Label Maker

Two record labels have been making me smile, and they're the kind of record labels that encourage you to trust them enough that any record on the imprints will be worth your time. Major labels sure don't have that going for them.

The first is Reiko Kondo's LA-based Eenie Meenie Records, home label to Seksu Roba, DJ Me DJ You, and the High Water Marks. Consider starting with the Cookbook comp. to get a sense of the label's taste.

And then there's Retard Disco, also based in LA, interestingly enough. Comprising "Nintendo punk" and related bands such as Hawnay Troof, 14 Year Old Girls, and Gravy Train, the label has a hyperactive sense of humor and a sexy edge. Scads of MP3's and videos abound, and you can even hear a song some skater kid recorded on their answering machine in 1999 -- and see 14 Year Old Girls live on Tech TV!

Eenie Meenie and Retard Disco, if I could subscribe to your next five releases, sight unseen and sound unheard, I would.