MeteorCity Records is an American record label founded in 1997 by Jadd Shickler and Aaron Emmel in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. With the release of its compilation album ''Welcome to MeteorCity'' showcasing young unsigned Kyuss-like bands, MeteorCity helped launch the stoner rock genre and many of the genre's first bands, plus side projects from members of well-known bands including

The Atomic Bitchwax The Atomic Bitchwax is an American stoner rock band from New Jersey, formed in 1992 by bassist/singer/songwriter Chris Kosnik, guitarist Ed Mundell, and drummer Keith Ackerman. They did not release their first full-length album until 1999, upon ...

and Hermano. MeteorCity Records was one of the first record labels dedicated exclusively to Stoner rock,

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...

, drone metal and

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

History

MeteorCity was founded in September 1997 by Jadd Shickler (of band Spiritu) and Aaron Emmel in

. The first incarnation was an online store called All That's Heavy, which sold hard-to-find releases by stoner rock bands Kyuss,

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums); they have since gone through several lineup c ...

, and

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comic ...

. They soon expanded the catalog to include artists that stylistically fit with the first three bands. After running the online store for about half a year, they were contacted by the former proprietor for the first Kyuss fan website. He recommended MeteorCity do a compilation of unsigned bands that Kyuss fans would enjoy. MeteorCity Records was formed, and the result of the suggestion was the compilation ''Welcome to MeteorCity,'' which was released in May of that year. The compilation included both established desert and stoner rock acts, including new bands established by

John Garcia John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

of Kyuss (now in Unida), Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet, and Pete Stahl. The album was the first time that the bands Sixty Watt Shaman, Lowrider,

, Dozer, Goatsnake, Drag Pack, and Los Natas were heard on a record. According to MeteorCity founders, Around this time a MeteorCity intern purportedly coined the term desert rock to describe the burgeoning genre, which is still used interchangeably with the more known descriptor "stoner rock". Stoner rock originates from the title of the 1997

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. History The label was launched in 1980 in t ...

compilation ''Burn One Up! Music for Stoners.'' After the first compilation was released, that summer the label received a call from customer Henry Vasquez, who had the members of the band

Nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...

in his store. The bandmembers, which included founding Fu Manchu members Eddie Glass (guitar) and Ruben Romano (drums), had asked to talk with them. The band agreed to release their EP on MeteorCity, and MeteorCity offered to fund the band's recording session with Jack Endino. The result was MeteorCity's second release, the '' Nebula/Lowrider'' EP, which also featured tracks by Swedish band Lowrider. In 1999, the label released '' Unida/Dozer'', a joint EP featuring the first non-compilation tracks by Unida and Swedish band Dozer. The label soon signed a number of musicians and bands from the

Palm Desert Scene The Palm Desert Scene is a group of related bands and musicians from Palm Desert, California. Their hard rock sound – sometimes described as desert rock – contains elements of heavy metal, psychedelia, blues, punk, alternative, grunge, and ...

of desert rock, such as Hermano and Unida, both featuring former Kyuss frontman John Garcia. They have also released albums by

, which features Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell, and The Hidden Hand and Spirit Caravan led by Obsessed/

St. Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical D ...

guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinreich. In 2002 they released the first album by the

Orquesta Del Desierto Orquesta del Desierto is an American desert rock band from Palm Desert, California. Founded upon music inspired and written by producer Dandy Brown ( Hermano), members of the band include or have included vocalist Pete Stahl (Scream, Goatsnake, ...

, which featured key members of the major desert rock bands.

Change of ownership

As the scene continued to develop, the popular website

StonerRock.com All That is Heavy (originally All That's Heavy) is an online music store based in Texas and founded in 1997. It is the first online record store dedicated exclusively to the genres of stoner rock, doom metal, sludge metal, drone metal and psychede ...

was launched by Dan Beland in 1999. The website became a central community hub for heavy music artists and fans. In March 2001, MeteorCity licensed

to take over management and operations of All That's Heavy. All That's Heavy's catalog grew to become the largest online store of stoner rock,

, drone metal and

. MeteorCity in turn began to focus more on the label. All That's Heavy was officially sold to Dan Beland and Melanie Streko of

on May 15, 2004, and renamed

All That is Heavy All That is Heavy (originally All That's Heavy) is an online music store based in Texas and founded in 1997. It is the first online record store dedicated exclusively to the genres of stoner rock, doom metal, sludge metal, drone metal and psychede ...

. In 2007, Shickler and Emmel sold MeteorCity Records to Dan Beland and Melanie Streko as well. Their farewell release was a three disc compilation disc titled ''...And Back to Earth Again.'' MeteorCity continued to release albums by new bands, including full LPs from Black Pyramid, Elder, Snail and Freedom Hawk, among others. In 2010

was taken offline, and MeteorCity Records became the official label for

. On September 1, 2014, Melanie Streko resigned from

and MeteorCity Records. Three years later, on August 1, 2017,

was sold to Casey and Taylor Kelch of Katy, Texas.

Artists

* Abdullah * Ararat *

Black NASA Black NASA is a New Jersey-based rock band, often placed in the stoner rock genre. They formed in the early 2000s in Long Branch, and were active while the guitarist in Kosnik's other band (The Atomic Bitchwax) was busy with Monster Magnet. The ...

* Blind Dog * Black Pyramid *

Dead Man ''Dead Man'' is a 1995 American acid western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, Gabriel Byrne, Mili Avital, an ...

* Dozer * Egypt * Eighteen Wheels Burning *

Elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

Eternal Elysium are a Japanese doom metal band founded in 1991. History Eternal Elysium have recorded six albums and six splits/EPs over their career. They were formed in 1991 by guitarist/vocalist Yukito Okazaki and have gone through numerous line-up changes ...

* Farflung * Flood * Freedom Hawk * Gallery of Mites * Hermano * The Hidden Hand * Humo Del Cairo * Leeches of Lore * Let the Night Roar * Los Natas * Lowrider *

Misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...

* The Mushroom River Band *

* New Keepers of The Water Towers * Nightstalker * The Obsessed * Olde Growth *

Orquesta del Desierto Orquesta del Desierto is an American desert rock band from Palm Desert, California. Founded upon music inspired and written by producer Dandy Brown ( Hermano), members of the band include or have included vocalist Pete Stahl (Scream, Goatsnake, ...

* The Quill * The Ribeye Brothers * SardoniS * Scene Killer * Snail *

Solace Consolation, consolement, and solace are terms referring to psychological comfort given to someone who has suffered severe, upsetting loss, such as the death of a loved one. It is typically provided by expressing shared regret for that loss and ...

* Solarized * Spirit Caravan * Spiritu *

Truckfighters Truckfighters are a Swedish rock band from Örebro, formed in 2001. History Truckfighters was formed in Örebro, Sweden in 2001. After releasing EPs in 2001 and 2002, they recorded a split-EP with local Swedish band Firestone in 2003. In 2 ...

* Unida * Valkyrie * Village of Dead Roads * WhiteBuzz

Release history

References

External links