Burger Records

Burger Records
Founded 2007 (2007)
Founder Sean Bohrman, Lee Rickard
Distributor(s) Redeye Distribution
Genre Rock, punk rock, garage rock, power pop
Country of origin U.S.
Location Fullerton, California
Official website www.burgerrecords.com

Burger Records is an independent record label and record store in Fullerton, California. The label was founded in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard, members of the power pop band Thee Makeout Party. The record/video store co-owned by Sean Bohrman and Brian Flores was opened in 2009.[1]

The label is notable for releasing most of its material on cassette. Among the hundreds of artists released on the label are The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Devon Williams, Hunx and His Punx, Bell Gardens, and The Go. According to OC Weekly, the label is known for "its growing catalog of sugary, eccentric power pop and audacious garage rock, extolling a carefree message of love, music and DIY attitude."[2] The label holds the annual Burgerama music festival in California, featuring dozens of Burger bands.[3]

History

Founding

Founders Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard became friends in the Late 1990s while attending high school in Anaheim, California.[4]

Avid rock and pop fans, they began collaborating on zines and newsletters[5][6] before starting to play in bands together.[6] Dubbed "punk pranksters via a song-less, almost-music-less band called The Noise," they afterwards started the power pop band Thee Makeout Party.[7]

At some point they began putting the Burger logo, which Rickard had drawn while bored at work, on all their artistic endeavors.[6] They soon befriended the young lo-fi Fullerton punk band Audacity,[2] joining them on a cross-country tour.[5] Bohrman also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Humboldt State in 2004.[8]

Bohrman and Rickard self-released several 7 inch vinyls for Thee Makeout Party in 2006, using the name Burger Productions.[9] The label itself was started in 2007, releasing both material from Thee Makeout Party and an LP for Audacity.[9]

According to Bohrman, after getting hold of a cassette by band AM while on tour, he decided to try cassettes as a practical way to release music.[6]

While in a parking lot in Kansas,[9] Bohrman and Rickard emailed bands they'd befriended and asked if they'd like to release old or new material on the label.[6] Bands such as The Go and Nobunny agreed, while labels like vice and Sub Pop also were supportive, as cassette was a format they had no interest in.[9] The label began to primarily release $6 cassettes, occasionally pressing vinyl and on rare occasions releasing CDs.[3] Burger doesn't sign bands,[10] instead allowing artists to keep control of their music.[8]

Use of cassettes

Beyond Audacity and Thee Makeout Party, releases by The Go, Traditional Fools, and Apache helped cement the label. The cassette trend first spiked when they released NoBunny's Raw Romance, which sold 500 copies in a week and a half.[7] A later Ryan Adams tape sold all 400 copies within three hours.[11] By August 2012, the label had sold over 100,000 cassettes.[11]

Record store

In 2009, Bohrman was working as an art director for a boating magazine, only to quit when his job wouldn't allow him to go on tour with Thee Makeout Party. When he returned, he cashed his 401K from his old job and opened a record store.[9] Helping him was Brian Flores, owner of the now defunct record store Third Eye Records.[6] Flores had helped put out the first Burger release.[9]

They chose an emporium on an industrial edge of Fullerton,[6] one that the LA Times has since called "kind of a post-apocalyptic Apple Store: on-point in its branding message and a hoarder's paradise of music-fan ephemera."[3] Beyond cassettes and vinyl, the store periodically sells the work of comic artists, animators, and other artists.[3]

Since late 2011, they've also released weekly video episodes on Youtube chronicling events in the record store Called "Burger TV" (BRGRTV). The LA Times has called the series a "charming nonsensical teen-noir.[3]

Recent years

By August 2012, the label had well over 300 releases in its discography, which has since grown to over 500.[11] By March 2013, the label had signed a distribution deal with Red Eye Distribution,[3] and that May announced that they were also releasing material digitally, on both iTunes and eMusic.[12]

As of 2018, Burger Records has released over 1200 unique titles making it one of the fastest growing independent record labels of all time. [13] [14]

Style and influence

According to the LA Times, the label has focused on "trashy punk with a bubble gum streak," and their business model involves both releasing numerous bands at a low cost and building "an audience that wants to live in your universe. They took '90s DIY culture and gave it a '60s teen-pop makeover."[3]

OC Weekly states, "The label has developed a reputation in discriminating music circles for its growing catalog of sugary, eccentric power pop and audacious garage rock, extolling a carefree message of love, music and DIY attitude."[2]

Get Bent in 2011 went on to say, "Burger’s played a crucial role in the revival of the cassette tape, as well as in the promotion of the thriving Orange County garage scene."[6] In an interview, band The Cosmonauts concurred that "Burger’s been responsible for the local tape craze. All Orange County bands either have tapes released by Burger, or have released cassettes themselves."[15]

Shows

In 2009, Burger threw the very first Burger Boogaloo at The Knockout in San Francisco, California.[16] As of 2018, the show will be in its 9th incarnation which includes John Waters, who has been a host of the show for four years. The Boogaloo's continued growth has begun to necessitate the use of Mosswood Park in Oakland, California, and has been a host to notable acts such as Iggy Pop, Buzzcocks, X (American Band), The Mummies, Flamin' Groovies, Thee Oh Sees, Nobunny Shannon And The Clams, and many more. [17]


In 2012 the label held the first Burgerama, an all-age annual festival including but not limited to rock, punk, and pop musicians, most of whom have released music on Burger.[3] Burger shows are often done in tandem with Gnar Tapes.[18]

In early 2013 the label began an international promotion campaign for bands all around the world called the Burger Revolution.[5] In March 2013, simultaneous Burger-themed shows were held in Paris, Stockholm, Milan, Melbourne and Tel Aviv,[3] and the campaign culminated with the second Burgerama. The two-day festival included artists such as Ariel Pink, Pharcyde, Black Lips, and The Spits.[5] It sold out both nights, selling more than 1,000 tickets at the Orange County rock club, Santa Ana's, The Observatory.[3] Also that weekend was Burger Boogaloo in San Francisco.[9] In March 2016, Burger Records and the Observatory celebrated 5 years of working together to bring the artists on their label to the live stages of the Observatory. The week long celebration not only showcased the talent on Burger Records but also brought out historic Orange County musical icons such as Rikk Agnew, shoegaze pioneers like Slowdive and the first live performance on U.S. soil of Crystal Castles with their new lead singer, Edith Frances.[19] Furthermore, Burger has presented a series of "Burger Invasion" shows that have been hosted in numerous places around the globe such as Hamburg & Cologne, in Germany in 2017 and Madrid, Spain in 2018. [20][21]

In the US, dozens of bands joined the Burger caravan tour,[22] which led to over fifty of those bands playing at SXSW.[9]

Burger also hosts a festival called the Burger A-Go-Go which features only female-fronted bands such as Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, and Bleached (band) in 2014 and Cat Power, The Julie Ruin, Glitterbust (featuring Kim Gordon), and Kate Nash in 2015. [23][24] In 2018, Burger decided to take the A-Go-Go on the road with a West-Coast tour of the United States. [25]

Artists

By November 2012, over 350 bands had released music through Burger in various formats.[8] These included Dave Grohl (of the Foo Fighters) and Thurston Moore’s (of Sonic Youth) latest collaboration with Beck.[8] The following is a partial list of artists that have been released on the label.

Partial catalog

No.ArtistTitleFormatYear
001Thee Makeout Party!2EZ2LUVU7"2007
002AudacityPower DrowningLP/CD2007
003Thee Makeout Party!Play PretendCASS2007
004AudacityThe Anne Frank TapeCASS2007
005Devon WilliamsCareerfreeCASS2007
006The ResonarsThat Evil DroneLP/CD2007
007Traditional FoolsS/TCASS2007
008The GoHowl on The Haunted BeatCASS2007
009ApacheBoomtown GemsCASS2007
010Stan McMahonThe Stan McMahon BandCASS2007
184Bell GardensHangups Need CompanyCASS2012
234Early DolphinReturn To Whale IslandCASS2012
394Various (Mark Sultan, The Dirtbombs, etc.)Daddy Rockin Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & The DiablosCASS2010
555Gap DreamShine Your LightLP/CASS2013
1201Blood StoneDoomed ForeverCASS2017

Wiener Records

Wiener Records
Parent company Burger Records
Founded 2011 (2011)
Status Active
Official website Wiener Records

By late 2011, the label had created a subsidiary called Wiener Records. Wiener allows any band to have their tape mastered, pressed, packaged, and promoted through Burger, but without the Burger label.[6] Wiener Records has a diverse array of bands.[30] Solitary Debate released Inert on Wiener Records in 2015.[31]

No.ArtistTitleFormat
WINR001The NOiSE! Worst Of... CASS
WINR002Wax Witches From Hell CASS
WINR003V.A. The Wiener Dog Comp 2 CASS
WINR004Gangbang Gordon I'm Not A Musician CASS
WINR005The Bingers Rhymes With Fingers CASS
WINR006My People Pray By Starlight/Yusuke TsutsumiS/T Split ReleaseCASS
WINR007The Jigsaw Seen Gifted CASS
WINR024Cult ChoirFantasy 6 CASS
WINR042Club de Surf Sonic Death EP CASS
WINR045The Roxy Suicide Glam-Damaged Singles Collection CASS
WINR062Solitary DebateInert CASS
WINR174Cinema CinemaA Night At The Fights CASS

See also

References

  1. ↑ Martinez, Eric (March 25, 2013). "Burger Records Interview". RadioUTD. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  2. 1 2 3 Ching, Albert; Jackson, Nate (October 1, 2009). "The Burger Records Guys Are Opening a Store Full of Vinyl and Cassettes. In This Economy?". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Brown, August (March 22, 2013). "Building a bigger Burger Records at the Burgerama festival". LA Times. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  4. ↑ Enzor, Michael (August 31, 2013). "Burger Records: Store, Label, Event Promoter, and Home of the Compact Cassette Resurgence". recordcollectornews.com. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Abu, Mike (April 2013). "The Dudes Behind Burger Records Feel Like Suge Knight Right Now". Vice. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Timony, Mariana (December 6, 2011). "Interview: Labelled with Love from Burger Records". Get Bent. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  7. 1 2 Milo, Jeff (August 2010). "Label Profiling: Burger Records". TinyMixTapes. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Boughter, Grant (November 13, 2012). "Spotlight on Burger Records". Riverside Highlander. University of California, Riverside. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 James, Zachary (March 2013). "Sean Bohrman of Burger Records: The TVD Interview". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  10. ↑ "Interview with Sean of Burger Records". One Chord Progressions. February 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Thomas, Fred (August 23, 2012). "All Tape Guide, August 2012". Allmusic. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  12. ↑ "Burger Records May Happenin's". New Noise Magazine. May 2, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  13. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/listentothis/comments/2unx5v/ama_were_burger_records_one_of_the_fastest/
  14. ↑ http://burgerrecords.myfreesites.net/bands
  15. ↑ Timony, Mariana (August 12, 2011). "the Cosmonauts". PsychKicks. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  16. ↑ http://terminal-boredom.com/forums/index.php?topic=19241.0
  17. ↑ https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/on-the-phenomenon-of-burger-boogaloo-and-the-oakland-couple-who-makes-it-happen/Content?oid=7692118
  18. ↑ Guerrero, Ryan (April 29, 2013). "Recap: 4/20 at Burger Records". Lo-Pie. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  19. ↑ "Burger Records and the Observatory: 5 Years of Fun in Orange County - Janky Smooth". Janky Smooth. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  20. ↑ https://burgerinvasion.com/
  21. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/events/785838821607722/
  22. ↑ "Your New Favorite Band: The Audacity". The Dumbing of America. April 17, 2013. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  23. ↑ http://www.treblezine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/burger-a-go-go.jpg
  24. ↑ http://www.archiesicecream.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/burgeragogoblog.jpg
  25. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/burgerrecords/photos/a.186208964004.128536.54654484004/10155354128749005/?type=3
  26. ↑ Hangups Need Company Archived December 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., http://burgerrecords.11spot.com, Retrieved 24 December 2014
  27. ↑ Kornhaber, Spencer (September 17, 2010). "Burger Records' Sean Bohrman Knows He Will Put Out a Lady Gaga Tape Someday". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  28. 1 2 Bevan, David (15 January 2013). "Hear Three Burger Records jams: New Music From the Go, Peach Kelli Pop, and the Resonars". Spin Magazine. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  29. ↑ http://burgerrecords.tumblr.com/post/136581912355/out-%C2%BE16-on-burger-levitation-room-ethos
  30. ↑ https://www.vice.com/read/you-can-buy-your-way-into-the-burger-records-family-for-250
  31. ↑ "Anyone Can Join This Record Label for Just $250 | VICE | United Kingdom". VICE. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
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