April 15, 2004
COMMAND PERFORMANCE
THE ARTHUR MAILING LIST BULLETIN No. 0002
“Text beyond the presses.”
(((1))) NEW ISSUE OF ARTHUR OUT APRIL 27.
It’s at the printer now, and soon, if you are a subscriber or are one of the lucky 40,000, it will be in your hands too. It’s Arthur No. 10. It’s the May issue of Arthur. It’s Arthur with rising weirdbeard folkstar Devendra Banhart on the cover, as photographed by Melanie Pullen. It’s Arthur featuring interviews with the saddest filmmaker in the world, Guy Maddin, and Godzilla, the aging “King of Monsters.” It’s Arthur with a two-page spread of Marc Bell’s neuron-damaging comics. It’s… It’s… It’s.. Well see it for yourself. The cover is up on the website now, and we are now taking pre-orders. Just go to
(((2))) ARTHUR DISCUSSION FORUM NOW FULLY FUNCTIONAL.
Have you ever wanted to discuss an article you read in Arthur with someone you don’t know? Well, your prayers have been answered: the new Arthur Discussion Forum is now online and is fully functional and is just basically wide-open and barely moderated. Come on in and share. We need feedback, we need recipes, we need hot tips, we need constructive criticism, we need a nice pat on the back, and some of us even need a pinch on the ass. Be nice, play fair, and if you can’t say anything nice, sit by me. You can get to the Arthur discussion forum via the link at
or you can go directly to it at:
http://www1.martnet.com/%7Elaris/arthur/_htdocs/forum/phpBB2/
(((3))) PLEASE HELP US.
If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes to do our 15-question Arthur Reader Survey. It’s right here:
http://www.keysurvey.com/survey/24574/144b/
Reader Surveys let us know more about you. We then compile that information to allow us to solicit advertising in Arthur. Ads make Arthur go. Therefore, by filling out the survey, you have contributed in a small but significant way in making Arthur work. We thank you kindly.
****AND NOW TO THE REALLY GOOD STUFF…
(((4))) WE’RE MAKIN’ REALLY GOOD CDS AND SELLING THEM AT A REASONABLE PRICE.
Sometimes people ask us, What are you listening to right now? And then we answer with a long list of artists they don’t recognize. That makes us feel like snobs, which is a terrible thing to feel like, cuz we want to share. The music we like, we think everyone would like, *if they only got a chance to hear it.* In the pages of Arthur we rap about music all the time in ways that we hope will turn on the curious listener and cause them to get up and seek out the stuff. With Bastet, Arthur’s new imprint, we’re trying to shorten that process by making directly available to you some of the music we are digging that we think you might dig too.
The first Bastet CD is “The Golden Apples of the Sun,” a veritable “who’s who of underground folk” compilation curated by Devendra Banhart, who really knows his way around that place. He selected the tracks, drew the cover, solicited testimonials from all the artists about all the other artists and then HANDLETTERED the sleeve, decorating everything with his wonderful pen-and-ink art. You may buy this for the artwork, you may buy this cuz we’re only making 1,000 and it’ll be worth something on Ebay someday soon, you may buy this cuz you love us…but you will keep it near you because of the fantastic music on the CD. Which is as follows:
1. Vetiver (with Hope Sandoval) – “Angel’s Share” (from the “Vetiver” LP)
2. Joanna Newsom – “Bridges and Balloons” (from “The Milk-Eyed Mender” LP)
3. Six Organs of Admittance – “Hazy SF” (previously unreleased)
4. Viking Moses – “Crosses” (from “Crosses”)
5. Josephine Foster – “Little Life” (prev. unreleased home recording)
6. ESPers – “Byss & Abyss” (from “ESPers” LP)
7. Vashti Bunyan & Devendra Banhart – “Rejoicing in the Hands” (from the forthcoming “Rejoicing in the Hands of the Golden Empress” LP)
8. Jana Hunter – “Farm, CA” (prev. unreleased)
9. Currituck Co. – “The Tropics of Cancer” (from “Ghost Man on First”)
10. White Magic – “Don’t Need” (from forthcoming EP)
11. Iron and Wine – “Fever Dream” (from “Our Endless Numbered Days” LP)
12. Diane Cluck – ” Heat From Every Corner” (from “Macy’s Day Bird”)
13. Matt Valentine – “Mountains of Yaffa” (prev. unreleased)
14. Entrance – “You Must Turn” (prev. unreleased home recording)
15. Jack Rose – “White Mule” (from “Red Horse, White Mule” originally released thru Eclipse, forthcoming on VHF)
16. Little Wings – “Look at What the Light Did Now” (from “Light Green Leaves”)
17. Scout Niblett – “Wet Road” (from “Sweet Heart Fever”)
18. Troll – “Mexicana” (from “Pathless Lord”)
19. CocoRosie – “Good Friday” (from “La Maison de Mon Reve”)
20. Antony – “The Lake” (from “Live at Saint Olaye’s With Current 93”)
This CD is now being manufactured and will be shipping before May 1. You cannot buy it at a store or from that guy down the street. You have to buy it directly from us. It’s $12 postpaid US, $14 Canada, $17 world, or, get this, FREE if you buy a new subscription. Go here to order one, or just to see the pretty artwork:
http://www.arthurmag.com/bastet.html
The second Bastet CD is, as they say, completely different. “The Libations of Samhain: SUNN 0))) live at London’s Subcamden Underground, Hallo’ween 2003” is a single live power-drone ambient metal track by the mighty SUNN 0))) measuring just under 49 minutes. It’s loud and wonderful and all-enveloping and gives your speakers and your inner organs a fine meditative workout. Plus, you get a bonus interview with the SUNN O))) principals by Edwin Pouncey and Sharon Gal, originally broadcast on London’s Resonance FM 104. Would you believe this CD features cover artwork by the legendrary Savage Pencil, and letterpress printing by Thumbprint Press? Oh yes. Edition of 500, and they’re going VERY fast.
This CD is now being manufactured and will be shipping before May 1. Again, if you want it, you gotta buy it directly from us. It’s $12 postpaid US, $14 Canada, $17 world, or, get this, FREE if you buy a new subscription. Go here to order one, or just to see the brilliant SP artwork:
http://www.arthurmag.com/bastet.html
(((5))) CAN’T FIND ARTHUR? PERHAPS SIR/MADAM WOULD CONSIDER A SUBSCRIPTION.
ARTHUR comes out, and then it’s gone. You snooze, you lose. But no one should be punished for being unlucky, which is why ARTHUR offers SUBSCRIPTIONS. Now, you need never fear the empty stack again. Do you live in the USA? We are sorry. But, you can get six issues of Arthur for $30, plus (while supplies last) a free BASTET CD or ARTHUR t-shirt of your choosing. Do you live in Canada? Right on. That’ll cost you $39. Do you live somewhere else on the big blue cloudy marble?
Wow, that’s awesome. That’ll be $60. Order via PayPal at
http://www.arthurmag.com/backissues.html
And that’s it fer now.
Til next time–
So long, it’s good to know ya,
The Arthur Gang
April 15, 2004
Arthur Magazine 