These days, when you hear about a record label, it's usually in the context of some sort of controversy, whether involves massive layoffs, lawsuits filed against fans for illegal file sharing or rising bands whose integrity is questioned when they jump from indie labels to majors. Meanwhile, artists such as Radiohead, have attracted attention for jumping ship altogether, while demonstrating that some acts don't even need labels to be successful.
On this edition of All Songs Considered, we ask the question: Do labels still matter? Host Bob Boilen talks with Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton, and Song of the Day editor Stephen Thompson about some of their favorite labels, as well as the role those labels play in making music great.
