news
April 15, 2010
Big announcement: I’m proud to announce that earlier this month I started a new gig blogging daily for MySpace’s Music Site. You an check out all of my posts HERE every morning; I’m especially proud of an exclusive interview I got with current and ex-members of Taking Back Sunday earlier this week (you can check that out here.) In other writing news, I also recently wrote an online cover story for Alternative Press on the iPad and what it could mean for the music industry; if you want to send me one, shoot me an email. Oh, finally I did a feature on one of my favorite new bands the Dum Dum Girls for Inked this month, click HERE to see it in all its glory. On a personal note, I’ll be returning to my hometown next month to run the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Feel free to come cheer me on and/or bring me a banana, because you can never have too much Potassium.
February 15, 2010
Hey loyal followers, this month you can pick up the new issue of Inked and check out an article I did on The Dear & Departed. Actually, you can check out the article HERE but you should still buy the magazine because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want a huge spread of Kat Von D? Additionally I’ve got a big feature on Motion City Soundtrack in this month’s issue of Alternative Press. I had the honor of seeing the guys perform on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and at Irving Plaza this month and continue to be blown away by the songs from their latest disc, My Dinosaur Life. Buy that, too. Finally this week I also got the chance to talk to some eighth graders about the music industry at Little Red School House in New York alongside my friend Jarrod Gorbel where I was asked insightful questions like, “When’s the last time you shaved?” and “Why do all guys in bands wear skinny jeans?” Sadly, I couldn’t answer either one.
January 1, 2010
Happy New Year, everyone. I don’t have any writing updates, but I did want to mention that my good friend and extremely awesome photographer Laura June Kirsch just finished her own web site. You can view it HERE and if you like what you see, let her know. Just don’t challenge her to a game of Monopoly if you know what’s good for you.
December 30, 2009
It’s a slightly surreal feeling to learn that you’ve unwittingly written the liner notes to one of your favorite artists’ albums, but that’s exactly what happened to me this month when a friend of mine informed me that he saw my byline in the credits for the this year’s Revival Tour sampler which features artists like Chuck Ragan, Frank Turner, Tim Barry, Jim Ward and countless other notable songwriters. I wrote this up last year as a favor to my friend Chuck (and promptly forgot about it) and it’s an honor to have my name associated in a small way with what I consider to be one of the most important musical events of the year. You can go HERE to check out my liner notes—and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of Chuck’s latest album Gold Country, which made all of my top ten lists this year. Speaking of which, if you’re interested in viewing what else made the cut you can view my list of the best albums of 2009 for Shockhound HERE.
December 10, 2009
If you’re wondering why I haven’t had any updates yet this month cut me some slack because I’m still recovering from successfully the Philadelphia Marathon last month. Then again, that’s nothing compared to the current workout regiment that’s undertaken by Atreyu’s frontman Alex Varkatzas. You can read all about it in the new issue of Inked which is on stands now or feel free to read the piece in its entirety HERE. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
November 17, 2009
I am very excited to be writing for a great new guitar magazine called Guitar Edge. This month I talked to the metal act Five Finger Death Punch and you can view that article HERE. Additionally I collaborated on the feature Haircut 100 in this month’s issue of Alternative Press and I’m happy to announce that my favorite single, At The Drive-In’s “One-Armed Scissor,” was selected for the top spot. You can head over to the AP site to view selected ballots HERE, including one by my frequent collaborator and all-around sweet guy, Steven Smith.
July 30, 2009
I got the September issue of Alternative Press in the mail and if you’re one of six Jonah Bayer fans (Maria Sherman, I’m looking in your direction), you can check out the mostly positive reader feedback to my Taking Back Sunday cover story as well as a piece I wrote on Hot Water Music’s No Division for the Class Of ‘99 feature and a full-page review/interview with David Bazan. To be honest I’m as surprised as anyone that I’m writing about either of those acts in 2009, but writing about the things you love is always validating–and if you know me, you know that HWM and Bazan are at the top of my list of musical obsessions.
July 21, 2009
Hey everyone: The good news is that I’ve had lots of writing work this summer, the bad news is that I haven’t had much time to update this site. As Ricky Gervais said in the Office Christmas Special, “I’ve got a ton of exciting stuff in the pipeline,” but in the meantime you can check out my weekly columns over at Gibson’s Lifestyle site, check out my assorted record reviews in Revolver and Alternative Press or read a feature on Killswitch Engage that’s available in this month’s issue of Inked magazine HERE.
May 1, 2009
It’s been a long time since I updated this site. Since my last post I’ve played a festival in Belgium in front of thousands of people, lost my wallet twice and wasted approximately 40 hours watching escalator accidents on YouTube. Oh, I also wrote a cover story for Alternative Press that comes out this week:
I’m really proud about how this piece came out and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, so feel free to drop me a line at jonah@jonahbayer.org. I have some other exciting stuff in the works, but that will have to wait for the next update because now it’s time to go see the Get Up Kids! It feels like the nineties all over again.
March 10, 2009
Sorry for the lack of updates, but I spent the past week on the road with my friends in Thursday–and unbelievably not a lot of work got accomplished. If you haven’t picked up their latest disc Common Existence, do it HERE and help support their Jameson habit. Writing-wise you can check out my interview with Martha MacIssac (a.k.a. Becca from Superbad) in this month’s issue of Alternative Press. If that’s not enough for you, why not cruise over to Gibson’s Lifestyle site to see my articles on 13 Musicians You Should Be Following On Twitter as well as 15 Iconic SG Players–and, of course, Nintendocore.
Feb 22, 2009
If you haven’t already done so, be sure to click HERE to follow me on Twitter and learn how I’ve been filling my days lately, trust me it’s really captivating stuff. In writing news, this week I wrote an amazing feature for Alternative Press, but unfortunately you’re going to have to wait three months to find out who it’s about. In the meantime, you can cruise over to Gibson’s Lifestyle site (which also recently joined Twitter) to check this week’s pieces on The Top Ten Most Iconic Stage Moves Of All Time and Three Rock Stars Turned Comic Book Authors. Speaking of comics, don’t forget to head over to my blog to find out which video game icon I met at Comic Con a few weeks back. Seriously, what are else are you going to do: Watch the Oscars?
Feb 12, 2009
I’m super excited for everyone to check out the feature I wrote on NOFX in this week’s edition of SF Weekly. and if you still can’t get enough, you can also check out an archived copy of the cover story I wrote on band for Alternative Press back in 2004. Oh, and on a totally unrelated note you can also check out a piece I wrote on Three Well-Known Rock Guitarists Who Aren’t Afraid To Go Solo over on Gibson’s Lifestyle site. Finally, if you want to follow me on twitter, you can click HERE. If nothing else, it’ll put you one degree of seperation away from MC Hammer.
Feb 2, 2009
Just so everyone knows, this week I updated my bios page with the bio for Thursday’s brand new album, Common Existence. If you haven’t heard this thing yet, I highly recommend legally purchasing it so that their Geoff Rickly can buy a sandwich or something. Not a ton to report this week in the print world aside from a pieces I did for Gibson on The Most Eco-Friendly Artists And Tours, Essential Backstage Etiquette and Ten Great Resources For Vinyl Collectors. Personally, I’m trying to curb my vinyl addiction during these rough times, but I couldn’t resist picking up Ghosts, the latest LP from the Marked Men—and I’d say it was well-worth my eight dollars. Now only if I could get them to go on tour…
Jan 25, 2009
I’m still tweaking the site, but some of you may have noticed that I’ve updated all of my published links so that everything should be (relatively) current. In the mean time, if you cruise over to Gibson’s Lifestyle site this week you can check out 10 More Commandments From The Rock Bible and get a heads up on Four Complete Album Streams That Won’t Cost You A Dime. I’d post some more, but I watched a double feature of The Wrestler and Synecdoche, New York, so I think I’m going to quietly cry myself to sleep instead.
Jan 22, 2009
Hello everyone and welcome to my completely retooled and redesigned Web Site. I’d like to thank David Lewis at Marketing Dept. for helping once again make my Internet presence a reality. I’m in the process of getting all new clips and bios up as we speak, but in the meantime feel free to poke around my site and blog and let me know what you think. If that’s not enough for you, you can check out a feature I did on Gym Class Heroes for this month’s issue of Inked Magazine HERE —and while you’re at it you can also learn why I don’t have any tattoos in their contributor section.