Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Notes: Cover art by Detroit-based graphic artist Lucy Cahill depicts Wanda Jackson as an alien because why not; with additional recent works by her inside the issue.

Glasgow's justly beloved Belle & Sebastian, hot on the heels of a US tour and their best record in ages, deliver unto us decades' worth of posters and ephemera, with an interview with Stuart Murdoch on the history of the group's aesthetics. Novelist and longtime friend David Gordon lets us run the full text of his archival talk with celebrated painter and author Duncan Hannah (RIP -- and yes he goes into detail about the Lou Reed incident described in Please Kill Me). Kevin Esquire spent hours with Motown's almost-star from the 1960s and '70s, Christina Carter, and we have unpublished archival images and many amazing anecdotes.

Speaking of Motown, did you know that the son of the great Marxist/Black liberation activist CLR James was in 'mixed race' band Odyssey, who had a record on Motown? We have a great feature on that. Fascinating discussion between guitarist-singer-songriter-innovators Chris Forsyth and Steve Wynn.

There is an amazing excerpt from Ben Berton's new book on Dan Treacy and the TV Personalities, detailing how the first 7" came together and John Peel inadvertently named the band. Nate Carlson goes deep on the Tony Iommi era of Black Sabbath. Why Buffy Saint-Marie matters, now more than ever, by writer and musician Emily Pothast. One of our favorite writers, Sara Jaffe, tells us how her own grandfather wrote the song 'I'm My Own Grandpa'! No, really! That alone is worth admission. Plus -- there's a terrific and long and excellently illustrated feature on the country and experimental steel guitarist Barry Walker Jr by Tom Humphrey.

Our SF Indie Scene Report: 2022 is so well done that it's going to knock your socks off. Plus, Lucy Sante and Mimi Lipson and the tape column and Katie Lass on her soon-to-be classic Hypnopomp LP and the great Jay Ruttenberg on Sessa, whew.

Plus, also of course beautiful images galore, and more besides.

Notes: The cover feature celebrates the enduring, luminous genius of Dolly Parton, with a revealing conversation between Caryn Rose and Lynn Melnick on how her music quite literally saved Melnick's life.

ALSO IN THE ISSUE: OCTAVIA BUTLER - The very full transcript of editor Mike McGonigal's lengthy, in-depth talk with the sci-fi feminist visionary, from 1997. The entire transcript has never appeared in print.

ROLIN-POWERS - The great Michelle Dove on what makes these avant-folk lovebirds tick, and why you should care.

THE CLEAN + HAMISH KILGOUR - An epic, archival interview with the band from 15 years ago, plus a fresh look thanks to Michael Galinsky at why Hamish meant so much to so many.

FRED TOMASELLI - Many pages of his delightful reworkings of New York Times front pages, plus an insightful interview with one of our finest contemporary artists.

CRAZY DOBERMAN - Erick's Bradshaw delivers an epic, well-illustrated tour diary of a brief jaunt with these noise greats.

Plus also

Composer TAYONDAI BRAXTON by Katy Henricksen! - a meaty, beautiful feature on DR. PETE LARSON by Fred Thomas, worlds collide!
An amazing LUCY SANTE column!
Cassette tapes! - Reissue of the issue is the 'Saturn 2' comp of obscure Midwestern '90s shoegaze!
The Bay Area's deliriously good new band GALORE by Jessica Beard!
A beloved celebrity writes in to Mimi Lipson's advice column!
A lengthy excerpt from a great unpublished novel by DAVID GORDON!
Editor Mike McGonigal's tribute to Tom Verlaine!

Notes: Maggot Brain Issue 14 is coming. The Fall 2023 issue is jam-packed!

Cover boy Harry Smith shines thanks to a cheeky, never-before published photo by Allen Ginsberg. We celebrate the life and work of the self-described "ethnopharmacologist" just in time for the release of John Szwed's illuminating biography and Smith's first one-person art exhibition, at the Whitney, with three killer, well-illustrated features (on his Anthology of American Folk Music, an interview by Marc Masters with Szwed, and a terrific dive into Smith's relationship with fellow visual artist and filmmaker Jordan Belson by Raymond Foye). Also in this issue: Andy Beta on the reissue of a forgotten Lou Reed record. Excerpts from two revelatory works- Andy Zax's Extinctophonics, and Christina Ward's Holy Food. Kathy Lindenmayer witnesses a show by Boygenius. An archival interview with fabric arts pioneer and Bauhaus OG, Anni Albers. An illustrated Advance Base tour diary by Owen Ashworth. Tamara Palmer considers the oddball career arc of Orbital. Andy Beta goes deep on Tetsu Inoue. Nate Lippens goes off on Rene Ricard and other obsessions. And Michelle Dove on Cat Power's sense of humour! Plus illustrations throughout by Marly Beyer; and columns by Lucy Sante, Mimi Lipson, Dwight Pavlovic, and editor Mike McGonigal; tributes to Sixto Rodriguez, Esp Summer, and Pee-Wee Herman; and the triumphant return of the Unstapled column, with reproductions of a contemporary basketball fanzine.

Notes: Maggot Brain Issue 16: Spring 2024

This is a really packed, special issue of Maggot Brain, with the feature cover story a comprehensive interview by celebrated writer Sasha Frere-Jones with essayist, Lucy Sante (who's written for every issue of MB since the start), on the occasion of her awesome memoir about transitioning, I Heard Her Call My Name.

Phill Niblock: A tribute to the genius musician, filmmaker, label head, and generous promoter of ecstatic sound, by Steve Silverstein.

Tresa Leigh: An in-depth feature on the star of Efficient Space's beloved Ghost Riders compilation! Really a beautiful, untold story.

Dredd Foole: As his legacy is revealed through Corbett vs Dempsey's archival series, Foole talks to Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny about the role of his band the Din in the Boston underground. Plus sidebars from Christina Carter, Kris Price, and Phil Milstein.

Loopsel: Mike McGonigal on some of the most elusive, beautiful contemporary music, straight out of Gothenburg.

Jeff Noon: An illuminating interview with the British speculative writer on his newest work as well as the 30th anniversary of the stunning Vurt.

Sleater-Kinney: 30 vital years of uncompromising music, by none other than Audrey Golden!

Hudson of Feature Inc.: A celebration of the most innovative gallerist of our lifetime on the occasion of the Soberscove Press book about his work and life.

Shabazz Palaces: The creator of vital, spiritual hip-hop beautifully interviewed by Detroit-based musician and writer Zachary Weedon.

Birtha: Nate Carson's in-depth feature on the pioneering, all-women boogie-choogle act.

Shonto Begay: One of Maggot Brai's favourite contemporary writers, JD O'Brien, in deep discussion with the great Native American painter-with particular emphasis on how his works engage with and are influenced by music. This piece alone is so well-written and illustrated it's worth buying the issue for.

Some columns: The debut of archivist Andy Zax's fabulous 'Extinctophonics' column! Cassette reviews, plus copious book and record reviews as well! Ana Gavrilovska on Detroit-based jazz duo Balance! Nate Carson on the Earth documentary, in the debut of the music documentary column! The latest Icons column finds Michelle Dove exploring the work of Chicago's beloved Douglas McCombs! 13 Questions for contemporary folk great Lael Neale by Mike McGonigal! And more Lucy Sante!

Notes: Maggot Brain is a full-colour, quarterly magazine edited by noted Detroit scribe Mike McGonigal: 100+ pages packed with phenomenal content - art, music, literature, unpublished archival material, and more - with a simple promise to only exist on the printed page.

The cover feature is an epic, really long timeline of images and interview with the modern king of arts portrait photography, Michael Lavine.

Amazing archival images by Gail Butensky and reflections on Pavement + what we think is the band's first new interview in a decade in anticipation of their reusion shows and events later this year
Tom Scharpling talks about prog rock with Matt Berry
A lengthy interview with the SF-based dreamy pop band Cindy by editor Mike McGonigal
Reuben Radding's killer photos and review of a recent show in Brooklyn by Chicago's Irreversible Entanglements
Ana Gavrilovska on why sax player and drone composer Lea Bertucci matters
Sara Jaffe on how essayist Aisha Sabatini Sloan is a genius