The label was founded in 1981 and its first releases were flexi discs that were issued with Rich's Talk Talk magazine. The first four albums issued by the label were issued on cassette only before the label started issuing its releases on vinyl.[1][2]
Fresh Sounds from Middle America
The Fresh Sounds from Middle America series of compilation albums was organized by Bill Rich as a way to promote regional bands on a national level.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
^ abcdeThese releases did not have a Fresh Sounds catalog number shown on the release itself, but the number was shown in the printed Fresh Sounds catalog.
^Enthal, Andrea (April 1986). "College Radio". Spin. p. 110. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2011.
^Steven Blush; George Petros (October 19, 2010). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Feral House. p. 262. ISBN978-1932595895. Archived from the original on April 27, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Bill Rich of Fresh Sounds (and Talk Talk zine) put out the Fresh Sounds From Middle America comp tape and early cassettes by local greats The Embarrassment and Mortal Micronots (later The Micronotz).
^Fricke, David (December 18, 1986). "The Underground Empire". Rolling Stone. pp. 116–122. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Lawrence, Kansas, has been a hotbed of alternative music for several years, thanks principally to the indefatigable Bill Rich, who runs the hardy, little Fresh Sounds label there. As far back as 1981, Rich was issuing the first pressings by the Lawrence bands Get Smart! and the Embarrassment, both of whom went on to underground-cult fame.
