Joyful Noise Recordings


Joyful Noise Recordings is an independent record label with headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The label was founded in 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana by Karl Hofstetter, who also played drums on several of the label's first releases. Joyful Noise maintains an active roster of over 30 bands playing various musical styles, though according to the label, each artist "in one way or another bridges the gap between pop and noise."
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History

In 2010 Joyful Noise began focusing largely on limited-edition specialty releases which are generally released on analog formats packaged with music downloads. In addition to releases on vinyl records, the label has gained notoriety for being at the forefront of the resurgence of cassette tapes and flexi discs, as reported by The Washington Post, Pitchfork Media, Under The Radar, and others.
Joyful Noise has released single-album cassettes from Akron/Family, Dinosaur Jr., Deerhoof, of Montreal, Here We Go Magic, and others, and has released multi-album cassette box sets from Dinosaur Jr., of Montreal, and Joan Of Arc.
In 2012 Joyful Noise released their first album to chart on Billboard: Kishi Bashi's 151a. Since that time, new music on Joyful Noise from artists such as Sebadoh, Dumb Numbers, David Yow, Son Lux, Swamp Dogg, Tropical Fuck Storm, Deerhoof, Why? and others have all charted.
From 2012 to 2016, in the spirit of continuing to explore musical community-building through the release of cult artists in obsolete audio-reproduction formats, Joyful Noise offered its monthly flexi-disc singles series. Each disc in the series is of peculiar and notable value as a rarity but some particularly memorable entries include Son Lux's cover of Jean Ritchie's "Black Waters", several Melvins and Joan of Arc–related tracks, a duet by Sufjan Stevens and Stranger Cat, Tortoise, Don Caballero and Daniel Johnston.
The flexi disc's brief renaissance was the second wave of obsolete-format-driven record sales originally conceived of and innovated by Joyful Noise, later to be duplicated by other labels in the independent music world. JNR is also known for producing lathe-cut records, twelve-sided records, records-that-are-also-musical-instruments and a number of other more bizarre and bespoke musical artifacts.
In 2013, JNR released the first 7" in their Cause & Effect series—an ongoing project pairing JNR artists with artists who have influenced them.
In 2014, Joyful Noise started their annual Artist-In-Residence program: working with seasoned cult artists to release the "pure-gold material they've got in the cans that's never found a venue for release" and to continue to support their ongoing work. JNR Artists-In-Residence have included: Tim Kinsella, Rob Crow, Jad Fair, Thor Harris, Kramer, Deerhoof, Yonatan Gat + Stone Tapes, Lou Barlow, Yoni Wolf of WHY?, and Danielson of the Danielson Famile.
In 2017, Joyful Noise began releasing their White Label series: undiscovered records selected by renowned musicians either represented or friendly with the label. Yoni Wolf of Why? selected Creature Native by The Ophelias as the first entry in the White Label Series and the band was ultimately drafted to become part of the label's roster. Other curators of the White Label series include Devendra Banhart, Janet Weiss, Kelley Deal, Mirah, Aesop Rock, Alex Somers, Blanck Mass, Kid Millions, Meredith Graves, Mike Watt, Serengeti, tUNE-yARDs, Astronautilus, Cate Le Bon, Circuit des Yeux, Julianna Barwick, Sondre Lerche, St. Vincent, and Thurston Moore.

Radical projects & experiments

The label is known for candid identification with and support of radical and revolutionary politics. They released collaborations between Bernie Sanders and Thurston Moore, did fundraising to oppose the first Trump Administration through the release of Anal Trump records and stood in solidarity with Black Lives Matter during the George Floyd protests.
In 2020, JNR founded the Church of Noise to build and perpetuate musically empowered community during the COVID-19 pandemic and through the long tail of its fallout. In 2021, the label was featured in the New York Times as the only independent label interviewed in pursuit of a solution to the vinyl manufacturing slowdown. The Church of Noise has continued to evolve, building a sonic plant altar in their sanctuary, hosting art shows and other events.
As the major focus of 2022 artist in residence Joyful Noise Recordings devoted resources to launching the sub-label Stone Tapes, an "End of World Music" imprint. Joyful Noise also participated in the resurrection of Shimmy-Disc, run by Kramer, a crucial underground record label responsible for the discovery of a bewildering diversity of now canonical acts such as Low, Gwar, Daniel Johnston, Moldy Peaches and many others.

Bands

Current roster

"Open Relationships"

Past roster

Subscriptions and series

Artist in Residence

Starting in 2014, Joyful Noise began hosting artists for year-long residencies in which they release new music exclusively on the label.

Flexi-disc series

In late 2011 Joyful Noise announced their, which featured singles from Deerhoof, Jad Fair, Lou Barlow, of Montreal, and others. Each artist contributed a single song which is not available anywhere else. Each flexi disc was limited to 500 copies, and were sold as a monthly subscription. Now in its fourth year, the flexi-disc series has upped its distribution to 1000 copies of each single and grown to include acts such as Cloud Nothings, Sonny & the Sunsets, Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore and Sufjan Stevens.

2012 artists

2013 artists

2014 artists

2015 artists

Holiday series

Every year Joyful Noise invites commissions some of its bands to contribute to a Holiday album. Contributors to the album submit a video, all of which are compiled into a movie that is shown at the annual Holiday party when the bands are flown in to celebrate. Lathe-cuts of snowflake or spiderweb-shaped records are a frequent artifact of these gatherings, distributed to members and supporters of Joyful Noise projects who have supported the label throughout the year.

Discography

2020s

YearBandAlbumFormatCatalog No.
2024YesnessSee You At The Solipsist ConventionJNR491
2024Greg SaunierWe Sang, Therefore We WereJNR 457
2024FinomNot GodJNR 468
2024DeerhoofReveilleJNR 432
2023jess joySOURCEHEIRESSJNR 465
2023Kishi BashiMusic for a Song Film: OmoiyariJNR 461
2023Tall Tall TreesStick to the Mystical IJNR 448
2023Gareth LiddiardStrange TouristJNR 451
2023Mike Adams at His Honest WeightGuess for ThrillsJNR 447
2023Marnie SternThe Comeback KidJNR 441
2023DeerhoofThe Runners FourJNR 436
2023AtivinAustereJNR 428
2022Sleep Party PeopleHeap of AshesJNR 413
2022Tropical Fuck StormSatanic Slumber Party EPJNR 412
2022OneidaSuccessJNR 408
2021DeerhoofDevil KidsJNR 406
2022Yonatan GatAmerican QuartetJNR 402
2022Medicine SingersS/TJNR 401
2022MythlessWe EP7"/MP3JNR 398
2021SpringtimeSelf-TitledJNR 386
2022Sound of CeresEmerald SeaJNR 397
2021DeerhoofActually, You CanJNR 377
2021HelvetiaEssential AliensJNR 372
2021Tropical Fuck StormDeep StatesJNR 371
2021The OpheliasCrocusJNR 368
2021Lou BarlowReason to LiveJNR 367
2021jess joyPATREEARCHYJNR 361
2021SuunsThe WitnessJNR 360
2021Dale CroverRat-Tat-TatJNR 344
2021Electric JesusMotion Picture SoundtrackJNR 333
2020SerengetiWith Greg From DeerhoofJNR 363
2020HimmelrumVan, Dod & EnsomhedJNR 358
2020Joan of ArcTim, Melina, Bobby, TheoJNR 353
2020DeerhoofLove LoreJNR 347
2020HelvetiaThis Devastating MapJNR 343
2020VariousSafe In Sound: Home Recordings From QuarantineJNR 342
2020No JoyMotherhoodJNR 340
2020El Ten ElevenTautologyJNR 332
2020DeerhoofFuture Teenage Cave ArtistsJNR 331
2020OhmmeFantasize Your GhostJNR 330
2020Let It Come DownSelf-TitledJNR 329
2020Magic SwordEndlessJNR 328
2020Swamp DoggSorry You Couldn't Make ItJNR 327
2020Jad Fair + Daniel JohnstonIt's SpookyJNR 321
2020Toshi KasaiPlan DJNR 309
2020Thor & Friends4JNR 307
2020Psychic TempleHouses of the HolyJNR 278