In our hustle-bustle world of music and entertainment, record labels have become an integral part of the creative process for musicians. Many record labels are now pushing their products and artists on the Web. Most record label sites are similar in that they list artists, releases and merchandise, but some sites are merely online ads for the label, while others are virtual music resources. Some allow you to shop online while others still send you down to the old record store to get their stuff. Anyway, we're going to look at a few sites-a couple of major labels and a couple of independent labels.
First up is American Recordings, Rick Rubin's label out of Los Angeles. This label is the home of artists ranging from Slayer to Johnny Cash. This page is nearly as eclectic as the label's artist roster. The main page features Rubin's mug upside-down, and prominent. Very cute.
This is a very colorful page, with lots of cool links. I had a problem with some of the links, though; it took some time to get them to work. The site is easy to move around in, though some of the main page's links are a little confusing. There are tons of video clips and downloadable images (many of which are 1 to 2 Megs in size) of American artists. The World Wide Web of Music is also very resourceful.
Overall, American Recordings has a good page, which I have bookmarked. I like the site, I like Rick Rubin, I like the label, a friend of mine works there, and they have my site, The Pit, linked as a Cool Site. So, there ya go.
Next up is Sub Pop, the label largely responsible for the Seattle grunge sound spearheaded by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. This is a colorful, eye- catching site with groovy graphics and swanky backgrounds. The links are atypical but easy to use.
The Sub Pop Newsletter is posted online for your perusal, and online shopping and ordering are available. This is cool because you can get a lot of stuff here that you can no longer find in stores. The band list and bios are extensive, billed as "more information than is probably necessary," and include tour info, bios and photos.
Once again, this is a cool site because it is a music resource and not merely an ad for a record label. Definitely, bookmark material and worth repeated visits. Their Megamart is filled with cool merchandise at good value.
Now, one of my favorite indie labels! Estrus Records is home base to many awesome surf/horror/schlock/sci-fi/ race track/swing bands. Despite the overly long URL and the "Under Construction" warning, this is a decent site. The graphics are nice and bright and the fonts are very Pixar "Toy Story" like.
Here you can learn the label's history, check out the discography of releases, or order the latest Sir Estrus Quarterly newsletter and catalog. The band sections are very hip and stylized, and you can learn all about the likes of the Monomen, Man or Astroman? and the Trashwomen. Plenty of cool links to outside Estrus- related sites, as well.
This is a very distinctive label and cool Web site. Probably the coolest label of its type out there. Definitely worth bookmark space and regular visits.
Now on to the big boys-the corporate labels. A&M Records is a pretty conservative site with a nostalgic feel to it. A&M is the home to the Police, Oingo Boingo, and Soundgarden, some very no conservative bands. There are some cool sections here, though.
Reel-to-Reel details what A&M bands are up to, whether it is recording, touring, or writing a screenplay about pre-teen serial killers (like Danny Elfman). My main problem with this site is that it's just an ad for A&M. You can't order merchandise, either.
Even though I like some A&M artists, this isn't enough to get me to keep coming back to this site. There is little value here beyond A&M, and I have other sites bookmarked that deal more directly with some of the A&M artists.
The next big boy is Atlantic, home of Bad Religion. (Need I say more? I think I will.) This is a cute site with some genie-in-a-bottle-lookin' Mr. Clean guy on the main page. My BIG problem with this site is the multi-window format it's presented in. I don't like this setup. Other windows are too distracting, keeping it hard to focus on a particular section. These sites are also hard to move around in. Finally, the text is usually cut off on one side or the other; you have to scroll around like a madman to read some stuff.
Typical links here. A fair site annoyingly set up, with little value and narrow appeal. Wouldn't, couldn't, and shouldn't bookmark it.
Finally, we have Reprise, home of Alanis Morissette, Morrissey, and other such whiners. It's ironic, don't you think? Reprise calls itself the "coolest record company in the free world." Oh. I guess I wasn't around when they held the Record Company Coolness Olympics.
Artist links, News and Contests. I do like the links page here. Lots of music, non-music and bizarre links. Overall, this is a good page, though not as high quality as some of the others. Less pretentious and self-centered than some, though. I might bookmark this page.
I obviously lean more toward the smaller labels than the big-business ones. The best sites I reviewed here were more like online magazines than mere fancy ads. Another surprise is that the big labels seem to lack online ordering capabilities. The smaller labels have online record shops were you can get hard-to-find and not-so-hard-to-find stuff.
It just goes to show you that bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. The best record label sites are those that not only advertise the label and its wares, but also act as a valuable addition to a musician's bookmark section. It's also convenient to be able to order merchandise online at affordable prices and get hard-to-find stuff, as well.
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