Rumpshaker #6

RUMPSHAKER #6

$10

www.rumpshakerzine.com

-When people say, “Hardcore is Dead” or “there’s no good bands now”, what they should be saying is, “I stopped paying attention” –Eric Weiss

Rumpshaker #6 was a long time in the making. The last issue came out 12 years ago. As someone who writes a music zine that occasionally takes five year breaks, I get it, sometimes life just sneaks in there without much notice and puts things on hold for a while. I got this zine in the mail a few months back and am just now reviewing it, but when I received it, I read it cover to cover that day. I love music zines, I miss music zines.  I have a plastic storage bin in my garage full of old Flipside, MRR, HeartAttack, and random music fanzines that, when in need of a fix, I can go to. So when a music zine arrives in the mail, I get a bit giddy, and when that music zine just happens to be a Hardcore zine, well that’s a good day. In the months after getting Rumpshaker #6 in the mail, I have read the zine three times, not all of it, but most of it. And it’s not just because it’s a music zine covering a genre I dig, Eric, the editor asks really good questions in his interviews, and he interviews interesting people. I wasn’t a fan of the band Ceremony before reading this. I have since become a huge fan of Ceremony. I didn’t like Judge before reading this, and I still don’t, but I really like Mike Judge now. Avail?  I’ve always loved Avail, and the interview with Avail frontman (now solo singer), Tim Barry was a perfect example of why. Many of the people he interviews are close to my age and I think that’s why I responded to the interviews the way I did. When Damian from Fucked Up talks about being a father and how it’s made him respond to violent news stories in a more personal and profound way, I can relate.  There are so many great interviews contained within this zine. Eric, the editor, has some personal writing as well. At one point he talks about breaking his long held straight edge commitment and the awkward ordering of his first glass of whiskey. Good writing, and some unique insight into the mind of an aging hardcore kid.  I liked this zine so much that I ordered a couple extra copies to give to out of town friends, and, drunkenly gave my review copy to my buddy the other night while playing Ceremony’s ‘Sick’ far too loudly for anything or anyone in my quiet Northern Idaho neighborhood. So yea, good zine, get one.

2013 state of the blaag address

This blog has been around for four years now. A lot has changed since I started it and I just wanted to give you all a quick update on the state of things. So far it’s been a really wonderful experience. I get all kinds of great stuff in the mail and have made some awesome connections with artists from around the globe. My personal life, however, is very busy right now and I’m finding it increasingly more difficult to find time to do reviews. I’m not going to stop doing them, but just know that if you send stuff in, it might take a while for me to get to it. So many great reviews zines, blogs, and websites have disappeared over the years, and I always hate to see them go (so many great ones still around). I really believe in the importance of a healthy underground press, especially for artists, so I will keep reviewing in whatever capacity I am able. If you keep sending stuff in, I’ll keep paying the rent on the pob, and will get to it eventually. Thanks for all the supportive emails, letters, and visits.

Bad Breath Comics #5

Bad Breath Comics #5 $2 Joshjuresko.com /// This is my favorite comic going right now, and I’m not sure why, because frankly, it’s so disjointed and downright weird.

It’s not weird in a shocking or surrealist way, but more of a, “What the hell is the point of this story?” way, and for some reason, I love it. I really like his artistic style, so that kind of explains why I like the comic as a whole, but that’s not it. What I think really appeals to me is that there is also a kind of subversive feeling to this comic in that the stories don’t flow together in any traditional sense, but all of them have the same spook-house-in-the-daytime kind of feel to them; it seems like you are walking into something dangerous, but you know that just beyond the thin metal walls, it’s light outside and your mom is waiting for you with some cotton candy.

Unsinkable: How to Build Plywood Pontoons & Longtail Boat Motors Out of Scrap

By Robnoxious $8 Microcosm 636 SE 11th Portland, OR 97214 /// The first part of this book is a how to guide on building motors & pontoon boats. It details all the materials gathered and purchased and has illustrations and pictures to walk you through it all. They built the boat for less than $100, getting most of the materials for free from scrap piles, which was pretty impressive. That’s only the first 15 pages of the book. The next 49 pages consist of the story of their three month long, 843-mile adventure down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It’s comprised of Robnoxious’s first person accounts as well as entries from the vessel’s log book. It has great pictures throughout that really enhance the story, and the story is a good one. A good read for anyone who likes adventure/travel stories, a great resource for those thinking of building a boat, but don’t have a lot of money.

Dodo Comics #3

Dodo Comics #3 $3 http://blog.grantthomasonline.com /// The cover says it all, “Abstract Comics”. That’s what this is. The entire zine consists of various panels of different black and white brush strokes and lines. No writing, nothing recognizable. Minimalist, like this review.

The Stack

Here is the stack of zines sitting on my desk for review. I've read 90% of them. Reviews to come...

Jeff Hanneman changed my life

......... Slayer is my Elvis.

Wild fermentation: A Do-It-Yourself Guide To Cultural Manipulation

Microcosm 636 SE 11th Ave Portland, OR 97214-2405 ---- Originally published in 2001, Wild Fermentation is exactly as the title suggests: a how-to guide to fermentation, of the wild variety. Not a very interesting subject to me personally (unless the fermentation process produces giggly water) but I totally appreciate the back-to-the-earth aesthetic and passion for healthy eating via cultural/political agitation. Inside are recipes for sauerkraut, miso, sourdough, vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, tempeh, chocolate and more. Good reading for those interested in these types of ingestibles.

Losers & Weepers #3

Losers & Weepers #3

$5

Bird Cage Bottom Books

324-A West 71^st St

New York, NY 10023

www.birdcagebottombooks.com

theholyYost.blogspot.com

www.jtyost.com

--------------------------

Raised is my glass as another issue of Losers & Weepers has graced my po box. The idea of creating a back story for something found - be it letter, cardboard scrap, or post it note - and then illustrating it, is one of the greatest gifts an artist can give to the world. This issue/episode of L&W is one of those gifts. There are four found items illustrated in this comic, all of which are great. Mr. Yost has a hilarious and somewhat sick sense of humor, all of which comes across splendidly in this zine. Of the four things illustrated, however, there is one that really stands alone. I won’t ruin the surprise here, but let me just say that I have never seen a more prominent example of lack of segue in a jailhouse letter than this. The artist’s interpretation of which, had me laughing loud enough to wake my entire family while reading it late into the wee hours….so funny.

Teengenerate Tonight!

Is this the greatest Teengenerate song? The answer is yes.

DIGESTATE: A Food & Eating Themed Anthology

Digestate: A Food & Eating Themed Anthology $19.95 Birdcage Bottom Books 324-A West 71st St New York, NY 10023 Birdcagebottombooks.com///

Like the title says, this is a food and eating themed comics anthology. Food is a popular topic these days, pop culture is dripping with it. Food shows rule the land of television, and chefs have replaced musicians as the hippest amongst us. It seems only natural that the underground comics world should have something to say about it all. The editor, J.T. Yost, states in the beginning that he has been a vegan since 1992, and although not every artist in this comic is vegetarian/vegan, the topic is at the forefront of this book. Digestate is an ambitious project which, from my perspective, really turned out great. There are some fantastic artists in here, and some really great stories. Standout artist for me include but aren’t limited to (there are so many) Cha, Josh Bayer, Noah Van Sciver, Al Ortiz, K. Thor Jensen, Victor Kerlow, Nichole J. Georges, and J.T. Yost, whose “Slaughterhouse Stories” was really hard to read and look at, but I felt it important to do so. The story is an illustrated testimonial from a long time meat packing employee who worked for years on the kill floor in a variety of positions. I’ve known about the horrors of mass meat production for years, you can’t be involved in the zine world and not know this stuff, J.T.’s rendition of this guy’s stories, however, was a pretty goddamn effective and needed reminder of why it is so important to do some basic research on where your food comes from. Bacon worshipers (of whom I know many) should read this, and hopefully make wiser choices when buying it. This book is not all one big bummer though, there’s a lot of humor, and pure weirdness scattered throughout as well. Digestate is an incredibly entertaining and thought provoking read start to finish.

Ci Vediamo

Ci Vediamo By Hazel Newlevant $6 Newlevant.com///

This is a beautifully done comic about meetings that should have been, but did not (at least that’s how I’m interpreting it). It has a unique format, combining vellum and paper in a very clever way. It’s short and aesthetically pleasing to hold and view. Very nice.

Nat-rrain

Nat-rrain, $? Nat.rain@gmail.com/// This is a strange assortment of unrelated drawings, comic strips, and some writing. There is a definite (and unapologetic) Crumb influence here. Lots of muscular-voluptuous women interacting with much less physically endowed male characters. I really liked the illustrated historical comic about the Chesapeake Indians. There were some really great drawings contained within; liberal use of contrast and weird enough to keep me interested.

feeling kind of ZEKE

11:45 on is pure gold....Donny Paycheck is in top form.

Cloudfather #3

Cloudfather #3 , no price listed, cloudfather.tumbler.com, cloudfather.net, / Let me start by saying that I love art zines and Cloudfather is an art zine, so…it's already got a leg up in Randy’s review land (good name for a theme park). Initially, when I opened this zine up and thumbed through it I got a definite Neckface vibe. And although it is similar in style to Neckface, Cloudfather definitely has its own thing going. For me Kyle’s art has a graffiti-skate-gang tattoo-Hindu feel that’s very appealing. I loved the picture of the person standing in what appears to be Joshua Tree National Park with a Cloudfather mask on, I was both jealous and inspired. This zine made me curious to check out more of his work. Good stuff. Kyle also sent this mini zine along which has a bit more of his art in it:

The Offly Dark

The Offly Dark Vol. 1, Real American Gothic, no price listed, lurkmaple@gmail.com. / The first thing that got my attention in this zine is the art. There are some unique and very cool drawings inside this zine. Sometimes the drawings are intertwined within the poems, sometimes they stand alone. I love this dude’s style. The zine has a rough quality that I really appreciate. It consists simply of photo copies of what appears to be the author’s hand written poetry journals, and sketchbooks. The mistakes are scribbled out, or poorly erased with smudge marks included. And although this may sound careless or even sloppy, it actually creates a sense of warmth to the zine that I think wouldn’t otherwise exist. The poetry is pretty dark with interesting titles such as, “My Grandson The Cactus”. My one complaint is that some of the copied pages are blurry and too small to read.

Grunted Warnings 14

Grunted Warnings #14 $2 or Trade, Stratu, POB 35, Marrickville NSW 2204, AUSTRALIA. / This is a bizarre assortment of newspaper clippings from around the world assembled by Stuart Stratu of BlackGuard fame. The titles of newspaper articles alone are why newspapers must never die. Grunted Warnings illustrates this in a profoundly entertaining way, titles such as, “Fatal fury at bearded lady” or, “Piranhas snack on tourists”. If you are looking for an interesting conversation starter at your next cocktail party, leave this zine out on your coffee table. The cover alone should set things in motion right off.

2012

Looks like I'm significantly behind on my yearly review average and 2012 is quickly coming to a close. It probably has a lot to do with the po box debacle that happened this spring/summer, or having started a new job, or having a toddler running around the house. Whatever the reason(s), I have about twenty zines sitting on my desk waiting for a review. I'm going to try and get to all of them in the month of December. We shall see.....this may be a very busy month.

Blackguard #4: the Fear Issue

Blackguard PO Box 35 Marrickville NSW 2204 Australia $5 or TRADE sstratu@gmail.com Thank the highest peaks of Valhalla or lowest pools of Hades for Blackguard. This zine, “The Fear Issue” fears nothing. Reading this zine in 2012 I was reminded of the first time that I thumbed through a copy of ‘Heavy Metal’ back in 1984. What a great feeling that was; being all of 12 years old and not quite knowing how to draw any conclusions about a comic book full of comics without superheroes, and whose characters were often having sex with one another. It wasn’t a red pill moment, but it was definitely headed in that direction. Blackguard, like Heavy Metal, has the aesthetics of walking into a seedy underground comic/adult bookstore in a very bad part of town on a Blade Runner kind of night. The man behind the zine is Stuart Stratu. He sent a great hand written letter along with his zines for review, which I really appreciated, and which also harkened back to a time gone by. The theme is fear and a wide variety of artists contribute to this cause, digging deep and letting loose with a barrage of often disturbing, yet sometimes hilarious, comics, stories, and drawings. There are also reviews, and a great letters section. Blackguard has it all.

Rad Dad: dispatches from the frontiers of fatherhood

Rad Dad dispatches from the frontiers of fatherhood Microcosm 636 SE 11th Ave Portland, OR 97214-2405 $15

This is a great collection of writings from fathers, and interviews with fathers whose perspectives are often at odds with, or in direct opposition to the traditional cultural, political, and spiritual values of early 21st century North America. These are stories from dads who are trying to raise their children to the best of their abilities in a world whose ‘Road less traveled’ has long been paved over and replaced with an Ikea warehouse. The challenges that any parent faces on a daily basis are always difficult, throw the 21st century into the mix with all of its technological temptations and dangers (video games, porn, gore, online predators etc.) and a very precariously balanced global political and environmental situation, all the while trying to navigate it with an outlook that is already at odds with contemporary way of doing things, and you begin to see what the fathers in this book are dealing with. This collection of stories from Rad Dad, is kind of like sitting in on a group therapy session for fathers that fall into that category, with all the failures, missteps, and wrong turns included. But there is also a lot of joy included within these pages. While reading it I got a feeling that tackling these challenges brings with it a profound sense of accomplishment and something that none of the authors would trade a second of. This isn’t a handbook on how to raise your children as political radicals, it’s merely a unique (and often entertaining) look into some alternative perspectives on parenting.

Monkey Squad One #8

Monkey Squad One #8 monkeysquadmailbox@gmail.com $2.50.. Part two of the zombie apocalypse (read my first review here http://sddzine.blogspot.com/2011/11/monkey-squad-one-7.html). My favorite parts of this comic are all the hilarious drawings of the zombie carnage. You can tell that Doug, the artist, had a really great time with this. MS1 is an elaborate and fun comic that really showcases the artist’s talent, attention to detail, and obvious love of craft. My only question: how the hell are they going to get out of this mess?

Got a bit behind on my reviews, hitting the stack tonight, more to come soon....

Cop Dad #1

Cop Dad #1 “pay what you want” www.copdad.com I have been getting some really great zines in the mail lately and Cop Dad is no exception. In fact, this is one of the best zines I’ve read all year. Cop Dad is a strange name for what’s inside this thing. It’s a collection of stories, pictures, and art. inside: an internet hookup with a tragic twist, motorcycle travel (through some of my favorite places), the Castro District’s present & past, hardcore interior decorating, teenage swashbuckling, and an interview with an eclectic do-gooder. That’s what’s inside. No cops, no dads. Just great writing. This zine/literary journal is destined to stay in my mind for a very long time. Simply fantastic reading.

AVOW #24

Avow #24 $3 Microcosm 222 S. Rogers St. Bloomington, IN 47404

This issue of Avow is a bit of a time capsule for me. Keith writes about bands, people, zines, and topics that mostly happened when I was in my twenties. I’m 40 now. Reading about Karl Alvarez defending Brett Gurewitz in the pages of Tatterfrock zine is like breaking the shovel out and digging that time capsule up. I’m quite certain that there is not one other person in the greater Coeur d’Alene area that I associate with that knows who in the hell those people are or what in the hell a Tatterfrock is (well, maybe one). This is exactly what still draws me to zines today; the fact that not too many people know what they are, even fewer know much about their history, and even fewer still have read any, if at all. For people like me who are tapped into this underworld, and know some of its history, reading about old controversies in a new issue of a long running zine, along with debates about what is and is not punk and/or hardcore, well that just makes me happy. This issue is aesthetically beautiful to look at. Keith has a wonderful design style and is an incredible artist. Avow 24 is mostly record reviews done in a unique way; he reviews old records that meant a lot to him, sometimes for their politics, or the artwork, or the memories of loved ones that they conjured up, and sometimes simply for the sounds coming from the speakers. The writing is great. Also included are some comics about seeking meaningful employment, and an interview with Joe Lachut of ‘Seven Inches to Freedom’ zine that had me disagreeing loudly, to nobody. I love it when an interview does that.

Manifesto #1

Manifesto #1 $2ppd www.edtillman.net

Manifesto #1 is a collection of observations, philosophical swordplay, and stories centered on that most sacred subject of art. The stories are short, unconnected, and written by different authors, but for some reason they seem to flow seamlessly together to create a single entity. Often when I read a zine written by various contributors, each story starts and stops abruptly and without much notice. Sometimes this is fun, more often than not, however, it feels awkward. Not the case with Manifesto. I think that because the focus of each story is that of art, and not the authors, the overall tone of the zine remains the same. This is a nice effect, and this is an excellent first issue.

Somnambulist #19

Somnambulist #19 POB 14871 Portland, OR 97293 marthagrover@hotmail.com This issue of Somnambulist is composed mostly of a story about the author, Martha, going on what was supposed to be a relaxed walking trip with her boyfriend through Oregon wine country. The story is a lesson in making sure that you are properly prepared before venturing out into the unknown. There are also some poetry contributions in this issue. The poem ‘Burnt Sienna’ by A.M O’Malley is an excellent summary of one person’s youthful wanderlust that reminded me of the old zine Gogglebox. Somnambulist, is a perzine with a big personality, and Martha Grover is a prolific writer that doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

on line

Got back from three weeks in the field. Stack of zines in the box. Reviews to come.

pobox blues no more

Just when I thought it was all behind me, I started getting emails from people who had sent their books & zines for review telling me that their stuff was getting sent back to them. The problem should now be solved (I will be sending some test post cards later today to confirm). Thanks to everyone that took the time to send me an email about it and try to help get this thing solved (big props to Ed T!).

sound recording cartridge of the week

found this in a box of random tapes at a garage sale. I don't think the tape matches the cover, but both are awesome.

Railroad Semantics #1

Railroad Semantics #1 by Aaron Dactyl Microcosm 636 SE 11th ave Portland, OR 97214 . Railroad Semantics No. 1 is a collection of train hopping stories, pictures, newspaper clippings, and letters put together in a somewhat collage-like fashion, and like a collage, it often sparks curiosity in the viewer (reader) and then abruptly changes directions. The descriptions of life on the rail with all the sunsets, contemplative solitude, and vast landscapes are excellent and are the soul of this book. I couldn’t help wanting to know more, however, about the author, and the people he encountered along the way. I loved the pictures of the various travels and all the correspondence written on the walls of the boxcars - unfettered and uncensored- and I really enjoyed the writing. Railroad Semantics is a unique snapshot of a world that most of us will never experience on our own, and a one that I look forward to reading more about in the future.

We Never Learn: the Gunk Punk Undergut 1988-2001

We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001 By Eric Davidson www.backbeatbooks.com I love the New Bomb Turks. They are icons of 90's punk, and one of the great rocknroll bands of all time. And, although this book is authored by their incredibly charismatic singer, Eric Davidson, this is not a book about them. This is, however, a book about the Dwarves, the Cramps, Cheater Slicks, Devil Dogs, Estrus Records, Crypt Records, The Gories, the Mummies, The Stooges, Teengenerate, Pagans, Motards, Subpop, Ramones, and a ton of other bands, record labels, and artists that were tearing it up in small clubs across the globe throughout the 1990's. Bands that fall under the author’s personal label of “Gunk Punk”. This is an excellent collection of interviews and anecdotes from the people who were involved in a musical phenomenon that was often overshadowed by the very tall shadow of grunge, and unfortunately, the very VERY embarrassingly bad stench that was nu-metal (umlauts purposely left off, out of respect for the umlaut). I loved every second of this book. 90’s punk is my second favorite era of rocknroll. It's an era that I was immersed within, and Mr. Davidson captures its chaotic beauty in a painstakingly thorough and very entertaining way. The idea of Letting the people who were there tell their stories, with just a smattering of personal recollection and interjection, is brilliantly simple and makes for a compelling read. My only complaint about this book is that the Fireballs of Freedom, a band so good live that they should have been added to the list of deadly sins, are only mentioned once, and in passing. A small oversight for such a worthy read.

New address

Finally got the POB situation figured out. Again, sorry if your stuff got sent back to you, and if it did send it to the new address and I will be happy to give it a read and a review. Randy Spaghetti POB 121 Hayden, ID 83835

pic: Niccolls bldg

Green Woman Magazine

Green Woman Magazine Winter/Spring 2012 POB 6587 Colorado Springs, CO 80934-6587 www.greenwomanmagazine.com $12.50 two issue subs Another great issue of Green Woman Magazine. The name of this magazine might put some people off in the sense that they may think that the publication is solely written by and for women (I was kind of under this impression when it first showed up in my mailbox). This is not the case, and in fact, doesn’t feel like it’s written in any kind of gender specific way at all. I think the title is more of a statement about the two women who edit it, and not the content per se. At least that’s my take on it. Anyway, this issue is packed full of great earth-friendly articles on a wide variety of subjects ranging from Canning, community gardens, honey, raising turkeys, climate change (the basics of), beetles, bees, an interview with musician and garden-freak Christa Decicco, a fascinating article about George Washington Carver that was a truly inspiring look into the virtues of curiosity and hard work. I loved Dan Murphy’s column about slowing down un-plugging and attempting to live a more simple rock life (Melvins unplugged would be amazing). There’s even a page of Wilson Bentley snowflake photos! (I love Bentley snowflake photos) Green Woman magazine is new and full of momentum. It’s a great resource for connecting to all kinds of folks involved in sustainability on all fronts. A fine magazine worthy of your support.

Mail box issues

Talked to the post office today and I may have a new PO Box number (when I paid for my renewal online it didn't register at the post office and they closed my mail box) So, if you sent stuff in for review and it was sent back to you, that's why. Sorry about that. I will try to get my old box number back, but might have a new one soon. blaaa. pic: Victoria BC

busy

Life has been keeping me extremely busy as of late, reviews to come soon.







Delta Colorado 2011

Piltdownlad#2 Women Got Me Drinking

Women Got Me Drinking: A French Quarter Love Story
$1
piltdownlad@gmail.com
548 s. spring st #804
Los Angeles, CA 90013
WGMD is a story about a quest for love that takes place in New Orleans. The author’s literary heroes, Bukowski, Miller, Hemingway, are very much apparent in tone and subject matter in the writing. The dialogue reads as if it happened 50 years ago, but for the modern references (gutter punks etc.) I would have assumed that it did. This is a refreshing affect. I enjoyed this story, and look forward to reading more of his stuff.

Bad Breath Comics #4

Bad Breath Comics #4
$2
badbreathcomics.blogspot.com
joshjuresko.com

What a bizarre comic. From start to finish BBC #4 is as eclectic and disjointed as it gets, and this is a good thing. As far as I can tell there is no real meaning or purpose behind these strange, unrelated stories, and that too is a good thing. It has the look and feel of a cheap 1950’s pulp magazine with only a smattering of present day references. Minimalist, off-beat, self-deprecating, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Christian New Age Quarterly

Christian New Age Quarterly
One year $12.50
POB 276
Clifton, NJ 07015
www.christiannewage.com
Considering the current political climate as it pertains to Christianity, or at least the right wing headline-grabbing version of said religion, when a new issue of anything with the word ‘Christian’ shows up in my mailbox, I get nervous and kind of nauseous. Fortunately, I grew up in a very progressive church full of folk singing hippie thespians who constantly fought for civil rights, against racism, homophobia, and injustice, and who took the whole “love thy neighbor” tenet seriously. I like those Christians and self identify as one of their clan in spirit (replacing the folk with metal, and church going with hiking). The Christian New Age Quarterly appears to be of this ilk, and I like it. The article entitled, “Consciousness –Now or Forever? The Law of the Conservation of Consciousness” is a fascinating exploration of energy, dark matter, thermodynamics, and consciousness. The article was so good in fact, that I read it thrice. CNAQ seems to be full of good, diverse reading on matters pertaining to the spirit, even for agnostic slayer fanatics like myself.

The Soda Killers #1

The Soda Killers #1
$7
andersdinero@yahoo.com
bnb@hotdogdayz.com

The bulk of TSK is composed of really well written record reviews by N. G. O’Brien which I spent a lot of time wading through and exploring. I read them all and during the process, discovered a few things about myself. For instance, I learned that I really don’t like the band Ice Age, but that I really really like the band Power (neither of which had I heard before reading these reviews ). The reviews are in-depth and entertaining, and made me want to check out a lot of stuff that I had not previously heard. This zine is put together by the same people that do Hot Dog Dayz zine and like HDD it is heavy on the collage which is heavy with pop culture icons, graffiti, and road kill. There is also a piece entitled, “I’m so uncool” where two people talk about things that they are either supposed to like or supposed to hate but do the opposite which I always think is interesting. Even the underground can have a herd mentality, and it’s interesting to me when people break away from the accepted norms of any culture. That being said, not liking Motorhead is unacceptable in any culture. Topping the issue off is a story about spending some time immersed within the underbelly of high school basketball, some more road kill, and a piece about being an asshole to fend of boredom. The Soda Killers is a lot like the collages contained within, an interesting and eclectic mix of seemingly unrelated stuff that comes together in weird ways and works.

Narcolepsy Press Review #7

Narcolepsy Press Review #7
$3, or stamps, or a decent letter
POB 17131
Anaheim, CA 92817-7131
NPR is a good old fashioned cut-n-paste review zine. This is a review zine, but feels like a personal zine. Randy Robbins, the man behind NPR, does all the writing and doesn’t hold back on his opinions, both pro and con. Like past issues, the letters section reads like an open forum for a variety of subjects, as it should be. Lots of letters from prisoners, and other zine people chime in, and what really sets this letters section apart, is that even in this modern techo-immersed rapid fire world, the discussions contain within feel oddly vibrant and in the present. I’m not quite sure how he pulls this off, but he does. Randy reviews books, tv-shows, and zines. It also has a great advertisement section in the back that reminded me of a mini-MRR without the music.

Somnambulist #17

Somnambulist #17
$15 for four issues
pob 14871
Portland, OR 97293
This issue of Somnambulist is a collaborative affair with writers Jordan Karnes, Joe Wong, and editor Martha Grover. Jordan starts this issue off with a story about a love triangle involving John Lennon, her boyfriend named John, and someone else named John whose identity I won’t reveal here. Funny stuff that many of us with similar obsessions (Helen Mirren for me….and Vigo Mortensen circa Lord of the Rings..if we're being honest) can relate to. There’s also a piece by Joe Wong about what he eats for breakfast in China that I found incredibly fascinating (Cigarettes, international news, and Nescafe before getting out of bed….Like looking in a mirror). The highlight of this zine, however, is Martha’s writing. I’m a fan. She has a great way of interpreting modern life that I really enjoy, and her drawings are raw, to the point, and effective. Definitely one of my favorite zines right now.

Revenge of Print......done

Oh man, I have been working on this thing non-stop for a week to meet the 2011 RoP deadline. I am happy to report that I got this bugger in the can at 3:10pm Pacific time. I love and welcome trades. POB 3331 Hayden, ID 83835

The Aardvark #3

The Aardvark #3
Spring/Summer 2011
POB 771
College Park, MD 20740
www.manualpubs.com

The Aardvark maintains itself as a tribute to, and advocate for the written word, as long as those written words exists on actual paper. It is as staunchly pro-analog as it is anti-digital. This zine is almost entirely composed of reviews of books and zines, which might sound kind of boring to some people, but for me is pure gold; if it wasn’t for review zines I wouldn’t have been introduced to half the music, art, and literature that I have over the years, and so I feel indebted to those wonderful people who have taken the time to highlight all that great and weird stuff over the years. The reviews in the Aardvark are far from typical and are instead packed full of critical analysis and philosophical meandering that really bring the works covered to life. My favorite part is entitled, “New Looks at Old Books” wherein he reviews old books that he has found over the years and gives them some modern attention. The books covered are centered on living a simple life in the relatively modern world (if looked at from the standpoint of a evolutionary biologist, 1954 isn’t that long ago right?). This is a great zine that truly honors the sacred art of screen-free reading.

ps: sorry about the picture of the cover, sadly it fell victim to an unfortunate water accident in my bathroom.

music zines are back says Hypebot.com

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/12/music-zines.html

cool link,
and thanks for the props.

VTOTW (video tape of the week)

I found this gem in a box of old video tapes while cleaning out the garage this week. This is some of the raw footage of the great Portland pop punk band The Automatics that I shot back in 1996 at my house. They were supposed to play the Missoula rock club, Jay’s Upstairs, but unfortunately Jay’s was overbooked. I asked them to play at my house. This is quintessential mid-90’s punk which represents such a profound place and time for me. During their set, people would wander in and out of my house, grab beers from the fridge, and then go back outside and listen to the music. I stayed inside, drank beers, and cheered like a Scandinavian metalhead. Jesse Kimball’s bass amp blew out early in the performance so he just set his guitar aside and grabbed the mic for the rest of the 20-plus song set. I recently saw Jesse on an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-ins & Dives’ Chefing at The Memphis Taproom in his home town of Philadelphia. It was great to see how well he is doing. He was also the man behind the Portland drink punk mag, Beer Can Fanzine.

sound & video quality: shit