Buddyhead Records was an independent record label from Hollywood, California that sprouted from the website of the same name. The label was started in 2000 with the pressing of a seven-inch single from The Icarus Line and ended almost exactly ten years later with a full length from Dios in August 2010. The label released records by a number of bands, including The Cassettes, Shat, Dios Malos, Ink & Dagger, The Icarus Line, IS THIS FAKE BLOOD, Burning Brides, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Jubilee, Your Enemies Friends, The Mean Reds, 400 Blows, TEXT, At the Drive-In, Murder City Devils, Modwheelmood, Wires On Fire, Radio Vago, The Jada Kings and Gayrilla Biscuits. Buddyhead Records became known for its compilations. First in 2003 came the now out-of-print Buddyhead Suicide Sampler, which featured key tracks from each of the label's releases, rare/live tracks from each band on the label's roster, and prank calls to music-industry luminaries from a secret person who went by the name "Torture Device". Rumors have circulated claiming that Torture Device is everyone from Bill Hicks to Sam Kinison to Chevy Chase, but Buddyhead has never officially commented on the matter. In 2004, Buddyhead released the major label-funded Gimme Skelter compilation, which was paid for. The compilation also contained exclusive and/or rare songs from bands such as Primal Scream, Mudhoney, Iggy Pop, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Wire, Weezer, Dead Meadow, and Le Tigre. In addition to CDs, the label released a DVD compilation in 2004 entitled Buddyhead Presents: Punk Is Dead through Image Entertainment, which featured music videos from TV on the Radio, The Jesus Lizard, Singapore Sling, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Turbonegro, The Locust, British Sea Power, The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Fiery Furnaces, and others. Buddyhead have been part of a number of antics, including vandalizing The Strokes' tour bus, and an incident where they broke into Fred Durst's office at Interscope Records, stole three of his red baseball caps, took photos in front of his Limp Bizkit gold records, and then auctioned the hats off on Ebay, donating the money to a rape victim charity. Aaron North who co-founded and co-managed the label ended his association with Buddyhead in late 2008. Following his departure, Buddyhead "re-launched" their website and started publishing a gossip section every Monday. They also signed Los Angeles band Dios, with whom they released the EP Cosmic Rays. Buddyhead released the third Dios full-length, We Are Dios, on February 16, 2010 — their 31st release as a label. This was extremely well received in the press. including LA Weekly, Mojo, Spin, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork.
