Legendary Los Angeles-based independent record label Frontier Records is celebrating 30 years of life this year with Dangerhouse's YES L.A., its 100th release. Lisa Fancher founded the label in 1980 and continues to own and operate it. Frontier was among the first to document the Los Angeles punk scene, and, over the years, has been instrumental in releasing classic punk, alternative country, paisley underground, goth and pop records by bands such as Adolescents, American Music Club, The Damned, TSOL, and Elliott Smith's old band Heatmiser. Frontier found initial success releasing the classic Circle Jerks record Group Sex, but it was its release of the Suicidal Tendencies' eponymous debut LP with the MTV hit single "Institutionalized" that really helped put the label on the map.
Fancher has also made it a point to reissue out-of-print catalogs as well, including Born Innocent from Redd Kross, two legendary slabs of punk vinyl from The Weirdos: Weird World Vol. 1 & 2, Dangerhouse Vols 1 & 2 featuring crucial 45s by X, The Avengers, the Adolescents’ Complete Demos 1980 – 1996 and The Middle Class' compilation Out of Vogue.
“When I founded Frontier Records in 1980, I had no idea what running a record label entailed, I just wanted to turn other people onto the local bands I loved,” says Fancher. “It’s pretty cool to have outlasted so many independent – and major – labels thirty years later but what really still makes me want to continue is to continue to release great music that still needs to be heard. Especially now!”
Congrats to Frontier Records on 30 years of great music and life! Here's to many more. Cheers to independent music!
A 30th anniversary event honoring Frontier Records is in the works and will be announced shortly. In late 2010, Frontier will re-release the digitally remastered Christian Death classic Only Theater of Pain with Rozz Williams' original artwork as well as Dangerhouse’s Yes L.A.
Learn more at Frontier Records' website here. Watch the Suicidal Tendencies hit "Institutionalized" below.
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