Info on the New Juke Joint Pimps Release

Regular readers know I'm a huge fan of Voodoo Rhythm Records and all it produces.  Here's the info I got on the new Juke Joint Pimps CD, Boogie The Church Down.  I expect this will be as awesome as every other release on the label.

The Juke Joint Pimps meet their alter Ego “the Gospel Pimps, TRASHED UP WILD FRANTIC RAW RHYTHM N BLUES CHICAGO STLYE meets holy grail preaching Gospel Louisiana Soul. Not only on this record, as well live on stage the Band Jumps into two Suits.. once into the BOOZE GUZZLLING SINNER PIMPS then got saved by the Holy .. THE GOSPEL PIMPS, incl. authentic Gospel Choir and Roman Catolic preacher uniforms, what does a sinner like you want more from live! The whole album starts up with EAT FOR ME, a song that could be written by R.L. BURNSIDE. It has slow songs as well like the I NEED MY BABY or SWEETEST HYMNS the flipside of the album is dominated by the gospel music of the early and mid 50’s THE STAPLE SINGERS the PEACOCK catalogue inspired them to do such a recording.. invited a gospel choir into the studio and start recording I FEE GUILTY is a fine example of very strange gospel and raw rhythm n blues .. sung by sinners for sinners and the outcast.

Still More Letters From Doug Evil

I have not reproduced the band logo he is referencing here, as I think he may not like the logo now if he were to see it.  Doug Evil designed two logos for my band, JFK's Head.  I don't know if we ever used either because the band was pretty short lived.


Doug,

Here are 2 versions of your logo.  If there's anything you don't like just write.  It would be no problem to do another.  In the future I won't make you pay.  We can simply trade tapes or 'zines or stuff.  I feel guilty making you pay after you give me free ad space and free publicity.  I'll also give you my new address but if you don't get a reply right away then the mailman can't find Doug Evil in Pitts.  Also, I should soon be in a full band within the next 1 or two months.  Till then ...

Haplessly Yours, Doug Evil


I did not mind paying for the logo.  Artists need to be compensated for their work.  (Even the ones from whom you steal music.)  I don't remember what I paid him, but I do think we stopped writing soon after this letter ... as Doug disappeared for a while.

Letters from GG Allin 8

More letters from the man, the myth, the guy who bled everywhere ... GG "I Will Not Act Civilized" Allin.  Always fun.



Doug,

Got the article.

Mykel may or may not respond to you, but your best bet is to include a SASE.  I do still correspond with him occassionally, but not as often as I had in the past.  But we are still both very much in contact when we are in the same area.

The comp. idea sounds cool.  No objections on this end as long as it's put together right.  Try and find as many diff styles of torturous individuals + bands, etc..  Like maybe a fucking violin version of of "Drink Fight + Fuck" etc..  You get the picture.  Instead of bands trying to copy it the way it is on the records.  Let me know how it comes about.  Send #7 as soon as it's out.

GG Allin 206045


As you readers know, the compilation never came out.  We did get a few bands sending us stuff, and some of it was quite interesting.  Allin's death derailed the project, however.  I was not into the idea of looking like I was exploiting his death.

More Letters From Doug Evil

That's right.  Another missive from the man behind Orgy of One -- Doug Evil.  In this letter he writes a poetry anthology which I doubt I contributed to, as well hallucinations I was apparently having at the time.  I remember no such thing. 


Doug,

[Phone number censored for obvious reasons.]

I'm still only considering doing that poem anthology.  Send poems anyway.  Most likely I'll do it.  If I do the book will be called Severed Fairy Tails.

You've sparked real interest in me about your hallucinations.  Please go into further detail.  As for unbelievable ... I'm a vampire, remember?

How soon do you need that cover?  To be honest I haven't started it yet.  I have vacation from Dec 11 - Jan 11.  Can you wait until then?  If not I'll make time.

Get the light out of here!!!- Doug Evil


The only part of this letter that sounds remotely familiar to me is the cover of 'zine he was working on for me.  Other than that, I have no recollection of anything he is talking about.  Strange.

Give 'Em the Boot ... Again

Hellcat Records has some good music.  Not all of it, granted, but enough to warrant some attention.  One of the best ways to get an idea of what is being offered is from the Give 'Em the Boot series.  Back in 2004 the fourth part of this series came out, and it is worth looking into.
Opening with Rancid's "Killing Zone" is a good way to start any release.  Following it up with The Aggrolites' "Dirty Reggae" is a good way to kill it.  That is precisely why this CD does not see a lot of rotation in my stereo.  Yeah, I like The Slackers as much as the next guy, and you can't go wrong with the Dropkick Murphys or HorrorPops, but for all those good bands there's stuff like Chris Murray's "Let There Be Peace," which makes you wonder just what the hell you it is that happens to be coming out your speakers.

I know some can view Hellcast as boutique label for Tim Armstrong, and I have nothing wrong with that.  If that is the case, I do have to say that Armstrong's taste in music is very questionable in places.  Maybe he really, really likes Tiger Army.  I don't know.  I do know that this sampler makes me wonder what he is drinking.  I know this came out in 2004, but looking at the stuff on the label now shows that little has changed at this Epitaph offshoot.

At least Armstrong is consistent.

The first in this series of CDs had much the same problem, but it felt fresher.  It felt like it mattered more.  Listening to this fourth one makes it sound like status quo.  That said, it is still a great introduction to the type of music you can expect to find on the label.  Just don't expect anything truly mind blowing to come out of the experience.



Mandatory FTC Disclaimer:  I received this to review, so it was free.  Clicking on a link can earn me a small commission, which I desperately need so I can quit my job.

The Voice

If you tune into NBC for more than three seconds you are bound to see a promo for The Voice, a show that claims to be nicer than American Idol.  What else sets it apart?  Judges nobody cares about and singers who may be ugly.  At least that's what I get from the commercials.  I haven't watched the show and have no desire to do so.  The TV ads tell me everything I need to know.

I know these talent shows appeal to a certain segment of society, and I know they help keep television writers out of work.  I know family and friends of contesants love tuning in to see if they'll win, and then get their towns to hold celebrations if their favored son or daughter moves up far enough in the competition.  The world loves an underdog.  The world hates George Michael.  It makes for compelling television on some level.  It has little to do with the music or the art behind it.  This is entertainment.

In the end, shows like The Voice are quite harmless.  They do their job, and the "artists" they produce are usually forgettable after a few years.  Some have gone on to some degree of fame, which makes you wonder if they would have ever had the opportunity otherwise (doubtful knowing how the world of music works).  For the most part, however, these souls are forgotten by the time the next inevitable season starts, only to merit a nod once the flashback episode arrives.

Will The Voice lead to a promising career for its winner?  The only person who cares about that is the soon-to-be champion.  The rest of the world will move on, and that is perhaps the truest lesson that can be learned from this show.  These musicians are disposable.  They are fodder.  They are the filler in between ads for Dodge Chargers and iPads.  They may think they are more than that, but in the end, that is all they are to the executives at NBC.  Who would've thought the world of television and music would have so much in common?



Mandatory FTC Disclaimer:  Clicking on a link could earn me a commission.  Blah.

The Purity of Disaster

I received the Foundation "Purity/Disaster" 7" for review way back in 1992.  I remember giving it a favorable review then, and after listening to it recently I have to say it holds up.

Foundation was out of NY, and while it was a hardcore band, the songs on this release have a certain emo feeling to them.  Real emo.  Not Hot Topic emo.  The 7" itself is on white vinly (classy), and it includes lyrics to the two songs.

I tried looking the band up on the Internet and found nothing really helpful.  Even Round Flat Records, which put this out, doesn't seem to have copies of it anymore.  Not surprising.  This is a solid release, and the band members (Bill Colgrove, John Drenning, Steve Korol and Mike Waney) have already probably moved onto to other things that are hopefully music related.  (No sense in wasting one's talent by working at a diner.)  Mike Waney as of 2/11 responded to a posting on the Coregasm blog, so he's at least around and checking out what the world has to say of his old band.

I never got to see Foundation live, but I imagine it would've been quite an energetic and positive show.  The sound these guys had is due for a resurgence in the next few years.  I doubt any of it will be as good as this 7" was, though. 

Letters from Doug Evil

Doug Evil was the man behind Orgy of One, a one-man band that did some Misfits covers and original tunes.  He designed my band's logo (JFK's Head, for those keeping score), and did a cover for one of my 'zines.  We wrote each other off and on and talked on the phone on occasion.  Below is a short letter he wrote about some distribution stuff and ad space in my 'zine (Chaos Into Power). 



Doug of C.I.P.,

Here is your order of Orgy 5 "Single" tapes plus Misfits cover tapes.  1 for you & 1 (one) for the Misfits themselves!  (If you get in contact with them.)

Please copy the ad I sent you to help with the distro process & enclose a copy of the Misfits cover album flyer with any order of my tape.

Also I'd like a list of names and addresses of people who buy my tape so I can send them flyers & shit.  If there are any problems call me at [phone number listed]. 

Haplessly Yours,
Doug Evil


I did send a copy to the Misfits, but I do not recall the reaction to it.  At the time, the Misfits hadn't signed Michael Graves or Dr. Chud yet, so it was in a state of flux.  I do remember talking to Doyle prior to sending it, and he was excited about hearing it.

A Release to Get Excited About ....

Voodoo Rhythm Records, a label I consider the best on the planet, has released a split CD/LP.  (I hope I get a copy of this one.)  Mama Rosin Together With Hipbone Slim and the Kneetremblers.  Both bands are seriously freakin' good.  Cajun meets garage rockabilly.  If that release sucks I'll cut off a finger.  I just don't see it happening.  In fact, I can't think of the last time something came out on Voodoo that I didn't like.  Nope. 

Both bands have released great records before.  Both bands are highly capable of getting asses out of their seats.  Together?  Oh, that is the sweet spot.

There was other exciting news in the e-mail I got, but seeing this release kind of made everything else just fade into the background.  It isn't every day when you hear of such incredible news.  This was that day. 

For all you readers overseas, here's the tour dates:


13 Apr 2011 L'Ecurie, Genève SWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

14 Apr 2011 Cafe Kairo / bern SWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

15 Apr 2011 1. Stock, Basel SWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

16 Apr 2011 Hacienda, Sierre SWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

14 May 2011 Bearded Theory Festival, Derbyshire UNITED KINGDOM

17 May 2011 Electroacoustic Club @ The Slaughetered Lamb, London UNITED KINGDOM

19 May 2011 The Railway Inn, Winchester UNITED KINGDOM

20 May 2011 Wood Festival, Oxford UNITED KINGDOM

25 May 2011 Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris FRANCE

26 May 2011 Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris FRANCE

29 May 2011 Evolution Festival, Newcastle upon Tyne UNITED KINGDOM

11 Jun 2011 Halt auf Verlangen Festival, Grünenwald OW SWITZERLAND

18 Jun 2011 Mundial, Tilburg NETHERLANDS

19 Jun 2011 TBC Oerol Festival, Terschilling NETHERLANDS

24 Jun 2011 Glastonbury Festival, Glastonbury UNITED KINGDOM

28 Jun 2011 Festival de la Cité, Lausanne SWITZERLAND

01 Jul 2011 Skagen Festival DENMARK

02 Jul 2011 Skagen Festival DENMARK

09 Jul 2011 Festi'Cheyres SWITZERLAND

15 Jul 2011 Larmer Tree Festival, Wiltshire UNITED KINGDOM

16 Jul 2011 Pod'ring, Biel SSWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

21 jul 2011 paleo festifal, Nyon SWITZERLAND ( with HIPBONE SLIM AND THE KNEETREMBLERS)

27 Jul 2011 Musicas do Mundo, Sines PORTUGAL

09 Aug 2011 Broadstairs Festival UNITED KINGDOM

10 Aug 2011 Broadstairs Festival UNITED KINGDOM

13 Aug 2011 Summer Sundae Weekender, Leicester UNITED KINGDOM








Mandatory FTC Disclaimer Time: Clicking on a link can earn me a commission.  I have not received a copy of this release to review yet, but I hope to.  If I do, I will write about here, of course, along with any place else that will take it.

The Lost Art of the Album Cover

I've always preferred vinyl over CDs, cassettes, 8 tracks and MP3s.  Part of this preference has to do with cover art. 

Cover art is something that seems forgotten about these days.  Yes, it still exists, but I think any serious lover of music would admit that the cover art for a CD is seriously lacking when compared to that of an LP.

When I was a kid, I got lost in cover art.  Whether it be Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast or Massacre's Killing Time.  It didn't matter.  I'd put the record on, listen and look.  My cassettes had cover art, but it was too small to see.  Same with my CDs.  My 7" singles were even better than cassettes and CDs.  The cover art seemed to matter.  It looked like art.  It was art.  It was important.

Now the art is nothing more than a picture.  It doesn't help sell anything.  It tells no story.  It is as cold and impersonal as the MP3 format.  There seems to be little thought put into it because the people consuming it (and don't kid yourself, MP3s are a consumable product and nothing more) put no thought into what they are buying. 

Years ago, when going into a record store, I'd look at everything.  If a band I never heard of had a neat sounding name and a cool album title, the cover art would often make or break my decision to buy it.  That's how I actually ended up buying Killing Time.  The cover art appealed to me. It was as mysterious as the names of the songs on the release (and in hindsight fit the music perfectly).  The cover art of a CD never swayed me to make a purchase.

If you compare the vinyl art on any Iron Maiden album to the exact same art on the CD or cassette, you quickly realize how much detail you lose.  There are subtle touches that just aren't there when you shrink down the image to fit the format.  The LP cover was the perfect size.  Above and beyond the music, it was often art that stood on its own.  In fact, when I got Kiss' Creatures of the Night for my birthday, I actually displayed the album cover in my room for quite a few months, much like someone would hang a painting or display a sculpture.  Again, I never did that with a CD.

MP3s are meant to be played on tiny devices, the portability of which is the selling point.  Some of these devices display the cover art for whatever music you are listening to at any given time.  The art is so small, though, that it becomes pointless.  I've purchased MP3s, and like CDS, I never bought one on the whim of a cover ... because I can barely see it.  I definitely can't display it, either. 

Maybe I'm old, or maybe I romanticize too much.  I don't think so, though.  Many of my music loving friends feel much the same way.  They long for the days when buying an album meant something.  When a record felt like an event.  Sure, vinyl is still being made (and I still buy it), but the industry has changed.  The art seems less inspired.  The compact format has led to compact ideas.  There are always gems, of course, but they are no longer the norm.  Long gone are the days where I would examine every detail of a photo or painting, pondering how it fit into what I was experiencing coming from my speakers.  Upsetting?  Of course.  But it's also a sign of the times, where art has little meaning and everything is meant to be disposable ... including the music.


Mandatory FTC Disclaimer:  Clicking on my links may earn me a commission.  I'll use the money to get a new record player.

Letters from GG Allin 7

Here's a long letter from rock 'n' roll terrorist GG Allin, which came on stationary reading, "GG Allin From His Cell At Jackson State Prison."  At the bottom of the page it read, "Murder Junkies The World's Most Out-Ragious R&R Band."  I have edited out the name of the 'zine Allin tells me to send my 'zine to simply because I did send it, and they ripped off some of my interview without giving me credit.  (In the 'zine's defense, it also published a piece of mine, but not giving me credit kind of pissed me off.)  Enjoy the letter.


Doug,

Send a copy of the 'zine to [not worth mentioning].  It's a very well distr. mag. that reviews 'zines etc...

Also-- I am not sending you the address to performance just yet.  It is much to soon to approach them on this project.  You should not approach them until the project is almost finished.  Because they will want some proof of your seriousness.  The time must be right.  They are also in the process of releasing 2 CD's of mine in the next couple of months .. so the best time to get with them would be summer or fall.. It will more than likely take that much time to compile all of the material.  Let me know how it goes..

GG Allin 206045

[Addresses to reach him at after his release.]

The zine was fucking cool.. I just got it..


The project he was referring to was a music project we were working on.  His death ended the project as far as I was concerned, as I feared putting it out would make it look like I was exploiting him, and that was definitely not part of the plan.  I'm sure it would've made money, but I'm no vulture.

Letters from GG Allin 6

This letter came with a bunch of photocopied pictures, many of them signed by Allin.  One in particular, which I am too lazy to scan or I would, featured him sans pants standing on a Nazi flag and humping a statue of Jesus.  I think Disney is using that for a DVD cover or something.  Here's the letter, where Allin continues to rant against those who would dare question his loyalty to the rock 'n' roll mission.


Doug,

You tell those motherfucking non-believers to come to one of my shows.. Then they will understand just how fucking brutal of a reality I live in..  They live in a very 
[word is inked out] tight shell.. When they get close to me I'll break that fucking shell wide open.. So keep pissing them off.. Support the only real rock n roll mission that really does matter..  I'm in prison because our society cannot control my non-conformist R+R revolution... They never fucking will..  I'll be out in early 93..  Then I'll get my revenge.. Im [sic] unstoppable..

GG Allin 206045

PS. They don't let tapes in.. I can only receive money orders in any amount.. M.O. must include both my name and prison # Allin-206045.. If you want a copy of the Geraldo tape I can get it for you...


I did actually want a copy of that tape, and sent Allin some money for it.  He forwarded the money to Merle, his brother, and I never saw the tape.  Do I care?  Hell no!  I got a pic of Allin humping a Jesus statue while standing on a swastika.  Duh.  Who is the winner there?

Great Quotes from a GG Allin Press Release

As I was going through my papers, I found this three page press release for his next album.  (According to the end of the release, "GG Allin's new LP recorded in New York City, NY with the Murder Junkies to be announced soon [handwritten] is his first studio recording of all new material released in America since 1989.  Available on TBA soon [handwritten] Records. 

Here are some of the great quotes, which I think summed up GG Allin and his music pretty damn well.

"There is nothing anybody can do to shake up the underground anymore ... unless you are GG Allin who shits on stage and attacks women."  - Kim Gordon, Sonic Youth

"Allin says he leads the most violent rock 'n' roll band in the country.  We both agree that Allin's actions and lifestyle are among the most bizarre we have come across in decades of police work."  - Frank Hoy and Mary Smith, police detectives

"When it was too late, I realized my fate could have well been death." - GG Allin assault victim

"I've worked many murder cases, but this kind of behavior really sickens me." - anonymous New York City police officer

"Fights broke out, three people arrested and a near riot.  I blame GG Allin." - Lt. Bill Crook

"Mr. Allin's performance is a crime and the Constitution in this country does not save him.  Mr. Allin crossed the line in this performance." - Attorney Michael Steinhafel, prosecutor

"Failure to abide by the conditions of his parole and in lieu of the nature of his arrests in Florida and Texas (on stage) the parole board concluded that Mr. Allin is a risk to society at this time.  Maximum penalty suggested." -Michigan Department of Corrections

Who has picked up the mantle these days?  Nobody that I can think of.  Ah, the good ol' days ...

Letters from GG Allin 5

Once again, I present more letters from the late, great GG Allin.  This one came on the back of his Michigan Department of Correction Certificate of Discharge/Termination of Sentence paper.  Signed by the warden on 2/13/93.  This was an actual discharge and not a termination of sentence. 

Allin's letter references "Brad."  Brad was a co-worker who told me he didn't think Allin was that tough or that extreme.  In fact, Brad thought Ozzy Osbourne was far more extreme.  Obviously Brad never came face-to-face with Allin.  When I showed Brad Allin's response (below), the universal reaction around work was that of fear.  They were afraid GG was a-comin' and wanted to know why I would do such a thing to Brad.  Brad was a bit scared, too, despite the fact that he had previously said Allin wasn't a bad ass.  Enjoy.  It's short, but sweet.


Doug

Tell Brad I'll take him on any place any fucking time..  I'll fip his fucking face off the spineless pussy.. I'll be at Merle's after April 10th.

GG Allin


Merle, as many people know, is Allin's brother.  I was going to scan the letter here to show Allin's scrawl is even more outrageous than usual, but I figured the words would get the point across.  Allin never showed up at my job (I would've been fired on the spot), but I have no doubt that had he met Brad he would have knocked him the hell out.  Good times, good times.

Univox -- Mixing Genres At Will, But Will It Leave You Cold?

Univox's debut release (on ROIR, a great label) has been critically hailed as indie pop rock at its best.  Bands like The Kinks and The Stooges have been thrown around when describing Univox's sound.  Hailing from Philadelphia, a city I used to spend way too much time in, Univox is, if you believe the hype, a sort of Second Coming of music.  Not happy to stick to one genre, Univox may be worthy of some of that hype, though the end result fails to move me.

I've got no beef with bands that play with music genres the same way kids play with toys, mixing and matching and making it work.  You've got to be talented to pull it off.  (Think of Mr. Bungle, which not only mixes genres, but tweaks them to the point where they are almost unrecognizable.)  Univox, a four-piece for those concerned, has that talent.  In fact, the first track, "Pi," has some real promise.  It quickly goes downhill from there.

I picture a club.  It could be anywhere.  A lot of twentysomethings and thirtysomethings are standing around, import beer in plastic white cups.  They all look like they shopped at the same clothes store.  Univox is on stage.  The crowd nods in time.  Between songs there is playful band banter.  You know.  The general comments about whatever city they are in.  The audience responds in kind.  Occasionally, drinks are raised in praise of one thing or another.  The band ends on with "Mind Traveler's Song," and the crowd demands more.  They leave the stage.  Come back a few minutes later and do a couple of quick covers.  Black Flag.  Rod Stewart.  Right Said Fred.  Showing off their chops as it were, and having fun.  The people go home with smiles on their faces.  The next day they can't remember much of what happened during the show.  It has become disposable.

Univox's strength is also its curse.  The fact that you can't pinpoint a sound on it shows just how talented the band is, but at the same time robs it of its identity.  That's not always a bad thing, but in this case it works against the band. 




I'm sure some will accuse me of blasphemy.  Perhaps they are right.  This seems like the kind of band Spin will praise in a year or so (if it hasn't already), too late to matter, and too lame to know it.  And that's the problem.  It doesn't challenge the listeners.  Yeah, it's great that the songs all sound different, but where does it go?  Nowhere.  And fast.

My Love of Boy Bands

I felt sort of like the priest who was approached by a police officer outside of church while getting in his car.  I was being arrested for crimes against young boys, but I was being questioned about them.

A co-worker, whom I happen to like despite her questionable and startling taste in music, asked me with all seriousness, "Which boy bands do you like?"  Or words similar.  Then, as if that weren't a terrifying enough question, she started rattling off names.  Backstreet Boys (it may be spelled with a "z," I don't know), O-Town, and a host of others.  Where in the world did this question come from?  Do I come off as a pre-teen girl or a man attracted to shirtless, well-choregraphed boys and young men?  I cannot be mistaken for a female (no matter how hard I try), and I didn't think I gave off that vibe my old Myspace page not withstanding.  So where did this question come from?

I asked, but did not get a response.  Chilling.

My closest brush with boy bands came when I watched a few episodes of that show which made O-Town.  I was curious about it, as I thought (correctly) that it would show the type of Frankenstein machine pop music originated from.  Lou Pearlman was O-Town's originally manager, and if anyone had the pedophile NAMBLA vibe it was good ol' Lou.  For some reason I always pictured him in the dark looking at photoshoot outtakes of shirtless young hopefuls as he sweated and masturbated to all hours of the morning.  I'm sure I'm not the only one, either.

Did I come across as a Pearlman type?  I've written about music from Prince to GG Allin, and my tastes are fairly well-known and I would imagine somewhat obvious.  Where in the name of former NAMBLA Boy of the Year Fred Savage did I appear to be a fan of pre-fabricated boy bands? 

Perhaps my co-worker was joking.  Perhaps she was serious.  I had previously given her three types of grief over what was on her iPod, and maybe this was her way of getting back at me ... or seriously trying to figure out what I listened to in my down time.  (For the record, it was Sigue Sigue Sputnik the other day.)  She knew I listened to Prince.  Maybe she thought other short, dancing males were on my playlist as well.

They aren't.

Now, in order to cleanse my soul of such a misinspired violation of all that I hold holy and to be in good taste, I shall listen to some Cannibal Corpse and put this whole ugly incident behind me.

The Case Against Spin Magazine

Spin.  A magazine that used to be fairly relevant but now its only claim to fame is that it isn't Rolling Stone.  I know its editors and publisher thinks it is still at the cutting edge of music journalism, but when you are covering an art form that is so stagnant that it makes the CBS network look absolutely visionary, you can't help but take on some of that stagnation.  Again, it isn't as bad as Rolling Stone, but is that really what you want people to be able to say about your magazine?

I get it sent to me for whatever reason.  I assume because I'm somehow associated with the industry.  I get a lot of magazines and whatnot that come my way, along with products and offers to cover festivals and whatnot.  I read it when it gets here.  Lately, though, I find myself reading less and less of it.  It seems that every issue has less relevance to my life.  The Next Big Things?  Artists to watch for?  The best music to download and why?  As if the reader has no mind of his or her own.

If Spin were my magazine, I'd set a new plan into motion.  I'd do what magazines can do best (offer detailed articles on various things for readers, instead of bite-size pieces that are best suited for the web).  I'd also say, "Let's stop telling people what they should like.  Let's tell people what we like and hope the enthusiasm catches."  If writers want to focus on new music (and many do), that would be great.  The pieces would have to long, however.  Not just a snapshot of who the musician is, what he or she sounds like, a some "fascinating" tidbit of why you should like him or her ("He once played naked in Wicker Park.").  It would have to be an article worth reading.  An article that gives the reader a strong sense of why you really like the artist.  Far too many of these Next Big Things are covered once in the magazine and then drop off the planet.  If someone wanted to do a piece on, say, the Meat Shits, they would be welcome to do that, too, but it would have to offer something more than the usual web write-up.  Track down the members.  Get the life stories.  Review all the releases.  Something new.  Something unusual.  Turn Spin into a magazine for people who appreciate music as art and not product.  At this level it is tied with Rolling Stone because both magazines have those occasional articles that do just that, but that seems more like a fluke than anything else.

It's not my magazine, though.  I'm just a guy who started reading it when it first appeared.  When it included a condom with an issue once and took some heat for it.  When it wrote about GG Allin and Bon Jovi.  When it mattered.  Or maybe it's always been that way, but the music was better then.  I have no idea.  All I know is that if you are relying on a magazine to tell you what is hot and new, you are woefully behind the times.