I feel weird writing about Salinas Records as if it is unique. It’s a pretty common story: When I was in my first band, I had really simple goals: release a 7” and to go on tour. I don’t think there were any intentions to start a label, but for some reason I put the name of John Steinbeck’s hometown on the back cover of that first band’s record. After that I became one of the people within my circle of friends who knew how to put out records, so I asked people if they wanted help getting their record out into the world. Twelve years later, it’s still a simple operation: put out friends’ records and try not to get in the way.
One Reason – “The End Never Mattered”
The best song on any Salinas release in my opinion. One Reason were an incredible band from Mississippi. My memory is that the early details of this release were worked by exchanging postcards.
The State Lottery – “Coming Alive”
The State Lottery was a band that lived all over the United States and this is the first song from their second LP, which I have a soft spot for because it feels like a celebration of the community in which Salinas exists.
Swearin’ – “Just”
Swearin’ is a band that has members that I knew from four different places, so when they all started to playing together I was incredibly excited to hear what they were doing. This is from their first LP.
Radiator Hospital – “Your Boyfriend”
When I was first exposed to Radiator Hospital’s recordings, it took longer to be drawn to the acoustic songs. After I finally came around, this song from their first LP became a favorite.
Hey Hallways – “Proven Facts”
Jason from Joyride! gave me a copy of a tape of songs he had recorded while he was on tour, and I loved it. When Jason agreed to do a vinyl version of the tape it seemed like the label was useful, because it was a record that otherwise might not exist.
Dig further into the Salinas catalog at salinasrecords.com.
