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Skyscraper is a class act. Big names, snazzy
writing, distinctive perspective; this fine and dandy
publication never disappoints. The latest issue covers
everyone your little hipster heart desires, from Arab
on Radar to Iggy Pop, to the Strokes, to the latest
incarnation of Panoply Academy (it's too hard to keep
track of those lads -- better leave it to the pros at
Skyscraper). The zine's cohesive style and perceptive
writing will turn you into an instant indie-rock
authority.
Neither you nor I have time for an in-depth rehash of #10's 162 (count 'em) pages, so let's hit a few highlights.
Arab on Radar scares me, and they don't give great
interviews, but Andrew Bottomley does his best to get the bottom of this bawdy bunch. With trademark bathroom humor aplenty (reaching way beyond
the realm of Gene and Dean Ween) and a healthy dose of nonsensical
babble, frontman Mr. Pottymouth (Eric Paul) attempts
to run circles around Adam Bottomley with nonsensical
answers. When Bottomley asks them where they met, Mr.
Pottymouth replies, "We have not met yet...But, if we
do, it will be in the morgue." It's just too much.
AoR clearly don't want to share. Interviewing
them must have been more frustrating and farcical than
fun.
Panoply Academy Legionnaires. Panoply Academy Corps of
Engineers. Panoply Academy Glee Club. Confused? You're
not the only one. Read the Skyscraper article and you'll be one
of the only people who knows the band's entire back story. The Panoply Academy finally comes clean about
their constant name changes; you see, every time a
member leaves the band, a new incarnation of Panoply
commences -- they ditch their back catalog and start
from scratch. However, in spite of their constantly-changing line-up, they've managed to put out a solid body of work that is definitely worth checking out. I
highly recommend seeing them live -- they'll rock your
socks off!
One of Skyscraper's strengths is its outstanding review section. Jason Heller's review of
the Strokes' Is This it is one of the best
reviews I've read of the record. I know what you're
thinking -- "How many more reviews of this damned
Strokes album can I possibly handle?" I have to, in
part, agree with you on that one. I, too, have grown
tired of the scores and scores of Strokes press and Strokes reviews, all of the rage against the pretty
boys of privilege from NYC, the hype vs. the content argument, the "the White Stripes are better" argument, and so forth -- but Heller's in-depth review of Is This It puts
these hackneyed issues to bed with keen insight
and perceptive arguments. While the review is rather
long and somewhat circuitous, it's worth the read, as
Heller deconstructs the hype and shows that regardless of
these boys' backgrounds, music is music. I
wholeheartedly agree. Is This It may not save
rock 'n roll -- hell, it might not even save the youth
of America from the scourge of Britney -- but it's a fun
listen and a great record.
Other interviews and articles include Le Tigre, Edie Sedgwick, Iggy Pop, Ladytron, Destroyer, Tindersticks, OMD and Blur. Did I mention there are 162 pages of zine-y goodness here? You'll be reading for a long time.
Skyscraper #10 provides more information about the
latest and greatest rock releases than you can shake a
stick at (which I wouldn’t recommend since I’m trying
to get you to read it, not beat it) -- and for the time being, it's a bit more portable than your number one favorite music publication (hint: you're reading it now). Grab a Skyscraper and
get in the know.
-- Melissa Morris
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