Hellcat Records

Hellcat Records
Parent company	Epitaph Records
Founded	1997
Founder	Tim Armstrong
Genre	Hardcore, Oi!, Psychobilly, Punk, Ska, Street punk
Country of origin	US
Location	Los Angeles, California
Official Website	http://www.hell-cat.com

Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between the owner of Epitaph, Brett Gurewitz from Bad Religion and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for signing the bands.

The label specializes in ska, punk, oi!, psychobilly and hardcore bands. Give 'Em the Boot, a Hellcat label sampler which also includes tracks from other up-and-coming independent bands, has been issued every other year since 1997, with the exceptions of the third release which was released 3 years after the second and the last one, which was released one year after the one before it.

Movies

In 2005, a Give 'Em the Boot DVD was released, featuring tour footage of numerous Hellcat bands.

On January 15, 2006, the label released Live Freaky! Die Freaky!, a full-length movie produced by Tim Armstrong, and filmed using marionettes. The plot involves Charlie Manson's story being misinterpreted by a nomad in a post-apocalyptic Earth, and features the voice talents of the members of Rancid, Green Day, and The Transplants, among numerous others.

Bands

Active roster

This list includes bands which are currently active on Hellcat.

• The Aggrolites
• Tim Armstrong
• Civet
• The Heart Attacks
• HorrorPops
• Left Alone
• Charged GBH
• Nekromantix
• Orange
• Rancid
• The Slackers
• Society's Parasites
• Static Thought
• Street Dogs
• Tiger Army
• Time Again
• The Unseen
• Westbound Train
• Danny Diablo
• The Creepshow
• Transplants
• Operation Ivy
• Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards

Defunct bands

This list includes now defunct bands that finished their careers on Hellcat.

• Choking Victim
• F-Minus
• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
• The Nerve Agents
• U.S. Roughnecks
• The Distillers

Former bands

The following bands have either departed to other record labels or were dropped.

• Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven
• Dropkick Murphys
• The Gadjits
• Hepcat
• The Independents
• King Django
• Leftöver Crack
• Los Difuntos
• Mercy Killers
• Mouthwash
• The Pietasters
• Roger Miret and the Disasters
• Union 13
• U.S. Bombs

Controversy

Hellcat Records has been involved in a feud with one of its former bands, Leftöver Crack, over censorship issues. Leftöver Crack wanted their 2001 debut album to be titled Shoot the Kids at School, with the cover art depicting a gun-toting arm aiming at a playground. In the aftermath of the Columbine High School massacre, Hellcat refused to allow this, so the band titled their album Mediocre Generica in protest, as a veiled reference to what they viewed as the mediocrity of the bands on Hellcat's label. This incident ultimately led to Leftöver Crack departing from the label.

After leaving the label, Leftöver Crack has accused Hellcat Records of promoting sexism and homophobia within the punk community. Their accusations are based on allegedly homophobic lyrics by the now-departed U.S. Bombs, Hellcat's attempted signing of controversial reggae artist Buju Banton, and Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards' allegedly sexist lyrics and use of naked women in label art.^[1] Leftöver Crack have also addressed these issues explicitly in their song "Gay Rude Boys Unite". The song accuses the ska-punk scene and Tim Armstrong of being homophobic and calls for the inclusion of all minorities in the struggle for social equality. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Punknews.org interview with Stza of Leftöver Crack
2. ^ http://www.last.fm/music/Left%C3%B6ver+Crack/+wiki

See also

• List of record labels

External links

• Civet signs to Hellcat Records
• Official site
• Official Hellcat fan site