Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

based in Oxford, England. Its releases include

American Football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

, Lambrini Girls, La Dispute, Modern Baseball, Laura Jane Grace, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Martha, Minus The Bear, mewithoutYou, Kevin Devine, The Get Up Kids, Hell Is For Heroes, Pedro The Lion, The Fall of Troy, Andrew W.K., Tall Ships,

Cursive Cursive (also known as joined-up writing) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionality and m ...

, Joyce Manor, Bear vs. Shark and Delta Sleep amongst others.

History

Big Scary Monsters was established in 2001 by Kevin Douch whilst he was still in

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

. In Autumn 2006 BSM launched its first sub-label,

Alcopop! Records Alcopop! Records is a British independent record label, run by Jack Clothier and Kevin Douch formed in East Oxford, 2006. The label works with DITZ, DZ Deathrays, Johnny Foreigner, Fight Like Apes, Anamanaguchi, Peaness, TIGERCUB, Gaffa T ...

. Alcopop! began working with bands such as Johnny Foreigner, Anamanaguchi, Fight Like Apes and others. On 7 September 2010, the label celebrated its 100th release. The release was titled ''Partied Hard'' was a DVD/CD compilation featuring over thirty promo, live and bonus videos from the label's history. It was only available between 7 September (the day after BSM099 came out) and 24 October 2010 (the day before BSM101 was due out). In April 2011 BSM co-founded Pink Mist with fellow indie labels Holy Roar and Blood And Biscuits. A 12" compilation was released on Record Store Day to mark the launch. Pink Mist is an East London-based collective releasing records, promoting regular live shows and blogging about up and coming new bands. In 2012 it was nominated for Best Small Label at the AIM Awards. Kevin Douch was featured as a speaker at AIM's Indie Con event in 2017. From 2007 to 2016 BSM hosted an annual

five-a-side football Five-a-side football is a version of minifootball, in which each team fields five players (four Outfield#In association football, outfield players and a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper). Other differences from association football ...

tournament at Wembley Powerleague, with bands, labels, magazines, shops and other music industry teams competing.

Pop-up stores

In December 2016 the label announced that they would be opening up a pop-up Store in Hackney

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

from January 23 to February 4 in 2017. This two week period was eventually catalogued as BSM200 and was a celebration of the label's 16th birthday. During the pop up there were in-store performances from Modern Baseball, Kevin Devine,

Gnarwolves Gnarwolves were a British punk rock band, formed in 2011 and based in Brighton, England. The band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Thom Weeks, bass guitarist and vocalist Charlie Piper, and drummer Max Weeks. History Formation, and early r ...

, Delta Sleep, Tall Ships and more. There were also other non-music based events including, a-bring-your-dog day, a screen printing day with Awesome Merchandise, and a cocktail bar run by the band Tiny Moving Parts. In March 2018, BSM announced that they would be opening their second pop-up store in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

. The in-store featured performances from UK based signings Jamie Lenman, Orchards, Nervus, and US band Slaughter Beach, Dog. In 2019, BSM continued its run of form and announced their pop-up store would be coming to Glasgow in Scotland. Over their time there the label hosted in store performances from We Were Promised Jetpacks and in store talks from prominent Scottish music figures. Since then, the label have gone on to open pop-up shops in Brighton, Cologne and Norwich, as well as a craft beer and record shop in Oxford called Big Scary Monsters Social Club, which was open from September 2020 until September 2023.

Reissues

Over the last few years BSM have continued to reissue classic yet niche releases from the early 00's. - The Gloria Record - A Lull In Traffic - 2020
Released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the EP's original release. - And So I Watch You From Afar - ASIWYFA - 2019
A 10th anniversary reissue featuring a remastering of the original record and a live recording of the band performing their debut record all consisting in a 4LP box set. - Hell Is For Heroes - Neon Handshake - 2018
A celebration of the band's debut album turning 15 - Reuben - In Nothing We Trust - 2017
Less of a reissue and more of a first press. To coincide with the final Reuben album turning 10 BSM pressed In Nothing We Trust on White vinyl. - Bear vs. Shark - Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry - 2011

Current bands

Bands currently releasing music on the Big Scary Monsters record label. * Alpha Male Tea Party *

* Bicurious * Chastity *

* Cultdreams * Delta Sleep * Hell Is For Heroes *

I Am The Avalanche I Am the Avalanche is an American punk rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The group's name comes from a lyric written by Vinnie Caruana for a song which was later discarded. The phrase also appears in the poem ''"Oh, Immobility, Death's Vast As ...

* Into It Over It * Jamie Lenman * Lakes * Kevin Devine * Lambrini Girls * Laura Jane Grace * Martha * Me Rex * Michael Cera Palin * Orchards * Other Half * Owen * Pedro The Lion * Pool Kids * SUDS * Tangled Hair * Thank * The Get Up Kids * Vinnie Caruana * We Were Promised Jetpacks

Previous bands

Bands who have previously recorded for the label include: * Adebisi Shank * Andrew W.K. * Axes * Balance and Composure * Blakfish * Cats and Cats and Cats * Chariots * Chris Farren * Colour * Crash of Rhinos * Doe * Gender Roles * Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly * Great Grandpa * Grown Ups * Hiding With Girls * Hold Your Horse Is * Hop Along * Illuminati Hotties * Itch * Jairus * Jarcrew * Jetplane Landing * Jeniferever * Joyce Manor * La Dispute * MAN ON MAN * Meat Wave * Meet Me In St. Louis * Mimas * Minus The Bear * Modern Baseball * My Awesome Compilation * My Favourite Co-Pilot * New Pagans * NOBRO * Oceanator * Pet Symmetry * Prince Daddy & The Hyena * Pulled Apart By Horses * Remember Sports * Reuben * Richard Walters * Secondsmile * Shoes and Socks Off * Slaughter Beach, Dog * Sparks Lights and Flames * Stories and Comets * Tall Ships * Talons * The Campaign for Real Time * The Fall Of Troy * The Gloria Record * The Next Autumn Soundtrack * The Remarkable Rocket * The Tupolev Ghost * Thin Lips * This Town Needs Guns * Through Silence * Toe * Tubelord * Walter Schreifels * Weakened Friends * You Blew It!

References

External links

* {{Authority control Record labels established in 2003 British independent record labels 2001 establishments in England