HOW DID FOUR HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS FROM LAS VEGAS BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROCK BANDS OF THE 2000'S?

FIND OUT HOW BRENDON URIE AND COMPANY FLIPPED THE VEGAS MUSIC SCENE ON ITS HEAD AND REINVENT THE POP PUNK WHEEL HERE!

THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER...THIS WEEK BELONGS TO RISING POP ROCK ROYALTY: PANIC! AT THE DISCO.


ORIGINALLY FORMED BY DRUMMER SPENCER SMITH AND GUITARIST RYAN ROSS, BASSIST BRENT WILSON WAS INVITED TO JOIN, FOLLOWED BY FRONT-MAN BRENDON URIE, ONCE THE OTHER THREE REALIZED THE LATTER’S TRULY UNIQUE SINGING POWER.

AFTER RECORDING DEMOS IN THEIR HOMETOWN OF LAS VEGAS IN 2004, PANIC! AT THE DISCO CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF FALL OUT BOY BASSIST PETE WENTZ WHO SIGNED THE BAND TO HIS OWN FUELED BY RAMEN IMPRINT, DECAYDANCE RECORDS. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BAND, ORIGINALLY NAMED PET SALAMANDER, WAS DESTINED TO BE MORE THAN JUST A BLINK-182 COVER BAND.

WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP HAVING RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, THEY DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATION OF FUELED BY RAMEN TO RECORD THEIR DEBUT ALBUM IN COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND AT S.O.M.D. STUDIOS.

THE SESSIONS TOOK PLACE OVER FIVE WEEKS, AS MOST OF THE SONGS HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY URIE, ROSS AND SMITH PRIOR TO ENTERING THE STUDIO. BETWEEN JUNE AND SEPTEMBER OF TWO-THOUSAND-FIVE, THEY’D REHEARSE AND RECORD FOURTEEN HOURS A DAY, WITH URIE EVEN BLOWING OUT HIS VOICE UPON ALBUM COMPLETION!

THE ALBUM, TITLED "A FEVER YOU CAN’T SWEAT OUT", SHOWCASED A TALENT FOR WRITING CATCHY ROCK HOOKS, WHILE MAINTAINING AN APPRECIATION FOR CLASSICAL BAROQUE POP. THE ALBUM WAS SPLIT IN TWO, WITH THE FIRST HALF FOCUSING ON POP-PUNK AND EMO SONGS, AND THE SECOND HALF FEATURING ACCORDION AND ORGAN AMONG OTHER TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTATION.

FIVE SINGLES ACCOMPANIED THE RELEASE, INCLUDING “THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARTYRDOM AND SUICIDE IS PRESS COVERAGE” AND “LYING IS THE MOST FUN A GIRL CAN HAVE WITHOUT TAKING HER CLOTHES OFF”, BOTH BEING MARGINALLY SUCCESSFUL.

HOWEVER, IT WAS THE BAND’S NEXT SINGLE, “I WRITE SINS, NOT TRAGEDIES”, THAT BECAME A COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. IT PEAKED AT NUMBER SEVEN ON THE BILLBOARD HOT ONE HUNDRED, BEING THE BAND’S ONLY TOP TEN SINGLE UNTIL 2015. THE ACCOMPANYING MUSIC VIDEO, PARODYING TURN OF THE CENTURY CIRCUS PERFORMANCES, WAS VOTED THIRD ON BILLBOARD’S LIST OF THE BEST MUSIC VIDEOS OF THE TWO-THOUSANDS.

THE FREEDOM TO MAKE THE MUSIC THEY WANTED AND TO SET THEMSELVES APART FROM THE LAS VEGAS SCENE MADE "A FEVER YOU CAN’T SWEAT OUT" A COMMERCIAL AND CRITICAL HEAD-SCRATCHER UPON RELEASE. THE ALBUM DIVIDED CRITICS, WITH ROLLING STONE AND KERRANG! PRAISING IT, BUT LEAVING PITCHFORK UNIMPRESSED. STILL, IT HAS GONE ON TO BE A “GENRE-DEFYING BLUEPRINT”, PERFECTLY REPRESENTING WHERE EMO MUSIC WAS AT, CIRCA TWO-THOUSAND-FIVE.

“I WRITE SINS, NOT TRAGEDIES” STILL REMAINS A STAPLE OF 2000'S POP NOSTALGIA, AND WAS NOMINATED BY MTV AND FANS ALIKE AS THE BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF THE 2000'S.

ALL THESE YEARS LATER, WITH PANIC! AT THE DISCO UNDERGOING MANY SONIC SHIFTS AND LINEUP CHANGES, IT’S STILL HARD TO FIND A MOMENT IN THEIR DISCOGRAPHY THAT REIGNS MORE SUPREME. FOR ITS CABARET-STYLE PERFORMANCES, TONGUE-IN-CHEEK CHART-TOPPING SINGLES, AND REVERED POP PUNK LEGACY, "A FEVER YOU CAN’T SWEAT OUT" BY PANIC! AT THE DISCO IS OUR GREATEST ALBUM EVER...THIS WEEK.

LiveXLive is seeking a Director of Marketing to lead day-to-day marketing activities in brand, promotional, social/content marketing, and more. The ideal candidate has a passion for the music industry, can balance both the creative & analytical sides of marketing, and has a successful track record of developing innovative marketing campaigns in a fast-paced environment. 

Responsibilities include

  • Strategy & Planning:
    • Own marketing strategy in promotional marketing channels, including social media, CRM, partnerships, paid media, and more.
    • Create marketing plans for free & pay-per-view shows that drive viewership (free) and ticket sales (PPV).
  • Creative:
    • Oversee the development of all creative marketing collateral, including key art, banner ads, social media, email, in-app, and other promotional materials.
    • Work with key internal (designer, product team, PR, artist relations) and external (sponsors, artist teams, partners) stakeholders on creative development and approvals
  • Social Media:
    • Develop/optimize the LiveXLive social media audience, content, and platform strategies across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube
    • Manage a team of social media managers and content producers
    • Test and learn with emerging platforms like Community.com and Tsu
  • Data/Reporting
    • Manage the post-campaign reporting process for all shows & series
    • Work with the internal analytics team to gather data and find key insights to inform marketing strategy and performance

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of marketing experience, with a focus on digital and social platforms
  • You have owned marketing strategy and planning, identifying clear KPIs and delivering demonstrable results 
  • You have managed a team of at least 2 people.
  • You have hands-on experience creating social content, managing social communities, and analyzing social data. 
  • You’re a curious, self-starter that continually looks for new opportunities to market the brand, build and engage audiences, and promote content. 
  • You have strong resiliency and ambition to get things done despite an often-changing market and competitive situation
  • You’ve got serious attention to detail while easily juggling many tasks at once
  • You’re a music lover with music and/or entertainment industry experience (preferred)
  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field

 

Please send resumes to Jobs@livexlive.com

Posted on 10/01/2020

LiveXLive is seeking a self-starting project management specialist with unparalleled attention to detail and a knack for getting stuff done to join the marketing team. As the Senior Manager, Marketing Operations & Project Management, you’ll have experience managing projects, identifying resources and timelines needed to deliver successful outcomes, and working cross-functionally with many departments and key stakeholders. 

Responsibilities include

  • Project Management:
    • Manage the day-to-day projects of the marketing department, ensuring projects get done on time and have buy-in from internal and external stakeholders.
    • Create and distribute timelines, deliverables, and key information for each project/campaign.
    • Help on-board new projects, including new livestreams, sales deals/sponsorships, and other partnerships. 
    • Manage the overall company show production calendar to ensure all departments are aligned on show dates, times, and details. 
  • Creative Development / Asset Management:
    • Own asset management for all projects, including style guides, logos, approved artist images/videos, and more.
    • Work closely with design and product teams to ensure they have all assets and are able to deliver marketing and website content in a timely manner.
  • Data/Reporting
    • Assist marketing team members in gathering data and content from various sources to create post-campaign reports.
    • Ensure that marketing team members are regularly reporting and sharing successes with executive management and throughout the organization

Qualifications

  • 5+ years in project management or operations on a marketing team
  • You have a deep understanding of campaign development/management and creating plans to execute successfully.
  • You’re a master juggler. You can multiple projects, stakeholders, and deadlines at a time with ease.
  • You have experience working cross-functionally with people from different teams, including sales, product, engineering, marketing, production, and more. 
  • You’ve got the ability to change direction at the drop of a hat and adjust timelines as needed.
  • You’ve used collaboration, project management, and asset management tools, such as JIRA and Google Drive, and you could even teach us a trick or two about them. 
  • You can achieve alignment with team members in different offices and time zones throughout the US.
  • You’re a clear, concise communicator with the ability to break complex tasks or projects into easy-to-understand concepts.
  • You love music, and you may have even worked in the music or entertainment industries before.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or similar area.

 

Please send resumes to Jobs@livexlive.com

Posted on 10/01/2020

AS GANGSTA RAP WAS STARTING TO TAKE OVER THE NEW YORK SCENE, WHAT WAS LL COOL J TO DO BUT FIGHT BACK? FIND OUT HOW HE PULLED OFF ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMEBACKS IN HOP HOP HISTORY HERE.


LL COOL J WAS FACING SOME SERIOUS BACKLASH AFTER THE RELEASE OF HIS THIRD ALBUM, “WALKING WITH A PANTHER” IN NINETEEN EIGHTY NINE. MANY PEOPLE WITHIN THE HIP HOP COMMUNITY THOUGHT LL HAD LOST THE NARRATIVE, AND WITH HIS SALES DWINDLING, HE NEEDED TO MAKE HIS NEXT MOVE A BIG ONE.

LL VOWED TO GET BACK TO HIS HARDCORE HIP HOP ROOTS, AND SINCE THE IN-HOUSE DEF JAM PRODUCTION SQUAD L.A. POSSE HAD RECENTLY LEFT THE LABEL, HE INSTEAD ENLISTED THE HELP OF DJ MARLEY MARL TO GIVE THE NEW ALBUM A MORE AGGRESSIVE, IN-YOUR-FACE SOUND. MARLEY MARL’S ABILITY TO CHOP AND REWORK SAMPLES WOULD END UP BECOMING A CAREER-DEFINING SOUND FOR THE PRODUCER.

RECORDING SESSIONS FOR THE NEW ALBUM WERE HELD AT LL’S HOME STUDIO, THE “HOUSE OF HITS” IN CHESTNUT RIDGE, AND AT CHUNG KING STUDIOS IN NEW YORK CITY.

FIVE SINGLES WERE RECORDED AND RELEASED WITH THE ALBUM. “AROUND THE WAY GIRL” PEAKED AT NUMBER NINE ON THE BILLBOARD HOT ONE HUNDRED AND BECAME LL’S FIRST TOP TEN SINGLE.

OTHER SINGLES FOR THE ALBUM INCLUDED “TO DA BREAK OF DAWN”, “THE BOOMIN SYSTEM” AND “SIX MINUTES OF PLEASURE”, ALL CHARTING AND GIVING LL SOME RECOGNITION ON THE BILLBOARD, DANCE AND RAP CHARTS.

HOWEVER, IT WAS ANOTHER SINGLE THAT WOULD GIVE LL’S NEW ALBUM ITS NAME. INSPIRED BY HIS GRANDMOTHER TO “KNOCK OUT” HIS NAYSAYERS, “MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” WAS RECORDED AS A MISSION STATEMENT FOR LL COOL J, SILENCING HIS CRITICS AND ANYONE IN THE RAP GAME WILLING TO RUN THEIR MOUTH. THE SONG HIT NUMBER ONE ON THE BILLBOARD RAP SINGLES CHART, AND PROVED LL’S STAYING POWER IN THE FACE OF GANGSTA RAP.

RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER FOURTEENTH, NINETEEN-NINETY ON DEF JAM, “MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” REIGNITED INTEREST IN LL COOL J, AND HE PROVED HIMSELF TO BE AS TOUGH AND FUNNY AS ALWAYS. FRANK MEYER OF YAHOO! MUSIC SAID LL HAD SET THE WORLD ON FIRE, AND THE EPONYMOUS SINGLE EARNED LL A GRAMMY FOR BEST SOLO RAP PERFORMANCE, BEATING OUT ICE-T AND MC HAMMER FOR THE AWARD.

“MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” HAS SINCE BEEN DECLARED LL’S BEST ALBUM, AND HAS BEEN CERTIFIED DOUBLE PLATINUM BY THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA.

RECORDED AS A CLAP BACK AGAINST A CHANGING RAP LANDSCAPE, “MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” SHOWED THE WORLD THAT LL COOL J WASN'T A RAPPER TO BE IGNORED, AND HE STILL REMAINS A HOUSEHOLD NAME TO THIS DAY.

ITS TIMELESS PRODUCTION, TOUGH AS NAILS LYRICS, AND ITS MESSAGE TO ALWAYS STICK TO YOUR GUNS IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION ALL SHOW WHY “MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” BY LL COOL J IS OUR GREATEST ALBUM EVER...THIS WEEK.

LiveXLive is seeking an experienced marketing leader to lead global customer acquisition and develop our martech stack. The ideal candidate brings enthusiasm for acquisition, subscriptions and  passion for the customer, and creativity to challenge our way of thinking. He/she will be responsible for delivering digital and offline marketing campaigns to acquire new customers and drive profitable growth for the business. In this role you must be very comfortable with the analytical side of marketing and be able to manage many stakeholders to move your projects forward. Entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for music and entertainment.  Creative, self-starter who thrives in fast paced environments.

Responsibilities include

  • Own growth marketing channel strategy and execution, driving engagement and conversion for LiveXLive
  • Set and manage monthly and yearly goals for profitable growth; pitch for budget, build channel-level forecasts, and consistently hit new customer growth, CPA, and LTV targets
  • Define and implement the customer acquisition strategy and model through key initiatives and core business products and LiveXLive franchises
  • Focus on trial starts, trial activation, trial to paid conversion, purchase to conversion
  • Identify, test, and scale new digital acquisition channels
  • Build sustainable cross functional relationships across the business, especially product, marketing, content and finance
  • Design and execute outbound and inbound marketing campaigns, to owned and non-owned channels, including SEO, paid, referral programs, email campaigns and viral product initiatives
  • Be accountable for business case creation and oversee all go to market initiatives
  • Develop new ideas and execute new-user acquisition initiatives outside of traditional paid marketing
  • Regularly analyze results, produce and communicate insights both internally and with partners, and make proper course corrections to drive KPIs
  • Collaborate with product teams to optimize user experience including sign-up, onboarding, and upgrade flows
  • Accelerate packaging and pricing decisions as needed across PPV and subscription bundles
  • Work with sales, product marketing, and business development to identify growth opportunities
  • Independently run, ad-hoc projects to analyze and understand business implications of proposed decisions
  • Compile industry research, competitive intel, information about new tools and opportunities, and produce business case supported recommendations for how to take advantage of these things
  • Deep experience independently managing  the following channels: Display, Affiliate, Facebook/Instagram, YouTube, Search (SEO) and App Store Optimization

Qualifications

  • You have 8+ years experience in growth marketing and scaling tech companies, ideally a successful startup
  • Having pricing experience and/or subscription experience is a plus.
  • You have owned growth marketing channels and driven demonstrable results, owning and achieving core growth KPIs.
  • You are ambitious and creative, and are prepared to develop and own moonshot initiatives for new-user acquisition alongside experiments for optimizing owned-channel.
  • You have a deep understanding of marketing funnels and know how to optimize and drive each stage.
  • You are self-sufficient and have a good sense for behavioral psychology.
  • Strong sense of urgency and attention to detail to continually improve the user's experience
  • You’re a great communicator with experience conveying ideas to end users and engineering teams alike.
  • You’re comfortable developing marketing strategies using both quantitative and qualitative insights.
  • Strong resiliency and ambition to get things done despite an often-changing market and competitive situation
  • Excellent ability to build relationships and networks with multiple functions, regions, and at all levels of the organization
  • Are comfortable working in a small high-growth startup with offices in multiple locations
  • Degree in Business, Marketing, or related field, ideally an MBA

 

Please send resumes to Jobs@livexlive.com

Posted on 09/18/2020