Blink 182

Blink-182 is an American pop punk band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 35 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992. With original drummer Scott Raynor they released their debut album Cheshire Cat in 1994 and achieved moderate success with its follow-up, 1997's Dude Ranch, which went on to sell over one million copies. Raynor was replaced by Barker midway through a 1998 tour.The band achieved greater success with 1999's multi-platinum selling Enema of the State, which reached #9 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the singles "What's My Age Again" and "All the Small Things", the latter of which became the highest-charting song of their career by reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Blink-182 gained popularity for their irreverent sense of humor, and the follow-up album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) reached #1 in the United States, Canada, and Germany. 

The eponymously-titled Blink-182 followed in 2003 and was a stylistic shift for the group, infusing experimental elements into their usual pop punk formula which resulted in a more mature sound.DeLonge left Blink-182 in early 2005, sending the band into indefinite hiatus. He went on to form Angels & Airwaves while Hoppus and Barker formed +44. Hoppus also pursued a career as a television host while Barker continued working in music as a producer and solo artist. Blink-182 reunited in February 2009 and are currently recording a sixth studio album. In the fall of '92 the band self-released a demo called Flyswatter, which caught the attention of a record label. By '94 they had released their first album Buddha (later re-released in '98), which was not much of a success; but later in the year they signed with Grilled Cheese (a division of Cargo Music). They then promptly released their second album Cheshire Cat. Finally hard work paid off in 1997 with the release of Dude Ranch. Other than just making them better known, the album caught the attention of larger record labels. MCA signed them in a joint effort with Cargo Music in anticipation for their next album being bigger.

Official Blink 182 Site

Blink 182 Interview

Record Label

Sire Records

Richard Gottehrer and Seymour Stein founded Sire Records in 1966. Each putting ten thousand dollars into the company. London Records distributed the first albums releases until 1970 when they switched to Polydor Records, and then to Famous Music from 1972 to 1974. From the beginning Sire was always about introducing the underground. Later on in the 70’s Sire became a successful indie label by signing acts such as the Ramones and the Talking Heads. After switching their distribution to Warner Bros. Records in 77, Warner acquired Sire in 1978. After being enveloped into the mass that is WMG, Sire saw mainstream success with the launch of Madonna, The Cure and into the 90’s with Seal, and Tommy Page. Sire switched their distribution to the sister label Elektra when Stein was appointed President of Electra. Most recently, official music videos displayed on the Sire Records website were taken down due to a copyright claim by WMG after royalty negotiations between WMG and YouTube broke down.

Jack’s Mannequin was founded by American singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon in 2004. McMahon ‘s primary band, Something Corporate, decided to take a temporary break after months of touring in 2004. The first thing that made him want to start a side project was when he wrote a song that he knew would not fit the style of Something Corporate. In June 2005, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia just months before the release of Jack’s Mannequin’s debut album Everything in Transit. He made a full recovery and the album peaked at number 37 on the Billboard top 200. At first, McMahon took to writing his own songs as more of a therapeutic activity and never really expected the songs to be released. This led to a more personal and intimate side to his songs. So far Jack’s Mannequin has put out two full length CD’s, Everything in Transit and The Glass Passenger, the latter topping at #8 on the Billboard top 200.

The Maine is a pop-punk group from Tempe, Arizona. Their biggest influences have been Third Eye Blind, Ivory, Death Cab For Cutie, and The Starting Line. They have turned these influences into some truly infectious pop/punk music. Their first two albums (The Way We Talk EP, and Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop) were released on the label Fearless Records. Their second album peaked the charts at number 10 and has now settled to 45th. The band has made most of its fame with touring with such acts as Boys like Girls, Good Charlotte, Metro Station, Mayday Parade, and All Time Low. March 20th was the start of the completely sold out tour, 2009 Rockstar Energy Drink AP Tour. The Maine is co-heading this tour with 3OH!3, Family Force 5, Hit the Lights, and A Rocket to the Moon. In December of 2009 The Maine released there first published book, This is Real Life. It is written memoirs from the band, as well as exclusive photography. The book sold thousands of pre-sale copies. Having just acquired them in 2009 Sire Records has yet to release an album by The Maine.

The Spill Canvas is a rock band from Sioux, South Dakota. Growing up there, Nick Thomas began making recordings of his songs at age 15 with support from his dad. He began to hone his acoustic based style by playing solo shows in and around his hometown. After sending demos to labels all around the country, Thomas got the attention of One Eleven Records. Thomas released his first album Sunsets and Car Crashes with One Eleven Records. After that album, The Spill Canvas switched from being a solo acoustic band to being a full fledged rock band, releasing there next album One Fell Swoop, which went on to sell over 50,000 copies. While on tour supporting One Fell Swoop, the band caught the eye of Sire Records president, Michael Goldstone, at New Jersey's Bamboozle festival in '06. "The Spill Canvas formed a partnership with Sire, which Thomas believes will provide the band with the promise of career longevity". After signing with Sire, they went to work recording there next album, No Really, I'm Fine, with producer Neal Avron, which eventually peaked at 143 on the Billboard top 200

Jack's Mannequin - The Mixed Tape

The Maine - I Wanna Love You (Cover)

The Spill Canvas - All Hail the Heartbreaker

XL Recordings - White Stripes

XL Recordings first started in the hands of Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes back in 1989 out of the UK. Richard Russell (now CEO) joined later on in 1990 at the age of 19. When Tim Palmer retired from the label, Russell took over.

Initially XL was dedicated to the D.I.Y. rave scene of London, or as XL called it, “Acid House.” “Their noisy, abrasive records were shunned by all media and had a f**k-you aesthetic reminiscent of the two other great D.I.Y music movements- punk and hip hop.” The essence of this movement was captured by Liam Howlett and his band, The Prodigy, in Experience LP, released in 1992. The Prodigy and their growth was a defining moment for XL. But soon after Russell took over the label in 1996, he decided to broaden his outlook to sign other interesting artists from different genres. When asked about the vision behind signings at XL Recordings in a BBC interview, Russell said, “We look for music which is original, which has a unique outlook, which is unafraid, which stands for something and which has scope.”

THE WHITE STRIPES

The simpleton duo Jack White and Meg White have brought rock back to the fundamentals with their baseless music and basic yet hard hitting beats. With Meg on drums and Jack on guitar and main vocals, they fuse folk, and hard rock and roll with inspirations from 60’s Brit Pop and Broadway. The White Stripes, real names John Anthony Gillis and Megan Martha White, originated from Detroit, Michigan in 1997. Initially they attempted to try and pass off as a brother/sister band. In actuality the band mates were once married.

The White Stripes first truly emerged into the mainstream in 1999 with their debut self-titled album. Many agreed that the band was within the same “circle” as The Strokes and The Hives in the garage rock revival scene. Since then The White Stripes had continued to merge different kinds of sounds into their formula of success. 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan was a great example of diversity with “disco-metal and light, marimba-driven pop.” Also 2007’s Icky Thump was held together with the extra sounds of bagpipes and mariachi horns.

Sources:

XL Recordings Label Profile: BBC.co.uk

Label Profile: XL Recordings

Current roster of active artists as of December 2009:

Adele, Basement Jaxx, Be Your Own Pet, Beck, Blue Roses, Cajun Dance Party, Devendra Banhart, Discovery, Dizzee Rascal, Elvis Perkins, Friendly Fires, Gil Scott-Heron, Golden Silvers, Gotan Project, Holly Miranda, Jack Peñate, M.I.A., Magistrates, Monkey, Peaches, RJD2, Radiohead, Ratatat, Sigur Rós, Tapes 'n Tapes, The Cool Kids, The Horrors, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, Thom Yorke, Titus Andronicus, Vampire Weekend

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson make up New York City’s Vampire Weekend. The band formed early in 2006, while at the same time concluding their studies at Columbia University. The band released their first EPs themselves until their popularity grew in 2007. XL Recordings signed them that same year.

Their self-titled album was released in 2008, which was a critical success along with their first single A-Punk. Vampire Weekend’s growing popularity stems from their joyful preppy sounds (and look), and their noticeable inspiration from island music. The describe their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto."

Their anticipated second album Contra is to be released January 12, 2010.

FRIENDLY FIRES

Ed Macfarlane, Edd Gibson and Jack Savidge make up the Friendly Fires. The trio from St. Albans, England showed they’re faces in 2006 and have been successful since with their dance driven, indie pop music with old school disco influences that are nearly impossible not to move to.

The Friendly Fires first gained popularity through their lives performances followed by their first two EP’s Photobooth and Cross The Line released in 2006 and 2007. Their first big single was Paris in 2007. XL Recordings later signed them aboard for their debut album Friendly Fires back in 2008.

The fairly new band is hard to snag information on, but their energetic presence and their unique revival of disco sounds may have you looking for more.