Editing Merge Records

{{Short description|American independent record label}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{distinguish|Marge Records}}
{{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music -->
| name        = Merge Records
| image       = Mergelogosmall.png
| founded     = {{start date|1989}}
| founder     = [[Laura Ballance]]<br />[[Mac McCaughan]]
| distributor = AMPED Distribution<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ampeddistribution.com/labels|title=Labels – AMPED™ Music Distribution|website=Ampeddistribution.com}}</ref> (US)<br />[[PIAS Recordings|PIAS]] (UK/Europe)<br />Selecta (Latin America)<br /> FAB Distribution  (Canada) 
| genre       = [[Indie rock]], [[alternative rock]], [[hip hop]]
| country     = U.S.
| location    = [[Durham, North Carolina]]
| website     = {{URL|www.mergerecords.com}}
}}

'''Merge Records''' is an [[independent record label]] based in [[Durham, North Carolina]]. It was founded in 1989 by [[Laura Ballance]] and [[Mac McCaughan]]. It began as an outlet for music from their band [[Superchunk]] and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world, with records reaching the top of the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' music charts.

==History==
After releasing a number of [[Single (music)|7" records and cassettes]], the first Merge Records full-length CD release came on April 1, 1992, with MRG020 Superchunk—''[[Tossing Seeds: Singles 89–91|Tossing Seeds]]'', the band's first collection of singles.

Merge's early successes included [[Neutral Milk Hotel]]'s ''[[In the Aeroplane over the Sea]]'', [[The Magnetic Fields]]' ''[[69 Love Songs]]'', and [[Spoon (band)|Spoon]]'s ''[[Kill the Moonlight]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Grow |first1=Kory |title=Hart of the Matter |page=14 |work=[[CMJ New Music Report]] |date=July 26, 2004 |language=en  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3cg1pAzMqkC&pg=PA14 }}</ref>

The label's first album to reach the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] was [[Arcade Fire]]'s [[Funeral (Arcade Fire album)|''Funeral'']], a 2004 release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/May/08/il/il22p.html |title=Pitchfork e-zine tells indie fans what's hot and not &#124; The Honolulu Advertiser &#124; Hawaii's Newspaper |publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser |date=May 8, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2011}}</ref> Arcade Fire gave the label its then highest-charting release with their follow-up, 2007's ''[[Neon Bible]]'', which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=32547263 |title=Arcade Fire's 'Neon Bible' Opens At No. 2 |website=prod1.cmj.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707052555/http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=32547263 |archive-date=July 7, 2007}}</ref> and, later, reaching #1 with their third album, 2010's ''[[The Suburbs (Arcade Fire album)|The Suburbs]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/charts/chart_alert/e3i4b7c0879c181d50b19f05d4b90c9c2f2 |title=Arcade Fire And Taylor Swift Sweep In With New No. 1s |publisher=Billboard.biz |access-date=January 2, 2011 |archive-date=August 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816162242/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/charts/chart_alert/e3i4b7c0879c181d50b19f05d4b90c9c2f2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other Billboard Top Ten releases include Spoon's ''[[Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga]]'' and [[Transference (album)|''Transference'']], along with [[She & Him|She & Him's]] (actress/musician [[Zooey Deschanel]] along with [[M. Ward]], a popular Merge folk musician) [[Volume Two (She & Him album)|''Volume Two'']]. Other notable Merge releases include [[Caribou (musician)|Caribou's]] [[Polaris Prize]]-winning [[Andorra (album)|''Andorra'']], M. Ward's [[Hold Time (album)|''Hold Time'']], [[Camera Obscura (band)|Camera Obscura's]] ''[[Let's Get Out of This Country]]'', and She & Him's [[Volume One (She & Him album)|''Volume One'']].

In February 2009, due to adverse market conditions it was announced that [[Touch and Go Records]] would no longer manufacture and distribute records for Merge and many other [[independent record label]]s;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wknc.org/blog/post/2333/pitchfork-says-touch-and-go-records-will-stop-releasing-new-music/ |title=Pitchfork says: Touch and Go Records will stop releasing new music. &#124; WKNC 88.1 FM Raleigh |website=Wknc.org |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609142934/http://wknc.org/blog/post/2333/pitchfork-says-touch-and-go-records-will-stop-releasing-new-music/ |archive-date=June 9, 2009 }}</ref> Merge had been "under the Touch and Go umbrella" ever since its 1992 release of ''[[Tossing Seeds: Singles 89–91|Tossing Seeds]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/the-record-business-implosion-is-touch-and-go |title=On the Beat: David Menconi on music - The record business implosion is touch and go &#124; newsobserver.com blogs |publisher=Blogs.newsobserver.com |date=February 19, 2009 |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714180252/http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/the-record-business-implosion-is-touch-and-go |archive-date=July 14, 2011 }}</ref> Merge quickly reached an agreement with the [[Alternative Distribution Alliance]] to continue distribution of its releases.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/02/touch-go-to-cut.html |title= Touch and Go to cut staff, distribution services &#124; Pop & Hiss &#124; Los Angeles Times |publisher= Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date= February 18, 2009 |access-date= January 2, 2011}}</ref>

In September 2009, [[Workman Publishing Company#Algonquin Books|Algonquin Paperbacks]] released ''Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records'', a book chronicling the label's history.<ref>{{cite web |author= Code18 Interactive |url= http://www.ournoisethebook.com/ |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090716193345/http://ournoisethebook.com/ |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 16, 2009 |title= Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records |publisher= Ournoisethebook.com |access-date= January 2, 2011 }}</ref> This followed a 6-day music festival in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] and [[Carrboro, North Carolina|Carrboro]], NC, featuring over 40 Merge acts from around the world<ref>{{cite web|last=Malitz |first=David |url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2009/07/xx_merge_the_definitive_list_o.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121004170414/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postrock/2009/07/xx_merge_the_definitive_list_o.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= October 4, 2012 |title= XX Merge: The Definitive List of 20 Things to Know - Post Rock |publisher= Voices.washingtonpost.com |access-date= January 2, 2011}}</ref> celebrating the 20th anniversary of the label's first release. The label also released a subscription-only 17-disc box set ''SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mergerecords.com/score/details/ |title=Merge Records SCORE! Merge is 20! |publisher=Mergerecords.com |access-date=January 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017082402/http://www.mergerecords.com/score/details/ |archive-date=October 17, 2010 }}</ref> throughout the 20th anniversary year curated by pop culture tastemakers such as [[David Byrne]], [[Amy Poehler]], [[Zach Galifianakis]], [[Jonathan Lethem]], [[Peter Buck]], [[David Chang]], [[Mindy Kaling]] and more, with all proceeds going to charities.

In August 2010, Merge Records released Arcade Fire's [[The Suburbs (Arcade Fire album)|''The Suburbs'']] to critical acclaim, preceding the band's headlining appearance at [[Lollapalooza]]. The album went straight to number one on the U.S. and U.K. charts. Famed director and [[Monty Python]] member [[Terry Gilliam]] also directed a live online broadcast of the band's concert from the historic [[Madison Square Garden]] in [[New York City|New York]] following the album's release, which was streamed live by an estimated 1.8 million unique viewers. [[The Suburbs (Arcade Fire album)|''The Suburbs'']] won the Grammy for Album of the Year at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011.

==Artists==
List of artists adapted from Merge Records website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mergerecords.com/artists|title=Artists|website=Merge Records|access-date=September 5, 2020}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[The 3Ds]]
* [[The 6ths]]
* [[A Giant Dog]]
* [[American Music Club]]
* Amor De Días
* Angels of Epistemology
* [[Apex Manor]]
* [[Arcade Fire]]
* [[Archers of Loaf]]
* Ashley Stove<!---Ashley Stove is the name of a band, not an individual musician. Therefore, it should be listed under A in alphabetical order, not S.-->
* [[Eric Bachmann]]
* [[Lou Barlow]]
* Barren Girls
* [[Beatnik Filmstars]]
* [[Dan Bejar]]
* [[Big Dipper (band)|Big Dipper]]
* [[Breadwinner (band)|Breadwinner]]
* [[Bricks (band)|Bricks]]
* [[The Broken West]]
* [[Richard Buckner (musician)|Richard Buckner]]
* [[Will Butler (musician)|Will Butler]]
* [[Butterglory]]
* [[Buzzcocks]]
* [[Cable Ties (band)|Cable Ties]]
* [[The Cakekitchen]]
* [[Camera Obscura (band)|Camera Obscura]]
* [[Dan Snaith|Caribou]]
* [[The Clean]]
* [[The Clientele]]
* [[Hollie Cook]]
* [[Mikal Cronin]]
* [[Crooked Fingers]]
* [[Allison Crutchfield]]
* [[Dan Snaith|Daphni]]
* [[Destroyer (band)|Destroyer]]
* [[Dinosaur Jr]]
* [[Divine Fits]]
* [[Drive Like Jehu]]
* [[East River Pipe]]
* [[Mark Eitzel]]
* [[Matt Elliott (musician)|Matt Elliott]]
* Erectus Monotone
* [[The Essex Green]]
* [[Ex Hex (band)|Ex Hex]]
* [[The Extra Lens]]
* Flesh Wounds
* [[Jenn Wasner|Flock of Dimes]]
* Martin Frawley
* [[Eleanor Friedberger]]
* [[Friendship (band)|Friendship]]
* [[Fruit Bats (band)|Fruit Bats]]
* [[Fucked Up]]
* [[Future Bible Heroes]]
* [[Ganger (band)|Ganger]]
* Gauche
* [[The Gothic Archies]]
* [[Guv'ner]]
* Coco Hames
* [[Annie Hayden]]
* HeCTA
* [[Hiss Golden Messenger]]
* Honor Role
* [[Hospitality (band)|Hospitality]]
* [[Benji Hughes]]
* [[Ibibio Sound Machine]]
* [[Imperial Teen]]
* [[Jade Hairpins]]
* [[The Karl Hendricks Trio]]
* [[David Kilgour (musician)|David Kilgour]]
* [[King Khan and the Shrines]]
* [[Julian Koster]]
* [[Mike Krol]]
* [[The Ladybug Transistor]]
* [[Lambchop (band)|Lambchop]]
* [[Let's Wrestle]]
* [[Little Scream]]
* [[The Love Language]]
* [[The Mad Scene]]
* [[The Magnetic Fields]]
* [[Mac McCaughan]]
* H.C. McEntire
* [[Stephin Merritt]]
* [[Bob Mould]]
* [[Mount Moriah (band)|Mount Moriah]]
* [[The Mountain Goats]]
* Mt. Wilson Repeater
* [[The Music Tapes]]
* [[Neutral Milk Hotel]]
* [[The New Pornographers]]
* [[Oakley Hall (band)|Oakley Hall]]
* [[Conor Oberst]]
* [[Ought (band)|Ought]]
* Pipe
* [[Robert Pollard]]
* [[Polvo]]
* [[Portastatic]]
* [[Pram (band)|Pram]]
* [[Previous Industries]]
* [[Radar Bros.]]
* [[Redd Kross]]
* [[Reigning Sound]]
* [[Dawn Richard]]
* [[Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn]]
* [[The Rock*A*Teens]]
* [[The Rosebuds]]
* [[Sacred Paws]]
* Saint Rich
* [[Seaweed (band)|Seaweed]]
* Shark Quest
* [[She & Him]]
* [[Shout Out Louds]]
* [[Sneaks (musician)|Sneaks]]
* Spaceheads
* [[Spent (band)|Spent]]
* [[Spider Bags]]
* [[The Spinanes]]
* [[Spoon (band)|Spoon]]
* [[Sugar (American band)|Sugar]]
* [[Matt Suggs]]
* [[Superchunk]]
* [[Swearin']]
* Sweet Spirit
* [[Tall Dwarfs]]
* [[Teenage Fanclub]]
* [[Telekinesis (band)|Telekinesis]]
* [[Tenement Halls]]
* [[The Third Eye Foundation]]
* [[Tracey Thorn]]
* [[Times New Viking]]
* [[Mary Timony]]
* [[Titus Andronicus (band)|Titus Andronicus]]
* [[Torres (musician)|TORRES]]
* Tracyanne & Danny
* Twerps
* [[William Tyler (musician)|William Tyler]]
* [[Versus (band)|Versus]]
* Vertical Scratchers
* [[Volcano Suns]]
* [[M. Ward]]
* [[Waxahatchee]]
* [[White Whale (band)|White Whale]]
* [[Wild Flag]]
* Wwax
* [[Wye Oak (band)|Wye Oak]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Merge Records discography]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.mergerecords.com/ Official website]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Merge Records| ]]
[[Category:American independent record labels]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1989]]
[[Category:Alternative rock record labels]]
[[Category:American hip-hop record labels]]
[[Category:Indie rock record labels]]
[[Category:Companies based in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Music of North Carolina]]
[[Category:1989 establishments in North Carolina]]