live ‘stache: ONKYO Supplies SXSW with Premium Quality Audio

Be the first to try out Onkyo’s new line of headphones at The Brooklyn Vegan Day Parties March 13-16th and Equal Vision Records Showcase March 15th.

 Onkyo, the world’s foremost manufacturer of home theater and hi-fi components, is pleased to announce the Onkyo Headphones – the brand’s first time offering their authentic hi-fi experience on the go.

Onkyo will be introducing its new line of on-ear headphones – the ES-HF300 and the ES-FC300 – at this year’s SXSW Music Festival.

Music fans will be able to demo the Onkyo headphones before they hit the shelves at several events: The Brooklyn Vegan Day Parties, March 13-16^th at The Main and The Jr., and the Equal Vision Records Showcase on Friday, March 15^th at the House of Blues (Annex). Both events are free and open to the public.

Hang with Onkyo at The Brooklyn Vegan Day Parties:

Wednesday March 13 – Saturday March 16th at The Main and The Jr. / Red River & 6th Street

Featuring performances by:
Day 1 / March 13th: Delorean, Savages, Cavemen, Maserati, Anamanaguchi, Marnie Stern, Torres, Robyn Hitchcock, Camper Van Beethoven, Braids, Caitlin Rose, Deep Sea Diver, Heliotropes & Indians
Day 2 / March 14th: Death, Cloud Nothings, The Spitz, Metz, Milk Music, Rough Francis, Single Mothers, Beach Fossils, Widowspeak, Parenthetical Girls, Paws, Moon King, Jacco Gardner, J. Thoven, & Shugo Tokumaru
Day 3 / March 15th: The Polyphonic Spree, Akron/Family, The Thermals, Shout Out Louds, Diamond Rings, Toy, Half Moon Run, Today Is The Day, Pallbearer, Ken Mode, Royal Thunder, Inter Arma, Batillus & Baptists
Day 4/March 16th: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Austra, A Place To Bury Strangers, Foxygen, Palma Violets, Autre Ne Veut, Empress Of, King Tuff, Doldrums, MS MR, The Orwells, Peace (UK), Feathers, White Lung & Teen

Onkyo Presents: Equal Vision Records at SXSW 2013
Friday March 15th 12 – 6pm at House of Blues (Annex) / Red River & 6th Street

Featuring performances by:
The Dear Hunter
HRVRD
Set It Off
I The Mighty
Pretty & Nice
Kurt Travis
Northern Faces
Ed Tullett

The Onkyo ES-FC300 model will be available in three striking finishes: black with a red cable, white with a white cable, and violet with a violet cable. The ES-HF300 model will come in black with an audiophile-grade 6N oxygen-free copper cable encased in clear elastomer, providing almost perfect conductivity while keeping touch noise to a minimum.Event goers will be able to demo and enter-to-win the ES-FC300 model of the Onkyo headphones at both events.

Not going to SXSW but still want to experience Onkyo’s premium audio sound? Onkyo and Brooklyn Vegan have teamed up to give listeners the opportunity to win the new headphones or an LS2100 Envision Cinema Home Theater Audio System at the Onkyo Facebook page.

live ‘stache: The ‘stachetastic SXSW 2012

Here’s some fun shots and recaps from a very ‘stachetastic SXSW 2012!

Alan Becker says:

What struck me the most this year was the high profile of all the metal acts performing at SXSW especially ours!  Heck, even uber-hipster label Matador signed one called Ceremony . The enduring-ness of RED labels such as Metal Blade, Fearless, Equal Vision and Relapse who had the largest crowds I have ever seen at their events and loudest reaction ever from both attendees and fans made me realize we have the best in this genre that never goes out of style. I got a chance to see For Today and Job For A Cowboy and both had 1000+ kids enthralled.

Springsteen owned it but RED presented the buzziest of all buzz bands, Alabama Shakes, and all you have to do is read to read the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, New York Times or Washington Post to fact check that statement. Our labels and artists did a fantastic job at every stop we made. I was inspired.

RED labels had a chance to present some of  the most anticipated shows Mom and Pop’s Sleigh Bells at VEVO Presents at The Moody Theatre and  Andrew Bird headlining for NPR Music. ATO’s Alabama Shakes for KCRW  at their Day Stage and Glassnote’s Daughter in the most spectacular Church setting just perfect for their beautiful songs.

Fast growing 30 Tigers and Red Bull also presented acts in front of large enthusiastic audiences, especially noteworthy were Red Bull’s Twin Atlantic and 30 Tigers’ Trampled By Turtles  who were impressive at multiple shows.

That’s a little taste of SXSW 2012 and if you wish to know more just give me a call, Alan

 

Joe Esposito says:

One of my favorite performances the whole week was Oberhofer. The venue was packed so tight I could barely move.  Brad’s performance was so energetic and captivating that they gave off a special aura to the crowd and I could tell everyone felt it (even The Temper Trap’s lead singer couldn’t keep his eyes off the band).  At one point during a song, Brad ran off stage, up the stairs, through the crowd and climbed down the patio back on the stage.  He was a real rock star.

Another special performance was Eleven Seven’s new signing Nico Vega who played at Rusty’s Thursday night.  This was a full band with a female lead and her voice and stage presence blew me away and I rarely remember a crowd so into it as much as they were. All I can say is get ready for this band! A new Victory band, The Royalty, played at Rusty’s right before Nico Vega. The Royalty is a young 5-piece band from El Paso. The entire crowd was young emo/punk rockers dancing and cheering the whole set.  The band was different than your average rock band that might get grouped in to that genre and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed them.  Definitely unique!

One of the last shows I saw was Sleigh Bells opening for Nas at ACL Live, one of the biggest venues at SXSW.  1,500 people packed in the floor, and two balconies above us.  The band was as loud and energetic as always and the crowd closest to the stage was waving their arms and banging their heads while singing along.  At one point Alexis crowd surfed and people were going crazy.  Definitely one of the best shows and turnouts the whole week.  Perfect match for the headliner Nas. 

Finally, the last performance I’d like to highlight is Daughter, Glassnote’s new signing.  The venue was a church and it was dark, quiet, and set the perfect mood for this beautiful and deep music.  Every pew was filled up and the people were enraptured with the lead singer’s voice and the soothing music.  Easily one of the most talented singer-songwriter groups I saw the whole week.

Other shows to highlight were Alabama Shakes and Andrew Bird at Stubb’s Weds night.  Hands down two best shows of the day. Also Heartless Bastards at the convention center on Friday was flawless.  Metal heads were digging Hull at Lovejoys.  Neon Indian rocked the Hype Hotel late Friday night.  And cannot forget Tom Morello at the New West Party on Thursday.  His guitar solos were awesome and the best part was at the end when he called up the entire audience on stage to sing the last song.  Billie Jean and I were about 5 ft from Morello!

Wendy Washington says:

Overall, my impression is that it’s clear that SxSW is no longer an exclusive indie experience, it’s evolved into an authentic multi-genre music & branding experience.

Sleighbells performance at the Vevo party was dynamic.  Alexis owned the stage in a way I haven’t seen before, the sound (even the intentional distorted songs) was clear, they drew a big crowd and the pairing with NAS was what SxSW is all about.  Oberhofer at the Filter party was a great performance.  Although the band is alternative, this band has tremendous pop potential (several accessible songs, cute guys, etc.).  Citizen Cope @ IFC party- he gave his usual great performance to a standing-room-only crowd which was a surprising mix of people singing the lyrics from clean cut frat boys (!) to hipsters. The audience he drew was a revelation- so much so that I had to ask some of the people I was standing next to how they discovered Cope.

Alabama Shakes @ Stubbs- this is a band that has to be seen live to fully appreciate, there is nothing else in any genre out there like them.  There’s a buzz on Harriet who performed@ the Indaba showcase and Hacienda @ the Sony Electronics/’stache media showcase.  Other highlights:  Julia Nunes gave a poignant performance.  Trixie Whitley debuted some new songs she’s working on.

Sleigh Bells at the VEVO showcase (picture taken by Chris Frankenberg) Watch the show here

Pavla Mikula & Sarah Landy say:

Monday:
Caught Oberhofer at the interactive showcase hosted by Tumblr. The inside room at The Mohawk was so packed that people were watching from the entrance/staircase off the side of the stage. The showcase hosted about 20 bands total but there were a ton of online media there to specifically see Oberhofer including contacts from Vice, Refinery 29, and of course Tumblr. Sarah and I chatted with Oberhofer’s manager and he seemed really pleased with the way SXSW was kicking off for him.

Tuesday:

Media Temple hosted a showcase at Stubb’s with Twin Atlantic, Kasabian and Miike Snow. There was a massive line/crowd to get in and Twin Atlantic opened the night to amazing reception. People around Sarah and I kept asking us “who is this band, they are awesome” and by the time Twin Atlantic finished their set, Stubb’s was packed. The band sounded the best I’ve ever seen them and The Red Bulls were stoked on the show.

Wednesday:

Wednesday’s highlight was definitely the ‘stache/Sony Electronics showcase. We had a ton of media in attendance kasabianincluding ESPN, Flavorpill, Fuse, Tom Lisack from CBS, Indaba, L Magazine, Livestream, NY Times and Rolling Stone. Key contacts from Fearless, Equal Vision, The Collective and Friendly Fires all came out to support their artists and everyone commented on how smoothly and on time everything was running. I worked with Maya and Jenn from Sony Electronics on coordinating on-camera interviews with Sony Tablet product placement featuring our artists: Static Jacks, Eve 6, WATERS and Alberta Cross. All of the bands were really excited about being gifted Sony products and playing our showcase.

‘stache was also hired by IODA and the French Bureau Export to do online marketing for three different showcases, also happening on Wednesday. We were on-site meeting media and coordinating artist interviews during the day and spent time with several team members from both IODA and The Orchard.

Thursday:

Saw fresh New West signees White Violet kick off the daytime New West showcase, then headed over to the Sony showcase to catch performances by Dry The River and Trampled By Turtles. This was a private rooftop event and both artists played to a full terrace of people and new fans. Alabama Shakes at the Hype Machine’s event, Hype Hotel, were also fantastic. The Hype Hotel space consistently had a line around the corner as they had commissioned some of the top tastemaker blogs such as Aquarium Drunkard, Gorilla vs. Bear, and My Old Kentuckly blog to curate and co-sponsor showcases. A number of RED artists were part of the Hype Hotel week long line-up including: Alabama Shakes, Jimmy Cliff, Youth Lagoon, White Rabbits, and Tennis. The anticipation in the room ahead of the Alabama Shakes set was electric, it was already impossible to move 20 min ahead of the Shakes’ set time and the performance certainly proved to be a SXSW highlight for many as the band lived up to and beyond their buzz. Later that evening I caught up with Andreas at The End’s showcase, and spent some quality time with the Kirtland Records team and Phil Costello at Club De Ville where Sarah Jaffe, White Rabbits, and Tennis all performed.

Friday:

The Equal Vision showcase was pretty incredible – they reached capacity right before Say Anything went on, and kids were lined up and swarming into the street trying to gain entry into the venue. During the set, the entire room was singing along to Say Anything lyrics so loudly that you could barely hear the band’s vocals. Natalie and Francesca from Equal Vision were really pleased with the turn out. The Fearless Records showcase was also really tightly run and organized and I managed to catch a really fun set from The Static Jacks before running to support ATO at the Filter Magazine showcase where Lucero were playing to a gregarious full house. Earlier in the day, I also saw the Indaba team at their showcase, which was curated purely from unsigned bands from the Indaba community – really impressive talent overall!

 

Tara Wurts says:

Waterloo instores.  All 9 were packed.  I have to say that my favorites were Lucero, The Cult and Oberhofer. TX Legend, Ruthie Foster, did a soulful in-store performance and owned the room as Ruthie always does.  We had crowds for all 9 in-stores…with nearly 2,000 for The Cult.  The Cult played songs from the new CD and a couple classics.  Lucero blew me away so much that I saw them twice (last time I had seen Lucero there were only 4 guys in the band…..it’s even more amazing with the expanded lineup).  I also wanted to give big ups to Say Anything…there were easily a hundred kids waiting in front of the stage at 10:45am for a noon in-store.  The band was super nice and super easy to work with…they may have had the largest signing line of the RED artists that signed (The Cult did not sign).  Shows I saw that rocked other than Waterloo in-stores had to be: Oberhofer and the Filter party, The Features at the Do512 party, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, Lucero, Hacienda, Trampled By Turtles, Joe Pug just to name a few.

Thought this was pretty cool and it shows all the people the Oberhofer connected with during SXSW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6tc8b-NnaQ

 

Edie Lundeen says:

It was great to be back to SXSW after missing the last couple years.  Not only has the festival practically doubled but seems like RED’s coverage in bands grew as well.  We really seemed to dominate!

We had a ton of radio programmers and jocks at the festival and Danny and got them out to many of our shows.  The key note and performance by Bruce Springsteen was definitely at the top of everyone’s list but it was pretty incredible that our RED artists, Tom Morello and Jimmy Cliff shared the stage with him!  Both of them played 3 songs each and everyone in the crowd knew who they were.  This performance was also taped for Austin City Limits so it will air on TV.  There was a definite buzz on Alabama Shakes and Dry The River!  Quite a few of the radio guys were looking forward to catching both bands again on their spring/summer tours. KNDD program director, Mike Kaplan was so blown away by his performance on Saturday.

Billie Jean, Sarah, and Pavla did an incredible job with the Sony Electronics/’stache media showcase on Wednesday night. We were able to get KROQ, Sirius XM, 91X all to the show for some time as well before they headed to see Twin Atlantic at the KROX show.  The Fearless showcase was over-packed and they had to cut the line off.  Eve 6 had an incredible set.  They had the crowd going with their hits as well as their new songs.  I was really impressed with The Features at their showcase on Saturday afternoon. The closer of the week was a massive performance of Mumford on the field of  the University of Texas.  If I had to take a guess of the crowd size, I would say there were 10,000+ there in addition to about 20 radio programmers.  It was a great way to close SXSW!

Danny & Edie with radio friends & Glassnote at Oberhofer 

buzz ‘stache: EQUAL VISION and KIRTLAND RECORDS Rejoin RED Distribution

New York, NY – January 19, 2012 – RED Distribution (a division of Sony Music Entertainment) has announced that Equal Vision Records and Kirtland Records have each signed a distribution deal to include both physical and digital rights.

Congrats to our sister company on this big news! Both labels have been distributed by RED previously.  By acquiring these labels once again it only bolsters the already diverse independent label roster.

Steve Reddy, President of Equal Vision, says “Equal Vision Records is proud and excited to be back in business with RED. We had a great deal of success at RED in the past, with bands such as Coheed and Cambria, Armor For Sleep, Chiodos, Circa Survive and many others. It definitely feels like more of a homecoming than a switch to a new distributor. RED has managed not only to survive in this difficult and always changing music environment, but has increased their services and improved their cooperative strategies in working with labels. Equal Vision Records has some hefty goals for its bands in 2012, and with RED’s knowledge and resources, we feel confident we will reach these goals.”

Adds John Kirtland, “Kirtland Records is very excited to be rejoining RED. RED’s track record is unparalleled in working with both established artists and breaking new ones.  In such changing times we need a partner who is as dedicated and progressive as we are — we found this with RED.”

“During their stay with other distributors, RED has evolved into a services and marketing company offering digital and physical distribution,” says Bob Morelli, President of RED. “RED’s structure and approach make it unique to the industry and unlike any other distribution company. I’m thrilled to be working with both Equal Vision Records and Kirtland Records again.”

In 2011, RED played an integral role with breakout artists including Jason Aldean, Mumford & Sons, AWOLNATION, Aaron Lewis and Thompson Square. Albums distributed by RED received 33 GRAMMY nominations from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony coming up on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

About RED Distribution

RED, the award-winning division of Sony Music Entertainment, headquartered in New York City, is widely recognized as the industry leader in music distribution and artist development.  RED specializes in digital and physical sales, marketing, D2C, radio promotion and product development for more than 60 independent record labels, as well as select artists from Sony owned labels. RED’s marketing outreach is unsurpassed in generating consumer awareness for artists, labels and brand partners.  In 2009, RED launched ‘stache media, an in-house marketing and brand partnership agency. ‘stache media’s expert staff provides marketing services in online marketing/publicity, college lifestyle marketing, advertising & consumer research, social media & fan engagement, creative services and brand/partnership marketing. Sony Music Entertainment’s acquisition of IODA, the premiere independent digital distributor, has expanded RED’s reach into international as well as domestic markets.

About Equal Vision Records

Equal Vision Records is an independent label based in Albany, NY founded in 1991 by Shelter vocalist, Ray Cappo. When his intense recording and touring schedule made it impossible to keep up with the growing label, his long-time friend, Steve Reddy, purchased the label in 1993. He has since run the label with his wife and a team of hardworking, passionate individuals. Equal Vision Records is currently home to a diverse roster of artists including Say Anything, We Came As Romans, Chiodos, and Eisley, and is the former home and career launching pad for bands such as Coheed & Cambria, Saves The Day, Circa Survive, and Portugal. The Man.

For Equal Vision Records media images, logos and contacts, please visit our press page here.

About Kirtland Records

Kirtland Records is an artist-friendly independent record label formed by Deep Blue Something drummer John Kirtland in 2004. Based in Dallas, Texas with a satellite office in Los Angeles, Kirtland Records is manned by a team of hardworking, passionate individuals driven by both a love of music and respect for artists. Kirtland’s current roster includes Toadies, Bob Schneider, Sarah Jaffe, and Smile Smile. Kirtland also owns a large catalog including, most notably, the first four records from BUSH, along with releases from The Flys, Deep Blue Something, Ranking Roger, Andrew Tosh, & Phunk Junkeez and many movie soundtracks.

Looking forward to a fresh and exciting 2012!