Spade Kitty Records

Spade Kitty Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, owned and operated by Oak Park native Matt Walters. The label specializes in releasing local power pop and Americana, with an emphasis on guitar driven bands influenced by Cheap Trick, Big Star, Guided by Voices, and Badfinger.

History

The label was founded in 1994, while Walters was attending Northwestern University. The first artist signed was Wendyfix, an indie-rock trio inspired by Seam and Codeine, and featuring Ted Pauly of Philadelphia-based band Haywood. Their debut 7" "Silence/Slow" was released in January 1995, and received favorable reviews from several local publications. The single even generated airplay from famous English disc jockey John Peel shortly after release. Following the end of the spring quarter in 1995, the band dissolved as singer/guitarist Pauly graduated and relocated back to the east coast.

The label subsequently released 9 cassettes over the next 18 months, including debuts from power-pop trio Remy, acoustic duo Not Without My Daughter (featuring Nora McCarthy and My Pal God label-owner Jon Solomon), Ohio-based noise artist Burning-Star-Core, Walters' acoustic project Bestcellar, and fusion artist Universal Joint. In 1996, Walters graduated from Northwestern and moved from Evanston to Chicago.

SKR's next project would surface in early 1997, as the label teamed up with power-pop cooperative Post Office, fronted by Stephen Becker (later of Le Concorde) and Larry O. Dean (later of The Me Decade and the Injured Parties). The 1997 CD debut "Public Displays of Affection" received accolades from several prominent local writers, even earning praise from renowned Chicago writer Jim DeRogatis as the "best local band in this genre since the Reverbs." Fact|date=February 2007

In 1998, label honcho Walters focused on getting together a set of his own songs for CD release. The Bestcellar album "Show Me You Still Want Me To..." was recorded mostly on four-track and compiled the best of the songs from the first three cassette releases with slightly more imaginative arrangements. After its release, the label went on hiatus for a couple of years as Walters pursued other projects, including involvement in local Chicago Bowie tribute Stardust, fronted by Lair Scott.

Early in 2001, Post Office approached the label about releasing their second album, and Walters re-opened shop. "Fables in Slang", produced by dB's veteran Chris Stamey, was among the label's best releases. The album was extremely well-received critically, yet the band was unable to stay together and ultimately split amicably in 2002, with Becker moving on to form Le Concorde and Dean forming The Me Decade with some of the people he had been playing with in solo sets around Chicago.

In 2002, pub-rock stalwarts Olde Style (featuring ex-members of Universal Joint) unleashed their SK debut "Rockwell." Later that year, Dean's newly formed Me Decade sextet followed with their own debut album "Gentrification is Theft".

2003 saw the debut by power-pop quartet Paper Airplane Pilots. The band had been performing around Chicago since 2000, and became involved with the label after agreeing to appear at an International Pop Overthrow showcase in Chicago early in the year. "The History of Flying" became the label's biggest seller to date, and garnered favorable reviews from publications such as CMJ New Music Monthly and the Big Takeover.

In 2004, pop chameleon Hop on Pop emerged as the label's newest signing. The band was comprised of ex-Sub Rosa rhythm section Tim Ferguson (bass) and Dave Kling (drums) and featured the songwriting talents, rhythm guitar and vocals of Todd Leiter-Weintraub, as well as keyboards and guitarwork by Walters. The debut "As Drawn by Ethan, Age 2" was one of the label's best releases to date, drawing on many different influences and garnering considerable critical acclaim.

2005 saw the label branch out stylistically into more singer-songwriter and alt-country territory. Detroit native Graham Cousens and The Pralines released their debuts in March and June, respectively. Cousens' debut "Living Room Sessions" harkens back to the days of Peter Ham and Paul McCartney, with a simple approach, memorable melodies, and impeccable production. The Pralines became the first female-fronted act on the label since Not Without My Daughter, and "Song of the Day Café" is a wonderous display of intricate, unique arrangements and well-crafted songs.

In August 2006, Paper Airplane Pilots released their much anticipated second album "Western Automatic Music," and the very same month Walters' new band The Three Fifths released their debut, "It's Worth it for the Rumors". In September 2007, The Red Plastic Buddha and Trakan simultaneously released their long-awaited debuts, "Sunflower Sessions" and "Opening Soon Under New Management, respectively to record-breaking sales and critical acclaim.

In 2008, Spade Kitty has not released an album, but instead has focused on extensively promoting the most recent efforts. The newest label band Roxy Swain is focusing on getting their first set of new material together, and the label has been hosting a showcase series at Fitzgerald's Night Club in Berwyn, promoting both label acts and close friends of the label in a live forum.

The rest of 2008 and 2009 will see Trakan, The Pralines, Red Plastic Buddha and Hop on Pop all working on sophomore efforts, with Paper Airplane Pilots in the final stages of planning their third album and Roxy Swain hopefully working on their first.

Discography

*1995 Wendyfix - "Slow/Silence" (7") (SK001)
*1995 Remy - "Six Song EP Cassette" (Cassette) (SK002)
*1995 Not Without My Daughter - "S/T" (Cassette) (SK003)
*1995 Burning Star Core/Bestcellar - "La Cabeza/The Elusive" (Cassette) (SK004/TS010)
*1996 Bestcellar - "Twenty Minutes Legends" (Cassette) (SK005)
*1996 Olive Milk - "The Best Christmas Ever EP" (Cassette) (SK006)
*1996 Burning Star Core - "It's Time To Feel Wonderful Again" (Cassette) (SK007)
*1996 Bestcellar - "Overcast" (Cassette) (SK008)
*1996 Universal Joint - "Father's Day" (Cassette) (SK009)
*1996 Burning Star Core - "Skeleton Ideal" (Cassette) (SK010)
*1997 Post Office - "Public Displays of Affection" (CD) (SK012)
*1998 Bestcellar - "Show Me You Still Want Me To..." (CD) (SK013)
*2001 Post Office - "Fables in Slang" (CD) (SK015)
*2002 Olde Style - "Rockwell" (CD) (SK016)
*2002 The Me Decade - "Gentrification is Theft" (CD) (SK017)
*2003 Paper Airplane Pilots - "The History of Flying" (CD) (SK018)
*2004 Hop On Pop - "As Drawn By Ethan, Age 2" (CD) (SK019)
*2005 Graham Cousens - "Living Room Sessions" (CD) (SK020)
*2005 The Pralines - "Song of the Day Cafe" (CD) (SK021)
*2006 Paper Airplane Pilots - "Western Automatic Music" (CD) (SK022)
*2006 Three Fifths - "It's Worth It For the Rumors" (CD) (SK023)
*2007 The Red Plastic Buddha - "Sunflower Sessions" (CD) (SK024)
*2007 Trakan - "Opening Soon Under New Management" (CD) (SK025)

ee also

* List of record labels

External links

#http://www.spadekitty.com (label website)
#http://www.hoponpopmusic.com (band website)
#http://www.paperairplanepilots.com (band website)
#http://www.thethreefifths.com (band website)
#http://www.pralinesmusic.com (band website)
#http://www.trakan.com (artist website)
#http://www.larryodean.com (artist website)
#http://www.themedecade.com (artist website)
#http://www.theinjuredparties.com (artist website)
#http://www.myspace.com/postofficechicago (artist website)
#http://www.grahamcousens.com (artist website)
#http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Airplane_Pilots (band entry)
#http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hop_on_Pop_%28band%29 (band entry)