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
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, which operated from 1977 until 1994. It was the original home of influential Minnesota bands the Replacements and Soul Asylum and was instrumental in helping the Twin Cities music scene achieve national attention in the 1980s. Along with other independent American labels such as
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold elec ...
,
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. To ...
, and Dischord, Twin/Tone helped to spearhead the nationwide network of underground bands that formed the pre-
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
indie-rock scene. 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.
Twin/Tone originated in the Minneapolis punk rock scene. The label was begun by Peter Jesperson, music and sports writer Charley Hallman, and Paul Stark. Releases by the pop/rock group
The Suburbs
''The Suburbs'' is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 3, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May".
were both Twin/Tone's first release ('' The Suburbs EP'' in 1978) and its last (''Viva! Suburbs!'' in 1994). The label's logo was designed by Suburbs guitarist Bruce Allen.
Jesperson signed the Replacements to the label immediately after the band's debut at the Longhorn Bar in Minneapolis. By 1984, the label had released 41 records and grown large enough to support three paid staff members, with its biggest-selling records including the Suburbs' debut and the first two discs by the Replacements. Other groups that signed with Twin/Tone include the Magnolias, Babes in Toyland,
Information Society
An information society is a society or subculture where the usage, Content creation, creation, information distribution, distribution, manipulation and information integration, integration of information is a significant activity. Its main drive ...
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...
also released his 1990 solo album ''
Eye
An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system.
In higher organisms, the ey ...
'' through the label.
The label was headquartered at 2541 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, which had previously been home to Kay Bank Studios, where garage-rock hits such as the Castaways' " Liar, Liar" and the Trashmen's " Surfin' Bird" had been recorded in the 1960s. For a time,
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...
had an office space next door to Twin/Tone at 2539. Hüsker Dü's Grant Hart would later name his first solo work, '' 2541'', after the location.
By 1994, Twin/Tone had released more than 300 records by 100 bands and had begun to develop an umbrella relationship with several smaller, mostly Minnesota-based indie labels, including:
In 1995, Twin/Tone was recognized as a "significant regional label" by ''Billboard'' magazine. In 1998, Stark decided to stop releasing physical product in favor of digital media. The company is currently described as being "in mothballs", releasing only limited amounts of out-of-print material on custom- burned CDs, though some of the more significant material was licensed to
Restless Records
Restless Records was started in El Segundo, California in 1986 by Enigma Records and primarily released alternative, metal and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade Records and Mute R ...
, part of
Rykodisc
Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.
History
Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record label ...
. Hallman died in 2015. In 2017, the label was revived by Stark and Jesperson to release the Suicide Commandos comeback album ''Time Bomb''.
See also
*
List of record labels
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Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, ...