It all began in 1996 when brothers Chris and Ben Swanson, Eric Weddle and Jonathan Cargill founded Secretly Canadian upon their release of a re-issue June Panic album. Weddle eventually left to form his own label, Family Vineyard.
Secretly Canadian:
~ Antony and the Johnsons
~ BLK JKS
~ Catfish Haven
~ Damien Jurado
~ Danielson
~ The Earlies
~ Foreign Born
~ I love you but I've chosen darkness
~ The Impossible Shapes
~ Jens Lekman
~ Magnolia Electric Co.
~ Throw Me the Statue
Also in 1996, Jagjaguwar was founded in Charlottesville, VA, on a theory that label-affiliation would better the release of founder's Darius Van Arman's band The Curious Digit. Unbeknownst that he would ever continue to sign more and more bands, a stable of artists were signed and compiled until 1999 when Van Arman partnered with Chris Swanson of the aforementioned label. Bringing us back to Indiana.
Despite having a distinctly differing arsenals of artists, Jagjaguwar packed up shop and moved HQ to Bloomington to share offices and staff with Secretly Canadian.
Jagjaguwar; name formed from D&D name-generating program.
~ Bon Iver
~ Dinosaur Jr.
~ Daniel Johnston
~ Ladyhawke
~ Lightning Dust
~ Oakley Hall
~ Okkervil River
~ Oneida
~ Parts & Labor
~ Pink Mountaintops
~ Pterodactyl
~ Spokane
~ Sunset Rubdown
In 2007, with former label manager for Misra Records, Phil Waldorf, the crew behind Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar announce a third sister label, Dead Oceans Records. Waldorf has remained in Austin, TX acting as A/R guy while offices have now joined forces in Bloomington. I have heard there are good-things-music in Austin. Well played.
Dead Oceans; Not certain its namesake but, what i learned. Sad, but true.
~ Akron/Family
~ Bishop Allen
~ Califone
~ Dirty Projectors
~ Evangelicals
~ John Vanderslice
~ Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
~ Phosphorescent
~ White Hinterland
So... if you ever wonder while visiting the TOUR page on bands websites why they're stopping in Bloomington, Indiana, this is the reason. Gotta press the palms of your peoples.
The featured artist of the day is Catfish Haven. Because, well, the video looks like it was actually shot in B-town... in a house my friend used to live in while in college. Seriously.
They're playing on Sunday night at The Bell House, $5. Monday night at Piano's, $8.
