Top 7 Independent Record Labels (couldn't narrow it down enough)
7. Crank!
The home of Mineral, who basically redefined "emo" in the mid-90's, for better or worse. Also, they released the debuts for Cursive, The Gloria Record, and onelinedrawing. The label is definately a shell of its former self, but historically, Crank! was a huge player.
6. Fat Wreck Chords
The label for pop-punk and skate punk bands who wish to remain independent. Peroid. All competition in that genre, including Nitro Records, are miles away.
5. Vagrant
The label that helped bring The Get Up Kids, Dashboard Confessional, Reggie and the Full Effect, Alkaline Trio, and Saves the Day to the mainstream. Vagrant is the closest to a mainstream label that an independent label could get, in my opinion. I think that Vagrant's future as an independent power-house may be in question, with the loss of Dashboard Confessional and the recent break-up of the GUK, but they will probably find other bands to carry the torch.
4. Jade Tree
An incredibly important label for indie/emo/hardcore/whatever. Jade Tree brought us The Promise Ring, Pedro the Lion, Jets to Brazil, Texas is the Reason, Tim Kensella's bands (Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, and I'm sure Make Believe will be a part of the lable someday), onelinedrawing, and New End Original, among many others who helped define their respective genres. Those at Jade Tree truly care about the quality of the music, which you can tell by listening to any Jade Tree release.
3. Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is not a niche label, releasing everything from Elliott Smith to Bikini Kill to Har Mar Superstar to the pAper chAse to spoken word CDs. Kill Rock Stars deserves this spot on the list for taking the risks they do while still remaining a force in the independent music industry.
2. Dischord
This label has been around for nearly 20 years, yet they have absolutely adjusted with the times. Whether they acted as a home to the "it" bands of hardcore in the 80's like Minor Threat, Youth Brigade, and Rites of Spring, or whether they usher forth a new generation of post-hardcore with bands like Q and not U, Dischord has no doubt put a type of music and a geographical area (the DC scene) on the map. Dischord could perhaps be the most innovative independent label of all time.
1. Saddle-Creek
In an era of Clear Channel and pay-for-play, Conor Oberst's Saddle-Creek has sent a message to the music industry: "we can still be successful without selling out". So many bands from the label (Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Good Life, Azure Ray, The Faint, Rilo Kiley, etc.) have risen to mainstream success while remaining truly independent. Many of the bands on the label also refuse to play at Clear Channel venues. Saddle-Creek goes to show that you can achieve success as long as you make wonderful music, and they provide a vision of hope for the future of the music industry.