Jersey Beat #46 (Weehawken NJ)

Issue #46 of Jersey Beat was also the zine's tenth anniversary issue, an impressive accomplishment for any small press publication. Sure, other music zines, like Jack Rabid's The Big Takeover, have shown an amazing longevity, but you can count the number of zines that make the big 1-0 on the fingers of both hands. Editor/publisher Jim Testa states that he tried to make the issue a special occasion, attempting to set up interviews with the Beastie Boys or the Smithereens, to no avail. Then, as now, there are barriers between a publication or music journalist and the artist, the gates often manned by (as Testa calls 'em) "deadheaded dead wood corporate flunkies."

Call them managers, publicists, record labels or fucking morons (the Reverend's preferred adjective), but the efforts of the gatekeepers to shield their meal tickets often do more harm than good. In the 35 years that the Reverend has been doing this rockcrit thing, I've found only a handful of musicians that were less than willing to talk about their art. During that same time, the number of truly helpful and efficient label publicists, PR people or band managers that would help out an independent writer can also be counted on those two hands. These days, the hotter a band or artist, the more likely that you'll be asked to submit your questions in advance, or sign some sort of restrictive agreement... neither of which should be acceptable to any publication or writer with any scruples.

The Reverend's rant aside, Testa nevertheless put together a fine effort for Jersey Beat #46, a sort of double-sided issue that featured two different front covers and a reversible lay-out that had material that looked backwards at the past as well as towards the future. Interviews include Sweet Lizard Illtet, L7, Noise Culture, fireHOSE, and False Prophets. There is a great article from Jim DeRogatis on "Remembering Lester Bangs" with several insightful quotes from the scribe. There is a tour diary from NJ band Trusty and articles on the new bands Sex Pods and the Misconceptions.

Of course, this wouldn't be an issue of Jersey Beat without columns and reviews, and this 10th anniversary party has plenty of both. A new rap column, "Notes From The Hip Hop Nation" by Mattatude does a fine job in discussing artists like Boogie Down Productions and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy as well as rap labels and events. Mick Hale's "Danse Assembly" column offers Die Warzau, Peter Murphy, Insekt and Skinny Puppy and Testa's "Diary Of A Rock Critic" column documents the events at South By Southwest 1992. The regular record review section includes coverage of LPs from the Afghan Whigs, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Jazz Butcher, Miracle Legion, Sebadoah and Superchunk, among many others. There are seven pages of 7-inch single reviews (a zine rarity, even in '92, Testa and JB being one of the few publications to cover singles to any extent) and a zine review section, where they call the Reverend's Radical Pizza zine "a little heaver (idea-wise) than your usual zine."

With ten years under their belts, Jim Testa and Jersey Beat were just getting started. Stay tuned for more JB reviews in the future (as I dig copies out of the boxes they're hidden in).

(Click on cover thumbnail to see larger picture)

VITAL STATISTICS:
• Issue #46
• Summer 1992
• B&W, 64-pages, newsprint (plus slick covers)
• Style: music zine

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
Sweet Lizard Illtet interview
L7 interview
Noise Culture interview
fireHOSE interview
False Prophets interview
"Remembering Lester Bangs" by Jim DeRogatis
--> also live show reviews, album & zine reviews, review columns and lots of photos