Brushfire Records: Friends with Benefits

What began as an outlet for singer/songwriter and filmmaker Jack Johnson slowly but surely became a label for likeminded artists. The roster now includes Animal Liberation Orchestra, G. Love & Special Sauce, Matt Costa, Neil Halstead and Rogue Wave.

Royal Family Records: The New Souligarchy

Jazz-funk trio Soulive launched its label Royal Family with the release of its Up Here record two years ago. Since then, it’s become an outlet for all Soulive recordings, as well as numerous Soulive affiliated projects such as Lettuce, Nigel Hall, Chapter 2 and Break Science, among others.

Daptone Records: No Sleep ‘Til Bushwick

The Brooklyn-based Daptone Records channels the spirits of bygone powerhouses like Stax and Motown into its own modern brand of soul. The label has brought a decidedly retro sound back to the mainstream thanks to marquee acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields and The Budos Band.

Arts & Crafts Productions: Label from the North Country

When the Toronto-based label Arts & Crafts Records was launched in 2002, it was originally envisioned to be the management wing and label for Broken Social Scene. It quickly became the go-to platform for some of indie music’s best players including Feist, Stars, Jason Collett and Apostle of Hustle.

The Royal Potato Family: Root Down

Launched in 2009, The Royal Potato Family is a Brooklyn-based record label that began with experimental jazz pianist Marco Benevento In less than two years, it has become the official home to family of artists that includes Nathan Moore, The Slip offshoot Surprise Me Mr. Davis and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

Plus: The 2010 Relix Holiday Gift Guide, Cloud Cult, Ryan Montbleu Band, Railroad Earth, Marshall Tucker Band, Scott Metzger, Sasha Dobson and much more!

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