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Homestead Records
Parent companyDutch East India Trading
Founded1983; 41 years ago (1983)
FounderSam Berger
Defunct1996 (1996)
Distributor(s)Dutch East India Trading
Genre
Country of originUnited States
LocationNew York City, New York, U.S.

Homestead Records was a Long Island, New York–based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading that operated from 1983 to 1996. The label was known for not paying its artists and not spending any money on promotion.[1]

History

The label was created and named by Sam Berger while he worked as the American Independent buyer at Dutch East India. Berger saw that many bands had already recorded tapes ready to be put out and just needed somebody to press them and distribute them. He came to Dutch East owner Barry Tenenbaum who agreed to the venture. Tennenbaum had started a mail-order business, called Lord Sitar Records, from his bedroom when he was a teenager, importing records by the Beatles and other artists from England that he could sell for a profit in the States. Tenenbaum had established an extensive distribution network, called Dutch East India Trading, so when the Copyright Act of 1976 curtailed his ability to import artists who already had U.S. labels, he began licensing records for release and he created the Homestead Records imprint for this purpose.

Berger left Homestead in 1984 and was replaced by Gerard Cosloy, the creator of the underground art fanzine Conflict. Cosloy would be the sole employee of the label until 1987 when Craig Marks was hired to assist him in running the label. Cosloy and Marks both resigned in 1990. Ken Katkin was the manager from 1990 to 1992, and Steven Joerg from 1992 to 1996. The label closed in 1996 with its last release being Ivo Perelman's Cama de Terra.[1][2][3]

Artists

[1][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Fritch, Matthew (August 25, 2006). "Homestead Records: Frontier Days". Magnet. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Jarnow, Jesse (June 5, 2012). Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock. Avery Publishing. ISBN 978-1592407156. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Jefferies, Graeme (December 14, 2018). Time Flowing Backwards: A Memoir. Mosaic Press. ISBN 978-1771612371. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Homestead Records discography at Discogs
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