Collection: Crooked Beat Label

Crooked Beat Records started our record label 2014 to put out music by artists from the Washington, DC area. Crooked Beat has produced five seven-inch records and six albums, and counting, including tributes to The Clash and Jonathan Richman and titles featured by nationally for Record Store Day.

New Releases

RSD Release of the 30th Anniversary Double LP on Opaque Baby Blue colored vinyl. Includes remixes from Dave Barbe the original album’s producer in 1995.

This is the 30th Anniversary release. Ripe For The Trade Off was highly critically acclaimed and was in heavy rotation on college radio all around the US in 1995. Often compared to bands like The Clash, Fugazi and Husker Du, Insurgence Dc recorded this album with David Barbe, of Bob Mould’s band Sugar, in Athens GA, in 1993-94.

Ripe For The Trade Off was hailed by some critics to be one of the best punk albums of 1995. Independent Magazine said that “Ripe For The Trade Off synthesizes the high points of two decades worth of overtly political punk”, while Indie File Magazine said in 1995 “this stuff packs the punch of a prize heavyweight... Smart, without being stuffy or pretentious.”

Upon remixing the album in 2024, David Barbe said “This album still holds up musically and lyrically three decades after its’ initial release!”

As part of Record Store Day, Ripe For The Trade off will be released for the first time as a double LP. The album will also include unreleased bonus tracks mixed by Don Zientara (Fugazi) at Inner Studios in Arlington.

This will be 500 numbered copies pressed on Red Vinyl and features artwork by Brian Walsby!