Music
Best Indie Label: Glassnote Records
Upstart New York label beats odds and breaks bands
In a music industry throttled by declining sales, Glassnote Records is unique: It’s the only new label breaking big bands, with hit albums by Mumford & Sons and Phoenix. Founded by veteran exec Daniel Glass in 2007, Glassnote abides by simple rules: Don’t hire the same old record people; build buzz with small media; trust your bands’ scouting reports (the Temper Trap suggested tourmates Mumford & Sons). “On Glassnote, we’re not illegitimate children,” says Thomas Mars of Phoenix, who’d languished on a major label. “We feel wanted.”
This story is from the April 28th, 2011 issue of Rolling Stone.