critics' pick
Best Local Label: Douchemaster Records

It seems like every week there's an upstart record label coughing out 7-inches, CDs and the latest from the local punks and indie-rock fashionistas. None has risen to the top as swiftly as DOUCHEMASTER RECORDS. By releasing a catalog of truly kick-ass 7-inches and full-length LPs that sell out before they even make it to local retailers, the label has ascended to a level of consistent quality that eludes other contenders. In Atlanta, records by a range of acts including Beat Beat Beat, Carbonas and Gentleman Jesse have born the mark of the Douche. Elsewhere Lover, Cheap Time, the Baby Shakes and the Black & Whites make up the label's away team, and place Atlanta's finest among a larger pool of talent that stands tall among the nationwide underground. douchemasterrecords.blogspot.com.