News Tue Jun 19 2007

Two Endings, One New Beginning

As Andrew mentioned over in Merge, yesterday marked the official end of an era in beloved music publication: Punk Planet is no more. Their current issue (No. 80) will be the magazine's last with interviews with the G7 Welcoming Committee, Andre Schiffrin, and The Steinways. In their 13th year, the magazine lost the struggle over issues with a bankrupt distributor (issues that are also plaguing other indie publications like McSweeney's who also are sending up the warning flags). As PP puts it in their farewell note, "Benefit shows are no longer enough to make up for bad distribution deals, disappearing advertisers, and a decreasing audience of subscribers." The website will remain up and active, as will the Punk Planet books division, and we can all help to support them (*cough* buy something! *cough*) so that some day, some way, they can return to us.

Also in the Chicago music newswire, local label Contraphonic has cut the ties to its parent label, the No Karma Music Group (which also includes Loose Thread Recordings and Brilliante Records), and has struck out on its own, bringing a few bands along with. They've already signed Branches, Crush Kill Destroy, The Lesser Birds of Paradise, Joshua Marcus and The Thin Man over from No Karma. Joining them as well is former Jagjaguwar recording artist Bevel (aka guitarist Via Nuon of the bands Drunk and Manishevitz).

We wish you luck, little music label and remind everyone to support all of your local labels along with your local record stores (and favorite music publications) every day.

— Anne Holub