Dandy Boy Records: Oakland’s Gritty Indie Label

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?

DBR: The label is actually based out of my living room but people used to call “hobby” labels bedroom labels when I was growing up in the 90s, so that’s what I call it. It’s just me and my cats packing orders and shedding on the packing tape. My apartment is pretty much just records and packing supplies. Between my personal record collection and inventory I probably have ten thousand pieces of vinyl in my apartment at any given time. My dream is to move the label into a work space so I can reclaim my apartment.

Pretty much every day revolves around records and music- I’m either getting stuff together for a release, promoting a release, doing press, listening to demos or mixes, organizing art or music videos, packing orders, etc.. or I’m at a record store hanging out or working behind the counter. Or! I’m booking a show or seeing a band! It can be a bit chaotic and stressful but I like having projects!

SNQLX: What gap or feeling sparked the idea to start a label in the first place?

DBR: DIY and underground music have been the foundations of my existence since I was a teenager. Booking shows, writing for fanzines, and then working in record stores, I learned a thing or two about how to make records. Growing up in the punk scene, if we wanted something to happen we made it happen; you could start a band, start a zine, take photos, book shows, start a record label or whatever- I wanted to bring that energy back to my community. After years and years of dreaming about doing it, I just saved some money and did it. A lot of record labels had disappeared for a lot of different reasons, so it just seemed like there was a need for someone to step up and make something happen. There are so many rad bands in my community that just need someone to help them share their music, so I invested in my friends and started putting out their stuff. 

SNQLX: Oakland has its own rhythm and heartbeat. How does that local energy influence what you release and who you work with?

DBR: Oakland is a different music scene than any other place I’ve experienced. The Bay Area has given birth to so much amazing music over the decades from soul and hip-hop to punk rock and indie; something exciting is always bubbling up. Oakland specifically is a gritty working class city that breeds a special kind of artist. It’s kind of a hard city if I’m being honest, but I think because it’s not LA or an industry hotbed, we don’t have that “pick me” energy in what we do. You don’t move to Oakland to be discovered, you move to Oakland to be engulfed in culture. In Oakland you create and maybe people get it but success isn’t measured by marketability. Dandy Boy Records is mostly focused on what’s going on here and the people around me. I like working with people that do cool things and don’t like being just a carbon copy of what is already popular.

I put out this awesome psychedelic hip-hop/ soul record with James Wavey- to me that was the most Oakland record going on. It was lo-fi and raw and clever and earnest and a combination of a lot of different sounds and styles. Next year we’re going to put out another record together and it’s going to be even psychier and more eccentric and that gets me hyped.

SNQLX: How would you describe the Dandy Boy sound — is there a thread that ties your artists together, or do you intentionally keep it wide open?

DBR: I don’t think we have a specific sound. That would be boring! I have been told I should release less and only focus on one genre if I want to establish an identity. Phft! That doesn’t interest me! I love music and I love my friends. We’re a diverse group with different tastes but I think we all appreciate hooks and song craft. You hear it in the shoegaze bands like Aluminum and Above Me, you hear it in the laidback songwriters like Ryann Gonsalves and Yea-Ming and The Rumours, you hear it in the power pop stuff like The Goods and Joel Cusumano or the blown out garage punk of the Wind-Ups. We’ve put out just shy of 60 releases so far (with another 20+ on the calendar) and I think each one represents my personal music tastes but more than anything it represents a lot of really talented and unique musicians.

SNQLX: What do you look for when deciding to work with an artist — is it a gut feeling, a certain tone, or something more personal?

DBR: I primarily only work with friends and bands I know personally. I have no interest in working with strangers or people that aren’t in my social circle. I turn down a lot of unsolicited cold calls from bands looking for a label. Some of them have pretty big fanbases and might even sell a few records but I don’t want to be a label motivated by money or clout.

I think of Dandy Boy as being a collective. I’m the label head but it’s a group of friends and we’re like a bunch of misfit toys making rad records. And we support each other! You’ll see members of all the bands at each other’s gigs or playing in each other’s bands. We’re all Dandy Fam!

SNQLX: Your compilation “Welcome to Oakland” feels like a love letter to the local scene. How did that project come together?

DBR: I wanted to do a compilation of Oakland artists to remind everyone what was going on in our backyards. I am pretty proud of it. It’s a bit eclectic and pretty diverse but that’s what’s great about Oakland! Most of the songs were from bands on the label but a few other groups like Awful Sirs, Shutups and jOn jOn Cassagnol had tracks too. It was also the first appearance by Oakland shoegazers Blue Zero! They’ve gone on to do really cool things. They made a terrific record and I think they’re off to Europe soon.

Fun memory about that release: it came out the same weekend as the first Oakland Weekender (an indie pop weekend of shows featuring mostly Slumberland Records bands). I remember walking around with a shoebox full of copies handing them out to old head indie pop types. I handed a copy to a very drunk Scottish gentleman and shortly thereafter he moved to the Bay. Was it my tape that urged him to relocate? Who can say. But that’s how David Paterson ended up here.

SNQLX: What’s been the biggest learning curve in running an indie label today — from streaming to shipping vinyl to just being heard?

DBR: The biggest learning curve has had to be promotion and press. Learning what works and what doesn’t. Who responds and who doesn’t. It took me some time but I found two affordable PR companies that I’m comfortable with for certain projects (No Rules PR and Hit Point Media). PR is constantly a struggle. I’m very bad at self promotion and it takes a lot out of me! I’ll get it in my head that I’m annoying people or that certain outlets hate the label (and maybe me personally). It’s one of the worst parts of my day. 

But everything is a learning experience; figuring out which digital distribution company is the right fit, trying out different record pressing plants, getting picked up by Revolver/ Mid-Heaven for distro was huge but I’m still struggling to get records out there- especially in the UK/EU – it’s all been a trial and error journey!

The big struggle for me and I think a lot of other labels or artists is just getting ourselves out there. Getting placed on a streaming playlist is cool but it’s not reflective of physical sales. Don’t get me wrong it’s cool that someone in another country or another state is listening to our releases but it would be a lot cooler if they bought the records!

SNQLX: You’ve said you support “nice people doing cool shit.” What does that mean to you in an industry that can be… less than nice?

DBR: Music is weird. It’s an industry that has been crashing out for the last twenty-five years. Only now it’s even weirder because people blow up on social media. You have ambitious people that want to make money and raise their profile and that’s fine. That’s the industry part of music. I just don’t want to be a part of that. I can’t stress how much more rewarding it is to just put out records with people I know who aren’t trying to go down that road. I don’t want to work with anyone that sees Dandy Boy as a launching pad for their career or sees me as a money mark to get their records out. I don’t want to work with careerists or opportunists. I understand that’s how people “advance in the industry” but I don’t want anything to do with the industry. I just want to put out records with my friends and get excited together. I put out records I want in my collection!

Working with strangers there’s too much room for conflict or even worse- making a record with someone that turns out to be a shitty person. I would be so heartbroken if someone I put out turned out to be an abuser or had fucked up politics. I’d be so angry and feel betrayed, and for what? To put out some records with some random band? That doesn’t interest me. If I hit you up to do a record it’s the same as inviting you into my home to meet my family and break bread. That means on top of making music I enjoy, I see you as a trustworthy person I feel comfortable around. Our ideology and sensibilities align and I want to put myself out there financially and work with you. That’s the biggest thing for me. You have to be a person I’d vouch for.

SNQLX: How do you approach the visual side of things — album art, merch, overall aesthetic — to make each release feel special?

DBR: There are three people who I have to credit for making DBR look good. They’re three of my favorite people and are Dandy Fam through and through.

Christopher Appelgren was in the Peechees- one of my all time favorite bands growing up, and he was a co-owner of Lookout! Records. When I was a teenager I worshiped Lookout! and Chris did a lot of the art and design for the label. So many of those logos, ads, posters, sleeves- the entire aesthetic of the label came from him! Green Day’s “Kerplunk” cover? Chris did that (though he insists that one was only a sketch and his original vision was far more epic). He’s been such a good friend and mentor and he’s done so much for Dandy Boy. He lent his talents to doing the 1981 LP cover, the Sob Stories cover and so much layout tweaking. He has saved several projects from being too low-res or adjusting something so it looks just right before we send it to print. He’s always so generous with his time, and I’ll never be able to thank him enough! He plays drums in a post-punk band called Grey Causeway with some other friends from beloved East Bay punk bands. We put out their debut LP last summer and I hope we continue to do stuff together. 

Brandon Tomovic (TMVC) has been a day one guy helping with so much stuff. He helped with some of the first releases and believed in the label from the get go. He and I are very similar- we’re both extremely neurotic and obsessive over details. We have similar aesthetics when it comes to art and I think I encourage him to try different things. He’s got this late-70’s/ early-80’s punk flair to his work that just comes so naturally to him. I love sharing music and art with him because he soaks it in and gets inspired to continue to grow. Before he started his band Autos he was always sharing demos and I’d send him records he had to hear. We have a really tight bond. Watching him get better and better and work on bigger projects has made me so proud. When he got Autos together I think he didn’t want to overstep and ask if I’d be interested in releasing something, but after I heard them I knew I had to put it out. They do a very Billy Idol and GenX meets Replacements sound that scratches a very special musical itch for me. He’s such a big part of the label even if he doesn’t know it.

Corey Poluk is the official DBR press photographer. He takes most of the band photos for the label. Ryli, Yea-Ming and The Rumours, The Goods, The 1981, Joel Cusumano- literally everyone that needs photos I send them to Corey. He’s our man with the camera. He has even directed music videos for Joel and The 1981, and he designed the album cover for Cyan Pools. He is so incredibly talented and if you put the two of us in a room together it’s just banter and bits and yelling over each other making each other laugh. He keeps me from being too serious about anything.

Also big shout outs to Allan McNaughton for designing our logo and mascot and Jesse Lortz for designing our new t-shirt logo. I’m lucky to have really great people helping make our releases and the label look good.

SNQLX: Tell us about a release or artist on the label that you feel truly captures what Dandy Boy is all about.

DBR: I don’t know if there’s a single artist. Yea-Ming Chen and Rob Good are on the most Dandy Boy releases – their bands Ryli, The Goods and Yea-Ming and The Rumors are pretty integral to the label, but they’ve both appeared on or recorded so many of the other release- The 1981, RE Seraphin, Inflatable Men, Smile Too Much, Joel Cusumano and Sob Stories. They’re a big part of the community aspect of the label. Everyone loves them and wants to have them help with their records.

If I had to narrow down one release that epitomizes what the label is about I’d probably say our Cleaners From Venus tribute comp, “Tales Of A Kitchen Porter”. A fuck ton of bands from the Bay (and a few out of towners) doing Cleaners covers that they recorded themselves. It is one of my favorite releases and it was really fun to make.

We also just released a CD sampler, “Baby, I Got News For You!”. It features a track from all of the releases we put out this year. I think that’s a good introduction to what we’re all about. And it’s cheap!

SNQLX: Looking ahead, what’s next for Dandy Boy Records — any dreams, experiments, or surprises we should keep an eye on?

DBR: My dream for DBR is to generate enough revenue to just keep putting out good music with good people. I want everyone on the roster to feel like they have a home and someone in their corner. Even if they leave the label to work on bigger things, I want to continue to be their biggest fan and support their growth.

We have about two dozen releases on the calendar. We haven’t officially announced anything but if you’ve seen me around town I’ve probably bragged about something or other because I’m so excited. We’ll have a few new bands joining the roster- Karenin’s Smile, Motorcycle, Lawnwacker, and a few others that I don’t want to jinx! We’re also going to drop a bunch of new records from many of the wonderful people we’ve worked with in the past. You can expect new records from Yea-Ming, Ryli, The Goods, James Wavey, Above Me, Blue Ocean, Smile Too Much, Whitney’s Playland, Ouch! and so many more!

And we’ll probably do a fundraiser comp! Actually the next thing we’re putting out is a holiday compilation CD that will benefit Toys For Tots. New tracks by Autos, Motorcycle, The Goods, Ryli, Yea-Ming and The Rumours, Inflatable Men, Smile Too Much, Luke Sweeney, The Letterwriters and more! All proceeds are going to go to Toys For Tots and we’ll announce it the first week of December and CDs will ship before Christmas!

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Talking to Bobby feels like hanging with someone who’s held the door open for Oakland’s music scene his entire life — not for credit, not for careerism, but because he genuinely loves the people making the noise. Dandy Boy Records isn’t a brand or a business plan; it’s a community stitched together by trust, hooks, tape hiss, friendship, and the belief that good music deserves someone in its corner. As the label gears up for another packed year — new bands, returning favorites, fundraiser comps, and even a Toys for Tots holiday record — it’s clear that Bobby’s mission is simple: keep putting out music that matters with people who matter.

And if that means another ten thousand records stacked in his living room, well… that’s just Dandy Boy.

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