If you were a fan of rock music (hell, if you listened to the radio) during the 1990s, the odds are that you know one or two songs by the band Collective Soul. The odds are also pretty good that you do not know that you know them.

If that sounds pretty confusing, you can chalk it up to yet another mistake by the big record labels. Collective Soul is one of the many bands that have a high sing-along quotient, but no overall recognition. For that, they place the blame squarely on their former label, Atlantic Records.

What sets Collective Soul apart from the many bands that create meaningful, appealing music that fails to get out to the masses due to the poor management of the label is that they decided to do something about it. Shortly after releasing a Greatest Hits album, the band parted ways with the label and began their own project, the El Music Group. In the fall of 2004, the band released the Indie label’s first album, entitled “Youth”.

The mission statement of El Music Group is clearly in opposition to the principles of the big name labels. The band’s goal is to create an integrated approach to music production while also distributing the profits generated by the music equitably. It’s a project where success will only be determined by time.

Hardly words that inspire the independent musician to cry with joy, but another record label has been established by Corey Taylor, of Slipknot fame. Great Big Mouth Records even has their first act lined up and ready to go in the shape of local Iowa band Facecage. The aim of the record label, according to Taylor, is to promote bands local to the Iowa region and bring a little unity to the local music scene. He goes on to state that record labels are dubious about traveling to the Midwest because there are no direct flights. As such, there are a lot of really good bands waiting to be discovered. That’s where Taylor and his label step in to take over and lend a helping hand. While we would certainly agree that there are doubtless plenty of good bands in the Midwest it remains to be seen whether Great Big Mouth Records will go the same way as many other labels – to the bank with their artist’s money.

REM have, over time, proven to be one of the most popular rock bands on the music scene. However, many modern fans have yet to realize the real impact that the band had on the music scene during their early years. Before they became a globally popular rock band and succumbed to the pressures of signing a record deal they released all of there music on the independent IRS label. The compilation is titled “And I Feel Fine” and will not only be available in single and double disc format but will also feature a bonus DVD disc with footage of live tours and clips of live appearances. The band has put the footage and clips together themselves, so it is set to be a real treat for the millions of REM fans, new and old. REM relentlessly toured and played live gigs during their independent days, determined to hit the spotlight but it wasn’t until the release of “The One I Love” that the band broke onto the scene. They subsequently released several more records on IRS, including “What’s The Frequency Kenneth”, before signing with Warner Brothers Music. The album isn’t due for release until September 12th, when the band will also be inducted into Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta. These early albums greatly influenced a lot of punk and rock bands and are a superb sign of what can be done by independent musicians. Whether you like REM or not, they are an excellent addition to the independent music collector’s collection.