Ragman Records
From The Secret History of the Cedar Valley
Contents |
History
What is Ragman?
A DIY record label in Cedar Falls which operated from 1996? to approximately 2003. Ragman was not a "label" in the traditional sense--it was moreso a collection of extremely creative musicians and writers who collaborated on a large number of projects (ranging from music, videos, wrestling federations, writing, and role playing games) together under the name Ragman.
Ragman projects would sometimes result in a group of musicians forming serendipitously to record a single session (eg. Fillies of the Week (featuring Wussiepants Williams)). Some Ragman projects (eg. Stephen Oulman's Tot Lot Band) were comprised of many such gatherings of Ragman personnel recorded irregularly over a period of many years. Other projects (eg. Jump Up and Jam) were solo studio projects of Ragman musicians. But while the spark and immediacy of spontaneity was a hallmark of Ragman projects, some resulted in a more traditionally-defined band (eg. No Consensus) that wrote music, practiced, recorded and toured together with regularity.
Ragman Defined by a Talking Blanket
In a video produced in 1997 by Mike Wilson and Joe Riehle for their senior project, a character voiced by Joe Riehle explains the concept of Ragman Records:
Ragman Records is not so much an organization as it is an ideal. That ideal being the promotion of creative freedom in a caring and loving environment... (which is) achieved primarily through a loosely defined form of cooperation: Equipment is shared, help is given, not because of any requirement, but out of the goodwill of the individual.
Origin and Name
The name comes from the main character in the movie Trick or Treat, Ragman. Played by Skippy from Family Ties. This is the same movie where Rock's Chosen Warrior got his nickname from as well.
Major Influences
- Desert Fish
- TapeSNotRecords
- Matt Wilson, Mark Wilson and their bands.
Personal Histories
Chuck Hoffman's Take
Mike Wilson's Take
Bands
- Ben is a Monkey
- Biscuit Dreamz
- Blüdy Noz
- Bwang
- Chitipakatoopet
- Darkness man
- E.D.I.T.H. / Exit Drills
- Fillies of the Week (featuring Wussiepants Williams)
- Flags Above Paradise
- Football Without Love/Love Without Cheer
- Glorious Krueger
- Hard Boiled Hell
- Hat Trick
- Jeff
- Jon
- Jump Up and Jam
- MANIB
- Minus 1,2,3
- Moms and Old Ladies
- My Mentor Al
- No Consensus
- One Man Clown Band
- Online Inventory
- Page 5 Girl
- Panasonic Youth
- Safety Pinz 77
- She-Ra
- Shootin' Hollywood (Shooting Hollywood)
- Sinister Plot
- Stephen Oulman's Tot Lot Band
- Suave Frog
- Symphon-E
- Tall Tree
- T Bag
- The Fruits
- Villianova
- Virus
- Wagner Quartet
- What If The Man
- X-Factor
- Yes Jensen!
Post-History
Chuck Hoffman has been working for several years on a revival of Ragman Records' catalog. The current plan is to create a web site from which Ragman releases can be downloaded in mp3 format, many with previously unreleased bonus tracks and CD-sized versions of the original artwork at http://ragmanrecords.com
