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Ryan J. Downey

Longtime journalist and manager, as seen and/or read: Billboard, MTV News, The Hollywood Reporter, MSNBC, Loudwire, and more.

PAPA ROACH x JERIS JOHNSON Strike Gold

Papa Roach's 2021 collaboration with TikTok star Jeris Johnson just went gold.  "Last Resort (Reloaded)" appears on Johnson's 2021 album, my sword, released by 300 Entertainment.  The RIAA certified the track gold for over 500,000 digital units.  The reimainged song joins a number of other Papa Roach albums and singles on the band's proverbial wall.  Previous certifications include:  Infest (Dreamworks) 2000 — certified triple-platinum in 2001  Lovehatetragedy (Dreamworls) 2002 — certified gold in 2002  Getting Away with Murder (Geffen) 2004 - certified platinum in 2005  “Scars” (Geffen) 2004 - certified gold in 2005  “Help” (Better Noise Music) 2017 - certified

April 2nd, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

Week of 04/01/24

ROCK birthday wishes to Baron Bodnar of Mediaskare Records and producer Chris “Zeuss” Harrison (04/01); Kerry King guitarist Phil Demmel (04/02); producer Jason Suecof (04/03); marketing maven Mark Abramson (04/04), Dave Altarescu of ConvertKit, 4Fini’s Kevin Lyman, and Anthrax/Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais (04/05). 

April 1st, 2024|Birthdays, Rock|

Week of 03/25/24

ROCK birthday wishes to Atreyu guitarist Travis Miguel (3/25); Impending Doom guitarist Manny Contreras and Demon Hunter guitarist Jeremiah Scott (3/26); booking agent Jordan Cocklin (3/27); War Machine Marketing’s Ro Kohli (3/28); Blood Company’s Tim Smith and Cosa Nostra PR’s Michelle Kerr (3/31). 

March 25th, 2024|Birthdays, Rock|

Week of 03/18/24

ROCK birthday wishes to producer Aaron Sprinkle (3/20); music video director Darren Doane and booking agent Mike Monterulo (03/21); Knotfest’s Audrey Flynn (3/22); and Budderside frontman Patrick Alan Stone (3/23). 

March 19th, 2024|Birthdays, Rock|

Week of 02/26/24

ROCK Happy Birthday wishes to Markus Jacob at Nuclear Blast Records (02/26); producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette (02/28); Warner Music Group's J. Andrew Peterson (02/28); Exciter guitarist and Knotfest/BangerTV host Daniel Dekay (03/01); Facedown Records founder Jason Dunn (03/01); Cowboy Chords' Chris Trovero (03/01); Nuclear Blast Records' Holger Tiefenbach (03/01); and Tobbe Falarz at Arising Empire (03/02). 

February 26th, 2024|Birthdays|

Nirvana & Metallica Among 2023’s Top-Selling Cassettes

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and Taylor Swift accounted for 29% of all cassette sales, according to Luminate (via Billboard). 436,000 cassettes were sold in the U.S. in 2023 (vs. 439,700 this year before). Cassettes made up just 0.41% of the 105.32 million albums sold (cassettes, vinyl, CDs, digital downloads).  TOP 10-SELLING CASSETTE ALBUMS OF 2023 IN THE U.S.  Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (18,000) Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (17,500) Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2 (16,000) Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 (13,000) Taylor Swift Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (11,500) Nirvana Bleach (8,000) Metallica 72

February 19th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

DEAFHEAVEN & HIGHER POWER Among February Label Signings

A handful of rock-label signings have come to light this month, including:  GRAMMY-nominated American black metallers DEAFHEAVEN with the Warner Music-owned Roadrunner Records  Melodic hardcore merchants HIGHER POWER with the Believe Digital-owned Nuclear Blast  DREAM THEATER keyboardist JORDAN RUDESS with the Sony/Century Media-distributed InsideOut Music  THRICE frontman DUSTIN KENRUSE with BMG for his forthcoming solo work  Alt-metal band A KILLER'S CONFESSION with MNRK Heavy  ALL FOR METAL with the newly launched Reigning Phoenix Music   

February 19th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

Week of 02/19/24

ROCK Happy Birthday wishes to SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park Director of Artist & Industry Relations (and a former KROQ staffer of 20 years) Aissa Juarez-Leiker (02/19); Crown The Empire bassist Hayden Tree (02/19); MDDN manager Lior Grunberg (02/19); The Orchard's Darci Elizabeth (02/20); SKH Music's Steve Karas (02/20); Too Close To Touch drummer Kenneth Downey (02/20); 10th Street Management's Agustin "Pog" Mota (02/20); Raw Power Management's Matt Ash (02/21); iHeartRadio's Jimmy Alvarez (02/21); Townsquare Media's Chad Childers (02/22); Better Artists' Tim Zahodski (02/22); In De Goot's Bam Bino (02/23) and Vincent Hartong (02/24); Pierce The Veil guitarist Tony Perry

February 19th, 2024|Birthdays|

PAPA ROACH Scores 10th Mainstream Rock No. 1 with ‘Leave a Light On’

PAPA ROACH is No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart this week for the tenth time. "Leave a Light On" climbs from No. 4 to the top spot on the survey dated February 24. It's the fourth No. 1 single from the band's 2022 album, Ego Trip.  This makes PAPA ROACH one of 11 bands with ten or more No. 1 singles in the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart's 43-year history. (SHINEDOWN tops 'em all, with 19.) Ego Trip is one of only eight albums (from seven different bands) to produce four or more chart-toppers from the same album. Two

February 18th, 2024|News Updates, Rock|

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