Chainsaw 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 ...

run by

Donna Dresch Donna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch. Dresch has been actively involved in the queercore scene since the 1980s, as the creator of the fanzine ''Chainsaw'' and ...

that is devoted to

Queercore Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifical ...

bands. The label is in Portland, Oregon.

History

''Chainsaw'' began life as a

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published Self-publishing is the publication of media by its author at their own cost, without the involvement of a publisher. The term usually refers to writ ...

published by

in the late 1980s. Musicians and writers featured in the zine included

Lois Maffeo Lois Maffeo (professionally known for much of her career as Lois) is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. She has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 1990s-era Olymp ...

, Jena von Brücker, Juliana Lueking, Candice Pederson,

G.B. Jones G. B. Jones (born 1965) is a Canadian artist, filmmaker, musician, and publisher of zines born in Bowmanville, Canada. She is known for producing J.D.s with her acclaimed''Tom Girls'' drawings before going on to create more musically, cinematica ...

and Larrybob. ''Chainsaw'' was one of the seminal queercore zines that, along with '' J.D.s'' and ''

Homocore Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, v ...

'', helped define the movement. "In 1991...Chainsaw developed from a zine into a record label. This began simply enough when she made a compilation

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in the ...

of her favourite bands and started to sell these while on tour with

Fifth Column A fifth column is any group of people who undermine a larger group or nation from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or another nation. According to Harris Mylonas and Scott Radnitz, "fifth columns" are “domestic actors who work to un ...

", writes Amy Spencer in ''DIY: The Rise of Lo-Fi Culture''. In 1994 Chainsaw began to release LPs and singles, beginning with the release of The Fakes (featuring members of

Bikini Kill Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the ...

The Need The Need is an American queercore band formed by singer/drummer Rachel Carns and guitarist Radio Sloan in Portland, Oregon in the mid-1990s. After issuing a series of seven-inches on labels including Kill Rock Stars and Outpunk, The Need relo ...

and

Nation of Ulysses The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply "Ulysses," the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner ...

), the Frumpies and the first

Team Dresch Team Dresch is an American punk rock band originally formed in 1993 in Olympia, Washington. The band made a significant impression on the DIY punk movement queercore, which gave voice through zines and music to the passions and concerns of LGBT p ...

LP, '' Personal Best''. This was followed by a co-release with

Candy Ass Records Candy Ass Records was an independent record label in Portland, Oregon that was run by Jody Bleyle, a member of the bands Team Dresch and Hazel and of the queercore bands Family Outing and Infinite Xs. The label is best known for the 1995 relea ...

, the double LP/CD compilation, '' Free to Fight''. "The label established itself as a vital element of the queercore scene..." says Spencer, as Chainsaw then began to release records by a variety of

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

mainly women artists. Of note is the fact that many bands, such as

Sleater-Kinney Sleater-Kinney ( ) is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's current lineup features Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar) and Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), following the departure of longtime member J ...

, have been able to put out their initial recordings on the label. As well, the website for ''Chainsaw'', and in particular its message board, have fostered a sense of community and provided a vehicle for expression by queers and music fans.

Chainsaw artists

* Davies vs. Dresch *

Excuse 17 Excuse 17 was a punk rock band from Olympia, Washington, US, that performed and recorded from 1993 to 1995. The band consisted of Becca Albee (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Curtis James (drums). The band recorded ...

* The Fakes *

The Frumpies The Frumpies were an American lo-fi punk rock band formed in 1992 in Olympia, Washington, United States. The original line-up consisted of singers/guitarists Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Billy Karren (all of whom were also a part of the legendar ...

* Heartless Martin *

Heavens to Betsy Heavens to Betsy was an American punk band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1991 with vocalist and guitarist Corin Tucker and drummer Tracy Sawyer. The duo were part of the DIY riot grrrl, punk rock underground, and were Tucker's first band befo ...

* Infinite Xs *

Kaia Kaia or KAIA may refer to: * Kaia (name), including a list of people with the name * KaiA, a gene * KAIA (group), a Filipino girl group * KAIA (FM), radio station (91.5 FM) licensed to Blytheville, Arkansas, United States * King Abdulaziz Internati ...

Longstocking Longstocking were an America, Los Angeles-based queercore-punk band. Formed in 1995 by singer and guitarist Tamala Poljak, the group had originally been a guitar and drums duo with Poljak and drummer, Kevin Hair. Tamala had previously been in ...

* No. 2 * Show Me the Pink *

Third Sex Third gender is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. It is also a social category present in societies that recognize three or more genders. The term ''third'' is usually ...

Tracy and the Plastics Tracy + the Plastics is an American electropop and video project group from Olympia, Washington, United States. The members include Nikki Romanos on keyboard, Cola on drums, and Tracy as the lead vocals. Although the name implied the group was m ...

References

* Spencer, Amy; ''DIY: The Rise Of Lo-Fi Culture'', Marion Boyars Publishers, London, UK,

External links

Official site chainsawrecords.com
{{Authority control American independent record labels LGBT-related record labels Zines Queercore record labels Record labels established in 1991 Oregon record labels Privately held companies based in Oregon Riot grrrl 1991 establishments in Oregon

History

Chainsaw artists

See also

References

External links