RPM: Jonathan Perry's Life in Analog

JONATHAN PERRY
748 Saint Georges Road
Philadelphia, PA. 02446
email: roughgems@aol.com • Tel/Voice: (617) 671-5415

MUSIC/ARTS JOURNALISM

BOSTON GLOBE, Boston, MA. 1997 – 2011.

Scene & Heard Columnist, 2008-2011. Responsible for writing Globe’s weekly, locally driven music column for both print and online publication, covering wide range of New England-based artists, genres, and styles with historical expertise and emphasis on rock, punk, and pop (both independent and major label), but also including folk, blues, country, roots, bluegrass, electronica, dance, dub, reggae, hip-hop, singer-songwriter, instrumental, jazz etc.). Also write breaking music and local club/scene news reports for the paper’s print, blog, and online website; longer trend features and enterprise pieces of local and national interest for both the column and as standalone pieces. Also contribute weekly live concert reviews and weekly reviews of newly released album/CD/downloads focusing on New England, as well as national/international, artists.

Rock Notes Columnist, 2005-2008.

Wrote the Globe’s long-established flagship weekly rock music column with focus on currently touring and/or recording national/international acts and artists spanning a broad range of rock/pop-oriented genres and sub-genres. Stories included interviews, profiles, industry/scene reportage, trend and enterprise features.

Rock Scene Columnist, 1999-2004.

Rock and pop music columnist for the Globe’s weekly Calendar arts magazine covering spectrum of national, international regional, and local artists, genres, and industry trends. Stories encompassed scene, club, personality, and artist profile features, and breaking news. Also contributed film and theater reviews and other non-music based arts features to both the daily publication and the Globe’s weekly Calendar magazine.

BOSTON PHOENIX, Boston, MA. 1997-2007.

Contributing writer and columnist covering national and local artists for New England’s largest alternative arts weekly. Regular assignments included writing the long-standing weekly Cellars by Starlightcolumn focusing on local and regional artists, music and club industry news and trends; front-page and lead arts features; Q&A-format interviews; long-form essays; breaking news; enterprise pieces; and concert and album reviews.

STUFF@NIGHT, Boston, MA. 1997-2006.

Music columnist and features writer for bi-weekly nightlife culture magazine, published by the Boston Phoenix. Column coverage included a broad spectrum of commentary, interviews, and/or reviews of national and Boston artists performing at venues in the Greater Boston area.

ROLLING STONE, New York. 1995-1999.

Contributing feature writer/reviewer and news reporter for Rolling Stone’s online network and website. Regularly contributed wide range of music coverage, enterprise features, breaking news, artist profiles, Q&A-format interviews, and live performance reviews. 

CMJ NEW MUSIC MONTHLY, New York. 1998-2003. 

Regular contributor to national monthly music magazine with an emphasis on covering cutting-edge independent and alternative music pitched to a college-age demographic. Assignments included record reviews, artist interviews, and features. 

REQUEST, Minnetonka, MN. 1995-1999.

Frequent contributor to national monthly music magazine. Wrote features introducing new artists and trends, contributed essays, album reviews, and commentary on music and related mixed-media.

THE STATE, Columbia, SC. 1996-1997.

Music writer/critic for Knight-Ridder newspaper chain’s largest South Carolina daily. Contributions included features, album and concert reviews, essays, and enterprise reporting projects for paper’s Arts section.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, Atlanta, GA. 1996 – 1998.

Writer covering southern music scene for AJC’s on-line music, arts and culture magazine. Regularly contributed essays, commentary, interviews, and profiles.

RAY GUN, Los Angeles, CA. 1994-1996.

Contributed record reviews of new releases to graphically progressive international monthly music and popular culture magazine devoted to breaking cutting-edge and underground/avant-garde/alternative artists and presenting content with equally visually arresting design. 

FREE TIMES, Columbia, SC. 1995-1996.

Chief rock critic and principal writer for city’s music and arts weekly newspaper. Frequently contributed music profiles, interviews, features, record and concert previews and reviews. 

THE TIMES, Trenton, NJ. 1993 – 2001.

Book reviewer for the Newhouse-published newspaper’s Sunday Books/Commentary section. Contributed rock criticism and artist profiles to The Times’ Sunday arts magazine and daily newspaper.

EXIT, New York. 1990-1992.

Columnist and writer/reviewer for monthly alternative-oriented independent music publication.

AWARDS 

CRITICAL WRITING, FIRST PLACE, New Jersey Press Association Editorial Competition, 1994. Won for music criticism in annual statewide NJPA Arts category for excellence in Writing and Reporting on the Arts.

MAXIE AWARD, BEST CRITIC, The Noise, 2002. Voted Boston’s Best Music Critic by editors and readers of the Boston-based Noise music magazine, the longest-running, independently published fanzine in New England.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 

VILLAGE VOICE, New York, NY, 1998-Present.

Annual voting member and commentary contributor, Pazz & Jop Critics’ Poll.

TIME OUT GUIDE, Boston (Penguin Books, 1999).

Authored book chapter on historical and cultural landmarks in Boston.

WRITER/EDITOR, 2002-Present.

Have written commissioned liner notes, band biography one-sheets, press kit materials, and conducted interviews for and with local and national artists, bands, publicists, and record labels.

TELEVISION/RADIO MUSIC COMMENTATOR, 1999-Present.

Have appeared on and participated in various televised, radio, and online broadcasts as an interview subject, commentator, and authority on rock music for local National Public Radio affiliates, Boston cable news programs, and college and university radio station specials. Was a featured television and radio interview guest for special broadcasts on the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the history of Boston rock and pop music, and other programming.

ROCK & ROLL RUMBLE (1998-2010).

Participating voting judge in annual competition event showcasing dozens of performing Boston-area artists and bands drawn from a broad range of musical backgrounds and styles. 

BOSTON MUSIC AWARDS (1998-2009).

Nominating critic participating in the annual Boston music awards honoring the best, most important, and influential artists and bands in the city.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS: Contributed to Details Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Black&White (Birmingham, AL).

NEWS JOURNALISM

THE TIMES, Trenton, NJ. 1989-95.

City Hall Reporter, Trenton. Covered capital city politics, mayor and city council business, urban affairs, statewide legislative issues affecting impoverished, racially divided urban center for Times’ flagship Metro edition (the paper published four regional editions). All types of coverage, including breaking news, enterprise series, multi-part investigative projects, human interest features and profiles, and news and political campaign analyses.

Education Reporter, Trenton. Covered Trenton Board of Education in 12,000-student school district, with focus on the impact of national and statewide educational policies on urban school system in the state’s capital. All types of coverage, including breaking news, investigative projects, enterprise reporting, and features. Did double-duty for three months as lead city reporter covering both City Hall and Education beats for The Times’ flagship Metro edition.

Municipal Reporter, Burlington County. Covered county’s six-municipality region including city and town council politics, education, crime, and human interest stories. Supplied breaking news reports and analyses, features, enterprise and investigative pieces.

Military Reporter, Fort Dix U.S. Army and McGuire U.S. Air Force Base. Covered military base activity and personnel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Beat included breaking news, military strategy, deployment, and operations, human interest features on soldiers and families and military trend pieces 

DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, Northampton, MA. 1987-89.

Bureau Chief, Easthampton Bureau. Assigned and edited stories, ensured coverage of region as liaison to metro editors. Also covered municipal politics, local government, education, and crime.

AMHERST BULLETIN, Amherst, MA. 1983-1987. Sportswriter, Arts feature writer, and General Assignment reporter and features writer for Hampshire County weekly paper covering Western Massachusetts news, politics, arts, university and college life.

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, Amherst, MA. B.A. in Journalism/English, 1987. (Arts & Sciences Minor in Sociology, 1987).

REFERENCES

Available upon request.