A Merge Records Retrospective

Merge Records is one of the great American indie labels. Founded in 1989 by Superchunk's Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance as a means of releasing the band's own records, the label quickly grew to encompass not only bands from their thriving local indie rock scene in North Carolina—like Archers of Loaf and Polvo—to farther-flung artists, such as arch pop classicists the Magnetic Fields, Nashville collective Lambchop and indie folk heroes Neutral Milk Hotel. In the 2000s, as major labels floundered to adapt to the pitfalls and opportunities of the MP3 era, Merge, like many independent labels, flourished on both vinyl and digital, producing its first ever number one-charting, Grammy-winning success with Arcade Fire as well as Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's well-loved indie pop duo She & Him. All the while, the label has stayed true to its independent roots, releasing everything from Times New Viking's scuzzy punk rock and Imperial Teen's sleek power pop, to Eleanor Friedberger's fractured folk tunes and Wild Flag's raw classic rock riffing. With more than two decades behind them, the Merge catalog is full of outstanding albums old and new, from indie rock classics to obscurities waiting to be discovered. – Eric Grandy, Google Play

"The First Part" Superchunk

"The First Part" Superchunk

"Andrew in Drag" The Magnetic Fields

"Heaven" Eleanor Friedberger

"The First Time I Ran Away" M. Ward

"Harnessed In Slums" Archers of Loaf

"Electric Band" Wild Flag

"Out from Inside" Imperial Teen

"Heavy Hours" Crooked Fingers

"Second Bird of Paradise" The Rosebuds

"Forever and a Day" Stephin Merritt

"Gone Tomorrow" Lambchop

"Friends of Friends" Hospitality

"Try Harder" Times New Viking