Epitaph Records is an American

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 ...

owned by

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilities and ...

guitarist

Brett Gurewitz Brett W. Gurewitz (born May 12, 1962), nicknamed Mr. Brett, is an American musician and record producer, best known as the co-founder and guitarist of the Punk rock, punk band Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records ...

. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by

Tim Armstrong Timothy Ross Armstrong (born November 25, 1965) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. Known for his distinctive voice, he is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Rancid (band), Rancid and hip hop/punk rock supergroup T ...

, frontman of the

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 ...

band Rancid. Several sister labels also exist, such as ANTI-,

Burning Heart Records Burning Heart Records is an independent record label formed in 1993 in Fagersta, Sweden, and currently based in Örebro. It has a close affiliation with Californian label Epitaph Records, who own the rights to distribute Burning Heart's output ...

, Hellcat Records, and Heart & Skull Records that have signed other types of bands.

History

Early years (1980s)

formed Epitaph Records as a vehicle for releases by his band

.Larkin, Colin (1999) "Epitaph Records" in ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock'', Virgin Books, , p. 150 The name had been taken from the

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

protest song "

Epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

" from which the lyrics "Confusion will be my epitaph." had struck a chord with Brett and Greg when they were young. Its first release for the label was Bad Religion's 1981 self-titled EP, followed by their debut ''

How Could Hell Be Any Worse? ''How Could Hell Be Any Worse?'' is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on January 19, 1982, by Epitaph Records. Released almost a year after their self-titled EP, it was financed from the sales of the self t ...

'', which was also the label's first full-length release. Also released during this period was '' Peace thru Vandalism'', an EP by the Vandals, who were the first band besides Bad Religion to sign to Epitaph. Two more Bad Religion releases followed – '' Into the Unknown'' and the EP '' Back to the Known'' – before their temporary split. After Gurewitz had cleaned up his drug issues, both Epitaph and Bad Religion were revived in 1987. In the following year, Epitaph released its first record as a proper label, which was L7's self-titled album, and it was distributed by

Chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...

. Also in 1988, Bad Religion released '' Suffer'', which was both released and distributed by Epitaph. In 1989, Gurewitz signed

NOFX NOFX () was an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. Bassist/lead vocalist Fat Mike, rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin were original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

to Epitaph. They released their debut for the label, '' S&M Airlines'', that same year, featuring the video for its title track and the cover of

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

's " Go Your Own Way", which featured guest vocals by Gurewitz and Greg Graffin, also a member of Bad Religion. This was followed by Bad Religion's next two albums – '' No Control'' and '' Against the Grain'' – which sold 60,000 and 100,000 copies respectively.

Breakthrough success (1990s)

By 1993, more punk acts had signed to Epitaph, and the label relocated to new offices in

Silver Lake, Los Angeles Silver Lake is a residential and commercial Neighbourhood, neighborhood in the east-Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California, United States, originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe, so named in honor of Ivanhoe, ...

. Although

was the founding band of Epitaph, releasing their early records through the label, they switched over to

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

in 1993, with '' Recipe for Hate'' being their first record outside of the label. Brett Gurewitz is thought to have left Bad Religion as a result of internal disputes, but actually left the band in 1994 so he could run Epitaph full-time.

Change in style (2000s)

In 2001, Brett Gurewitz returned to Bad Religion, and the band returned to Epitaph Records,Piccoli, Sean (2002) "Punk's been good to bad religion", ''

South Florida Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...

'', March 1, 2002, p. 36 releasing seven more albums, the latest being '' Age of Unreason'' (2019). In mid-2005 Epitaph was added to the official list of

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

members along with several other high-profile independent labels. The reason for the listing is not clear, but one source points to an agreement for internet P2P distribution. Another source claims label management joined RIAA to get certified sales awards (i.e., official "Gold" or "Platinum" record status) for releases. This sparked some controversy as some feel they should no longer be labeled independent if they are a member of the RIAA. However, the only source that has actually been used for these claims of membership is the official RIAA membership list, which has been disputed. As of this writing, not only is Epitaph listed as an official member but Lookout! Records is once again listed, after being falsely listed before. In addition, Fat Wreck Chords has released statements denying their own involvement in the RIAA, condemning the organization.

Recent years (2010s)

Epitaph signed

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...

in 2010, the label releasing '' Hurley'' later that year.Luerssen, John D. (2010)
Weezer Sign to Epitaph, Announce 'Hurley' Album
, Spinner, August 5, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2011 The label signed

Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. It consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards). Emerg ...

in the same year. Epitaph signed

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n punk band Dangerous! in 2011 and released album ''Teenage Rampage''. Epitaph had also signed the Canadian punk rock band Propagandhi. The label has also been more active in signing bands from the emo revival including The Menzingers, Joyce Manor, Pianos Become the Teeth, Defeater, the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, and

Touché Amoré Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has consisted of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Ba ...

Sales certifications

Epitaph has issued two albums that have been certified as platinum or multi-platinum, for sales of over 1 million units, by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

: '' Smash'' by

the Offspring The Offspring is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Garden Grove, California, in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland, Bryan "Dexter" Holland, ...

, which has been certified six-times platinum, and '' ...And Out Come the Wolves'' by Rancid, which has been certified platinum. Seven albums released by the label, or its subsidiaries Hellcat and ANTI-, have been certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies: '' Ignition'' by the Offspring, ''

Punk in Drublic ''Punk in Drublic'' is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on July 19, 1994, through Epitaph Records. The title is a spoonerism of "Drunk in Public". ''Punk in Drublic'' is NOFX's most successful albu ...

'' by

, '' Let's Go'' by Rancid, '' Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards'' by

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

, '' The Drug in Me Is You'' and '' Popular Monster'' by Falling in Reverse, '' The Warrior's Code'' by

Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...

and '' Sempiternal'' by

Bring Me the Horizon Bring Me the Horizon are a British Rock music, rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean (musician), Matt Kean. T ...

Artists

Current

* The All-American Rejects *

Architects An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

(World ex. Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) *

* Bad Suns * Cold Hart * Converge *

Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...

Descendents The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in Manhattan Beach, California, in 1977, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson (musician), Bill Stevenson as a power pop/surf music, surf punk band. I ...

* Defeater * Dolo Tonight * Falling in Reverse * The Frights * The Garden * The Ghost Inside * Hollow Front * Hunny * Jamie T * Joyce Manor * Justin Pierre * La Dispute * Late Night Drive Home *

The Lawrence Arms The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. They have released seven full-length albums and toured extensively. Band history Pre-history Prior to forming the Lawrence Arms, the three band members were active ...

* Lil Lotus * The Linda Lindas * Magnolia Park * Mannequin Pussy * The Menzingers * Millencolin * The Muslims * Off With Their Heads * Parkway Drive (World Ex. Australia & New Zealand) * Pennywise * Pianos Become the Teeth * Propagandhi *

Quicksand Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...

* Raised Fist * Remo Drive * Retox * Saosin * Save Face * SayWeCanFly * Sleepwave *

* Soul Glo * Teenage Wrist * Thrice * This Wild Life * The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

Former

* 1208 (Disbanded) * 98 Mute (Disbanded) * 59 Times The Pain (Disbanded) *

Agnostic Front Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre. History First era (1980– ...

* ALL * Alesana * Alkaline Trio (active with

Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...

) *

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

* Avion Roe (Disbanded) * Beatsteaks * Beautiful Bodies (Disbanded) * Brand New * Big Talk * The Blood Brothers (re-releasing old material) * Boysetsfire * Bombshell Rocks * Bob Log III * The Bouncing Souls (active with

Pure Noise Records Pure Noise Records is an American punk rock record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded by Jake Round in 2009 while he was an editor at '' AMP''; the previous fall, friends of his in the band No Bragging Rights told him they were ...

) *

(active with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

) *

Burning Heads Burning Heads is a punk rock and reggae band from Orléans Orléans (,

* The Blackout * The Business (Disbanded) *

Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag (band), Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetso ...

Claw Hammer A claw hammer is a hammer primarily used in carpentry for driving nail (fastener), nails into or pulling them from wood. Historically, a claw hammer has been associated with woodworking, but is also used in general applications. It is not sui ...

(Disbanded) * Coffin Break (Disbanded) * The Color of Violence * Cover Your Tracks (inactive since 2016) * The Cramps (Disbanded) * Culture Abuse (Disbanded) *

Dag Nasty Dag Nasty is an American hardcore punk band from Washington D.C., formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown (later of ...

* Danger Doom (Disbanded) * Dangerous! * Daredevils (Disbanded) *

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...

(one partner release with ADTR Records; distribution only, active with Fueled By Ramen) *

( Hellcat Records) * Dead Fucking Last * Death by Stereo (active with Indecision Records) *

Desaparecidos An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a State (polity), state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the i ...

* The Distillers * Division of Laura Lee * Down By Law * The Draft (disbanded) * Dwarves *

Error An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement. In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...

(Disbanded) * Escape the Fate (active with Better Noise Music) * Every Time I Die (disbanded) * Eyedea & Abilities (Disbanded) * Farewell *

Frank Turner Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...

(active with Polydor/Xtra Mile) * Frenzal Rhomb * Flogging Molly * From First to Last *

Gallows A gallows (or less precisely scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sa ...

(re-releasing old material in North America) * Gas Huffer (Disbanded) * The Ghost of a Thousand (Disbanded) *

Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...

(re-releasing old material in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

;) * The Get Up Kids (re-release only) * Guttermouth * H₂O (active with Bridge Nine Records) * Heavens (disbanded) *

Hot Water Music Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in October 1994 and based in Gainesville, Florida. Since their formation, the group has consisted of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitars, bass guitarist Jason B ...

The Higher The Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released three full-length albums, ''On Fire (The Higher album), On Fire'', ''It's Only Natural (The Higher album), It's ...

(Disbanded) * Hell Is for Heroes * The Hives * Heideroosjes * Humpers * I Against I *

I Am Ghost I Am Ghost was an American post-hardcore band from Long Beach, California, United States, conceived of and founded by Steven Juliano in 2004. They were signed to Epitaph Records from 2005 to 2010, before splitting up in July 2010. They briefly ...

(Disbanded) * I Killed the Prom Queen * Ikara Colt (Disbanded) * The (International) Noise Conspiracy (disbanded) * I Set My Friends on Fire * The Joykiller (Disbanded) *

Wayne Kramer Wayne Stanley Kramer (''né'' Kambes; April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and Film score, film and television composer. Kramer came to prominence in the 1960s as the lead guitarist of t ...

* L7 *

Less Than Jake Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker ...

* Leathermouth *

Letlive Letlive, stylized letlive., is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band's final lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jason Aalon Butler (son of Aalon Butler, vocalist, and guitarist of the soul group Aalon), guitaris ...

Madball Madball is an American New York hardcore band. Originated in the late 1980s as a side project of Agnostic Front, the band developed after Agnostic Front's vocalist Roger Miret would let his younger half-brother Freddy Cricien take the micro ...

* Matchbook Romance (Disbanded) * Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (one time release only) (Active with Fat Wreck Chords) * The Matches *

Motion City Soundtrack Motion City Soundtrack is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew Ta ...

* New Found Glory (active with Revelation Records) * New Bomb Turks * Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds *

No Fun At All No Fun at All (often abbreviated to just NFAA) is a Swedish punk rock band. History The band formed in the summer of 1991 in Skinnskatteberg. The group initially consisted of Mikael Danielsson (guitar), Jimmie Olsson (Singing, vocals, Drum kit ...

(

) *

(disbanded) * Obey the Brave (Disbanded) *

The Offspring The Offspring is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Garden Grove, California, in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland, Bryan "Dexter" Holland, ...

* Osker (Disbanded) * Our Last Night * Pete Philly and Perquisite (Disbanded) * The Pietasters *

Poison Idea Poison Idea was an American punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980. History Formation, 1980s, and 1990s Poison Idea was formed in 1980 by vocalist Jerry A. (aka Jerry Lang). The initial lineup consisted of Jerry A., Chris Ten ...

(Disbanded) *

Pulley Sheave without a rope A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft enabling a taut cable or belt passing over the wheel to move and change direction, or transfer power between itself and a shaft. A pulley may have a groove or grooves between flan ...

* Randy * Red Aunts (Disbanded) *

Refused Refused (also known as the Refused) is a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused is composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guita ...

Rich Kids on LSD Rich Kids on LSD (RKL) is a Californian hardcore punk band formed in 1982 in Montecito, California, a suburb of Santa Barbara. They were associated with the "Nardcore" scene of West Coast hardcore that evolved out of nearby Oxnard. Their mus ...

(Disbanded) * Rancid (Now active on Epitaph’s sub label, Hellcat Records) * Ruth Ruth * Satanic Surfers * Scatter the Ashes * Settle * Set Your Goals * The Donnas * The Sidekicks (Disbanded) * Sing It Loud (Disbanded) *

Sleeping with Sirens Sleeping with Sirens is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The band currently consists of Kellin Quinn (lead vocals, keyboards), Nick Martin (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Justin Hills ...

(active with

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.SNFU (Disbanded) * Some Girls * The Sound of Animals Fighting * The Special Goodness * Story of the Year * Straight Faced *

Sugarcult Sugarcult was an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 1998. The band consisted of Tim Pagnotta (vocals, rhythm guitar), Airin Older (bass), Marko DeSantis (lead guitar), and Kenny Livingston (drums). History Formation ...

(on hiatus) *

Ten Foot Pole Ten Foot Pole (formerly Scared Straight) is an American punk rock band. History Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 under the name Scared Straight. Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a ...

* Terrorgruppe * Thelonious Monster *

Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name Th ...

* Too Close to Touch (Disbanded) * Total Chaos * Title Fight (inactive) *

* Tricky * Turbonegro * U.S. Bombs * The Vandals (active with Kung Fu Records) * Vanna (Disbanded) * Voodoo Glow Skulls (active with Dr. Strange Records) * The Weakerthans (on hiatus) *

(active with Atlantic Records) * You Me at Six (active with BMG Rights Management) * Zeke

Compilations

* Punk-O-Rama ''series'' * Unsound ''series'' * How We Rock * Spirit of the Streets * Epitaph / Union skate/surf DVD series ** Football Schmootball (1st) ** DC Video (3rd) ** Circle One (5th) ** Bored Generation skate/surf enhanced CD-ROM (1996) ** More Songs About Anger, Fear, Sex & Death (1992) * ''New Noise'' (2010) * ''New Noise 2'' (2011)

References

{{authority control Bad Religion Record labels established in 1980 Record labels established in 1987 1980 establishments in California 1987 establishments in California Re-established companies Record labels based in California American independent record labels Punk record labels Hardcore record labels Alternative rock record labels American companies established in 1980 American companies established in 1987 Post-hardcore record labels Pop punk record labels