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| Categories | Music |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Publisher | YBX Media Inc |
| Total circulation (2010) | 40,000 |
| Founder | Sean Carlson, Dan Monick, Charlie Rose, Chris Ziegler |
| Founded | 2005 |
| First issue | August 2005 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
L.A. Record is an independentmusic 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 inSouthern California.
The magazine was founded in 2005 by publisher Charlie Rose (not the TV personality), DJ and writer Chris Ziegler, Fuck Yeah Fest promoterSean Carlson (involved from 2005 to 2007) and photographerDan Monick. Their first issue featuring the Rolling Blackouts was set up as a parody of theNew York Dolls' self-titled album cover. The cover and concept was chosen because the Rolling Blackouts were playing with the New York Dolls at the 2005Sunset 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[1] including theCold War Kids,Spindrift,Health,Flying Lotus, Moonrats, andBlank Blue. In January 2009, theLos Angeles Times recommended theL.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 ofRZA."[2]
It concluded its first volume, a 29-issue run which began in August 2005 with the Rolling Blackouts, in March 2006 withMelvins collaborator and solo artistDavid Scott Stone. The second volume of 46 issues, also a weekly broadsheet, began in February 2007 withBig Business and concluded in December 2007 withAntiMC, leaving 75 total poster issues.
For the third volume, which began in March 2008 withPocahaunted on the cover andBARR 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 photographerChrissy Piper who shot several covers for Volume 1 andErik Brunetti (owner and founder ofFUCT),Ashkahn who did design work on several covers.
In August 2008 the magazine printed what may have beenIsaac Hayes' last known interview.[3]
The magazine has come in three types of format. It was first a broadsheet 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 × 32 inch poster featuring a local Los Angeles artist recreating an album cover of their choice. In May 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 releasevinyl 45 singles. The first one byL.A. Record writer and musicianDevon Williams was released in summer 2007 to high acclaim.[4] As a small but growing magazine it is becoming accepted and read among other industry magazines[5]
The website features live reviews and album reviews that are updated multiple times a week. While some of these reviews are reprints of items published in the newspaper, many of them are unique to the website. The site also hosts videos and mp3s of local artists.
