MeteorCity
Founded1997 (1997)
FounderJadd Shickler
Aaron Emmel
StatusActive
GenreStoner rock, doom metal, sludge metal, drone metal, psychedelic rock
Country of originUnited States
Official websitemeteorcity.com

MeteorCity Records is an American record label founded in 1997 by Jadd Shickler and Aaron Emmel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With the release of its compilation album Welcome to MeteorCity showcasing young unsigned Kyuss-like bands, MeteorCity helped launch the stoner rock genre and many of the genre's first bands, plus side projects from members of well-known bands including The Atomic Bitchwax and Hermano. MeteorCity Records was one of the first record labels dedicated exclusively to Stoner rock, doom metal, sludge metal, drone metal and psychedelic rock.[1]

History

MeteorCity was founded in September 1997[1] by Jadd Shickler (of band Spiritu) and Aaron Emmel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[2] The first incarnation was an online store called All That's Heavy, which sold hard-to-find releases by stoner rock bands Kyuss, Monster Magnet, and Fu Manchu. They soon expanded the catalog to include artists that stylistically fit with the first three bands.[1]

After running the online store for about half a year, they were contacted by the former proprietor for the first Kyuss fan website. He recommended MeteorCity do a compilation of unsigned bands that Kyuss fans would enjoy.[3] MeteorCity Records was formed, and the result of the suggestion was the compilation Welcome to MeteorCity,[2] which was released in May of that year.[1] The compilation included both established desert and stoner rock acts, including new bands established by John Garcia of Kyuss (now in Unida), Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet, and Pete Stahl. The album was the first time that the bands Sixty Watt Shaman, Lowrider, The Atomic Bitchwax, Dozer, Goatsnake, Drag Pack, and Los Natas were heard on a record.[1] According to MeteorCity founders,

"When this was happening, there wasn't really a [stoner rock] scene yet, there were just a lot of people around the world who were still sad about the end of Kyuss, as well as the end of Slo Burn, and who listened to stuff like Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu but wanted more. The label took off when we appeared with Welcome To Meteor City, as though the world was waiting for someone to do what we were doing."[3]

Around this time a MeteorCity intern purportedly coined the term desert rock to describe the burgeoning genre, which is still used interchangeably with the more known descriptor "stoner rock". Stoner rock originates from the title of the 1997 Roadrunner Records compilation Burn One Up! Music for Stoners.[1]

After the first compilation was released, that summer the label received a call from customer Henry Vasquez, who had the members of the band Nebula in his store. The bandmembers, which included founding Fu Manchu members Eddie Glass (guitar) and Ruben Romano (drums), had asked to talk with them. The band agreed to release their EP on MeteorCity, and MeteorCity offered to fund the band's recording session with Jack Endino. The result was MeteorCity's second release, the Nebula/Lowrider EP, which also featured tracks by Swedish band Lowrider. In 1999, the label released Unida/Dozer, a joint EP featuring the first non-compilation tracks by Unida and Swedish band Dozer.[3]

The label soon signed a number of musicians and bands from the Palm Desert Scene of desert rock, such as Hermano and Unida, both featuring former Kyuss frontman John Garcia. They have also released albums by The Atomic Bitchwax, which features Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell, and The Hidden Hand and Spirit Caravan led by Obsessed/St. Vitus guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinreich. In 2002 they released the first album by the Orquesta Del Desierto, which featured key members of the major desert rock bands.

Change of ownership

As the scene continued to develop, the popular website StonerRock.com was launched by Dan Beland in 1999. The website became a central community hub for heavy music artists and fans.[4] In March 2001, MeteorCity licensed StonerRock.com to take over management and operations of All That's Heavy. All That's Heavy's catalog grew to become the largest online store of stoner rock, doom metal, sludge metal, drone metal and psychedelic rock. MeteorCity in turn began to focus more on the label. All That's Heavy was officially sold to Dan Beland and Melanie Streko of StonerRock.com on May 15, 2004,[1] and renamed All That is Heavy.[2]

In 2007, Shickler and Emmel sold MeteorCity Records to Dan Beland and Melanie Streko as well. Their farewell release was a three disc compilation disc titled ...And Back to Earth Again. [2] MeteorCity continued to release albums by new bands, including full LPs from Black Pyramid, Elder, Snail and Freedom Hawk, among others.[2] In 2010 StonerRock.com was taken offline, and MeteorCity Records became the official label for All That is Heavy.[5] On September 1, 2014, Melanie Streko resigned from All That is Heavy and MeteorCity Records. Three years later, on August 1, 2017, All That is Heavy was sold to Casey and Taylor Kelch of Katy, Texas.

Artists

Release history

Year No. Artist Title
1998 MCY-001 Various (Sixty Watt Shaman, Sparzanza, Fatso Jetson, The Atomic Bitchwax, Rotors to Rust, Demoncleaner, Goatsnake, Drag Pack, Lowrider, Roadsaw, Sheavy, Dozer, Los Natas, JM.J, Core, Celestial Season, etc.) Welcome to MeteorCity
FMC-001 Solace, Solarized Jersey Devils Double EP
MCY-002
MCY-004		 Nebula, Lowrider Nebula/Lowrider
1999 MCY-003
MCY-005		 Unida, Dozer Unida/Dozer
MCY-006 Five Wheel Drive Misdemeanor
MCY-007 Spirit Caravan Dreamwheel
2000 MCY-008 The Quill The Quill
MCY-009 Various (Electric Frankenstein, Solace, Sebastian Bach, Zébulon, Iron Savior, Las Cruces, Eternal Elysium, The Quill, Blind Dog, etc.) Slave to the Power – The Iron Maiden Tribute
MCY-010 Solace Further
MCY-011 Eternal Elysium Spiritualized D
MCY-012 Lowrider Ode to Io
MCY-013 The Mushroom River Band Music for the World Beyond
MCY-014 Abdullah Abdullah
MCY-015 Blind Dog The Last Adventures of Captain Dog
2001 MCY-016 Various (Lowrider, Eternal Elysium, Sheavy, The Awesome Machine, etc.) I Am Vengeance Soundtrack
MCY-017 Scene Killer (Members of The Atomic Bitchwax, Burnout King, Core, Daisycutter, Drag Pack) Scene Killer
MCY-018 Solarized Driven
2002 MCY-019 Eternal Elysium Share
MCY-020 The Atomic Bitchwax Spit Blood
MCY-021 The Ribeye Brothers If I Had a Horse
MCY-022 Orquesta Del Desierto Orquesta Del Desierto
MCY-023 Nebula Dos EPs
MCY-024 The Mushroom River Band Simsalabim
2003 MCY-025 Spiritu Spiritu
2002 MCY-026 Abdullah Graveyard Poetry
2003 MCY-027 Solace 13
MCY-028 Gallery of Mites Bugs on the Bluefish
MCY-029 Blind Dog Captain Dog Rides Again
2004 MCY-030 The Hidden Hand Divine Propaganda
2003 MCY-031 Spirit Caravan The Last Embrace
2004 MCY-032 Orquesta del Desierto Dos
MCY-033 Black NASA Deuce
MCY-034 The Hidden Hand, Wooly Mammoth Night Letters
MCY-035 Hermano Dare I Say...
2005 MCY-036 The Atomic Bitchwax 3
2006 MCY-037 Spiritu / Village of Dead Roads Human Failures
MCY-038 The Obsessed Lunar Womb
MCY-039 The Atomic Bitchwax Boxriff
2007 MCY-040 Various (Solace, The Atomic Bitchwax, Unida, Lowrider, Blind Dog, Dozer, Black NASA, Cosmosquad, Las Cruces, Spiritu, I am Droid, Truckfighters, etc.) ...And Back to Earth Again – Ten Years of MeteorCity
2008 MCY-041 Farflung A Wound in Eternity
MCY-042 Dead Man Dead Man
MCY-043 Elder Elder
MCY-044 Eighteen Wheels Burning Tweak'd Out, Strung up and Redlined
2009 MCY-045 Nightstalker Superfreak
MCY-046 Freedom Hawk Freedom Hawk
MCY-047 Leeches of Lore Leeches of Lore
MCY-048 New Keepers of the Water Towers Chronicles
MCY-049 Black Pyramid Black Pyramid
MCY-050 Snail Blood
2008 MCY-051 Let the Night Roar Let the Night Roar
2009 MCY-052 Flood Native
2010 MCY-053 Valkyrie Valkyrie
MCY-054 Valkyrie Man of Two Visions
2009 MCY-055 Ararat Musica de la Resistencia
MCY-056 Village of Dead Roads Desolation Will Destroy You
MCY-057 Whitebuzz Book of Whyte
MCY-058 Egypt Egypt
2010 MCY-059 Humo Del Cairo Humo del Cairo
2011 MCY-060 New Keepers of the Water Towers The Calydonian Hunt
2010 MCY-061 SardoniS Sardonis
2010 MCY-063 Dozer In the Tail of a Comet / Madre de Dios
MCY-064 Farflung Live at Roadburn 2009
MCY-065 Olde Growth Olde Growth
2010 MCY-666 Various (Crushed Skulls, Flood, Egypt, Whitebuzz, SardoniS, Ararat, Freedom Hawk, Elder, Farflung, Black Pyramid, etc.) Welcome Back to MeteorCity
2011 MCY-066 Elder Dead Roots Stirring
2012 MCY-067 Black Pyramid II
Year No. Artist Title
2005 MCY-999 The Atomic Bitchwax Atomic Bitchwax I (limited edition with alternate cover art)
2005 MCY-998 Solace Further (reissue)
MCY-997 Unida, Dozer Unida/Dozer (reissue)
MCY-996 Truckfighters Gravity X
2006 MCY-995 Village of Dead Roads Dwelling in Doubt
2007 MCY-994 Los Natas El Universo Perdido De Los Natas
2008 MCY-993 The Atomic Bitchwax Tab 4 (limited edition with alternate cover art)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "News: StonerRock.com and MeteorCity Part Ways". Bravewords.com. May 19, 2004. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Where to Start: MeteorCity". The Obelisk. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Todd K. "Meteor City". The Cutting Edge. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  4. ↑ Christian, von (August 26, 2009). "MeteorCity: Play it Very Loud!". Metal Glory. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  5. ↑ Van Horn, Jnr., Ray (September 26, 2009). "Label Spotlight: Meteor City Records". The Metal Minute. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2011.

Further reading

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