An update on this post, with Touch and Go label head Corey Rusk’s official statement, is below the original text.
Little birds were whispering rumors of the demise over the last 24 hours, but it seems like the gossip might now be true. Touch and Go Records, Chicago’s venerable indie institution, is done. The label will go the way of its Bay Area cousin, Lookout! Records, ceasing new releases and managing back catalog only. Issuer of influential post-punk albums—Slint’s Spiderland, the Jesus Lizard’s Goat and Big Black’s Atomizer, to name a few—Touch and Go began at the dawn of the ’80s in East Lansing, Michigan, before founders Tesco Vee and Dave Stimson handed the biz over to Necros bassist Corey Rusk in 1983. Soon after the baton passing, the label moved to Chicago and began documenting our city’s burgeoning punk scene.
After seeing much of its heavy hitters—Girls Against Boys, the Jesus Lizard, Butthole Surfers—jump to a major label (not to mention losing an infamous legal wrangle with the Buttholes over album rights in 1999), Touch & Go stretched out, signing hip New York bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio. Two bands, who, of course, left for a major label. And poor Ted Leo. The New Jerseyian was on Lookout! when that label threw in the towel, so the political power-popper signed to Touch & Go. Now this. Then again, you could just call it the Ted Leo Curse.
When reached for confirmation this morning, owner Corey Rusk gave me an official “no comment,” but explained that a press release will be forthcoming later today.
This week the label released two records—Mi Ami’s yelpy dub-punk Watersports and San Francisco’s Sholi. They’re good. Check them out, pour a forty on the floor.
Check back later today for official comments and further details.
UPDATE: Well, Rusk’s official release has leaked. It looks like Touch & Go Distribution will be ceasing operation, with the label carrying on as an old-school indie.
Touch & Go Distro. handles many big independent players such as Merge, Kill Rock Stars, Suicide Squeeze. Check out a list of the distribution arm’s titles here.
Perhaps the recently formed Chicago Independent Distribution (formerly the U.S. arm of Southern Records) can sweep in and pick up the slack, otherwise I’d venture to guess that many of these labels will work deals with ADA.
Here is Rusk’s statement, as posted by Greg Kot of the Tribune.
“It is with great sadness that we are reporting some major changes here at Touch and Go Records. Many of you may not be aware, but for nearly 2 decades, Touch and Go has provided manufacturing and distribution services for a select yet diverse group of other important independent record labels. Titles from these other labels populate the shelves of our warehouse alongside the titles on our own two labels, Touch and Go Records, and Quarterstick Records.
“Unfortunately, as much as we love all of these labels, the current state of the economy has reached the point where we can no longer afford to continue this lesser known, yet important part of Touch and Go’s operations. Over the years, these labels have become part of our family, and it pains us to see them go. We wish them all the very best and we will be doing everything we can to help make the transition as easy as possible.
“Touch and Go will be returning to its roots and focusing solely on being an independent record label. We’ll be busy for a few months working closely with the departing labels and scaling our company to an appropriate smaller size after their departure. It is the end of a grand chapter in Touch and Go’s history, but we also know that good things can come from new beginnings.”
Awwww, they will be missed.
“managing back catalog” = cashing ITunes checks.
Damn economy. I blame this on EL Nino.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Can’t they get a loan from the other side of the world someplace? Everybody’s doing it.
As Ted Leo’s manager, a partner at Lookout Records and a longtime fan of Touch and Go Records I find the tone here offensive to say the least. Making light of a challenging situation is in bad taste and I feel you owe Ted a sincere apology and a commitment to help Touch and Go anyway you can. This is not helpful.
Total vomit. If this doesn’t demand a moment of respectful silence from the music community, I don’t know what does… The influence here is beyond massive…
Molly: I don’t think there’s offense intended. It’s more gallows humor.
We’re obviously fans as well and on record with Touch and Go’s influence here and around the world: http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/features/16827/touch-and-go-looks-back
No one here thinks of this as anything other than a damn shame.
get your face straights, they’re not going to be distributing other labels–this does not mean they are shutting down
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2009/02/touch-go-celebrated-its-25th-anniversary-in-2006-it-had-grown-from-a-bedroom-operation-designed-expressly-to-put-out-a-7-i.html
This is heartbreaking news but the comment about a Ted Leo curse was unneccessary. Ted Leo made the decision to work with Touch & Go and Lookout before that because he shared the two labels’ values and it’s unfortunate to learn that it becomes harder to continue to do business while remaining true to those ideals today. The idea of a curse is a weak device and a bad joke at the expense of real peoples’ beliefs and years of work.
Wasn’t Time Out also thought to be in “trouble” a while back?
Maybe your smarmy attitude kicks it in NYC, but in Chicago we will always have Corey’s back, ALWAYS.
Stosh: We’ve updated this post. I think it’s pretty clear about that we were reporting rumors we were hearing and were waiting for comment from T&G. That official comment only went out to the Trib. So we reported that, linked to the story, and posted an update. As I’ve stated above, it’s not like anyone here is happy about this. We’ve been a big supporter of T&G since our inception (I’ll ignore your implication that we’re a bunch of carpetbaggers).
Molly, more than anything, I feel terrible for Ted Leo. I’ve been a massive fan of his since I first heard Chisel’s “Sunburn” 7″ and saw the band play a friend’s basement in South Bend in the early ’90s. I’ve been cheering for his widespread success for almost two decades. It was a joke. We in Chicago are paranoid about curses.
As far as our “commitment to help” T&G—I can promise that we will continue to direct our readers towards many recommended local concert appearances by the label’s roster, as we always have.
Sorry, why is a member of the media apologizing for fair content? And why are they promising to support a business?
What’s happening here?
Jess: I think Brent’s comment is just a reminder that we’re always provided fair content about T&G and recommended those shows we feel are worth recommending. And that anyone who questions whether we’ve been fair to T&G in the past need only review our show previews and listings to discern that for him or herself.
lighten the f–k up, molly! i enjoy ted leo’s music and assume he’s a big boy that can handle some sympathetic humor. demanding an apology seems pretty prissy…
ted leo has a manager???
Scott Smith: “We’ve updated this post. I think it’s pretty clear about that we were reporting rumors we were hearing . . . .”
Well, there’s an oxymoron. Or what used to be one. Rumors are what reporters follow up on when they’re reporting.
ROR: I think you know a little bit about reporting what isn’t exactly true, particularly when it comes to your competition.
We stand by the above.
Don’t Molly Neuman and Christopher Applegren have a label to continue to run into the ground? Why are they acting contentious about what amounts to a throwaway line?
Yeah, I wish Chris Appelgren, (or Molly Neuman), had been so timely in their responses when a band I was managing had a band on Lookout! completely steal a song from their recent tourmates and put it on a cd.
I seem to recall months passing with no reply from letters, and lots of phone calls that involved me being put on hold for five minutes and then told awkwardly that Chris wasn’t in the office today.
I suppose I just don’t share the “values” and “ideals” that have come to be associated with Lookout! Maybe if I played in The Donnas or Bratmobile I might feel differently. As it is, I’ll just have to stand over here with nobody but the damn-near-entirety of their saddened and embittered catalog of bands to keep me company.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/kerplunk/Content?oid=289816
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/kerplunk/Content?oid=289816
whatevs to Lookout. They stopped being relevant when they foisted the Donnas on us
Top notch Post.
I want to thank you for the details.
molly brat and chris applecore, concentrate on your own relationship with each other instead of annoying timeout readers. your little sentences may sound good to you on the press releases you send out, but they ring false as blog comments. apologize to us for making us read your “copy.”