Jeff Castelaz
Encyclopedia
Jeff Castelaz is Co-Founder and CEO of two closely intertwined companies: Los Angeles-based Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records
Dangerbird Records is an independent record label located in Los Angeles, California. Founded by Jeff Castelaz and Peter Walker in 2004, the label is home to artists across the globe, as well as part of the burgeoning Silver Lake music scene. Their small roster of artists has enjoyed international...

 and The Pablove Foundation.

Early career

As a student at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...

 in his hometown of Milwaukee, Castelaz was involved in promoting concerts at the school as well as being a DJ at WMSE-FM. He was also the music editor for the now-defunct weekly paper Downtown Edition, and worked as a freelance writer for Milwaukee Magazine
Milwaukee Magazine
Milwaukee Magazine is a monthly city magazine serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area in Wisconsin, United States. It bills itself as "Southeastern Wisconsin's most authoritative source for Events and Dining," and claims to be read by 200,000 readers....

and Los Angeles-based Ray Gun
Ray Gun (magazine)
Ray Gun was an American alternative rock-and-roll magazine, first published in 1992 in Santa Monica, California. Led by founding art director David Carson, Ray Gun explored experimental magazine typographic design. The result was a chaotic, abstract style, not always readable, but distinctive in...

magazine. These experiences led to Castelaz being asked to manage local band Wild Kingdom. Eventually Wild Kingdom broke up, and its members started Citizen King
Citizen King
Citizen King was an American music group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose style was a mix of hip-hop, soul and punk. They are best known for their top 40 hit "Better Days ", which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1999....

 in 1993 to pursue more eclectic musical directions.

Castelaz is also credited with inadvertently inspiring the logo design for Milwaukee band Chainfall, which was formed from the ashes of underground stars Die Kreuzen
Die Kreuzen
Die Kreuzen was a rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin which was formed in 1981. The name is broken German for "the crosses", and was picked up by the band from a German Bible...

.

As manager for Citizen King, Castelaz guided the band to sign with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 for their album Mobile Estates
Mobile Estates
Mobile Estates is Citizen King's first major record release. Many songs off this album were used in pilot episodes and the series finale of Malcolm in the Middle. A remix of "Better Days " was used in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds...

. Their single "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)
Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)
"Better Days " is a 1999 single by the American music group Citizen King, and featured on their album Mobile Estates...

" became a Top 40 hit and went gold in the summer of 1999, ranking on seven Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

charts including #3 on the Modern Rock chart. The songs from Mobile Estates were also licensed for film, television, trailers and commercials.

While continuing to manage Citizen King, Castelaz began managing other bands including Cupcakes, who were then signed to Dreamworks; and The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring is an American emo band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In their early years, their music was usually classified as emo, but their later albums could be described more accurately as indie pop. They split up in 2002 and temporarily reunited in 2005...

, which Castelaz moved from Jade Tree to Epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...

's imprint ANTI-
ANTI-
ANTI- is an American record label founded in 1999 as a sister label of Epitaph Records.While Epitaph's focus has shifted over the last decade from mostly punk rock, nowadays ANTI- has a more diverse roster, ranging from country , hip hop , reggae , Soul , folk , rap-rock , indie rock...

. Castelaz also started managing producer Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer is an American producer, guitarist, and music mixer who is credited for his work on multiple platinum-selling albums including The Kooks, The Thrills, Beck, Supergrass, Turin Brakes and Air...

, who produced the second unreleased Citizen King record. Castelaz and Hoffer have continued their working relationship on records by artists such as Air
Air (band)
Air is a music duo from Versailles, France, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. The name Air is derived from the backronym which translates to Love, Imagination, Dream....

, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

, The Thrills
The Thrills
The Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...

, The Kooks
The Kooks
The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty...

, Belle and Sebastian, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....

, Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes are a modern folk duo, comprising Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, hailing from Balham, London. They had a UK top 5 hit with their song "Painkiller ".-1999–2003:...

, and more.

Castelaz moved to Los Angeles in February 2000, and continued building on his industry experience with the creation of Cast Management. Cast Management clients including songer-songwriter Peter Walker
Peter Walker
Peter Walker may refer to:* Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, British politician* Peter Walker , American landscape architect* Peter Walker , the name of two members of a Scottish brewing family, and their two companies...

, the band Division Day
Division Day
Division Day is an alternative rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of four members: Ryan Wilson , Rohner Segnitz , Kevin Lenhart and Seb Bailey ....

 and producers Dave Cooley, Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer is an American producer, guitarist, and music mixer who is credited for his work on multiple platinum-selling albums including The Kooks, The Thrills, Beck, Supergrass, Turin Brakes and Air...

 and Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Justin Meldal-Johnsen is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work with Grammy Award-winning artist Beck. He served as the touring bassist for Nine Inch Nails during their final tours.-Recording career:...

. Castelaz continued working with these clients as he transferred the roster to Dangerbird.

Dangerbird

Launched in 2004 with co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Peter Walker
Peter Walker
Peter Walker may refer to:* Peter Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, British politician* Peter Walker , American landscape architect* Peter Walker , the name of two members of a Scottish brewing family, and their two companies...

, Dangerbird encompasses six divisions: record label, management, music publishing, merchandising, licensing and a recording studio. Dangerbird is now home to more than 30 bands—Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....

, Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2001, the group features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving...

, Sea Wolf
Sea Wolf (band)
Sea Wolf is a band led by Alex Brown Church, an indie folk musician based in Los Angeles, California. Church attended film school at NYU and was a founding member of a group called Irving in 1998...

, Fitz and the Tantrums, Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...

, Darker My Love
Darker My Love
Darker My Love is an indie psychedelic rock band based in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of 5 members. Tim Presley, a former member of the band The Nerve Agents and also a visual artist responsible for much of the band's imagery, formed the band in 2004 and contributes vocals and guitar...

, Delphic
Delphic
Delphic are an alternative dance band from Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They are signed to Polydor and released the single "Counterpoint" in April 2009 through R&S Records, produced by Ewan Pearson...

, The One AM Radio and Eulogies, among others—as well as producers and fine artists. Dangerbird Management represents Eagles of Death Metal
Eagles of Death Metal
Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. Hughes stated that a friend was introducing Josh Homme to the death metal genre...

, Jon Fratelli of The Fratellis
The Fratellis
The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in...

 and producer Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer
Tony Hoffer is an American producer, guitarist, and music mixer who is credited for his work on multiple platinum-selling albums including The Kooks, The Thrills, Beck, Supergrass, Turin Brakes and Air...

 (Phoenix
Phoenix (band)
Phoenix is a Grammy Award winning French indie rock band from Versailles, founded by Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz.-Formation and early years:...

, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...

, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...

, Belle and Sebastian, Air), while the company’s licensing agency represents a growing number of non-Dangerbird artists, including the roster of Brushfire Records
Brushfire Records
Brushfire Records is a Haleiwa, Hawaii based record label owned by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. The label, formerly known as The Moonshine Conspiracy Records, was originally made to release soundtracks for Woodshed Films, a surfing movie production owned by Jack Johnson, Emmett Malloy, and...

 (Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (musician)
Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...

, G. Love
G. Love
Garrett Dutton , better known as G. Love, is the frontman for the band G. Love & Special Sauce.-Biography:Dutton, the son of a banking lawyer, was born in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, and began playing guitar at age eight. He wrote his first song by the time he was in the ninth...

, Matt Costa
Matt Costa
Matthew Albert Costa is a singer-songwriter from Huntington Beach, California.He has five independent releases: two self-recorded EPs, and three full-length CDs released via Brushfire Records.-Life:...

, Money Mark
Money Mark
Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...

, Rogue Wave, and others), as well as The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap is an Australian indie rock band which formed in 2005. The core members are Jonathon Aherne on bass guitar and vocals, Toby Dundas on drums and programming, Dougy Mandagi on vocals and guitar, and Lorenzo Sillitto on guitar, keyboards and vocals. They are supplemented on tours with...

, Gotye, Kele Okereke (of Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...

), The Boxer Rebellion, The Vaccines
The Vaccines
The Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011....

, and more.

Dangerbird Records announced that they will release the debut album from Beady Eye
Beady Eye
Beady Eye are an English rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Gem Archer and guitarist Andy Bell, all former members of Oasis, rounded by drummer and percussionist Chris Sharrock who substituted for Oasis during their last tour in 2008/2009, before Oasis...

 in the U.S. on March 1. Different Gear, Still Speeding features 13 brand new songs written by the band and recorded at RAK Studios in London with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...

 (U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...

, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...

, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...

).

The Pablove Foundation

In May 2008, Castelaz and his wife Jo Ann Thrailkill established The Pablove Foundation, when their four-year-old son Pablo was diagnosed with cancer and treated at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), located just 10 blocks from Dangerbird. Pablo died on June 27, 2009, just six days past his sixth birthday. Today, the non-profit organization carries Pablo’s buoyant spirit in its national dedication to funding pediatric cancer research, educating and empowering families dealing with cancer, and improving the quality of life for children living with cancer through hospital play, music and arts programs. The Pablove Foundation’s scientific advisory board is composed of the brightest minds in the pediatric cancer field, including doctors and researchers from Harvard, Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

, USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

, City of Hope
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center, is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States...

 and others. Castelaz also serves on the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a United States 501 nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer, founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. The LAF states that its mission is 'to inspire and empower' cancer sufferers and their families...

 President's Circle board, which advises CEO Doug Ulman in the Foundation’s mission to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

In 2008, Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...

 of Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...

 became involved with the Pablove Foundation, reforming her band Garbage to contribute an exclusive track, "Witness to Your Love", to a charity album for the Foundation. The singer also signed a Pablove poster for auction on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...

, hosted a fundraiser headlined by the Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....

,and performed acoustically on-stage at a second fundraiser with Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....

 and Tom Gabel
Tom Gabel
Thomas James "Tom" Gabel is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and a guitarist for Gainesville, Florida punk rock band Against Me!, as well as a solo artist. He was born on Fort Benning, Georgia a US Army post, where his father was stationed. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and formed Against...

, and with Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...

 (for a cover of Pablo Castelaz’s favorite song, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

's "Life on Mars?").

On October 6, 2009, Castelaz appeared as special guest on an episode of Loveline
Loveline
Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....

, the syndicated radio show broadcast from KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...

, to promote The Pablove Foundation.

In fall of 2009, Pablove launched its inaugural cross-country bike ride, Pablove Across America, which covered 3,100 miles and included the participation of cycling champion Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...

. Along the route from St. Augustine, FL to Los Angeles, Castelaz visited the cancer wards at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Phoenix Children’s and CHLA. These experiences led to Castelaz being featured as Person of the Week on ABC Nightly News in November 2009.

On October 2-21, 2010, Castelaz completed the second PAA ride, this time covering 1,425 miles from Seattle to Los Angeles, and raising more than $800,000 for the fight against childhood cancer. Along the route, they visited children’s hospitals in Seattle, Portland, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles to deliver Oscar Litwak Foundation mobile playrooms (oscarlitwakfoundation.org). At the ride’s conclusion, Castelaz disclosed details of two $50,000 research grants that The Pablove Foundation has established for childhood cancer research beginning in 2011.

Castelaz continues to try to convey his message of the horrors of childhood cancer to different communities. In 2011, Castelaz is featured prominently in several issues of Peloton Magazine, a Los Angeles based cycling magazine project. Also, as of 2011, both Dangerbird Records and Pablove are sponsors of the Pasadena Athletic Association cycling club, as can be seen featured prominently on the shoulders and arms of the PAA Team Kit.

The two annual Pablove Across America charity bike rides—in which Jeff has personally cycled thousands of miles and visited children’s hospitals all over the country—have raised a combined total of $1.1 million to fund the fight against childhood cancer. Details for the third annual PAA ride will be announced in early 2011 at a benefit concert in Jeff’s hometown of Milwaukee, at Turner Hall Ballroom on Saturday, January 29. This special evening of music will feature a rare, acoustic headlining set from Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups
Silversun Pickups is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band comprises Brian Aubert, Nikki Monninger, Christopher Guanlao, and Joe Lester....

, along with performances from their labelmates Fitz & The Tantrums
Fitz & the Tantrums
Fitz and The Tantrums are an American soul/indie pop band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2008. Their debut studio album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, released in August 2010, has received critical acclaim and reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. They were heralded as a "band to watch"...

 and Maritime
Maritime (band)
Maritime formed in 2003 out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After these two bands broke up, singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Eric Axelson hooked up and started a band called In English. The group quickly signed a deal with the record...

, and much more.

External links

  • http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/
  • http://www.pablove.org
  • http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/person-week-jeff-castelaz-9192870
  • http://www.onmilwaukee.com/music/articles/castelaz.html?viewall=1
  • http://www.spin.com/articles/liam-gallagher-his-new-band-beady-eye
  • http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2090433&spid=783
  • http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2010/12/flinging_into_action_dangerbir.php
  • http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2010/12/south-bay_synth-poppers_the_li.php
  • http://filtermagazine.com/index.php/news/entry/silversun_pickups_fitz_the_tantrums_to_perform_at_pabloves_benefit_concert/
  • http://kroq.radio.com/2010/09/21/fighting-cancer-with-a-bike-and-a-rock-n-roll-heart/
  • http://bicyclepaper.com/news/2010/10/07/pablove_across_america_rolls_from_seattle_to_la_october_2-21
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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