"Just try to find a way to make it through 50 more years without screaming all the way."
In 50 years, when people look back at the music of this generation, one of the standout tracks will probably be the "Yes We Can" Will.I.Am. music video. You know, the one with all those pseudo-celebrities covering our president's second-place New Hampshire primary speech for their own feel good publicity purposes.
And that is sad.
My name's Randy LoBasso and I'm the new editor here. Nice to meet you, too. I've been 'round these parts for a little over a year, writing about acts like Silversun Pickups, Los Campesinos! and Ida Maria. (And others; don't ever forget the others.) I'd been drawn to this magazine's DIYishness for some time, seeing it around town since late 2001, which is around the time I came to Philly for school. I was way psyched when I got my first chance to write about music back in November 2008 - because really, who doesn't want to write about music? Besides you.
That "ishness" (see: DIYishness) is in there because at the source, yeah, we're pretty DIY. Our cashflow is limited, our vastly underrated writers are in it for the glory, and we take pride in dirtying up your fingers every month with our awesome newsprint. That being said, there's something about us. Something that brings in the big acts. Maybe it's because lots of bands in our pages go onto features in Rolling Stone and other industry heavyweights.
When Perry Farrell came to town in September '07, he had a single request (and then others too hot for these pages): He wanted to be on our cover. Henry Rollins ranted politics in time for the 2008 elections to our former editor, Annamarya Scaccia. My favorite twins with dual haircuts, Tegan and Sara, were featured a few months ago. And this month, in preparation for a sold out show at the Troc, Ben Weasel and all his scorn graced the receiving end of my cell phone.
Other bands willing to put up with us for the month include up-and-comers Neon Trees, Francis (from Sweden!), Canadian-America-lovers Still Life Still, and local guys (who just popped their SXSW cherries) The Fleeting Ends.
We've come a long way since the days of black and white print, metal reviews and glue-sticked collages of sweaty concerts (hate mail from former writers in 3..2..1..) So why stop there? If you turn the page, and then about 35 more, you're going to find a few new features I've been eager about getting in here since earning my position as "The Chosen One." In addition to awesome local and national music, you can now come to Origivation for our David [Byrne] and David [Lynch] comics, food reviews from local Philly venues, Philly's complete monthly listings, and a touch of creative writing from an in-house or out-of-house writer (which means submit your writing, people!) each month. Expect to see additional features as the months roll along, too.
It's like President Obama used to say: "Change."
Change is good.
Randy LoBasso
Editor-in-chief
