Prominent independent music publisher/production music library Black Toast Music and its CEO/owner/founder Bob Mair have announced the launch of “Black Toast Records” as a new label within the company.
Mair said, “Due to the overwhelming demand from fans that have heard our music in various films and TV shows, we decided it was a great time to form Black Toast Records. We can now offer our fans the means by which they can find, listen, and buy the latest releases from dozens of the great indie artists and singer/songwriters whose music we have placed in hit TV series and movies.”
Among the initial artists whose music will be represented by the Black Toast Records Label are St. John, Sonny Ellis, Paul Otten, G-Stack and Kelly Pardekooper. Black Toast has previously placed music from these indie artists within “True Blood,” “Treme,” “Supernatural,” “Modern Family,” “Weeds,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “30 Rock,” “CSI Miami,” and countless other entertainment properties. For the first time, these tunes are now for sale via Black Toast Records.
Concurrently, Black Toast Records, through submissions from Taxi, has signed several indie artists, including Paul Otten, and has already placed their music in prominent TV shows. Taxi, a company that promotes itself as the world’s leading independent A&R company, helps independent artists, songwriters and composers secure record, publishing, and film/TV placement deals (www.taxi.com)
As a Side Note: Mr. Mair will be speaking on a Taxi produced panel on November 6th, from 9-10:30 AM, in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, as part of Taxi’s Road Rally 2011 series of events. The session is entitled: “Film & TV Pitch/Q&A Panel”. During the session, randomly selected songs from Dropboxes will be played and questions will be answered. Previous members have secured publishing deals and Film/TV placements as a result of this panel. Joining Mair will be Michael Laskow (Moderator), Marianne Goode–Music Supervisor and Founder, All Media Music Group, Andy Gowan – Music Supervisor, “How I Met Your Mother,” Peter Greco – Music Supervisor and Producer; Music for Advertising, and David Trotter – Executive Producer/Creative Director, “Studio 51”.
Regarding the launch of Black Toast Records, indie artist Richard Trapp (aka St. John), whose music has been placed through Black Toast in “Dexter,” “30 Rock” and “Treme,” said, “The way the music business has been declining, having a new label like Black Toast Records gives fans of a song they heard on their favorite TV show instant gratification. They can go to iTunes right after they hear it, and grab it…it’s futuristic, like from ‘The Jetsons.’ Also, these songs can sell themselves independently of their airing on a TV show. This new label gives artists such as myself an alternative route into the industry and represents a way of legitimizing a one-off track that would otherwise have disappeared. Music artists on the fringe now have an entrée into the system—they have a shot at selling their material independently of having to be with a major record label.”
Black Toast Records Artist Kelly Pardekooper, whose music has been featured in “True Blood” and “Cold Case,” said, “Bob Mair is taking his 20 years of publishing experience and is now extending it into digital downloads. I’m excited about his new venture, which allows for the availability of music from TV shows and films to fans. To me, iTunes and TV placements represent the ‘new radio’ for showcasing the music of independent artists. Bob has taken a selection of 15 years worth of my material, some of which has appeared on ‘True Blood’ and ‘Cold Case,’ and is making it available on iTunes. He has proven expertise in cross-marketing music across both digital and TV media.”
Adds Black Toast Records artist Paul Otten, whose music has been featured in “Access Hollywood” and “Happy Endings,” “For an artist like myself, based in Cincinnati, Black Toast Records offers me the exposure for my music in films and TV shows that I couldn’t have gotten otherwise. Bob Mair’s experience allows indie artists like me the opportunity to get their material into markets that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”
About BLACK TOAST MUSIC
Founded in l990 by noted musician/composer/producer Bob Mair, Black Toast Music is a leading independent music publisher/production music library and record label based in Chatsworth, CA. Since its launch, the company has placed music in many hundreds of television series, including such hits as “True Blood,” “Dexter,” “Treme” and “The Wire.”
Black Toast also supplies music to TV specials and TV movies; dozens of high profile motion pictures, including “Arthur,” as well as “When In Rome,” “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” “Dead Silence,” “Jiminy Glick,” and others; videogames such as “Dance Dance Revolution” for Konami; Internet and National advertising campaigns such as Domino’s Pizza, and numerous, multi-media presentations.
Black Toast Music contributed the main title theme (composed by Bob Mair and David Feldstein) for the hit Nickelodeon animated TV series “Glenn Martin, DDS” (created by Michael Eisner’s company Tornante). The series airs on Nick @ Nite.
For more information about Black Toast Music and Black Toast Records, please see www.blacktoastmusic.com.
