... Magazine

... Magazine

The mighty Prince is on the cover this time around – heralding a series of well-penned articles inside, including pieces by Ann Powers and Greil Marcus! There's plenty more too – as the issue is overflowing with other cool topics – including a look at the Helter Stupid fiasco in the career of Negativland, Brooklyn hip hopper Paula Perry, LA harpist Mary Lattimore, women at Factory Records, UK comic Stewart Lee, Boston's High Risk Group from the 80s, a comic on the tune "Lee Remick" by the Go-Betweens, and the artwork of Marcel Duchamp, remixed! As always, the presentation is great – full color throughout, and a lot more contents than ads. Magazine

That's a lovely photo of Dolly Parton on the cover – and the issue's got a very personal tale of the way that Dolly's music influenced the life of one writer! And as usual, the issue's got the nicely diverse array of cultural forces – the artwork of Fred Tomaselli (with plenty of cool images of his reworkings of New York Times front pages), the compositions of Tyondai Braxton, a long interview with Octavia Butler, the acoustic Powers/Rolin duet, global instrument maestro Peter Larson, an unpublished interview with The Clean, a look at the visual art of Clean drummer Hamish Robert Kilgour, on tour with Crazy Doberman, Portland's Neo Boys, a farewell to Tom Verlaine, and lots lots more – all in full color throughout. Magazine

The cover feature pays tribute to the great Pharoah Sanders – one of our all-time favorite jazz musicians, and someone who gave the world so much wonderful music during his time on the planet! But that's just the tip of the iceberg – as there's all sorts of weird and wonderful features here – a look at downer garage psych, photos from Leni Sinclair, a jazz roundtable with Makaya McCraven and others, ambient composer Ernest Hood, The Hi Rhythm Section, and lots lots more! As always, Maggot Brain has a great way of criss-crossing different scenes and styles – opening things up tin so many great ways. Heck there's even a great feature on a Louisville band reunion – served up by our old pal Ken Katkin! Magazine

A beautifully vivid issue of Maggot Brain – one that has great visual presentation of work by artists and musicians alike – in a lineup that includes an article on Motown legend Chris Clark, and more on steel guitarist Barry Walker, painter Duncan Hannah, the MoWest group Odyssey, and Detroit artist Lucy Cahill – plus a look at the visuals that have accompanied the music of Belle & Sebastian, and guitarists Steve Wynn and Chris Forsyth in conversation. There's also a look at the underground pop scene in San Francisco, more on Buffy Sainte Marie and Sessa – and all articles are beautifully illustrated and filled with visuals! Magazine

A great new issue of Maggot Brain – including wide-ranging interviews with artist Raymond Pettibon and underground culture renaissance man John Waters that both go way deeper than their most iconic works – and equally deep insight-fueled pieces from cover-to-cover! Includes a look at the legacy-to-date of Detroit vocalist John Brannon from Negative Approach to the Laughing Hyenas and beyond, a photo journal on tour with noise rock lifers The Melvins, experimental pop veteran Cheri Knight, sax player & composer Patrick Shiroishi on Japanese folk-blues guitarist & visionary Kan Mikami, zine writer/publisher/outsider musician Seymour Glass and lots more. Each feature, column and article is greatly enriched by photos and illustrations, too – the visual side of Maggot Brain gets more vivid with each new issue! Magazine

Maybe the most visual issue of Maggot Brain to date – as the issue features a look at the music photography of Michael Lavine, rare images of Pavement from Gail Butensky, and the wonderful artwork of Mingering Mike! Heck, there's even a review of Irreversible Entanglements that's filled with great photos of the group – but don't worry, as there's plenty of text too – including a discussion of prog rock with the great Matt Berry, a look at Philly guitarists Rosali Middleman and Emily Robb, and the diary of legendary hobo Bill Aspinwall! Plenty more too – including a great tape section, the Visuaels collective, Lea Bertucci, the band Cindy, and 75 Dollar Bill. Magazine

The great Maggot Brain keeps on growing and growing – really reaching mind-expanding territory this special seventh issue, at a level that goes far beyond the large features on Lou Reed and Loaded pictured on the cover! There's a wealth of different shorter features, mixed with artwork and other articles too – bits on Lee Scratch Perry, Pastor TL Barrett, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dane Wareham, The Goats, and the late 80s underground noise scene around Detroit – plus an especially strange feature on Doug Henning and his relationship to glam rock in Canada! As always, its less the topics than the way they're handled that makes the magazine so great – and Maggot Brain is definitely one of those publications that really rewards a cover-to-cover read – like the old classics Grand Royal, Wax Poetics, or even Motorbooty. Magazine

Maggot Brain has only been around for a handful of issues – but during that time, the publication has evolved tremendously – and become one of our go-to sources for digging into a really wide range of music! This time around, the cover feature spotlights a set of never-seen photos of early 90s indie rock – but there's plenty more on Archie Shepp, Camille Roy, ELO, Endless Boogie, Guerilla Girls, and the duo of Will Sergeant & Bobby Gillespie – all presented with the mixture of strong writing and art! There's plenty more too – even a column by Luc Sante. Magazine

The wonderful Raincoats are on the cover this time around, and the issue looks at the way their once-overlooked music has gone on to get the attention it deserved, and keep on having an influence over generations to come! There's lots more too – a very interesting piece that has Terry Riley and Hamid Drake commenting on Don and Moki Cherry, a set of unpublished AC/DC photos from 1977, the duo of guitarists Marisa Anderson and William Tyler, unseen collage art from Jim Jarmusch, an interview with singer/songwriter Tim Rutili, the rebirth of singer Merry Clayton, a cool collection musical artifacts at the Henry Ford Museum, 13 pages from issue #2 of Gary Panter's Jimbo comic, and lots more cool stuff too – the sort of articles that have continued to make Maggot Brain one of the most interesting magazines in recent years! Magazine

The mighty Moondog is on the cover this time around – in a fantastic second issue of Maggot Brain that really lives up to the spirit of the debut! The cultural currents here are nice and wide, and all pretty darn hip – and in addition to a nice feature on legendary outsider composer Moondog, there's lots more on Rebecca Morgan, Denis Johnson, Don Letts, Robert Frank, Astra Taylor, Skeeter Davis, Mayo Thompson, Shana Cleveland, Toody Cole, and other creative talents that go way past the obvious! There's even a very cool feature on Detroit Gospel Flyers – and as usual, the whole thing is as filled with compelling images as it is well-written prose! Magazine

The heaviest issue of Maggot Brain throughout – and that's saying a lot for a publication that's out to take the place of Grand Royal, Wax Poetics, and other important magazines from years back! This issue lives up to its namesake – and features a deep look at Funkadelic's 1971 masterpiece album, Maggot Brain – plus more on Luc Sante, Ephraim Lewis, Algebra Suicide, Cockettes, Priscilla Ermel, Tara Booth, Tav Falco, and many more. There's also a section of vintage NYC underground photos from the late 80s – plus photos of removed Confederate monuments by artist Allison Stewart, and shots of The White Stripes in a small Detroit club in 1999 – all presented on heavy paper, full color throughout, nice and hefty! Magazine

That's an image of Sun Ra & The Arkestra in Istanbul in 1990 on the front – and the issue features lots more photographs from that visit, plus the story of a very unique street performance they gave in the city! There's lots more too – a nicely varied set of features that really continues the groundbreaking spirit of Maggot Brain – photographs of New York musicians in the 80s, Blue Gene Tyranny and Peter Gordon interviewed by Ned Sublette, the collaboration between Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points, the hidden lyrics of Blue Oyster Cult, the top 20 Fall Songs by Plastic Crimewave, excerpts from a memoir by Young Marble Giant Stuart Moxham, a tribute to Crawdaddy by Luc Sante – and lots lots more! Magazine

The debut issue of a great new magazine on music – one that takes its name from one of the best albums by Funkadelic, the steps out to cover a whole host of hip sounds from the world of jazz, soul, funk, and beyond! Alice Coltrane gets a great cover feature – but the issue also features articles on the best pranks of the KLF, a look at J Dilla's Donuts, an archival Swell Maps interview from 1980, a look at Daniel Johnston's trip to New York in 1988, the Florideah Swampfest of 2019, malls across America, and lots lots more – even an article on Commerce by Luc Sante. The look and layout is beautiful – every bit as vivid as the cover! Magazine

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". CD

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection of cuts from the contemporary underground in Singapore – new music, but work that often resonates with some of our favorite funky global tracks of the 60s and 70s! Think "sitar funk", and you'll start to get the vibe of the set – as there's some of that here, but plenty more going on too – all sorts of unusual hybrids of funky rhythms and exotic instrumentation – not totally retro, but often with some great old school funk elements in the mix! Titles include "Zapin Lucah" by Rebana Funk Brothers, "Prem Durga" by Sitar Funk Group, "Luna" by Hong Chungao Street Band, "Korkap Mestap" by Anak Anak Abu, "Morning Sex" by Golden Mile Band, "Great Wall Of Aria" by Maggot, and "Parkiu" by The Ugly Voices. LP, Vinyl record album

They certainly got the title right on this one – because it definitely is the ultimate collection of Funkadelic goodies! The 2CD set pulls together 29 tracks from the group's classic years at Westbound – and shows them starting out as a messed-up, guitar-growling rock funk act – filled with the unique crossover spirit of Detroit – then turning into a tighter, funkier soul act with the power to really rock the charts! All the good funky tunes are here – and the set seems to have a special focus on tracks by the group that have been sampled strongly in recent history! Titles include "Red Hot Mama", "Funky Dollar Bill", "Hit It & Quit It", "Cosmic Slop", "Loose Booty", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "America Eats Its Young", "Maggot Brain", "I'll Stay", "Nappy Dugout", "I'll Bet You", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody's Got A Thing", "A Joyful Process", "Be My Beach", "Undisco Kidd", "Biological Speculation", "Take Your Dead Ass Home", and "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". CD

One of our favorite early Funkadelic albums – and a real turning point for the group! Gone are the trippier guitar solos of earlier days, and in their place is a tighter approach to funk – one that has the band grooving hard and soulfully on shorter tracks that perfect the dark vision hinted at in the Maggot Brain years! The tunes are shorter, funkier, and catchier – and the vocals are especially great – so much so than on the title cut "Cosmic Slop" has harmonies so great you'd swear you were listening to late-Motown Temptations! Other tracks continue with a great soul-based focus, and include "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure", "Nappy Dugout", "No Compute", and "Can't Stand the Strain" – and the record is packaged in a mind-blowing wraparound cover by Pedro Bell, the first of many the band would use! CD

An insane treat for any fan of the early years of the P-Funk empire – that time when George Clinton and crew were taking in plenty of trippy influences from the heady Detroit scene of the time – and fusing it all into their own really unique blend of soul! The set features the group playing live, in relatively familiar territory of Michigan – crafting these grooves that are filled with as much fuzz as funk, and really working as an incredible live representation of all the mad genius they brought to their first few studio albums for Westbound! The whole thing's very well-recorded – as strong a live album as any label would have issued at the time – and titles include very long versions of "Maggot Brain" and "All Your Goodies Are Gone", both a fast and slow take of "I Call My Baby Pussycat" – and the tracks "Alice In My Fantasies", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody Got A Thing", "I'll Bet You", "You & Your Folks Me & My Folks", and "Good Old Music". CD

An instant classic the day it was released – and a perfect blending of the group's older freaked-out style with a slick late 70s funk sound that started showing up in the work of many other groups. "One Nation Under A Groove" is a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, and the LP version runs way over 7 minutes long. Other tracks are equally great, and the whole thing's woven together with the same sort of skill as some of the best Parliament albums from the mid 70s. Tracks include "Into You", "Grooveallegiance", and "Cholly". Plus, this CD reissue also includes the bonus cuts from the original 45rpm ep that came with the album – including "Maggot Brain (live)" and "Doodoo Chasers". CD

A heavy best-of from Funkadelic – one that covers the full range of their classic sounds – from the trippy fuzz of the early days to the tighter funk of stardom years! The package has a power that's undeniable – a really massive batch of music that forever changed the face of funk – arguably the best that George Clinton ever had to offer, especially when you realize that Funkadelic was definitely the farthest-reaching of his many musical projects! Most cuts here are in shorter single versions – but there's a few LP-length jams – and titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Maggot Brain", "Cosmic Slop", "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On", "Sexy Ways", "Better By The Pound", "One Nation Under A Groove (part 1)", "Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You", "I'll Bet You", "Red Hot Mama", "Comin Round The Mountain", and "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody Got A Thing". LP, Vinyl record album