Description

Few names are as synonymous with underground music as Rough Trade. The pioneers that developed 'indie' from being a type of distribution into a groundbreaking genre of music that has evolved into the bedrock of British music today. With a global reputation that inspired thousands and promoted underground music from the punk roots of their first shop on the Portobello Road in 1976 via their seminal label, distribution network and publishing company, allowing them to bring the world an abundance of talent that would have otherwise gone unheard. Rough Trade has had a huge influence on modern day popular culture; needless to say we are ecstatic to be working alongside them and their heavyweight catalogue.
Original members of the Rough Trade group, Peter Walmsley and Cathi Gibson, set up Rough Trade Publishing in 1991. Sticking to their guns and maintaining the DIY ethos and brimming passion for independent music they developed from the Rough Trade label into the world of music publishing. A picture emerges of a successful, independent company still pushing the boundaries and challenging a music business over-saturated by big budget corporate pop. They believe in old-fashioned publishing values and personal relationships with all their writers. Their history in licensing is a worthy credit to the wealth of talent they represent with tracks appearing in The Sopranos, High Fidelity, The American Nightmare and Grosse Point Blank to name but a few.
Due to their unique position Rough Trade Publishing have managed to achieve an all too rare combination of truly classic back catalogue alongside the cream of cutting edge contemporary music. We could talk about the individual merits of each band, so significant is their influence, but chances are your browser would crash under the weight - so we’ll have to focus on a few. Frankly they have some real old-school stunners on the books from the bouncing power-punk-pop of Le Tigre to indie icons The Violent Femmes who’s floor-filling anthem “Blister in the Sun” was recently licensed by Woodwork Music for a long running Fosters advertising campaign.
They are also a hot-bed for ground-breaking new music; we are getting particularly excited about Owen Pallet’s Final Fantasy. He may not be a household name yet, but he is the brains behind a fair few providing both Arcade Fire and Last of the Shadow Puppets with string arrangements and full orchestration respectively. Black Mountain have been a firm favourite of ours battering the speakers with their thunderous Sabbath-flavoured album ”Into the Future”. There’s Animal Collective whose current album is rightly receiving incredible reviews because as Uncut said "it feels like one of the landmark American albums of the century so far." Not forgetting Collective member Panda Bear who’s latest release “Person Pitch” is a collage of music history blessed with a Brian Wilson-like genius and has been winning the hearts of fans and critics worldwide. Clogs are a sublime, timeless blend of classical music traditions with folk variations and we’ve got the complete works of baritone poet Bill Callahan's (Smog) deeply emotional lo-fi acoustic gems. Watch out for their next big story; managing to be atmospheric and expansive whilst remaining upbeat The Faunts are the ones to watch in 2009. So, The Godfathers of Indie who have maintained their position as the throbbing pulse of the music scene with stunning, iconic music show no signs of slowing down.

Releases we represent:

• Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion | Album | 2009
• Animal Collective | Strawberry Jam | Album | 2007
• Animal Collective | Fall Be Kind | EP | 2009
• Ariel Pink | Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitti 5: House Arrest | Album | 2002
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Woke on a Whaleheart | Album | 2007
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Rock Bottom Riser | Album | 2006
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | A River Ain't Too Much To Love | Album | 2005
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Supper | Album | 2003
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Accumulation : None | Album | 2002
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Rain on Lens | Album | 2001
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Dongs of Sevotion | Album | 2000
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Knock, Knock | Album | 1999
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Red Apple Falls | Album | 1997
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | The Doctor Came at Dawn | Album | 1996
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Wild Love | Album | 1995
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Julius Caeser | Album | 1993
• Bill Callahan (Smog) | Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle | Album | 2009
• Black Mountain | Into the Future | Album | 2008
• Black Mountain | Black Mountain | Album | 2005
• Blackie and the Oohoos | Untitled | Album | 2009
• Clogs | Lanterns | Album | 2005
• Cymbals Eat Guitars | Why There Are Mountains | Album | 2009
• Faunts | Feel.Love.Thinking.Of | Album | 2009
• Faunts | M4 | Download only remix | 2006
• Faunts | High Expectations / Low Results | Album | 2005
• Final Fantasy | He Poos Clouds | Album | 2006
• Final Fantasy | Plays To Please | Album | 2006
• Final Fantasy | Spectrum, 14th Century | Album | 2008
• Final Fantasy | Has A Good Home | Album | 2005
• H2SO4 | Machine Turned Blues | Album | 1999
• Le Tigre | Le Tigre | Album | 1999
• Le Tigre | Feminist Sweepstakes | Album | 2001
• Lightning Dust | Infinite Light | Album | 2009
• Out Hud | Let Us Never Speak of This Again | Album | 2005
• Panda Bear | Person Pitch | Album | 2007
• Panda Bear | Young Prayer | Album | 2004
• Panda Bear | Panda Bear | Album | 1999
• Pink Mountaintops | Pink Mountaintops | Album | 2004
• Pink Mountaintops | Outside Love | Album | 2009
• Pink Mountaintops | Axis Of Evol | Album | 2006
• Ravens and Chimes | Richenbach Falls | Album | 2007
• Rocket From The Crypt | Scream Dracula Scream | Album | 1995
• Rough Trade publishing (Various Artists) | Sweet Fifteen | Album | 2006
• Set Fire To Flames | Sings Reign Rebuilder | Album | 2001
• The Morning Stars | You Can't Change The World | Album | 2008
• The Wrens | The Meadowlands | Album | 2005
• Violent Femmes | Add It Up | Album | 1993
• Violent Femmes | Permanent Record: The Very Best Of | Album | 2005
• Violent Femmes | Violent Femmes | Album | 1983
• Violent Femmes | Hallowed Ground | Album | 1984
• Violent Femmes | 3 | Album | 1988