Ok, so dealing with the dead computer and finding a new printing company has taken over a month longer than I had hoped, but now the new computer is up and running with the programs to finish the layout and I’m following up on a few printing leads, waiting for samples and estimates.

If you know of a good printer on the East Coast who does newsprint, please get in touch.

I’m hoping to go to print with this issue as soon as we lock down a new printer, but in the meantime we are still accepting ads, so please get in touch if you are intersted. Here’s a recap of this issue and how you can go about advertising if you are interested.

Give Me Back #6

This issue features interviews with Gainesville Florida’s ASSHOLE PARADE, the Bay Area’s PUNCH, Brooklyn New York’s STUPID PARTY, an interview with LAYLA GIBBON of MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL titled “Making Sure the Freaky Ladies Get Represented”, and an article on East Bay BUS SHOWS (as in a former city bus that was gutted and transformed into a mobile, DIY, all-ages showspace!) This issue also features some great new columns by KATY OTTO, TRAVIS MAGOO, HOPE AMICO, JULIA BOOZE, and KEITH ROSSON. And, new to this issue, we also have our first columns from AL BURIAN and EMMALEE TOOTHWORM!

A Little Reminder of How We Work.

We print 6,000 copies of each issue and distribute them throughout the US and internationally. Our distribution model is based on trying to make the zine as cheap (i.e. accessible) as possible. Give Me Back is basically free. Readers and small distros can order zines directly from us and only pay for the cost of shipping. In the US we’ve been sending out boxes of 40 zines for $5. A lot of punks will order boxes even if they don’t have distros, just to drop them off at record stores, info shops, zine libraries or to bring them to shows or leave at punk houses. We also get distribution help from bands on tour and bigger distros like Ebullition, Microcosm, and No Idea!

It’s been working really well, but it only works because the printing costs are covered by advertising. So we need your help.

We prefer digital files in the TIFF format, but we also accept JPEGs or you can send us a hard copy of your ad (sized correctly please) to: Give Me Back • PO Box 73691 • Washington, DC 20056. Digital files can be e-mailed directly to this address: givemebackzine@hotmail.com.

Ad rates are as follows:

Sixth Page (2.5″ x 5″ vertical) - $35
Third Page Tall (2.5″ x 10″) - $85
Third Page Square (5″ x 5″) = $85
Half Page (7.5″ x 5″) = $150

Checks can be made payable to Give Me Back and should be sent to: Give Me Back • PO Box 73691 • Washington, DC 20056

If you would prefer to pay with Paypal, please use the appropriate link below:

Sixth Page (vetrical)
Third Page Square
Third Page Tall
Half Page

Every advertiser will receive a copy of the issue through the mail as soon as it comes out. (If your ad does not contain your physical address, please e-mail it to us under the subject “ADVERTISER ADDRESS FOR ISSUE #6.”)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at givemebackzine@hotmail.com.

Thanks,

- fil

Posted by fil

Have you heard the one about the computer that ate shit in the middle of a zine deadline? Yeah? Maybe because the exact same thing happened at the same point in the making of the last issue. Logic board failure? Tell me about it.

So yeah, my computer just died. It’s probably why I haven’t written you back yet. Luckily I have everything backed up and I didn’t lose anything, but it’s still gonna be quite a setback. If I try to get it fixed again, it’ll take over a week and even then, it’s only guaranteed to work for 90 days. If I bite the bullet and buy a new computer, it’ll probably take me a week just to get it running the proper programs and all that.

So, good news for advertisers. You get more time. The new deadline for ads for Issue #6 is 11:59pm EDT Friday, April 30th, 2010.

In other news, the printer that we’ve used for every issue of GMB, Alonzo Printing, has suddenly shut their doors after over 30 years of business. So, we’re looking for a new printer. If you know of any printers near the Mid-Atlantic area who do good work on newsprint, please get in touch.

- fil

still good:
Dead Friends • Live
Partyline • Live (esp. between songs)
Body Cop • Live
Deathrats • Live
Brickshitter • Live
Spark • CD (from Serbia)
Ernie K Doe • “Reaping What I Sow”
The Electrodes • “Go Away”
Buddy Knox • ”I think I’m Gonna Kill Myself”
Jesse James • “I’m Alright”

Posted by fil

For this issue I wanted to wait until we had most of the content together before I announced an ad deadline. This way it’s easier to predict when the issue will be out and the ads will all still be fresh and relevant.

Now is the time. Issue six is entering the editing stage. If you are interested in advertising in our new issue, please get in touch. We will need your ad file (preferably a Tiff) and payment by Thursday, April 15th 2010.

This issue will feature interviews with Gainesville Florida’s ASSHOLE PARADE, the Bay Area’s PUNCH, New York’s STUPID PARTY, plus an interview with LAYLA GIBBON of MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL, and an article on East Bay BUS SHOWS. We might be squeezing in an extra feature too, which I’m excited about, if we get it in time. This issue also features some great new columns by KATY OTTO, TRAVIS MAGOO, HOPE AMICO, JULIA BOOZE, and KEITH ROSSON. And, new to this issue, we also have our first column from AL BURIAN.

This should turn out to be a great issue and if all goes well, it should be out by May. I’ve been adopting new organizational tactics prescribed by some friend in the “real newspaper business,” so if this new discipline is effective, in an ideal world, Issue #7 should come out in September. I’m gonna be sending out the first batch of records and zines to be reviewed for that issue before I get too swallowed up in the editing and layout stages of this issue. So we’ll see how that goes. I’m also soliciting Feature ideas for Issue #7 now. If you have an idea for a story that you would like to write or if there is a person, project, or band that you think should be interviewed in our next issue, please get in touch.

- fil

PS. Here are a few things that have kept me interested in life lately.

DEAD FRIENDS • live
NUTS #4
Watching some 8-bit DJ do a youth crew jump while rocking out on their GameBoy.
BODYCOP • live
Trudging through the mud, crisscrossing Rock Creek Park in search of “The Ruins”
WIRE • Pink Flag LP
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
X • Aspirations
Planetariums
Eritrean food
PALATKA

PPS. Right now, as I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the portrait gallery, which sometimes doubles as one of my “offices” and they’re setting up for some fancy-ass event with a dinner table that must be over 100 feet long, towering vases filled with white candles floating in water, and every plate has three wine glasses. Just sayin. It’s a funny place to sit while editing reviews for records like the HOLY SHIT/TURD HUNGRY CHRIST split 7″.

Posted by fil

The new issue is in the works, but I’m out of town, on tour for a couple weeks with The Max Levine Ensemble, so I’m not going to be able to send out any more distro boxes of zines right now. If you want to order individual issues, you can get them from some fine distributors such as Microcosm, To Live a Lie, and Razorcake, just off the top of my head.

xoxo,

fil

P.S. Tour Highlights:

Layers/Quake - live in Philly

Blue moon

Reggae Shack in Gainesville

House show in Denton, TX with Mass Sterilization (most prompt show ever! At 7:55 there were only 5 people there and no PA head. By 8:05 there were over thirty people rockin out to the first band and there was a constant flow of people and beers coming in until the place was packed with 75 people. The three bands played, the cops showed up and everybody left by 10:00)

Rats and Birds - live in Las Cruces

Habaneros in Las Cruces

Posted by fil

I fucking love the summer, it just finally started to feel like summer a few weeks ago and yet, at the same time, I’m ready for it to end. It’s not the heat. If anything I wish it was hotter—so hot that all you can think about when you wake up is how you’re gonna get in some water—but at the same time, I’m ready for a change. Even the nicest weather gets old after a while. That’s why I don’t live in California anymore. I’m ready for some cold and darkness and less expectations for everyday to be the best day ever. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy a few more weeks of riding bikes in shorts and sweating and a few last trips to the rope swing.  

Good news: Some friends have recently found small stacks of Issue #4 and have brought them back, so for the time being all issues are back in stock!

Issue #6 is well on its way. Reviewers have their records and zines and multiple interviews are in progress. Just a couple days ago I did an interview with Asshole Parade that was pretty fun, so I’m excited to see how that turns out as well as the other potential articles that are being worked on at the moment.

In unrelated news, I’m in an ongoing battle with bedbugs, threw out my bed, washed everything in borax and covered everything else in Diatomaceous Earth. Now I’m tediously going through every stupid box I own looking for parasites and purging myself of unnecessary bullshit, especially considering how much moving I do.

I went up to NY last weekend to see a show that renewed my faith in things. It was the perfect combination of good people, good bands, and a comfortable space. ADD/C, Future Virgins, Passive Aggressor, and The Forgetters all ruled and it was just really nice to be able to look around and see so many punks over thirty, or at least close, and still getting rowdy and heckling and dancing and having a good time. I guess there’s a bigger age gap here in DC and maybe it didn’t really hit me until recently. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Over-thirty-punks come out of hiding!

- fil

Posted by fil

Issue #5 is out and making its way around!

Look for it at your local punk record stores or distros and if you don’t see it in your area, you can distribute them from us for the cost of shipping. All advertisers’ copies, pre-ordered copies, and pre-ordered distro boxes are being sent out to you now. 

This issue features interviews with Pygmy Lush, Dead Friends, Kimya Dawson, Next Victim (from Poland), and artist Sean Mahan. Also, it’s larger than the last few issues, at 64 pages, and it’s packed with a ton of record reviews, book and zine reviews, photos, and columns from: Katy Otto, Travis Magoo, Keith Rosson, Hope Amico, Julia Booze, The Down There Health Collective, a guest column from Stephen Pierce and another addition to the rotating Teacher Column.

If you’ve picked it up already, we’d love to get some feedback from you. We’re already working on the next issue and have some exciting features lined up, but as always, we’re still looking for new, excited, self-motivated contributors, so if you have any ideas, please get in touch.

E-mail givemebackzine at hotmail dot com.

xoxo,
fil

Posted by fil

 
Issue number five will be out soon. We are still accepting last minute ads but it’s in the final stages and I’ve made an office for myself at a local library and can be found there 6-10 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, trying to get it finished. I can’t wait to get it out so I can concentrate on the next issue, which already has a couple interviews done. Hopefully it will be the fastest issue yet.

Issue number five features Interviews with PYGMY LUSH, DEAD FRIENDS, NEXT VICTIM (from Poland), KIMYA DAWSON, and artist SEAN MAHAN. Plus great columns from Travis Magoo, Katy Otto, Julia Booze, Hope Amico, Keith Rosson, The Down There Health Collective and the rotating Teacher Column.

Also, I think this issue contains more reviews than ever before, which reminds me:

WE HAVE A NEW REVIEW POLICY.

Most people are aware of our “no barcode” policy, which is supposed to limit the amount of irrelevant, glossy, radio-friendly crap that gets sent to us. It’s supposed to make it so that we don’t have to make decisions based on genre’s or what is or isn’t “punk enough.” Unfortunately a lot of crap has been sneaking through without a barcode recently and it’s largely coming from little PR companies.

So, starting with Issue Number Six, we will only accept review materials that are sent in by the artists, bands, authors, zinesters, publishers, or record labels themselves. No big deal. We just spend a lot of time and energy on the review process, and space is limited, so we need to save it for the people who care enough to actually send us their stuff for themselves.

Sorry, PR companies, you’ll have to save your shit for Alternative Press and college radio stations.

Posted by fil

So, now that the millions of inauguration-maniacs have finally gone as jovially as they came, the rest of us stateless citizens of this fine city can get back to work (and finally back into Ben’s Chili Bowl which had lines out the door all week.) What I’m trying to say is that it has been a while, but issue number five should be out by March. 

I did go down and join the crazy crowds last week and it was fun, although I will say that the immediate aftermath was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to what I imagine the apocalypse to be like. Masses of tired, hungry, frozen people trudging through mountains of shredded commemorative newspapers, used-up hand-warmers, and discarded little american flags only to be herded through a giant highway tunnel to get to the other side of the city. Under the parade. It was also a new experience to be in a huge crowd surrounded by police… without conflict.

 In other news: Issues two through four are almost sold out, so for now, unless someone around here finds a box in their van or closet, we’re going to have to hold off on sending out anymore distro boxes until issue number five comes out. So, no more DISTRO BOX orders until issue five comes out.

However: ALL FOUR ISSUES ARE STILL AVAILABLE individually for mailorder.

Thanks for reading and feel free to e-mail givemebackzine at hotmail dot com if you have any questions.

- Fil

Unrelated: Beck and I went up to NY this weekend and saw Sam McPheeters and Daniel Higgs play back to back (figuratively) and it was great!  

Posted by fil

Issue number four is out and we’re working on number five, but it’s going to be delayed a little because i’m on tour with Margaret Thrasher for a month.

If you live in Europe come say hello.

xoxo,
fil

15 sept : Paris, France, @ Le Parvis de Bagnolet (+ Hjertestop + Night fever.)
16 sept : Liege, Belgium, @ Carlo Levi (+ Hjertestop + Night Fever.)
17 sept : Rumelange, Luxembourg. @ Yellow Cello Bar (+ The Sioux)
18 sept : Kortrijk, Belgium @ The Pit's
19 sept : Day off
20 sept : Osnabruck, Germany @ Liebigstrasse (+ Hjertestop + Night Fever)
21 sept: Copenhague, Denmark, @ Loppen (Christiania)
22 sept: Berlin, Germany @ Koma F (Kopi)
23 sept: Leipzig, Germany @ Zorro (+ Freedumb)
24 sept: Olsztyn, Poland, @ Molotov Cafe
25 sept: Day Off
26 sept: Warsaw, Poland, @ Elba squat
27 sept: Lublin, Poland, @ Tektura (+ Ghost Mice, Lies Feed the Machine, K.ill Discipline)
28 sept: Bratislava, Slovakia. Czech? Poland? Help.
29 sept: Česky Těsin, Czech Republic, @ Liberte
30 sept: Prague, Czech Republic, @ Klub 007 (+ Armagedom + Morkimmel)
1 oct: Vienne, Austria, @ EKH
2 oct: Budapest, Hungary @ Almassy utca 1 (+ Something Against You + The Snobs)
3 oct: Beltinci , Slovenia, @ Ambasada.
4 oct : Bologna, Italy @ Atlantide (+ PestFest + Cobretti)
5 oct: Torino, Italy, @ Mezcal
6 oct: Day off
7 oct: Grenoble, France @ some punk house in the mountains (+Zeppo)
8 oct: Toulouse, France, @ Pavillons Sauvages
9 oct: Day off
10 oct: Barcelona, Spain
11 oct: 11 oct: Bilbao, Basque Country, @ Ateneo Izar Beltz (+ Raiser + another local band)
12 oct: Zarautz, Basque Country, @ Gaztezxe squat
13 oct: Bordeaux, France, @ La Centrale
14 oct: Lyon, France @ Grrnd Gerland (+ Off With Their Heads)

Posted by fil