Monday, March 4, 2013 at 4:17PM Hey everybody. This is just a quick note to let you know that Sockets Records is no longer accepting demos or releasing records. The mailorder is still open for the time being, but that will close up shop this summer. Thanks for your interest and support along the way!
Monday, December 10, 2012 at 4:35PM
Link to buy tickets and more info coming soon!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 3:01PM After much thought and consideration, Sockets Records will be closing up shop early in 2013. The DC City Paper ran a story today about the decision. We're going to have a big party in early February 2013 at the Black Cat. Stay tuned for more!
Here's the statement Sean Peoples sent over to the DC City Paper:
Earlier this summer I set aside some time to plan out next steps for Sockets Records. And, after a lot of thinking, I have decided to shut down Sockets Records. Over the last three years, I saw the label become what I knew it had the potential to be, which was a small home for a stable of like-minded experimental bands from Washington, D.C.—as well, at times, from Brooklyn. I learned a lot about how the music industry functions. And, in many ways, I learned the power of community—especially the community of musicians here in Washington, D.C.
Record labels, aside from curating and serving as a base for like-minded bands, are changing. And that is a good thing. The tools for bands to connect both musically and financially with their audience is expanding in ways that I see as really positive. But to stay relevant, the amount of money needed to compete with similar indie labels, from the small ones like Sockets, to the bigger ones like Matador is staggering. Promotion and publicity are driving a lot of the profits around bands. And, if you don't have the money, the serendipity that comes with bands rising to the top via their own grit and hard work seems like a vanishing prospect.
This is isn't a complaint. It's an observation. Making a record label sustainable (not necessarily profitable) is expensive. And, at this point, sustainability requires the kind of resources that neither Sockets, nor the bands currently have banked.
I'm really proud of the label, especially the last three years. This was a really tough decision. For me, the bands, and the community of people involved with the label over the last eight years, it's been a beautiful experiment. I can't thank those involved enough for their time, energy, and encouragement.
Monday, July 2, 2012 at 2:20PM Check out the new video from Hume, "Phasing". Directed and animated by Wilson Kemp (Hume, MACAW) and shot and edited by Amir Mohebali:
HUME - PHASING from wilson kemp on Vimeo.
Monday, May 21, 2012 at 12:49PM Hannah Hoffman, a high school student in the DC area, produced and edited a short documentary on the DC music scene. It includes interviews with with Deleted Scenes, Imperial China, BUILDINGS, Protect-U, and Sean Peoples from Sockets Records.
Monday, April 9, 2012 at 2:26PM Check out this great podcast from NPR's Intern Edition blog with an interview with Sean as well as new tracks by Buildings, Imperial China, and Protect-U:
Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 11:45AM Our favorite post-punk bros, Imperial China, are playing a pretty great show at Black Cat with Meta and Plums. The show's on Tuesday, April 10 and doors are at 8:30pm.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 12:05PM One of our favorite dudes in Washington, DC is Wilson Kemp. Not only is he the drummer for Hume, but he's also the vibe behind Macaw. And, the guy makes some amazing art. There's a new website with a handful of his work. Check it out here.
Friday, March 9, 2012 at 12:41PM 
The annual undisputed king of haircuts and outfits is upon us. South by Southwest music festival is next week in Austin, Texas.
Sockets artists will be there, and if you will be there too, here’s a rundown of where they will be. Go check them out and say hi! Enjoy the buzz, bbq, beer and tacos.
A couple of Sockets bands as well as our good friends will be playing the DC Does Texas showcase organized by Sasha Lord and Comet Ping Pong. It takes place Wed. March 14th at Love Joys (Neches & 6th) from 12-6pm and is FREE. Sockets artists Deleted Scenes, Edie Sedgwick and Hume will be playing along with Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, Soccer Team, Pree & DJ Baby Alcatraz.
Bluebrain has obviously been doing some amazing things recently, and the festival organizers at SXSW have taken notice. The people behind SXSW commissioned Bluebrain to create another location-aware album specifically for Austin and SXSW. It is called Violet Crown and you can find out more information here. They will also be featured in presentation on Sunday, March 11 at the SXSW Convention Center as part of the album launch. Information on the panel/presentation here.
Deleted Scenes will also be playing the Red Ryder showcase at Swan Dive on Saturday, March 17th. They will also be playing the Sweet Tea Pumpkin Pie showcase on Weds, March 14th at 9 p.m. at Casa de Chapala. They will also be playing the Popantipop showcase on Thursday, March 15th time TBD and location TBD.
Edie Sedgwick will also be playing Weds March 14th at night at Iron Bear and the Lovitt SXSW Day party on Thursday March 15th.
Follow Sockets on Twitter for more updates.
Our friends at Listen Local First are also taking a Mobile Music Venue down to Austin for SXSW and documenting the entire experience on social media and video consisting entirely of DC artists. Check it out here for more information.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:01AM Check out this great session Audiotree Live did with Deleted Scenes.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:58AM Joshua Cogan came by the Sockets Showcase at Black Cat and snapped some amazing photos. Josh is so talented and we can't thank him enough for lending his talent and documenting this special night. Please enjoy:
ALL PHOTOS BY JOSHUA COGAN
See the rest of the photos here.
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 10:16AM We asked John Foster (Bad People Good Things) to design this year's Sockets Showcase flier. When I talked to John in October of last year, I gave him one directive: the design needs to be something that screams DC. Well, I think I John nailed it with this one. If you haven't already, I urge you to follow John and the design work he does. It's always amazing and we over here at Sockets have been big fans of his output.
We'll be selling these beautiful prints for $20 at the show. There's only a limited amount of 50, so they are very special. However, if you want to buy the two new Imperial China and Buildings LPs as well as the poster, we'll be selling the three for $30.
Take a look at the poster and, also, the special collector cards we're stamping with something special!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 9:59AM 
Both will be available this Saturday at the Sockets Records Showcase!
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 3:06PM New track from DC mainstays, Imperial China. The song is a self described powder keg that rips you through two minutes fifty of post-punk bliss. The band sounds huge, with harmonic guitars amplifying the growling utterances of vocalist Brian Porter. The boys have a new album,”How We Connect”, out on January 28 through DC’s own Sockets Records
Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 9:35AM
Sockets Records Showcase 2012
Black Cat Mainstage – 1811 14th Street NW DC
Saturday, January 28, 2012
9pm, $12
w/
Protect-U (Future Times Records)
Imperial China
Buildings
Cigarette
Washington, DC’s homegrown, independent record label, Sockets Records, will be throwing its annual showcase on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Black Cat Mainstage (1811 14th Street NW DC). Since late 2004, the label has documented Washington, DC’s independent music community – spanning styles between noise and experimental pop. For the third year in a row Sockets is teaming up with another pillar of the local music scene, the Black Cat, to bring a locals-only showcase including Protect-U, Imperial China, Buildings, and Cigarette.
