Out on the Street: A&R round up – new signings, who’s buzzing & more…
New Warner Bros. Records signing Kimbra
Following on from Wednesday’s info about Gotye, it looks like Universal-Republic have also been busy elsewhere with their checkbook. There is whispering that the label is in line to scoop LA’s Youngblood Hawke out of the free agent pool, with Rob Stevenson once again the A&R rep in the chase. And the label’s interest in new Australian acts may stretch beyond just Gotye to include fellow-countrymen Boy & Bear. Word has it that the deal is done, with a US release for the Sydneysiders’ album – yet another slab of post-Local Natives/Fleet Foxes layered harmonies – Moonfire upcoming.
In related news, it seems like Andy Olyphant and Warner Bros. Records may have inadvertently stumbled onto a gold nugget with their signing of Kimbra earlier this year. They did beat out some other labels to sign the New Zealand-born pop artist, but there is no disguising the complete lack of Stateside profile for her at the time. That of course has changed with Kimbra’s appearance on the Goyte “Somebody That I Used to Know” single, giving her at least wider name recognition. Just goes to show that A&R is luck, some times more than talent… Meanwhile, Rob Cavallo has signed L.A. singer and songwriter LP, who was most recently working with producer RedOne prior to be signed by the WBR chairman.
And last week came word that popular New Jersey act Gaslight Anthem left the indie world and their home at SideOneDummy for Mercury Records. The move prompted much head scratching in many quarters, especially in light of the burgeoning dominance of the independent scene in the 2011 marketplace. The choice by the band flies in the face of general wisdom amongst canny managers and lawyers, as more artists of Gaslight’s stature (such as Wilco?) are actually fleeing the major system. With many independent labels achieving sales and chart debuts of the scale previously only reached by the Big Four, on terms much more equitable for the artists, and without the plenitude of multi-rights demands of the larger companies, the decision is somewhat baffling.
Label interest in Hanni El Khatib is now possibly spanning the Atlantic, with folk from both XL and Wichita spotted at the LA act’s recent hometown show at the El Rey. Both companies would make sense as a possible home, with XL of course flush with money from the success of Adele, and as the long time home for the White Stripes outside North America, while Wichita has spent the last year signing some of the best new US bands, including Best Coast and WILD FLAG… Meanwhile, XL-affiliated label Abeano (run by the the UK A&R rep instrumental in signing Vampire Weekend) has licensed much blogged about Danish punk/hardcore act Iceage, recently re-releasing the band’s debut album New Brigade… On the indie front, Beggars Group’s Rough Trade label quietly signed Howler during the summer, scooping them up when many other labels were still snoozing… Sacramento’s Sea of Bees – the nom de plume of Julie Ann Bee – an NPR favorite, highly rated in Europe with their releases via Heavenly and popular in the film & television licensing world, are on the lookout for a new US home… San Diego act The Drowning Men have signed with Borstal Beat Records, the new label started by Flogging Molly, and the Paradigm Agency has signed on with the band as well… And it may be early days, but one act that seems to be starting to draw the interest in the biz, especially in the indie world, with their prodigious talents, are newcomers Alabama Shakes… Elsewhere, Minus the Bear are once again rumored to be looking for a new record deal, after a brief one album stint on LA’s Dangerbird label.
05.4.10California Calling, Fans Answering…
California Calling: Joe Sib's Stories of Growing Up Punk Rock
A lot has happened with Joe Sib’s “broken word” one-man show, California Calling since he began with a few local shows last fall. Sib, who also co-owns indie label SideoneDummy Records (Flogging Molly, Gaslight Anthem) and hosts the syndicated punk-rock radio show Complete Control (heard in L.A. on 98.7), just returned from a handful of well-received West Coast performances and there’s no sign of slowing down. His honest and humorous stories about growing up immersed in the California punk-rock scene also opened recent Bad Religion and Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem) shows in Hollywood, and while the growing success of the show might seem like somewhat of an anomaly, it’s clear that music fans young and old, regardless of scene or genre, are identifying with the show’s core theme of family, adolescence and a passion for music. Those are topics many can relate to, including an increasing list of artists who are tapping Sib to perform with them. He was recently asked to do an opening set at the upcoming Angels & Airwaves show at the Palladium after Tom Delonge caught a performance in San Diego, and he will be in NYC for two shows later this month – all that’s next is the TV special, right? Tonight California Calling is at Largo LA with acoustic performances from special guests. For more info and video clips from past shows head to CaliforniaCalling.net
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Childre Collide Play Musebox Pre-SXSW Party @ The Roxy
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