The
      Panther
      Prints
      ¢
     
    
   
   
    
     
      anatomy
      of
      a
      label:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      no
      records
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Halifax
      has
      long
      been
     
     
      credited
      to
      the
      boom
      of
      inde-
     
     
      pendent
      labels
      across
      Canada,
     
     
      what
      with
      the
      triumvirate
      of
     
     
      successful
      companies
      it
      holds
     
     
      --
      Murderecords,
      Cinnamon
     
     
      Toast
      Records
      and
      No
     
     
      Records.
      It
      is
      the
      latter
      that
     
     
      we
      will
      focus
      on
      today.
     
    

    
     
      Waye
      Mason
      is
      the
      face
     
     
      and
      voice
      of
      No
      Records
      --
      the
     
     
      latest
      to
      show
      it’s
      strength
      with
     
     
      the
      commercial
      success
      of
     
     
      Cool
      Blue
      Halo.
      The
      com-
     
     
      pany,
      however,
      is
      owned
      by
     
     
      five
      people.
      Mason,
      along
      with
     
     
      Kevin
      Hilliard
      (of
      the
      band
     
     
      Grace
      Babies),
      Todd
      Hawkins
     
     
      (a
      graphic
      designer),
      Law-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      alternative
      bands
      and
      pop
     
     
      bands,”
      stated
      Mason.
     
    

    
     
      The
      eclectic
      diversity
      of
     
     
      No
      continues
      in
      *97
      with
      the
     
     
      addition
      of
      Halifax
      pop
      trio
     
     
      Shine
      Factory,
      and
      popular
     
     
      drinking
      band
      Uisce
      Beatha
      to
     
     
      the
      ranks
      of
      the
      label.
     
    

    
     
      “We’re
      expecting
      a
      lot
     
     
      from
      Cool
      Blue
      Halo.
      Madhat
     
     
      has
      that
      nice
      new
      video
      out
     
     
      and
      hopefully
      they’ll
      get
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rence
      Currie
      and
      Ron
      Foley
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacDonald
      (co-owners
      of
     
     
      Idea
      of
      East
      recording
      stu-
     
     
      dios)
      round
      out
      the
      No
      Records
     
     
      team.
     
    

    
     
      Since
      its
      inception
      in
     
     
      January
      of
      1993,
      No
      has
      been
     
     
      crankin’
      out
      the
      hits.
      Begin-
     
     
      ning
      with
      the
      No
      Class
      high
     
     
      school
      compilation
      which
      fea-
     
     
      tures
      notables
      like
      Plumtree
     
     
      and
      Hip
      Club
      Groove,
      No
      has
     
     
      grown
      and
      matured
      culminat-
     
     
      ing
      in
      the
      release
      of
      Cool
      Blue
     
     
      Halo’s
      Kangaroo.
     
    

    
     
      The
      roster
      of
      artists
      that
     
     
      No
      has
      signed
      in
      the
      past
     
     
      ranges
      from
      the
      youthful
      skate-
     
     
      punk
      of
      Madhat
      to
      the
      Brit
     
     
      poppy
      sounds
      of
      Cool
      Blue
     
     
      Halo
      and
      the
      exuberant
      power
     
     
      pop
      of
      the
      Grace
      Babies.
      The
     
     
      label
      has
      managed
      to
      avoid
     
     
      pigeonholing
      itself
      with
      one
     
     
      definitive
      sound.
     
    

    
     
      “There’s
      not
      really
      [one
     
     
      type
      of
      music
      we
      sign.]
      I’m
     
     
      not
      really
      into
      that.
      We've
     
     
      done
      punk
      rock
      bands,
      hip
      hop,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      credit
      they
      deserve.
      We're
     
     
      also
      really
      excited
      about
      Shine
     
     
      Factory.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      everything
      they’
      ve
     
     
      got
      going
      for
      them,
      the
      future
     
     
      seems
      bright
      for
      No
      Records.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      had
      a
      bit
      ofa
      prob-
     
     
      lem
      with
      our
      distributer
      in
      the
     
     
      past.
      Now
      we
      just
      want
      to
      get
     
     
      the
      records
      out
      where
      people
     
     
      can
      get
      them.
      We
      know
      Page
     
     
      is
      good,
      so
      that
      will
      be
      ok.”
     
    

    
     
      Page
      Distribution
      is
      the
     
     
      new
      manufacturer
      of
      No
     
     
      Records’
      wares.
      Like
     
     
      Murderecords’
      deal
      with
      Uni-
     
     
      versal,
      Page
      has
      a
      Production
     
     
      and
      Distribution
      deal
      with
      No.
     
     
      This
      deal,
      however,
      is
      not
      in
     
     
      the
      three
      tier
      plan
      like
      Mur-
     
     
      der’s,
      Page
      simply
      produces
     
     
      and
      distributes.
     
    

    
     
      “Page’s
      main
      concern
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      to
      make
      sure
      everything
      is
     
     
      high
      quality.
      They
      have
      alot
      of
     
     
      resources
      that
      we
      haven’t
     
     
      tapped
      into
      --
      like
      commercial
     
     
      radio.
      We'll
      definitely
      take
     
     
      advantage
      of
      that
      with
      Cool
     
     
      Blue
      Halo.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      all
      the
      problems
      in
     
     
      the
      past,
      and
      records
      newly
     
     
      reprinted
      and
      available
      in
      over
     
     
      nine
      hundred
      stores
      across
     
     
      Canada,
      No
      Records
      is
      ready
     
     
      for
      the
      attention
      the
      label
      and
     
     
      all
      the
      bands
      on
      it
      deserve.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Next
      Week:
     
     
      a
      very
      special
     
     
      Ontario
      label.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      11,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (arts
      and)
      ENTERTAINMENT
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Paul
      Boudreau
      of
      Cool
      Blue
      Halo.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “This
      one
      goes
      out
      to
     
     
      the
      one!
      love"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      MELISSA
      BUOTE
     
     
      &
      KAREN
      RAWLINES
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      appears
      that
      Wednes-
     
     
      days
      are
      not
      necessarily
      prime
     
     
      concert
      times.
      How
      e
      we
     
     
      know?
      Well,
      only
      about
      25
     
     
      people
      know.
      That’s
      because
     
     
      only
      about
      25
      people
      were
      at
     
     
      the
      No
      Records
      Invasion
      fea-
     
     
      turing
      Cool
      Blue
      Halo,
      Madhat
     
     
      and
      Shine
      Factory
      on
      Wednes-
     
     
      day,
      January
      22.
     
    

    
     
      Shine
      Factory
      are
      new
     
     
      to
      the
      rigours
      of
      touring,
      but
     
     
      managed-to
      crank
      out
      a
      slap
     
     
      happy
      set
      of
      aggressive
      pop.
     
     
      This
      trio
      is
      the
      latest
      addition
      to
     
     
      team
      No
      Records.
      A
      solid
      set
     
     
      for
      these
      fresh
      young
      faces.
     
     
      And
      the
      girls
      love
      ‘em,
      too.
     
     
      How
      do
      we
      know?
      The
      gig-
     
     
      gling
      and
      praise
      emanating
     
     
      from
      the
      female
      sect
      of
      the
     
     
      audience.
      .-
     
    

    
     
      The
      second
      band
      of
      the
     
     
      night,
      Madhat,
      strutted
      their
     
     
      stuff
      on
      e,
      playing
      all
      the
     
     
      hits
      from
      their
      latest
      effort
     
     
      Hardhitters,
      like
      “The
      Ride”
     
     
      and
      “Give’r.”
      Being
      veterans
     
     
      to
      the
      PEI
      touring
      circuit,
     
     
      they’
      ve
      established
      a
      solid,
      en-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thusiastic
      fan
      base.
      How
      do
     
     
      we
      know?
      We’re
      the
      Presi-
     
     
      dents
      of
      their
      “Rock
      Athlet-
     
     
      ics”
      fanclub.
      For
      any
      band
     
     
      pe
      ing
      Charlottetown,
      the
     
    

    
     
      ighest
      compliment
      possible
      is
     
     
      to
      get
      a
      request
      --
      and
      they
      got
     
     
      one.
      Huzzah
      for
      them.
     
    

    
     
      Cool
      Blue
      Halois
      amore
     
     
      “mature”
      band
      than
      the
      open-
     
     
      ers.
      How
      do
      we
      know?
      Their
     
     
      slacks
      are
      tapered
      as
      opposed
     
     
      to
      the
      baggier
      threads
      of
      the
     
     
      other
      bands.
      Throughout
      an
     
     
      energy
      packed,
      rock
      pose
      laden
     
     
      set,
      the
      cool,
      the
      blue
      and
      the
     
     
      haloed
      reminded
      us
      why
     
     
      they’re
      Halifax’s
      best
      kept
     
     
      secret.
      Sweet
      harmonies
      and
     
     
      lush
      yet
      crunchy
      instrumentals
     
     
      gelled
      the
      set
      of
      popeces
      like
     
    

    
     
      Sweetie
      Said,”
      “Too
      Much
     
     
      Kathleen,”
      and
      “Spark-o-
     
     
      matic.”
      A
      tear
      had
      to
      be
     
     
      brushed
      away
      when
      guitarist
     
     
      Barry
      Walsh
      dedicated
      a
      song
     
     
      to,
      in
      his
      words,
      “the
      one
      I
     
     
      love.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      barn
      is
      bringing
      in
     
     
      some
      great
      entertainment.
      It’s
     
     
      too
      bad
      they
      come
      on
      Wednes-
     
     
      day.
      At
      least
      it’s
      not
      during
     
     
      Must
      See
      TV.