the last of the essential US/Punk labels i'll be showcasing...SST is probably the biggest player in the bunch so far (though i do think that Matador, for me, released the widest range and largest amount of great music), and if you don't have any SST records in yr collection, that's a goddamn travesty.
gotta start w/ Black Flag, as guitarist Greg Ginn was the prime mover in both band and label. notoriously antagonistic (cop melees and riots were not uncommon @ the early LA gigs; they grew their hair long for the Damaged tour and taunted the straight-edge punks who attended; later records were long instrumentals and wankfests 180 deg removed from the punk roots, etc), they totally changed the landscape of american music (at least the portion i was familiar and fond of; i don't think that Journey or Winger took notice) for the better.
most people associate Henry Rollins (ne Garfield) w/ Black Flag, but he was actually the 3rd singer, after Keith Morris (left to form Circle Jerks) and Dez Cadena (temporary fill-in). actually, henry was from DC and was in SOA (state of alert) prior to moving out to LA. once again, _This Band Could Be Your Life_ has a great read on the history of the band, and the passive/aggressive and maladjusted relationship that henry had w/ greg.
Nervous Breakdown
No Values
Rise Above
