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Blogs - June 2010
June 5th, 2010 -
A visual.
Strike when the iron is hot. This is a quaint old saying telling us to do things when
the time is proper. Well duh! I open this blog with this because the time IS proper
for all the things The Ron Jonsons hope to accomplish.
America is a funny place. The frantic pace of life, the constant progress forward,
the ever-changing times. Our culture seems to reinvent itself every 20 years or
so. If the last reinvention was in the 90's (and I could strongly argue that it was),
then we are right on schedule. The change now is small, so small that even as I
write this blog, I have my doubts, but the signs are there. Recent elections in
numerous states have shown that voters are no longer blindly following political
party advice and are electing who they want, not who the parties tell them they
should. Tea-Party movements are popping up everywhere. Reality tv shows are
declining, viewers want better written shows. Movie-goers are growing tired of
special effect and want well-written stories instead of flashy graphics. Sports
fans are holding their heroes accountable for playing fair and honest. And don't
even get me started on how bad video games are.
Americans are starting to hold everyone accountable again. Things that were
Americans are starting to hold everyone accountable again. Things that were just
my opinion, that we as a culture are tired of the lapses in quality that have 'good
enough' a few years ago are no longer good enough now. I think, and this is
happened. I'm not saying products are produced poorly now, but people are
starting to take back things that are important to them. When was the last movie
that blew everyone away with story and not CG? (I'm just gonna go ahead and say
it- Avatar does not count) When was the last great American novel written? When
was the last time the country shut down because everyone shared a moment
watching television? (Beatles on Ed Sullivan anyone?)
I say all that to say this: We should all be excited because there seems to be a
changing of the guard. For music, I think fans are tired of their musical tastes
being decided by people 2-3x their age. Think about someone you are in regular
contact with who is twice your age. Do you really think they understand your
music? Do your teachers at school (no offense Mrs. Bailey) know what artist
you'd like? How about your boss? If not, why should we expect some nameless
suit to know! If indication in other industries are any....well....indication (poor
choice of words, I'm allowed a flub here and there!), then the fans of music will
soon be demanding to have more control over their music, their artists!
And think how much more important music is to you than movies or tv. Imagine a
world where people choose who to like instead of being told. Musicians would vie
for the attention of fans with well-crafted songs, not because the industry said
"you will like Thesaurus Slam". In turn, fans would genuinely care for their bands
and the loyalty would be a 2-way street. Albums would be anticipated and
concerts would once again be "oh man you shoulda been there!" Basically,
imagine how great music would be if musicians were accountable to fans, not
record companies! The fans technically pay them anyways, why not cut out the
middle man.
I mentioned earlier that now is the time to strike for the RJ's. It is. We want to be a
band of the people- your band! We want to know what you like and what you
expect from us. We want to deliver quality, thoughtful music for the sake of
thoughtful quality music- not a pay check. And I'm gonna let all our fans in on a
secret: yes, we in the band want to be paid for this. It is our collective dream to be
profesional musicians. But while we want to get paid to make music, we do NOT
want to make music just to get paid. We have ideas, statements, concepts and
stories to tell through music. We want to spearhead the movement to bring music
back to the people; to put it back in the hands of the fans. Join us won't you?
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
A visual.
Strike when the iron is hot. This is a quaint old saying telling us to do things when
the time is proper. Well duh! I open this blog with this because the time IS proper
for all the things The Ron Jonsons hope to accomplish.
America is a funny place. The frantic pace of life, the constant progress forward,
the ever-changing times. Our culture seems to reinvent itself every 20 years or
so. If the last reinvention was in the 90's (and I could strongly argue that it was),
then we are right on schedule. The change now is small, so small that even as I
write this blog, I have my doubts, but the signs are there. Recent elections in
numerous states have shown that voters are no longer blindly following political
party advice and are electing who they want, not who the parties tell them they
should. Tea-Party movements are popping up everywhere. Reality tv shows are
declining, viewers want better written shows. Movie-goers are growing tired of
special effect and want well-written stories instead of flashy graphics. Sports
fans are holding their heroes accountable for playing fair and honest. And don't
even get me started on how bad video games are.
Americans are starting to hold everyone accountable again. Things that were
Americans are starting to hold everyone accountable again. Things that were just
my opinion, that we as a culture are tired of the lapses in quality that have 'good
enough' a few years ago are no longer good enough now. I think, and this is
happened. I'm not saying products are produced poorly now, but people are
starting to take back things that are important to them. When was the last movie
that blew everyone away with story and not CG? (I'm just gonna go ahead and say
it- Avatar does not count) When was the last great American novel written? When
was the last time the country shut down because everyone shared a moment
watching television? (Beatles on Ed Sullivan anyone?)
I say all that to say this: We should all be excited because there seems to be a
changing of the guard. For music, I think fans are tired of their musical tastes
being decided by people 2-3x their age. Think about someone you are in regular
contact with who is twice your age. Do you really think they understand your
music? Do your teachers at school (no offense Mrs. Bailey) know what artist
you'd like? How about your boss? If not, why should we expect some nameless
suit to know! If indication in other industries are any....well....indication (poor
choice of words, I'm allowed a flub here and there!), then the fans of music will
soon be demanding to have more control over their music, their artists!
And think how much more important music is to you than movies or tv. Imagine a
world where people choose who to like instead of being told. Musicians would vie
for the attention of fans with well-crafted songs, not because the industry said
"you will like Thesaurus Slam". In turn, fans would genuinely care for their bands
and the loyalty would be a 2-way street. Albums would be anticipated and
concerts would once again be "oh man you shoulda been there!" Basically,
imagine how great music would be if musicians were accountable to fans, not
record companies! The fans technically pay them anyways, why not cut out the
middle man.
I mentioned earlier that now is the time to strike for the RJ's. It is. We want to be a
band of the people- your band! We want to know what you like and what you
expect from us. We want to deliver quality, thoughtful music for the sake of
thoughtful quality music- not a pay check. And I'm gonna let all our fans in on a
secret: yes, we in the band want to be paid for this. It is our collective dream to be
profesional musicians. But while we want to get paid to make music, we do NOT
want to make music just to get paid. We have ideas, statements, concepts and
stories to tell through music. We want to spearhead the movement to bring music
back to the people; to put it back in the hands of the fans. Join us won't you?
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
June 10th, 2010 -
Pictured:
Selling Out's step-brother
As fans of music, we all toss the term "selling out" around alot. "Dude, Thesaurus
Slam totally sold out on their last album". Ok, good. But what does it mean for a
band to sell out? Does every band eventually do it? And once a band does do it,
can they get their reputation back? No and no- ok bye.
Just kidding. Selling out is one of the worst things a band can do (up there with
crushing a puppy hospital). But if it's so bad, why do so many bands seem to do
it? First, let's define what selling out is. Every fan is different, and there is a wide
grey area of sell outs, but I feel an acceptable definition of selling out is when a
band abandons its original goals/intentions, usually while trying to maintain the
image of not abandoning them. A band cannot claim to be on one path and walk
another. If Thesaurus Slam was formed with the goal of fusing jazz and polka
(why they would I have no idea) and then 2 years later finds themselves playing
polka-metal, while still claiming to play polka-jazz (or polkazz), they have sold out.
They claim to be one thing and are really another. 1 song on Guitar Hero= good. A
Rock Band Edition= bad. The important thing is the original goal of the band and
the intention of each action the band takes. I think a few examples are in order-
Def Leppard- Def Leppard originally were hard rock/metal band. They enjoyed
enormous success between the 80's and early 90's. Their biggest hits- and sound
definning record- were Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize. But in 1996 the band
released Slang, a grungy, dark album designed to compete with Nirvana and the
alternative rock crowd. It was poorly received. The band struggled for a while and
have recently begun to play/tour with country artists.
David Bowie- The famed Chameleon of Rock, Bowie's style and looks have been
ever changing. From psychadelic to glam to R&B to electronic to minimalist to
contemporary, Bowie has covered it all. While the genre has always changed, he
still writes music to push the boundry and has managed to maintain a sense of
individuality across all genres he dabbles in. Many artists claim influence from
him and is an icon of pop culture.
Both of these artists have gone through drastic changes in their career. What's
the difference? Def Leppard sold out when they tried to jump on the grundge
bandwagon. They abandoned their original sound and tried to imitate the
successes around them. 'But what about Bowie?' you ask. Bowie has always
been changing, but he's always been at the forefront of change, not following
behind it. Bowie has always wanted to experiment and push music, so if he
changes styles and direction, that is in line with his goal as an artist. Def Leppard
WAS a hard rock/metal band that went grunge to try to follow popular taste- that
is the difference. But Def Leppard also shows us that a band that sells out can
redeem itself. Recently, the band changed their goals and have begun a country
music career. Their old goals have been nullified, their new goal is a country
sound. They did not sell out by going country because they, in effect, reset the
odometer of the band and established new goals. They no longer pretend to obide
by the metal/rock goals of earlier. As a side note: being influenced by
something/someone and trying to cash in on a sound are 2 totally different things.
Def Leppard and David Bowie prove that as well.
Big changes are coming soon for The Ron Jonsons. But I want ever fan to know
that our goals are clear and constant: deep, meaningful music that speaks to the
heart and soul of all our fans. Delivering great musical performances to the best
of our ability that move and connect with our audience members. To be a band of
the people and bring music back to it's roots of artistry and craftsmanship. We
will not compromise that goal and no matter what changes come, we will not sell
out.
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
Pictured:
Selling Out's step-brother
As fans of music, we all toss the term "selling out" around alot. "Dude, Thesaurus
Slam totally sold out on their last album". Ok, good. But what does it mean for a
band to sell out? Does every band eventually do it? And once a band does do it,
can they get their reputation back? No and no- ok bye.
Just kidding. Selling out is one of the worst things a band can do (up there with
crushing a puppy hospital). But if it's so bad, why do so many bands seem to do
it? First, let's define what selling out is. Every fan is different, and there is a wide
grey area of sell outs, but I feel an acceptable definition of selling out is when a
band abandons its original goals/intentions, usually while trying to maintain the
image of not abandoning them. A band cannot claim to be on one path and walk
another. If Thesaurus Slam was formed with the goal of fusing jazz and polka
(why they would I have no idea) and then 2 years later finds themselves playing
polka-metal, while still claiming to play polka-jazz (or polkazz), they have sold out.
They claim to be one thing and are really another. 1 song on Guitar Hero= good. A
Rock Band Edition= bad. The important thing is the original goal of the band and
the intention of each action the band takes. I think a few examples are in order-
Def Leppard- Def Leppard originally were hard rock/metal band. They enjoyed
enormous success between the 80's and early 90's. Their biggest hits- and sound
definning record- were Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize. But in 1996 the band
released Slang, a grungy, dark album designed to compete with Nirvana and the
alternative rock crowd. It was poorly received. The band struggled for a while and
have recently begun to play/tour with country artists.
David Bowie- The famed Chameleon of Rock, Bowie's style and looks have been
ever changing. From psychadelic to glam to R&B to electronic to minimalist to
contemporary, Bowie has covered it all. While the genre has always changed, he
still writes music to push the boundry and has managed to maintain a sense of
individuality across all genres he dabbles in. Many artists claim influence from
him and is an icon of pop culture.
Both of these artists have gone through drastic changes in their career. What's
the difference? Def Leppard sold out when they tried to jump on the grundge
bandwagon. They abandoned their original sound and tried to imitate the
successes around them. 'But what about Bowie?' you ask. Bowie has always
been changing, but he's always been at the forefront of change, not following
behind it. Bowie has always wanted to experiment and push music, so if he
changes styles and direction, that is in line with his goal as an artist. Def Leppard
WAS a hard rock/metal band that went grunge to try to follow popular taste- that
is the difference. But Def Leppard also shows us that a band that sells out can
redeem itself. Recently, the band changed their goals and have begun a country
music career. Their old goals have been nullified, their new goal is a country
sound. They did not sell out by going country because they, in effect, reset the
odometer of the band and established new goals. They no longer pretend to obide
by the metal/rock goals of earlier. As a side note: being influenced by
something/someone and trying to cash in on a sound are 2 totally different things.
Def Leppard and David Bowie prove that as well.
Big changes are coming soon for The Ron Jonsons. But I want ever fan to know
that our goals are clear and constant: deep, meaningful music that speaks to the
heart and soul of all our fans. Delivering great musical performances to the best
of our ability that move and connect with our audience members. To be a band of
the people and bring music back to it's roots of artistry and craftsmanship. We
will not compromise that goal and no matter what changes come, we will not sell
out.
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
June 17th, 2010 -
In keeping with the tradition of exposing/discussing subjects most band blogs
won't talk about, I'm going to talk about a tricky subject for bands- covers. A
'cover' is when a band plays a song that was written by another band, thus
covering ground the original band already did. If Thesaurus Slam likes and plays
"Had Enough" by The Ron Jonsons, that would be a cover. They didn't write it, but
they know the crowd would looooove it (right?). Covers are a tricky subject
because they both further and impead a band's progress.
Covers are great because first off, they are safe. If you pick a good cover that
people like, then it's a guranteed crowd pleaser. A band exists to entertain the
crowd after all. Covers are great for fans too. If you can't afford tickets to go see
Thesaurus Slam, then just go to your local haunt and listen to a Thesaurus Slam
cover band. Covers also let an audience judge the abilities of a band. If a band can
pull off technically challenging covers well, then you know those musicians have
it together. If they fall apart playing a Ramones song...well...their original stuff
probably won't be too pretty.
But covers have a bad effect on bands too. There are tribute bands out there who
play nothing but another band's music (and if they do it for a living, you KNOW they
are good). Most bands, however, write their own material. Every cover a band
plays is time taken from playing any original material. The genius jazz pianist
Thelonius Monk refused to play a single cover for the fifteen years. He struggled
to make it as a professinal musician because he wanted to "create a demand for
[his] own music". 15 YEARS! Picking covers is also very tricky. A band has to
consider where they're playing, who they're playing to, their own style, the band
being covered, show flow, song length, if it's a leap year, ability to cover the song,
if a band can pull it off instrumentally, talent level of musicians, and a bunch of
other things but I think you get the point (one reason is fake, just to see if you're
pay attention). Oh, by the way, after refusing to play covers for 15 years and
creating a demand for his own music, Thelonius Monk broke through and was
eventually hailed as a "giant of jazz music". I completely agree with that!
What are covers to The Ron Jonsons? We treat covers like a major league
fastball- set us a batter to expect one thing, then throw something else. We set a
crowd up with some covers to get their attention, then play original songs right
when they are most receptive to what we are doing. We select our covers based
on if we can pull them off, if we like to play it and if the crowd will like it. We try to
stay away from extremely well-known covers, or covers that other bands have
played into the ground, because we want to stand out and expand our audience's
musical tastes. We aren't dumb, we throw the crowd a bone every now and then
(seriously, we call them “bone-covers”), but like Thelonious Monk, we want to
create a demand for our own music. But we are always receptive of suggestions
from our fans. What songs do you think we could do that you'd love us to try to
play? (NO. FREEBIRD. NONE....I know you're still contemplating typing it, but don’t).
Side note- Did anyone catch the fact that the band I made up just for blog
examples is trying to play a song by the band that made them up? Eat your heart
out 'Stranger Than Fiction'.
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
In keeping with the tradition of exposing/discussing subjects most band blogs
won't talk about, I'm going to talk about a tricky subject for bands- covers. A
'cover' is when a band plays a song that was written by another band, thus
covering ground the original band already did. If Thesaurus Slam likes and plays
"Had Enough" by The Ron Jonsons, that would be a cover. They didn't write it, but
they know the crowd would looooove it (right?). Covers are a tricky subject
because they both further and impead a band's progress.
Covers are great because first off, they are safe. If you pick a good cover that
people like, then it's a guranteed crowd pleaser. A band exists to entertain the
crowd after all. Covers are great for fans too. If you can't afford tickets to go see
Thesaurus Slam, then just go to your local haunt and listen to a Thesaurus Slam
cover band. Covers also let an audience judge the abilities of a band. If a band can
pull off technically challenging covers well, then you know those musicians have
it together. If they fall apart playing a Ramones song...well...their original stuff
probably won't be too pretty.
But covers have a bad effect on bands too. There are tribute bands out there who
play nothing but another band's music (and if they do it for a living, you KNOW they
are good). Most bands, however, write their own material. Every cover a band
plays is time taken from playing any original material. The genius jazz pianist
Thelonius Monk refused to play a single cover for the fifteen years. He struggled
to make it as a professinal musician because he wanted to "create a demand for
[his] own music". 15 YEARS! Picking covers is also very tricky. A band has to
consider where they're playing, who they're playing to, their own style, the band
being covered, show flow, song length, if it's a leap year, ability to cover the song,
if a band can pull it off instrumentally, talent level of musicians, and a bunch of
other things but I think you get the point (one reason is fake, just to see if you're
pay attention). Oh, by the way, after refusing to play covers for 15 years and
creating a demand for his own music, Thelonius Monk broke through and was
eventually hailed as a "giant of jazz music". I completely agree with that!
What are covers to The Ron Jonsons? We treat covers like a major league
fastball- set us a batter to expect one thing, then throw something else. We set a
crowd up with some covers to get their attention, then play original songs right
when they are most receptive to what we are doing. We select our covers based
on if we can pull them off, if we like to play it and if the crowd will like it. We try to
stay away from extremely well-known covers, or covers that other bands have
played into the ground, because we want to stand out and expand our audience's
musical tastes. We aren't dumb, we throw the crowd a bone every now and then
(seriously, we call them “bone-covers”), but like Thelonious Monk, we want to
create a demand for our own music. But we are always receptive of suggestions
from our fans. What songs do you think we could do that you'd love us to try to
play? (NO. FREEBIRD. NONE....I know you're still contemplating typing it, but don’t).
Side note- Did anyone catch the fact that the band I made up just for blog
examples is trying to play a song by the band that made them up? Eat your heart
out 'Stranger Than Fiction'.
- Michael Butts, The Ron Jonsons
| Guess what happens if we cover another band's cover of our own song... |
From the desk of Josh Bailey:
How are our dearest fans doing today? Hope everything is going swell. We’ve got
some news for you ladies and gents. We have two shows at the Mall of Georgia
amphitheater over the next two weekends. The first is this Saturday, the 26th at 6:
30. Our show will be followed by Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The best
part? I don’t know about the meatballs, but our performance will be visible in 3D!!
It’ll be like you can actually touch us. We’ll also be playing one of our newest
originals at this show, and there might even be a surprise or two… Our next show
will be in the same place on Sunday, July 4th, for an Independence Americoncert!
There will be three bands there, but we will be going on at 2 pm. The final band’s
performance will be followed by a fireworks show and the movie Transformers.
And now it’s time for an album update…
All the songs are done on the album!! We’re going to go back in one last time to
make some final touch ups and have a final listening session. Then all we have to
do is finish what little remains of the CD art and inserts. Then we’ll get them
produced for us and that’ll be that. We’ll have an album for you to buy! It sounds
amazing. This is, by far, the highest quality of recording we’ve ever made. Now all
the news I’ve told you so far is fine and dandy, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this
next piece of info…
I WENT TO MEDIEVAL TIMES LAST WEEKEND!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!! Over the weekend,
my girlfriend treated me to a trip to Medieval Times, or as I like to call it,
Ridiculously Amazing Times. Not only was I treated to a medieval meat and
potatoes dinner, I was also treated to a tournament of skill and valor between
knights of ye olde dark ages. Now I want to include Jousting into my daily
recreation. I even got to share a few words with the King! He said I looked like I
might be a troublemaker (tee hee!). I love how ridiculously over-the-top everything
is. I mean, the place is basically a giant castle built into the side of a shopping
mall. Again, it’s a giant flipping castle sticking out of a shopping mall. And
everyone has ye olde English accents to boot and you’re always referred to as “M’
lord” or “M,lady”. Ya know what, just go there. (Note: Medieval Times does not
endorse The Ron Jonsons to reference their business in any way)
See you folks at the Mall!
- Josh Bailey, The Ron Jonsons
| dinner will have a tournament. |
