- (This page is about the record label. For the German pop rock group of the same name, see SST).
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was formed in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Tuners, a small business through which he sold electronics equipment. Ginn repurposed the company as a record label to release material by his band Black Flag.
Music writer Michael Azerrad wrote, "Ginn took his label from a cash-strapped, cop-hassled store-front operation to easily the most influential and popular underground indie of the Eighties". Along with other independent American labels such as Twin/Tone, Touch and Go Records, Epitaph and Dischord, SST helped to spearhead the nationwide network of underground bands that formed the pre-Nirvana indie-rock scene. These labels presided over the shift from the hardcore punk that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging.
SST initially focused on releasing material by hardcore punk groups from Southern California. As many of the bands on the label sought to expand beyond the limitations of the hardcore genre, SST released many key albums that were instrumental in the development of American alternative rock, including releases by the Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, the Meat Puppets, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. After a peak release schedule in the late 1980s, SST began venturing into jazz releases. SST is now based in Taylor, Texas. Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr., and the Meat Puppets have reclaimed the rights to their respective SST material after leaving the label.
Links to Peel[]
During the 80's, Peel played a vast amount of records that were signed to SST from groups such as the Minutemen to Dinosaur Jr.
In 1988, Peel received a record from a group called SST. Thinking that they were a group inspired by the label, he found out after playing a snippet of their track on his 18 April 1988 show that they were a German pop rock band:
"Of course, I rather hoping being called S.S.T., they were someway inspired by the label of that name, but quite clearly nothing of the sort, it's Sandra, Susanne and Tanje, members of the band, but I should listen to the rest of it anyway in the privacy of my own home of course"
By the end of the 80's and into the 90's, SST's prestige declined and Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop started to upstage them, with artists from the label starting to get more played on Peel's show than those from SST.
Sessions[]
SST artists who recorded Peel sessions. List includes sessions when the artists were not on SST
- Buffalo Tom: (1 session, 1990)
- Dinosaur Jr.: (3 sessions, 1988-92)
- fIREHOSE: (1 session, 1988)
- Sonic Youth: (3 sessions, 1986-89)
- Soundgarden: (1 session, 1989)
Festive Fifty[]
The list below covers Festive Fifty entries on SST; it does not include entries by SST artists on other labels
- Husker Du: 1985 Festive Fifty: Makes No Sense #46
Compilations[]
The Melting Plot (vinyl) -Full Album- - Various Artists
(Plays by Peel of various artist (v/a) releases on SST Records.)
(LP / cassette / CD - The Melting Plot) SST
- 17 April 1989: Sonic Youth: I Am Right
- 18 April 1989: Algebra Suicide: Tales Of Brave Ulysees
- 20 April 1989: Revolution 409: Crazy Horses
- 21 April 1989 (BFBS): Sonic Youth: I Am Right
- 28 April 1989 (BFBS): Algebra Suicide: Tales Of Brave Ulysses
- 04 May 1989: Sonic Youth: I Am Right