Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small
About this audiobook
For twenty years, Merge Records has remained true to their belief that you can sign bands because you love their music and respect what they’re trying to do. As giant corporate labels struggle for survival, Merge has, in the unlikeliest of times, garnered a loyal group of artists and a secure and growing fan base and, most important, has brought us some of the best music of our time.
Our Noise tells the story of how Merge did it and continues to do it, through the eyes of cofounders Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, their fellow band members, friends, and the bands who signed on with them. It includes interviews with and profiles of Superchunk, Butterglory, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lambchop, Spoon, the Magnetic Fields, and Arcade Fire.
About the author
John Cook is a reporter for Gawker Media and has worked for Radar magazine and the Chicago Tribune.
Mac McCaughan plays in Superchunk and Portastatic (guitar and vocals), and founded, with Laura Ballance, the Merge Records label in 1989. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and children.
Laura Ballance plays bass in Superchunk and with Mac McCaughan formed the Merge Records label. She lives in Durham with her husband and daughter.
Ray Porter is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Almost Famous, ER, and Frasier.
