It\u2019s an August night in Athens\u2019 Caledonia Lounge and Holly Ross, lead singer\/guitarist of UK\u2019s Lovely Eggs, is holding court atop the dimly-lit stage.<\/p>\n
With a drum mallet in one hand and a PBR in the other, she watches fellow bandmate (and husband) David Blackwell set an unstable, rust-colored floor tom aside the front monitor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a song about an amazing guy we know who draws octopuses and owls,\u201d she says while swigging the beer, \u201cit\u2019s called Jon Carling.\u201d<\/p>\n
And she\u2019s off, banging the mallet against the tom with all her might.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know an artist and he draws about owls\/He knows about birds\/He draws about owls\u201d she croons as the crowd, amid their delight, can see what\u2019s unfolding. With each hit, the tom leg inches closer and closer and closer to the floor.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s trouble ahead.<\/p>\n
Standing near the stage is Nate Mitchell, drummer for Cars Can Be Blue. Just as the tom topples, he rushes over and holds it steady as Holly keeps blasting away. Two other people lend a hand, and the song, lasting less than a minute, is saved.<\/p>\n
Mike Turner, the founder of Happy Happy Birthday to Me records and the man who made this moment possible, watches a few feet away. He smiles.<\/p>\n
Bands helping bands. That\u2019s what these 10 years is all about.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s been a wild decade \u2014 terrorist attacks and wars, cities lost to hurricanes, presidential elections decided by courts, the first African-American head of state \u2014 but perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the aughts is the loss of personal connection. The onset of the Internet, and the electronic tools it fosters, has made the world flat (as one Pulitzer Prize winner writer noted) but also distant.<\/p>\n
Admit it, you have no idea who your neighbors are, even while you glom their wireless.<\/p>\n
So while a 10-year anniversary is but a blip in the realm of time (even Donald Trump had a marriage that lasted 10 years), in today\u2019s detached, 24-hour news cycle world, it\u2019s a heady achievement. Especially for an independent record label created as a lark by a guy whose job before starting it was running a rather efficient frame shop in the Florida Panhandle.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen years? I didn\u2019t expect it at all,\u201d said Turner about the aluminum anniversary of HHBTM. \u201cThe first CD was meant to mark the last issue of my zine Bee\u2019s Knees. The original Happy Happy Birthday To Me Volume 1 was meant to be a joke because there was not going to be a Volume 2. I thought it would be funny if someone really dug it and then wondered if there\u2019d be a Volume 2 only to find out there wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volume 1 was released in the summer of 1999 and featured songs by Elf Power, of Montreal and Marshmallow Coast. The collection of 15 singles was culled from contacts and friends Turner made in the four-years previous while working on his zine, but proved a harbinger as the \u201990s came to an end. Turner not only tapped into a sound people sought but a musical aesthetic defining what his venture was to become.<\/p>\n
And now, a decade later, the one-off \u201cjoke\u201d has grown to an industrious enterprise. HHBTM claims more than 100 albums, a stable of bands of various musical genres, an annual five-day festival featuring 80-100 bands from all over the world, and a belief that taking chances and cherishing a personal, homemade feel can not only attract a fan base, but grow one as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone I\u2019ve met associated with HHBTM have been really nice and genuinely enthusiastic about our band and the other bands on the label,\u201d said Tom DeChristofaro, whose band Afternoon Naps is a recent addition to the HHBTM family. \u201cHe\u2019s actually releasing our debut, and as with all the current releases, Mike has pre-order specials the early bird fans can order and in return they get something special with the album. We pitched him the idea of wrapping it in a silkscreened pillowcase and he loved it. Little things like that make it an ideal place for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turner encapsulates his mantra on the label\u2019s Web site: \u201cHHBTM bands help each other out. If you don\u2019t think you can help a fellow labelmate out with booking a show or two for them, or a place to crash for a night while on tour, then this is not the label for you. We all treat each other like family, and always try to do the best for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
And that means righting fallen toms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I like about Mike and Eric and the rest of the HHBTM usual gang of idiots is that they take what they do seriously without taking themselves seriously,\u201d said Matt Harnish of Bunnygrunt. \u201cThey realize that the alternative to doing stuff is not doing stuff and who cares about people who don\u2019t do stuff? They have a respect for us but at the same time Mike has no problem punching me in the balls if he feels like it. That\u2019s the kinda label we wanna be on.\u201d<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s not just a twee label, OK?<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people put tags on things because it\u2019s easier for them to describe,\u201d Turner said. \u201cI did the same thing when I wrote so I understand when people say \u2018Well it\u2019s easier to put things in this little category or section and describe it this way\u2019. The label has had a wide variety of stuff. I\u2019ve never really put out a noise record or a hip-hop record, but there\u2019s been enough other kind of things where it\u2019s not just a twee label. But once you get that tag it\u2019s hard to get rid of.\u201d<\/p>\n
The twee moniker will happen on a label with bands named The Smittens, Afternoon Naps and The Lolligags, but a closer look at the catalogue shows elements of Americana, 1960s power pop, and psychedelic-folk reminiscent of Elephant 6.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first CD I put out was by the artist Birddog, which was more Americana,\u201d Turner said. \u201cThe record had Elliott Smith on it, Paul K from Paul K and the Weathermen, Edith Frost, Glenn Kotche from Wilco, so the first actual artist CD that I put out was Americana music. The second one was The Visitations with Davey Wrathgabar, who I knew because of the E6 connection, so I really got into that scene. Then the Gwens were kind of another sub E6 affiliate band . . . and then as things went on I had an Ashley Park record, which is more \u201960s pop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a time from 2002 to 2003 where all the things that came out were Americana,\u201d Turner continued. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t Elephant 6, it wasn\u2019t pop, it was very much roots oriented acoustic music \u2014 folky \u201960s based. And right after that there may have been more like psychedelic pop stuff, which led to the twee pop.\u201d<\/p>\n
And it was at the time of more twee when Turner, living in Panama City, Fla. decided to take a chance on creating a music festival \u2014 400 miles away in Athens. Set to play at Tasty World and the 40 Watt Club, Popfest 2004 saw the 50 or so bands (including Sunshine Fix and the Rosebuds) play four days and nights in early August.<\/p>\n
Turner moved to town just in time for the festival\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, you know what, I\u2019m just going to put together a festival,\u201d Turner said, laughing. \u201cI\u2019d been visiting Athens and I fell in love with it . . . I made friends with people who were putting out records at that time. So I just moved up here and put together a festival with no real job. The first year of the festival was a success in that it went off.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Eric Hernandez at his side as the festival\u2019s stage manager (he also does artwork for the label), Turner knew he had a good idea, but with several kinks to work out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned everything not to do, then it was trying to fix that and make back the money that was lost,\u201d Turner said. \u201cIt was frustrating at the end because it really wasn\u2019t local.\u201d<\/p>\n
Undaunted, Turner set sights for 2005, moving to the Little Kings bar from Tasty World (\u201cmoving all that stuff from Tasty World to 40 Watt was a big hassle,\u201d Turner remembers), and getting a huge boost when Athens\u2019 favorites Pylon and of Montreal signed on to be headliners. Later years saw The Mountain Goats, Deerhoof, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and a breakthrough performance by Black Kids etch the festival into mind of music bloggers everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met Mike and the gang when we were asked to play the Athens Popfest,\u201d DeChristofaro said. \u201cNeedless to say the whole Popfest experience was amazing and quite eye-opening.\u201d<\/p>\n
A rough economy had Turner shut down Popfest for 2009, but he plans to return in 2010 with a few new surprises. Surprises to further dispel the twee image.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Popfest there\u2019s a certain community that looks at it as \u201cOh, this is tender twee pop type stuff,\u2019 but it\u2019s not really,\u201d Turner said. \u201cMaybe the first year it was indie pop, but it wasn\u2019t specifically twee pop, and there all different kinds of pop. By the second year the addition of Pylon and of Montreal moved to more electronic and dance music, and by the third year it\u2019s Mountain Goats, Deerhoof and Apples in Stereo. None of the people fit the twee pop thing, but to a rock audience, it\u2019s very much a twee festival. To an indie pop or twee pop element, this is a rock festival, which is really frustrating because I like a lot of stuff. But you can\u2019t change the way people think about it or write about it so you just have to let it go.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The music business as it is nowadays, sometimes having a label doesn\u2019t make much sense.<\/p>\n
For this reason, Turner takes a nontraditional approach in who he chooses to work with, and once they\u2019re onboard, how he markets and introduces them to the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always up in the air,\u201d he said. \u201cIf someone doesn\u2019t like how it goes, they\u2019re free to go. There\u2019s no real signing on, there\u2019s no contract. Sometimes I wish there were \u2014 there\u2019s been times where I wish I would have had that because at least the interest of the label would be protected. But at the same time at times it\u2019s good there weren\u2019t contracts signed. It\u2019s so easy for bands to do it on their own anyway, sometimes I don\u2019t even know where the label exists at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the label started, he added musicians and bands he met while putting together Bee\u2019s Knees \u2014 Birddog, Visitations, Kingsauce. But now Turner \u2014 aside from getting a healthy host of letters and MP3s via e-mails (which he promptly deletes) \u2014 brings bands into the fold after being impressed with their live show, following recommendations by friends, or by pure kismet.<\/p>\n
He also leans on Hernandez and Leslie (who is a member of The Lolligags) to find the best fits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Tunabunny I went to see them and was blown away with how unaware of themselves they were,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was really like they were playing and doing what was right for them and whatever else was going on didn\u2019t really matter. Instantly I had to sign them. Then there\u2019s this band Sourpatch. Friends of mine who I really trust went to see them at San Francisco Popfest and said \u201cWe met this band, they\u2019re so nice, they fit the label, they\u2019ll help bands out with shows they\u2019ll give people a place to stay, they\u2019re music fits in, we know you already love their influences.\u2019 So I got these demos in and one night was listening to it eight or nine times and I thought, yeah I can see this working.<\/p>\n
\u201cI booked a show for this band TacocaT which I was really excited about seeing, and Forever was touring with them,\u201d Turner continued. \u201cThough I was excited about TacocaT, when Forever played I was instantly into them, and by the time they got home from their tour I sent them an e-mail and said we need to put this out on a real CD and do this right now and it just worked. I like the way they were working toward what they were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really great getting to know everyone on the label and getting to know and work with Mike,\u201d said Joel Lopez of Forever. \u201cRecently, we got to hang out with him again at AthFest 2009 which ended up being such a good time. The label showcase we played was well attended, air conditioned, and ended up being a really great time. We got to see Tunabunny who were radical and ended up putting us up for the night in their big beautiful house just outside of Athens. I read some good material in their bathroom. We\u2019re also stoked about our friends Sourpatch who will be putting out a release on HHBTM. Stay tuned it\u2019s gonna rule. \u201c<\/p>\n
Connections. Band helping bands. See, it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is where I find myself to be more of a chump than a record mogul,\u201d Turner said with a grin. \u201cI\u2019ve got this band called Lovely Eggs coming over from the UK, and I think, you know what, I\u2019ll make them a bunch of buttons and I\u2019ll mail them to them so when they start their tour, they\u2019ll have this bag of buttons. Then they say \u201cHey, can you silkscreen some shirts for us?\u2019 OK, I guess I can, when you get to Athens you can pick them up. I find myself making T-shirts, posters \u2014 it\u2019s a nonstop thing to where I\u2019m sure no one in Matador or Merge are in the little details of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
The little details. Whether it\u2019s sleeves made of fun foam (Red Pony Clock), a coloring book based on song lyrics (63 Crayons), or a specially-designed reference dictionary (Patience Please), the individuality of the label is what keeps Turner\u2019s business going.<\/p>\n
Moving past the 10-year mark, Turner has designs for another 10 years, and has ideas of how to achieve that.<\/p>\n
One way is to get more bands on tour \u2014 with booking agents. Right now only longtime HHBTM band Casper & the Cookies has an agent (although Marshmallow Coast is close to having one as well), but a band such as Cars Can Be Blue with a booking agent would break new territory (\u201cthey would stay on the road \u2014 all year long. I wish I could get them on a Warp tour because I know the people who would really dig what they do is probably a bunch of 14 and 15-year-old kids,\u201d Turner said).<\/p>\n
Another aspect to continued success is having bands in constant go mode.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to see bands be able to get out and create a fan base or meet their fan base or discover that fan base and keep the records in print,\u201d Turner said.<\/p>\n
But while Turner would like bands to take more control over their destiny, he knows part of his destiny is helping them achieve that goal. For Turner, continuing to be a \u201crecord mogul\u201d is staying connected with the people you work with, and the music you love, because it makes you a part of something bigger than yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beginning of the label was very much me being hands on in an arts and crafts background of making sleeves and hand-doing stuff,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then it led to manufactured goods, where everything was done at a processing plant and there was shrink wrap around everything. But in the last year it\u2019s changed. I looked at the amount of records we\u2019ve done, and I love these records, but I\u2019m completely detached from some of them. Sure I put them out, I was involved with the distribution of manufacturing end, but I\u2019m not attached to them in that I actually had a hand in helping them more than just getting them to the store. So I sat down and said \u2018what part of the label did I enjoy?\u2019 And it instantly became I enjoy doing handmade end. It\u2019s where I want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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