LAVA GETS A WHOLE LOTTA LOVE

The pact, which has been in negotiations for months, will be signed either today (6/19) or tomorrow (6/20) by Flom and WMG boss Roger Ames, with an official announcement to follow by the end of the week.

Flom will immediately begin staffing up the label with promotion, publicity and marketing departments. The company will continue to share some services with Atlantic for the time being, including sales, distribution and new media.

Platinum Lava acts Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and Trans Siberian Orchestra will remain with Flom's new company, though other label artists, such as Matchbox Twenty, The Corrs and Sugar Ray, continue with Atlantic/Lava.

The 41-year-old Atlantic veteran has spent more than two decades at the label, helping start the careers of everyone from Twisted Sister and White Lion to Tori Amos.

“Jason can tell the real thing from trendy, of-the-moment acts,” Atlantic Group Co-Chairman/Co-CEO Azzoli told New York magazine in 1999. “He’s got a great bullshit-detector.”