Bloomington's independent record labels

Though Bloomington is well-known among Indiana natives as an arts oasis, the number of independent record labels here per capita is even higher than one might expect. Ever since Gulcher Records started dominating the post-punk ’70s from its Bloomington offices, the city has been a minor hub for interesting, forward-thinking releases by dedicated independent labels. Here’s a look at 10 labels that set the agenda for the local indie distro scene:

Auris Apothecary
Founded in: 2009
Specializing in: Obscurity and hand-made formats to parallel their taste for do-it-yourself ethics
Key bands: Unholy Triforce, Eddy Price, Hail Architeuthis!

Bluesanct
Founded in: 2002
Specializing in: Releasing records from a cartel of experimental and ambient music enthusiasts
Key Bands: dREKKa, Elephant Micah, Vollmar

Crossroads of America
Founded in: 2006
Specializing in: Bloomingtonians — their bands are commonly on local calendars and found at house parties near you  
Key bands: husband&wife, Sleeping Bag, Alexander the Great

Dead Oceans
Founded in: 2007
Specializing in: Flanking sister labels Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian with a fresh crop of indie bands
Key bands: Akron/Family, Destroyer, The Tallest Man on Earth

Eradicator
Founded in: 1996
Specializing in: Representing grimy, gritty rock bands (when it isn’t preserving Krypton)
Key bands: The Perennials, The Horribly Wrong, Jerk Alert

Flannelgraph
Founded in: 2010
Specializing in: Getting a new business off the ground with forward-thinking releases like the charity compilation “The Holidays Don’t Have to Be So Rotten”
Key bands: Mike Adams, Osteoferocious, Chad Serhal

In the Fridge
Founded in: 2008
Specializing in: Disseminating interesting new music to IU undergraduates — something they should know a lot about since they started the label as undergraduates themselves
Key bands: Eric Radoux, the Elegant Bachelors, the Cosmetics

Jagjaguwar
Founded in: 1996
Specializing in: Making whatever a jagjaguwar is the new king of the jungle, with hits like Bon Iver’s latest release
Key bands: Bon Iver, Black Mountain, Dinosaur Jr.

Plan-It-X
Founded in: 1994
Specializing in: Do-it-yourself acts who adhere to the label’s mantra that “if it ain’t cheap, it ain’t punk”
Key bands: Ghost Mice, Halo Fauna, Defiance, Ohio

Secretly Canadian
Founded in: 1996
Specializing in: Supplementing a strong rock ‘n’ roll roster with bold signees like stand-up comic Tig Notaro
Key bands: The War on Drugs, Gardens & Villa, Tig Notaro