Meet Youth Riot Records, the independent label injecting punk with colour and vibrancy

Meet the masters of fun punk. Washington label Youth Riot Records has been “Puttin’ out fun punk tapes ‘n records since 2014.” Never heard of them? Here’s a few pointers on where to begin.

5 Seattle-area Record Labels You Should Know

Seattle is world-renowned as a music town so it’s no surprise our little corner of the world is teeming with independent record labels supporting local talent. From garage rock to “night bus music” these local companies are sharing Seattle sounds with the world.

Beyond Grunge: 15 Artists Redefining Seattle Music

In 1989, Seattle music was approaching its breaking point — the point at which it would travel beyond the marine layer hovering above our grey waters and thrust itself into the public consciousness. You know the names: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains. Grunge wasn't just a cultural moment; it defined the sound of an entire region for generations to come.

Xperience The Weird Heavy Alt Rock Of SO PITTED ‘Cloned’

Seattle’s SO PITTED was described to me as “interesting weird heavy music for outsiders” and yeah, that’s exactly what it is. Their basslines are THICC. Their fuzzy riffs are angry, but in a sad way. There’s an electro element that zaps my brain outta nowhere right when I’m burying it under their dense layers of feedback and percussion. Their new record Cloned comes out on March 8th via Youth Riot Records — pre-order it here. It’s pessimistic and dystopian, which is exactly how I feel when I go to Seattle and see how tech money has given culture its marching orders.

INTERVIEW EXCLUSIVE: SO PITTED TALK NEW LP ‘CLONED,’ SHARE VIDEO

From the growing social divisions, political polarization, stratification between rich and poor, and fragmentation that social media and other evils have thrust upon us, everyone can agree that we’re living in a mad, mad, mad, mad world. It’s true in both senses of the word: anger and insanity are at previously unimaginable degrees, and there appears to be no end in sight.

Wimps Heart Seattle

It’s early July, and Wimps, the Seattle punk trio of more than 10 years’s existence, are running through songs in their Belltown practice space in preparation for a number of summer gigs. These include a set at the revitalized Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival and a “secret” opening spot for the one-night reunion of erstwhile local punk heroes Pony Time. Like Bumbershoot, though not quite as substantially, Wimps predate the current perception of Seattle as a hellscape built with the devil’s tech money.

Wimps prep new LP 'City Lights,' share title track

Seattle garage punk greats Wimps will release City Lights, their first new album five years, on October 13 via Youth Riot Records. Singer guitarist Rachel Ratner is one of the great chroniclers of everyday life, finding pathos and humor in the mundane and this album tackles the ups and downs of motherhood, boredom, loneliness and other subjects across 13 noisy, melodic rippers. Fun!

Dad Rock Is Dead, Long Live Mom Punk

Wimps are back! It's been five long years since Seattle's funnest punk band released new music, and The Stranger is very proud to premiere the video for "Mom," the band's first single from their upcoming album, City Lights (out October 13 on Youth Riot Records).

As they enter their 40s, the members of Seattle trio Wimps go back to their fast, fun punk roots

We're all older, we all have jobs," admits Rachel Ratner, frontwoman of the prolific, Seattle-based slacker-punk trio Wimps. "We never really expected being in a band could be something other than just having fun."

Winsome – “Entertain Us – Live Session”

We’re obviously fans of live music, but when a live session catches our ears, you know it’s truly got to be magical. Sacramento indie/emo act Winsome decided to capture some live footage of a new song they’ve been working on by setting up a few cameras in their living room. With plucky guitars lush with reverb, male/female harmonies, and an urgent undercurrent of emotion, “Entertain Us” has us feeling some type of way…

Lolli Morlock Brings the Heat on Debut EP from New Seattle Supergroup Hell Baby

In 2015, the give-no-fucks garage punk of Mommy Long Legs stole the hearts of Seattle underground music fans, many of whom knew every line of the band’s anti-capitalistic anthem, “Assholes” (and even now, Mommy Long Legs’ 2018 song, “Call You Out,” has become a viral hit among twenty-somethings on TikTok).