Twin/Tone was a Minneapolis based indie label that operated from 1977 to 1994. The label helped to bring a wider national and international audience to bands from the area. Not limiting itself to the Minneapolis and Midwest scenes, the label also formed several subsidiary labels such as Coyote that released records from The Feelies among others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLRpZzVKWIk
Twin/Tone hit its stride in the 80s, most notably with the signing of The Replacements. Starting out with a punk sound on 1981’s Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, the band soon transitioned into a commercially successful crossover rock band. Twin/Tone released a handful of albums from The Replacements including their 1984 classic, Let It Be.
Several other significant bands signed to the label including The Jayhawks, The Suburbs, Babes In Toyland, Soul Asylum and Ween. Check out some of the best below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gujCJH2ryag
Twin/Tone is essentially in a state of hibernation right now. Many of their more successful releases have been licensed to Restless Records for reissue and digital release. According to the Twin/Tone management, “Today the label is in “moth balls,” finding the traditional physical CD market very unfriendly to indie labels, we wait for the alternative that digital delivery promises (hopefuly sooner than later)”.
– Submitted by Justin Main, Music Design