Okay, we’re in: Any time we can talk about a business expanding these days, it’s a good thing. And so it is that we announce the progress of Octone Records, which today announced that it has secured distribution with BMG.

Octone, an Alternative/Rock indie owned by James Diener, who is also VP A&R/Marketing at Clive Davis’s J Records, will release two records this year: One by L.A.-based Maroon5, whose album will street June 25, and the other by New York-based White Light Motorcade (formerly The Blow Up), which is due this fall.

Also announced today is an artist-development agreement between Octone and J to share the marketing and promotion of certain artists. After a period of development on Octone, these artists will be "upstreamed" to J.

Said J President Charles Goldstuck, "James and Octone are now uniquely positioned to focus on quality artist development. We at J are excited at the prospect of our future collaboration."

Added Diener, "It is with great thanks to Clive Davis, Charles Goldstuck and the entire J Records team that Octone Records has this special opportunity to establish and develop new artists. We are looking forward to a very successful artist development affiliation with J Records in the search for outstanding new talent."

Prior to joining J, Diener was VP, A&R/Marketing for Columbia.