Rock Ridge Music is an independent record label based in Newark, New Jersey. Some of the more recognized artists on the Rock Ridge roster include Reel Big Fish, Psychostick, Stroke 9, Chris Volz, The Ike Reilly Assassination, and Sister Hazel.
History
Rock Ridge Music was founded in 2004 by Tom Derr, who previously held positions at RCA Records, A&M Records and Noise International, and most recently was the Vice-President of Marketing and Artist Development for Universal Records. Also associated with the label are Jason Spiewak, a songwriter who held positions at Artemis Records, Studio E Records, Takeout Marketing and TVT Records, as well as Chris Henderson, current guitarist for modern rock group 3 Doors Down.
Label services
Rock Ridge’s website includes a service called "Ghidrah", the name referencing the famous Godzilla adversary King Ghidorah, a dragon with three heads. In turn, Ghidrah allows visitors to listen to three random songs from Rock Ridge artists every week, and is symbolized by a dragon with three heads. Rock Ridge also has a deal with Live 365 to run an internet radio station called Rock Ridge Radio, that plays solely tracks from Rock Ridge artists past and present.
Rock Ridge also has an online store through Soundwave that sells general Rock Ridge merchandise as well as albums and other goods from most artists on the label's roster.
Rock Ridge Music's Marketing division offers online marketing clients to a large number of labels, majors (J Records and RCA) and indies (Chime Entertainment, TVT, and Razor & Tie). They have promoted acts including Daughtry, Collective Soul, Black Label Society, Better Than Ezra, Buckcherry, Rod Stewart and Barry Manilow.
Rock Ridge also offers artist management services to established and developing acts alike. Rock Ridge Music takes a long-term view with regards to career management, and encourages artists to trust their instincts and to stay creative. Current management clients include Sister Hazel, Pat McGee, Ernie Halter, The Revere, HalfDown Thomas and Chris Volz.
Distribution
The label's CD releases are distributed by Warner Music Group in hard product and digital form worldwide.
Current artists
(Accurate as per Rock Ridge Music website – August, 2008).
Previous artists
Current artist notes
- Many of the artists that are or have been on Rock Ridge’s roster have either been dropped by or are associated with major labels. Examples include Boy Hits Car and Edgewater of Wind-up Records, Kittie of Artemis Records, Cinder of Geffen Records, Sinch of Roadrunner Records, Stroke 9 of Universal Records and Reel Big Fish of Jive Records.
- In addition to releasing products nationwide in stores, Rock Ridge releases a large amount of internet-only offerings through iTunes. So far these have been limited to EPs and live content. A notable exception is the internet release of Mr. North’s Lifesize.
- Five.Bolt.Main included ex-members of Universal Records nu metal act Flaw, including vocalist Chris Volz, who has now embarked on a solo career and has also reformed Flaw. By the same token, The Accident Experiment includes P.O.D. guitarist Marcos Curiel, Dan Lavery is a former member of the band Tonic, and Trashlight Vision included members of The Murderdolls.
- Sister Hazel's release of BAM, their first ever b-sides album, through Rock Ridge is not entirely surprising, since the band had at one point used the same distribution as Rock Ridge, Sixthman Records, for the release of their albums Chasing Daylight and Lift.
Previous artist notes
- Bluesuedegroove had been disbanded and their collection was solely a catalog piece as Jason Spiewak, one of the label founders, was a former member of the group.
- Dezeray's Hammer has disbanded for unknown reasons as has Trashlight Vision and They Walk In Line.
- Five.Bolt.Main disbanded due to internal complications. Lead vocalist Chris Volz has since signed to Rock Ridge as a solo artist and has also reformed Flaw.
- Hades and Non-Fiction had both been disbanded and their albums were solely rereleases of previous material.
- Kittie only released the Never Again online-EP through Rock Ridge and has since created their own label to release their future albums.
- Love.45, Legbone, and Sinch have parted ways with the label for reasons unknown.
- Scars Of Life underwent a name change to Burning Red when their vocalist departed. Burning Red has since disbanded due to a lack of financial stability.
- Lila and Seven Witches have never actually released anything through the label and at this point do not seem to be considered part of the current roster.
- Sound The Alarm signed to Geffen Records for their future releases.
- Edgewater seems to be defunct for the time being.
Label releases
(Accurate as per Rock Ridge Music website – June 2008).
- Domeshots: Self-Titled (October 12, 2004)
- The Ike Reilly Assassination: Sparkle In The Finish (October 12, 2004)
- Love.45: Love.45 (November 9, 2004)
- Stroke 9: All In (November 9, 2004)
- They Walk In Line: Medical Necessities (February 8, 2005)
- Sinch: Clearing The Channel (March 22, 2005)
- Hades: Resisting Success/If At First You Don't Succeed (May 10, 2005)
- Legbone: Different Path (June 21, 2005)
- Dezeray's Hammer: The Past That Decorates Me (July 12, 2005)
- The Ike Reilly Assassination: Sparkle In The Finish: The B-Sides EP (July 19, 2005)
- Scars Of Life: What We Reflect (August 9, 2005)
- Five.Bolt.Main: Venting (September 13, 2005)
- The Ike Reilly Assassination: Junkie Faithful (September 27, 2005)
- Halfdown Thomas: HDT EP (October 25, 2005)
- Non-Fiction: Preface/In The Know (November 8, 2005)
- Mr. North: Lifesize + 3 (November 8, 2005)
- Sinch: Live Cuts EP (December 6, 2005)
- 10 Second Drop: 10 Second Drop (January 24, 2006)
- Sound The Alarm: Sound The Alarm EP (January 24, 2006)
- Kittie: Never Again EP (February 7, 2006)
- Stroke 9: Cafe Cuts (February 7, 2006)* Domeshots: Reception (March 21, 2006)
- Blanco Diablo: Paper Poison Revolution (April 25, 2006)
- The Ike Reilly Assassination: The Last Demonstration EP (May 2, 2006)
- The Accident Experiment: United We Fear (May 9, 2006)
- Northwest Royale: Home Is Where The Hate Is (May 9, 2006)
- Six Ounce Gloves: Timing Is Everything (June 6, 2006)
- Bluesuedegroove: Complete (June 13, 2006)
- Dan Lavery: Say That You Love Me EP (June 20, 2006)
- Boy Hits Car: The Passage (July 11, 2006)
- Indorphine: Glowsticks For Clubbing Baby Seals (July 11, 2006)
- Redding: Redding (July 11, 2006)
- Cinder: House Full Of No Trust (August 8, 2006)
- Tony Lucca: Canyon Songs (August 8, 2006)
- Edgewater: We're Not Robots (August 22, 2006)
- Reel Big Fish: Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album (August 22, 2006)
- Psychostick: We Couldn't Think Of A Title (September 12, 2006)
- Travis Mitchell Band: Forget What's Wrong (September 26, 2006)
- Five.Bolt.Main: Live (October 10, 2006)
- Hymns: Brother/Sister (October 10, 2006)
- Mr. North: Sleeping Dogs EP (November 7, 2006)
- Ernie Halter: Congress Hotel (February 6, 2007)
- Mr. North: Fear And Desire (March 6, 2007)
- The Ike Reilly Assassination: We Belong To The Staggering Evening (May 8, 2007)
- The Accident Experiment: Arena EP (May 8, 2007)
- Bunny: My Box In A Box (May 15, 2007)
- Stroke 9: The Last Of The International Playboys (June 5, 2007)
- Sister Hazel: BAM (Vol. 1) (June 5, 2007)
- Reel Big Fish: Monkeys For Nothing, Chimps For Free (July 10, 2007)
- Trashlight Vision: Alibis And Ammunition (July 10, 2007)
- 54 Seconds: Postcards From California (August 7, 2007)
- Ugly: Sex, Drugs, And Rock And Roll (August 7, 2007)
- Chris Volz: Redemption (September 11, 2007)
- Travis Mitchell Band: Waiting On Tomorrow (September 11, 2007)
- Psychostick: The Flesh Eating Rollerskate Holiday Joyride (September 25, 2007)
- Sister Hazel: Santa's Playlist (September 25, 2007)
- The Marble Index: Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives (October 9, 2007)
- Ugly: Ugly (October 9, 2007)
- Leo: Nightmares (October 9, 2007)
- Steriogram: This Is Not The Target Market (October 9, 2007)
- Rob Gee: Rob Gee (November 6, 2007)
- Five.Bolt.Main: Complete (February 5, 2008)
- Echovalve: helloagaingoodbye (March 18, 2008)
- Ike Reilly: Poison The Hit Parade (April 8, 2008)
- Rob GEE: Says (May 6, 2008)
- Sister Hazel: Before The Amplifiers (June 17, 2008)
- Miggs: Unraveled (June 17, 2008)
- Lori Michaels: Living My Life Out Loud (July 8, 2008)
- Ernie Halter: Starting Over (July 15, 2008 - DIGITAL RELEASE DATE)
- Danny Aiello: Live From Atlantic City (July 22, 2008)
- Ernie Halter: Starting Over (August 5, 2008 - CD RELEASE DATE)
- Steve Wynn: Crossing Dragon Bridge (September 8, 2008)
- Patrick Droney: The Other Side (September 23, 2008)
- Attack! Attack! UK: Attack! Attack! (October 7, 2008 US / October 6, 2008 UK)
- Benjy Davis Project: Dust (November 4, 2008)
- Matt York: Mine (November 4, 2008 - DIGITAL RELEASE)
- Ken Block: drift (December 9, 2008)
- Matt York: Mine (January 20, 2009 - CD RELEASE)
- Reel Big Fish: Fame, Fortune and Fornication (January 20, 2009)
Radio Chart Highlights
Five.Bolt.Main "The Gift":
- #42 on Mediabase Active Rock chart on 3/28/06
- #47 on R&R on 4/7/06
Psychostick "Beer":
- #37 on the Mediabase Mainstream Rock chart on 10/6/06
- #44 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart on 2/11/07
See also
External links
