*Poof*. And like that, it's over. The financially troubled KINDERCORE RECORDS has shut down. The label, once home to the majority of the Elephant 6 Collective, has announced via a post on their message board that it, as well as its parent group The Telegraph Company, will cease operations effective immediately. Sadly, this doesn't come as much of a shock. About two years ago, the original owners of Kindercore sold out to the Telegraph Company to avoid bankruptcy and closure, and after that move, the label's biggest draws began immediately searching for new homes. The Telegraph Company will remain in effect as a distribution outlet, which means that the Kindercore back catalog will remain in print and able to purchase. But it DOES mean that completed and expected new albums from JAPANCAKES, I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, MASERATI, and others are shelved. It DOES mean that these bands, along with Kindercore faves DRESSY BESSY, Olivia Tremor Control off-shoot THE SUNSHINE FIX, and OF MONTREAL will have to find new homes (for what it's worth, the guys in Of Montreal told us some time ago they were through with the label.) Regardless, it's kind of a sad day. The label was far removed from its halcyon days of buy-everything-it-puts-out-because-Kindercore-don't-put-out-crap, but it leaves us aching for another US label of the same calibre. Who's to become our favorite stateside label now? Skippy, it's time to put MARCH RECORDS in overdrive... will the label-less former Elephant 6 bands follow the trend of The Essex Green and move to MERGE or trail The Marshmallow Coast to MISRA? Or will our hottest tipped label become the young upstart FUTURE APPLETREE RECORDS with a roster so impressive it hurts? Time will tell...