Alternative Tentacles
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Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles," and after realizing the potential for an independent label, they released records for other bands as well. The label is currently run by former Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra
Early influence
Alternative Tentacles went on to launch some of the most original bands of the alternative/punk scene including releasing records (which were later released by other labels) by bands including The Dicks, Black Flag, 7 Seconds, and the Butthole Surfers. The early compilation titled "Let Them Eat Jellybeans" served to introduce American Punk to the rest of the world.
Through innovative bands such as the Dead Kennedys, No Means No, D.O.A. and the Alice Donut the label became a prominent figure in the American art/music underground.
In addition to musical acts, Alternative Tentacles also publishes left-wing spoken word albums, many by Jello Biafra himself. Another common theme of Alternative Tentacles records over the years has been the long-standing artwork of Winston Smith, which has graced hundreds of their records, catalogs, posters, and shirts.
Legal trouble
1985 Senate hearings brought on by the PMRC to investigate obscenity in music.
In early 2000, the label and Jello Biafra were named in a suit brought by his former Dead Kennedys band-mates. The suit claimed that Biafra had failed to pay the band royalties on Dead Kennedys albums. The end result of the case saw the rights to the albums turned over to the other band members, who licensed them to Manifesto Records in the United States (and to other labels in the rest of the world).
Artists
- Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Alice Donut
- Bloodhag
- Blowfly
- Brutal Juice
- Butthole Surfers
- Slim Cessna's Auto Club
- Noam Chomsky
- Ward Churchill
- Crucifucks
- Dead Kennedys
- The Dicks
- D.O.A.
- The Evaporators
- F-Minus
- The False Prophets
- Fleshies
- I Object
- Knights of the New Crusade
- Lard
- Leftöver Crack
- Life After Life
- Ludicra
- Nardwuar the Human Serviette
- No Means No
- No WTO Combo
- Pansy Division
- SNFU
- The Phantom Limbs
- Toxic Reasons
- Tribe 8
- Wesley Willis
- The Yuppie Pricks
- Howard Zinn
External links
See also
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