Discover "Empirical Truth" by Mark Newman

From work with multiple bands and tours to his solo work, Mark Newman’s craftsmanship has never failed to disappoint. The proud winner of the Long Island Blues CD Challenge for Best Record of 2019, Empirical Truth is an extension of Newman’s capacity for phenomenal songwriting. The album is unafraid to embrace both the peppier and more somber sides of rock ’n’ roll, and takes the listener along for a dusty, gritty journey across a range of emotion.

The opening track to Empirical Truth conjures images of a hazy bar, beer on tap, and a sense of
camaraderie that only Newman’s musical style can offer. From “Mississippi Mile” to “Lycanthropy,” he never ceases to amaze with his storytelling capabilities. Additionally, “When I Aim My Gun” and “Pipeline” are not afraid to delve into the complicated sphere of U.S. politics, and his sense of daring in the writing encourages introspection.

Newman’s poetic yet grounded songwriting allows a sense of romanticism that can only be found in blues-based music—an integral component of Empirical Truth that cannot go unnoticed. He reminisces with the listener when it comes to rock ’n’ roll, and incorporates funk, folk, and soul to create the perfect sense of togetherness.

Empirical Truth’s rhythm-and-blues-esque approach to common life problems through nostalgic sounds beckons the listener to close their eyes and embrace the turmoil, the sound, and finally the resilience of Mark Newman. His voice alone evokes feelings of familiarity, and his toe-tapping, grin-inducing rhythms can soften any rock-hard heart.

A medium for soul and feeling, Mark Newman’s Empirical Truth has proved his quality as a songwriter, master multi-stringsman, and raconteur. Empirical Truth is proof that his experience in touring with some of the biggest names of rock ‘n’ roll has paid off—this album truly demonstrates his finesse and grasping of all the elements that make up a great blues-inspired album.

Find Mark Newman at:
www.MarkNewman.us
Facebook.com/MarkNewmanMusic
Instagram.com/MarkNewmanMusic

Interview with The Ries Brothers

The Ries Brothers an Alternative Pop and Rock a band duo with a blend of Blues, Reggae and Funk Headlining at Side Bar Theatre in Tallahassee, FL.

The Ries Brothers (Charles & Kevin) Alternative Pop and Rock band duo from Clearwater, FL.. The brothers’ music is a unique sound, influenced by many genres, including rock, blues, funk, and reggae.

The Ries Brothers’ rise to success has been their creative genius and aptitude with playing multiple instruments. The band leaves fans amazed as Charlie, the lead vocalist, simultaneously plays drums and the keyboard bass, while Kevin plays guitar and provides background vocals, Their talent is also displayed through original lyrics they co-author and the music the brothers produce together

Their music is available on Spotify and SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/ries-brothers.

The Ries Brothers had the honor of touring twice with the legendary band CHICAGO in 2014 and 2015 and recently toured with Butch Trucks and The Freight Train Band. They have also opened for talented and well known bands such as David Cook, REO Speedwagon, Daughtry, Little River Band, Los Lonely Boys, The Wilson Van to name a few. Other performances include three SOLD OUT headlining shows at Ruth Eckeard Hall in Clearwater, Florida and several music festivals.

Music is part of the Ries' family their grandfather’s was a top rated bass player in Chicago. Opened for icons such as the Beatles in Comiskey Park, played with Sonny & Cher, John Denver and The Jackson Five amongst other artists.

Interview with The Ries Brothers

Tell us about your music. What and who does your music sound like?

Rise Brothers - Our music is a blend of Rock, Alternative, Pop, Blues, Funk and Reggae. We love to blend different genres together to create a new and unique sound. As far as similar artists, I’d say we sound like a cross between The Black Keys, John Mayer, Sublime, and Ed Sheeran.

What do you want people to take from your music when they listen to you?

Rise Brothers - We just want people to have a good time listening, have something to move to, and really feel something special. Music allows us to release complex emotions and we want the same for our audience. We want a genuine reaction of feeling from our music and give our listeners something to relate to and something to make them happy, help them through tough times, have a good cry if they need one, and just really make them feel something.

What influenced you guys to become recording artists?

Rise Brothers - We’ve always been interested in music from a young age, but mostly just as a hobby early on. After our dad introduced us to the Beatles we became more and more interested in the writing and performing processes. We used to both play competitive baseball for most of our lives until that point, but pretty soon, after school, instead of going out to play baseball, we were picking up instruments and playing for hours. We played for different bands around town, but realized the best way to really go for it was to form a band ourselves, since we’re brothers and could practice whenever we wanted. I (Charlie) taught myself to play bass lines on a keyboard with my left hand, drum with my right, and sing at the same time to fill in our sound. Once we had some material, we went out and started playing local shows. We’ve played over 500 shows since and haven’t looked back!

In your young careers, you’ve performed with some of the most recognizable names in music. What is it like being surrounded with so many legends?

Rise Brothers - It’s been incredible, in particular, the legendary band, Chicago! They were extremely kind and supportive of us while we were on tour with them. They offered amazing life and career advice and the legendary Robert Lamm even complimented my multi-instrumentalist style and said he couldn’t figure out how I was doing it! That was amazing to hear from such a legend!!

What song seems to be your fan favorite right now?

Rise Brothers - I’m so happy to say there’s a few right now! “Lockdown” is our big sing-along, and we always close our sets with that one. But other ones that are resonating with fans because of the lyrics and messages are “Run To The Sea”, “Road Map”, and “On and On.”

What is on the horizon for The Ries Brothers? What can fans expect from you in the coming months?

Rise Brothers - We hope to be constantly touring and releasing new music! We have big things in the works that we can’t announce yet, so keep checking RiesBrothers.com for updates!!

The Ries Brothers original lyrics, "Run to the Sea" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1Xt0tGUyY4

Stay Connected with The Ries Brothers: Website http://www.RiesBrothers.com

My First Love: Interview with Natalie Jean

Natalie Jean is a talented singer/songwriter. As a young child she used to sing along with her father, Guy R. Jean, a famous Haitian artist, in their home. She started her career by writing poetry. However, music has always been her passion. 

In April of 2013, Natalie released her first CD entitled, Obsession. On August 42014, she released her second album, self-titled “Natalie Jean.” She has performed at the following venues in the MD/DC area, French Embassy, Takoma Station, Ebenezers Coffeehouse, Twins Jazz, Mad Momos, and the Pinch. She has also begun to write and perform for many different genres besides her own, such as Rap, Country, Dance, and Heavy metal. 

Currently, Natalie has been nominated in the Best Dance Category in the 2014 Artist in Music Awards, as well as having 5 nominations in The 2014 Indie Music Music Channel Awards for Best Blues Song, Best Blues Artist, Best Jazz Song, Best Best Rap Song, and Best R&B Artist. Also nominated in the International Music and Entertainment Association for five categories, and Semi-Finalist for 4 songs in the UK Songwriting Contest. She is also nominated in the Hollywood Music in Media Awards for Best Blues Song and Female Vocalist. June 2014, she was selected as a Top 5 finalist for Singer Universe. Natalie most recently won two awards in the Akamedia Music Awards for Best Blues Song and Best Rap Metal. She is a passionate singer. 

You can feel every note when she sings. Natalie can also sing in French, Spanish, and Creole. Natalie Jean is mostly influenced by artist such as Lena Horne, Celine Dion, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Interview with Natalie Jean

When did your passion for music begin?

Natalie Jean: I grew up in a household where music was always playing.

My father being a musician was a great influence in my life. I grew up watching Elvis as well, and he made music so exciting. I always loved to dance and enjoyed the way music made me feel. It wasn’t until later in life, that I felt it was time to be a part of the music scene.

Who were some of your first favorite recording artists?

Natalie Jean: I love Celine Dion, Sam Smith, Christina Aguilera

If you could perform with any music artist, past or present, who would you want to share the stage with?

Natalie Jean: I would love to be able to perform with Sam Smith. He is an awesome singer and performer. The emotion he conveys is amazing. I like the fact that his songs are based on his life, just like mine.

If you could perform with any music artist, past or present, who would you want to share the stage with?

Natalie Jean: I would love to be able to perform with Sam Smith. He is an awesome singer and performer. The emotion he conveys is amazing. I like the fact that his songs are based on his life, just like mine.

Your new self-titled album just dropped in August of this year. What is different about this album compared to the songs you released previously?

Natalie Jean: The first album was more pop. This new album is a Jazzy/Blues album. Jazz, is my first love. I wanted to create an album that would really able to demonstrate my vocal ability.

Who wrote the songs and who did you work to create your album?

Natalie Jean: I wrote all of the lyrics on the album. The music was composed by my music producer Alexi Von Guggenberg, from LXE Music Productions Studio in Alexandria, VA

What song do you believe represents you and your music as a whole?

Natalie Jean: “You Are My Everything” represents me the best. It is the first jazz song that I wrote and it demonstrated the kind of emotion that put through everything that I do.

In 2014, you racked up a combined nineteen Nominations and contest recognitions, including two awards for Best Blues Song and Best Rap Metal. How does it feel to have so many alco and be an award winner?

Natalie Jean: I am honored that having only been focused in the music for the past couple of years, that I have been able to receive so many nominations. It has been a good year.

What other achievements are you most proud of and what is on the horizon for Natalie Jean? Perhaps a music video or a national tour?

Natalie Jean: My proudest achievement was the ability to complete my latest album. I really enjoyed making the album and it represents me the best. On the horizon, I will be making a new music video and am working on a short film, in which I have written, will star in, and write the soundtrack.

Find more of Natalie Jean: 
New CD Release - https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/natalie-jean/id907523576
Website - www.natalie-jean.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieJeanObsession
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natnat7

Interview with Az One

On December 4, the sister duo Niambi and Ayanna of Az One released their holiday album entitled, Christmas with Az One. This is a combination of classic Christmas songs with an R&B and Blues spin.

Their music will remind listeners of the early 90's sensation, En Vogue. Although they have that 90's feel, they are still very modern.

In 2010, expect big things from Az One with their newest CD coming soon. They recently released their newest hit single, "Eyez on Me" as a preview of what's to come. This song is a catchy hip-hop jam fit for the club or just cruising. Be on the look out for their newest release coming out soon.

I had a one-on-one interview with Niambi and Ayanna and this was our conversation:

You and your sister have been performing for nearly eight years. How did it all start?

It started in college. Ayanna was at her summer job and wrote our first song, "Be With You". We both went back to school the next semester and recorded it in our friend's dorm room. It hasn't stopped since then.

So, what have been some of your major accomplishments to date?

One, we released our first independent album, The Jump Off. We wrote and arranged every song on the album and funded it our self. It was a great success and we are very proud of it. Two, we performed on the live and national TV show 106 & PARK on BET twice and won the R&B competition for their Wild Out Wednesday competition. And right now we are so proud of our Christmas album, Christmas With Az One. It's something we have been wanting to do for a few years now and finally got it done this year!

Did church play an important roll in your musical career?

Yes, church is where is all started. We had group with our family. Our grandmother, aunts, mom and cousins used to sing at church. We were also in the children's' choir and teen choir. That is where we got our confidence to sing in front of big crowds

What was your motivation for lyrics in your music?

Our lyrics come from real life situations and also the musical track can put you in a certain mood. When a track comes, you can feel what you want to write about. It may put you in a serious mood or a party mood.

Who are some of your influences in the music industry?

We grew up listening to all type of music. But we love Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, Micheal Jackson, and Tupac. Artists who make timeless music. There are too many to name.

I see that both of your graduated at Southern Illinois University. Do your degrees differ from your music career?

Our degrees go along with music. Ayanna has a degree in marketing. Niambi in Radio & Television. Our degrees and music go hand in hand

Are you applying your education into music, in a business sense?

Yes, you have to be smart to make your music career a business. We apply our knowledge we obtained in school to help build our career.

Has it been a challenge making a name for yourself in today’s market?

Very challenging. Especially when we both work full time jobs. We have to constantly push and prove our self. Basically we have to promote everywhere we go. It's not a day that goes by that we are not doing something with music. It's very hard since we don't have a big name behind us or a big budget.

Is the industry making it hard for independent artists like your self?

There are so many good artists out here trying to do the same thing. In the industry now, sometimes it's not all about the talent. It's about who you know and how much money you have. Most companies don't accept unsolicited material. A lot of people want you to pay to open up for big names. Bottom line you got to keep yourself one step above and just flood flood flood the industry until they can't help but notice you.

With the ease of technology, is it easy to create music the way you want it to sound?

All the new technology out there is great! But you still have to have a professional who knows how to use it and get the sound you want.

Have you been approached by any record labels or executive record producers?

Yes, we have been approached by a couple, we submitted our info as they asked but we are still knocking!

It looks like you’re attending a talent and fashion show for Military families at The Shrine in Belleville, IL on Dec 18th. Are you doing a singing performance there or are you modeling as well?

We are singing. Our Lady of The Snow Shrine is putting together an event for the well deserved military in our area. There is an Airforce base, Scott Airforce base in Belleville, IL and we continue to pray & support for our troops! We also have an event at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters, MO on DEC 19 from 7-9pm and for more events go to our site www.azonesing.com

What is in store for Az One?

In the new year of 2010 we will continue to push and promote the name of Az One. We will be releasing some new music! So get ready!!

To find out more information on Az One, go to their MySpace page or their Az One website.

Az One music is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.com