PHILADELPHIA
When the Redwalls recently performed on David Letterman’s “Late Show,” it wasn’t just a boost for the indie rock band trying to make a name for itself. It was also a point of pride for the band’s label student-run MAD Dragon Records at Drexel University.
“Everyone around the country could see something that we were working on,” said junior Amanda Melczer, 20.
At a school more known for engineering and technology, Drexel’s music industry program is an emerging gem. It’s one of the most selective programs at the Philadelphia university, with close to 600 applications for 54 freshman seats, school officials said.
What makes the program unusual is a deal with Ryko Distribution that MAD Dragon chief executive officer Marcy Rauer Wagman helped secure in 2005. While other college-run labels sell mostly locally or through Web sites, Drexel’s artists get their CDs in stores across the country, from mom-and-pop shops to Best Buy.
“When we got the deal with Ryko, that definitely put us on the map nationally,” said senior Christianna LaBuz, 22. “People started taking us a little more seriously.”
MAD Dragon’s latest release, the Swimmers’ album “Fighting Trees,” came out March 4 and the label expects to put out a CD by rootsy musicians Hoots and Hellmouth in June.
