Best Before Records on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Best Before Records is a British boutique 
The label's functions include sourcing new artists, producing albums, marketing/promoting and securing international licensees in the North American, European, Australian and Asian markets. The company provides traditional record company services along with (for some) management,
independent record label
An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
based in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England.
Best Before Records's artists are generally considered Alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
, Pop Punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
, alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, but some also include elements of various genres of metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
. Some of their most well-known artists include or included ACODA, Mutiny On The Bounty
The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...
, 22, The Chapman Family
The Chapman Family were an English indie rock band from Stockton-on-Tees, that formed in 2006. The band's final lineup consisted of Kingsley Chapman (lead vocals, keyboards), Pop Chapman (lead guitar), Owen Chapman (rhythm guitar, backing vocal ...
, Sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
, Dananananaykroyd
Dananananaykroyd was a Scottish six-piece, self-dubbed 'Fight Pop' band formed in 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland. Their name is a play on the name of Canadian-American actor Dan Aykroyd. They announced via Facebook and Twitter on 29 September 2011 ...
, Johnny Foreigner
Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker (née Southern), drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual ar ...
, The Pistolas, The Heights and in 2014 signing Death and the Penguin
''Death and the Penguin'' is a novel by Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov. Originally published in 1996 in Russian (as ''Смерть постороннего'', ''Smert' postoronnego''), it was translated and published in English in 2001. The ev ...
, American Fangs
American Fangs was a five-piece alternative rock band from Houston, Texas.
Background
The Fangs' are a rock and roll outfit from Houston, TX. Their first album, ''American Fangs EP'', was released in January 2009, followed by their self-titled ...
and Press to MECO
Press to Meco (sometimes stylised as Press to MECO) was an English band hailing from Crawley and Croydon. The band was known for its fusing of intricate riffs, progressive sensibilities, math-influenced structures, pop choruses and three-part h ...
.
The label's functions include sourcing new artists, producing albums, marketing/promoting and securing international licensees in the North American, European, Australian and Asian markets. The company provides traditional record company services along with (for some) management, digital marketing
Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services. Its development duri ...
/promotion, production and manufacturing services catered to each artists individual requirements.
History
Best Before Records was launched in 2004 as part of a subsidy under the Channelfly andMama Group
MAMA & Company is a live music and entertainment company which owns and operates a number of live music venues and festivals in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2005, it has since acquired many other venue-holding companies, expanding its reach si ...
corporate. In December 2009 Mama Group
MAMA & Company is a live music and entertainment company which owns and operates a number of live music venues and festivals in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2005, it has since acquired many other venue-holding companies, expanding its reach si ...
was acquired by HMV
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
who had shown no interest in this part of the corporation therefore the label Best Before Records was taken over by label manager Anthony Shaw and became a fully independent label distributed by PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS is a British recording, licensing, distribution, sales and marketing company for independent music. The company was founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot in Brussels, Belgium,
in the UK and Europe.
After separating from its parent company, it continued to develop a strong label identity and effectively launching several new artist careers including ‘Dananananaykroyd
Dananananaykroyd was a Scottish six-piece, self-dubbed 'Fight Pop' band formed in 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland. Their name is a play on the name of Canadian-American actor Dan Aykroyd. They announced via Facebook and Twitter on 29 September 2011 ...
’, ‘Johnny Foreigner
Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker (née Southern), drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual ar ...
’, 'The Heights' and ‘The Morning After Girls
The Morning After Girls are an Australian neo-psychedelia band. The group was originally formed in Melbourne, Victoria around 2003 by founding members Sacha Lucashenko (vocals and guitar) and Martin B. Sleeman (vocals and guitar), who relocate ...
’. Taking on further bands like Sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
, 22, Mutiny On The Bounty
The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...
, ACODA and most recently Death and the Penguin
''Death and the Penguin'' is a novel by Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov. Originally published in 1996 in Russian (as ''Смерть постороннего'', ''Smert' postoronnego''), it was translated and published in English in 2001. The ev ...
, American Fangs
American Fangs was a five-piece alternative rock band from Houston, Texas.
Background
The Fangs' are a rock and roll outfit from Houston, TX. Their first album, ''American Fangs EP'', was released in January 2009, followed by their self-titled ...
and Press to MECO.
In 2015, Best Before Records changed worldwide distribution to The Orchard and released several new albums.
Artists
Artists that have been signed, or are currently signed, to the label *Press to MECO
Press to Meco (sometimes stylised as Press to MECO) was an English band hailing from Crawley and Croydon. The band was known for its fusing of intricate riffs, progressive sensibilities, math-influenced structures, pop choruses and three-part h ...
* 22
* American Fangs
American Fangs was a five-piece alternative rock band from Houston, Texas.
Background
The Fangs' are a rock and roll outfit from Houston, TX. Their first album, ''American Fangs EP'', was released in January 2009, followed by their self-titled ...
* ACODA.
* Dananananaykroyd
Dananananaykroyd was a Scottish six-piece, self-dubbed 'Fight Pop' band formed in 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland. Their name is a play on the name of Canadian-American actor Dan Aykroyd. They announced via Facebook and Twitter on 29 September 2011 ...
* Death and the Penguin
''Death and the Penguin'' is a novel by Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov. Originally published in 1996 in Russian (as ''Смерть постороннего'', ''Smert' postoronnego''), it was translated and published in English in 2001. The ev ...
* Johnny Foreigner
Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker (née Southern), drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual ar ...
(active with Alcopop! Records
Alcopop! Records is a British independent record label, run by Jack Clothier and Kevin Douch formed in 2006 when the pair lived together in East Oxford. The label works with the likes of DZ Deathrays, Johnny Foreigner, Fight Like Apes, Anaman ...
UK)
* Mutiny On The Bounty
The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...
* Sharks
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorp ...
* The Chapman Family
The Chapman Family were an English indie rock band from Stockton-on-Tees, that formed in 2006. The band's final lineup consisted of Kingsley Chapman (lead vocals, keyboards), Pop Chapman (lead guitar), Owen Chapman (rhythm guitar, backing vocal ...
* The Heights
* The Morning After Girls
The Morning After Girls are an Australian neo-psychedelia band. The group was originally formed in Melbourne, Victoria around 2003 by founding members Sacha Lucashenko (vocals and guitar) and Martin B. Sleeman (vocals and guitar), who relocate ...
* The Pistolas
Releases
References