The Anti-Music Issue

Taken at the last-ever gig by the Jam in Brighton, 1982, this lovely snap shows one of the Woodford mods happily displaying the results of being hit in the face with a hammer. Photo by Tony Matthews.

Hi, welcome to the Anti-Music Issue. There's a lot of words for your eyes to wade through, so we'll keep this short. The issue was guest-edited by Sam McPheeters, who we hope you're already well familiar with, but if not is one of our favorite music-players and writers, and a real mensch's mensch. We'd splay all his different bands and projects for you, but we think his wikipedia page speaks for itself. As for what he saw fit to submit for your consideration, it includes: An instructional treatise on record blurbing. An interview with one of the Napster guys and, for some reason, the Barenaked Ladies. A trip down Memorex Lane with a pair of legendary music bootleggers. The definitive magazine account of Crass (so far). An interview with The Man. A PSA about the perils of touring. Positive career alternatives to a lifetime spent in slavery to music. A meditation on the fact that we have entered the "Penny Dreadful Western"-era of rock. A doctor who treats people who physically can't deal with music. Ian Svenonius's problems with the rampant misuse of music. And much, possibly much more. New features will be up on the homepage every day, and will sometimes appear magically on the Table of Contents, where you can start reading everything right now. Go! PS: For those of you who are hung up about what "Anti-Music" means, Sam wrote you a letter that deals with that exact question. Please note we did not say "answers."

Demoralize, from Compton, onstage at The Smell, Los Angeles, 2010. Photo by John Michaels.