TIME FOR A CHANGE: BAR/NONE SAMPLER #2

Time For A Change: Bar/None Sampler #2 (1989)

Bar/None released its second sampler compilation, Time For A Change, in 1989.  It not only introduced fans to the label's eclectic roster but even attracted the attention of People magazine.  Here's a fan letter we recently received from a fan in Queens whose own band was inspired in part by the music on Time For A Change, followed by the review that appeared in People.

We're The Pardos, an alternative rock band from Queens, NY, and I think we might be a good fit for your label. Or at least I hope we are, considering that you were the first label to sign They Might Be Giants, who are one of our primary influences. But that's not the only reason.

When I was about 15 years old, I found a (very reasonably priced) CD online that had some TMBG on it. It was Bar/None Sampler, #2: Time For A Change. I ordered a used copy off of Amazon, and it arrived in a couple of days, thanks to the wonders of modern freight. And as I listened to it, going from Otis Ball to Bill Drummond to Luka Bloom to Freedy Johnston, I couldn't help but wonder what the odds of these artists getting signed by a major label. They were just too different, too strange. And that was pretty much the first time that I realized that there were labels out there, like yours, that gave weird bands a home, that someone's going to listen and care, even if your lyrics are cryptic and specific or your sounds aren't overproduced and slicked up. It helped me see that there are people out there who think weird music and good music can be the same thing, and I think that gave me the courage to not care about being accessible, to write songs about Stockholm syndrome, prisoners in love with news anchors, and how boring assisted suicide can be. There's a chance someone out there will enjoy them. I think that simple sampler from your label showed me that those songs might have a place, and I honestly want to thank you for that.

That anecdote isn't meant to sway you in any way, and if our songs don't fit on your label, that's okay. I just wanted to let you know that your artists were a part of what inspired me to make the art that I make, and to thank you for giving them a platform. 

Also, how cool is the internet that I can tell you that? What a time to be alive. 
And here's a link to our website if you need any more information:  http://www.thepardos.com/

Thank you so much for your time,

Adam Rudy

A Time For A Change Playlist