Photo by Alice Baxley
Where would rock ’n’ roll be without its trailblazing independent labels? From Sun Records in the ’50s to 4AD in the ’80s, the lasting stuff has often been released by small companies forging their own sonic paths. Take the Fullerton, California-based Burger label, which has made its name by releasing up-and-coming acts on cassette tapes rather than CDs or vinyl. In the process, it’s attracted the likes of Beck, Ryan Adams, Guided by Voices and Dave Grohl, eager to get in on the label’s hip, trashy-pop aesthetic. Burger’s “Caravan of Stars” tour brings some of its best emerging acts — Together Pangea (shown), Meatbodies, AJ Davila and Terror Amor, Purling Hiss — to Strange Matter on Nov. 2. 7 p.m. $12. 447-4763 or strangematterrva.com.
