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"Craig and Julie have given a kid from Milwaukee the opportunity of a lifetime—to shine the Elektra spotlight forward to another generation of music fans."
—-Jeff Castelaz

CASTELAZ RISES AT ELEKTRA

Former Dangerbird Records Co-Founder Named President of Legendary Label
With John Janick now in the building as IGA President/COO, the vacant Elektra presidency has been filled, as expected, by veteran indie label exec Jeff Castelaz.

Castelaz, who will report to Atlantic Records Group Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and Chairman/COO Julie Greenwald, has played a key role in the careers of Silversun Pickups, Fitz and the Tantrums, Sea Wolf, Dropkick Murphys, Eagles of Death Metal and Phoenix, among others.

He takes his place among a long line of iconic execs who’ve held that title, including Jac Holzman, David Geffen, Joe Smith, Bob Krasnow, Bruce Lundvall, Sylvia Rhone and Seymour Stein, among others. The Presidency was shared by Janick and Mike Caren, who was upped to President of A&R for all WMG labels in July.

Said Kallman and Greenwald: "Now into its seventh decade, Elektra Records has a unique spirit, cultivated by the elite group of creative mavericks who've run the label and the eclectic artists they've signed. Building on the remarkable success since the label's re-launch in 2009, Jeff is the perfect choice to forge the next extraordinary chapter of Elektra's story. With Jeff at the helm, Elektra will continue to grow its distinct personality and evolve as one of the industry's most consistent and powerful forces in artist development."

"I'm honored to step into the pilot's seat of this incredible label," said Castelaz. "I couldn't be more excited to uphold Elektra's legacy of long term development of vital artists—a principle that has been the touchstone of my entire career. I look forward to suiting up as the newest member of the crack Artist Development squad known as Atlantic Records Group. Craig and Julie have given a kid from Milwaukee the opportunity of a lifetime—to shine the Elektra spotlight forward to another generation of music fans."

Elektra Founder Holzman added: "Jeff's broad experience with indie recording and indie management has given him the perfect combination of energy, taste and a commitment to scout the edges and find those seminal artists, a bit ahead of their time, who are capable of making a significant contribution to those who embrace the best of new music. I look forward to our association."

Castelaz co-founded Dangerbird Records and Music Publishing in 2003, building it into one of the leading independent labels on the West Coast before exiting last month. He signed and guided the careers of a wide range of artists, including Beady Eye and Richie Sambora, among others. He founded Cast Management in 1992, where he manages Dropkick Murphys and hit producer/songwriters Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Tony Hoffer and Jacquire King.

He also sits on three boards: the President's Circle of the Lance Armstrong Foundation/Livestrong; Radio Milwaukee, a non-commercial Triple A station, and the Pablove Foundation, a pediatric cancer charity he founded with wife Jo Ann Thrailkill, which funds innovative pediatric cancer research and programs that improve the lives of kids and families living with childhood cancer named after his late son Pablo, who died at six years old of the disease in 2009.

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