CandyRat Records

CandyRat Records
Founded2005
FounderRob Poland
GenreFingerstyle, Percussive fingerstyle
Country of originUnited States
LocationMenomonee Falls, Wisconsin[1]
Official websitecandyrat.com

CandyRat Records (also stylized as CANdYRAT) is an independent American record label and online music store located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.[1] They primarily represent instrumental guitar artists, with a focus on acoustic guitar, but include electronic music, alternative rock, singer-songwriter, and progressive rock, with musicians coming from many countries.[2][3]

Rob Poland founded the label in 2004, first signing fingerstyle guitar talent Don Ross,[4] followed by Andy McKee,[5][6] Antoine Dufour, and three other artists before officially opening in 2005.[7] CandyRat Records has been called the "biggest acoustical guitar label in the world",[8] and the two-handed tapping technique of playing the guitar to produce bass, rhythm, melody and harmony, which is practised by many of its artists, has become known as the CandyRat style.[9] The label gained fame after videos on its official YouTube page, 'rpoland', gained viral success.[10] Recording sessions are filmed and uploaded, contributing to the success of the albums.[11][12] As of November 2014, the most popular video on the channel, a live recording of Andy Mckee's "Drifting",[13] garnered over 50 million views.[14][15] Their YouTube channel has over a half-million subscribers and almost four-hundred million views.[16]

CandyRat Guitar Night Tour features CandyRat Records' guitar virtuosos traveling the U.S. and the world.[9][17][18][19][20] For 2017, Antoine Dufour and Ian Ethan Case toured.[21] CandyRat is also a festival partner for the Wilson Center Guitar Competition & Festival, with Rob Poland and the CandyRat headliners as some of the judges for the fingerstyle competition.[22][23]

Artists

CandyRat Records had over 50 signed and independent artists as of August 2017.[24]

Current

Former

References

  1. ^ a b "CandyRat Records". AllRecordLabels.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  2. ^ "Home | CandyRat Records". www.candyrat.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "Intervista a Rob Poland, fondatore dell'etichetta CandyRat Records - Fingerpicking.net". Fingerpicking.net (in Italian). April 7, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "Don Ross & Calum Graham | Daily Hive Vancouver". dailyhive.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. ^ "Andy McKee – Biography | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Chen, Jeff Z. "INTERVIEW On YouTube, musicianship, and guitars – The Tech". tech.mit.edu. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "CANDYRAT Web Store Official Launch" (PDF). May 1, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "On this month's Acoustic Presents CD… | Acoustic Magazine". www.acousticmagazine.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d ESTWICK, DOUGLAS (April 10, 2013). "No average joe strummer". South-West News. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Retrieved May 10, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "Q&A with Andy McKee". The Badger Herald. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  11. ^ a b Ward, Nick (May 1, 2008). "Disconcerted by a bone-shaker". The Nelson Mail. p. 14. Retrieved May 10, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ a b Reich, Josh (February 12, 2009). "Power keeps blowing hot". The Nelson Mail. p. 11. Retrieved May 10, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ a b Condran, Ed (February 8, 2008). "Obscure no more. YouTube exposure does wonders for Andy McKee". Asbury Park Press. Asbury Park, New Jersey. p. 23, jersey alive!. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Rao, Akshay (November 1, 2015). "Flying fingers: CANdYRAT Records". livemint.com/. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  15. ^ ""Drifting" Official Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021.
  16. ^ "Candyrat Records". YouTube. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d e Steinberg, David (March 23, 2012). "Guitarists' road shows a success so far". Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. p. 3, Venue. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  18. ^ "Tours | CandyRat Records". www.candyrat.com. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  19. ^ a b c "Playing beautiful music". Sunshine Coast Daily. September 22, 2017. p. 19. Retrieved May 10, 2019.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ "CANDYRAT GUITAR NIGHT – Apr 6 2013, 7:30PM". vanlarkins.com.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Guitar virtuosos Antoine Dufour & Ian Ethan Case to play Lakeward Spirits Event Center". Buffalo Rising. May 3, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  22. ^ "Wilson Center Guitar Festival". Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  23. ^ "2017 Guitar Fest Judges". Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  24. ^ "CandyRat Artist List". CandyRat Records.
  25. ^ "Brendan Power Harmonica". www.brendan-power.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  26. ^ nurun.com. "High River guitarist shares stage with mentor". High River Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  27. ^ Fanelli, Damian (April 1, 2017). "Chris Mike Premieres Solo Guitar Arrangement of "Bohemian Rhapsody"". Guitar World. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  28. ^ "Chris Woods Groove – Guitarworld". www.guitarworld.com.
  29. ^ "Video Finds: Daniel Voth "Brazil"". Guitar World. March 1, 2014. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  30. ^ Hatherly, Tara (August 1, 2013). "Beach native, Ewan Dobson, becomes online music star". InsideToronto.com. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  31. ^ "Guitar virtuoso Gareth Pearson, AKA the Welsh Tornado, touches down in Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. July 2, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  32. ^ "An Evening with Candyrat Recording Artist Ian Ethan Case". St. Louis Magazine. November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  33. ^ "Meet Luca Stricagnoli, the Guy Who Can Play Two Guitars at Once". Social News Daily. July 1, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  34. ^ "Matthew Santos". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  35. ^ "Reign of Kindo – Biography | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  36. ^ "Van Larkins – House Concerts Australia". www.houseconcertsaustralia.com. Retrieved August 22, 2017.[permanent dead link]