Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
Encyclopedia
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
based in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company. The label originally began as a compilation CD, Happy Happy Birthday To Me Volume 1, before it expanded into a 7" singles club, which released records by, among others, Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
, Marshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
, The Essex Green
The Essex Green
The Essex Green are an indie rock band from Brooklyn, NY. The band is primarily composed of songwriters Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell and Chris Ziter, and specialize in a classic sound inspired by 1960s–1970s pop and folk in the tradition of bands like The Left Banke and Fairport Convention.-History:The...
, Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and Masters of the Hemisphere
Masters of the Hemisphere
Masters of the Hemisphere are an American indie pop group, founded by Bren Mead and Sean Rawls. The two moved to Athens, Georgia, to attend college in 1996. There they met Ryan Lewis, co-founder of Kindercore Records, who played drums at the first Masters of the Hemisphere show. Jeff Griggs ...
, while also releasing several tape and CD compilations. The singles club was noted for its individuality, with each individual record by an artist often being different, for example, each copy of The Essex Green's single came with a different original photograph on the sleeve, while Marshmallow Coast's were hand-drawn by school children. The label then began to release full length CDs for the first time - the first of these being Birddog's A Sweet and Bitter Fancy. The label also continued to release 7"s, compilations and t-shirts, as well as a video compilation DVD, and a further singles club featuring Bunnygrunt
Bunnygrunt
Bunnygrunt are an American indie pop band from St. Louis, Missouri composed of guitarist/vocalist Matt Harnish and drummer/vocalist Karen Ried.-1993 - 1998:...
, Casper and the Cookies and Andy From Denver
Marshmallow Coast
Marshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
. There are currently over 100 releases on the label, and an even larger catalogue of distributed titles, with many more planned for 2008/2009.
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records founder Mike Turner also founded the annual Athens Popfest, which routinely features many of the bands on the label's roster, as well as many Elephant 6 artists, among other Athens luminaries. 2005's Popfest was headlined by bands including Pylon
Pylon (band)
Pylon is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The band's danceable jangle pop sound influenced the Athens music scene and the 1980s American pop underground. Allmusic wrote that Pylon's "role as elder statesmen of the alternative rock explosion is unassailable".-History:All four members of...
, Circulatory System
Circulatory System
Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
and of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
. The 2006 Popfest featured headliners Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
, The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
, The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
and Circulatory System
Circulatory System
Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
.
The 2007 popfest line-up included Daniel Johnston
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist. Johnston was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He currently lives in Waller, Texas....
(backed by Athens band Casper and the Cookies) and Ted Leo
Ted Leo
Theodore F. Leo , called "Ted," as a short form of "Theodore," is an American punk rock/indie rock songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, though he is most known for his singing and guitar playing...
. Athens Popfest 2007 is most remembered as the breakout performance for Jacksonville band Black Kids
Black Kids
Black Kids is an American indie pop band from Jacksonville, Florida. The band's debut EP, Wizard of Ahhhs, received favorable critical response in 2007, and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the UK Albums Chart in July 2008.-History:Black Kids formed in Jacksonville...
, resulting in a storm of blogs, interviews, and international magazine write ups. Popfest 2008 was headlined by Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson
Roky Erickson is an American singer, songwriter, harmonica player and guitarist from Texas. He was a founding member of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre.-Biography:...
, Elf Power
Elf Power
Elf Power is an indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia. Currently, the line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, and drummer Eric Harris...
and, in a rare and much anticipated performance, The Music Tapes
The Music Tapes
The Music Tapes is an experimental pop music project of Elephant 6 member Julian Koster, also of Neutral Milk Hotel, and the earlier Chocolate U.S.A....
.
Active
- Keith John AdamsKeith John AdamsKeith John Adams is a British singer-songwriter. He makes garage pop music on his own and with a number of revolving collaborators, some from the UK and some from the US, which he tours regularly....
- Afternoon Naps
- BearsuitBearsuitBearsuit are an art-rock/dance/punk band from Norwich, UK.-Biography:Bearsuit first came to public attention following their championing by Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and their debut single "Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck" was voted number four in the Peel programme's Festive Fifty of 2001...
- BoyracerBoyracer-History:Boyracer was founded by vocalist/guitarist Stewart Anderson in 1990 and released their first single in 1991. Richard Adams left the group in 1993, after which the group released its first EP, Naked. They then arranged to release further recordings via Sarah Records including two more EPs...
- BunnygruntBunnygruntBunnygrunt are an American indie pop band from St. Louis, Missouri composed of guitarist/vocalist Matt Harnish and drummer/vocalist Karen Ried.-1993 - 1998:...
- Cars Can Be Blue
- Casper & the CookiesCasper & the Cookies- History :Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jason NeSmith , began using the pseudonym Casper Fandango in 1996 as a moniker for his solo four-track recordings....
- Elekibass
- Eureka California
- Eux Autres
- FishboyFishboy (band)Fishboy is a four-piece indie pop band from Denton, Texas that began as the solo project of Eric Michener. He was given the nickname on a middle-school field trip after a dare to pluck and swallow a fish at the Dallas World Aquarium...
- Forever
- Hotpants Romance
- Lolligags
- The Lovely EggsThe Lovely EggsThe Lovely Eggs are a two piece, indie rock band from Lancaster, England.They consist of married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell. Ross was formerly the lead singer and guitarist in the girl band, Angelica...
- Marshmallow CoastMarshmallow CoastMarshmallow Coast is an indie pop band associated with the Elephant Six Collective.-Background:The band began as a solo recording project of singer/songwriter Andy Gonzales, who first recorded as Marshmallow Coast in 1996 with a self-released cassette, which featured contributions from Joel...
- Oh Ok
- Patience Please
- Red Pony Clock
- The Smittens
- Sourpatch
- The SuperionsThe SuperionsThe Superions are an American comedy synthpop band formed in Orlando, Florida in 2006 as a side project of The B-52s frontman Fred Schneider with Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall.- Formation and early years :...
- Sweater Girls
- Titans of Filth
- Tunabunny
- Velcro StarsVelcro StarsThe Velcro Stars are an indie pop band based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They began with Columbia natives Shane Spresser and Keith Pratt playing guitar and writing songs together after high school. They were joined in 2001 by Rebekah Kidd. Danial Norman was a high school acquaintance and joined...
Inactive (not on roster)
- AqPop
- Ashley Park
- Ryan AndersonRyan AndersonRyan Anderson may refer to:*Ryan Anderson , ex-member of indie rock band Füxa*Ryan Anderson , professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners minor league system*Ryan G. Anderson , U.S...
- Baby calendarBaby CalendarBaby Calendar is a three- piece indie pop band from Miami, Florida. In 2006, Baby Calendar was signed to Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records based in Athens, Georgia and known for releasing mostly indie pop and twee-pop bands, working with bands such as Of Montreal, Casper & the Cookies, and...
- BearsuitBearsuitBearsuit are an art-rock/dance/punk band from Norwich, UK.-Biography:Bearsuit first came to public attention following their championing by Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and their debut single "Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck" was voted number four in the Peel programme's Festive Fifty of 2001...
- Birddog
- Calvin, Don't Jump!Calvin, Don't Jump!Calvin, Don't Jump! started as the solo recording project of J. Kirk Pleasant, a musician with extensive connections to the Elephant 6 Collective. Before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he contributed to releases from bands like the Olivia Tremor Control, Black Swan Network, and...
- FablefactoryFablefactoryFablefactory is a band from Athens, GA.The band was officially formed on May Day 1996, consisting of Davey Wrathgaber , Hank Wren , and Freckles Le Chat with Dallas Longhorne joining the band prior to recording their first album...
- FlinkFlinkFlink , is a 2D scrolling platform game developed by Psygnosis.-Summary:...
- The Gwens
- The High Water MarksThe High Water MarksThe High Water Marks is an indie rock band associated with the Elephant 6 collective. The band has two lead creative members, Hilarie Sidney and Per Ole Bratset, who co-write the band's music.-Band history:...
- The Ideal Free Distribution
- KingsauceKingsauceKingsauce is a "novelty-pop" project headed by Richie Chodes. They are considered to be an extension of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Combining elements of mid-1960s pop, 1970s AM radio, and a touch of vaudeville, Kingsauce creates tunes with silly, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their last full...
- The Loch Ness Mouse
- The Love Letter Band
- Russian Spy CameraRussian spy cameraRussian Spy Camera is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. They formed in 2005 by Ryan White and Andy Turner, later adding McGregor Button in 2006....
- SarandonSarandon (band)Sarandon are an English indie rock group, formed in London in 2003, who have so far released two albums.-History:Initially formed by singer/guitarist Simon Williams , drummer James Higgott and bass player Joe Morris , the group played their debut show in central London after having rehearsed only...
- Starbag
- Visitations
- Neutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk HotelNeutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
Discography
- HHBTM001 - Various - Happy Happy Birthday To Me Vol. 1 CD
- HHBTM002 - Kingsauce - Singles Club Single #1" 7"
- HHBTM003 - Marshmallow Coast - Singles Club Single #2 7"
- HHBTM004 - of Montreal - Singles Club Single #3 7"
- HHBTM005 - Various - Hey, It's My Birthday Cassette