Author: William Ruben Helms

William Ruben Helms is a Corona, Queens, NYC-born and-based African American music journalist, freelance writer, editor, photographer and founder of the DIY, independent music and photography site, The Joy of Violent Movement. Over the course of the past two decades, Helms’ writing and photography has been published in Downbeat, Premier Guitar Magazine (photography), Consequence, The Inventory, Glide Magazine.com (words and photography), Publisher’s Weekly, Sheckys.com, Shecky’s Bar and Nightlife Guide 2004, New York Press, Ins&Outs Magazine, Dish Du Jour Magazine, Aussie music publication Musicology.xyz (photography) and countless others, including his own site. With The Joy of Violent Movement, Helms specializes in covering music with an eclectic, globe-trotting, and genre-defying perspective that’s deeply inspired by and informed by his birthplace and home, arguably one of the most diverse places in the world. Since its founding back in 2010, The Joy of Violent Movement can proudly claim readers across the US, Canada, the UK, The Netherlands, France, Australia, and several others throughout its history. https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com/shop https://www.instagram.com/william_ruben_helms Twitter: @yankee32879 @joyofviolent become a fan of the joy of violent movement: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement support the joy of violent movement on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement hire me for headshots, portraits and event photography: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/ny/new-york/william-h?duration=1?duration=1#

Nashville, Tennessee’s Ugly Kids Club is releasing a series of 6 deluxe singles accompanied with videos. “Magical,” is the latest and second single from the series, and interestingly the song reminds me a bit of […]

Volcom Entertainment will be releasing sludge pop duo Tweak Bird’s newest EP, Undercover Cops today, and to celebrate the occasion check out the towering yet incredibly melodic and hook filled, psychedelic-tinged first single, “People."  The band is […]

Fronted by singer, dancer, and visual artist Peter LaBier, Psychobuildings is a dark wave collective that has been independently releasing shows since early 2010. With the release of their first 6 songs, they won the […]

Tamara Jafar and Joe Durniak, also known as Brooklyn-based band Cultfever released their self-titled and self-produced album last year to critical praise. “Strangenecks” is one of the singles off the album and it recently appeared […]

Over the past year, Mogwai released their critically well-received Sub Pop Records full-length, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will and the acoustic EP, Earth Division, and as a follow up the Glasgow, Scotland-based band will be releasing A Wretched […]

The duo of Old Time Machine (Ryan McNally and Kyle Cashen) formed in 2009 for an art exhibition. In a fort made of cardboard boxes, scrap lumber, thrift store sheets, and chicken wire, the band’s […]

“Yellow Bridges” is the first single off the Los Angeles/San Diego instrumental group, El Ten Eleven’s fifth album, Transitions. Each of the album’s tracks are inspired by and encapsulate the various life changes that we all frequently […]

“Slipping Away,” is the first single off Not Quite Yours, the Seattle, WA-based Barcelona’s follow up to their 2009 debut, Absolutes. Not Quite Yours which was independently released, offers a change in direction for the band. Interestingly, this track […]

Pony Boy covered Father John Misty’s “Hollywood Forever Cemetery” and I think it’s necessary to hear the original song – both versions are creepy in their own right but Misty’s version manages to sound as […]

Marchelle Bradanini, better known as Pony Boy has become a new favorite of mine – her voice is a smoky, sultry croon that perfectly fits songs focusing on murder, despair and loneliness. This cover of […]

“Victory Gin,” is the latest single off the Linus Pauling Quartet’s recently released Bag of Hammers. The video is surreal and charmingly cute as it portrays each band member as a sock puppet … But seriously, […]

Although it’s been uncommonly and unseasonably warm here in New York, Those Darlins’ “Summer’s Dead,” which was released on Tuesday, is particularly fitting for two reasons – summer has been over for about two weeks, […]

Jemez Mountain Hawkz was the brainchild of the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Dameon Lee Waggoner of Scared of Chaka, who recruited singer/songwriter Ian Moore, Waggoner’s former bandmate, Dave Hernandez (who was also a member of the Shins), Drew Church of Little Cuts, and […]