Go-Kart Records is an

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 ...

specializing in punk rock located in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

that was most active from 1995 to 2005. It also has a European division in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

, Germany.

History

In its May 1999 issue, ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' magazine listed Go-Kart as one of the "twelve most influential forces in punk rock today" along with

Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label and the frontman of hardcore punk ...

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Initially ac ...

and

NOFX NOFX () is an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Vocalist/bassist Fat Mike, guitarist Eric Melvin and drummer Erik Sandin are original founding and longest-serving members of the band, who have appeared on every ...

. In 2003 the label released the first commercially available MP3 CdD entitled the "Go-kart MP300 Raceway." All-music called the release a, "revolution in a jewel case." It contained 300 songs from 150 bands and included an MP3 player and instructions on how to burn the songs to CD. In 2004, the company opened an office in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and started an offshoot division to release independent films under the moniker Go-kart Films. The Los Angeles office closed in 2008. From 2006–2007, label owner Greg Ross hosted a show entitled ''Radio Free Greg'' on Punk Radio Cast (punkradiocast.com) that was the station's most popular show and one of the most listened to shows on the Internet. As of 2012, the label has slowed down, occasionally releasing music under the Go-Kart imprint as well as its pop-punk imprint Kid Tested Records.

Artists

Go-Kart

''Artists that appeared on Go-kart releases (full-lengths, EPs and 7"s --- does not include artists that appeared only on compilations)''
* 46 Short * 4Ft Fingers * Amazombies *

Anti-Flag Anti-Flag is an American punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band is known for its left-wing political activism. Their current members include Justin Sane (vocals, guitar), Chris Head (guitar), Pat Thetic (drums), and Chris Ba ...

* Bambix * Banner Pilot * Berserk * Black Army Jacket *

Black Velvet Flag Black Velvet Flag was a New York City-based comedy music trio, known for their humorous, lounge-styled covers of songs by Southern California punk rock bands, and for performing while wearing tuxedos. They became known in 1994, after performing o ...

Boris The Sprinkler Boris the Sprinkler is a punk rock band that formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1992. History Boris the Sprinkler was founded in Green Bay in 1992 by Reverend Nørb (vocals) and Paul #1 (guitar).Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...

* Candy Snatchers * Canned Travolta * Capture The Flag *

Conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

Cougars The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large cat native to the Americas. Its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I ...

* Daycare Swindlers *

Doc Hopper DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

* Down By Law * GBH * Guff *

Hagfish Hagfish, of the class Myxini (also known as Hyperotreti) and order Myxiniformes , are eel-shaped, slime-producing marine fish (occasionally called slime eels). They are the only known living animals that have a skull but no vertebral column, a ...

* Hemlock * I Farm *

Icons Of Filth Icons of Filth are a Welsh anarcho-punk band that were formed in 1979. The issues the band promoted through their lyrics included animal rights, anarchism, environmentalism, anti war, vegetarianism, veganism, antiglobalisation, feminism, and ...

* INDK * IRA * Jett Brando *

Lunachicks Lunachicks are an American punk rock band from New York City. The band formed in 1987 and had been on hiatus since 2000, with the band reuniting in 2019. The band cited influences including the Ramones, Kiss, and the MC5. Biography Theo Kog ...

Manda And The Marbles Manda and the Marbles were a pop punk/ new wave band from Columbus, Ohio. History :''Many grown-up children of the '80s have a special place in their hearts for ladies such as the Go-Go's, Bananarama, and Kim "Kids in America" Wilde. Their mu ...

The Menzingers The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett (vocals, guitar), Tom May (vocals, guitar), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released sev ...

* Misery *

Parasites Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted structurally to this way of lif ...

Pigmy Love Circus Pigmy Love Circus is a Los Angeles rock band that has existed since the mid-1980s era of the Hollywood underground rock scene. Pigmy Love Circus originally consisted of Shepherd Stevenson on bass, Mike Savage on vocals, Anthony Martinez (of Bl ...

* Pinkerton Thugs * Plan A Project * Pseudo Heroes * Randy's Ripcord * RIFU * Sexpod * Shake Appeal * Sick On The Bus * Southport * Star Strangled Bastards * Stress Magnets * Sweet Diesel *

Ten Foot Pole Ten Foot Pole (formerly Scared Straight) is an American punk rock band. History Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 under the name Scared Straight. Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a ...

* The Control *

The Meatmen The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee, originally existing from 1981 to 1988, before reforming in the mid-1990s, and again in the 2000s. They were known for their outrageous stage antics and offensive lyrics. They reformed in ...

* The Shocker * The Spades *

The Templars The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon ( la, Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order, o ...

The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black Kembra Pfahler (born August 4, 1961 in Hermosa Beach, California, United States) is an American filmmaker, performance artist, visual artist, adjunct professor, rock musician, and film actress. Her film work is associated with the movement known ...

* Token Entry * Toxic Narcotic * Transmission0 * Trick Babys *

Two Man Advantage Two Man Advantage is an American ice hockey themed punk rock group, from Merrick, New York, on Long Island. They met via Beer-League hockey and formed the band in 1997. Their shows are very wild and can be intimidating for first time viewers. The ...

* Underdog *

Varukers The Varukers are a British punk rock band formed in 1979 by vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin. They produced their most influential recordings in the early 1980s. The band play in D-beat, the musical style of Discharge. Also like Discharge, the ...

Vision of Disorder Vision of Disorder is an American hardcore punk, hardcore/metalcore band from Long Island, New York, that initially released three albums before disbanding in 2002. The band garnered attention for blending melody and groove into a traditional ha ...

Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...

* Wives

Go-Kart Europe

''Artists Released on Go-kart Europe (full-lengths, EPs and 7"s --- does not include artists that appeared only on compilations)'' * Bambix * Dr. Norton * Duesenjaeger * Go Faster Nuns * * Malkovich * Nervous Nellie * Olehole * Rifu * The Shocker * The Very Job Agency *

World/Inferno Friendship Society The World/Inferno Friendship Society (also referred to as World Inferno, or Inferno) was an American band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merged punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership featured horns, piano and guitar a ...

Compilations

* Brats On The Beat: Ramones for Kids * Destroy Television VHS * Double Exposure * Expose Yourself * Go-Kart vs. the Corporate Giant * Go-Kart vs. the Corporate Giant 2 * Go-Kart vs. the Corporate Giant 3 * Go-Kart vs. the Corporate Giant 4 * NY's Hardest 3 * Over Exposed * Pop Punk's Not Dead * Punk Uprisings 2 * Skippy Zine/ CD * Soundtrack to Troma's Terror Firmer * Step on a Crack Vol.2 * The Go-kart MP300 Raceway * Twisted TV DVD * Welcome To The Altamont Speedway 7" * Your Scene Sucks

Advocacy

The label is an outspoken critic of the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), arguing that the association uses ineffective and heavy-handed business tactics and does not fulfill its claims to represent the

music industry The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...

.An Open Letter from Go-Kart Records to the RIAA
/ref> In contrast to the RIAA, the label promotes music downloads, arguing that they help consumers sample music before buying. It has released five albums and numerous single songs for free download on its webpage.

References

External links

Official site

Go-Kart Europe site

Go-Kart Films site

An Open Letter from Go-Kart Records to the RIAA

Downhill Battle's interview with Greg Ross, owner of Go-Kart Records

IndieHQ interview with Go-kart founder Greg Ross
{{Authority control American independent record labels Punk record labels