Simple Machines

Infobox record label
name = Simple Machines Records


image_bg =
parent =
founded = 1990
founder = Jenny Toomey Kristin Thomson
status = Defunct
distributor = Simple Machines
genre = Alternative rock
country = flagicon|United States United States
location = Arlington, Virginia.
url = http://www.simplemachines.net

Simple Machines was a record label that operated out of Arlington, Virginia. The label was masterminded by Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson and, at its peak, had four paid workers- Toomey, Thomson, Pat Graham and Mickey Menard. The label was formed to 'find creative ways to avoid the established and boring music business'. [http://www.simplemachines.net/story.html Simple Machines Records | Story ] ]

Biography

The label came into existence in 1990 with the release of "". Simple Machines promoted cooperation with other indie labels all over the United States, and the "sell it at a fair price" ethic. The label also released a compilation of bands covering their "favourite Beat Happening covers". The profits were donated to a youth at risk home in Washington D.C.

The most famous release of the label is "Pocketwatch", an album recorded by Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters frontman, then the drummer for Seattle based grunge band Nirvana. Unwilling to use his own name on the record, Grohl used the moniker "Late!", and was listed in liner notes as "Dave G". The album was released in 1992 and featured songs that were later re-released by the Foo Fighters, namely "Color Pictures of a Marigold" (shorted to Marigold, and released both by Nirvana and Foo Fighters), Friend of a Friend, and "Winnebago" (the latter becoming the b-side to the Foo Fighters first single This Is A Call). The album was notable enough to have its own MySpace page [ [http://www.myspace.com/latedavegrohl MySpace.com - Late! - - Rock - www.myspace.com/latedavegrohl ] ] . Grohl himself played all the instruments on the album, while Barrett Jones produced it and sang backing vocals on "Petrol CB".

After "Pocketwatch" was released in 1992, Grohl remained tight lipped about the project, preferring not to talk about it, and remain the Nirvana drummer. But with the creation of the Foo Fighters in 1995, the strain of people wanting the "Pocketwatch" album almost destroyed the label.

In 1993, the label spent a large part of the year promoting and releasing a 7" collection called "Working Holiday", which was a monthly release featuring two bands on every record. Subscribers to these records also received a calendar featuring interesting facts about every day of the year, a box holder for the singles and a special gift on their birthday. The label pressed and shipped 36,000 7" inch records and, in January 1994, they hosted a weekend music festival to celebrate the feat.

The Mechanic's Guide

As part of the label's DIY attitude towards the music industry, they published a 24 page guide that was believed to be responsible for helping to set up many independent labels throughout the 1990's [ [http://www.futureofmusic.org/about/members.cfm#kt FMC | Board Members and Staff ] ] .
The guide gives detailed advice on many aspects of the music industry from recording and releasing singles through to the legal requirements of setting up a label as a legitimate business [http://www.simplemachines.net/mechguide2000.pdf] .

Demise

Following Thomson's relocation to Philadelphia, with her husband, and the subsequent six hour weekly commute, Simple Machines found themselves under increasing financial pressures to keep putting out records and keeping them in print. Toomey and Thomson had also became disenchanted with the business aspect of their label, realizing that it overruled the musical side of it. In 1997 the decision was made to wind the label down.

They ended by releasing two records, by artists Ida and Tsunami respectively, then organised a Simple Machines Finale Party at the Black Cat in Washington D.C, with 24 bands on the bill which took two days to complete, and on March 29th 1998, Simple Machines closed.

Bands & Artists

*Autoclave
*Franklin Bruno
*Grenadine
*The Hated
*Danielle Howle
*Ida
*Liquorice
*Monorchid
*The Raymond Brake
*Retsin
*Scrawl
*Sea Saw
*Tsunami

References