Barsuk Records

{{Short description|American independent record label}}

{{redirect|Barsuk}}

{{Infobox record label

| name = Barsuk Records

| image = Barsuk-rcdbr-sm.png

| founded = {{start date|1998}}

| founder = Christopher Possanza
Josh Rosenfeld

| distributor = Redeye Worldwide{{cite news |last=Hodge |first=Blake |url=https://chapelboro.com/news/business/redeye-moving-global-headquarters-to-hillsborough |title=Redeye Moving Global Headquarters to Hillsborough |work=WCHL (AM) |date=March 23, 2016 |access-date=June 18, 2019}}

| genre = Pop, indie rock

| country = U.S.

| location = Seattle, Washington

| website = {{url|barsuk.com}}

}}

Barsuk Records ({{IPAc-en|b|ɑr|ˈ|s|uː|k}} {{respell|bar|SOOK|'}}) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington which was founded in 1998 by Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, the members of the band This Busy Monster, to release their band's material.{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Josh |url= https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/12/the-10-best-barsuk-albums-from-the-first-20-years.html |title=The 10 Best Barsuk Albums from the First 20 Years |work=Paste |date=December 18, 2018 |access-date=June 18, 2019}} Its logo is a drawing of a dog holding a vinyl record in its mouth.

Barsuk played a key role in shaping the mainstream view of indie rock in its early years, with albums like Nada Surf's Let Go, The Long Winters' When I Pretend to Fall, and Death Cab for Cutie's influential fourth album, Transatlanticism. The label also became a platform for Seattle-based singer-songwriters such as Rocky Votolato, Jesse Sykes, and David Bazan.{{cite web |title=Barsuk Records celebrates 15 years of indie influence |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/arts-and-culture/2013/10/barsuk-records-celebrates-15-years-of-indie-influence-october-2013 |website=Seattle Met |date=2013-10-28 |author=Seth Sommerfeld |access-date=2025-02-26}}

The name of the label comes from the Russian word барсук {{IPA|[barˈsuk]}}, "badger".{{cite book |last=Cox |first=David |title=Close Protection: The Politics of Guarding Russia's Rulers |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group p. 47 |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-2759-6688-1}} However, the label is named after Possanza and Jason Avinger's dog, a black Labrador.{{cite news |last=de Barros |first=Paul |url= http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundposts/2013/11/01/15-years-of-creativity-and-contrarianism-barsuk-records/ |title=15 years of creativity and contrarianism : Barsuk Records |work=The Seattle Times |date=November 1, 2013 |access-date=June 18, 2019}} The dog can be heard barking in two This Busy Monster tracks: "Song 69" and "Time to Sleep".