How To LA

A (Not So) 'Hopeless' Alternative Rock Label Celebrates Its LA History


Listen Later

#203: In 1993, the Orange County punk band Guttermouth asked Louis Posen, then a film student at Cal State Northridge, to help them put out an album. That marked the start of the independent music label Hopeless Records and its 30-year history of representing punk, ska, metal bands — and later, alternative musicians more broadly.

Some of the most well-known bands they've represented include Avenged Sevenfold, All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday, Yellowcard, Thrice and New Found Glory.

Now, in celebration of its 30 year anniversary, the label has put together an exhibit of memorabilia that's currently on display at the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys. From there, it'll travel on to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and then the new Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas.

Guests: Louis Posen, Hopeless Records founder and president; Erin Choi, Hopeless Records employee; Carissa Leong, Loyola Marymount student and Hopeless Records fan; DE'WAYNE, musician and former Hopeless Records artist

Songs featured in this episode:

  • "Hopeless" by Guttermouth
  • "Eternal Rest" by Avenged Sevenfold
  • "Die Out Here" by DE'WAYNE (ft. Poorstacy)
  • "Just A Little" by Masego, DE'WAYNE
  • "Better By Myself" by Hey Violet
  • "Superpowers Enable Me To Blend In With Machinery" by Dillinger Four
  • "Coffee Shop Soundtrack" by All Time Low
  • "5,6,7,8" by LØLØ (ft. girlfriends)
  • "Jet Song" by Schlong
  • "Te Llevo Conmigo" by Destroy Boys
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

How To LABy LAist Studios

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

87 ratings


More shows like How To LA

View all
On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,203 Listeners

Good Food by KCRW

Good Food

1,105 Listeners

KQED's The California Report by KQED

KQED's The California Report

397 Listeners

FilmWeek by LAist 89.3 | Southern California Public Radio

FilmWeek

315 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,460 Listeners

The Sporkful by Dan Pashman

The Sporkful

3,946 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,700 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,583 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,226 Listeners

The Bay by KQED

The Bay

427 Listeners

LA Podcast by LA Podcast

LA Podcast

422 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,245 Listeners

The LA Report by LAist Studios

The LA Report

90 Listeners

California City by LAist Studios

California City

1,227 Listeners

California Love by LAist Studios

California Love

1,304 Listeners

Norco 80 by LAist Studios

Norco 80

876 Listeners

Yeah No, I’m Not OK by LAist Studios

Yeah No, I’m Not OK

395 Listeners

Headlines From The Times by LA Times Studios

Headlines From The Times

541 Listeners

COVID in L.A. by LAist Studios

COVID in L.A.

9 Listeners

Imperfect Paradise by LAist Studios

Imperfect Paradise

528 Listeners

Off-Ramp with John Rabe by LAist Studios

Off-Ramp with John Rabe

19 Listeners

The Academy Museum Podcast by LAist Studios

The Academy Museum Podcast

121 Listeners

Human/Nature by LAist Studios

Human/Nature

80 Listeners

Snooze by LAist Studios

Snooze

96 Listeners

The Big Disaster: The Big Burn by LAist Studios

The Big Disaster: The Big Burn

2 Listeners

LA Made: The Other Moonshot by LAist Studios

LA Made: The Other Moonshot

188 Listeners

Passing The Mantle by LAist Studios

Passing The Mantle

11 Listeners