Bobby Martinez is the founder of Dandy Boy Records, a living-room-run indie label rooted in Oakland’s gritty, genre-bending music scene. A lifelong DIY kid shaped by punk shows, record stores, and the Bay Area’s underground heartbeat, Bobby built Dandy Boy as a home for friends, local artists, and anyone making honest, hook-driven music that doesn’t care about trends. What started as a joke nickname eventually turned into a full-fledged label with its own mascot, community, and a rapidly expanding catalog that reflects the wild, eclectic spirit of Oakland itself.
SNQLX: What’s the story behind the name Dandy Boy Records — is it a wink, a statement, or something in between?
DBR: It’s not really a deep or meaningful name! Years and years ago my roommate at the time was making fun of me for wearing some goofy 60’s attire. We used to drink a lot, and I was clowning around wearing an ascot and these ridiculous white loafers. He said I was wearing my “Sunday dandiest” and I just danced around singing “I’m a dandy boy!” I can’t remember why but I chose to use that as my handle to sell records on Discogs- Dandy Boy Records. A few years later when I was going to release a CD by my band Circuits, I needed a record label name. I couldn’t think of anything clever so I just stuck with Dandy Boy.
When the label started for real, Allan McNaughton from Neutrals put together a logo for the label. That gave the label a mascot and identity so I embraced it!
Our little Dandy Boy logo guy is named “Edwyn” (after Edwyn Collins from Orange Juice) and he’s appeared on pretty much every release.
SNQLX: You describe yourselves as a “bedroom label” out of Oakland. What does that look like day-to-day — organized chaos, late-night emails, stacks of vinyl everywhere?
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