TEXT:  BENJAMIN MARX  |||  PHOTOS (clockwise from bottom left): Ra Ra Riot by Doron Gild; Mates of State by Crackerfarm; Nada Surf by Autumn de Wilde; Blunt Mechanic; Death Cab for Cutie

Barsuk Records, a long time haven for independent up-and-comers, was created and is still managed by guitarist/vocalist Christopher Possanza and bassist Josh Rosenfeld of the Seattle eclectic rock quartet, This Busy Monster. After playing the varied and eccentric Seattle club scene, powered by the release of their first album Dark Hands in April of 1993, TBM went on to create the Barsuk Record label in 1994 in order to release their own material. Since then, Barsuk Records has been a home to many of the Northwest’s finest outfits, namely Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley, Harvey Danger, and Nada Surf. But the list, dear readers, doesn’t end there.

Always acquiring new talent, Barsuk recently obtained the likes of Chicago’s Maps and Atlases (signed in March 2010), a focused group of four technically gifted musicians, who maintain incredibly interesting rhythm and melodic dynamics with a pop sensibility whose new album Perch Patchwork is due to drop June 29th.

Not to be genre-defined, Barsuk also hosts Rocky Votolato, an inspiringly honest singer-songwriter from Texas. No stranger to the scene, Votolato has been gaining momentum in the independent music scene for years, most prominently with his rock/post-hardcore band Waxwing. Since their amiable breakup in 2005, Votolato has released two albums under the Barsuk banner, The Brag and Cuss (2007) and True Devotion (2010)

Barsuk supports many other bands from many different places, such as Aqueduct, Blunt Mechanic, The Long Winters, Maps and Atlases, Mates of State, Menomena, Nada Surf, Ra Ra Riot, Rilo Kiley, Say Hi, Smoosh and Viva Voce.

  • Read more about the label and it’s artists on their website
  • Listen to Barsuk Radio
  • Barsuk on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube




Six tracks for you to sample from recent or upcoming releases on Barsuk Records. Just right-click and save!

“Five Little Rooms” by Menomena  (Mines)
“Solid Ground” by Maps and Atlases  (Perch Patchwork)
“Big Escape” by Pearly Gate Music  (Pearly Gate Music)
“Red River” by Rocky Votolato  (True Devotion)
“Octavio” by Viva Voce  (Rose City)
“Aluminum and Light” by Blunt Mechanic  (World Record)