SideOneDummy Records broke hearts in January when founders Bill Armstrong and Joe Sib laid off the label’s entire staff except for general manager Thomas Dreux. The label had garnered a loyal following over its 22-year history, launching some of indie rock’s seminal bands, like MXPX, Flogging Molly, and Rozwell Kid. And for those who cut their teeth on the Vans Warped Tour, the label was responsible for releasing the corresponding compilation CDs annually since 1998.
It wasn’t just the about who the label signed. SideOneDummy’s director of marketing, Jamie Coletta, and digital director Christina Johns were some of the creative forces making sure the music reached people. But SideOneDummy’s fall tells a bigger story about the music industry as a whole, which has been hemorrhaging money as streaming services and other tech takes over.
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On today’s episode, Noisey’s Dan Ozzi talked about the reaction to SideOneDummy’s announcement, and the community that it’s leaving behind. You can read his full piece here.
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