Toxic Shock Records | |
---|---|
Founded | 1983 |
Founder | Bill Sassenberger, Julianna Towns |
Defunct | 1998 |
Genre | punk rock, hardcore, post-hardcore |
Country of origin | United States |
Location |
Pomona, California Tucson, Arizona |
Official website | http://toxicranchrecords.com |
Toxic Shock Records was an American independent record label based first in Pomona, CA, then in Tucson, AZ. The label was spawned from the record store of the same name, by its founders Bill Sassenberger and Julianna Towns in 1983, when they released the first of the "Noise from Nowhere" series of 7" EP compilations. For the next decade they released singles, compilations and albums by many notable and influential bands of the hardcore, noise rock and post-hardcore scenes.
Bill Sassenberger opened his first Toxic Shock record store in Pomona, CA in 1980. He specialized in underground punk records from independent labels. He expanded to mail-order soon after by advertising in music magazines. In 1983, he and wife Julianna Towns released Noise from Nowhere, a 7", 33rpm EP featuring four local underground punk bands: Kent State, Modern Industry, Manson Youth and their own band Moslem Birth (whose name was a parody of Christian Death).Noise from Nowhere featured cover art by Pushead. With this release, Toxic Shock Records was born.
Singles from Modern Industry, Peace Corpse (the renamed Moslem Birth), and Seattle's Skin Yard followed, as well as albums by Italian punkers Raw Power, Corrosion of Conformity, and the Dayglo Abortions. In 1988 Bill and Julianna moved the label and the store to Tucson, AZ. From Tucson, they released albums by Hickoids, Th' Inbred, Hullabaloo, House of Large Sizes, Sloppy Seconds and Treepeople.