Sunday, December 5, 2010

SST Records


SST Records is one of the most important record labels for the punk-rock and alternative genres. The label gave birth to a number of influential bands that helped create the underground punk scene of the 1980's. SST was founded in 1978 by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn. Ginn originally started (Solid State Transmitters) to sell electronics equipment, but turned the company into a record label as an outlet to release music for his band Black Flag. SST went on to sign many bands including: Minutemen, the Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr, Descendents, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Firehose, Bad Brains, etc.


Black Flag are an iconic band for the underground punk scene. The band formed in 1976 and their music consisted of atonal melodies and uncommon time signatures, and their lyrics presented an anti-authoritarian and non-conformist message. Black Flag represented the DIY attitude and developed a strong cult following. The band released six studio albums under SST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXQtl0ypU44






Minutemen were a punk band formed in 1980 in San Pedro, California. The band consisted of D. Boon on guitar, Mike Watt on bass, and George Hurley on drums. Although they were members of the hard-core punk community, their musical style varied from other bands at the time. Minutemen combined punk with other genres such as funk and jazz, and often disregarded the verse chorus verse format. The band carried the philosophy of "jamming econo" which portrayed the use of thriftiness in recording and touring. Minutemen released numerous albums and EPs under SST.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl4sSCr8F2Q

The Meat Puppets are an alternative rock band formed in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. The band consists of guitarist Curt Kirkwood, bassist Cris Kirkwood, and drummer Derrick Bostrom. The Meat Puppets started out as a punk band releasing their first album in 1982. The band began diversifying their sound with every album blending country and psychedelic rock. Bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden have noted the Meat Puppets as major influences. After releasing five more albums with SST, the Meat Puppets made the jump to a major label.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRaZWK_MwHY






Sonic Youth is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in New York City. The band relied heavily on unorthodox guitar tuning to define their sound. Sonic Youth's DIY mentality and art rock sound made a perfect fit for SST records. In 1986, the band signed with SST and released two albums, "Evol" and "Sister." These two releases brought national success to Sonic Youth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvDuATZCY8I

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