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Lookout! Records

Lookout! Records is an independent record label based in Berkeley, California.

History

Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. Hayes left in 1989 to start Very Small Records, leaving Lookout to Livermore, who sold the label in 1997 to Chris Appelgren, who started working at the label in 1988, while still in high school. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop punk, hardcore punk, and indie rock. Former Lookout bands that have since achieved major label success include Green Day, Rancid and The Donnas.

Lookout became famous for releasing albums that featured a very distinctive pop punk sound including bands such as Screeching Weasel, The Mr T Experience, The Queers, Green Day, Sweet Baby, Squirtgun and others.

In recent years, a number of Lookout recording artists have ended their dealings with the label, rescinding their master rights from the label and re-issuing albums on other labels. These bands have cited various reasons including non-renewal of licensing agreements, distribution and breach of contract over unpaid royalties. Among the bands that have taken their masters from Lookout and reissued them on other labels are Screeching Weasel (on Asian Man), Avail (on Jade Tree), Pansy Division (on Alternative Tentacles), Blatz and Filth (on Life Is Abuse Records), The Dollyrots on Blackheart Records, The Riverdales (on Asian Man), The Queers (on Asian Man), The Lillingtons (on Red Scare Records), Enemy You (also on Red Scare), Twenty-Nineteen (on CREC Records), and The Groovie Ghoulies (on Springman Records). On August 1, 2005, Green Day became the biggest former Lookout act to rescind their masters from the label, forcing Lookout to lay off its staff and halt new releases for the remainder of the year. Operation Ivy rescinded their masters on May 4, 2006 and their album was reissued on Hellcat Records in November 2007.

Lookout Records turned 20 years in 2008 and continues to offer a large catalog of underground punk, pop-punk and indie rock music on CD, vinyl and via digital download from virtually all music services.