Jason Cruz
Encyclopedia
Jason Alexander Cruz is the lead singer and lyricist
of punk
band, Strung Out
. He is also an artist, and a poet responsible for all of the artwork and design of Strung Out's album covers. His personal website showcases his various forms of original artwork (paintings as well as graphic design and photography).
in 1992 in Southern California.
Jason's major influences include classic artists such as Tom Waits
, Jimi Hendrix
, Hank Williams Sr,William Burroughs Charles Bukowski and Bob Dylan
and visual artists Robert Mcginnis and Jean Michel Basquiat . He has said that he was influenced by dessert dirt road swap meets and the melancholy melody of music that his mother used to listen to when he was growing up, The first concert he ever went to was Depeche Mode in 1986 when he was 13 years old then graduated to punk rock shows and skateboarding .
Jason is a tattoo artist
. He apprenticed for two years then took up oil Painting under the moniker 'Amerikan Blackheart' and has been showing regularly in L.A. and southern California for the past four years as well as performing acoustic .
In addition to being a song writer, musician, and artist, he has also published 3 original poems, which can be found in the collection entitled Revolution On Canvas: Poetry From The Indie Music Scene.
Jason currently lives in Pasadena
, California
. In July 2010 Jason and his girlfriend welcomed daughter Sydney Echo.
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, Strung Out
Strung Out
Strung Out is a Californian punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, formed in 1992. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of punk rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. They have released seven albums on Fat Wreck Chords and appeared on numerous...
. He is also an artist, and a poet responsible for all of the artwork and design of Strung Out's album covers. His personal website showcases his various forms of original artwork (paintings as well as graphic design and photography).
Early life
Cruz grew up in and around Los Angeles .He focused his energies on art and creative writing in school and began playing with Strung OutStrung Out
Strung Out is a Californian punk rock band from Simi Valley, California, formed in 1992. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of punk rock and heavy metal to form their primary sound. They have released seven albums on Fat Wreck Chords and appeared on numerous...
in 1992 in Southern California.
Jason's major influences include classic artists such as Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Hank Williams Sr,William Burroughs Charles Bukowski and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and visual artists Robert Mcginnis and Jean Michel Basquiat . He has said that he was influenced by dessert dirt road swap meets and the melancholy melody of music that his mother used to listen to when he was growing up, The first concert he ever went to was Depeche Mode in 1986 when he was 13 years old then graduated to punk rock shows and skateboarding .
Jason is a tattoo artist
Tattoo artist
A tattoo artist is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a tattoo shop, tattoo studio or tattoo parlour...
. He apprenticed for two years then took up oil Painting under the moniker 'Amerikan Blackheart' and has been showing regularly in L.A. and southern California for the past four years as well as performing acoustic .
In addition to being a song writer, musician, and artist, he has also published 3 original poems, which can be found in the collection entitled Revolution On Canvas: Poetry From The Indie Music Scene.
Jason currently lives in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In July 2010 Jason and his girlfriend welcomed daughter Sydney Echo.
Strung Out
See Strung Out for full list- Another Day in ParadiseAnother Day in Paradise (Strung Out album)Another Day in Paradise is Strung Out's debut album with Fat Wreck Chords. The album was released on June 20, 1994.-Track listing:All lyrics by Jason Cruz except ** by Jim CherryAll leads by Rob Ramos except * by Jake Kiley...
(1994) - Suburban Teenage Wasteland BluesSuburban Teenage Wasteland BluesSuburban Teenage Wasteland Blues is the second album by the punk band, Strung Out with Fat Wreck Chords. The album was released on April 23, 1996...
(1996) - Twisted by DesignTwisted by DesignTwisted by Design is Strung Out's third album with Fat Wreck Chords. The album was released on May 5, 1998. The album was the last with former bassist Jim Cherry, who later died of a heart problem.-Track listing:...
(1998) - The Element of Sonic DefianceThe Element of Sonic DefianceThe Element of Sonic Defiance is an EP by Strung Out, released on Fat Wreck Chords.-Track listing:#"Mission To Mars" – 2:37 #"Scarecrow" – 2:14 #"Savant" – 3:21 #"Blew" – 4:33 #"Everyday" – 2:22...
(2000) - An American ParadoxAn American ParadoxAn American Paradox is the fourth album by punk band, Strung Out, released by Fat Wreck Chords. The album was the band's first to debut on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:All lyrics by Jason CruzAll leads by Rob Ramos except * by Jake Kiley...
(2002) - Live In A Dive: Strung OutLive in a Dive (Strung Out album)Live In A Dive is the eighth album by punk band Strung Out, released by Fat Wreck Chords. The album was recorded in 2002 and released on June 3, 2003...
(2003) - Exile In OblivionExile in OblivionExile In Oblivion is an album by Strung Out released by Fat Wreck Chords in 2004.-Track listing:# "Analog" – 2:55# "Blueprint of the Fall" – 3:05# "Katatonia" – 2:46# "Her Name in Blood" – 3:20# "Angeldust" – 3:39# "Lucifermotorcade" – 2:43...
(2004) - Blackhawks Over Los AngelesBlackhawks Over Los AngelesBlackhawks Over Los Angeles is an album by Strung Out, released by Fat Wreck Chords on June 12, 2007. The band filmed a music video for the song "Calling" for the album....
(2007) - Prototypes and Painkillers (2009)
- Agents of the UndergroundAgents of the UndergroundAgents of the Underground is the 7th studio album from American punk band, Strung Out. This album celebrates the 20th anniversary of the band, and was released on September 29, 2009 through Fat Wreck Chords.- Track listing :# "Black Crosses"...
(2009)