Arthur Magazine— dead?
posted by on February 23 at 13:49 PM
Arthur Magazine, one of my favorite print publications about music and culture is rumored to be done. Much of the magazine’s focus was on noise, psych and the now blown-up “Freak Folk” scene. Full of great interviews with the artists like Joanna Newsom, Will Oldham, Alan Moore, and Joe Strummer— along with great columns like the hippy-fied, “New Herbalist” by Molly Frances and occasional cultural rumblings of Thurston Moore— Arthur was also refreshingly politically engaged. One of the greatest pieces of journalism I’ve ever read was an interview with Godsmack’s Sully Erna, a pro-war knuckle-head who had no idea what he was getting into in his Arthur interview. I hope there’s a chance that the magazine will be fine, that everything is fine, everything is quite fine but if not, we’re losing some great writing.
Check it out while you can at arthurmag.com
That godsmack-down was simultaneously hilarious and revealing. Also good was a recent article about why the AK-47 is the gun of choice for DIY militants rather than the M-16. Freak folk, indeed.
The AK-47 is the people's gun.
Where did this rumor originate, Chris? I'm having trouble finding it online.
If Arthur does fold, it would be a big loss to counter-culture journalism.
bummer, i heard that it was because the editor & publisher weren't getting along.
Dave- it's been circulating on a bunch of message boards (a reliable source of info, I know) but an acquaintance also forwarded a terse email with:
"We're done.
No Arthur 26, no Arthur future. Done.
There is nothing more I can do. Now I'm broke and in debt.
Thanks for all of your support. "
It's also up on Pitchfork.
Le bummer.
Sad. I love Arthur, and I was looking forward to more stuff like the piece on Joanna Newsom and Ys - I don't L.O.V.E. love that record but there needs to be an outlet for articles like that in this day and age. No major blogs/webzines get that in depth.. Bummer. Are there any places to find that kind of music journalism now outside of, like, 33 1/3?
Wax Poetics--but the focus is on hiphop, jazz, funk, soul, and reggae/dub.
MOJO's features tend to go in-depth, but the content is mostly about rockers with lots of gray hair and wrinkles (or deceased musicians). Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not a source to find out about emerging artists.
Foxy Digitalis may be what you're looking for, but it's online only.
Thank you much Dave - Foxy Digitalis looks rad. I get MOJO as often as I can afford it, but yeah, at this point I'm fairly familiar with Bob Going Electric and Wacky Brian Wilson's Sandbox. On the emerging artists tip, Arthur was the only reason I took Brightblack Morning Light and Joanna Newsom seriously - I wrote them both off pretty quickly, having been disappointed by what I would consider the shallowness of Feathers/Espers etc. RIP.
MOJO does put a lot of old/dead dudes on the front, but they cover more new music than they're given credit for (most recently the Arctic Monkeys, Hold Steady, and Amy Winehouse). But yeah, it isn't their focus. For my money, it's the best music mag on the stands, but Arthur will definitely be missed.
The LA Times published an update on the brouhaha on 2/23. Publisher Laris Kreslins says Arthur is actually "on indefinite hiatus." You can read the full article at the URL below. Note that you have to be a member (it's free)
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-et-arthur24feb24,1,2768967.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
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