Editing Jello Biafra (section)

===Alternative Tentacles===
In June 1979, Biafra co-founded the record label Alternative Tentacles, with which the Dead Kennedys released their first single, "California über alles".<ref group="nb">In [http://www.phillaw.com/casepdfs/Dead%20Kennedys%20Superior%20Court.pdf Dead Kennedys v. Jello Biafra] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227000532/http://www.phillaw.com/casepdfs/Dead%20Kennedys%20Superior%20Court.pdf |date=February 27, 2012 }}, Cal.App.1 Dist.,2003 A094272, the label was legally formalized in 1981 but it existed informally since 1979. Biafra became the sole owner of the label in 1986.</ref> The label was created to allow the band to release albums without having to deal with pressure from [[major label]]s to change their music, although the major labels were not willing to sign the band due to their songs being deemed too controversial.<ref name="Huey">Huey, Steve. "[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3666|pure_url=yes}} Jello Biafra]". ''Allmusic''. Retrieved February 20, 2005.</ref> After dealing with [[Cherry Red Records|Cherry Red]] in the UK and [[IRS Records]] in the US for their first album ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'', the band released all later albums, and later pressings of ''Fresh Fruit'' on Alternative Tentacles. The exception was live albums released after the band's break-up, which the other band members compiled from recordings in the band partnership's vaults without Biafra's input or endorsement.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}. Biafra has been the owner of the company since its founding, though he does not receive a salary for his position; Biafra has referred to his position in the company as "absentee thoughtlord".<ref name="Progressive">Vander Molen, Jodi. "[http://www.progressive.org/mag_intvbiafra Jello Biafra Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625162455/http://progressive.org/mag_intvbiafra/ |date=June 25, 2006 }}". ''The Progressive''. February 2002.</ref>

Biafra is a collector of unusual [[vinyl records]] of all kinds, from 1950s and 1960s ethno-pop recordings by the likes of [[Les Baxter]] and [[Juan García Esquivel|Esquivel]] to vanity pressings that have circulated regionally, to German crooner [[Heino]] (for whom he would later participate in the documentary ''Heino: Made In Germany''); he cites his always growing collection as one of his biggest musical influences. In 1993 he gave an interview to [[RE/Search|RE/Search Publications]] for their second ''Incredibly Strange Music'' book focusing primarily on these records, and later participated in a two-part episode of [[Fuse (TV channel)|Fuse TV]]'s program ''Crate Diggers'' on the same subject.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeEEwSQZoQ |title=Jello Biafra (Part 1) &#124; Crate Diggers - YouTube |website=[[YouTube]] |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219165229/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeEEwSQZoQ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu2_SJcbWNE |title=Jello Biafra (Part 2) &#124; Crate Diggers &#124; Fuse - YouTube |website=[[YouTube]] |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925084920/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu2_SJcbWNE |url-status=live }}</ref> His interest in such recordings, often categorized as [[outsider music]], led to his discovery of the prolific (and schizophrenic) singer/songwriter/artist [[Wesley Willis]], whom he signed to Alternative Tentacles in 1994, preceding Willis' major label deal with [[American Recordings (US)|American Recordings]]. His collection grew so large that on October 1, 2005, Biafra donated a portion of his collection to an annual yard sale co-promoted by Alternative Tentacles and held at their warehouse in [[Emeryville, California]].<ref name="yardsale">{{cite web |url=http://www.alternativetentacles.com/news.php?page=3&news_section=MAIN&window_size=15&sd=E206Wu3H9XDt8-nfY3f |title=News |publisher=Alternative Tentacles |access-date=August 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312061547/http://www.alternativetentacles.com/news.php?news_section=main&page=3&sd=e206wu3h9xdt8-nfy3f&window_size=15 |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2006, along with Alternative Tentacles employee and [[The Frisk]] lead singer Jesse Luscious, Biafra began co-hosting ''The Alternative Tentacles Batcast'', a downloadable [[podcast]] hosted by alternativetentacles.com. The show primarily focuses on interviews with artists and bands that are currently signed to the Alternative Tentacles label, although there are also occasional episodes where Biafra devoted the show to answering fan questions.