AboveGround Records began as an idea by someone who was sick of the corporate machine that is our record industry. First started in 1998 in Houston,TX, the label then moved to Southern California in 2001. Its first act was the punk/funk/hip-hop hybrid EXPORNSTARS. After that band's demise, we set our sights on REASON TO REBEL, a revolutionary cutting-edge act from North County San Diego. Now our roster includes many acts from the SoCal area and beyond:

Classic slip-hop originators I-45;
Everyone's favorite reggae-rock fusion band MEAN DINOSAUR;
Punk metal thrashers FLASHBURN;
The Italian post-hardcore group MUSTY WIG;
A melodic experimental alternative group from Italy called SAVALAS;
A new undergound hip-hop group from Houston, TX named CMZ;
I-45 frontman TechRon B's rock band AVITIA;  
Oceanside, CA's hometown heroes IRIESIDE;  
Boston psychedelic rockers AEOLIAN RACE;
An original European trio consisting of a pianist, violinist, and drummer called VERY SHORT SHORTS;
A very talented reggae rock act called SOCIAL GREEN.

Our commitment at this label is to bring you the best of all genres in music, but with emphasis on musicians who aren't afraid to speak their mind or let their creativity shine. Stay tuned as we unleash an arsenal of new music to rival any independent label on the scene. Some of our most recent releases now available to look for are:

REASON TO REBEL's newest full-length album "IMAGINARY FOE" feat. A guest appearance from Ikey Owens, keyboardist of The Mars Volta;
IRIESIDE’S debut self-titled full-length;
AEOLIAN RACE’S LP “LANDLOCKED NATION” ;
AVITIA's latest 2 projects "YOU ARE WHEN YOU DO" & “IRELAND AWAITS”;
I-45’s 4^th full-length “THE RED ALBUM”.

Go to our catalog to order these or any other albums on our back catalog. The year 2010 will be a busy one for this thriving independent label, now that we have partnered with Inner Knot Records and secured nationwide distribution from ADA. Look for these great projects in the next year:

THE SAVALAS’ newest full-length album feat. Guest appearances from Martin LeNoble (Porno for Pyros), Nick Oliveri (ex- Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss);
AVITIA’S newest album produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana’s In Utero);
VERY SHORT SHORTS full-length “BACKGROUND MUSIC FOR BANK ROBBERIES”;
SOCIAL GREEN’s latest album; CMZ’s debut EP.

We will also be continuing to release the latest in our annual compilations “THE VERY BEST OF 2010”. Look for all the bands to be hitting the road in the near future, and check back on this site to get all the latest news from your favorite AboveGround acts.