Mike Riley Firestarter Records, Toxic Pop Records, Paper Dragons
What is your name and band/label/etc?
Firestarter Records/Toxic Pop Records/Paper Dragons
What are your top five albums that were released in 2012? (In order 1-5)
- The Capitalist Kids - Lessons on Love, Sharing, and Hygiene
- Like Bats - Midwest Nothing
- Boston Strangler - Primitive
- Sickoids - s/t
- Toys That Kill - Fambly 42
What band did you discover in 2012 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
The Capitalist Kids from Austin, TX sent me their previous album and their new recording out of the blue to see if I'd be interested in releasing their new record. I'd never heard of the band before that and it's pretty rare that I get something unsolicited that blows me away, but by the 3rd song I was hooked. Great catchy pop punk like The Mr. T Experience with intelligent lyrics about more than just girls. So refreshing and so freakin' good. Expect great things from them in the future.
How will you remember 2012? (In terms of music)
The year Pulling Teeth played it's final and most amazing show. The year Paper Dragons started playing together again (after a five year hiatus). The year I got to see Dag Nasty live with Shawn singing. The year I got tickets to see Quicksand and Texas Is the Reason in early 2013.
What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
The Paper Dragons - Die To Please LP will be out in late January on Firestarter. Toxic Pop will be releasing records for Highway Cross, Industrial Park, The Capitalist Kids, Dead Mechanical, Idle Hands, Tenement, and more.
What records are you looking forward to most in 2013?
A local Baltimore band called Pure Junk, featuring Nolen from Double Dagger, should be releasing something. They rule.
Fundraising sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have made a strong impact on the ability of artists to release music. Do you think this approach is a trend, or will it continue to shape how artists produce their material?
I don't know if it's a trend or not but I'm not sure how much longer people are going to be willing to fork over their hard-earned cash to help release something that other bands are working for by touring and earning it.
