ACCLAIMED ARTIST DEAD CONFEDERATE IS FIRST SIGNING; "WRECKING BALL" DUE OUT IN FALL
(New York, NY) - Razor & Tie Entertainment and Gary Gersh's The Artist Organization (TAO) have announced a long-term strategic partnership through which the companies will sign recording artists. Combining Gersh's formidable A&R skills with Razor & Tie's full-service marketing staff and infrastructure, the venture will sign a handful of exciting new artists each year.
Razor & Tie's Co-Owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam had this to say: "Gary is one of the most accomplished individuals in the music business and someone who has demonstrated unique talent in discovering, nurturing and promoting great artists. Razor & Tie is one of the fastest growing and largest indies in the industry. We believe Gary can help these artists reach a larger audience in innovative and creative ways". Gary Gersh commented, "Razor & Tie is the natural home for my new label. Cliff and Craig and their company have had success with a diverse array of projects, artists and genres. In this ever-changing musical climate, Razor & Tie consistently stays ahead of the curve and I am happy to be part of this partnership."
The first release on the TAO imprint will be from the Athens, Georgia-based rock outfit Dead Confederate (www.myspace.com/deadconfederate). The psychedelic-meets-grunge sound of Dead Confederate created quite the buzz at this year's SXSW festival with a number of well-attended shows, including a much-coveted opening slot for R.E.M. at their only festival appearance. Paul Rees, editor of Q, called Dead Confederate the "best discovery" he didn't know about prior to attending the festival. The band has been wowing audiences and critics alike and has strong support from such influential radio stations as KEXP/Seattle, WOXY/Cincinnati and WXPN/Philadelphia.
Recently featured on the NPR website (their track, "The Rat" was Song Of The Day), NPR stated, "Dead Confederate's wall of sound feels cinematic and atmospheric, loud and beautiful". Paste commented, "this dramatic band forges a distinct style", while Spin.com avowed, "Dead Confederate's sincere versatility drives home rock'n'roll that is damn well alive and kicking". The band was also recently featured as Artist Of The Day on Spin's website.
Dead Confederate's debut eponymous EP is currently available digitally and at traditional retail. Their first full-length album, WRECKING BALL, will be released in the fall and is produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead). Dead Confederate has just wrapped up tour dates as support for Drive-By Truckers and will continue to tour throughout the summer.
Industry veteran Gary Gersh has been instrumental in the success of countless well-known and Grammy-Award-winning artists such as David Bowie, Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, Pat Metheny, The Mars Volta, Counting Crows and many more. Gersh is the Founder and CEO of The Artists Organization.
New York-based Razor & Tie Entertainment is one of the fastest growing independent entertainment companies in the United States. Razor & Tie successfully sells audio and video products through traditional retail distribution, direct response television advertising and ecommerce based websites. Founded by co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam, Razor & Tie is a vertically-integrated company that encompasses a record company with major label distribution, a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, an experienced marketing, promotion and sales team, a direct marketing operation and a growing database of entertainment consumers.