Diana "Got Twang?" Quinn writes:
>on Twangthang.com
>y'know, after i registered the domain name (twangthang) i thought -- gee
>i hope that no one gets mad at me -- but i couldn't resist, and, besides,
>we've been bantering about the twangthang in DC for years (Bill
>Kirchen's twangabilly) -- as well as the newer "it's a twang thang you
>wouldn't understand" -- so it just came naturally -- but please forgive me
>if anyone feel the slightest bit encroached, and that includes jeff's
>twangzine and any other twangs out there. As far as I'm concerned,
>though, it's a fair focus and a good moniker for whatever holds
>"alt-country" or "alt.country" or whatever-it-is together.
I wrote Diana off-list & explained I was joshing. The world needs more
twang, right?
>I also first thought: well maybe there are too many people out there doing
>the "alt-country" ezine thang -- but I don't think we can have enough
>folks proselytizing on the internet -- and I KNOW that the folks in my part
>of the world playing this kind of music -- some who have been doing it
>for more than 20-odd years -- need some deserved attention net-wise,
>and that's my slant.
This is a Good Thing. We do need more zines (print and web) -- remember how
people were comparing alternative country music with the punk movement? The
thought crossed my mind (and then was trampled over by that steamroller
called Work, sheesh) that there were a good solid rack of zines back in the
old days that would compare with No Depression in distribution and
influence (Slash, Maximum Rock 'n Roll, New York Rocker, Search & Destroy,
etc.) and a *slew* of smaller ones. And there are still a gazillion punk
zines around -- probably *most* of the music & alt-culture zines on the Web
are punk/alt rock based. Anyway. Having only one (general) Big Time Zine
for alternative country is like having *only* Slash or *only* Maximum Rock
'n' Roll or *only* Search and Destroy. So somebody with lots of money
please start another one. 8-)
I think it's really important that more zines with different slants and
different personalities spring up on the Web, even if they do all have the
same name <g>. And I'm really glad that Diana is focusing on some of the
older bands, who get lost in the rush to find the "next big thing."
So welcome Twang Thang! Just remember when you start getting mail meant for
Jeff Wall that I said, "Told ya so." 8-)
--Cheryl Cline
Still Twangin'
