Independent labels fascinate me. I’m always curiously investigating how they operate differently from one another and why some artists tirelessly endeavor to be associated with a particular one (or few). There are some charming stories with many indie labels, particularly those run by a single person or very small groups. I’m going to spend the holiday period celebrating some of these tiny labels from around the world, those I consider with great taste & integrity, where a love of music radiates through everything they’re doing.

#1 – Big Scary Monsters

A brilliant UK label run by the lovable Kevin Douche, BSM has released records from This Town Needs Guns, Kevin Devine, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Tubelord, etc. Sometimes I feel like Kevin is my older, more successful brother from another mother, seeing a lot of pleasant similarities between Hobbledehoy and Big Scary Monsters. Starting the label in his late teens like myself and is successfully running the labour-of-love full time in his mid 20’s, some of his peers even coined the term “Kevcore” – describing the sound of many BSM artists (twinkling / jangly guitars). But don’t get your knickers in a knot genre-sticklers & purists, I’m sure it’s only a joke…

Kevin also operates a label blog aptly entitled ‘Blog Scary Monsters‘, baring a wit akin to the creative genius of ‘BLOGledehoy’, where he details adventures in the lounge room (aka ‘packing area’), antics on tour and other delights I keenly look forward to reading regularly.

Looking in from the outside, Big Scary Monsters appears a shining example of an independent label doing things their own way, comfortably and continually over the long term. How Kevin manages to accomplish so much amazes me (almost 100 releases at this point!), we’ve been in loose email contact for some time now and his shared insight into independent music culture is both intriguing & humbled. The creative packaging for many of the records is wonderful, note the denim hand-sewn covers in photo left for the Calories EP . The label organises an annual ‘5 a side’ football tournament (soccer to us AFL keen Aussies) in which various bands & labels from around the UK compete for athletic/musical glory; an idea I would love to unashamedly duplicate down under if it weren’t such a logistical headache! Perhaps one day…

Kev, I think we would be bestest friends. I’m not crazy, I have enclosed a piece of chipboard from my desk. Please write back.

Visit Big Scary Monsters on the web:
bsmrocks.com
myspace.com/bigscarymosters
twitter.com/bsmrocks

OTHER INDIE LABEL FEATURES:
- Asian Man
- Second Nature
- Poison City