Tag: Shoutouts

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms


News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons and Creatives Rebuild New York

I started this site 13 years ago. 13 years of anything is a long time. And in the blogosphere that’s roughly 10 lifetimes. I’ve long felt as though I had no choice but to go out on my own because I didn’t feel — or believe — that I’d get a fair shot to do what I do elsewhere. But I felt a strong need to create something similar to the wildly eclectic, dynamic, global sort of environment I grew up immersed in as a Black boy from Corona, Queens, and that I didn’t see whenever I read my favorite magazine and sites. When I started JOVM, I didn’t — and couldn’t have — imagined most, if not all of the things I’ve experienced and covered throughout this site’s lengthy history to ever have happened. 

With this site, I’ve managed to carve out a unique path for myself — and in the blogosphere. Because music media — and generally the media world — is an incredibly homogeneous space, the coverage that you see as a consumer and fan tends to come from a similar perspective. If you don’t believe me, look at the editorial staff at your favorite music magazine or website. It explains why certain artists, genres and styles are covered over others. But it also explains why you see the exact same coverage of the same artists, genres and styles, too. 

I’m looking forward to what year 14 holds for JOVM. And hopefully with your support, I can keep this thing going. Now, as you know, I’ve said this many times: All work — including creative work — is impossible without money. After all, time is money. Effort is money. Then add all the expenses it takes to actually work. Unsurprisingly, this site and the work that makes it possible is impossible without money. It’s a simple — and often frustrating — fact of life.

So, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past handful of years, there are a handful of folks I want to thank once again for their support:  

  • Sash
  • Alice Northover
  • Bella Fox
  • Jenny MacRostie
  • rJanene Otten 

All of those folks have been generous Patreon patrons. Every and any amount really helps keeps this sort of journalism and criticism alive and ongoing.

So if you’re able and willing, please feel free to check out the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. 

Additionally, I have to thank the hardworking folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, relieved and humbled to be included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. My participation in the Guaranteed Income for Artists program has been put to good use — keeping this dream of mine going while having some of the normal financial pressures lessened a bit. There aren’t enough words to thank them — or to show them how grateful I am; but I’ll keep trying! 


There are other ways you can support. You can also support by checking the JOVM shop. I sell prints in various sizes. I also have bumper stickers. Check it out: https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com/shop 

You can also support my following me on the following platforms:

And you can hire me for headshots, portraits and events. Seriously, I’m available for that, too. You can click here: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/ny/new-york/william-h?duration=1?duration=1# or you can contact me directly.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

I started this site 13 years ago today. 13 years of anything is a long time. And in the blogosphere that’s roughly 10 lifetimes. I’ve long felt as though I had no choice but to go out on my own because I didn’t feel — or believe — that I’d get a fair shot to do what I do elsewhere. But I felt a strong need to create something similar to the wildly eclectic, dynamic, global sort of environment I grew up immersed in as a Black boy from Corona, Queens, and that I didn’t see whenever I read my favorite magazine and sites.

When I started JOVM, I didn’t — and couldn’t have — imagined most, if not all of the things I’ve experienced and covered throughout this site’s lengthy history to ever have happened.

With this site, I’ve managed to carve out a unique path for myself — and in the blogosphere. Because music media — and generally the media world — is an incredibly homogeneous space, the coverage that you see as a consumer and fan tends to come from a similar perspective. If you don’t believe me, look at the editorial staff at your favorite music magazine or website. It explains why certain artists, genres and styles are covered over others. But it also explains why you see the exact same coverage of the same artists, genres and styles, too. 

I’m looking forward to what year 14 holds for JOVM. And hopefully with your support, I can keep this thing going. Now, as you know, I’ve said this many times: All work — including creative work — is impossible without money. After all, time is money. Effort is money. Then add all the expenses it takes to actually work.

Unsurprisingly, this site and the work that makes it possible is impossible without money. It’s a simple — and often frustrating — fact of life. So, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past handful of years, there are a handful of folks I want to thank once again for their support:  

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Janene Otten 

All of those folks have been generous Patreon patrons. Every and any amount really helps keeps this sort of journalism and criticism alive and ongoing. So if you’re able and willing, please feel free to check out the Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement. 

Additionally, I have to thank the hardworking folks at Creatives Rebuild New York. I’m proud, relieved and humbled to be included in their 18-month Guaranteed Income for Artists program. My participation in the Guaranteed Income for Artists program has been put to good use — keeping this dream of mine going while having some of the normal financial pressures lessened a bit. There aren’t enough words to thank them — or to show them how grateful I am; but I’ll keep trying! 

There are other ways you can support. 

You can also support by checking the JOVM shop. I sell prints in various sizes. I also have bumper stickers. Check it out: https://www.joyofviolentmovement.com/shop 

You can also support my following me on the following platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/william_ruben_helms 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/yankee32879 and https://www.twitter.com/joyofviolent 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

And you can hire me for headshots, portraits and events. Seriously, I’m available for that, too. You can click here: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/ny/new-york/william-h?duration=1?duration=1# or you can contact me directly.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

With the Omicron COVID-19 variant hitting the States and spreading wildly among both the vaccinated and unvaccinated during the end of last year, things took a very stark and depressingly uncertain air. And as a result much of my live concert footage has been on hiatus for a little bit. But hopefully, I can hop back in within the next few weeks: the fact that the infection numbers have dropped off significantly — and that there’s a retroviral drug for COVID makes the possibility of having some sort of normalcy seem real. Besides, I miss shows. And I hate the fact that the things I love are such a risk to my dearest loved ones.

But in the meantime, I’m still writing about new releases from all over the world, because I firmly believe that there’s a much-needed place for it. Of course, I’ve always been aware of the fact that there are innumerable options competing for your time, money and love. There are only 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week and 720 hours in a 30 day month after all.

Because this site has long been a DIY labor of love, I’ve often felt that I’ve had an intimate and personal understanding of the emotional and financial plight of many of the artists I’ve covered throughout this site’s almost 12 year history. 12 years at anything is a long fucking time — especially in the blogosphere.

With such highly unusual circumstances, countless people — artists included — have been forced into deep reflection. In my line of work, I’ve had countless on-the-record and off-the-record conversations about being an artist and trying to make a living off your art. All of those conversations constantly remind of some very necessary facts:

  • Art costs money to produce — and without money, it can’t exist because it can’t be produced. 
  • Artists are small businesses. So supporting an artist is supporting a small business. 
  • A small bit of support can go a long way. A $20, $30, $40, $50 or $60 purchase of someone’s work can often mean the purchase of groceries, paying their bills or even the confidence that they can continue with their art.
  • Your individual $20, $50 or $60 purchase doesn’t really mean shit to Jeff Bezos, Amazon, Walmart or any of the other major conglomerates.
  • Supporting a local artist/small business can keep money within your community. Caring about your community and ensuring that your hardworking neighbors can make and spend money within your neighborhood makes your neighborhood vital. 
  • Amazon and the other mega-conglomerates don’t give a fuck about your community or your neighbors. 
  • Lastly, you won’t be giving your money to companies that actively fuck over their neighbors, the environment or their employees. And that alone should make you feel better about the decision. 

Of course, I hope that JOVM — and my work with JOVM — has led you to artists and bands whose work as become a part of your lives, as they have become a part of mine. And i also hope that my photography has managed to add some beauty to your day; inspired you to see the world in a new light; or make you go out to see some of these artists live. 

In these difficult times, I’m asking you, dear readers and friends for your support. And there’s a number of ways that you can support JOVM:  

  • You can buy prints — from my live concert photography to street photography and even some outdoor/nature photos. I also still have a shit ton of JOVM bumper stickers. All of this stuff is beautiful and could use a loving forever home. You can check out the store here: https://joyofviolentmovement.com/shop/
  • You can support by becoming one of my Patreon patrons. Every dollar means something. Seriously, it does. There are different patronage levels and different rewards for your support. For more information, you can check out the Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

Of course, while I’m on the subject: I want to send shout outs to those folks, who have supported me and my work throughout the past year with their patronage on Patreon.

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Janene Otten 

Thank you, y’all. Your support means so very much. 

If you’re in the NYC area, you can hire me for photography work. Seriously. I do headshots, portraits and event photography. You can hire me through Photobooker. My listing is here: https://www.photobooker.com/photographer/8582abd8-f01e-43eb-b2be-0ed57157687e?duration=1?duration=1 (If you’re outside the NYC area and you’d still want to hire me, we can talk.) 

If you’re not already a fan of this site on Facebook, please feel free to become a fan here: https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

Right now, ,any people out there are struggling to survive. Believe me, I get it and I’m empathetic to that. The past 18 months have been the most difficult and desperate for a lot of us. To that end, here are some other ways you can support JOVM:

  • If you dig what I do: Keep reading! Please, keep reading!
  • Pass the word on to friends, family members, associates and anyone else, who will support independent journalism, music and criticism. 
  • Retweets, Facebook shares and reblog things you might dig. Sites need active eyeballs and clicks to survive. Every pair of eyeballs reading and clicking on JOVM means some ad revenue in the coffers. And those hardworking artists I cover will also be grateful for your love and support, too. 
  • Towards the bottom third of every post, there’s a related post section. If you dug the post you’re looking at it, feel free to check out the related posts. You might find something else you could love. 

I’m hoping that 2022 will be an even better year for all of us — and that y’all will continue to stick with JOVM and me in the 12th year and beyond.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

JOVM celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year. And maybe I’m biased here — this is my site after all — but I feel as though I’ve managed to carve out a unique space in the blogosphere. JOVM is one of the few places, where readers can get eclectic and personal curation and coverage of local, national and international music scenes.

For the overwhelming bulk of this site’s history, I’ve run this site as a (mostly) one-man labor of love, run out of my Corona, Queens, NYC apartment while working full time in the editorial departments of three different book publishers as an Editorial Assistant and Acquisitions Editor. As you can imagine, I often felt that I had an unusual dual life: during the the day, I was a mild-mannered and somewhat sleep-deprived, Clark Kent. And when the business day ended, I would find some place to change out of my office clothes to street clothes, transforming into professional music journalist, blogger and photographer, covering shows at venues across the Metropolitan area. I’d return home in the wee hours, upload photos or work on a blog post, if i was able to manage it — and then I’d try to get a little bit of sleep and repeat. I generally survived on four hours of sleep a night and way too much coffee.

It’s often been hard work. But as a result of this site, I’ve done things I’ve never expected or thought would have ever happened. I’ve met some of my heroes. I’ve photographed icons and beloved legends. I’ve covered some amazing talented artists from all over the world. I’ve seen some memorable shows. I’ve been able to travel internationally to cover music. And I’ve met some of the nicest, kindest and most open people in the entire world  — and these people  have welcomed me to their hometowns, taken me to their best spots, introduced me to their favorite people and so on.

This sort of work should — and needs — to be continued and championed as much as possible. Music is the emotional center of our lives. More than ever in this profoundly unusual and unsettling time, we have to take comfort in music, art, literature and all the other things that make us human and connect us with others. Hopefully my work here has — and will continue — to bring some joy, some escape from the bleakness of our current situation or it inspires you to do something.

Of course running a site like this isn’t easy. And unfortunately, it does cost money. To that end, I started a Patreon page last year as a way to help support my creative endeavors and this site. Check out the page for more information:

https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

You can also buy merch from the Joy of Violent Movement shop:

Shop

You can also become a fan of this site on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement

Because of the uncertainty of the past few months, I understand that for there will be a portion of people who unable to contribute or buy merch. I get it. Trust me, I really get it. So don’t feel bad about it. There are other non-monetary ways to show love and support that really matters and are really helpful. So, if you really dig my work and JOVM, you can do the following:

  • Keep reading — and if you can read more! Seriously, something that small adds up.
  • Share posts you dig on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere.
  • Pass the word on to friends who may dig this site and my work. The more eyeballs on this site at any given time does count and is beyond helpful. Seriously.
  • Pass the word on about the Patreon page to those that may be able to support.

As, I promised on my Patreon page, I also wanted to give a shoutout to this site’s kind patrons:

Sash

Alice Northover

Bella Fox

Jenny MacRostie

Thank y’all so much for your support and love. It keeps me — and this site going.

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patrons 

This site has been a labor of love throughout its nine-plus year existence. But unlike those much larger competitors out there in the blogosphere, I think that this site is one fo the rare places where readers like you can come across deeply personal and eclectic curation and coverage of music from all over the world.

Now, as you may know, I’ve managed JOVM as a (mostly) one-man operation out of my Corona, Queens, NYC apartment while working in the editorial departments of three different publishers as an Editorial Assistant and Acquisitions Editor, working in both trade and academic publishing. Most of the time, I felt like I had a dual life: during the day, I was sort of like mild-mannered, spectacled Clark Kent and when the time came, I’d literally run into a phone booth to change and become Superman and cover shows. And I’d repeat that several times a week for several years.

Of course, running a site like this has been an incredibly fun ride. I’ve had experiences I never would have dreamt of, covered some amazing artists and met some of the nicest people. But perhaps more importantly, I believe that this site offers something very different and necessary that needs to be continued and championed. Much like everything else in this world, running a site like this costs time and money — and sadly, it ain’t cheap.

A few months ago, I joined Patreon as a way to help support my creative endeavors. And as I promised earlier on, I wanted to give special shoutouts to this site’s patrons:

Sash

Alice Northover

Thank y’all so much for your support.

I’m still humbly asking for your assistance, donation and your love.  Check out the page for more information:

https://www.patreon.com/TheJoyofViolentMovement