Naturally, two “brands” that mean the most to me are Temporary Residence Ltd. and Merge Records.
Both of these labels have played HUGE roles in my life on an extremely personal level. To start, when I was about 13, I discovered Temporary Residence Ltd. I found solace in the band Explosions In The Sky and I noticed a tiny symbol on the backside of the CD case. I thought it was interesting but never really payed it any attention. Over the next few years I discovered bands like Eluvium and Mono, and once again that little heart logo with “Temporary Residence Ltd.” underneath. It was then that I decided to finally look them up online. From then, I have always trusted that any TRL band I purchase will be a safe choice. Not only safe, but life changing.
Fast forward to the present. I decide I’m moving to New York, and I look at the location of Temporary Residence… Brooklyn, NY. I shoot owner/creator Jeremy Devine an email letting him know how much I adore his records and asking him if there was any way I could be a part of it. He emails back within an hour or so thanking me for the kind words and offering to meet up with me when I come visit. I finally visited him and an internship was born. I began school and work (which I can attribute to one of the three TRL employees, Alfie who used to work at the Apple store and got me my job) and didn’t really have as much time to intern, so the tables turned and now Jeremy is helping me begin my own label.
This is where Merge steps in. I have always been a fan of bands like Arcade Fire, and Neutral Milk Hotel, but I never realized their label (similar to TRL). My girlfriend bought me a book one day entitled “Our Noise: The Story Of Merge Records” and as soon as I opened the cover… I was hooked. That book walked me through every single detail about how Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance created one of the most successful independent labels out of thin air. At this point, owning a record label was my biggest dream but I had no idea where to start, until I actually read this book. I found a newfound love for NMH and other bands I wish I would have found sooner such as Lambchop, Butterglory, Sebadoh, and Portastatic. Perhaps the largest thing Merge has done for me however, is that book. I basically view it as my bible now and refer all of my questions of what to do next straight to the bookshelf.
These labels have done more for me than anything I can even begin to think of, whether it be mentoring me, or sparking my dream. Either way, each of them are my favorites (hands down) and put out the best music you could possibly hear. I STRONGLY suggest any band from each, and I really hope you guys check them out.
http://temporaryresidence.com/
http://mergerecords.com/
Explosions In The Sky at Reckless Record Store
