Editing Touch and Go Records (section)

==History==
The zine was formed in [[1979 in music|1979]] in [[East Lansing, Michigan]] as Touch and Go magazine, a self-printed [[fanzine]] written and produced by [[Tesco Vee]] and Dave Stimson. It wasn't until 1981 that it grew into an [[independent record label]]. Vee (later front man of [[The Meatmen]]) was bored with the punk sounds of the day, and captivated by the emerging [[hardcore punk|hardcore]] movement in America. Inspired, he put out records by the [[Necros]], [[The Fix (band)|The Fix]], The Meatmen, and [[Negative Approach]]. In 1981, [[Necros]] bassist [[Corey Rusk]] joined with Tesco to run the label. In 1983, Tesco handed Touch and Go over to Rusk and his wife Lisa when he left [[Michigan]] for [[Washington, D.C.]] With the label under their ownership, the Rusks hired [[Terry Tolkin]] who signed the Butthole Surfers and Virgin Prunes to the label, and also produced the ''Gods Favorite Dog'' compilation. Soon the Rusks relocated the label to [[Chicago]], and Touch and Go released material in the mid-'80s to mid-'90s by bands such as the [[Butthole Surfers]], [[Big Black]], [[the Jesus Lizard]], [[Scratch Acid]], [[the Didjits]], [[Slint]], [[Girls Against Boys]] and [[Killdozer (band)|Killdozer]], and continued into the new [[millennium]] with artists on its roster including [[Shellac (band)|Shellac]], [[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]], [[TV on the Radio]], [[Arcwelder]], [[CocoRosie]], [[Ted Leo and the Pharmacists]], and [[the Black Heart Procession]]. Lisa Rusk left the label after she and Corey divorced. Corey Rusk continues to run the label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-4526-punk-preservation.html |title=Punk preservation |website=www.lansingcitypulse.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711105351/http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-4526-punk-preservation.html |archive-date=11 July 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Touch and Go's "sister label," Quarterstick Records, was formed in 1990.

Similarly to some other alternative music labels, Touch and Go pursued a relaxed approach to recording contracts, characterized sometimes by [[Oral contracts|handshake deals]] providing for a 50–50 split of profits between artist and label after promotion and production costs. In this way, the label built a respected catalog of influential punk and alternative artists, who in turn, appreciated the commitment of Touch and Go.<ref>Josh Goldfein, [http://www.southern.com/southern/label/TCH/chicagoreader/butthole.html "Touch and Go v. The Buttholes,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040803124449/http://www.southern.com/southern/label/TCH/chicagoreader/butthole.html |date=2004-08-03 }} ''Chicago Reader'', April 16, 1999.</ref> However, following a 1999 legal dispute with the Butthole Surfers, Touch and Go began asking bands to sign a 1-2 page memorandum of intent.

In 2006, Touch and Go celebrated its 25th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, the label held a [http://www.touchandgorecords.com/links/tg25/ three-day block party event] at Chicago's Hideout venue on September 8–10, 2006. Several seminal bands, including Big Black, Scratch Acid, the Didjits, Killdozer, Negative Approach, and [[Man or Astro-man?]] reunited and performed at the Chicago event.

On February 18, 2009, Corey Rusk announced that Touch and Go would downsize itself. He cited the "current state of the economy" as the reason for shutting down manufacturing and distribution services for many independent labels like [[Jade Tree (record label)|Jade Tree]], [[Kill Rock Stars]], and [[Merge Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2009/02/touch-go-celebrated-its-25th-anniversary-in-2006-it-had-grown-from-a-bedroom-operation-designed-expressly-to-put-out-a-7-i.html|title=Theater Loop - Chicago Theater News & Reviews - Chicago Tribune|website=leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com|date=30 September 2023 }}</ref>

Since 2009, Touch and Go has specialized in releasing limited editions of releases from its bands and other associated acts, like the remastered 30th anniversary of [[Slint]]'s ''[[Spiderland]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Stephen |date=April 6, 2014 |title=Review: Slint, 'Spiderland (Remastered)' |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/04/06/297723543/first-listen-slint-spiderland-remastered }}</ref> but has also released new material, like [[Shellac (band)|Shellac]]'s ''[[To All Trains]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-20 |title=Shellac Announce 'To All Trains,' First New Album In 10 Years |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2256441/shellac-announce-to-all-trains-first-new-album-in-10-years/news/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref>