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Blogs - Dec. '10 & Jan. '11
December 24th, 2010 -
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, The Ron Jonsons’ first ever album, and
it’s called…The Ron Jonsons. It’s a 10 track album that’s about 52 minutes long.
Put it in your CD player and you’ll be treated to the wide array of sounds and tunes
we’ve created. You’ll hear Ron Jonsons classics, such as “Had Enough” and
“Night Ride” as well as some new songs (new unless you’ve seen our live
concerts).
The four-panel full-cover booklet contains the lyrics to every song as well as our
album cover designed by Will Hardee and our instantly recognizable logo created
by Robert Conner. I also added a little picture of the band going on a night ride. The
back of the album features an amazing illustrated collage containing imagery
from every song on the album, also created by Robert Conner. The official track
listing is as follows:
1. Repeat Offender
2. Had Enough
3. The Late Hour
4. Ellen
5. I Took The Fall
6. 11-8
7. An Endless Corridor
8. Lake of Good Views
9. The Wall
10. Night Ride
If you would like to get your hands on an album, just let us know! You can send
one of us a message over Facebook or send us an email at
theronjonsons@yahoo.com. We’ll make arrangements to get you an album. Also,
we’re currently looking into getting our album on iTunes, so you’ll be able to get it
there soon! Also, they make great stocking stuffers (it’s Christmas Eve, so make
your purchases soon)!
And so it’s done. It’s done and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
Happy Holidays Ron Nation!
- Josh Bailey, The Ron Jonsons
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, The Ron Jonsons’ first ever album, and
it’s called…The Ron Jonsons. It’s a 10 track album that’s about 52 minutes long.
Put it in your CD player and you’ll be treated to the wide array of sounds and tunes
we’ve created. You’ll hear Ron Jonsons classics, such as “Had Enough” and
“Night Ride” as well as some new songs (new unless you’ve seen our live
concerts).
The four-panel full-cover booklet contains the lyrics to every song as well as our
album cover designed by Will Hardee and our instantly recognizable logo created
by Robert Conner. I also added a little picture of the band going on a night ride. The
back of the album features an amazing illustrated collage containing imagery
from every song on the album, also created by Robert Conner. The official track
listing is as follows:
1. Repeat Offender
2. Had Enough
3. The Late Hour
4. Ellen
5. I Took The Fall
6. 11-8
7. An Endless Corridor
8. Lake of Good Views
9. The Wall
10. Night Ride
If you would like to get your hands on an album, just let us know! You can send
one of us a message over Facebook or send us an email at
theronjonsons@yahoo.com. We’ll make arrangements to get you an album. Also,
we’re currently looking into getting our album on iTunes, so you’ll be able to get it
there soon! Also, they make great stocking stuffers (it’s Christmas Eve, so make
your purchases soon)!
And so it’s done. It’s done and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
Happy Holidays Ron Nation!
- Josh Bailey, The Ron Jonsons
| Done. |
December 9th, 2010 -
Believe it or not ladies and gentlemen, the album is coming. The first batch has
been ordered and is on it's way to being delivered to us as we speak....er...type. In
celebration of this occasion, I thought the blog this week should mentally prepare
you for what is to come. I've written before, music transcends language, so the
true enjoyment will be hearing the tracks. But I wanted to give all our fans an
insight on each song. We want to keep a few surprises, so I won't go into TOO
much detail and won't be talking about all songs (or in order), but you get the idea.
So without further adieu, here is a preview of...
Ellen- A smooth, soul-infused blues-based ballad, this is one fun song to play! It's
a story song, so that means you need to pay attention to the entire thing to get the
lowdown. The bass part is simple, yet so, so appropriate. Smooth, wobbley guitar
chords punctuate a very relaxed drum groove full of space. The piano parts are
playful and light. Indeed, this song is all about just kicking back and feeling
mellow. The song starts out lazy and easy, but builds in energy, both overall and
within each section. Don't let the ease of the song fool you though, there are some
very intricate guitar chords and drum fills peppered throughout. Austin’s sax solo
in the bridge is gruff and dirty, full of sweat and soul. All these elements add up to
enhance the story, so read the lyrics if you want everything to come together as it
is meant to.
Endless Corridor- We here at The Ron Jonsons love video games. So the result of
us wanting to write a song to sound like it belongs in a game is Endless Corridor.
Starting with an aggressive drum fill, the energy starts high and never lets up.
Hard, heavy guitar work blends together with distorted bass to create a very
metal feel for the song. A computer-enhanced synthesizer is a nod to old school
games from NES and Sega. Put this baby on when you play Megaman and see if it
isn't perfectly appropriate! Josh's vocals and lyrics never shy away from the song
and give the immense energy somewhere to focus. Even if the song is made to
sound like a video game, the themes of love and loss are very real.
Had Enough- The ol' Ron Jonsons standby. This was the first song written by the
band and many people tell us it might be the best. Chunk guitar-work drives this
song forward, with open chords on the rock organ lending extra energy during the
chorus. As for the drum work, it's old school rock, snare 2 and 4, with energetic
fills to link verses and chorus. You'll be able to tell verse and chorus apart as
Spence and Josh trade vocals to keep the listener on their feet. After the bottom
falls out, the Rojos come roaring back in to finish the song big and full. This song
is about the frustration of doing something over and over and finally saying
“Enough is enough!”. Pure energy and drive- welcome to the marriage of old and
new school!
11-8 – The wild card of the album. A beautiful piano and bass combination starts
the song off on a graceful note. Blues-inspired guitar-work leads into a verse that
is still relient on piano. Take note the hauntingly beautiful harmonies of the song,
Josh and Austin back up Spence perfectly. Even with all the beauty of the song,
you just can't seem to shake the idea that something is wrong- and that's the
point! The themes of loneliness and emptiness contract the beauty of the song
and turn it into a tragic ballad. The bridge might be the most interesting part.
When was the last time you heard a chorus written in 11/8 time signature?
Aggressive, sweeping, graceful and edgy: 11-8 is a little bit of everything!
The Wall- My personal favorite Rojo song! A smooth, jazzy number, Austin's piano
is in command and it is gorgeous! This song seems to flow and dance
effortlessly. The themes expressed are more serious. Should someone reach out
and put themselves in danger of being hurt, or stay “safe” behind the wall of
protection they have build around? After the energy is ramped up in the bridge
and the song calms back down, Austin's sax comes shining through. He is a
master at his instrument and lets it show on this song. If you want a song to lift
your spirits and let you know everything will be alright, look no further.
Night Ride- There are many surprises in this song, so I won't spoil them. What I
can say is this Latin-infused rock song is best enjoyed with the windows down
and the night just setting in. Light piano work and a solid bass groove keeps
things moving forward. The only song on the album to have Austin sing lead
shows he can do a great job of it. But the real fun starts half way though- the
tempo and energy jump up to 11. There's a reason we end with this song, it's pure
energy- everything we have is put on the line. An epic sax/guitar duel takes place,
with Austin coming out swinging. Fast, furious and driving, his sax part is
masterful. Spence parries everything Austin throws at him and strikes back hard
and fast. Both show complete skill over their instruments. Full of ups and downs,
this song always has something going on.
As I said earlier, the back of the album is just as beautiful as the front. I’m
attaching a collage by Robert Conner. It features various images portrayed by our
lyrics all in one awesome picture. Enjoy!
Michael Butts, Josh Bailey – The Ron Jonsons
Believe it or not ladies and gentlemen, the album is coming. The first batch has
been ordered and is on it's way to being delivered to us as we speak....er...type. In
celebration of this occasion, I thought the blog this week should mentally prepare
you for what is to come. I've written before, music transcends language, so the
true enjoyment will be hearing the tracks. But I wanted to give all our fans an
insight on each song. We want to keep a few surprises, so I won't go into TOO
much detail and won't be talking about all songs (or in order), but you get the idea.
So without further adieu, here is a preview of...
Ellen- A smooth, soul-infused blues-based ballad, this is one fun song to play! It's
a story song, so that means you need to pay attention to the entire thing to get the
lowdown. The bass part is simple, yet so, so appropriate. Smooth, wobbley guitar
chords punctuate a very relaxed drum groove full of space. The piano parts are
playful and light. Indeed, this song is all about just kicking back and feeling
mellow. The song starts out lazy and easy, but builds in energy, both overall and
within each section. Don't let the ease of the song fool you though, there are some
very intricate guitar chords and drum fills peppered throughout. Austin’s sax solo
in the bridge is gruff and dirty, full of sweat and soul. All these elements add up to
enhance the story, so read the lyrics if you want everything to come together as it
is meant to.
Endless Corridor- We here at The Ron Jonsons love video games. So the result of
us wanting to write a song to sound like it belongs in a game is Endless Corridor.
Starting with an aggressive drum fill, the energy starts high and never lets up.
Hard, heavy guitar work blends together with distorted bass to create a very
metal feel for the song. A computer-enhanced synthesizer is a nod to old school
games from NES and Sega. Put this baby on when you play Megaman and see if it
isn't perfectly appropriate! Josh's vocals and lyrics never shy away from the song
and give the immense energy somewhere to focus. Even if the song is made to
sound like a video game, the themes of love and loss are very real.
Had Enough- The ol' Ron Jonsons standby. This was the first song written by the
band and many people tell us it might be the best. Chunk guitar-work drives this
song forward, with open chords on the rock organ lending extra energy during the
chorus. As for the drum work, it's old school rock, snare 2 and 4, with energetic
fills to link verses and chorus. You'll be able to tell verse and chorus apart as
Spence and Josh trade vocals to keep the listener on their feet. After the bottom
falls out, the Rojos come roaring back in to finish the song big and full. This song
is about the frustration of doing something over and over and finally saying
“Enough is enough!”. Pure energy and drive- welcome to the marriage of old and
new school!
11-8 – The wild card of the album. A beautiful piano and bass combination starts
the song off on a graceful note. Blues-inspired guitar-work leads into a verse that
is still relient on piano. Take note the hauntingly beautiful harmonies of the song,
Josh and Austin back up Spence perfectly. Even with all the beauty of the song,
you just can't seem to shake the idea that something is wrong- and that's the
point! The themes of loneliness and emptiness contract the beauty of the song
and turn it into a tragic ballad. The bridge might be the most interesting part.
When was the last time you heard a chorus written in 11/8 time signature?
Aggressive, sweeping, graceful and edgy: 11-8 is a little bit of everything!
The Wall- My personal favorite Rojo song! A smooth, jazzy number, Austin's piano
is in command and it is gorgeous! This song seems to flow and dance
effortlessly. The themes expressed are more serious. Should someone reach out
and put themselves in danger of being hurt, or stay “safe” behind the wall of
protection they have build around? After the energy is ramped up in the bridge
and the song calms back down, Austin's sax comes shining through. He is a
master at his instrument and lets it show on this song. If you want a song to lift
your spirits and let you know everything will be alright, look no further.
Night Ride- There are many surprises in this song, so I won't spoil them. What I
can say is this Latin-infused rock song is best enjoyed with the windows down
and the night just setting in. Light piano work and a solid bass groove keeps
things moving forward. The only song on the album to have Austin sing lead
shows he can do a great job of it. But the real fun starts half way though- the
tempo and energy jump up to 11. There's a reason we end with this song, it's pure
energy- everything we have is put on the line. An epic sax/guitar duel takes place,
with Austin coming out swinging. Fast, furious and driving, his sax part is
masterful. Spence parries everything Austin throws at him and strikes back hard
and fast. Both show complete skill over their instruments. Full of ups and downs,
this song always has something going on.
As I said earlier, the back of the album is just as beautiful as the front. I’m
attaching a collage by Robert Conner. It features various images portrayed by our
lyrics all in one awesome picture. Enjoy!
Michael Butts, Josh Bailey – The Ron Jonsons
| Awesome blossom. |
January 14th, 2011 -
If you ever find yourself in downtown Cleveland, ask yourself 2 things.
#1- “Why am I here?!?
#2- Where can I go in Cleveland that isn't the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Some of you might be scratching your heads, thinking the Ron Jonsons love rock
and thus should love the Rock HoF (that's Hall of Fame). The answer is simple. The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a terrible, awful place that insults rock more than it
uplifts it.
The Rock HoF was created in 1983 and, like most rock stars, had no home for the
first 12 years of life. After a number of cities were considered, Cleveland
petitioned and won the vote to have the Hall built. I'm sure the $65 million in public
money pledged towards construction didn't hurt either. The hall was designed in
1993 and officially opened in 1995 (Yoko Ono was in attendance, strike 2). To get
in the Rock HoF, an artist must “demonstrable influence and significance within
the history of rock and roll”. Fair enough. Artist or bands are only eligible for
nomination 25 years after their first album is released (December 2035, save the
date RoJo fans!). Sounds reasonable, but this is where the trouble starts - buckle
up!
First off, the nomination process is controlled by people who aren't musicians,
and often times either chase money or follow their own tastes when nominating
begins. A former committee member has said that former foundation director
Suzan Evans “lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough
big names that would sell tickets to the dinner.” That was quickly remedied by
dropping one of the doo-wop groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist...I
saw how certain pioneering artists of the '50s and early '60s were shunned
because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in '70s
superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of
those pioneers still aren't in today”.
The nomination process is a joke. Only a 50% vote on the committee is needed to
be inducted. The committee nominates from genres outside of rock, and often
times a number of inductees are set in stone before the ballots are even shipped.
One member declined to vote one year because he felt the choices were so
awful. Fans have NO input on nomination or election. For example, Alice Cooper
finally got inducted into the Hall last year, but take a look at who was voted in
BEFORE him: ABBA, Chic (a one-hit disco band), Michael Jackson, Steely Dan,
Issac Hayes, Ruth Brown. Keep in mind, Alice Cooper was first eligible in 1994.
Then there are the artists who DON'T BELONG in a ROCK AND ROLL Hall of fame.
Miles Davis (jazz trumpeter), Buddy Guy (blues musician), Michael Jackson (“King
of Pop”), Steely Dan (I don't even know how to categorize them, but it's not rock),
Jackson 5 (funk/pop), Bob Marley (reggae), Sly and the Family Stone (funk), Ruth
Brown (soul), Louis Armstrong (jazz trumpeter), Run D.M.C. (hip-hop), Earth, Wind
and Fire (funk). Now many of these artists are amazing and deserve to be in a Hall
of Fame, but not the ROCK AND ROLL hall. Heck, LL Cool J has been nominated
twice! KISS on the other hand, has only been nominated once, lost the bid and has
never been nominated again. Also, there's this:
Has never been nominated- Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Rush, Deep Purple, Dio, Yes,
Steve Miller Band, Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Journey, Heart,
Cheap Trick. Who’s your favorite rock artist? You won’t find them here.
The Rock HoF needs to get the fans involved! We know what rock is. We are in the
trenches with the rockers! If you are a fan of rock, our “hallowed hall” should fill
you with anger! Sports HoF's put in exactly who has earned it. It should be an
honor, but the Rock Hall is more interested in profit than history. Here's an idea - if
you want to sell tickets, INDUCT PEOPLE THAT THE FANS ALL AGREE SHOULD BE
INDUCTED!
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
If you ever find yourself in downtown Cleveland, ask yourself 2 things.
#1- “Why am I here?!?
#2- Where can I go in Cleveland that isn't the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Some of you might be scratching your heads, thinking the Ron Jonsons love rock
and thus should love the Rock HoF (that's Hall of Fame). The answer is simple. The
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a terrible, awful place that insults rock more than it
uplifts it.
The Rock HoF was created in 1983 and, like most rock stars, had no home for the
first 12 years of life. After a number of cities were considered, Cleveland
petitioned and won the vote to have the Hall built. I'm sure the $65 million in public
money pledged towards construction didn't hurt either. The hall was designed in
1993 and officially opened in 1995 (Yoko Ono was in attendance, strike 2). To get
in the Rock HoF, an artist must “demonstrable influence and significance within
the history of rock and roll”. Fair enough. Artist or bands are only eligible for
nomination 25 years after their first album is released (December 2035, save the
date RoJo fans!). Sounds reasonable, but this is where the trouble starts - buckle
up!
First off, the nomination process is controlled by people who aren't musicians,
and often times either chase money or follow their own tastes when nominating
begins. A former committee member has said that former foundation director
Suzan Evans “lamented the choices being made because there weren't enough
big names that would sell tickets to the dinner.” That was quickly remedied by
dropping one of the doo-wop groups being considered in favor of a 'name' artist...I
saw how certain pioneering artists of the '50s and early '60s were shunned
because there needed to be more name power on the list, resulting in '70s
superstars getting in before the people who made it possible for them. Some of
those pioneers still aren't in today”.
The nomination process is a joke. Only a 50% vote on the committee is needed to
be inducted. The committee nominates from genres outside of rock, and often
times a number of inductees are set in stone before the ballots are even shipped.
One member declined to vote one year because he felt the choices were so
awful. Fans have NO input on nomination or election. For example, Alice Cooper
finally got inducted into the Hall last year, but take a look at who was voted in
BEFORE him: ABBA, Chic (a one-hit disco band), Michael Jackson, Steely Dan,
Issac Hayes, Ruth Brown. Keep in mind, Alice Cooper was first eligible in 1994.
Then there are the artists who DON'T BELONG in a ROCK AND ROLL Hall of fame.
Miles Davis (jazz trumpeter), Buddy Guy (blues musician), Michael Jackson (“King
of Pop”), Steely Dan (I don't even know how to categorize them, but it's not rock),
Jackson 5 (funk/pop), Bob Marley (reggae), Sly and the Family Stone (funk), Ruth
Brown (soul), Louis Armstrong (jazz trumpeter), Run D.M.C. (hip-hop), Earth, Wind
and Fire (funk). Now many of these artists are amazing and deserve to be in a Hall
of Fame, but not the ROCK AND ROLL hall. Heck, LL Cool J has been nominated
twice! KISS on the other hand, has only been nominated once, lost the bid and has
never been nominated again. Also, there's this:
Has never been nominated- Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Rush, Deep Purple, Dio, Yes,
Steve Miller Band, Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Journey, Heart,
Cheap Trick. Who’s your favorite rock artist? You won’t find them here.
The Rock HoF needs to get the fans involved! We know what rock is. We are in the
trenches with the rockers! If you are a fan of rock, our “hallowed hall” should fill
you with anger! Sports HoF's put in exactly who has earned it. It should be an
honor, but the Rock Hall is more interested in profit than history. Here's an idea - if
you want to sell tickets, INDUCT PEOPLE THAT THE FANS ALL AGREE SHOULD BE
INDUCTED!
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
| More like the CROCK and Roll Hall of LAME! |
January 29th, 2011 -
First we created a band, and wrote amazing music. Then we recorded that
amazing music to an amazing-er CD. Now we, The Ron Jonsons, unleash our
most amazing-est announcement to date: The Ron Jonsons are now available for
download.
In all seriousness, this might not seem like a big deal for most, but to us it sure is.
Up until a week ago, if you wanted to hear our music, you had to either A) come to
our shows [please don't stop doing that if you already plan on it] or 2) find us and
buy a CD. Well now you no longer have to search us out. Simply search us out at
iTunes, Napster (it's legit now) or Amazonmp3. Your favorite rock quart of 2
Baileys, Young and a Butts are now worldwide.
The price is actually cheaper than the $13-15 CDs sold in stores. You can even
download only certain songs to get that perfect RoJo playlist you've always
wanted. This is a particularly good feature because through the reviews some of
our fans have been making, there are a number of songs that pop out as favorites
and a few that are hit-and-miss. Course we all feel that's exactly where a good
album should be- having certain anchor songs that everyone likes and a mingling
of other songs that speak differently to everyone.
Bottom line, for the price of a large pizza, you can now get our CD anywhere,
anytime.
Rock on RoJo nation!
- The Ron Jonsons
First we created a band, and wrote amazing music. Then we recorded that
amazing music to an amazing-er CD. Now we, The Ron Jonsons, unleash our
most amazing-est announcement to date: The Ron Jonsons are now available for
download.
In all seriousness, this might not seem like a big deal for most, but to us it sure is.
Up until a week ago, if you wanted to hear our music, you had to either A) come to
our shows [please don't stop doing that if you already plan on it] or 2) find us and
buy a CD. Well now you no longer have to search us out. Simply search us out at
iTunes, Napster (it's legit now) or Amazonmp3. Your favorite rock quart of 2
Baileys, Young and a Butts are now worldwide.
The price is actually cheaper than the $13-15 CDs sold in stores. You can even
download only certain songs to get that perfect RoJo playlist you've always
wanted. This is a particularly good feature because through the reviews some of
our fans have been making, there are a number of songs that pop out as favorites
and a few that are hit-and-miss. Course we all feel that's exactly where a good
album should be- having certain anchor songs that everyone likes and a mingling
of other songs that speak differently to everyone.
Bottom line, for the price of a large pizza, you can now get our CD anywhere,
anytime.
Rock on RoJo nation!
- The Ron Jonsons
| The Ron Jonsons: Now available for home delivery |
