Discover: Yep Roc Records
JOHN DOE
Some indie labels are started by naïve upstarts with wide eyes and big dreams, anxious to either make their mark or flame out trying. The North Carolina label Yep Roc, which celebrates its 15th birthday this year, was different. Founders Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen were more or less industry vets by the time Yep Roc released its first record. In a way, though, that almost makes their effort that more admirable – though they were already established, both of them felt they could be doing more. “Starting Yep Roc was our way to be super connected to some of the amazing talent that was around here in North Carolina,” explains Hansen. “It just allowed us to be attached to some of the local artists that we loved and that we felt like we could help.” From the get-go, the aim of the label was to capture the staggering sonic diversity the two witnessed throughout the local scene. “It was just a vibrant music community that embraced tons of different kinds of stuff,” explains Dicker. “You could go see a honky-tonk-style country band one night and an indiepop band like the Mayflies the next night, and it would be the same people at both shows.”
Accordingly, the label’s roster incorporates both extremes – and adds a little of everything in between. There’s the glimmering power pop of bands like Sloan, the dirt-heel, root-kicking country of Dave Alvin and the spiraling instrumental rock of Los Straitjackets. That all of it feels like it belongs together is a testament to the label’s strong vision and identity, and has been rewarded with fierce audience devotion.
“There was one point where we went down to Local 506, which holds 250 people, and there were 300 people trying to get in to see Two Dollar Pistols,” says Dicker. “That, to us, felt like ‘Holy shit!’ It’s not us that created this, but we’re involved with a band that has fans, and we’re helping to make that connection.”
Of course, a label doesn’t make it 15 years without a few bizarre detours – one of which came courtesy of guitarist C.C. Adcock. “There was this one time when C.C. was playing the Continental Club,” Hansen laughingly recalls, “and it’s completely full – it was our label showcase. And CC’s set was close to the end. All of a sudden, he sort of disappeared. Then, the next thing you know, I just saw this chicken flying through the air. He just basically threw it into the audience. He went behind the amp and pulled out a live chicken. I remember someone from PETA was there and sort of backed me into a corner because they were convinced we’d put him up to it.”
Such moments of winged unpredictability aside, the label’s focus has remained constant throughout its lifespan: put out records Hansen and Dicker believe in, and let the rest take care of itself.
“Our business isn’t based on having hit records,” explains Dicker. “It’s based on putting good records that we can find an audience for. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from having a place where people can put out records that they feel really strongly about, and hopefully find some success through that process.”
We asked Dicker and Hansen to select 16 records that have stood out the most to them over the label’s 15-year history and share with us a bit of backstory about each of them. And if that’s not enough, you can listen to the label’s legacy with this free Yep Roc sampler.
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Dicker: I think we have to give [the dB's'] Chris Stamey some credit for this. We had an awareness of the band, and we'd worked with them on an EP before this record, but Chris was really pushing them to us. We thought this was just a perfect indiepop record. Going back and listening to it, I still feel the same way. I think that there's tons of energy in this band... – there's three different singers, they knew how to write great songs at a young age, and they had a lot of attitude, which was something that was difficult to harness. They were basically a rock 'n' roll band playing pop songs.
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Hansen: You never know, with this band, what their big idea is going to be from one record to the next. Whether it's Sing Along with Los Straitjackets, or with this, their most recent record, where they pulled in this amazing producer and took it to the next level in terms of of sonic production. It's fun to work with a band that's really open to a lot of ideas.
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Dicker: They... totally get it. They're an instrumental band, and you can only put out so many records like that. So they really do try to come up with a different concept every time. Everything they do is very funny, and from the get-go, they wanted to be where they have no business being. The silliest possible thing you could come up with? That's what they want to do. -
Dicker: Scott [McCaughey] called us one day and was excited about the fact that we had Nick Lowe on the label. He basically said, "I'd love to be on the same label as Nick Lowe." [Laughs.] That made things pretty easy. And then he was like, "It just so happens that I've just finished this record. The band on the record is Wilco. Jeff [Tweedy] sings a couple of songs, but I... do most of the singing. It's called Down With Wilco. Do you think that would be something that would interest you?" We were like, "Fuck yeah!" Scott's just got this bottomless energy for music. It never stops. When he was on the road touring with R.E.M., he'd be recording in his hotel room after the shows.
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Dicker: We put out this compilation early on called Revival, and it had a Whiskeytown song on it. So there was this connection with Caitlin already from there. Add to that the fact that we were based locally, and that she was just getting started on her own without Ryan [Adams], and it seemed like it was the perfect fit. Essentially, nobody knew who she was in terms of her solo stuff... – it was brand new. We were just proud of where we were able to take this. It was a big record for us, because we were heavily involved in getting her on the road, getting her overseas. Our success with her definitely attracted other artists. People would be like, "I saw that record everywhere."
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Dicker: This kid in our office knew we were fans of Paul Weller, and he came up and mentioned one day that he saw that Paul Weller had a new record coming out in the UK, but there was no US street date. We had learned early on is that the worst that can happen is that someone says no, so we basically cold-called his UK label and asked to put this... out in the US. Our timing was great – though we didn't get to put it out until six months after [it came out overseas], we still managed to sell more than his last record did. We don't have a ton to work with – he doesn't tour in the States as much as we would like him to because it doesn't make financial sense. But this record is just ambitious – it's definitely more on the psych side of things, that sort of English psych that Paul grew up loving. It's a very creative record – he's just constantly stretching the borders of what he's done.
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Hansen: Working with Chuck is more than a pleasure. What was great about this record is that when we heard it, it was like, "Man, I think this might be Chuck's best record." In terms of songwriting, there's full, memorable songs on there. I think Chuck feels really strongly about this record, and it clearly matched up with everybody's feelings here. When that happens, it's a magic moment. It's a record that... will continue to leave a lasting impression.
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Dicker: They're a band we always did fun stuff with. The record before this, we did the record release show at a roller rink. We rented out a roller rink, and all the mass media from Chapel Hill – all three people! – plus all the record stores were there. We had a ton of people, and it was just a fun thing to do – we had a big keg in... the middle of the floor. For this record, we filmed this movie, and did a party at the local theatre. We really feel like this band should have been a huge success.
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Dicker: When we heard this record, we just thought it was something special. There was a maturity about her songwriting – she has this attitude about what she does, I wouldn't say it's dark, but there's something slightly off about it.
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Hansen: Dave's songwriting and his records are really great, but what really holds this guy is his constant interaction on the road. When you go to a Dave Alvin shows, you're seeing some of the best roadhouse guitar playing you could possibly see, along with the gritty, road-worn history that he's been delivering his whole life. It's a real pleasure to work with someone who has a lifetime of playing on the... road.
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Dicker: We've just always been fans of Dave's. We didn't have a pre-existing relationship or anything – we just liked him a lot, and were always talking to him. Dave's just one of the best. He plays every night, he drives the van himself – he's in the same lineage as the classic blues guys. -
Dicker: John is probably best known for leading the L.A.-based band X, but as a songwriter, he has matured into a very special force. His songs still have the ability to rock you, and an edginess that it seems like he invented. There are some truly soft moments on this that suck you in completely. In contrast to his other records, when he wrote Keeper, he was truly in a good place.... Which I think was challenging to him as a songwriter, but he obviously found a way to deliver, and then some.
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Hansen: I honestly think this is the best Fleshtones album. Not many people would think of this band as "classic American songwriters," but I think this album shows how well they've mastered a variety of rock songwriting styles. It all comes together quite well. I remember reading a book about the Brill Building called Always Magic in the Air shortly before I heard Take A Good Look, and it really struck me... that, on this record, these guys have put together songs that could be from that classic era of American songwriting. They aren't just doing what they have done for the past 35 or so years – they're continuing to improve as songwriters.
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Dicker: Yep Roc has worked with Chatham County Line from the get go. They used to open for Tift Merritt's band the Carbines, so we saw them early on. They were never really a traditional bluegrass band, but they had all the elements of one: banjo, fiddle, no drums. They stood for something that really engaged young people as well. They had an energy and an attitude that spoke to the kids,... but the maturity of their songwriting appealed to people of all ages. This is their most country record probably, but it leans on a West Coast vibe more than it does, say, popular country. And the songwriting just soars.
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Hansen: We were always fans of Sloan, but when we heard this album, we were blown away. Creatively, this was a big step forward for the band. It's 30 songs that mostly run into each other – kind of a "B-Side of Abbey Road" vibe. It just flowed amazingly. It's very ambitious, but each song delivers individually.
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Dicker: This is the first album we'd done together, and it was a great start. It's probably pretty obvious we're big fans of power pop, and the band really nailed it on this record. They're super well-known for "Stacy's Mom," but to their hardcore fans it was always about their consistently great songs. Chris and Adam deliver some of the best of their career here.
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Hansen: Ronnie Dawson was a force of nature, plain and simple. He made his records in the only way he knew how: completely raw, honest and bare bones rockin' without any extra padding. He'd always take time to get to know and talk to people on the road. He was a truly caring individual, and was also quick to make sure you were taking care of yourself. He used to jog laps... around the van when he was gassing up to keep himself as fit as possible. He was a big runner. Best of all, he could kill you on stage with his smile or his fierce-but-hypnotic guitar attack. He is missed. If you need to hear the best of what rockabilly music is all about, and you like your songs about food and good times, this is the album for you.
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Dicker: I had known Nick Lowe from before we started Yep Roc. When he came around to wanting to do a new record, we just kept in touch with him. We were fortunate enough to build up our infrastructure here to be able to do a good job with it. That still is one of our proudest moments – we took that record and sold more than any of his previous independent... releases. It was a really great thing. We were just able to connect to his fans.
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