Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music

Love Rock Revolution: K Records and the Rise of Independent Music by Baumgarten, Mark. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781570618222.

Punk isnt a sound--its an idea! In its history, K Records has fostered some of independent musics greatest artists, including Bikini Kill, Beat Happening, Built to Spill, Beck, Modest Mouse, and the Gossip. In 1982, K Records released its first cassette and put its own spin on punks defiant manifesto: You dont need anyones permission to make music. Thirty years later, the label continues to operate in the underground while rightfully claiming a role as one of the most transformative engines of modern independent music. It has also galvanized the international pop underground, helped create the grunge scene that took over pop culture, and provided a launching pad for the riot grrrl movement that changed the role of women in music forever. Love Rock Revolution tells the story of how it all happened, recounting the early journeys of K Records founder Calvin Johnson from the punk mecca of London to the hardcore clubs of Washington, D.C., in the late-70s, the creation of K Records in the 80s, the labels role in revolutionizing independent music in the 90s, and its struggle to survive that revolution with its integrity intact.