Based in Brooklyn, Sacred Bones is perhaps one of the best independent labels working today.
A "label" in the truest sense of the term, Sacred Bones has a clearly-defined aesthetic from its sound, a full-bodied yet still spacey take on hard-edged psych that retains a dry use of negative space that was perfected by producer Steve Albini, to its album artwork, which competes with the venerable No Limit records in terms of its ability to be instantly recognizable as a product of the label.
While No Limit tended to feature proto-photoshopped covers with shiny letters, Sacred Bones is demure, offering hazy images on the cover as well as the label's prominent triangle logo, the artist's name and a track list. They're remarkable in their minimalism, works of art on their own.
In the year 2012, the label has released albums by The Men and Pop. 1280, both contenders for record of the year.
Cult of Youth, the newest project of Sean Ragon (owner of the Heaven Street record store in Brooklyn), embodies the do-it-yourself spirit of Ragon's punk past while exploring familiar Sacred Bones territory.
The song builds slowly, becoming a low-key post-industrial anthem, capturing the atmospheric malaise that characterizes so much of the wayward zeitgeist of 2012 Williamsburg.
