Checkered Past Records
{{Short description|American record label}}
Checkered Past Records is an American indie music record label established in May 1997 in Chicago.
History
The label was founded in May 1997 by Bloodshot Records co-founder Eric Babcock, Yvonne Jones, and Larry Lipson. Babcock met Jones through their shared love of the Texas-based band Killbilly, and ran Checkered Past out of Jones' and her husband's house in Irving Park.{{cite web | url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4427087.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924194357/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4427087.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=24 September 2015 | title=Past guides roots musicians | work=Chicago Sun-Times | date=15 February 1998 | accessdate=17 July 2014 | author=Hoekstra, Dave}} Babcock's stated motivation for starting the label stemmed in part from his desire to release "more traditional and rootsy-sounding" music by relatively little-known artists.{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1098/new-label-lifts-spirits-of-no-depression-co-founder/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132420/http://www.mtv.com/news/1098/new-label-lifts-spirits-of-no-depression-co-founder/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 14, 2014 | title=New Label Lifts Spirits Of 'No Depression' Co- Founder | work=MTV News | date=3 September 1997 | accessdate=12 July 2014 | author=Reiss, Randy}} It was also influenced by Bloodshot's refusal to release "The Neighborhood is Changing", the debut album by Tom House.{{cite web | url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/1997-12-18/music/close-to-the-bone/full/ | title=Close to the bone | work=Dallas Observer | date=18 December 1997 | accessdate=12 July 2014 | author=Weitz, Matt}} He has also recalled that while he was working at Bloodshot, he was looking through dozens of albums by such artists, and was surprised that they hadn't been released locally yet. So he decided to start his own label to do so himself, starting with Tom House's album The Neighborhood Is Changing.{{cite web | url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/another-country/Content?oid=1182305 | title=Another Country | work=Nashville Scene | date=9 July 1998 | accessdate=12 July 2014 | author=Ridley, Jim}} In 1999, Babcock founded the Nashville-based Catamount Records,{{cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1121538/bloodshot-records-celebrates-fifth-birthday/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716063606/http://www.mtv.com/news/1121538/bloodshot-records-celebrates-fifth-birthday/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 16, 2014 | title=Bloodshot Records Celebrates Fifth Birthday | work=MTV News | date=27 June 2000 | accessdate=14 July 2014 | author=Smith-Lindall, Anders}} and, as of 2004, had since left Checkered Past to run it.{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/02/04/bloodshot-but-not-tired/ | title=Bloodshot but not tired | work=Chicago Tribune | date=4 February 2004 | access-date=14 July 2014 | author=Kot, Greg}}
Artists
Artists which have released albums on Checkered Past include, but are not limited to: