Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.–based

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 ...

specializing in

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

. The label is co-owned by

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.–based independent record label, and the frontman of hardcore pu ...

and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release '' Minor Disturbance'' by their band the Teen Idles. With other independent American labels such as Twin/Tone, Touch and Go Records, and SST Records, Dischord helped to spearhead the nationwide network of underground bands that formed the 1980s

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

scene.Dolan, Jon (January 2005)
"The Revival of Indie Rock"
'' Spin'' 21 (1): 53. These labels presided over the shift from the

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging. The label is most notable for employing the

do it yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, wikt:modification, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals ...

ethic, producing all of its albums and selling them at discount prices without finance from major distributors. Dischord continues to release records by bands from Washington D.C., and to document and support the Washington D.C. music scene. As of October 2016, the label employs four people. Dischord was a local label in the early days of hardcore, and is one of the more famous independent labels, along with the likes of Alternative Tentacles, Epitaph Records, SST Records, and Touch and Go Records. The logo of the label was created by Nelson, who has an

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

in advertising design.Beaujon, Andrew (May 2003)
"Out of Step with the World"
'' Spin'' 19 (5): 86.

History

Influenced by existing labels like Dangerhouse Records, MacKaye and Nelson took up residence in the now known "Dischord House" and ran the label out of its premises. Dischord's first release was '' Minor Disturbance'' by Teen Idles released in 1980. The band members cut, folded, and glued the record packaging themselves to keep costs down. The label's first split 12" was '' Faith / Void Split'' by the bands the Faith and Void. Dischord limits itself to bands from the D.C. scene. The label offers the same basic deal to all artists: Dischord fronts a certain amount of money to record and manufacture and once those costs are recouped, the label's distributor takes 30 percent of the profit and the band and label split the remainder. Jeff Nelson has claimed the venture was never intended to be profit-making but was instead simply a way to get their friends albums in fans’ hands. In spite of criticism over the years about how the label is run, MacKaye claims everything works and will continue to operate in the same fashion of no contracts or lawyers. In 2017, they put their catalog on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

for free streaming or purchase. In May 2021, it was announced that Dischord would be re-releasing the label's first six 7" records in a remastered box set. With the catalog number "Dischord 200", it consisted of singles and EPs by Minor Threat, Government Issue, Teen Idles, SOA, and Youth Brigade.

Roster

Bands such as Minor Threat, Government Issue, the Faith, Void,

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

, Embrace, Rites of Spring, Nation of Ulysses, Scream, Soulside, S.O.A., the Teen Idles, Gray Matter, Jawbox, Marginal Man, Shudder to Think, Dag Nasty,

Lungfish Lungfish are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the class Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining ancestral characteristics within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and ancestral structures within Sarcopterygii, inc ...

and

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...

have released records on Dischord. Additions to the Dischord roster as of the late 1990s and 2000s include Q and Not U, Beauty Pill, Antelope, Soccer Team,

French Toast French toast is a Dish (food), dish of sliced bread soaked in beaten eggs as food, eggs and often milk or cream, then pan-fried. Alternative names and variants include eggy bread, Bombay toast, gypsy toast, and poor knights (of Windsor).''Oxfo ...

, Faraquet, Black Eyes, the Aquarium, Title Tracks, Edie Sedgwick, Slant 6, and Andalusians. Many of these acts, notably Q and Not U and Black Eyes, are influential and experimental

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

bands.

Legacy

Dischord Records influenced many other labels such as Simple Machines, Lovitt Records and DeSoto Records.

Notes

References and bibliography

* * *

External links

*
Dischord Records Profile by Southern Records

Dischord Records Label Spotlight
* Heller, Jason (November 18, 2014)
"Primer: Where to start with the righteous noise of Dischord Records"
'' The A.V. Club''. {{Authority control American independent record labels Record labels established in 1980 Post-hardcore record labels Punk record labels Hardcore record labels Indie rock record labels Music companies based in Washington, D.C. Alternative rock record labels 1980 establishments in Washington, D.C.