Nadine Zureikat is always an absolute pleasure to talk with. She is funny, intelligent, to-the-point, and talented. Very, very talented. In the last couple of years that we here at Jammerzine have followed her career, she has crossed genres with no effort whatsoever (seriously, just check out the diversity in her work in the videos below!), created a marketing firm, and has collaborated with some of the top musical talent in the world. And now we get to talk with her again! I say talk, not an interview, because it is always fun talking with Nadine. She’s genuine. And that’s what counts in today’s world.
This time around we talk about her continuing evolution as an artist as well as her new single collaboration “Take Me Away” by Sekondo, as well as where she plans on taking her career next. Plus we have a few laughs, as always.
LINKS:
http://www.nadinezureikat.com
http://twitter.com/Nadine_Zureikat
http://instagram.com/nadinzureikat
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsSDDt0elvtn-Z6wv2k61nQ
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Live @ Home for May 30, 2020
Live @ Home is a new chapter in discovering music, with artists performing straight from their homes into fan’s homes around the globe. Going through Jammer Direct’s multiple streaming platforms via PC/Mac, Mobile, Tablet, Radio, and Television in true HD and Dolby Digital surround sound that reaches a worldwide audience.
Now brought to you as a joint venture between Jammer Direct and KES Entertainment!
With concerts, events, festivals, and concerts effectively canceled for the near future, even after things get back to somewhat normality people will be slow to get back out there. Musicians need a way to reach out with their music, Live @ Home is that game-changer that will let recording artists of all genres and levels reach out to fans along with gaining new ones.
If you are watching these performances on Jammer Direct’s official Roku Channel, you can use the QR Code embedded in the video to vote via your phone or tablet device.
These performances are also being simulcast on our flagship online radio station JammerStream One, which began at 12 Noon (U.S. Eastern) on May 30th HERE.
This Week’s Episode features performances by:
- Neena Rose DONATE TO ARTIST
- Lawrence Preston DONATE TO ARTIST
- Todd Barrow DONATE TO ARTIST
- Liv Mannara DONATE TO ARTIST
- The Celestial Stars DONATE TO ARTIST
- The DuShane Band DONATE TO ARTIST
Vote for your favorite artist this week!
About the Artists
Neena Rose
Neena Rose
To say that aspiring artist Neena Rose is a more powerful and passionate lead vocalist than many singers twice her age wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Hamilton-born, Neena Rose at only 16 year’s old has been called an “amazing young talent, incredible vocalist and witty lyricist” by 80 Empire of Universal Music Publishing Group, who produced and co-wrote the songs for Neena’s soon to be released R&B spiked’ EP, calling working with her a “sheer joy!”
Be it recording her first original song “Rock N Roll Lullaby “at the age of 12, produced and mixed by Diamond/Platinum producer Roy “Royalty” Hamilton III, performing for Oprah Winfrey at Copp’s Coliseum in front of an audience of 14,000 or being selected by CHCH TV to record the new theme song for Tiny Talent Time, Neena’s ardent delivery, her maturity, and unique style engages and inspires an immediate emotional response from anyone listening.
Neena Rose is thrilled to release her captivating debut single and music video “Games” with originals “Rewind” “Circles” and “Mannequin” to follow. She’s elated to share these powerhouse tracks paving the way for what her fans can expect in 2019 with the release of her first full- length album. When asked, Neena Rose spoke of looking forward to writing and performing songs that inspire others and her personal joy of giving back to the community through the gift of music.
LINKS:
https://www.neenarosemusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/neenarosemusic
https://www.youtube.com/neenarosemusicLawrence Preston
Lawrence Preston
The Throwback Sounds Vibe touches every aspect of the musical genre out there! RnB/Soul singer Lawrence Preston echo’s the classic melodies of Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Stanley Clark just to name a few. Infusing the best elements of jazz, funk, pop, hip hop into a unique balance diverse musical experience while maintaining a strong soul element. Lawrence’s vocal harmonies, funky bass lines, and fairly simplistic beats maintain the soulful sound throughout his songs. Gearing up for a UK tour mid- June 2018 he will without a doubt capture the attention of intimate club patrons with his elements of hard, lingering bass lines; with a touch of emotion-stirring guitar riffs with an authenticity that is necessary for soul music, it’s a jazzier, funk sophisticated taste.
Some background info on Lawrence~ A San Francisco native, Lawrence was born into a musical family, his parents had formed a gospel group, The Sensational Travelers, who rehearsed in the local church at which his grandfather was pastor. At the age of only five, Lawrence was part of another family gospel group, Fantastic Four, also featuring his father, a talented guitarist. Becoming known locally as “The Gospel Jackson Five”, he had now truly become committed to music, learning to play trombone, guitar and, his ultimate weapon of choice, bass guitar.
Aged 19, his musical skill was spotted by Sly & the Family Stone founder, Freddie Stone who in turn recommended him to “Oh, Happy Day” singer, Dorothy Morrison, leading to a significant period in the 1980s as the bass player in her gospel band. Taking his time to truly learn his craft, Lawrence emerged in the 1990s as an artist with a wealth of experience, recording his first full-length album in 1997. “Something for You” is Lawrence Preston at the peak of his powers, an artist for fans of classic soul and for those wanting to hear real musicianship and passion.
LINK:
http://www.lawrenceprestononline.comTodd Barrow
Todd Barrow
A chance encounter at Cook Children’s Medical Center is all it took to set Todd Barrow on his mission to revamp classic country with his signature modern twist. One day, an American Idol contestant was slated to perform for the patients at Todd’s place of employment, but the audio tech was nowhere to be found. When he heard the call, “Can anybody here run sound?” Todd answered. In walked Texas Music Hall of Fame Honoree Sonny Burgess just as Todd was setting up the live rig, and the two musicians struck up a conversation. Sonny told Todd about his work with Charlie Pride and Randy Travis, and asked Todd if he might lend his technical skills to help build the recording studio sponsored by Garth Brooks and Troy Aikmanhe that had in the works. This serendipitous encounter yielded a coffee meeting to review the blueprints for the project, and before long, Sonny was meeting Todd for coffee weekly to discuss music. Eventually, he became Todd’s mentor, forever changing the course of Todd’s career.
Now, Todd Barrow is making a name for himself as a country artist to watch. The Texas singer-songwriter has racked up more than a few accolades, from a PRSA Award of Excellence to an Akademia Award for Best Country Album, and an artist spotlight in Alternative Roots Magazine, American Pride Magazine and AVA Radio. He has appeared on television shows including Good Morning Texas with Jerry Matheny and Texas Music Café on PBS. He’s even shared the stage and studio with some of country music’s heaviest hitters, from CMA musicians in Miranda Lambert’s band to Fort Worth Producer of the Year Bart Rose. But it’s more than just Todd’s success to date that makes him such a compelling country artist. What’s most readily apparent in Todd Barrow’s music is his heart.
Todd’s music is no country for old men. While he undoubtedly draws his sonic influence from titans like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, his melodies skew modern. He plays almost every instrument, from piano to guitar, mandolin, harmonica, and drums, and the multi-instrumentalist doubles as a songwriter for himself as well as for other artists. “”If I can put a smile on someone’s face through song, well that just means the world to me,” he says. “I try to get to the real heart and soul of a song. To me, it’s not just words but a story, and I do my best to portray that with every line. That’s my main draw to country music; the stories, the people, and the sincerity that comes from the heart.”
LINKS:
http://www.toddbarrowmusic.com
https://www.twitter.com/ToddBarrowMusic
https://www.instagram.com/ToddBarrowMusic1
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Ab2CaTAC6yZQZoTjBz6VE?si=SJjBHsNlTum1P4JedhIetQLiv Mannara
Liv Mannara
Born, and raised in Toronto, Canada, 17-year-old Liv Mannara strives to introduce her indie, yet urban pop, high energy music, and strong vocals to many who are waiting to hear. Without Liv’s unique personality, humor, and style, her original songs would not be portrayed the same. This 17-year-old girl has worked with few producers but has “blown their minds away” with her exclusive ear, to countless incredible new sounds that soon will be discovered.
At the age of 14 Liv recorded her first original song “Perfect Touch” produced by producer Roy Hamilton III, then her second debut single “Free Fallin’” produced by Jovan Jovanov, which opened the doors into Liv finding her specific vibe of music she knew was right for her. She then was given opportunities to showcase her astonishing vocals at the Pan Am Games Opening Ceremony in front of an audience of 500 or being chosen individually to perform in front of an audience of 400, at the Taste of the 6ix. Liv is confident and passionate to release many singles on the way, yet her newest debut original single “Complicated”, for many to listen, and enjoy, however, to perceive the message behind it.
She is overjoyed and ecstatic to share her messages, her vibe, and her captivating voice for her supporters to engage in throughout this 2019-2020 year ahead. Liv is courageous, and fearless, to write about messages that impact her, however for many others that have experienced the same. Liv “can’t wait” to show the world what she has, through her love of music.
LINKS:
https://www.livmannaramusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/livmannaraThe Celestial Stars
The Celestial Stars
Organized in 1995, the original members were Lawrence Preston, mother Gwendolyn Williams, and father Lawrence Williams. After Gwendolyn passed in 2009, the group reorganized in October 2011. The group now consists of members Lawrence Preston, his father Lawrence Williams, cousins Barry Franklin, and Richard Kinney.
The Celestial Stars are a group with a sound that bridges the richness, and tradition of traditional Gospel quartet music, with contemporary Gospel music taste. The groups’ gospel music influences are the Pilgrim Jubilees, the Fantastic Violinaires, the Gospelaires; led by the late Bob Washington and The Highway Q.C’s.
The Celestial Stars sound is a blend created by songwriter, Producer Lawrence Preston, inclusive of the R&B sounds that influenced him; such as Sly and The Family Stones, James Brown, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Cameo to name a few.
The integration of these musical influences has given The Celestial Stars a unique and vibrant sound that is catching the attention of Gospel and Christian audiences everywhere.
Onstage, the Stars give their audiences electric energized energy and excitement in every performance. The Celestial Stars are dedicated to giving their fans great stage performances.
The singers in the band are; Richard Kinney, Lawrence Williams, and Lawrence Preston, who is also the groups’ bass player; the groups’ tenor vocalist is Cousin Barry Franklin.
San Francisco is known for the Bay, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and now it has a groundbreaking, exciting group to introduce to the World; The Celestial Stars.
DuShane Band
DuShane Band
Formed in late 2012, DuShane is a culmination of southern rock and country. The band consists of vocals, electric/acoustic guitars, bass, drums, pedal steel, violin, and keyboards. Formally of the band, Law and Order (MCA Records), lead singer DuShane brought up on the Nashville/Memphis sound but also uses his New York City roots to create their “Urban Country” Americana sound.
The Band is a blend of acoustic and sonic texture that is reminiscent of classic country and southern rock and shimmers with modern studio sounds and arrangements.
Tutored by friends and former producers Joe Hardy, Mac Reinhold, and Shane Keister, The DuShane Band was able to produce and engineer and record their first independent record. DuShane’s first single “Alabama Rain” released in early January 2017 has received receiving warm reviews and gaining popularity from fans with different musical tastes, and with a release of DuShane’s first music video for “Summertime” the band hopes to gain popularity with the country and rock fans as well as appeal to a broader global audience.
The band’s newest video, “Alabama Rain”, opens up with an anthemic intro that brings a familiarity to the song, comforting the listener as they brace for the story’s impact. The line, “Johnny turned 20’s from the poor side of town” kicks off the first verse, putting you in the main character’s shoes. DuShane completes the verse with, “One day he got married and found a way / He had a new baby boy and landed a job / without any skills had to work twice as hard, working the steel mills 14 hours a day.”
Then, tragedy strikes- the mill shut down. What’s more? There is a second child on the way. Without a job or pay to support his family, Johnny hit rock bottom. He was left with no choice but to enlist in the military to make ends meet. The video ends with Johnny coming home a hero, reuniting with his family, and the fulfillment of his promise that they would never know that “Alabama Rain.”
All in all, “Alabama Rain” is a song of hope. The Johnny character featured in the story is all too relatable for a large portion of the United States right now due to the outsourcing of jobs and the shrinking of the middle-class. The lyrics in this song can speak to the hearts of those affected by these conditions and serve as a point of inspiration. The fresh sound and undeniable relatability of this song is sure to hook country and Americana music fans, and we’re so excited to watch the DuShane band flourish with the release of this video.
LINK:
https://www.dushaneband.comAbout Jammer Direct
Jammer Direct is a multi-platform and online promotional and media company that includes video, radio, and print entities in the form of the brands Jammer Direct, JammerStream Radio, and Jammerzine.
These multiple platforms are defined as follows:
- Jammer Direct is a video network consisting of a vast selection of music videos of every genre as well as live concerts, original films and documentaries, and original programming. This network now includes what is called JDTV, a television version of Jammer Direct found currently on Roku (channel link HERE), and soon to be on Amazon FireTV, Pluto TV, TubiTV, and more this year (2020).
- Jammer Direct is also getting into original television programming and film with the TV show for independent musicians titled ‘Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie‘ (link HERE) and films such as the Beauty in Chaos’ documentary ‘Behind The Beauty: Remixing The Chaos‘ (found on Jammer Direct HERE, as well as Amazon Prime HERE, and AppleTV HERE).
- JammerStream Radio is a four-station radio network split into genres of music submitted to Jammer Direct directly from the artists, their labels, or their representation. The stations also have original content and programming. JammerStreams radio stations are also available on all online radio stream platforms (search JammerStream) as well on Amazon’s Alexa and Alexa for Auto (link HERE).
- Jammerzine is an online magazine featuring daily premieres for songs, albums, and videos, as well as exclusive interviews and content.
Collectively, the brand known as Jammer Direct (Jammer Direct, JammerStream Radio, and Jammerzine) generates over 2 million unique views per month with an average stay time of between 30 and over 40 minutes for the artists that they feature (links HERE & HERE).
LINKS:
https://jammer.direct
https://jammerstream.jammer.direct
https://jammerzine.com
https://twitter.com/jammerdirect
https://twitter.com/jammerzine
https://www.facebook.com/jammerdirect
https://www.facebook.com/jammerzineAbout KES Entertainment
KES Entertainment provides worldwide digital and US physical music and film distribution for record labels and artists. Our marketing and promotion team specializes in structuring tailored campaigns, assisting the artist with connecting to their fans, and creating new ones.
Our most popular services:
- Spotify playlist campaigns
- Social media marketing
- Vevo artist video channel
- (Vevo is the worlds leading music video and entertainment platform, reaching approximately 26 billion viewers per month).
- Radio Promotions / Mainstream BDS and Mediabase / College / All Genres
- Video Promotion
- OnDeckMagazine.com
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/kesindiedist
https://kesnetwork.com -
An Interview with Ra’s Sahaj Ticotin
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with a legend of loud in the form of Sahaj Ticotin from the rock band Ra. As the world cautiously opens up and the venues begin to fill, Ra are set to take their music on the road with fellow acts Awake At Last, REDDSTAR, September Mourning, Any Given Sin and Killakoi on select dates. The tour begins this Friday (August 20th, 2021).
In this interview we talk with Sahaj about the new tour and their latest album, ‘Intercorrupted’, Ra’s musical history and where Ra is headed musically.
Ra is a band that, in my opinion, came out at the right time. I remember the late ’90s. I also remember, it was getting a bit boring in regards to music. Ra was my ‘Holy Sh*t!’ moment. That glorious mix of middle eastern and modern western that is ‘Do You Call My Name‘ made me play the guitar in front of my stereo again. Their genre-redefining at the turn of the century turned the century into a place that could survive creatively. ‘Intercorrupted’ is a continuation of such and sees the band take a more accessible and melodic approach. Where could the band be headed next? Actually, there is an answer in the interview.
Watch and enjoy!
About Ra
Formed in 1996, Ra took off in 2002, when their song “Do You Call My Name” from their album From One was released. Their music was described as “exotic yet familiar, heavy yet funky, direct yet sophisticated, sensual yet soulful, unrelenting yet cathartic.”
The band is known for their hit songs “Do You Call My Name,” “Fallen Angels,” “Don’t Turn Away,” and “Broken Hearted Soul.” To date, Ra has sold 400,000+ albums in North America alone.
In the 8 years since Ra’s last studio release (2013’s Critical Mass), Sahaj has been hard at work replicating the formula for his success by producing other artists while the rest of the band has pursued independent projects; however, collectively, they feel now is the time for a comeback. What makes the timing so special is that all original members of the band will be together again to not only create the new album, but tour it as well. After a very successful re-emergence on 2020’s Shiprocked, the band has again tapped into the fan based that sustained them all these years.
About ‘Intercorrupted’
Ra released their new album, ‘Intercorrupted’, via Wake Up! Music Rocks on March 19, 2021. The album has guest features from Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust and Dustin Bates of Starset.
The band is hitting the road with the two runs announced for August and November.
Prior to the release of the album, the first single of the albums same name debuted in October 2020.
RA ARE:
- Sahaj Tictotin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Ben Carroll – lead guitar
- P.J. Farley – bass
- Skoota Warner – drums
Featured image by Chet Atkins/Sweetwater Studios.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRA
https://www.instagram.com/officialraband
https://twitter.com/ratheband
https://twitter.com/raband
https://raband.net
https://www.youtube.com/channel/RaOffficial -
Dark Matters (JammerStream One)
Dark Matters was a talk show featuring independent artists of all calibers. It ran from 2013 to 2014 on JammerStream One.