Jonah Matranga
Encyclopedia
Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga (born Jonah Sonz Matranga, August 11, 1969, Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...

) is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing
Onelinedrawing
Onelinedrawing was the solo project of Jonah Matranga, best known as the vocalist for the indie rock band Far. It traces its origins back to 1995, when Matranga began making a series of home recordings that "weren't made with the intention of anyone hearing them." Four years worth of these...

, and has previously been part of the bands Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...

 and New End Original (an anagram of "onelinedrawing") and Gratitude. He now continues to work and tour under his own name as a solo artist.

Early life

Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...

. He left in 1987 to attend Pitzer College
Pitzer College
Pitzer College is a private residential liberal arts college located in Claremont, California, a college town approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. Pitzer College is one of the Claremont Colleges....

 in Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...

, where he majored in English and began making music by himself. After graduation, he moved up to Sacramento to form Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...

 in 1991.

They made four albums, including the classic Water and Solutions, before disbanding in December 1998. During this time, Jonah married in April 1994, and his daughter was born that August. He divorced two years later. In 1999, he moved to the Bay Area. He currently lives in San Francisco, making music and raising his daughter.

Solo career and New End Original

After the demise of Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...

, Jonah began to perform with a tape recorder and touring under the name onelinedrawing
Onelinedrawing
Onelinedrawing was the solo project of Jonah Matranga, best known as the vocalist for the indie rock band Far. It traces its origins back to 1995, when Matranga began making a series of home recordings that "weren't made with the intention of anyone hearing them." Four years worth of these...

, which had been the name of a cassette he had released on Kevin Seconds
Kevin Seconds
Kevin Seconds is a singer/songwriter/musician, born in Sacramento. As a teen, he moved with his family to Reno, Nevada where he lived until 1988 when he relocated back to Sacramento and has been based ever since....

's Pop Rockit Records. He released two EPs that year (Sketchy EPs #1 and #2) of bedroom demos.

In 2000, he formed and fronted New End Original, a band that primarily formed full-band versions of onelinedrawing songs. With the lineup completed by Texas Is The Reason
Texas Is the Reason
Texas Is the Reason was an American post-hardcore band founded by former Shelter guitarist Norm Arenas and 108 drummer Chris Daly in 1994. They disbanded in 1997...

 alumni Scott Winegard (bass) and Norman Arenas (guitar), and drummer Charlie Walker (ex-Chamberlain), they released one album Thriller and a single for Lukewarm
Lukewarm
Lukewarm or The Lukewarm may refer to:*Lukewarm , a fictional character from the BBC series Porridge*""2 + 2 = 5" , or "The Lukewarm", a song by Radiohead from their album Hail to the Thief...

.

Much of his solo material has also been self-released, though often subsequently distributed through labels such as Crank! and Corrupted Image. However, his two full-length onelinedrawing albums, Visitor (2002) and The Volunteers (2004) were released by Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree Records
Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....

.

Matranga retired the onelinedrawing moniker in 2004 and now intends to put all future solo releases under his name. In December 2004, Jonah began offering custom-made recordings of songs by himself or others through his website, in order to offer a one-of-a-kind musical artpiece. Information about this and his many other ideas can be found on Matranga's website, where he can also be contacted personally.

In 2005, Matranga put out Sketchy EP #3, as well as a DVD, There's a Lot in Here, both of which are available on a sliding scale ("pay what you can") from (http://jonah.safewebshop.com) Matranga's personally-maintained online store. The DVD There's a Lot in Here was re-released with a bonus CD on February 21, 2006, through Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....

.

Matranga's song "Crush on Everyone" was featured in the score to the 2008 John Humber film Dakota Skye

Guest appearances

Jonah has contributed backup vocals to War All the Time (by Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...

) on the track "Steps Ascending", and to the Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...

's acoustic remix version of "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
"Be Quiet and Drive " is the second single released from Deftones' second album, Around the Fur. It was their first single to chart on the US charts, peaking at number 29 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and in fiftieth spot in the UK Singles Chart...

" and a cover of Sade
Sade (band)
Sade is a British smooth jazz band that formed in 1983, named for Nigerian lead singer Sade Adu. Their music features elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and soft rock....

's song "No Ordinary Love
No Ordinary Love
"No Ordinary Love" is the lead single from the English artist Sade's fourth studio album, Love Deluxe . Released in 1992 on Epic Records, it peaked at number 26 in the UK when originally released in October 1992, but reached number 14 when re-released in June 1993.-Awards:The song won a Grammy...

", both of which the Deftones released as b-sides (also, several Deftones members contributed to Far's cover of the Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...

 song "Savory").

He has also contributed to previous Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...

 releases, a song called "Swamp" for tweaker (a.k.a. Chris Vrenna, former member of Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...

), which ended up a b-side for the album The Attraction to All Things Uncertain
The Attraction to All Things Uncertain
-Personnel:All songs written by Chris Vrenna except "Linoleum" written by Chris Vrenna & David Sylvian, "Swamp" written by Chris Vrenna & Buzz Osborne, "Happy Child" written by Chris Vrenna & Will Oldham, "Take Me Alive" written by Chris Vrenna & Craig Wedren and "After All" written by Chris Vrenna...

, and to two Fort Minor
Fort Minor
Fort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...

 songs for the album The Rising Tied
The Rising Tied
The Rising Tied is the debut studio album of hip hop ensemble Fort Minor, the side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005 to critical acclaim and achieved moderate success...

: "Red to Black" with Kenna
Kenna
Kenna Zemedkun, known professionally as simply Kenna, is an Ethiopian-born American musician. His track "Say Goodbye To Love" was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the 2009 Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...

; and the single "Where'd You Go" with Holly Brook, where he also appears in the video. "Where'd You Go" managed to reach the #4 spot at the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

.

Matranga's name does not appear on the title card before and after the video, though he is credited on the album. He attributed his video anonymity (jokingly) to his name being too long and "music biz yuck". He often expresses his negative opinion of the music industry's business ethics.

In 2005 he co-wrote "Calling" for Taproot
Taproot (band)
Taproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...

, the first single from their album Blue-Sky Research
Blue-Sky Research
- Notes :* "Calling" was released in late 2005. It was used by the WWE as the theme song for their Unforgiven pay-per-view event in 2005.** Received radio airplay on June 27, 2005.** Music video premiered on MTV.com....

. He also appeared on Food & Liquor
Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, commonly referred to as Food & Liquor, is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig...

, the debut album for Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...

, on the track entitled "The Instrumental", which appeared on the Madden 07 soundtrack. Jonah sings a hook ("And he never lied, 'cause he never said anything at all") directly taken from the lyrics from "Nestle", a song from the Far album Water & Solutions. The track was produced by Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...

 of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...

 and Fort Minor
Fort Minor
Fort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...

.

Jonah has also lent his vocals on Atlanta-based band [minus]'s (later changed to [minus driver]) song "Hesitant and Polite" which appeared on their album Structure of Simplicity.

Solo releases

  • Jonah Sonz Matranga - Songs I Hope My Mom Will Like
    Songs I Hope My Mom Will Like
    Songs I Hope My Mom Will Like is Jonah Matranga's first solo recording, released in 1994. The project started as a present for his mother; however, he eventually started packaging the recording as a cassette and selling it at shows....

     (1994)
  • Jonah Matranga - Jonah's One-line Drawing
    Jonah's One-line Drawing
    Jonah's One-line Drawing is Jonah Matranga's second solo recording, released in 1998. This release is notable as it's the first time Jonah used the term "One-line drawing"....

     (1998)
  • onelinedrawing - Sketchy EP #1
    Sketchy EP 1
    Sketchy EP #1 is the first of three EPs that Jonah Matranga recorded at his various homes in the ten-year period between 1995 and 2005. This is also his first released under the name onelinedrawing....

     (1999)
  • onelinedrawing - Sketchy EP #2
    Sketchy EP 2
    Sketchy EP #2 is the second of three EPs that Jonah Matranga recorded at his various homes in the ten-year period between 1995 and 2005.The recording was later re-released on the CD The Three Sketchys in 2005.-Track listing:# "Savory" – 3:40...

     (2000)
  • onelinedrawing/Sense Field
    Sense Field
    Sense Field was an American indie rock band from California, formed in 1991 out of the ashes of hardcore punk band, Reason to Believe.Sense Field has been largely credited with bringing their sound from emo circles to a more mainstream audience alongside contemporaries like Sunny Day Real Estate,...

     - Split EP (2000)
  • onelinedrawing/Rival Schools
    Rival Schools (band)
    Rival Schools are a post-hardcore band from New York signed to Photo Finish Records, featuring Walter Schreifels on vocals and guitar; Ian Love on guitar; Cache Tolman on bass guitar; and Sam Siegler on drums....

     - Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing
    Rival Schools United by Onelinedrawing
    -Track listing:# Green Is Good # Take One For The Team # Always # Where I'm From # Be Real # Contraire...

     (2001)
  • onelinedrawing - Always New Jan-Jun 2000
    Always New Jan-Jun 2000
    The first of three 'Always New' EPs. These were originally released by Jonah Matranga via his website as downloads, chronicalling the music he'd been creating in 6 month blocks...

     (online 2000, CD 2001)
  • onelinedrawing - Always New Jul-Dec 2000
    Always New Jul-Dec 2000
    The second of three 'Always New' EPs. These were originally released by Jonah Matranga via his website as downloads, chronicalling the music he'd been creating in 6 month blocks...

     (online 2000, CD 2002)
  • onelinedrawing - Always New 2001 (online 2001 only)
  • onelinedrawing - Visitor (2002 Jade Tree
    Jade Tree Records
    Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....

    )
  • onelinedrawing - The Volunteers
    The Volunteers
    The Volunteers is the second full length album by onelinedrawing, and the last Jonah Matranga release under that name to date. Jonah has stated that this is his favourite release, seeing it as something that explains himself to his fans...

     (2004 Jade Tree
    Jade Tree Records
    Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....

    )
  • Jonah Matranga - There's a Lot in Here (DVD) (2005)
  • Jonah Matranga - Sketchy EP #3
    Sketchy EP 3
    Sketchy EP #3 is the third of three EPs that Jonah Matranga recorded at his various homes in the ten-year period between 1995 and 2005.The recording was later re-released on the CD The Three Sketchys in 2006.-Track listing:# Oh, I'm So Lucky# N, C & A...

     (2005)
  • Jonah Matranga / Frank Turner Split
    Jonah Matranga / Frank Turner Split
    This is a split 12" between Jonah Matranga and Frank Turner. It was released via Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Welcome Home Records in the USA. Xtra Mile Recordings releases are all featured on black vinyl, whereas the first 100 copies from Welcome Home Records featured on a yellow and brown...

     - Split 12 inch vinyl (2006)
  • Jonah Matranga - The Three Sketchys
    The Three Sketchys
    The Three Sketchys is an anthology released by Jonah Matranga containing the contents of three albums along with a bonus track: a new mix of "The Big Parade".The recordings span 1999–2005 and are described by the artist as a collection of "homemade" tracks spanning several...

     (2006)
  • Jonah Matranga - And (2007 Limekiln Records (USA)). (Also released on Blacktop
    Blacktop
    Blacktop may refer to:* asphalt concrete, a composite material commonly used for construction of pavement, highways and parking lots* bituminous macadams* tarmac...

     in Canada
    Canada
    Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

    , Arctic Rodeo in Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    , Daymare in Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

    , Xtra Mile in UK and Yr Letter Records in France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

    .)
  • Jonah Matranga - And Furthermore (And B-Sides & Acoustic Versions)
  • Jonah Matranga - Fort Teen (2009) 100 hand numbered, hand made cd of home recordings between 1984–87
  • Jonah Matranga / Kevin Seconds - split 7 inch vinyl (December 2009)(Blacktop - Canada)
  • Jonah Matranga - You're 16, You're 23, You're 32 (DIY boxset)

Band releases

  • Far
    Far (band)
    Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...

     - Sweat a River, Live No Lies
    Sweat A River, Live No Lies
    Sweat a River, Live No Lies is the first known recording by Far.-Track listing:# "Fear" – 4:41# "No One Will Know" – 4:59# "Perfect Pair" – 3:32# "Living Brother" – 3:01# "Who Do U Hate?" – 2:47# "Remain Alive" – 5:49# "Two Lovers" – 5:29...

     (1991 Enharmonik Studios)
  • Far - Listening Game (1992 Rusty Nail Records)
  • Far - Quick
    Quick (album)
    Quick is the second album by American alternative rock band Far.-Track listing:There was also a limited edition 10 track version released, limited to 500 copies. The 2008 re-release has the same track listing as the limited edition. It also has MP3s of the songs missing from the original release on...

     (1994 Our Own Records)
  • Far - Tin Cans With Strings To You
    Tin Cans With Strings To You
    -Personnel:*Jonah Matranga - vocals, guitar*Shaun Lopez - guitar*John Gutenberger - bass guitar*Chris Robyn - drums...

     (1996 Epic
    Epic Records
    Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

    /Immortal)
  • Far - Soon EP (1997 Epic
    Epic Records
    Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

    /Immortal)
  • Far - Water & Solutions
    Water & Solutions
    -Personnel:*Jonah Matranga - vocals, guitar*Shaun Lopez - guitar*John Gutenberger - bass guitar*Chris Robyn - drums...

     (1998 Epic
    Epic Records
    Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

    /Immortal)
  • Far - At Night We Live
    At Night We Live
    At Night We Live is an album recorded by the band Far released on May 25, 2010. A few different pre-order packages were available. Some of the packages included one of the 500 limited edition colored Double-LPs.-Track listing:...

     (2010 Vagrant
    Vagrant Records
    Vagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...

    )
  • Far - Pony 7" on Bright Antenna (December 2009)
  • New End Original - Lukewarm single (2001 Jade Tree
    Jade Tree Records
    Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....

    )
  • New End Original - Thriller (2001 Jade Tree
    Jade Tree Records
    Jade Tree International, Inc. was an independent record label formed by Darren Walters and Tim Owen in August 1991, out of Wilmington, Delaware....

    )
  • Gratitude
    Gratitude (band)
    Gratitude was formed in 2000 by Mark Weinberg and Thomas Becker . Initially called the Collision, the band was joined by Bob Lindsey on bass and Robby Cronholm on vocals...

     - Gratitude
    Gratitude (Gratitude album)
    Gratitude is Gratitude's first and only album. It was released on March 8, 2005 on Atlantic Records.-Track listing:# "Drive Away" – 3:20# "Last" – 3:24# "All in a Row" – 2:53# "The Greatest Wonder" – 4:12# "This is the Part" – 2:54...

     (2005 Atlantic
    Atlantic Records
    Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

    )
  • Gratitude - Drive Away single (2005 Atlantic
    Atlantic Records
    Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...

    )
  • Gratitude - This Is the Part EP (written as This Is th EP Art) (2005)

iTunes Releases

  • I Believe Barack Obama 2009
  • I Still Miss Someone (J.Cash Cover) 2009
  • What Beyonce Said To Jay-Z Before She Left Him For Me (Irreplaceable Cover) 2009
  • Live In Rotterdam 15th Dec, 2007 (15 song set with new, old and cover songs) 2009
  • Live At Hotel Cafe, LA, CA May 6, 2009 (various songs and various covers) 2009
  • Live in Rotterdam DIY Download 2009-07-14 (17 song set with Iamani)
  • Live in Amsterdam DIY Download 15/07/09 (14 song set)
  • Live in Leuven DIY Download 2/03/09 (17 song set)
  • Random Covers, Vol.1 DIY Download (11 homemade recordings of various covers) 2009

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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