Mute Issue

PropertyOfZack Contributor Blog : : Jono Diener

It’s been quite some time since we’ve had Jono Diener of The Swellers featured with a new Contributor Blog, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him back. In his new blog, Jono tackles the subject of reviews and reviewers and it makes for a great read. The Swellers also just released a fantastic album called Good For Me that everyone should check out and purchase here if you’re into it. Make sure to read the full blog and enjoy!

A Review On Reviews And Reviewers

This is a pretty relevant time for me to write a piece on this subject. My band’s new album, Good For Me, just came out on Fueled By Ramen Records. It’s a joyous occasion celebrating 2 years of hard work and getting to work with producer/punk legend Bill Stevenson of Black Flag/Descendents fame. This is our fourth release on a label and we’ve had a wide variety of reviews over the last 9 years of our existence as The Swellers. The funny part about ALL OF THIS is that we actually received all awesome reviews on this new album. So you’re probably wondering, “Why the hell is he writing this? Wait, more importantly, why am I reading this?!” Well, Metaphorical Person, those are very valid questions! The reason I’m writing this to you is very simple. Your opinion should not be based on one person’s thoughts. You should always try to experience things for yourself first. This is what I like to call, “forming your own opinion.” I know not many people are into the idea, but trust me, it’s well worth it.

If you’re in a band, you know the drill. You bust your ass working on a record, you send the record to magazines/websites to check it out, you promote the hell out of it, and RIGHT before it’s coming out you start getting reviews. That’s right, you get the email in your inbox or the call from a band member/manager and in the back of your head you’re crossing your fingers for some rad score or high number of stars. So you dig into the first review! First you’ll read the introduction talking a bit about your past and how that compares to your current musical endeavor. Next you’ll notice what they thought of each song whether it goes in order, or it groups them stylistically or mentions the message behind each song. They’ll awkwardly describe each member of the band’s role in the songs, even if it’s not a stand out part (“Steve totally played EVERY NOTE on the bass in that song!”). It’s oddly formulaic, but that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Then you finally get to the score. Whether it’s out of 5 stars, the number 10 or a percentage, it’s going to put its mark on your record potentially forever. This is where your reaction varies between: “Boys, we really did it this time!” and “Are you serious? That is complete bullshit!”

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