On the first day of 1990, Chicago-based, Drag City Records put out a 7″ single called “Hero Zero” by the, then-relatively unknown, duo of Neil Michael Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema (aka: ROYAL TRUX).  It was the first release by the label (DC1) and, while endless other independents have come and gone over the years, very few have started off so promisingly.  When the money was recouped from that first single, it was reinvested to release another 7″; the Demolition Plot J-7 EP (DC2) by Pavement.  Things were looking surprisingly decent, so the founders, Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn, decided to try and pull off the release of a full-length; the terrifyingly ambitious double-LP, Twin Infinitives, again from Royal Trux.  Since then, Drag City has gone on to release project after project based on one defining/primary criteria: their personal belief in the artists and material.  When the name Drag City is mentioned these days, prolific artists like Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Palace Bros., etc), Silver Jews, Bill Callahan (aka: Smog), Joanna Newsom, and, of course, the Trux, instantly come to mind.  There is definitely some intangible element of credibility that runs throughout the various projects and unifies them, but what exactly that defining “genre” behind the label is has puzzled many a categorization-obsessed journalist, througout the years.  In a November, 1993 issue of Spin Magazine, David Berman (Silver Jews) was quoted addressing the phenomenon by describing Drag City as a label with an “intellectual streak” throughout its roster, while “American rock music is about glorifying stupidity for the most part.”  I think that, not unlike Berman himself (also a poet, illustrator, & aspiring screenwriter), Will Oldhan (producer, actor, musician,etc.), and many others who call the label their home, Drag City is much more than a one-dimensional institution content with simply retracing their footsteps over and over again.  So, is it surprising to hear that the next big adventure for Drag City may involve a foray into the comedy world?  Maybe… but, in reality, it probably shouldn’t be. Read the rest of this entry →