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“The success of Hollywood Undead's new album launch is testament to months of dedicated online, offline and viral artist development."
—-James Diener, A&M/Octone Chairman CEO

HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD COMES ALIVE

Diener’s A&M/Octone Records Breaks MySpace Darlings Wide-Open
Just call A&M/Octone Records the regenerators as they bring the undead to life.

That’s the job label Chairman/CEO James Diener and company have done for L.A.-based rap metal-rockers Hollywood Undead, an Internet phenomenon that sold more than 20k albums its first week, debuting at #20 on HITS Album sales chart last month with their release, Swan Songs. The album is still on the charts, selling almost 7k per week, and has now sold a total of nearly 44k.

“The success of Hollywood Undead's new album launch is testament to months of dedicated online, offline and viral artist development,” says Diener. “Our plan continues by building the band—step by step—to an increasing mainstream audience and successively wider sales base."

The band is just the most recent high-profile success from Diener’s A&M/Octone team, which recently celebrated the platinum status of Flyleaf and continues to enjoy double-platinum sales for Maroon 5. Hollywood Undead’s Top 20 chart bow and impressive iTunes showing is a credit to the label’s artist development efforts, with campaigns that make use of viral, grass roots, online, social networking, extensive touring and word-of-mouth to market and promote the artists toward ultimate mainstream acceptance.

Hollywood Undead is supported by massive online buzz at MySpace, Facebook and other major online outlets and tastemakers. The group’s first headlining tour kicked off Sept. 19 on the West Coast, following their live debut in August 2008 at the Virgin Mobile Festival—a performance slot they earned after winning more than a quarter of a million votes in the company’s “Book the Band” contest, which kick-started their career.

The rap-rock group’s roots go back to 2005 when Deuce and J-Dog posted a song, “The Kids,” on MySpace, which led them to hook up with friends Johnny 3 Tears, Charlie Scene, Funny Man, Da Kurlzz and Shady Jeff, who later quit, to form Hollywood Undead.

Within nine weeks on MySpace, they generated almost a million plays and by 2006, they were leading the site’s top unsigned artists list with more than 8 million plays. By earlier this year, the band had over 40 million plays and 400k friends. Members perform in individual masks, which originated from posting pictures of them in hockey masks on their MySpace page. They are also the top-rated rock band on community phone builder SayNow.

The outfit’s debut album was produced by Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails), Don Gilmore (Linkin Park) and band member Deuce, with the album opener "Undead," setting the tone as the first single.

"Undead," has debuted on both Alternative and Active Rock radio charts nationwide, following early adds at CIMX and WRIF/Detroit, XTRA/San Diego, KPBI/Denver, KPNT/St. Louis, 98Rock/Baltimore, WBUZ/Nashville, WJJO/Madison, WXTB/Tampa, WJRR/Orlando, KTEG/Albuquerque, WBY/Ft. Wayne, WGRD and WKLQ/Grand Rapids, KDJE/Little Rock, WTFX/Louisville, WKQZ/Saginaw, KRAB/Bakersfield, WJBX/Ft. Meyers, XM Radio and more. Breaking placements include Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 09 and Rock Band 2 games.

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