Music Duo | Software | Enterprise

Trying this again! Rumble fumbled the first upload ... only 48 minutes of 1:11:11 play... Yet this platform is supposedly for free speech? It only adds to our story of how censored we are. We are happy to say after removing some tags (ABCs) the full 1:11:11 video plays here! Below is our full press release for this story and if you are are a journalist or know a journalist who would be interested in our story, please share: OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/697932468/behind-the-screens-livestream-app-and-band-shine-spotlight-on-censorship-and-triumphs-in-new-documentary?fbclid=IwAR3XvYm3x8-lzSABKMg5iiuYuPT4HZqxoNCIVrDI2zG_sUI31GenekUFj6k ______Extended Press Release______ (HEADLINE) The Band Famous is the original livestream app, met with both censorship and success. (SUBHEAD) App by The Band Famous music duo includes improvised debut album, to livestream in-app concerts. Before Facebook live existed, before Instagram live existed, before Periscope, before all the livestream apps, first there was The Band Famous. Collectively, the marriage of enterprise, software, music duo, venue, and animal rescue sanctuary, comprised of and co-run by singer-songwriter, Norell, and in-demand body painter, Zander – formerly Jacob Alexander, with past collaborations and clients such as Red Bull, and production companies like Michael Levitt Productions – are what make The Band Famous unique. Norell moved to the big city and was painted along with the town by Zander. They bonded over their ability to transcend their difficult upbringings by turning to the creative arts, later forming The Band Famous on an improvised livestream music jam. They released their debut album Last Words in their self-developed and self-titled mobile app, The Band Famous®. Later came their Awakening EP (2nd album), a teaser to their 3rd album with “You're a Star”, and a surprise EP To Be Frank this year. Their supporters include renowned technologist superstar, Greg Deocampo, who wrote a blog on the software and the band; infamous hacker Kim Dotcom, who reached out to lead singer Norell proposing a collaboration between them; comedian Tom Green, who has described the band's genre-bending qualities in their music, and invited them to play live on his Webovision show in Los Angeles. Once in LA, they received even more support such as from actor Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell), and Hulu! Mario first met the band at Universal Studios, and later visited them at their day job simply to say hi and see "how the band is doing". Hulu, a major streaming service with rivals such as Netflix, has even followed the band. Greg Deocampo – co-creator and co-inventor of Adobe After Effects and the Hoverboard Program, member of EBN (Emergency Broadcast Network), contributing visuals for U2 during their World Tour, and who was hired to make a website for Prince – happened to be in the virtual audience of The Band Famous debut livestream concert; he witnessed the birth of the band live! Among one of the first people to download and review The Band Famous app, as first made available on the iPhone App Store in 2014; he had this to say: "Super interesting expression of the idea of a new format for music. Cool synthesis of music video and having a social relationship with the user. Two thumbs and a big toe up. Experimental music worth checking out. Reminds me of Björk." Yet the band claims their musical journey, despite being met with success, has also faced major scrutiny, and censorship; that they may be the most censored band in America of this decade. Watch this documentary to witness evidence of some of the supposed censorship for yourself, and form your own perspectives: Uncensor The Band Famous, viewable for free as the featured video at https://rumble.com/thebandfamous With the recent ban on TikTok, and more social media bans likely, censorship is more real and relevant to everyone than ever before. Free speech is now a crime! Yet this is nothing new to The Band Famous. But why has The Band Famous been so heavily censored for years? Speculation exists that perhaps it could be related to the launch of their acclaimed app album receiving support from notable figures like Kick Kennedy (RFK Jr.'s daughter) who the band met while living in NYC in 2014 and 2015 (more on that later), and BJ Thomas (“Hooked on a Feeling”, “Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head”) who Norell shared was her first concert and what a dream come true it was, surreal that he would years later support her music, too. The band met Jamil Walker Smith (X-Files, Stargate Universe, Hey Arnold!) and his dog Uno outside a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles and he downloaded and highly reviewed the app and the music. The band says they were approached by and offered at least three separate major record label deals, too. The band declined all three because in signing they would be required to surrender, in layman's terms, their freedom of speech. True artists, they refused to surrender the freedom to decide what their album art could be, what their song lyrics could be, what messages they would promote. They did not want to be cornered into singing music written by the same ghostwriters that write almost all music in circulation in the entertainment industry in America. The labels wanted control of everything from The Band Famous®, and software, to deciding what fashion styles the band could wear, to what they could share on social media – they even wanted to change the name of the band! The band would never compromise their artistic freedom to make the music they want to make, to express themselves in any genre; to wear whatever fashion they want to wear; to say what they want to say. Their music was described on CBS Radio Show The Tom Green Show by the band's hero, Tom Green: “Your band is exciting, you have an exciting - would you call it an industrial metal band? What is it more of a pop industrial alternative band?”. The Band Famous does not conform to any particular style or genre. They just make music that feels good to them, and sometimes resonates with others. International artist Olek has called The Band Famous their favorite band, featuring their music in their VR art exhibitions in NYC. Their four-track EP To Be Frank (2024) is loved in Brazil with “Mermaid Energy” featured and reviewed as “pop and experimental” by blog and radio, Heatwave, requesting the band to “make more music like that”! Former MN media City Pages described their sound as “trip hop” reviewing “Emotional Scatter” in the “Top 5 MN Music Videos”. Minnesota Public Radio 89.3 FM The Current described The Band Famous as “dreamy” when they talked about how the band “filmed their own birth on a livestream on the internet”, and of their debut album Last Words being “completely improvised, from the first livestream and on subsequent livestreams”. Some may say that their music isn't good, but if it were not good, they would not have the support of great singers like the late BJ Thomas who called them his new favorite music, saying, "Band Famous!! This is my favorite new music. This girl just steps up and sings her heart out. I love that. BJ" in a five star app review, and again on Twitter (now X). En Vogue and Lucy Pearl's Dawn Robinson said The Band Famous “sounds amazing” and she loves Norell's voice. The artist Zander is also censored, despite being published internationally, shown alongside Yoko Ono with Gulay Alpay at FIMA in Montreal, going on body paint tours, having a documentary made about his art gallery that inspired future art galleries in the Twin Cities, to being signed to Michael Levitt Productions as a consultant for Game Show Network's Skin Wars for three consecutive years in a row (Game Show Network follows the band and both Norell and Zander on Twitter/X). He even once had some of his artwork stored, saved and shipped to him from Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel (“The Sound of Silence”,”Mrs. Robinson”) . The band, while living in NYC in 2015, connected with RFK Jr.'s daughter, philanthropist and actress, Kick Kennedy. Norell's grandfather shared a history with JFK, his parents owning a popular diner in northern WI at one point where JFK would visit for his campaigns. There is even a letter from JFK to Norell's great-grandfather, and they made a tribute page on their tumblr. Kick left a five star review on the band's app The Band Famous, calling Norell “an angel from heaven” while saying "Zander is wildly talented as well". She connected the band to Harper Simon and Norell helped with his social media for a while with Kick's assistance. In the process, the band had to move across-country during some family hardships. Kick asked Harper and he agreed for Zander's artwork to be stored in his and his father Paul Simon's personal storage unit in NYC! They've displayed philanthropic efforts, resilience, and their commitment to giving back to the community, as well as supporting emerging talent throughout the years. They rallied for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations that Norell and Zander personally delivered to the food bank. They've also supported charities American Heart Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and My Friend's Place supporting homeless youth, to name a few. The Band Famous named their music project in a moment of word play, with aspirations to redefine the concept of fame and celebrity. Not many famous people are known to be kind, have humility, and promote good deeds, and are often surrounded by scandal on the contrary. Of course there are exceptions to this, but never did the band imagine they would have the support of so many celebrities and “famous” people that would directly prove to be some of those exceptions. How is a band with so many influential figures known to love and support them so censored? The band has been interviewed by reputable media platforms such as Medium with articles like, “Rising Music Stars: Five Things You Need to Shine in the Music Industry” and “Dreamers: They told me it was Impossible and I did it anyway”, and “Norell and Zander of ‘The Band Famous’: 5 Steps We Must Take To Truly Create An Inclusive, Representative, and Equitable Society”. None of these articles pull up when searching “The Band Famous” under “News” on Google, even though Medium pulls up under Google News. Thrive Global, a branch of HuffPost (Huffington Post), another recognized and reputable media outlet, also does not show up when you search for “The Band Famous” on Google “News”. That article on Thrive Global, titled, “Norell and Zander of ‘The Band Famous’: Leadership is really about being an expert of your chosen field and not being afraid to help others become successful”? It has since been scrubbed from the internet. The Band Famous has been on Minnesota Public Radio, yet that doesn't come up under the "News" either. When you search “All” results, you will find many pages of press and articles, and other search engines (rivals to Google) will pull up press articles such as those published in Medium right away. Why the censorship of this band? Is it because they are respected figures in the industry as trailblazing artists who defy industry norms and champion creative independence? How is it that The Band Famous has been played on international radio in England (6 Towns Radio), Wales (Radio Wigwam), France (Fasching Web Radio), China (Radio Lantau), and Brazil (Heatwave!), and played alongside mainstream bands like Sonic Youth; yet, after initially being played on Minnesota Public Radio 89.3 FM The Current in the USA in 2014, the band was later ghosted? There were emails about a follow-up article, then emails that there was no longer room for discussion because The Current presented and unveiled: Instant Band, imitating The Band Famous with their “improvised music on Facebook live”. Were others trying to repackage what The Band Famous represents in attempts to phase them out as irrelevant? Could this censorship stem perhaps from those who are not able to exploit The Band Famous because the band refuses to be complicit in a day and age where so many “sell out”? The censorship and harassment the band has faced has gone too far. Both have now been wrongfully terminated by a successive smear campaign at their day jobs and side hustles where they've worked to further help their animal rescue sanctuary that they run together off-grid in the high desert mountains of Arizona. Zander has now lost one of those jobs and side hustles; however, while Norell has lost two jobs based on rumors and defamation of character, something of which many celebrities are accustomed to. It could be due to discrimination as well as not all appreciate the adult work that The Band Famous has done under their erotic art project called KamasutraCandy (18+ only). Norell and Zander announced retirement from their adult content months ago, letting their entire fanbase know that they were choosing to focus more intently on their music, animal rescue sanctuary, and their Doberman Pinscher breeding business they do seasonally (they are highly reviewed and reputable breeders, too). The claims highlighted within the documentary the band says they can prove are meritless, which is why they are actively seeking legal representation to hold these parties accountable. From executive producers at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA, to producers at Paramount Pictures that even attended one of their benefit music festivals in Los Angeles, to internationally acclaimed artists, comedians, musicians, technologists, and celebrities around the board, anyone that knows The Band Famous knows they are kind, professional, and intensely authentic. The band seeks your support to fight censorship! They continue to produce music and livestream both music and games off clean energy, solar-powered by the sun as Twitch Affiliate. They also have a Patreon where fellow animal lovers can help support their independent music and animal rescue sanctuary for as little as $1.00 a month. All music, art, and merchandise sales further support their animal rescue sanctuary, and the band overall. One may also stream and buy their music everywhere, and subscribe to their YouTube, Rumble, and any platforms you're on to support The Band Famous. Contact: Mary Norell Jackson Email: info@bandfamous.com Call/Text: 646-384-9890 Socials / Websites: https://instagram.com/the_band_famous https://facebook.com/TheBandFamous https://twitter.com/TheBandFamous https://youtube.com/thebandfamoustm https://rumble.com/thebandfamous https://twitch.tv/bandfamous https://patreon.com/thebandfamous https://bandfamous.etsy.com https://tiktok.com/@the_band_famous https://threads.com/@the_band_famous https://bandfamous.com/press https://bandfamous.com/testimonials https://bandfamous.com/band https://bandfamous.com Honorable Mention: Watch All Over the Walls documentary for free: http://karnakgallery.com