Punk Rock Payroll began in 2003 as the brainchild of Frede Zimmer. Frede and Misty Zimmer started Punk Rock Payroll in a 2-bedroom apartment on the corner of 9th & Jackson streets on the edge of the "Little Cambodia" section of South Philadelphia. Zimmer originally started the business making buttons, screenprinting album covers, tee shirts, and producing merchandise primarily for local and nationally touring bands he had met over the years. Along the way he began producing   merchandise for many different independent and major record labels.

In 2004, Frede discovered Jay Purdy and Matt Gibson of The Extraordinaires, and felt a natural progression to expand the company into its own label. He then signed The Extraordinaires as Punk Rock Payroll's first band, and in 2006 released the operatic full-length "Ribbons of War" album.

Music released on the Punk Rock Payroll label completely abandons the traditional jewel case manner of packaging. All three full length releases from artists The Extraordinaires have been released as hand-bound, hand-screened storybooks, with illustrations accompanying the album's lyrics.

Jay Purdy's solo project, Pyramid $keem, released a full-length rap album in 2006. Packaged to look like a self-help dvd, the album's first copies were sold with stickers, business cards, and refrigerator magnets inside.

In addition to music, Punk Rock Payroll also released "Ribbons of War: The Musical" on DVD. Filmed at Space 1026 in Philadelphia during the traveling production, R.O.W. the Musical included the program from the show, for those who weren't able to attend the very limited northeast performances.

In 2008, a split-7" record "Battle of the Vans" was released featuring The Extraordinaires, who recorded three songs for the A side, and Kill You in the Face, who recorded three songs for the B side.The packaging for this 7" is a fully functioning, hand-screened board game that was actually created and tested by the bands and the label that includes a die, playing cards and game pieces.The vinyl itself is a red base with white marshmallow clumps mixed into it.

In March of 2009, artist Kill You in the Face released their EP, "The Mighty Atlas", on a USB-enabled toy Ray Gun. The USB holds not only the 6 song EP, but also a making-of video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the mold and ray guns, and band photos.

In June of 2009, the Extraordinaires released "Electric and Benevolent" on Punk Rock Payroll, their third full length release.

The company is often described as a DIY label, signing local artists and collaborating with them on a very close and personal level to produce all of the music releases and their packaging.

Punk Rock Payroll's current roster includes:

• The Extraordinaires
• Kill You in the Face
• Lux Perpetua
• Dangerous Ponies
• Pyramid $keem

New music coming from Lux Perpetua this summer, the first "non digital" Lux Perpetua album on the Punk Rock Payroll label.