No Longer An Inexperienced Writer
– By Rob Jones –
It’s pretty interesting to look back on the decade when I wrote music reviews for the independent, it almost seems like a different world or another life. My first album review was for the Monster Magnet album God Says No and was featured in the May 2001 issue of the independent, I was 21 at the time and spent a lot of time at the local music stores.
Tom Tom’s music was the best of these stores and was a cultural hub for music fans and local artists, It was also where a couple of the writers for the Indy worked, Adam Mast and Kevin Jones. I asked Adam how if I could write album reviews for the Indy and he gave me an advance copy of the monster magnet album to review, looking back at that review it wasn’t my best writing but an honest attempt by a kid who was inexperienced in published writing but passionate about music. What I brought to the independent was representing hard rock and heavy metal, which was in contrast to the styles the other guys were into.
A lot of great music goes unheard and unrepresented so the majority of people don’t get to hear it, so I saw it as my opportunity to expose people not only to bands they knew but to bands they on average wouldn’t have heard. It was honestly extremely fulfilling to get to write about the bands I love and see it printed and was a cool opportunity to have in the days before social media was everywhere and getting your voice publicly heard wasn’t common.
Over the next crazy decade since that first issue, my life and the world changed a lot, the dynamic of how music was marketed changed when the digital era ended the music store and I honestly think it’s to the loss of something that added a lot to the local culture. I had a lot of fun in my time with the independent, my favorite times were hanging out with Kevin and talking music with him as well as hearing his beautiful song “as needed for pain ” before it was released on the local music compilation cd, homegrown 2.
I also really enjoyed talking movies with Adam and our mutual love of classic horror films and what of them might make that year’s horrorfest, I still think the one he did in Springdale on the IMAX was the best of the ones I went to. I made great friends in working with these guys and to be a part of the 25-year history of this great paper is an honor, a lot of love goes into it.
Viewpoints and perspectives expressed throughout The Independent are those of the individual contributors. They do not necessarily reflect those held by the staff of The Independent or our advertising sponsors. Your comments, rebuttals, and contributions are welcome in accordance with our Terms of Service. Please be respectful and abide by our Community Rules. If you have privacy concerns you can view our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!
Click here to submit an article, guest opinion piece, or a Letter to the Editor
