A simple sad song about "Christiane," and other heartbreaking ballads with loud riffs and occasional elaborate production, are the latest offerings in a solo project by indie emo not-so-underground young veteran Jonah Matranga, using the alter ego onelinedrawing (spelled lowercase).
In Visitor (Jade Tree), Matranga uses 11 tracks to question happiness, materialism, falling in love, patience, smiling, writing letters and reality. He does it without yelling and with determination. Every note matters on Visitor, and what other well-known emo groups like Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World fail to deliver – resolution – onelinedrawing of presents.
In "Bitte Ein Kuss" (Please the Kid), we are introduced to "Christiane." The girl Matranga can’t have but wants inspires him to write: "This is where those movies make their money/It doesn’t hurt, it’s more like being thirsty/In lonely airport waves and drugged-up, dimlit raves/This is where those movies make their money."
Indeed we connect with the singer, and the simple slow guitar and promising catchy chorus make "Bitte Ein Kuss" an instant classic. The theme continues with the title track and "Yr letter." Matranga does not know when to stop his honesty. He sounds at times like Nick Drake with an orchestration reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian trying mellow techno and silly like the Eels. Yet Matranga is not ’90s garage. He is very current, a GenNext tragic hero looking for his supporters.
"When I write, these words come into my head and I just follow the song through," Matranga said. "Sometimes what comes is very personal or very broad."
Visitor can easily fall under the radar. Indie radio spins tunes from it occasionally, and its small label has limited promotional support. Unfortunately, onelinedrawing has joined the ranks of things only "cool kids" know and request. Matangra is not allergic to mainstream notoriety. After all, his previous bands "Far" and "New End Original" gained cult status during their peaks.
"I have some really melancholy work, and finally I have the guts to put that to tape, to say on record what I do live," he said. "I’m admittedly a little melodramatic."
He is touring the country as onelinedrawing to support Visitor, and he will return to Hoboken’s Maxwell’s on July 8. The show is expected to sell out, and it will feature Matranga in an intimate venue where he is able to better reach out to the audience.
"It’s about the music," he said. "I can play music in my room and with a community. I’m like a $20 bill. I’m meeting different people, and I enter their lives with my music."
Million ideas
Born and raised in Boston, Matranga grew up listening to everything from Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and David Bowie to Public Enemy and Miles Davis.
"I listen and I’m influenced by artists who are not scared," he said.
Eventually he moved to San Francisco, where he joined bands and began to record music. With Far he played loud and was an essential part of their three albums, most notably Tin Cans with Strings to You (Epic/Immortal). He then established the New End Original. The West Coast favorites headlined events and sold out venues for several years.
In 1999, Matranga needed a more personal outlet to release his thoughts. He established a small website and created an alter-ego. He came up with onelinedrawing. The name signifies Matranga’s belief that thoughts are continuous and unbroken. Since the mid-’90s, the term emo had been flowing in periodicals and press releases. Short for emotional, it is music with punk roots but more personal lyrics. During the launch of onelinedrawing, one British publication named Matranga the "Emo King." The title convinced Matranga that the genre made popular by Sunny Day Real Estate and Fugazi was dying, and it prompted him to describe his music as eccentric pop.
"I think emo is a creation of a publicist," he said. "When it came out, no one knew what it was."
Pop music is more marketable than emo because it utilizes big production, Matranga added. "Now emo is for sale. You can buy it at Hot Topic," he said. "Marketing emotion is messed up."
No matter what labels his music and that of his peers receive, Matranga believes it will continue to persevere and find an audience. For now, he is touring and finishing the final touches on another onelinedrawing release. He has a million ideas for sounds, lyrics, stage antics, albums and supporting other bands.
When asked if he thinks the future looks bright for onelinedrawing, Matranga said: "Yeah. I’m going to keep following my weird ideas around and meeting people. It’s really about the honesty, and honesty and sincerity are nothing unless you have the songs to back it up."
Onelinedrawing will perform at Maxwell’s at 1039 Washington St. in Hoboken on July 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8. For information call (201) 653-1703 or visit www.maxwellsnj.com. For information on Matranga visit www.onelinedrawing.com. q