Manifesto Records revamps, signs Drinking Flowers, Cellars and Band Aparte

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Evan Cohen
Evan Cohen

Long-running independent label Manifesto Records, which has been home to such artists as the Dead Kennedys, Tom Waits, Tim Buckley, the Wedding Present, Lilys and Concrete Blonde, is jumping back into the new music business.

The L.A.-based label, run by veteran music industry lawyer Evan Cohen, has announced the signing of three emerging Los Angeles bands — Drinking Flowers, Cellars and Band Aparte.

“I like new things and I’m excited by a lot of music I’ve heard from around Los Angeles,” Cohen said. “Each of these bands are doing exciting things in the their own way.”

Plans are to release singles by the bands before 2015 is up, Cohen said, with full-length albums to come next year. They would be Manifesto’s first new music releases since “El Rey,” the 2008 album by the Wedding Present.

“It’s been a long time,” Cohen acknowledges. “I’ve been doing this since the ’80s, and after many years of not putting out anything except reissues, I thought I’d start signing new things.”

He indicated more signings might be forthcoming, adding that the industry climate has changed since the latter part of last decade: “People have money to spend, they go out a lot, they go to see live music and they support the artists they like. Which is all good, although it didn’t look so good a few years ago.”