Editing Kill Rock Stars

{{Short description|American record label}}
{{Infobox record label
| name        = Kill Rock Stars
| image       = Kill Rock Stars logo.png
| parent      = Exceleration Music
| founded     = {{start date and age|1991|02}}
| founder     = {{hlist|[[Slim Moon]]|Tinuviel Sampson}}
| distributor = [[Redeye Distribution]]
| genre       = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[indie rock]]|[[punk rock]]|[[electronic music|electronic]]}}
| country     = United States
| location    = [[Portland, Oregon]]
| website     = {{official URL|https://www.killrockstars.com/}}
}}

'''Kill Rock Stars''' is an [[independent record label]] founded in February 1991<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=About KRS |url=http://www.killrockstars.com/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508080138/http://www.killrockstars.com/about/ |archive-date=May 8, 1999 |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=killrockstars.com}}</ref> by [[Slim Moon]] and Tinuviel Sampson,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960705/2337723/the-return-of-vinyl-frenzy----seven-inch-singles-are-the-hot-new-item-for-rocks-underground |title=The Return Of Vinyl Frenzy – Seven-Inch Singles Are The Hot New Item For Rock's Underground |last=Rose |first=Cynthia |date=July 5, 1996 |newspaper=Seattle Times }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.killrockstars.com/artists/mary-lou-lord |title=About Mary Lou Lord |last=Lord |first=Mary Lou |publisher=Kill Rock Stars |year=2011 |access-date=November 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114005758/https://www.killrockstars.com/artists/mary-lou-lord |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.spin.com/2012/11/bikini-kill-ep-kathleen-hanna-oral-history-20-anniversary//?page=3 |page=3 |journal=Spin |date=November 15, 2012 |title=Sisters Outsiders: The Oral History of the 'Bikini Kill' EP |access-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref> and based in both [[Olympia, Washington]], and [[Portland, Oregon]]. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was originally known for its commitment to underground [[punk rock]] bands and the [[Music of Olympia|Olympia area music scene]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://killrockstars.com/about/about.html |title=About Kill Rock Stars |website=killrockstars.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040311220145/http://www.killrockstars.com/about/about.html |archive-date=2004-03-11 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==History==
Sampson and Moon initially started the label because, in Moon's words, "I just wanted to put out my friends' records because nobody was putting out my friends' records. And to put out [[spoken word]] 7-inch records."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_Slim_Moon_Interview.html |title=Interview With Slim Moon |website=HitQuarters |date=13 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711172523/http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_Slim_Moon_Interview.html |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> KRS-101 (the label's first release) was in fact a split 7-inch spoken-word record with [[Kathleen Hanna]] and Slim Moon; other "Wordcore" releases followed.<ref name="SpinBK">{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2012/11/bikini-kill-ep-kathleen-hanna-oral-history-20-anniversary/3/|title=Sisters Outsiders: The Oral History of the 'Bikini Kill' EP|website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|first=Jessica|last=Hopper|date=15 November 2012|accessdate=2 October 2024}}</ref> The first major release was a compilation of Olympia-area bands simply titled ''[[Kill Rock Stars (album)|Kill Rock Stars]]'' (''[[Stars Kill Rock]]'' and ''[[Rock Stars Kill]]'' would follow in the same compilation series) and featured [[Bikini Kill]], [[Bratmobile]], [[Unwound]], [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Mecca Normal]], [[Heavens to Betsy]], [[The Nation of Ulysses]], and [[the Melvins]], among others.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/23/kill-rock-stars-riot-grrrl-label-30-years|title='It reeked of hope and ambition': 30 years of riot grrrl label Kill Rock Stars|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=23 Apr 2021|first=Daniel Dylan|last=Wray|accessdate=2 October 2024}}</ref>

Although the label's music has never reflected a singular genre or underground music movement, it is arguably most notable for releasing the work of various [[riot grrrl]] bands during the mid-'90s, some of which, especially Bikini Kill, generated a good deal of press attention. Other Kill Rock Stars releases in this genre includes albums by Bratmobile, [[Huggy Bear (band)|Huggy Bear]], [[Heavens to Betsy]] and [[Excuse 17]].<ref name="Guardian"/>

The label continued its tradition of spoken word by releasing their first full-length spoken-word LP ''[[Big Broad]]'' by [[Juliana Luecking]] in 1995.<ref name="Gender">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eMtDpy85IC4C&dq=juliana+luecking+big+broad+kill+rock+stars&pg=PA204|title=Gender in the Music Industry: Rock, Discourse and Girl Power|first=Marion|last=Leonard|year=2007|isbn=9780754638629|publisher=Ashgate}}</ref> This was also the year that [[Elliott Smith]] released his [[Elliott Smith (album)|self-titled solo LP]] on the label.<ref name="Guardian"/> Another milestone was the 1997 release of [[Sleater-Kinney]]'s third LP (and first on Kill Rock Stars) ''[[Dig Me Out]]'', which garnered national press attention in ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://killrockstars.com/about/timeline |title=Kill Rock Stars Timeline |website=killrockstars.com|access-date=October 22, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819165108/https://www.killrockstars.com/about/timeline |archive-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Guardian"/>

In 1997–98, the [[5RC]] label was formed as a sister label to Kill Rock Stars; it released generally harsher-sounding and more experimental rock than Kill Rock Stars.<ref name="Guardian"/> The 5RC roster included [[Xiu Xiu]], [[Deerhoof]], [[Need New Body]], [[The Mae Shi]], [[The Robot Ate Me]], and [[Metalux]], among others. 1998 also marked the first-ever Mailorder Freak Singles Club, featuring [[Quasi (band)|Quasi]], [[Small Stars]], [[Sta-Prest (band)|Sta-Prest]], and [[Rock*A*Teens]], among others.<ref name="Lamestains">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n8PUEAAAQBAJ&dq=Mailorder+Freak+Singles+Club&pg=RA3-PA1998|title=Lamestains: Grunge, Sub Pop and the Music of the Loser|first=Nicholas|last=Attfield|isbn=9781789147377|year=2023|publisher=Reaktion Books}}</ref><ref name="CMJ1999">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ykEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Mailorder+Freak+Singles+Club&pg=PA62|magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly|date=Jan 1999|page=62|title=Singles|first=Douglas|last=Wolk|issue=65}}</ref>

Another popular band on Kill Rock Stars was [[the Decemberists]], who released three full-length albums on the label between 2001 and 2005.<ref name="GuardianDecemberists">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/jul/26/popandrock1|title=Queer as folk|website=[[The Guardian]]|date=26 Jul 2005|accessdate=2 October 2024}}</ref> The band's singer, [[Colin Meloy]], also released a [[Colin Meloy Sings Live!|solo album]] on the label in April 2008. Other notable releases by Kill Rock Stars include albums by [[The Paper Chase (band)|the Paper Chase]], [[Jeff Hanson]], [[Unwound]], [[Marnie Stern]], [[the Gossip]], [[Mecca Normal]], [[Two Ton Boa]] and [[Comet Gain]]; spoken word albums by [[Kathy Acker]] and [[Miranda July]]; and reissues of work by earlier punk/post-punk bands such as [[Kleenex/Liliput]], [[Essential Logic]], and [[Delta 5]].

In October 2006, Slim Moon, the label's owner, announced he would be departing Kill Rock Stars to work as an A&R representative at [[Nonesuch Records]], a [[Warner Music Group]] subsidiary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/38909/Kill_Rock_Stars_Slim_Moon_Leaves_KRS_for_Nonesuch |title=Slim Moon Leaves KRS to work for Warner Music Group subsidiary Nonesuch Records |author=Kati Llewellyn |publisher=Pitchfork |access-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021223542/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/38909/Kill_Rock_Stars_Slim_Moon_Leaves_KRS_for_Nonesuch |archive-date=2006-10-21}}</ref><ref name="Guardian"/> Moon's wife, [[Portia Sabin]], then took over ownership of Kill Rock Stars.<ref name="KRSat30">{{cite web|url=https://www.opb.org/article/2022/01/22/kill-rock-stars-record-label-30-years-anniversary-indie-music/|title=Kill Rock Stars at 30: 'A garbage heap that grows nothing but flowers'|website=[[Oregon Public Broadcasting]]|first=Jerad|last=Walker|date=22 January 2022|accessdate=2 October 2024}}</ref> In 2007, the label released eleven records, including ''[[New Moon (Elliott Smith album)|New Moon]]'', a collection of songs recorded by Elliott Smith between 1994 and 1997. The label has begun to further diversify its roster: since 2013, Kill Rock Stars has released albums by comedians including [[W. Kamau Bell]], [[Nathan Brannon]], [[Kurt Braunohler]], [[River Butcher]], [[Cameron Esposito]], [[Emily Heller]], [[Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen]], Ian Karmel, [[Hari Kondabolu]], and Amy Miller.<ref name="KRSat30"/>

In September 2019, Kill Rock Stars issued a press release announcing [[Slim Moon]]'s return to management of the label after a thirteen-year hiatus, as well as the signing of Portland band MAITA; the press release described the signing as "both previous label head Portia Sabin's last act and the first initiative of Slim Moon in his second tenure as guiding light of KRS".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.killrockstars.com/news/kill-rock-stars-signs-maita |title=Kill Rock Stars Signs MAITA |date=September 24, 2019 |website=killrockstars.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926224435/https://killrockstars.com/news/kill-rock-stars-signs-maita |archive-date=September 26, 2019}}</ref>

In February 2022, it was announced that independent music company Exceleration Music had acquired the Kill Rock Stars catalog and formed a partnership with its founder, Slim Moon. Under the deal, Moon would continue to handle A&R and would be actively signing and developing new artists.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-02-01|title=Exceleration Music acquires catalog of US independent label Kill Rock Stars|url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/exceleration-music-acquires-catalog-of-us-independent-label-kill-rock-stars/|access-date=2022-02-01|website=Music Business Worldwide|language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of companies based in Oregon]]
* [[List of record labels]]
* [[List of Kill Rock Stars artists]]
* [[5 Rue Christine]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.killrockstars.com/}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060819003444/http://podcast.krs5rc.com/ KRS Music Video Podcast]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090726094915/http://www.pluginmusic.com/features/label.php?page=killrockstars Kill Rock Stars Label Spotlight]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110711172523/http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_Slim_Moon_Interview.html_Interview.html Interview with Slim Moon, HitQuarters Apr 2009]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kill Rock Stars| ]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1991]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Record labels based in Oregon]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Oregon]]
[[Category:Companies based in Olympia, Washington]]
[[Category:Companies based in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:American independent record labels]]
[[Category:Rock record labels]]
[[Category:Alternative rock record labels]]
[[Category:Indie rock record labels]]
[[Category:Punk record labels]]
[[Category:Electronic music record labels]]
[[Category:Riot grrrl]]