L.A. Record
Encyclopedia
L.A. Record is an independent music magazine
originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles
musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a poster inside. The magazine is available to the public free of charge at local community spots in Southern California
.
' self-titled album cover. The cover and concept was chosen because the Rolling Blackouts were playing with the New York Dolls at the 2005 Sunset Junction Street Fair
. The tradition of recreating album covers was developed by other bands who also wanted to recreate their favorite record cover. While there is no official rule, it has appeared in every issue. Now the publication is known for interviewing many local LA bands before they become popular in the mainstream including the Cold War Kids
, Spindrift
, Health
, Flying Lotus
, Moonrats, and Blank Blue
. In January 2009, the Los Angeles Times
recommended the L.A. Record as a resource to readers who would like to "separate the wheat from the chaff in the world of striving L.A. musicians" and lauded it for its "photography, promiscuous taste from avant-noise to vintage soul, eager but not worshipful writing and rad pull-out posters of RZA
."
It concluded its first volume, a 29-issue run which began in August 2005 with the Rolling Blackouts, in March 2006 with Melvins collaborator and solo artist David Scott Stone
. The second volume of 46 issues, also a weekly broadsheet, began in February 2007 with Big Business
and concluded in December 2007 with AntiMC, leaving 75 total poster issues.
For the third volume, which began in March 2008 with Pocahaunted
on the cover and BARR
on the poster, L.A. Record began publishing monthly as a sixteen-page newsprint magazine with a poster as the centerfold. The website was also redesigned to make room for more content in February 2008.
Other visual contributors include photographer Chrissy Piper who shot several covers for Volume 1 and Erik Brunetti
(owner and founder of FUCT
), Ashkahn who did design work on several covers.
In August 2008 the magazine printed what may have been Isaac Hayes
' last known interview.
The next format type was a monthly magazine which includes several interviews with local and touring bands as well as album reviews, original artwork, illustrated comic reviews of shows and records and expanded interviews. Also each issue includes a 22 x 32 inch poster featuring a local Los Angeles artist recreating an album cover of their choice. In May of 2010, editorial staff announced that the magazine will be turning into a quarterly, which will feature local bands in addition to touring artists.
The first quarterly came out on July 31, 2010, and featured Flying Lotus on the cover. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti was pictured in a center gatefold.
The magazine is also known to release vinyl 45
singles. The first one by L.A. Record writer and musician Devon Williams was released in summer 2007 to high acclaim . As a small but growing magazine it is becoming accepted and read among other industry magazines
Music magazine
A music magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music culture. Such magazines typically include music news, interviews, photo shoots, essays, record reviews, concert reviews and occasionally have a covermount with recorded music.-Notable music magazines:...
originally published weekly as a broadsheet poster. The poster usually depicts a local Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
musicians and according to the magazine editors is meant to recreate an iconic album cover. In March 2008, it began publishing as a monthly magazine with a poster inside. The magazine is available to the public free of charge at local community spots in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
History
The magazine was founded in 2005 by publisher Charlie Rose (not the TV personality), DJ and writer Chris Ziegler, Fuck Yeah Fest promoter Sean Carlson (involved from 2005–07) and photographer Dan Monick. Their first issue featuring the Rolling Blackouts was set up as a parody of the New York DollsNew York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
' self-titled album cover. The cover and concept was chosen because the Rolling Blackouts were playing with the New York Dolls at the 2005 Sunset Junction Street Fair
Sunset Junction Street Fair
The Sunset Junction Street Fair is an event held annually in the Sunset Junction neighborhood of the Silver Lake community in Los Angeles, California...
. The tradition of recreating album covers was developed by other bands who also wanted to recreate their favorite record cover. While there is no official rule, it has appeared in every issue. Now the publication is known for interviewing many local LA bands before they become popular in the mainstream including the Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett , Jonnie Russell , Matt Maust , and Matt Aveiro .-History:...
, Spindrift
Spindrift (band)
Spindrift is a psychedelic rock band created by singer-songwriter-composer-producer-actor Kirpatrick Thomas, who was born in Delaware as one of 5 kids. Founded in 1992, the band originated in Newark, Delaware along with such other local bands of the period including Jake and the Stiffs, The Verge,...
, Health
HEALTH (band)
Health is an American noise rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band's 2007 release with Crystal Castles charted at position nine in the UK indie singles chart.- History :...
, Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus, is an experimental multi-genre music producer from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006...
, Moonrats, and Blank Blue
Blank Blue
Blank Blue is a Los Angeles based band that features DJ Nobody Elvin Estela , Niki Randa , and newly flanked by Andres Renteria , and Brian Akio Martinez...
. In January 2009, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
recommended the L.A. Record as a resource to readers who would like to "separate the wheat from the chaff in the world of striving L.A. musicians" and lauded it for its "photography, promiscuous taste from avant-noise to vintage soul, eager but not worshipful writing and rad pull-out posters of RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
."
It concluded its first volume, a 29-issue run which began in August 2005 with the Rolling Blackouts, in March 2006 with Melvins collaborator and solo artist David Scott Stone
David Scott Stone
David Scott Stone is a musician who has recorded and toured with artists like The Melvins, Unwound, Fantômas, The Locust, Jello Biafra, Keiji Haino, Mike Patton, Adam Jones , Merzbow, Masonna, Big Business, No Age, Joe Lally and others. He is currently a member of LCD Soundsystem...
. The second volume of 46 issues, also a weekly broadsheet, began in February 2007 with Big Business
Big Business
Big business is a term used to describe large corporations, in either an individual or collective sense. The term first came into use in a symbolic sense subsequent to the American Civil War, particularly after 1880, in connection with the combination movement that began in American business at...
and concluded in December 2007 with AntiMC, leaving 75 total poster issues.
For the third volume, which began in March 2008 with Pocahaunted
Pocahaunted
Pocahaunted was a psychedelic/drone/dub band based in Los Angeles, California founded in 2005 by Amanda Brown and Bethany Cosentino.-History:...
on the cover and BARR
Barr
-Places:* Barr, Ayrshire, a village in Scotland* Barr, Bas-Rhin, a commune of the Bas-Rhin département in France* Barr Township, Daviess County, Indiana, US* Barr Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, US-Companies:...
on the poster, L.A. Record began publishing monthly as a sixteen-page newsprint magazine with a poster as the centerfold. The website was also redesigned to make room for more content in February 2008.
Other visual contributors include photographer Chrissy Piper who shot several covers for Volume 1 and Erik Brunetti
Erik Brunetti
Erik Brunetti is an American artist, designer, director and founder of lifestyle and clothing brand FUCT.-Career:Brunetti's installation “Lost” was first exhibited in 1996 at OK Harris Gallery in New York. It was part of a solo exhibition, titled "Adaption from lost animal poster flyers"...
(owner and founder of FUCT
FUCT
Company founder Erik Brunetti is an American artist and designer, best known for his creation of the brand FUCT, founded in 1990. He is credited as the creator of subversive streetwear, a style of design stemming from the situationist movement, which involves subtly changing or re-appropriating...
), Ashkahn who did design work on several covers.
In August 2008 the magazine printed what may have been Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
' last known interview.
The Magazine
The magazine has come in three types of formats. It was first a broad sheet format containing an interview with a musician from Los Angeles, also featured on the cover. There is also an interview with a visiting band on tour, and other reviews or previews of local music, art, film, comedy and entertainment events.The next format type was a monthly magazine which includes several interviews with local and touring bands as well as album reviews, original artwork, illustrated comic reviews of shows and records and expanded interviews. Also each issue includes a 22 x 32 inch poster featuring a local Los Angeles artist recreating an album cover of their choice. In May of 2010, editorial staff announced that the magazine will be turning into a quarterly, which will feature local bands in addition to touring artists.
The first quarterly came out on July 31, 2010, and featured Flying Lotus on the cover. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti was pictured in a center gatefold.
The magazine is also known to release vinyl 45
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
singles. The first one by L.A. Record writer and musician Devon Williams was released in summer 2007 to high acclaim . As a small but growing magazine it is becoming accepted and read among other industry magazines