Alias Records
Small indie-rock label founded in Lexington, Kentucky.
Alias Records is a small indie-rock label from Lexington, Kentucky, founded in 1988. A year later, the owner opened a second office in Burbank, California, linked to Royaltone Studio, and oversaw both companies. The label’s roster includes American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, The Magnolias, The Loud Family, Too Much Joy, and Knapsack. In 2011, Merge Records made a deal to reissue four Archers of Loaf LPs from the Alias catalog, adding singles and outtakes. Yo La Tengo’s first Alias release was the 1992 album *May I Sing with Me*; the band later moved to Matador Records, which issued a compilation including some Alias tracks. American Music Club, fronted by Mark Eitzel, earned critical praise but little commercial success; their Alias releases were the full-length *Everclear* and the CD-EP *Rise*, before they recorded for Reprise and, after a 2004 reunion, for Merge. Barry Black, a side project of Archers of Loaf’s Eric Bachmann, also released music on Alias. Other artists on the label include Blithe, Caustic Resin, Distortion Felix, Harm Farm, Lida Husik, Paul K, Matt Keating, Knapsack, Loud Family, Throneberry, Trunk Federation, The Scourge of the Sea, and Neva Geoffrey. Alias Records continues to distribute its back catalog.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Rock
- Country
- U.S.
- Location
- Lexington, Kentucky
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Alias Records was formed in 1988 in Lexington, Kentucky. The following year, the owner opened a second office in Burbank, California, affiliated with Royaltone Studio, and oversaw the development of both companies. The label's roster included Archers of Loaf, Yo La Tengo, and American Music Club, among others. Yo La Tengo's first Alias release came out in 1992, titled *May I Sing with Me*. American Music Club, a San Francisco band fronted by Mark Eitzel, had two releases on Alias: the full-length LP *Everclear* and the CD-EP *Rise*. The label also released material from Barry Black, a side project of Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann.
Reader's Guide
Alias Records occupies a modest but notable place in the indie-rock landscape of the late 1980s and 1990s. Though small and based in Lexington, Kentucky, the label originated in San Francisco and maintained a second office in Burbank, California, reflecting a bi-coastal operation. Its roster included critically respected but commercially modest acts such as American Music Club, Archers of Loaf, and Yo La Tengo. The label's significance lies in its role as an early home for these artists before they moved to larger labels or reissued their work through other imprints. For instance, a deal with Merge Records in 2011 allowed for the reissue of four Archers of Loaf LPs with additional material. Yo La Tengo later signed to Matador Records, and American Music Club recorded for Reprise Records and later Merge. Alias Records has continued to distribute its back catalog, maintaining access to its releases.
Did You Know?
- Owner opened a second office in Burbank, California, in 1989, affiliated with Royaltone Studio.
- Yo La Tengo's first Alias release was *May I Sing with Me* in 1992.
- A deal with Merge Records in 2011 reissued four Archers of Loaf LPs with singles and outtakes.
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