Interview with Josh Carlson, owner of the independent record store Redscroll Records
TIS= The Independent Spiritualist & JC= Josh Carlson
TIS: For as long as I can remember, I’ve seen you walking in shows all over the state and actually in New England, ultimately culminating in your opening Redscroll.
records. Can you talk a bit about the history there?
JC: Sure, I started a label called “Redscroll Records” when I was 15 years old. After putting out a few releases I accidentally built a distribution through trading with other small labels. It was soon after that I started placing orders with distributors. It was kind of a fun hobby until I dropped out of college and was working a stupid job. So I decided to go full time and was racking up two or three shows a week with a thousand titles. It got to be too much, I couldn’t fit everything in an SUV and I was constantly getting into altercations with people breaking into my tables.
I had to take the leap to the next level, so I teamed up with my friend Rick and went legit.
TIS: What’s going on with The Redscroll Label? A few years ago you launched Wrench in the works Prodigal Transmission Album, but then he dropped it. However, they recently released a Hostage Calm album. Anything else in the works?
JC: We released Hostage Calm’s full debut called “Lens”. We have since released a live cassette recording of Ipsissimus entitled “Goatcultrites”. Last month, Ipsissimus signed a deal with Metal Blade. If he hasn’t reviewed them yet, do so. We also have a 7″ from Iron Hand.
The tag end of things is kind of funny to us. A way to show what is happening in Connecticut and what our friends are doing. We’re not constantly looking for bands or anything like that.
TIS: I remember seeing Call it Arson playing an acoustic set a few years ago at Redscroll Records. Who else have you played there? Did I see something about Black Pyramid playing there a while back (and why the hell wasn’t I there if so)?
JC: There might be a secret event from time to time where I might open a portal for you. Black Pyramid may have been at the other end of the portal last spring. Our blog offers key updates.
TIS: A lot of the older people I talk to, who used to go to shows at 158, The Tune Inn, or the Boiler Room, seem a little jaded or unhappy with what’s happened to the CT music scene, and they don’t go to shows anymore. the shows. Granted, the late 80’s and mid 90’s was an amazing time for music in CT, but there seems to be a resurgence that some people are possibly not giving it a chance. And, of course, there are also people who will say that the scene has always been great. So where do you stand on all of this?
JC: People are getting old and busy. They don’t want to hang out with kids young enough to be their own kids on their one night off a week. To say, “the ’90s was an amazing time and then there was a crash,” is a nostalgic point of view. People from the 70s, 80s and 00s also feel that their time in underground music was amazing, and it was for them. Everything is relative.
TIS: What emerging bands should people watch out for?
JC: CT is abuzz with new musical activity. Here’s a short list of active to semi-active bands from this state that deserve your attention: Iron Hand, Ipsissimus, Canvas, Estrogen Highs, Medication, Stone Titan, The Hammer, Cable, My Heart To Joy, Hate Your Guts, Stabyou, Coffins of brass and ferocious shit teeth.
TIS: High fidelity. True to life, or Hollywood lingo?
JC: No one should be such a jerk to a client unless they cross an important line.
TIS: The 10 best albums of 2010 so far?
JC: Top 10 lists make me want to pull my hair out. So far these are the real standouts for me. It’s not 10, but it’s the best I can do.
Vaccine – Human Hate
Integrity – The Blackest Curse
Gray Ghost – Succubus
Nomos – Acheron’s Notes
Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
Burning Love – Songs for Burning Lovers
rival mob – hardcore for hardcore
TIS: Ok, getting a little tougher now, what about your top 10 albums of all time?
JC: This is a difficult question to answer. Certainly in no particular order. I’ll regret this as soon as it’s over, but more or less,
Neurosis – Enemy of the sun
Bleeding – Seraphim Fall
Bad Brains – s/t
Judge – Bring it down
Cro Mags – The Fighting Age
Rejected – Way of Punk to Come
Integrity – Those who fear tomorrow
Page 99 – Document #8
Majority Rule – Interviews with David Frost
Chain of Strength: The Only Thing…
TIS: Anything you’d like to add in closing that I didn’t cover?
JC: Thanks to Chris for the interview and for putting the website together in general, I already check it once a day for updates!