Jonathon Newby was the lead singer of Brazil

Brazil (band)

Brazil was an Indiana rock band. Although the band eschews labels and are often categorized with the punk and post-hardcore music scenes, that is mostly due to association. The music itself is more akin to progressive rock with indie rock roots. The line-up as of 2006 release is Jonathon Newby,...

 until August 2007. Jonathon and his brother Nic are also 2 of the founding members of Brazil. On earlier Brazil recordings Jonathon played drums but eventually became the lead singer. Fans of Brazil know Jonathon for his use of obscure lyrics and interweaving themes.

He has also been trained formally on the piano, on which he wrote most of Brazil's songs.

Vocal range

Jonathon's vocal range has been compared to that of Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Cedric Bixler-Zavala

Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...

 of At the Drive-In

At the Drive-In

At the Drive-In was an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, considered part of the post-hardcore genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene...

/Mars Volta.

Pre-Brazil

Before becoming one of the founders of Brazil Newby left the U.S. to live in the Arab quarter of a small Beligian town.

When returning to the U.S. he moved into a chapel of an abandoned church it is there where the concept of Brazil was begun. Brazil's first demos were recorded out of the basement of this same church.http://www.braziltheband.com

Lyrical influence

Post Brazil

Currently he is writing under the name JCHRIST and he has a record label and publishing company called Young Tobacco, devoted exclusively to the release of JCHRIST material.

Jonathon also has a blog titled 500 Days of Night http://500daysofnight.blogspot.com which is going to have a blog about every concert performed by Brazil.

Writing (non-musical)

Pataphysical Odd Occurrences, or P.O.O. - are grassroots reading circles devoted to the literary work of Jonathon Newby.

Web (non-musical)

Jonathon also has created numerous now-famous avatars for message board patrons.

Studio

Release date	Album
September 17, 2002	Dasein
Never	The Lost EP
April 20, 2004	A Hostage and the Meaning of Life A Hostage and the Meaning of Life A Hostage and the Meaning of Life is an album by the rock band Brazil that deals with themes of technology, dehumanization, and frustration. Musically, it borrows from complex genres such as progressive rock and classical music, as well as the abrasive aesthetic of punk, and the ethereal guitar...
October 3, 2006	The Philosophy of Velocity The Philosophy of Velocity The Philosophy of Velocity is a 2006 concept album by the rock band Brazil. Many of the songs on the album are lyrical short stories and vignettes, focusing on themes of isolation, paranoia, anxiety, and the supernatural with an emphasis on absurdity, dark humor, and camp...