Big Scary Monsters Recording Company
| Big Scary Monsters | |
|---|---|
 The BSM 2019 logo | |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Kevin Douch |
| Genre | |
| Location | Oxford, England |
| Official website | bsmrocks |
Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England.
Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewithoutYou, Kevin Devine, Caspian, yndi halda, Gnarwolves, The Fall of Troy, Andrew W.K., Tall Ships, Into It. Over It., Toe, Pulled Apart By Horses, Meet Me In St Louis, Cursive, Joyce Manor, Bear vs. Shark, American Football, Axes, Delta Sleep, Tangled Hair and Talons amongst others.[1]
History
Big Scary Monsters was established in 2001 by Kevin Douch whilst he was still in sixth form.[1]
In Autumn 2006 BSM launched its first sub-label, Alcopop! Records. Alcopop! began working with bands such as Johnny Foreigner, Anamanaguchi, Fight Like Apes and others.
On 7 September 2010, the label celebrated its 100th release. The release was titled Partied Hard was a DVD/CD compilation featuring over thirty promo, live and bonus videos from the label's history. It was only available between 7 September (the day after BSM099 came out) and 24 October 2010 (the day before BSM101 was due out).
In April 2011 BSM co-founded Pink Mist with fellow indie labels Holy Roar and Blood And Biscuits. A 12" compilation was released on Record Store Day to mark the launch. Pink Mist is an East London-based collective releasing records, promoting regular live shows and blogging about up and coming new bands. In 2012 it was nominated for Best Small Label at the AIM Awards.
Kevin Douch was featured as a speaker at AIM's Indie Con event in 2017.[2]
Big Scary Monsters announced new albums from Lemuria, Yndi Halda, Nervus[3] and Tangled Hair[4] for 2018 as well as a vinyl reissue of Hell Is For Heroes' 'The Neon Handshake'.[5]
From 2007 to 2016 BSM hosted an annual five-a-side football tournament at Wembley Powerleague, with bands, labels, magazines, shops and other music industry teams competing.[6]
Pop-up stores
In December 2016 the label announced that they would be opening up a pop-up Store in Hackney London from January 23 to February 4 in 2017. This two week period was eventually catalogued as BSM200 and was a celebration of the label's 16th birthday. During the pop up there were in-store performances from Modern Baseball, Kevin Devine, Gnarwolves, Delta Sleep, Beach Slang and more. There were also other non-music based events including, a-bring-your-dog day, a screen printing day with Awesome Merchandise, and a cocktail bar run by the band Tiny Moving Parts.[7]
In March 2018, BSM announced that they would be opening their second pop-up store in Cardiff. The in-store featured performances from UK based signings Jamie Lenman, Orchards, Nervus, and US band Slaughter Beach, Dog.[7]
In 2019, BSM continued its run of form and announced their pop-up store would be coming to Glasgow in Scotland. Over their time there the label hosted in store performances from We Were Promised Jetpacks and in store talks from prominent Scottish music figures.
Reissues
Over the last few years BSM have continued to reissue classic yet niche releases from the early 00's.
- The Gloria Record - A Lull In Traffic - 2020
Released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the EP's original release.
- And So I Watch You From Afar - ASIWYFA - 2019
A 10th anniversary reissue featuring a remastering of the original record and a live recording of the band performing their debut record all consisting in a 4LP box set.
- Hell Is For Heroes - Neon Handshake - 2018
A celebration of the band's debut album turning 15
- Reuben - In Nothing We Trust - 2017
Less of a reissue and more of a first press. To coincide with the final Reuben album turning 10 BSM pressed In Nothing We Trust on White vinyl.
- Bear vs. Shark - Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry - 2011
Current bands
Bands currently releasing music on the Big Scary Monsters record label.[8]
- Alpha Male Tea Party
- Antarctigo Vespucci
- American Football
- Beach Slang
- Caspian
- Cassels
- Cursive
- Cultdreams
- Gnarwolves
- Gulfer
- Hell Is For Heroes
- Honey Lung
- InTechnicolour
- Lakes
- Jamie Lenman
- Kevin Devine
- Lemuria
- Martha
- Meat Wave
- Me Rex
- mewithoutYou
- Mom Jeans
- Nervus
- NOBRO
- Orchards
- Owen
- Pedro The Lion
- Pkew pkew pkew
- Pool Kids
- Proper.
- Prince Daddy & The Hyena
- Single Mothers
- Slaughter Beach, Dog
- Tangled Hair
- Terrible Love
- Thank
- The Get Up Kids
- The Winter Passing
- Tiny Moving Parts
- Totorro
- Tree River
- Tricot
- Vinnie Caruana
- We Were Promised Jetpacks
- Woahnows
- yndi halda
Previous bands
Bands who have previously recorded for the label include:[8]
- Adebisi Shank
- Andrew W.K.
- Axes
- Blakfish
- Boom in the Diamond Industry
- Cats and Cats and Cats
- Chariots
- Colour
- Crash of Rhinos
- CSTVT
- Days Ago
- Delta Sleep
- Doe
- Econoline
- Face for Radio
- Gender Roles
- Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
- Grown Ups
- Hiding With Girls
- Hold Your Horse Is
- Hop Along
- House of Brothers
- Itch
- Jairus
- Jeniferever
- Joyce Manor
- La Dispute
- Meet Me In St. Louis
- Mimas
- Minus The Bear
- Modern Baseball
- Mountain Men Anonymous
- My Awesome Compilation
- My Favourite Co-Pilot
- Pet Symmetry
- Pictures Paint Words
- Pulled Apart By Horses
- PWR BTTM
- Querelle
- Richard Walters
- Secondsmile
- Shoes and Socks Off
- Sleep Kit
- Sparks Lights and Flames
- Stories and Comets
- Tall Ships
- Talons
- Teflon Monkey
- The Campaign for Real Time
- The Caretaker
- The Dudley Corporation
- The Fall Of Troy
- The Next Autumn Soundtrack
- The Remarkable Rocket
- The Tupolev Ghost
- Thin Lips
- This Town Needs Guns
- Through Silence
- Toe
- Tubelord
- Walter Schreifels
- Written From Negative
- You Blew It!
References
- ^ a b "Big Scary Monsters Website".
- ^ "Additional speakers announced for AIM's Indie-Con 2017". Music Week. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Nervus sign to Big Scary Monsters: "I asked them, and they said yes"". Upset. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Premiere: Tangled Hair return with the tempered brilliance of "Nao Is My Driver"". GoldFlakePaint. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Payne, Helen. "Hell Is For Heroes Announce 15th Anniversary Reissue Of 'The Neon Handshake' - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Rock Sound BSM Football Tournament Groups Announced - News - Rock Sound Magazine". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Big Scary Monsters Records Are Pleased To Announce They'll Be Bringing Their Popup Shop To Cardiff!". Cardiff Times. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Current Artists / Past Artists". Big Scary Monsters.
