| New Underground Records | |
| Founded: | [1] |
| Founder: | Danny Phillips Gary Kail |
| Genre: | Punk rock |
| Country: | United States |
| Location: | San Pedro, Los Angeles |
New Underground Records was an American independent record label founded by Danny Phillips (a.k.a. Danny Dean[1]) and Gary Kail.[2] Phillips and Kail were influenced by D. Boon and Mike Watt's New Alliance Records label and decided to create their own to promote bands they knew.[2] Alongside New Alliance, New Underground was one of the first DIY labels in the South Bay punk scene of the 1980s.[1]
Their compilitation album, Life Is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself, featured songs by Red Cross ("Rich Brat" from Red Cross),[3] Descendents ("I Wanna Be a Bear" from Milo Goes to College),[3] Minutemen ("Shit You Hear At Parties" from The Politics of Time),[3] Saccharine Trust (Disillusion Fool),[3] Mood of Defiance ("Empty Me" from Now),[3] [4] and Ill Will ("Paranoid Midnight Deposit".)[5] Kail came up with the title for the compilation.[2]
Other compilations were entitled Life Is Beautiful So Why Not Eat Health Food? and Life Is Boring So Why Not Steal This Record?,[2] with the latter featuring artwork by Raymond Pettibon.[2] Phillips named these albums.[2] A fourth was planned but never completed.[2]
Life Is Ugly So Why Not Kill Yourself was re-released by Delerium Records in 2001.[9]