chillin’
Now Playing: Alela Diane – The Pirate’s Gospel CD
Topic: Arts!

The Kill Rock Stars music label is the very definition of this month's theme, All About the Artists. Ever since the first time I heard Bikini Kill in late 1992 — a sympathetic guy friend at my school passed along a cassette tape — I've been a huge fan of Slim Moon's label, which he founded in 1991. In addition to providing a US distribution voice to acts such as Elliot Smith, Bikini Kill, Huggy Bear, Nirvana, Bratmobile, The Decemberists, The Melvins, Kathy Acker, The Gossip, Sleater-Kinney and Heavens to Betsy, among others. Though Moon left in 2006 to work for Nonesuch Records (his wife Portia Sabin now runs KRS), the label has continued his legacy of dedication to exciting, cutting-edge acts, and have such groups as Deerhoof (introduced under their sister label 5RC) and Thao With The Get Down Stay Down to count among their ranks. 

In the spirit of the DIY mentality, the mission statement from their website reads: "KRS's mission is to continue putting out exceptional records by important artists, and our tradition of being queer-positive, feminist, and artist-friendly continues as well. We are now distinguished by being one of the few female-run indie labels in the US, which we are proud of, but all that really means is get out there and start your record labels, ladies! (Check out our FAQ page or click here for a great guide to starting your own label). At KRS we believe in doing it yourself, and we see our job as helping bands to realize their visions. In a culture that rewards making mediocre music with a quick buck, we feel lucky that we get to work with artists who challenge mediocrity on a regular basis. Plus we love the music. Enjoy!"