independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independe ...
record store
A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records, but over the 20th century, record shops sold the new formats that were ...
,
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
distribution company
Distribution (or place) is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. Distribution is the process of making a product or service available for the consumer or business user who needs it. This can be done directly by the producer or service p ...
and
concert venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. T ...
located on Commercial Avenue in
Anacortes
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Skagit County,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. It formerly also housed a
book store
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...
, a
photography studio
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
, a
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...
-
bistro
A bistro or bistrot , is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods ...
, a
recording studio
A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enou ...
and a
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
. From 1978 to 2008, The Business was located at 1717 Commercial Avenue; from 2008 to 2016 at 402 Commercial Avenue; and since 2016 it has been located at 216 Commercial Avenue.
The store currently stocks new and used music releases on
vinyl records
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near ...
,
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
s and
audio cassettes
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otten ...
, as well as music-oriented posters and original artworks. It also frequently holds free, all-ages shows during store hours with locally and nationally known artists from a wide variety of genres.
History and owners
1717 Commercial Avenue
Founded by Glen Des Jardins in 1978, The Business opened at 1717 Commercial Avenue in Anacortes, Washington. It was not a record store but actually a used book shop and photography studio where shoppers could even purchase bird seeds, stained glass and photography equipment.
In 1988, local musician
Bret Lunsford
Bret Lunsford (born December 12, 1962) is an American vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the influential band Beat Happening and D+. In addition to his own musical endeavors, Lunsford owns and operates Knw-Yr-Own Records, an ...
began working at The Business, part-time in between his band
Beat Happening
Beat Happening is an American indie pop band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis, and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members. Beat Happening were early leaders in the American indie pop and lo-fi mo ...
's tours. By 1990, he had bought a share as a partner and in 1993, when Beat Happening broke up, he became a full-time employee. Lunsford was responsible for starting to stock music releases in the store. By 1998 he had become sole owner of the company, though the building itself was co-owned with his wife Denise Crowe. Des Jardins went on to operate the Pacific Rim Used Books webstore.
Under Lunsford's ownership, The Business (legally registered as The Business, A Retail Experiment, Incorporated) narrowed its focus to music and became principally known as a record store, stocking new and used vinyl records, compact discs and audio cassettes. But it also continued to sale a number of other items including
used book
A used book or secondhand book is a book which has been owned before by an owner other than the publisher or retailer, usually by an individual or library.
Used books typically become available on the market when they are sold or given to a sec ...
laserdisc
The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diameter typical ...
,
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...
s, turntables, cameras,
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
s,
postcard
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as woo ...
s and other vintage collectibles and ephemera. Lunsford also started hosting local concerts at The Business, founded his own record label Knw-Yr-Own Records, built a small recording studio out of the back room, and even opened a
café
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-c ...
-
bistro
A bistro or bistrot , is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods ...
, Café Desjardins, named after the store's original owner.
Lunsford befriended other local musicians
Karl Blau
Karl Blau is an American indie rock and country vocalist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but originally from Anacortes, Washington. A member of the Knw-Yr-Own/K Records collective, he is know ...
and
Phil Elverum
Philip Whitman Elverum (; born May 23, 1978) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist, best known for his musical projects The Microphones and Mount Eerie. Based in Anacortes, Washington, in the mid-2000s he bega ...
, who became involved in The Business. Their bands The Microphones and D+ recorded their early releases at The Business' back room studio. In 2001, Drea Killingsworth and Nicole Holbert, two The Business employees, revamped the bistro into Café Adrift. Café Adrift eventually became its own
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
at 510 Commercial Avenue.
Lunsford sold The Business in April 2005 to husband-and-wife team
Liz Lovelett
Elizabeth P. Lovelett (born 1980) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. She is a member of the Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 m ...
and Jensen Lovelett. Under the Loveletts' ownership, the store maintained the same scope: mainly selling music but also a great deal of
antique
An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
s and
collectibles
A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...
and even
clothing
Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natura ...
. Lunsford and Crowe put the 1717 Commercial Avenue building up for sale in September 2008, asking $420,000
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
, which forced the Loveletts to seek out a new location for The Business.
402 Commercial Avenue
The Business officially re-opened its doors at its second location on October 3, 2008. Located at 402 Commercial Avenue in the John M. Platt Building, the historic brick structure had originally been built in 1890 for the Bank of Anacortes. The Business took over the lease from the former The Red Snapper gift shop. By this time, the Loveletts had already stopped hosting concerts and focused on selling vintage and antique goods instead of music.
On May 1, 2010, The Business' ownership changed hands to
Menomonee Falls
Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest commu ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
-native musician Nick Rennis. The Loveletts have since gone on to operate the antique shop Alley Cat Antiques and since 2019, Liz Lovelett has been in politics in the office of the
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olymp ...
, District 40. Rennis had been living in Chicago, Illinois up until July 2009, when he moved to Anacortes and became a partner in concert venue and recording studio Department of Safety. Department of Safety closed down in February 2010 and Rennis was looking for a new music-related business venture to operate. Through connections with Phil Elverum and Karl Blau (both formerly owners of Department of Safety and prior employees of The Business), Rennis was introduced to the record store. Under Rennis' ownership, The Business returned its focus to the music industry, making it an actual
record store
A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records, but over the 20th century, record shops sold the new formats that were ...
. Rennis also re-established the free all-ages in-store concerts.
In late 2011, Rennis met Evie Opp, another Illinois-native, a business major living in Anacortes. The two started dating and Opp started working at The Business. They eventually married and she became co-owner of The Business. In November 2011, Rennis and Opp started a music distribution arm at The Business, unofficially referred to as The Business Distribution or The Business Distro-.
216 Commercial Avenue
On March 1, 2016, The Business opened its doors at its third location, only a block and a half north from its second, at 216 Commercial Avenue in the Alfred Olson Building. Built in 1902 the Alfred Olson Building is part of the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
and had formerly been home to streaming radio station Anacortes Music Channel, and prior to that of
art gallery
An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...
Anchor Arts Space. The move had been announced as early as November 2015 and was stated to be the result of problems with neighboring stores.
On April 11, 2018, The Business was voted Best Record Store in Washington State by
webzine
An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer maga ...
''Vinyl Me, Please''. The webzine editors, Amileah Sutliff and Andrew Winistorfer, later included The Business in their
coffee table book
A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...
''The Best Record Stores in the United States'', containing a foreword by Mark Farina and published in 2019 for
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
.
On July 29, 2020, The Business announced a direct partnership with
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scho ...
, allowing The Business to sell The Criterion Collection's DVD and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
releases in their retail store.
The Business distribution
The Business' distribution outfit, unofficially referred to as The Business Distribution or The Business Distro-, was started in November 2011 by Nick Rennis and Evie Opp. It handles global direct-retail and wholesale distribution for a vast roster of independent record labels. It also offers mail-order fulfillment for local independent bands. As of December 2020, The Business officially distributes 70 record labels. Some of its business partners include BlueSanct Records,
Dais Records
Dais Records is an American independent record label founded in August 2007 by musicians Gibby Miller and Ryan Martin, based in Los Angeles, California, and Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Drab Majes ...
Graveface Records
Graveface Records is an American independent record label from Savannah, Georgia, solely owned and operated by Ryan Graveface (who plays in the groups Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dreamend, the Marshmallow Ghosts and the Casket Girls). He has rele ...
,
HoZac Records
HoZac Records is a record label formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States in late 2006 by Todd Killings and Brett Cross after the demise of ''Horizontal Action Magazine'' (1997–2005). Concentrating on releasing records from musicians of the ...
,
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...
,
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wi ...
Somewherecold Records
Somewherecold Records (formerly Somewhere Cold Records) is an American independent record label established in late 2004 by Jason T. Lamoreaux. The record company was founded in Lexington, Kentucky, but is currently headquartered in Shelbyville ...
,
States Rights Records
States Rights Records is an independent record label founded in 2001 by Steve Schroeder. The Portland, Oregon label's premier release was "Come Along" by Little Wings. Later that year, the label released "Tongue and Tooth" by The Badger King. ...
and Knw-Yr-Own Records.
History
The initial five record labels that The Business' distribution outfit began with, in November 2011, were
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent music ...
, Knw-Yr-Own Records,
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wi ...
, Modern Documents and P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. Most of these record labels already had an established
consignment
Consignment involves selling one's personal goods (clothing, furniture, etc.) through a third-party vendor such as a consignment store or online thrift store. The owner of the goods pays the third-party a portion of the sale for facilitating ...
deal with the record store, and prior to that with the Department of Safety. In July 2012, three additional record labels were added to the roster: Off Tempo Records,
States Rights Records
States Rights Records is an independent record label founded in 2001 by Steve Schroeder. The Portland, Oregon label's premier release was "Come Along" by Little Wings. Later that year, the label released "Tongue and Tooth" by The Badger King. ...
and Wil-Ru Records. Up until this point, all of the record labels with distribution deals at The Business were based in the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...
, principally in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
; The Business had not anticipated to grow beyond this area. Gnome Life Records and Porchlight Records joined in November 2012; Gnome Life Records, based in California, was the first non-Pacific Northwest record label to sign a distribution deal with The Business. The only record label to join in 2013 was Resurrection Records, in April.
2014 saw four record labels sign distribution deals with The Business: Orindal Records in January; People in a Position to Know Recordings in May; Untide Records in October; and Keeled Scales in November. Orindal Records, based in Chicago, Illinois, was The Business' first
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
record label to sign a distribution deal, while Keeled Scales, based in Austin, Texas, was its first
Southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
record label. Jaz Records, the first Canadian record label to sign a distribution deal with The Business, joined the team in January 2015, while Gnar Tapes (from California) came on board in February after buying out the already-distributed Marriage Records. 7 e.p., based in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, was the first international record label to sign with The Business in July 2015.
2016 greatly expanded The Business' distribution roster with the addition of eleven more record labels: Lost Sound Tapes and Rumbletowne Records, both in April; Cosmic Dreamer Music and Trans- Records in May; Orange Milk Records in September;
Dais Records
Dais Records is an American independent record label founded in August 2007 by musicians Gibby Miller and Ryan Martin, based in Los Angeles, California, and Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Drab Majes ...
and Tall Pat Records, both in October; Life Like in November;
HoZac Records
HoZac Records is a record label formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States in late 2006 by Todd Killings and Brett Cross after the demise of ''Horizontal Action Magazine'' (1997–2005). Concentrating on releasing records from musicians of the ...
in December; as well as Curly Cassettes and Three:Four Records. Orange Milk Records, based in Brooklyn, New York, was the first Eastern record label to sign a distribution deal with The Business, while Three:Four Records, based in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, was the first European record label to join the distribution team.
2017 was by far the most prolific year for The Business' distribution division, welcoming fifteen new record labels to the company. This included Guruguru Brain Records in January; Avant! Records, Yerevan Tapes, Dub Ditch Picnic, Sundowning Sound Recordings and La Castanya, all in February; Maple Death Records and Tenth Court Records in March; Hands in the Dark Records in July; Oaken Palace Records in September; Shinkoyo in October; Debacle Records, Moone Records and New Atlantis Records, all in November; and Bruit Direct Disques in December. Five record labels were added throughout 2018: Sophomore Lounge in February; Whited Sepulchre Records in May; Sheep Chase Records in June; Artemisia Records in July; and The Helen Scarsdale Agency in September.
2019 was another highlight year for The Business, recruiting eleven record companies, including BlueSanct Records, Full Spectrum Records, Sleeping Giant Glossolalia and Textile Records, all in January; Drop Medium and SIGE Records (a
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records was an independent record label that specializes in extreme metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner (the frontman of Isis) in 1993. It had another imprint, Hydra Head Noise Industries, which specialized in experiment ...
subsidiary) in February; IFB Records and Sound of Cobra Records in March; Slowboy Records in August; Entr’acte in October; and Alien Snatch! Records in December. In 2020, distribution deals were made with ten record labels: Oscarson in January;
Somewherecold Records
Somewherecold Records (formerly Somewhere Cold Records) is an American independent record label established in late 2004 by Jason T. Lamoreaux. The record company was founded in Lexington, Kentucky, but is currently headquartered in Shelbyville ...
in March; Inner Islands in July; Zum Audio in August; Geertruida in September; Idée Fixe Records in October; and ZamZamRec in November; as well as Chicago Research,
Graveface Records
Graveface Records is an American independent record label from Savannah, Georgia, solely owned and operated by Ryan Graveface (who plays in the groups Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dreamend, the Marshmallow Ghosts and the Casket Girls). He has rele ...
and Dear Life Records.
Concert venue
Since Lundsford's ownership in the mid 1990s, The Business has been home to local and touring performing artists. From 2008 to 2010, under the Loveletts' ownership, concerts were put on hold while they raised their family. When Rennis took over The Business, the record store resumed hosting concerts and all shows became free and open to all ages. Some of the bands that have performed at The Business over the years include
Braid
A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing two or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair.
The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strande ...
,
Rainer Maria
Rainer Maria is an American emo band from Madison, Wisconsin, later residing in Brooklyn, New York. The band was originally active from 1995 to 2006 and reunited in 2014.
History
Caithlin De Marrais, Kaia Fischer and William Kuehn formed the b ...
,
Superdrag
Superdrag is an American alternative rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. They are best known for their 1996 single, " Sucked Out", off their album ''Regretfully Yours'', for which a video was played on MTV. The original lineup r ...
Karl Blau
Karl Blau is an American indie rock and country vocalist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but originally from Anacortes, Washington. A member of the Knw-Yr-Own/K Records collective, he is know ...
,
Your Heart Breaks
Your Heart Breaks is an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington (state), Washington led by artist and musician Clyde Petersen. The group was formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1998. Petersen is transgender and his songwriting, particularly on ...
The Finches
The Finches is an American folk pop band, founded in San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California ...
Daniel Bachman
Daniel Bachman (born 1989) is an American Primitive guitarist, drone musician, and independent scholar from Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States.
Career
Bachman's first projects were released under the moniker Sacred Harp. In 2011, Bach ...
,
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...
Mount Eerie
Mount Eerie is the musical project of American songwriter and producer Phil Elverum. Elverum (also of The Microphones) is the principal member of the band, but has collaborated with many other musicians on his records and in live performances. ...
,
The Evaporators
The Evaporators is a Canadians, Canadian garage rock band formed in 1986 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nardwuar, its founding member, is also known for interviewing musicians and celebrities. As of 2007, the band consists of vocalist/keyboardis ...
Mamiffer
Mamiffer is an American band based in Seattle, Washington. It started out as a solo project for former Pyramids and Everlovely Lightningheart member Faith Coloccia that later saw several session musicians and collaborators, most consistently Aaro ...
,
Jon Mueller
Jon Mueller (born 1970 in Waukesha, Wisconsin) is an American percussionist and composer, active in experimental and rock disciplines.
Early life and education
Jon Mueller was introduced to music through his parents, and began taking guitar an ...
,
Frankie Cosmos
Greta Simone Kline (born March 21, 1994), formerly known by the stage name Frankie Cosmos, is an American musician and singer-songwriter. She is known for her independent releases, inspired by Frank O'Hara's poetry, DIY ethics of K Records and ...
Kimya Dawson
Kimya Dawson (born November 17, 1972) is an American folk singer-songwriter, one half of the anti-folk duo the Moldy Peaches. Dawson's work with the Moldy Peaches earned them a cult following and critical acclaim, with their 2001 song "Anyone El ...