Weekly Recommendations, Week 44: Retch-a-Sketch blog

I'm too big of a fan of Keet's artwork and writing not to recommend Keet's sketch blog, Retch-a-Sketch, which I finally (just recently) took the time to visit. If you are not yet familiar with Keet and her work, apart from checking out her blog, you should check out her zine, Echo! Echo!. After you browse her blog, read her zine, and become a fan (which I'm sure you will), support Keet's work by sending her some dollars and getting something in return. In other words, buy stuff from her. Apart from that, I'm not sure what else to say. Keet's work speaks for itself, right?

Weekly Recommendations, Week 43: Brainscan #29 / No More Coffee #4

While I’m not typically a big fan of fiction zines, I found this one to be a good one. Ben of No More Coffee, a strictly fiction zine apparently, initiated this project with Alex Wrekk of Brainscan, challenging her to write a fiction issue of her zine and put it out as a split issue with his zine. Anyone who has ever read an issue of Brainscan (and who in the zine community hasn’t, really?) knows that Brainscan is a deeply personal, non-fiction zine, so producing a fiction issue was indeed a challenge. However, Alex performs famously, writing so much in her personal voice that even though the stories are fiction, they are completely believable and relatable. Alex’s half of this zine alone is reason enough to pick this up. But don’t think for a second that Ben does not also excel. His stories are just as intimate and engrossing. I found myself engaged and interested, despite the fact that it was fiction and that I have a general (and frankly unwarranted) aversion to the genre. The first story – Photographs of the Dead – is especially worth reading. In short, get your hands on a copy of this zine. It’s a rare chance to read Alex’s fiction, but it’s also a great fiction zine overall.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 42: Neutral Milk Hotel

I shouldn't have to say too much to justify this recommendation. The music speaks for itself. Plus if you haven't already heard it, then your life must be seriously lacking...so this should help. While Neutral Milk Hotel (legends of the Elephant 6 Recording Company) only produced two full-length albums and haven't done much of anything since disbanding thirteen years ago, their music is still as fresh, original, and relevant as ever. If you don't believe me, just listen for yourself.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 41: Flora's Forum

Many months ago on this blog I recommended an up and coming magazine called, Greenwoman. What you may not know is that there is a great little group blog affiliated with this magazine called, Flora's Forum. It's still in it's infancy and has yet to really blossom into what it could become, but there is still plenty of good content already there to be found. It's a blog for those interested in connecting to nature through gardening, in taking care of the planet, in living simply and doing-it-yourself, and in expressing these sentiments through all forms of art. Additionally, this blog is not just for reading but for participating, and so in order to facilitate this, writers, gardeners, and nature lovers the world over are invited to contribute. If, after browsing through the site, you decide that Flora's Forum might be a place for you to express yourself, by all means contact the editor. I intend to contribute eventually, but have been distracted by too many other things. I will join the community eventually. You can count on that.

Weekly Recommendations, Week 40: Paper Radio

Paper Radio (formerly Signals) is a zine for the radio obsessed, especially for those who pine for radio as it used to be (which is before my time, but I can appreciate the sentiment). Pirate radio, shortwave radio, AM/FM, ham radio, even internet radio, if it has anything at all to do with radio and radio culture, it gets discussed in this zine. Issue #7 includes an interview with pirate radio broadcaster, John Poet, and discusses the controversy behind his recent FCC bust. It also includes thoughts on the vinyl revolution, an interview with DJ Little Danny, Lee Widener's account of an interesting LSD experience, and much more. In issue #8, there is a discussion of telegrams, an interview with Kevin Carey about longwave signals, reviews of select Yoga Records releases, short fiction by William Jackson, and of course much more. DJ Frederick is passionate about the art and science of radio, which is made very clear in the pages of his zine. If you have any interest in radio at all, this zine is definitely worth checking out. It excels at shedding some much needed light on this under-appreciated and declining medium.