Punk to Peer – The Playlist

Here is the link for the interweb version of the Punk to Peer playlist. The playlist was distributed via CD in a zine I created for my thesis presentation.

More on the zine and the bands to come…

Calendar Entry: Goteblüd Opening!

Zinesters! Goteblud is opening for business in the Mission equipped with vintage zines and other publications. I have not been, but I hope it rocks.

From the site:

Grand opening party May 8th, 2009 from 7-9pm – be there!!

Goteblüd is a gallery/store located at 766 Valencia, in San Francisco’s Mission District.

We buy/sell vintage fanzines and underground magazines and also have
periodic shows related to self-publishing.

Goteblüd is also the home of Goteblüd Comics, publisher of Wuvable Oaf.

Store hours are weekends only, Sat/Sun 12-5pm.

Bring your cat.

Approximating Zine production numbers…

While the early years of the 1970s saw a steady rise in the number of publications, the figures rise dramatically from 1975 onwards. This expansion can be seen as the direct result of the consolidation of the network through the role played by the publications from this early period, coupled with the growing number of assembling magazines and the steady rise in the number of mail art exhibitions. All these artists’ publications were in varying degrees connected to the network and published work acquired from this source, or listed projects and publications emanating from the network.

http://www.zinebook.com/resource/perkins/perkins8.html

Notes: “Freedom” Chapter of Lipstick Traces by Greil Marcus

In reading this chapter, entitled “Legends of Freedom,” I am drawn to the historical trajectory of notions of production and distribution via the activity of the Situationists. Having read none of the rest of Lipstick Traces, I find in this chapter Marcus eloquently discusses Guy Debord and SI. Most certainly notions of this fringe-organization relate to punk culture.

Active in the 1950s and 1960s SI is described by Marcus as a group not known for action, rather for its thinking/instigating from their tipped cafe chairs. Here is where I find the biggest divergence from punk culture, rooted in action. What hits closer to home is the Situationist philosophy surrounding the media and the spectacle – especially in how it relates to popular consumer culture and imagery, something the punks avidly disavowed.  The activity of the Situationists also touches on their existence in the urban environment.

Marcus writes of Debord’s statement: “The city would no longer be experienced as a scrim of commodities and power; it would be felt as a field of ‘psychogeography,’ and this would be an epistemology of everyday time and space, allowing one to understand, and transform, ‘the specific effects of the geographical environment, consciously organized or not, on the emotions and behavior of individuals.” (164) This new experience of the city reminds of posting flyers and of Eric Lyle’s account of living under the radar in abandoned buildings, playing in front of businesses on the street.

The marrying of art and life of the SI, or rather the exaltation of life as art merged into a sort of appropriation that could be found in their publications. Appropriation and subversion of images (devaluing “the currency of the spectacle” 179), that is what Jello Biafra would speak of 15 years later.

“These means were two: the ‘derive,’ a drift down city streets in search of signs of attraction or repulsion, and ‘detournement,’ the theft of aesthetic artifacts from their context and their diversioninto contexts of one’s own devise.”  (168)

“To make art would be to betray the common, buried wishes art once spoke for, but to practice detournement-to write new speech balloons for newspaper comic strips, or for tha tmatter old masters, to insist simultaneously on a ‘devaluation’ of art and its ‘reinvestment’ in a new kind of social speech, a ‘communication containing its own criticism,’ a technique that could not mystify because its very form was a demystification – and to pursue the derive – to give yourself up to the promies of the city, and then to find them wanting-to drift through the city, allowing its signs to divert, to ‘detourn,’ your steps and then to divert those signs yourself, forcing them to give up routes that never existed before-there would be no end to it. It would be to begin to live a truly modern way of life, made out of pavement and pictures, words and weather: a wya of life anyone could understand and anyone could use.” (170) … becoming “the masters and possessors of their own lives.” (174)

Notes from Zines! Vol 1_Introduction (V.Vale, 1996)

“Empowered by the ‘Do it Yourself’ (DIY) philosophy of the punk rock revolt of the ’70s, thousands of dissatisfied, savvy malcontents are expressing their authentic thoughts via the cheapest print medium available: xeroxed zines.” (vale, 4)

 

In this introduction Vale discusses cheap (accessible) mediums of communicating in the 1990’s and extols the way certain methods (mix tapes, pixel vision cameras, flyers, etc) get across “authentic” messages without having to go through any middleman – “It is a general principle that consorting with mass media has damaging effect upon any attempts at social revolution” (p5). He discusses how our everyday communication has become a controlled process – advertising, television (and now cell phone companies, cable networks) are all monitored (and expensive). 

…Some zines were subject to legal cases, interestingly – due to appropriation issues (this resonates, to me with the censorship cases re: NEA and also musical censorship, for example Jello Biafra, of the Dead Kennedy’s, record label Alternative Tentacles – representing a variety of artists including Mumia Abu-Jamal).

What Vale does not extol is the proliferation of e-zines. (p5) Calling them “clean” “superficial” and lacking in multi-dimensionality. Pointing out that in 1996 “access to computers and scanners” was still for “the privileged few”. While he does mention certain qualities of e-zines such as ecological factors, instant availability and archivability, he (in 1996) states that the paper zine has always been about giving voice to the under privileged and under represented. Paper zines require no computer training. ((With the proliferation of home computers and laptops I wonder if Vale’s views have shifted any?))  Further, zines require human touch and “personal communication inherent in a relationship - and personal communication always requires energy, sensitivity, thought, foresight and time.” 

 

I am curious if there is, now in this age, a new sense of energy that exists inside blog sites and RSS feeds and if the level of accessibility has really changed at all. Is the computer an extension of the photocopier? And what came before the standalone copier – what is the trajectory? What other socio-political factors are at play here when looking at the shift from paper zines to personal websites and social networking?

Working Timeline…

(from Gimarc, George. Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotters Guide to Underground Rock, 1970-1982. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005.)

July 13, 1976: SNIFFIN GLUE = new zine (33)

August 29, 1976: Clash first public gig with Sex Pistols & Buzzcocks on the Green in Islington (36)

December 31, 1976: Desperate Bicycles debut at Eric’s in Liverpol (49)

January 6, 1977: Crime releases single “But You’re so Repulsive” (50)

January 29. 1977: Buzzcocks’ Spiral Scratch is released – their self-made record of their own New Hormones label. 1000 press release credited as one of first self-made records of the underground movement (52)

March 12, 1977: “Devo makes their debut on their own Booji-Boy label with ‘Mongoloid’ and ‘Jocko Homo.’ (58)

April 23, 1977: Desperate Bicylces: “…state their motivefor being a band…’specifically for the purbpose of recording and releasing a single on their own label.’ They booked a studio in Dalson for three hours and with a lot of courage and a little rehearsal the recorded ‘Smokescreen’ and ‘Handlebars.’ Total cost of the studio, single and printing was (pounds)153. THey cut the tracks back in April and the wait’s finally over. It’s released on their own Refill Records label. It is such a budget operation that the sleeve is a monochrome of a Bicycle Wheel printed on one side only; the single has only one printed label on one side only and the two tracks on the ‘A’ side are repeated on the flip. [...] There is a limited edition of 500 copies, with the potential of being re-pressed if it sells.” (62-3)

June 15, 1977: NME runs ANOTHER review on the proliferation of fanzines (71)

August 21, 1976 & August 5, 1977: = The Mont de Marsan Punk Festival in France (81)

September 1, 1977: The Weirdos are busy in studio “with Ramones producer Craig Leon recording their debut single, and it’s out now on Greg Shaw’s indie Bomp Records.” (86)

September 7, 1977: “Fanzines are featured in a double page spread this week in Sounds.”

September 20, 1977: Dils single out “I Hate the Rich” on What Records. “They appear in the Cheech & Chong movie Up in Smoke in a brief scene playing ‘You’re Not Blank.’ Filmed at the Roxy, the intent was to capture, on film, some really awful bands in a battle of the bands that Cheech & Chong would win.” (89)

October 15, 1977: The Blank Generation on the NY punk scene is screened in London (95)

October 15, 1977: Germs live album released from Mohawk Records called “Germicide” (96)

December 1, 1977: Crime second single released “Frustration” (105)

December 29, 1977: Dils new album “198 Seconds of the Dils” released

January 14, 1978: SEX PISTOLS @ Winterland w/ Slaughter & the Dogs, The Nuns & the Avengers – opened show up with movie Number 1

January 16, 1978: Sid Vicious ODs on a mattress in Haight Ashbury and barely makes it (113) Sex Pistols demise….

March 29, 1978: The Weirdos release new 45 “We Got the Neutron Bomb” out of Kitchen Sync 8track studio

April 25, 1978: 100 club decides not to book punk bands anymore due to graffiti & property damage (134)

May 3 1978: Readymades debut (former Avenger and Crime members) on Automatic Records (picked up at Mabuhay gardens as opener)

135)

May 12, 1978: The Germs’ “Lexicon Devil” is released through Slash magzines record label. recorded with Weirdos drummer and available by mail order only (not stores) (137)

July 10, 1978: The Last out of LA release record on their own Backlash Records (146)

July 19, 1978: Dead Kennedy’s premier in SF after Jello Biafra returns from London having witnessed the punk explosion. (147)

July 22, 1978: another NME Fanzine spread, now including American fanzines (148)

July 28 1978: mention of DIY band the Freshies with their record label Razz Record Company

September 8 1978: “Club Closings: Things are getting more and more difficult for UK club owners. Newcastle clubs are having difficulty getting bands to play because of increased violence at some punk gigs. Recently the Glasgow Apollo has decided not to allow any more live rock shows. In London, the Red Cow closed recently at the insistence of the local councilor, The Speakeasy closed because of problems with patrons and drugs and The 100 Club banned all punk bands back in April. Now some new problems are arising. The Musician’s Union are demanding that all musicians receive an elevated hourly minimum. This is causing problems for the Marquee. The Rochester Castle has lost itslive music license and will no longer have bands playing and in Leeds, The Fan Club is not allowed live bands under their new liquor license. The difficulties of finding a club, no matter how willing, to support local music, are increasing.” (156)

Sep 14, 1978: Scritti Politti mentioned as DIY band from Leeds (158)

March 18, 1979: “Fanzines: There’s a huge crop of fanzines littering the doorways and racks of independent record shops these days. They cover the gamut from self xeroxed two page missives to elaborate, slick typeset magazines that appear with alarming regularity. Most are priced from ten to twenty-five pence, and will give you great, street level insight into over the top fan enthusiasm.” (193)

May 1, 1979: The Raincoats, re: new album on Rough Trade Records. “The Whole effort is very DIY with labels that appear to be handwritten, a xeroxed insert and low budget sleeve.” (203)

1976-1986 = Mabuhay Gardens. (trans. Welcome Gardens, a filipino restaurant and club) (source: wikipedia )

Book: Reproduce and Revolt

http://www.justseeds.org/bookzine/04reproduce.html

New Find: Broken Pencil website (canada)

Website that advertises & discusses zine and DIY culture. Interesting assortment of  online varieties of DIY & indie culture such as zines available to be printed and folded by viewer as well as in indie artist in residence program.

www.brokenpencil.com

http://www.brokenpencil.com/reviews/reviews.php?reviewid=2813 > link to ordering info for a publication called Essential Media Counterculture Catalog out of L.A. Apparently a resource handbook…but not reviewed well on this page.

http://www.brokenpencil.com/features/feature.php?featureid=46 > an editorial by an “ex-zinester” on the death of zines. (see also other discussion on site of zines in the age of technology &  blogging) Chris Yorke highlights his critical stance on zines of contemporary by outlining several points. One of which is our transient social norms and political instability. An astute analysis that really pulls into question the loss of DIY to technology and passivity and I would argue, the role of art makers in todays society.

Marion Leonard: “Paper Planes: Travelling The New Grrrl Geographies”

(in Cool Places: Geographies of Youth Cultures, Routledge, 1998. pp 101-118)

 

Leonard challenges the notions of youth (typically male) sub-cultural activities existing primarily on the street (place) by focusing specifically on the production and distribution of Riot Grrrl zines as a networked operation that exists inside the home – thus the private space of the bedroom “becomes a site of activity”(107). The production of these zines usually involves just “pen+paper+photocopier” and can contain a variety of topics. Typically the distribution for these zines operated in a sort of mailing list fashion – or were distributed at punk shows (106) – and were produced in small editions. In this way the movement attempted to stay underground, not wanting popular media to represent them or their views. By not being sold publicly these distribution methods encouraged forms of engagement with the zine and their writers [also meants national/international participation: ie not bound by ones location...and this reminds me of online social networks...]. (108) Leonard mentions this regarding e-zines: “Whilst the e-zine has the potential to reach a very wide audience, it does so at the loss of individuality, lacking the personal qualities of paper zines.” (103) Leonards analysis involves examining zines’ as an alternative space for interaction and expression qualities and quotes many of the zines themselves revealing the way the zines were used to insert female, individual voice into history, the scene and contemporary displays of fashion and beauty. “By writing themselves into the text, through relating personal experiences and concerns, riot grrrls have expanded the discursive parameters of the fanzine.” (107) These differences existing in each zine is celebrated by Leonard as it complicates traditional notions of youth subcultures, especially via the lack of a central location and a “unified progression.” (111) The existence of the many pages about riot grrrl on the internet is, in Leonards explanation, a further complication of any “notions of a unified community” [this is tres obvious if one just googles "riot grrrl"] and in contrast to physical zines, the WWW is a space where a certain amount of anonymity is present and thus allows for an open space for women to discuss/express themselves.  (113)

“Using riot grrrl as a case study it will consider how a sub-culture can maintain a sense of ‘community’ when its participants do not meet in the collective space of a club or music venue, but are broadcast over a wide geographical area. This chapter will argue that sub-cultures should not be considered unified groups tied to a locality, creed or style but as dynamic, diverse, geographically mobile networks.” (101)

things she mentioned & i learned about riot grrrl:

1. most members decided to be straight edge (102)
2. many older women did identify with the movement (102)
3. “Riot grrrl is a feminist network which developed in the underground music communities of Olympia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.”
4. “..Kathleen Hanna, singer for Bikini Kill, states that the name ‘riot grrrl’ was inspired in 1991 by the Mount Pleasant riots in Washington, D.C.” (102)
5. “During that time, Jean Smith, a woman we know who’s a writer and musician, said something like, ‘We need a girl riot, too”….At the same time, Allison and Molly from Bratmobile were also in DC, and they heard this and said, “We’re going to start a fanzine called Riot Grrrl”. (Hanna, quoted in Juno, 1996:97-98)” (103)
6. “Zine” is a shortened form of “Fanzine” (earlier: science fiction enthusiasts, later: punk fanatics) (103)
7. “Sara, writer of Out of the Vortex, comments: ‘Only by controlling the medium do we control the message….for this reason zines are extraordinarily unique and powerful political tools’ (quoted in Vale, 1996: 168)” (105)
8. 1992 – National Press creates a disruption in the underground nature of riot grrrl (109)
9. “Those involved in riot grrrl stress that no one viewpoint or cultural product (be it a zine or record) can be taken as representative or indicative of the whole.” (110) Here Leonard offers the description of riot grrrl as “multiplicitous” and continues from this notion of multiplicity into the comparison of Deleuze and Guattari’s “notion of a rhizome”. She concluded by examining the nature of riot grrrl on the internet and relates the many many offshoots of using the term riot grrrl (or just grrrl) back to the rhizome.
10. riot grrrl mostly consisted of middle-class white women

“In spatial terms, Deleuze and Guattari ally the rhizomatic network with a map: ‘the rhizome pertains to a map that must be produced, constructed, a map that is always detachable, connectable, reversible, modifiable, and has multiple entryways and exits and its own lines of flight’ (Deleuze and Guattari, 1998:21)” (116)

Resources to Consider:

M. Brake The Sociology of Youth Culture and Youth Subcultures: Sex and Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll?

L. Code Rhetorical Spaces: Essays on Gendered Locations

Deleuze & Guattari A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia

A. Juno Angry Women in Rock, Volume One

V. Vale Zines! Volume One

P. Willis Profane Culture

 

Book: Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture

read asap. link.

also look into Verso publishers (esp. as opposed to Routledge)