Cale Sauter's greatest hits

Bermuda Mohawk founder selects his label's favorite releases

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Bermuda Mohawk Productions is a Lansing punk and metal label that has been steadily releasing albums and singles since forming in 2002.

Cale Sauter, who formed the label in 2002, said he and the rest of BMP crew take the job seriously.

"I am very serious about the label," he said. "I think that people get the misconception that how slowly the music release side of things moves — as in, we don't take out loans do 15 national releases a year indicates that it's sort of a frivolous side-hobby to the shows, promotion, production, what have you. In fact, this is due to the fact that I take doing it forever so seriously that I refuse to work beyond my means.  I've seen way too many flash-in-the-pan labels take out loans and disappear within four years. We're just chugging along slowly but surely, releasing stuff we like."

Below is a list written by Sauter. He chooses his favorite BMP releases, and tells why he loves each record.


The Matadors of Shame — "If We Go Down, We Go Down Together"
The Matadors of Shame album isn't really one of our most well known releases or anything, but it has a special place for me because I spent six years living in East Lansing, trying to write the definitive "this is what it's like to not fit in but try to make best of it in this town," album unsuccessfully in my respective projects, then as soon as I moved out of town, John Krohn turned me onto these guys who he basically recorded the EP version of that with already.  "If We Go Down..." was the follow-up full-length and it is just a really personal favorite record of mine period, out of things I've released or not.  Anthony Adani is still one of the best songwriters I know.  He's currently living in Texas and he and his brother Dino (drums) have served as the rhythm section for Asian Man Records band O' Pioneers on and off since then. This release also features some great artwork from Craig Horky.

Cheap Girls — "Find Me a Drink Home"
Apparently I love records that I relate to my surroundings because, while "If We Go Down..." is the definitive Midwestern Punk answer to living in East Lansing, "Find Me a Drink Home," by Cheap Girls is the Lansing proper version.  Having known the Graham brothers and Adam Aymor for quite a while - I released a record by Adam's first band, Shoelace, when he was still in high school — these songs just feel incredibly familiar and easy to relate to.  This record, which I still have in my catalog, available on CD, also went on to take these guys to national tours, SXSW, Europe, all types of festivals and onto a bigger label and distribution. It also holds a special place for me from what I learned from it.  It essentially set the blueprint for how I do business now.

The River City Rebels — "Keepsake of Luck...No Real Faith"
Another record that hit the trifecta perfectly in terms of me loving the music, it doing well and it pushing the label onto bigger things was the River City Rebels, 'Keepsake of Luck...No Real Faith', which was initially released by Silver Sprocket/Springman on CD and digitally.  They had just parted ways with Victory Records and Springman gave them the green light to commission the vinyl to another label.  We jumped at the chance as this record, though a bit of a departure from some of their earlier material, is one of the most lush, great sounding, well-orchestrated rock records I've ever heard.  It was perfect for vinyl and the record sounds amazing.

For more information, visit: www.bermudamohawkproductions.com

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