Richard Jankovich

Last updated

Richard Jankovich
BornAugust 7, 1972
Known forEntrepreneur, Musician, Author
Notable workShoplifter, B(R)ANDS Music Branding, Burnside Project, Pocket, Big Mother Gig, Mon Draggor

Richard Jankovich (born August 7, 1972) is an American entrepreneur, musician and author in Los Angeles. He runs the music promotion company Shoplifter. [1] Founded in 2013, Shoplifter provides record labels and artists with a variety of promotional channels. Known primarily for In-Store Radio/Overhead Music campaigns, Shoplifter has worked over 2,000 releases for artists such as Billie Eilish, Boygenius, Olivia Rodrigo, Kelly Clarkson, U2, 5 Seconds Of Summer, OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, Dayglow, Charlie Puth, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez and others. Clients include Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Beggars Group, Secretly Canadian, Hollywood Records and more. [2]

Contents

Jankovich's musical acts include Burnside Project, Big Mother Gig, [3] Pocket and Mon Draggor. [4] His releases have been covered by Rolling Stone , [5] Spin , [6] Pitchfork, [7] Stereogum, [8] Billboard, [9] NPR, [10] BrooklynVegan [11] and more. A sync licensing stalwart, his songs have appeared in movies like The Medallion , [12] Pink Skies Ahead , [13] Ira and Abby [14] and Seamless [15] as well as countless television programs on NBC, [16] CBS, [17] ABC [18] and MTV [19] including the theme song for Showtime's Queer as Folk . [20]

As a musician, he has collaborated with Britta Phillips, [21] Aloe Blacc, [22] Robyn Hitchcock, Tanya Donelly, Steve Kilbey, Mark Burgess, Dave Smalley, Craig Wedren, [23] Rick Moody, [24] Of Montreal, [25] Dicky Barrett, Kristin Hersh, [26] Glen Phillips, [27] and more. His songs and remixes have been released by Bar/None Records, Sony Records, Polyvinyl Record Co., Tirk Recordings, China Record Corporation, Friendly Fire Recordings and 24 Hour Service Station as well as his own imprint, Fraga Music/Sweet Sweet Records.

In 2013, his first book [28] Hit Brands: How Music Builds Value For The World's Smartest Brands was released on Palgrave Macmillan. He has lectured at University of Southern California [29] and spoken at South by Southwest. [30]

Biography

Jankovich attended Marquette University in Milwaukee in the 1990s where he formed the alternative rock band, Big Mother Gig. [31] They released 2 LPs and 1 EP and played over 150 concerts around the Midwest before breaking up in 1996 when Jankovich moved to New York City. [32] In 1999, he founded Burnside Project while working in music licensing and advertising. [33] Burnside Project released 4 albums on Bar/None Records and Sony Music Entertainment Japan and their 2003 track "Cue The Pulse To Begin" was the theme song for Queer as Folk on Showtime. Burnside Project received critical acclaim from Rolling Stone and Spin and were nominated by Cameron Crowe for a Shortlist [34] Award. [35]

In 2005, Jankovich began remixing under the name Pocket and released his first remix in 2005 to critical blog acclaim. [36] Many of his subsequent remixes have received positive critical reviews from websites such as Stereogum, [37] Pitchfork [38] and Pampelmoose. [39] In 2007, Pocket's remix for Radiohead's cover of Björk's "Unravel" was nominated for the 2007 Village Voice Pazz and Jop poll by Will Hermes. [40] In 2009, Pocket began releasing a series of singles which Pitchfork called "an impressive guest list" [41] including guest singers like Robyn Hitchcock, Craig Wedren (Shudder to Think), Steve Kilbey (The Church), Danny Seim (Menomena) and Mark Burgess (The Chameleons). In 2012, these singles were collected on an album, All of This Happened, released on Tirk Records. [42] Pocket admits the name was bestowed upon him by Brooklyn Vegan when the blog posted his Joanna Newsom "Bridges and Balloons (Pocket Mix)" and referred to him directly as Pocket. [43]

In 2008, Jankovich moved to Los Angeles and continued to make music as Pocket and Mon Draggor while working at in-store music providers like Mood Media. [44] [45] Mon Draggor's double LP Pulling Strings/Pushing Buttons was selected as 9th best album of 2015 by PopMatters. [46]

In 2013, he launched Shoplifter. [45] Shoplifter specializes in helping artists and record labels get their songs placed into playlists that accompany the shopping experience (i.e. overhead or in-store music.) [47]

In 2016, Burnside Project released the previously shelved album Syntax and Semantics (recorded in 2004) on Bar/None Records. [48] In 2017, Big Mother Gig returned with a new EP and began performing live. [49] In 2018, Pocket released 5 EPs of unreleased songs and remixes with Robyn Hitchcock, Tanya Donelly (Belly), Yuki Chikudate (Asobi Seksu), Vic Godard (Subway Sect), Dave Smalley (Dag Nasty), Styrofoam, Mux Mool, Mount Sims, RemoteTreeChildren and Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket). [50]

In February 2021, Big Mother Gig announced [51] their new LP Gusto on Stereogum and released the first single, "The Underdog" featuring Leah Wellbaum of Slothrust. Gusto was released on April 30, 2021, to positive reviews by Stereogum, NPR, American Songwriter, BrooklynVegan and more. In the Fall of 2021, the band supported the album with a 3-week US tour [52] opening for Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears.

In 2023, Burnside Project member Paul Searing passed away unexpectedly and the band officially broke up after releasing their final single "Ancient Artifact" in 2024. [53] In November, 2024, Big Mother Gig announced their dissolution and Jankovich announced a new act called Long A with fellow Big Mother Gig member Albert Kurniawan. [54]

Works

Music: LPs & EPs

Burnside Project:

Big Mother Gig:

Pocket (musician):

Mon Draggor:

Music: Notable Remixes as Pocket (musician)

Books

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References

  1. ↑ "LinkedIn: Richard Jankovich".
  2. ↑ https://shopliftermusic.com/.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "Exclusive: Hear two unearthed Big Mother Gig songs". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "20 Questions: Mon Draggor". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Assessing Their Performance: The Burnside Project Legacy" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Burnside Project, 'The Networks, The Circuits, The Streams, The Harmonies'" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "New Beck Pocket Mix" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "New Cat Power Remix" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  9. ↑ "The Networks, the Circuits, the Streams, the Harmonies" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Our new single "The Underdog" feat Leah Wellbaum was chosen as an NPR Music "Staff Pick"" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Big Mother Gig back with first LP in 22 years ft. Dicky Barrett & Britta Phillips (Watch a new video)" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "The Medallion Soundtracks" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Interview with Big Mother Gig" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "Ira And Abby" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Seamless Soundtracks" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "In The Hip Pocket" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "Rush Hour (TV Series) Familee Ties (2016) Full Cast & Crew" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "My Generation (TV Series) Home Movies (2010) Full Cast & Crew" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "The Networks, The Circuits, The Streams, The Harmonies" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  20. ↑ "Various – Queer As Folk - The Fourth Season" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "Big Mother Gig back with first LP in 22 years ft. Dicky Barrett & Britta Phillips (Watch a new video)".
  22. ↑ "Big Mother Gig Release 'Past The Sun'". Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  23. ↑ "Pocket in Hand".
  24. ↑ "In the Hip Pocket".
  25. ↑ "An Interview with Pocket!". oswegonian.com. 23 October 2009.
  26. ↑ "Dave Allen — kristin hersh remixed by pocket".
  27. ↑ "Blood Pressurize".
  28. ↑ "Book review: Hit Brands". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  29. ↑ "KEYNOTE SPEAKERS". Home - EDPA. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  30. ↑ "In-Store Radio: 200M Potential Fans | SXSW 2015 Event Schedule". schedule.sxsw.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  31. ↑ "Big Mother Gig – A Band". bigmothergig.com. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  32. ↑ "Ex-Milwaukeean Jankovich releases debut with new band". OnMilwaukee.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  33. ↑ "Richard Jankovich - Independent Music Awards". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  34. ↑ "Assessing Their Performance: The Burnside Project Legacy". PopMatters. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  35. ↑ "Burnside Project". Bar/None Records. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  36. ↑ "The Perfect Joanna Newsom Remix". Retrieved April 28, 2009.
  37. ↑ "New Cat Power Remix ". Retrieved April 28, 2009.
  38. ↑ "New Beck Pocket Mix". Retrieved April 28, 2009.
  39. ↑ "Two musicians in Portland working together". Retrieved April 28, 2009.
  40. ↑ "Village Voice Pazz and Jop nomination." Retrieved April 28, 2009
  41. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (15 October 2009). "News in Brief: Donda West, Asobi Seksu, Pocket, Insomnia Festival". Pitchfork.
  42. ↑ "New LP Announcement". Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Evil Monito Interview". Retrieved April 28, 2009
  44. ↑ "I'm playing Los Angeles for the first time!". Allthingsrichard. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  45. 1 2 "Shoplifter Music - About Shoplifter". shopliftermusic.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  46. ↑ "PopMatters' Best Pop Albums of 2015". Album of The Year. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  47. ↑ "Shoplifter Music - About Shoplifter". shopliftermusic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  48. ↑ "Burnside Project - Syntax and Semantics". Bar None Records. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  49. ↑ Willschick, Aaron. "BIG MOTHER GIG Make Their Long Awaited Return with "Alvarado" Music Video". puregrainaudio.com. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  50. ↑ "Pocket VLT C Press Release". Google Docs. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  51. ↑ "Big Mother Gig – "The Underdog" (Feat. Slothrust's Leah Wellbaum)". www.stereogum.com. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  52. ↑ "LA's Big Mother Gig Announce Fall U.S. Tour Supporting Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears" . Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  53. ↑ "Ancient Artifact - Single, by Burnside Project". Kid Recordings. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  54. ↑ Big Mother Gig http://bigmothergig.com . Retrieved 17 November 2024.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
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