Minus the Bear, Russian Circles, Human Highway, These Arms Are Snakes, Cotton Jones, sBACH, Past Lives, Chin Up Chin Up, Page France, Headphones, Six Parts Seven, Crystal Skulls, Hella, Zach Hill, Eugene Mirman, The Unicorns, We Ragazzi, Hint Hint, Metal Hearts, Goon Moon, the Aislers Set, S, The Magic Magicians, The Black Keys, Pedro the Lion, Red Stars Theory, Modest Mouse, 764-Hero, Elliott Smith, The Black Heart Procession, The Melvins, Les Savy Fav, Pennsy's Electric Workhorses Songs, The Scenic Vermont, Track Star, Constantines, Of Montreal, Black Mountain, Earlimart, HEALTH, The Coathangers, School of Seven Bells, Black Moth Super Rainbow
August of 1996 could be considered a slow month in the annals of history. Bob Dole was aiming for the presidency, the Summer Olympics were wrapping up, an asteroid from Mars confirmed early life on the Red Planet and Oasis pulled off the biggest general attendance concert in UK history. The Pacific Northwest was still cooling down from what seemed like the never ending grunge association that spawned out of Seattle but the Emerald City was in the midst of spawning an entity that would become a respected staple of prominent and forward mined independent music when the label Suicide Squeeze dropped a 7” from 764-Hero. From that moment forward, there was no looking back as the label today successfully aspires to create top tier albums from the crème de la crème of artists.
Although the music industry had its ups and downs (namely downs) as the 90’s winded down and at the turn of the 21st century, Suicide Squeeze was able to stand tall as its quality smorgasbord of eclectic artists gave the label more than enough stamina to blossom into one of the more perennial enterprises in the realm of independent record labels. Salad day releases from current generational staples in music from artists such as Modest Mouse, Elliott Smith, Pedro the Lion as well as critical faves Aislers Set and Six Parts Seven took a hand in the labels transference from owner David Dickenson’s fulltime hobby and into a flourishing label equipped with a staff that always has and always will remain passionate about music and the artists they represent. Suicide Squeeze continues to aggrandize with an exceptional roster of bands ranging from the anthemic-pop of Minus the Bear, lush harmonics of Human Highway to that of post-punk joltsters These Arms Are Snakes and epic masters Russian Circles all while focusing on the labels ability to function not as a run of the mill business but as a tight knit family instead.
It would be preposterous to claim that all SSR bands sound similar. Yet listeners know that every one of them contain an unexplainable semblance that renders them a Suicide Squeeze act as their music reaches into creative corners nary touched by the never ending flock of hype-of-the moment indie rock acts.
As SSR goes into its second decade of operations, we realize that it’s not just the hard work and dedication of the bands and staff that have made us what we are but we also tip our hats to the legions of fans and listeners who come to expect music with virtue from artists containing a newfangled approach toward their craft. It’s not just music that you hear but music that you feel. We thank you all for your support and dedication and look forward to blowing your minds for another decade. To those who are just becoming privy to SSR, we invite you to take the ride as you’ll never hear music the same again.
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