisted Nerve Recordings
Universal Sound
Victory Records
Wagram
Wall of Sound
Warp
Watergate
We Love You
Wiiija
Willkommen Records Ltd
Wonderfulsound
XL
Xtra Mile Recordings
Yaala Yaala
Young Turks