Hooray, it’s here! What do you think?
(Now, with UPDATES!)
Hmmm, but…”God! Girls! Guitars!”? Meh.
Cpaig’s brilliant magazine subtitle idea – “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace Love and Understanding?” was much more apt.
Check out the backstage video and interview.
And don’t forget to check out the retrospective of their life in photos (In Rolling effing Stone – heehee).
And now that my eyes are starting to focus enough to read after that brief shock, I can see they are in some good cover company at least…The Who, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Mark Knopfler…neat. 
UPDATE: My fave music blogger, Maura Johnston, had some interesting things to say in this piece, “Everybody Wants a Piece of the Jonas Brothers’ Action” about this cover, the attention the Boys are getting lately, their sales and career. (It’s not all uber-positive, but it’s thoughtful – and no worries, she LIKES them!)
[Via: JustJared; JB Music on Red Bull]
cpaig
mememoi
coolmom823
Oh my … can’t breathe … that is gorgeous …
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WOW!
Wait … why is Kevin grabbing Joe’s shirt? Is he about to fall over? I can see what Joe is thinking about but I’m not sure what exactly is on Nick’s and Kevin’s minds.
Maybe Kevin is trying to pull Joe backwards so they are all on the same plane? And is Joe grabbing Nick’s tie? Nick’s expression is great though. I think it is supposed to suggest something about their brotherliness…though I’m not sure exactly what, hmmm.
The photoshoot video made it look like they too a ton of great shots, though. Can’t wait.
Anyone read the article?
I know! The shoot looked great! It seems there were even better photos available they could have used …
The wardrobe is great! Love it! I’m traditional and I like more “casual” rock clothes. I did the dress-up thing with Duran Duran – sometimes the brothers remind me a little of those days (well OK more than a little – remember the fedora craze?).
I scanned the excerpt. I’m concerned about what newspapers in Europe and some blogs over here say about their religious beliefs and practices – I don’t want to see it criticized or insulted. It should be respected, not made into a joke.
With this cover, RS is not trying to make it seem like Joe is the most important member are they?
I agree…the article was fine. Nothing particularly groundbreaking.
The feeling it gave me when they were talking about their rituals, and the dopamine in young girls’ brains (I guess us older girls too?) was that they wanted to give out some fodder for mocking their phenomenon, without being outright negative about them. I didn’t really like the lede…and not too too deep on their performance style or the music – but at least they mentioned it and tried!!
I am probably being overly sensitive and reactionary. Let’s hope.
(As an person with a BA in Art History…)
Joe is definitely presented as the dominant force in the image. He is at the front and is addressing the audience directly unlike Nick and Kevin.
But not so much as to make him the most important by that wide of a margin. They are all about the same size, and Joe is not that much in front of the other two. They are intertwined really, presented as a mass more than as individuals.
That being said their collective gravitas is presented as huge.
They seemed to make a point of showing off the rings…and Joe’s chest (he he).
Nick’s face is presh.
Can’t watch the vid at work, haven’t read the article yet.
(Sorry, that was so obnoxious)
OK. I’m finally back. I had to break away and take my 5-year old to swimming lesson. Big day! She put her face in twice and jumped in 3 times unassisted!! But I digress.
GORGEOUS. Kevin has an Elvis vibe going with the hair, pensive look and leather. Joe is doing his piercing-eyes-could-you-die-he-is-so-dreamy look. And Nick, is as ever, cool, sardonic and intriguing. I love this picture. Their presence is, as always, exciting and wonderful.
The article? I agree with mememoi that there is nothing terribly new in the article. I WISH someone would actually spend more time discussing their music, musicianship, how they work, how they write together, at what point in the writing process do they start performing songs for an audience, my list goes on and on. Maybe someday. . .maybe in the NEXT Rolling Stone cover/article.
AND ANOTHER THING! I am laughing myself silly over the indignant comments from pretentious non-fans. As though JB is the only pop stars to ever appear on the cover? PULEEEZE!!!!!
Ugh, tell me about it. I just looked again, and the most hilarious thing? For all but ONE of the negative commenters, this was the first and only story they ever commented on! Hilarious.
Nice to know they care so very much. *rolls eyes*
Was it you or cpaig who asked what it is about JB that makes lovers and haters so “balls out nutso”?
Maybe strong emotion is better than indifference? If they really were as UNimportant as the haters claim, people wouldn’t care, would they? Is level of threat in direct proportion to level of importance in grand scheme of things? Here’s hoping!!
Hehe, that was me. And it’s true – I totally believe it has a meaning just as you describe. However dismissive people want to be of them, they’ve already had an intense impact on their generation (and many of the rest of us).
People are always dimissive of the truly new and truly important. Fat lot it good it does them. As much as the nay-sayers may not want to believe it, JB isn’t going anywhere and their music isn’t either. These guys are young and they’re just getting started. We haven’t seen ANYTHING yet!!!
I couldn’t agree more. My instinct is always to respond nastily to every slight…but I am learning to ignore it and blog it out.
This just makes me become even more excited to listen to and hold the new album in my hands! The photo is stunning, but I do agree that the video makes it seem like there could have been better choices.
All the Jonai have to do is keep on doing what they do … until it can’t be avoided that yes, they play their own instruments, yes, they write their own music, yes, they really are nice, good people, and yes, their music is GOOD.
Right now I’m drinking root beer out of my “Joe” (“Shane”) Camp Rock Disney mug! It holds like 20 ounces LOL.
OMG, flamom, I guffawed…that sounds awesome. I’ll have to be on the lookout for that next time I visit Target.
I have to say, when I go in, I find it surreal to turn around and see the guys plastered on everything – it’s random! Since of course I have that false sense of knowing them when – these were those little boys a second ago! It really must feel bizarre for people who DO know them.
But yeah, it’s amazing. So…is the mug ceramic….?
OK, I read the Maura Johnston piece. Some interesting points – Disney’s media clout makes everyone nervous, the intelligent should be wary – I get it. But I do take exception to her comparison of JB to Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus is not who is so massively popular, it’s Hannah Montana or, rather, Miley/Hannah. A Disney creation, albeit one including elements of Miley herself, but a creation nonetheless. MILEY has yet to prove her bankability, let’s see how her new CD sales do. How much of Miley’s music is actually her and how much is Disney song-writing stable? It irritates me when JB is seen as a Disney creation. The Jonas Brothers were not cast, they were born the Jonas Brothers!
I think you’re right…you should go say so! Except it often dissolves into an unproductive snarkfest in the comments over there.
flamom, I didn’t get a chance to address your concerns about the way their religion is treated. You are very right on about that…in fact, I was keeping tabs on the Rolling Stone thread and it went CRAZY. There are some real Jonas Brothers/ Disney conspiracy theorists (on top of the usual haters…I am almost positive they are a lot of angsty 12 year olds) out there who seem to think none of us have any powers of discernment.
It freaks me out to see people who advocate tolerance be so hateful towards them because they are Christian, and they assume they know precisely what they believe religiously and politically. I probably used to be that way…it has really opened my eyes to how judgmental and narrow-minded (and mean!) some supposed liberals can be. It grosses me out.
And the thing that mystifies me further is that there are so many different types of artists who actually reference God, Jesus, and biblical imagery and get little flack…but get a band who is making music that doesn’t even DO that, but people realize they actually practice a faith behind the scenes, and people get really strange about it. What is that?
Yes, I am constantly upset when I see how their religious beliefs are treated or dismissed. And it’s usually presented as something negative, something conspiratorial, or something fake/pretend.
Did you see that comment about “Christian totalitarianism?” (shakes her head in disgust)
It really is possible that they truly are genuine about what they believe. This is how they were raised. It’s not something shallow for them, it is a big piece of who they ARE.
Their religious beliefs are different from my own, but I can tell you a huge part of why I like and respect them so much is their faith.
PS I got the HUGE mug at Disney Store!!!! It is so cool! It’s $8.50 or 2 for $12. There are 15% off coupons around right now also.
I think that’s because while the CONCEPT of God (very far away, very large, very abstract) is not threatening. Christianity, as a religion, (practiced, real, dynamic) is. It bothers me that while the Jonas Brothers NEVER bring it up, other people always do. They are Christians who are in a Pop-Rock band, NOT a Christian Pop-Rock band. The two are VERY different. And people make judgements on Christianity and Christians based on the antics of the judgemental, fundamental extremists. There are many, many more thoughtful, fair-minded, intelligent, enlightened, and discerning Christians than anyone knows about – because those people are quietly living their own spiritual lives, NOT telling the rest of the world how to live theirs.
flamom-
Very well put re JB religious beliefs.
I want a cool mug too!! Are they all Joe or are the other Jonas Brothers on any mugs?
It’s a little overwhelming to me to see what people can get away with in putting them (and others with these values) down.
At the very least, like you said, flamom, this is how they were raised, and therefore it’s cultural. I’m not a practicing Christian (we were raised Unitarian, which is non-dogmatic, and our parents grew up Pentecostal and Presbyterian…and let me tell you my JB fanaticism has given me a different outlook on my relatives who are evangelicals).
I know we all agree – no one should tolerate anyone being dissed for their cultural background. To me those purity rings aren’t much different from wearing a hijab or whatever…It’s not “in your face” or proselytizing, it’s personal expression of beliefs.
…and mocking it makes me want to baaaaaarf. Sigh, I need a trip to the Disney Store for Jonas-emblazoned goodies, as therapy (and the conspiracy theorists go *a-ha*!!)
I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you ladies safe travels to the concert. I hope you enjoy the show, and the accompanying “brain hits of dopamine and oxytocin”, and have fun “loving and bonding”. Ha! We fellow discerning types are looking forward to reading your reports.
Oh, thank you! I’m excited it’s so soon…they do tell me it’s like “injecting heroin” which is obviously what we’re going for, so whoopty-doo!
The Disney Store only had “Shane” mugs. To get the 2 for $12 I bought my husband a Mickey mug from the back of the store.
I really want a CR beach towel (for me and the kids!) but the only ones they have now are plain blue ones in a bag, no images. Next summer they might get the printed ones – the Disney employees told me it took 1 yr to get HSM printed towels also.
OK, now I’ve read the whole article. There is quite a bit more than you see in the excerpt online.
What I think about it is that it isn’t really written for US, that is, people who are already fans. I think it’s an article for the uninitiated, the people who might have heard of them, don’t know anything about them, and are wondering what all the shouting is about. From that standpoint, it’s a very good first look.
I did think the article addressed some of what we were discussing earlier re their faith background etc. Especially about how they are not a Christian singing group.
And the article is nicely frank about the Diabetes and how complex it can make things.
The Selena Gomez picture buzz is overrated as far as I can tell. There certainly isn’t anything salacious in it – you can hardly see anything, and they’re barely touching! Disney probably asked for its removal so that someone WOULD talk about it.
I agree…it is a pretty good intro to who they are. I still think they make a point of overemphasizing the Christianity angle (that “God!” is first in the cover subtitle is telling in that regard…it did elicit a laugh from our older sister who I would say is one of the uninitiated.)
The Selena thing is definitely overblown (typical).
It was nice in general, and fair.
I wasn’t sure what to make of the comment which (I think damagingly) tries to set their evolution against the Beatles. Saying they not every band can go from “Please, Please Me” to “Rubber Soul” and intimating they have to get political to do so. I don’t know if I agree or not, but it bothers me.
Oh, and they also completely nail it about the crux of their success being “oversharing” and their real devotion to reaching out to the fans.
Yeah, that bothered me too. Not the Beatles part, the political part. Bands were political in the 60’s, music was political, it was all intertwined in a way it just ISN”T now. And implying that’s the main reason the Beatles stayed relevent is wrong. It was one reason, yes, but there were many others. Their music was why they were relevent, some of it was political, some of it wasn’t. Music can be meaningful for other than political reasons. The Beatles’ was and so will JB’s.
But at the risk of incurring some Beatle fan’s wrath, I will say that I am not botherd by comparing JB to the Beatles when they first came to America. I remember them, everyone in my family loved them, including my Mom. We had every record (played on our Hi Fi thank you very much) and never missed them on TV. And the reaction of fans to them is really uncannily like that of fan’s reaction to JB. And there’s another quality that JB has that made me think Beatles, and I did think that even before I ever heard anyone compare them. There is a quality of charisma that they share – the Beatles didn’t have to do much at all, just being themselves they were absolutely watchable. JB is the same way. It’s why – when they are putting themselves out, really selling it and giving it their all – they are so mind-blowingly good at performing. I truly don’t think comparing JB to the early Beatles, both in fan response and appeal is far off the mark.
I’m also glad that the article makes the point of mentioning the devotion to the fans. JB built their base the old-fashioned way, on the road, and they genuinely value the connections. It’s part and parcel of who they are as people. They deserve to be noted for that.