Afunctional #1 / June / Half-Sized / 20 Pages / afunctionul@hotmail.com / http://afunctional.tripod.com / 2 East Franklin Ave. #11 , Minneapolis MN, 5504 / This zine is a real-life representation of all those “independent†publication that magazines like Artnews fondly recall, although no one has ever heard of them. I hadn’t heard of Afunctional until AMC 2003, where Gerald Prokop was tabling. This issue is very carefully done, with a…
Though she is now known as the long-lost British folkie who was championed by and ultimately recorded with Devendra Banhart and his psych-folk cohorts, Vashti Bunyan was once set on a course for a far different life. Set up with the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards – penned “Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind” as a debut single, she was given a healthy push toward pop stardom, but failed to generate…
All My Loving / 2007 MVD / 52 Minutes / http://www.mvdb2b.com / The title for All My Loving corresponds to a Beatles song of the same name. That fact is obvious for those individuals that grew up with The Beatles, but for someone that never was a huge fan of them such as myself, the fact was new to me. This movie is not new in any sense of the…
Given the current climate of the hip-hop world — where the most ear-bendingly innovative production often serves as aural sweetener for the by-rote thug lyricism of so much mainstream rap — the notion of “indie” hip-hop (at least as a signifier of boundary-pushing music) probably seems quaint at best and woefully outdated at worst. The Baltimore, MD (via D.C.)-based Food For Animals are all-too-aware of this conundrum, but rather than…
First off, this zine is fabulous. I don’t know exactly how old Ashley is, but I have pinned her down into being older than 15. This is another of the zines that I really like because it is written from a totally different perspective than about 90% of the zines being written out there today. This is not a zine that focuses on all what is politically correct, or whatever…
Ontario’s hardcore brutes Cursed have completed their third full-length, as expected, simply entitled III. Things are coming together on it now for mid-February release via Goodfellow Records, with Reflections Records handling the album in Europe. The crew will tackle Canada with High on Fire and Cancer Bats in March, head back to Europe in May and will follow with US dates which are in the works now. With 11 Tracks…
Liquid Jungle – Tiny Heaven / 2007 Self / 14 Tracks / http://www.liquidjungleband.com / This Atlanta, Georgia band has been around for quite a few years. It is not that much of a surprise that Liquid Jungle’s work on “Tiny Heaven†is smooth, polished, and shows that a tremendous amount of effort has been placed into the creation of the disc. “In Disguise†is the first track of “Tiny Heavenâ€,…
Long Beach’s native godfather Snoop Dogg has long been a hip hop favorite on both coasts and everywhere in between. The rap superstar and multi-platinum artist is set to release his ninth solo LP, “Ego Trippin,” in March 2008 through Doggystyle/Geffen. The premiere single, produced by Shawty Redd, titled “Sensual Seduction,” is an ode to the early eighties and will surprise and entertain fans both old and new. The catchy…
ABC No Rio – Enter The Nineties: Poets, Punks, Politics / Free (Any Donation is good) / 1:15 / 44M / vikkiml@yahoo.com / Vikki c/o ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington Street, New York, NY 10002 This issue of the ABC No Rio zine (I hesitate to call it “Tell Me About The First Time†as the tone is much different between that series an this one, even though both were…
 Sometimes you want the gift under the tree to be a surprise; sometimes you hope it’s something you already know you want. The gifts under the Universal Music Enterprises tree this year are both new and classic, from 17 #1 Christmas hits on one album, Christmas with an Americana vibe and a pair of volumes of classic holiday jazz to an album of children’s favorites and another from contemporary star…
Plunky – Cold Heat / 2006 Self / 14 Tracks / http://www.plunkyone.com / J. Plunky Branch has been around for quite a long time. “Cold Heat†marks his thirty-five year in the music industry and his twenty-first album overall. Plunky’s horn on “Cold Heat†is placed alongside the rhythms of Setworkrz, which consists of his son and Al Dokes. Setworkrz steps up their game to the point that the masterful…
Columbia Records has just released “August Rush – Music From The Motion Picture,” the soundtrack album from the widely-anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures film. “August Rush – Music From The Motion Picture” is available online and in stores now. “August Rush – Music From The Motion Picture” is a showcase of sounds from the music-driven drama starring Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers with Terrence Howard and Robin Williams.…
Rocks and Blows #1 / $1 / 24M / :15 / rocks_and_blows@yahoo.com / I hate reviewing older issues of a zine than the one I’ve reviewed already, but Rocks and Blows is that good. All four of the pieces in this issue of “Rocks and Blows are done by David, and even if the subject matter (the stories of a former junkie) does not interest you, the talent and amazing…
“I’m very pleased with the way it turned out,†says Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails’ Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D (Interscope Records), which was released November 20, 2007. “Remix records can be disposable garbage (of which I myself have been guilty to some extent) but this collection feels good to me.â€Spun off from Year Zero, the #2-charting album issued in the spring, Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D features a stunning diversity of remixers, from Joy Division and…
Kris Racer – Has A Banner Year / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.krisracer.com / The name Kris Racer may not ring many bells. A few bells might be rung if individuals are told that the performer behind “Has A Banner Year†was the former lead singer for Tagline. However, fans of Tagline may not like the stylistic change that Kris Racer has taken over the last few years.…
After a four year absence established punk band Gob is set to return with their new album ‘Muertos Vivos’, due out November 27th through Aquarius/Cobraside. Comprised of founding members Theo Goutsinakis and Tom Thacker plus Gabe Mantle and Tyson Maiko, Gob has earned its reputation based in equal parts on a great live performance and truly smart songs that leave a lasting imprint. There are plenty of tracks on ‘Muertos…
The Ancestral Swamp is the recently released 20th full length album by legendary rambler, cartoonist, and “outsider” folk singer, guitarist Michael Hurley and his label debut for Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic’s Gnomonsong label. It was primarily produced by Hurley, compiled at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR, mixed by Jim Brunberg. It comes in just in the nick of time for the rabid Snockophile. A batch of new vittles and…
Mostly Harmless #2 / $? / 32M / 1:00 / http://www.mostlyharmlessmagazine.com / So, I have bad news. Mostly Harmless Magazine is no more. I had thought I reviewed this zine when I first received it back in February or March of 2006, but I stuck it in a pile after reading it and forgot about it. This issue has a tremendous amount of writing, and this amount increases dramatically when…
On Sunday, November 18, Leona Lewis’ debut album Spirit went straight to number one as well as becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of all time. The previous UK record was set by the Arctic Monkeys, who sold 363,735 copies of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not in January 2006. This week Spirit sold a phenomenal 375,872 copies.
The Rosewood Thieves – Lonesome / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.therosewoodthieves.com / It seemed almost like The Rosewood Thieves would never get their “From The Decker House†released, last year. Originally signed to V2, the disc was only released after legal allowed them to. 2007 marked a new year, and an EP that was in no way held back or otherwise modified in regard to the context that…