December 2016 Issue Out Now

Hello All-

The new issue of Tangents Magazine is now on the newsstands. Go to tangentsmag.com, or danielcoston.blogspot.com for more of the new issue.

Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you for an amazing year. We've got some great things in the works for 2017. Stay tuned, and see you soon,
-Daniel
December 21, 2016

December 2016 Issue Coming Soon!

Hello all-

The December 2016 issue of Tangents is almost ready! Stay tuned for more news,  or stop in to-

tangentsmag.com

See you soon,
-Daniel
November 26, 2016

The October 2016 Issue Of Tangents Is Now Available!

Tangentsmag.com, or on newsstands throughout Charlotte.
-Daniel
October 5, 2016

August Issue Is Out/New Website!

Hello All-

The August issue of Tangents Magazine is now available! New stories, new interviews, new weirdness. We also have a new website to see all of this! Set your coordinates to-

www.tangentsmag.com

for all the new comings and goings. This blog will also stay active as a place for items from Tangents' history. Many thanks, and safe travels,
-Daniel
August 24, 2016

Announcing The Official Return Of Tangents Magazine

We’re proud to announce the return of Tangents Magazine, the lauded freeform magazine that excited and rattled the city of Charlotte during the 1990s, to the newsstands in May. Tangents was a popular ‘zine that originally ran from 1995 to 1998, pushing the bounds of covering arts, music and culture in Charlotte. Tangents was freewheeling, opinionated and proud of its rough edges. Each issue had its own character and surprises. Tangents won national awards for its work, despite being put together each month by a small group of writers, photographers and artists.

After returning last year for what was intended at the time to be a one-off surprise 20th anniversary issue, the overwhelming response convinced the original staff to returnTangents to full-time status. Tangents was and will again be a free magazine, available at various locations all over Charlotte. You’ll recognize some of the names involved with this new edition of the magazine, as well as new voices and new ideas. And, well, new weirdness. Tangents is currently planning to be released bi-monthly in 2016, with plans for more issues in 2017.

Tangents will celebrate its return with a free party at the Evening Muse on May 14th from 2pm to 5pm. The official release date for the new issue is May 15th, and this party will also serve as the first place that people can pick up copies of the new issue. The fantastic singer and songwriter Mike Strauss will also perform at the party. The Evening Muse is at the corner of 36th and North Davidson, in the heart of the NoDa area. The Evening Muse is one of the best live music venues in the Southeast, and just celebrated their 15th anniversary.

For more information, contact Carl Fulmer at tangentsmagazine@gmail.com.

The New Issue Is Almost Done/Interested In Advertising?

Hello All-

The next issue of Tangents Magazine, and our first regular issue since 1998, is almost ready for you. It will be on the newsstands on May 1st.

Are you interested in writing for the magazine? Distributing copies? But most importantly, are you interested in buying an ad in the new issue? Contact Carl Fulmer at tangentsmagazine@gmail.com, or tangentsmag95@gmail.com. We're here to help... take your money.

The time has come. Let's Rock.
-Daniel
March 15, 2016

Steve Munsell/Contagious Graphics Article, August 1996 Issue

Designing Men

by Cindy Sites
August, 1996 volume 1, number 12

Steve Munsell started working with graphics about eight years ago. “I wanted to do a punk rock fanzine,” he says. Hoping he could learn to keep expenses down, Munsell took a graphics class. He did the ’zine, and as he puts it, “now here I am.” Indeed he is — you can’t drive two blocks without seeing his work decorating cars, telephone poles or store windows. The Üblisch stickers have to be the most successful sticker campaign by any local band.

Munsell claims to have “no talent” for drawing, though he admits, “I have a good eye for assembling clip art.” His work spans from unusual typefaces (on the Üblisch and assfactor 4 stickers) to what he calls “’50s pop art posters.” These larger, multicolor poster versions of some of his flyers are simply gorgeous.

Munsell likes to use cartoon figures with thought balloons, and other weird images (devils, motorcycles, 18-wheelers). A poster he did for a Buzzov-en show features a neon-colored astronaut blowing his brains out with a raygun. Seeing examples of his work here in black-and-white can’t do justice to the originals.

Despite his distinctive style, Munsell says the most important quality of a design is “legibility. I think [graphic art] should be for the common people, not the artistic crowd.”

Speaking of ornate designs, why have flyers in Charlotte gotten so much fancier in the last few years? “It’s all due to the age of the home computer,” Munsell believes. “I think it helps to be more eye-pleasing, but when someone does something simpler, people don’t notice the difference.” A delicate balance must be struck between artistry and practicality.

Aside from designing and printing, Munsell also does some distribution. He’s got a scheme for handing out flyers: “I always go, ‘Ah, would you like a free sheet of paper advertising my band?’” Anyone who’s ever handed out flyers knows that a lot of people are reluctant to accept them. Munsell comments on “the funny stuff people say … I think mostly people just say, ‘I’ve already got one.’” Once, a guy who Munsell had given a flyer gave the flyer back to him later that night, using the same “free sheet of paper” line.

Of all his different types of work — t-shirts, stickers, flyers, posters and newspaper ads — he usually enjoys doing t-shirts the most, “because you have more room to work with, you can have a bigger image. Flyers too, because they can be really funny” (i.e. the aforementioned cartoon characters, devils and suicidal astronauts).

T-shirts must be fun, because Munsell wants to start doing his own line of them in the future.

Nosey as the question is, one has to wonder if freelance graphic design is something a person could make a living at in Charlotte. “The whole printing business is feast or famine … you can make a living at it, but sometimes it’s hard. There are short spells and tall spells,” Munsell admits. He recently got a steady-paying job doing the same things he does on his own.

Devin Thompson got his start in graphic design about three years ago, when he and some friends started throwing parties in an 8th Street warehouse. “When we started throwing parties there [I did flyers], and I had help from other people who lived there,” he says. “Victor at Kinko’s taught me a lot on the computer.”

About that computer — Thompson has a preference. “Macintosh is much better for graphics, when you get a fast one.” His most useful tool is a SyQuest portable hard drive, “which makes things super easy,” he says. He loads his software into the SyQuest. “I like manipulating artwork,” he says, so computers are important to his work. He admits, “I’m not a very good artist with a pen, but with a computer it’s different.”

His work has expanded from party flyers, to flyers for club shows, ads for clubs, membership cards and tickets. He gets ideas for his work from “feedback from people. Jody [Baha owner] has helped me a lot,” Thompson says.

Thompson, like Munsell, considers readability the most important factor in flyer design. “It’s pretty much worthless to put up a flyer that nobody can read,” he asserts. “Sometimes the most simple flyers are the best ones … Electro-luxe’s flyers have simple letters. Simple things are eye-catching,” Thompson says.

That said, he does believe the art on a flyer is important, which is obvious from looking at his ominous work. “It definitely helps to have an eye-catching, two-color flyer,” he says. As for paper stock, Thompson has found that “thin paper is a real turn-off.” A good quality flyer, he believes, can be folded up, stuck in a pocket and survive a couple of runs through the washer and dryer.

Thompson does most of his own flyer distribution. “There are some people who don’t want to be bothered. I just walk up and say, ‘Here, put this in your pocket,’” he says.

As for his other work, his ads for the Baha and Pterodactyl clubs can be found in local entertainment papers. You might run across one of Thompson’s Septic Tank stickers or t-shirts.

When asked about his favorite kind of graphics to work on, Thompson jokingly replies, “I guess driver’s licenses, social security cards and birth certificates are my favorite. It’s amazing how well a 600 dpi color printer prints.” (It's a joke.)

Thompson’s future may include tape and CD covers. As for other plans? “I’m pretty much open to anything. I don’t have anything particular in mind. I’d like to get more practice with four-color separation. I’d like to do some rave flyers … I’ll do anything, unless it’s a Christian organization.” His ominous style isn’t exactly holy.

Jeff Clayton says he started drawing “as soon as I could pick up a pen or pencil and know kinda what to do with it.” Unlike Munsell and Thompson, Clayton draws his work by hand. “I’ve never used a computer. I don’t know how to use a computer. I don’t know when I’ll learn, either,” he laughs.

Though Clayton does a lot of Antiseen’s art, he does hire other artists. “I hired an artist named Krites, who did some work on our CD that’s not out yet. Nick Boogas, who also gets hired by Charles Manson and Anton LaVey; a guy named Chas Bally — these guys, their art I admire a whole lot, even if people say it looks like what I do. I guess that’s why I like ‘em, ‘cause we’re kinda doing the same thing, even though I think these guys are a lot better. I think I’ve got a lot to learn from these guys,” Clayton says.

As for the famous Antiseen logo: “A friend of mine typeset that for me a long time ago, and we’ve used it ever since. I like it because it’s bold, easy to read, unlike a lot of these death metal groups, that you’ve got to hold it back, turn it upside down,” chuckles Clayton.

Clayton’s done art for G.G. Allin, Cotton Noose, Rancid Vat, Jesus Crust, Alcoholics Unanimous, Knifedance, Seducer — “a lot more, over the years,” Clayton says. Obviously, he thinks band art is important. “It says a lot. There are groups who put abstract paintings on them, and I guess a certain crowd understands and appreciates that, but I would never pick it up … but somebody’s head exploding or something, I would look at. That’s just me. I’m also a fan of having the band on the cover. That doesn’t happen a lot anymore. In the ’60s and ’70s, the group was always on the front. That’s why we’re always on the front,” says Clayton.

In addition to record covers, Clayton has designed t-shirts, CD covers and posters. “I really don’t have the time to do it full time, or I would. I really enjoy it. The groups I work for, everything they ask for is right up my alley,” he enthuses. “A local group called the Reviled asked for a boar, a goat and a hyena holding guns and stuff, and I said, ‘I can do that. That sounds like something I’d like to do.’ ...[other bands] have just said, ‘Go, whatever you want to do.’ But I have to tell ‘em I don’t do realistic, portrait, airbrush-looking stuff. I tried that when I was still discovering what I’m best suited for. Regular black-and-white, pen-and-ink style is what I’ve done for years,” he says.

Clayton's influences aren't hard to spot. “I was real influenced by the old cartoons, ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Merry Melodies, Harmon and Isling; as a matter of fact the Repo Man [in Repo ads] is a direct rip-off — the eyes, mouth, white gloves. I love that stuff. I appreciate the new stuff, but it kinda gets out of my realm of understanding. I’ve also designed a lot of tattoos for people, I design a lot of my own.” He shows his newest tattoo, a black-ink cartoon worm with spilling guts and bug-eyes. Clayton adds that underground comic artist R. Crumb is a huge influence on his work.

“I like doing covers for albums that have a general theme and they want something that’ll connect with the title," Clayton continues. "Especially when I sit with whoever it is and we bounce off ideas, kinda out-sicken each other … I like sick characters, physically sick-looking … not over-the-top gore. I’ve done a lot of that, people ask for it. I think the one picture I’ve drawn that’s been used the most was the first thing I did for G.G. Allin. He had a microphone stuck up his butt and he was getting ready to eat into a giant pile of shit. That one’s been used a lot, it’s still being used to this day … after he died it really got into circulation. I gave him the original, but I have the right to reproduce it if I want to. I’ve seen a lot of kids with it on the back of their jackets,” Clayton says.

For ideas, Clayton says, “I watch a lot of horror movies, a lot of wrestling, the exact same sources we get our songs from: cartoons, horror movies, wrestling, Nick at Nite. I watch that continuously. The TV never gets cut off in our house.”

It seems that not many women seem to do graphic design, at least in Charlotte. Clayton remembers that “back at the start of the American hardcore movement, there was a woman named Shawn Carrey, she was great. She was a real influence on a lot of the stuff I’ve done. She did a lot of band logos and record covers that are deemed classics, like the Circle Jerks’ little skanker guy.”

Reactions to Clayton’s work vary. “It’s definitely geared to a certain audience. It’s hand-in-hand with what I do musically; it’s definitely aimed at that crowd. I just don’t do anything slick and high-tech enough to appeal to a mass audience. It’s real underground.” Like Antiseen, though, it’s safe to say that Clayton’s art is legendary.

The next time you’re out at a club, take the flyer that’s offered to you. Look at it closely. The same goes for those ads, stickers and t-shirts. It’s among the best art in Charlotte, and you don’t have to be an art snob to appreciate it.

Banned In Charlotte Article, September 1996 issue

Tangents: Banned In Charlotte and Loving It

Daniel Coston
September 1996
volume 2, number 1

Over the past year, many of you have followed what’s become known as our “banned counter,” or how many locations Tangents has been thrown out of.

We originally had no intention of keeping track of such things, but after a few restaurants and coffeehouses tossed Tangents away, claiming we were “obscene,” it became a private joke within our staff as to how many places we’d currently been banned from. When we first printed the number of banned locations on the cover of our fourth issue, our reader response was immediate. Unfortunately, so was our distributors’.

The human race is a funny bunch, boys and girls. Too many people are concerned about doing what’s perceived as right, i.e. what “everyone else” is doing. When some people see that Tangents has been banned by some places, they immediately think there must be something horrible about us, yet do not dare reading us for themselves and (Eureka!) forming their own opinion.

Within a few months, the number of banned locations ballooned from five to 14, and was threatening to spiral even further out of control. Realizing that some people weren’t getting the joke, we put the “banned counter” on page 2 along with our listing of those numerous brave souls that still carry us. Since then, we haven’t been banned from any further locations.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind being thrown out of those locations so much if they had the guts to tell us their decision to our faces. Each one would meekly mumble something like, “Don’t put your papers here,” and then run off to another part of the store, or an underling would be sent to tell us, “The boss said …”

We once received a fax from a Major Music Retail Store (that still carries us in two of their other locations in town). When I went to talk to the manager who sent us the fax (and turned out to be a former high school classmate of mine), she immediately launched into a lengthy (and stupid) five-minute tirade about how offensive our magazine is. There’s nothing more satisfying than having a dipstick, whose self-esteem is as plastic as their name tag, chastising me about the bad decisions I’ve made in my life.

One of the reasons we’ve survived is another human trait: acceptance. You’ve sought us out and told us how much you like this magazine, and for that, we’re eternally grateful. Even those who still don’t know what to make of us have realized we’re here to stay and have accepted us as part of this city’s plethora of information sources.

If you find a location that refuses to carry Tangents, ask for it and make sure the owners follow through. Maybe then they’ll do what’s “right.”

Editor's Letter, First Issue, September 1995

First letter from the editor

Tangents is not a new magazine for men who want to get a tan. We are a rough collection of writers, graphic artists, photographers and music lovers who want to develop a 'zine that will serve both us and the reading public of the Charlotte area. We will cover local and regional theater, music, comedy, writing and art.

There are many regional artists, writers and poets who are looking for a place to display their work. We will attract these creative individuals by giving them a free hand with their creations.For you the reader, this will mean a unique publication with many different flavors and influences.

The music scene in the Charlotte area is an odd mixture of metal, grunge, goth, techno, rock-a-billy, blue grass, country and many hybrids. We feel that any musician or band that has the gumption to get up on stage and take a stab at pleasing an audience deserves our attention. Our music writers will help you decide whether or not it will be worth your time to buy their CD/tape or pay to go see them. We will include local and national music reviews that our writers feel you will enjoy reading.

While there are many sources for restaurant reviews, we will give you reviews of places to hang out and have a beer or cup of coffee. Over the last couple of years, Charlotte has been getting quite a few places that are perfect for this. These places include coffee shops, dessert shops, bookstores and pubs. We will tell you about the atmosphere and the attitude of the people.

Unless you have been under a rock for the last decade, you know Charlotte has been an explosive market for sports. The problem has been that if you were not interested in football, basketball or golf, then you were out of luck. Our sports section will cover other sports such as mountain biking, hacky sack, Frisbee golf, minor league football or any previously ignored sports activity. then again if Kerry Collins walks in and wants to confess to a love for croquet, who are we to deny him some story space.

Feature and news articles are strange creatures. What is interesting to one person will be a tranquilizer to thousands of others. We want to do biting new stories or features that will be useful to the reader. We do not promise not to go over previously covered ground. If we do, we promise to take a different point of view. We welcome suggestions from you the reader for this section.

As Tangents matures, we will change. As we change, we will strive to bring you a 'zine worth spending your time with. We want your suggestions, criticism and thoughts. In return we only ask one thing ... Share it with a friend, and for God's sake, DON'T PITCH THIS RAG!

It Looks Sad Interview

It Looks Sad: At First Glance

by Daniel Coston

With only a handful of songs released over the past four songs, It Looks Sad has received a large amount of national press and accolades. Formed in Charlotte in 2012, the quartet (Jimmy Turner, Josh Wilson, Aimee Jenschke and Alex Ruiz) have already toured much of the country, and received glowing reviews from national reviews. All this for a band that has released one four-song EP in 2014, and a few singles on the Carolinas-based record label, Tiny Engines. The sound of It Looks Sad recalls a time in the early 1990s when Indie Rock was young, and the possibilities seemed endless. Wtih the band still at work on their first full-length, Alex Ruiz checked in with Tangents for a quick chat. 

Tangents:  How did It Looks Sad come together?

Alex Ruiz: Just a bunch of friends and friends of friends who got together and decided to make a band.

Tangents: How would you describe the sound of this band?

Ruiz: We sound like that feel when you're half asleep and someone's talking to you, but you're too sad to care.

Tangents: How has the band’s sound changed from the beginning, to now?

Ruiz: The new album we're working still has sounds like the eps we put out. maybe a little different.

Tangents: Where did the band’s name come from? 

Ruiz: It's a secret.

Tangents: You all play out of town a fair amount. Was that also a decision that you made early on?

Ruiz: I think every band wants to play out of town shows when they start out.

Tangents: What are the pros and cons of touring?

Ruiz: Touring is awesome. I personally like sleeping on people's floors. The only thing I hate is needing to pee all the time while driving and not being able to stop every couple of miles.

Tangents: Which recording do you think captures your sound the best, to date? Has that recording been made yet?

Ruiz: “Creature" was an old song that we didn't put on the first EP, but we all loved it and wanted to release it, and “Nagoya" was the first song we wrote together after the first EP came out.

Tangents: Where do you draw inspirations for your songs?

Ruiz: Just the way we're feeling at the moment.

Tangents: How would you describe your audience?

Ruiz: The best. We appreciate everyone who comes to see us. Everyone's been really nice.

Tangents: Your music isn’t easy to define. Do labels, or genre questions, get in the way of people discovering, or even enjoying music?

Ruiz: I'm sure it does. Not something I've really ever thought about though. People who like good music will find good music.

Tangents: Finish this sentence. When it comes down to it, It Looks Sad is….

Ruiz: Trying to finish a record.

Show Talk This Friday

Hi Everyone-

This is Daniel, one of the original staffers of Tangents Magazine. I'm doing a show talk this Friday at the Charlotte Museum Of History. This talk will cover some of the Tangents era photos, and how the influence of the magazine has stayed with me for twenty years. Come by and say hello.

This Friday! January 15th! Charlotte Museum of History! I'll be giving about my photography career (so far), and the photos that make sure my current exhibit at the Museum, with a few surprises. Free admission, and food and drink will be available. Reeve Coobs plays at 6pm, and the trouble (as Mark Twain once said) will begin around 7pm. Hope to see you there.

Jimmy Brown, Bassh/Matrimony Interview

Jimmy Brown: Bassh & Pop
by Daniel Coston

Jimmy Brown has seen his share of changes. A native of Ireland, Brown had traveled the world before moving to Charlotte, NC, and forming the popular band Matrimony with his wife Ashlee Hardee. Brown’s latest change involves a new band, a new sound and location. Last year, Brown and brother-in-law (and Matrimony bandmate) C.J. Hardee made their way to Nashville, TN for a new project with Band Of Horses bassist Bill Reynolds. The resulting sound, now under the moniker of Bassh, is miles away from the sound of Matrimony, and allows Brown to further delve into the role of frontman. Now living in Nashville, Brown and Bassh will debut in Charlotte on January 23rd with a show at the Neighborhood Theatre. Brown checked in via email to talk about his new band, and his future plans.

Daniel Coston: How did Bassh come together?

Jimmy Brown: C.J. [Hardee] and I had been writing tunes together more and more and they weren't sounding like "Matrimony" tunes so we decided to make a record.

Coston: What was it about the sound that the three of you (with Bill Reynolds) made that excited you?

Brown: The timing felt right for all three of us and the energy was there. We worked long days and nights and really put our guts into this one. When we listened back, the work sounded surprisingly good. I remember looking around the room asking the others if I played that part or if they did. It was swirly few weeks but a healthy dose of chaos seems to lend itself well to these types of things.

Coston: How would you describe the music of Bassh?

Brown: Druggy emmo indie rock pop type stuff.

Coston: How do you think that the lyrics that you’re writing for Bassh is different than what you wrote for Matrimony, or any of your other creations?

Brown: I'm in a new place in life, new city, new friends, new outlooks, etc.. It's only natural to write from that existence.

Coston: How are Bassh’s new songs translating to a live setting?

Brown: We shall see Jan 23 & 24, as those are our first shows. Five piece band, but you may not see all of us due to the amount of smoke on the stage.

Coston: How is being a frontman for Bassh different than any other band that you’ve been involved with?

Brown: I love the challenge of morphing into a new thing. I think we should be always evolving and pushing ourselves beyond what we've done so this is unchartered territory for me, and I fucking love feeling scared and excited at the same time!

Coston: What are Bassh’s touring plans?

Brown: US nationwide tour dates TBA soon!

Coston: How are things in Nashville? You moved out there in the past several months.

Brown: Been here a year now and I honestly can't imagine living anywhere else. Cool spot.

Coston: What plans are there for Matrimony in the future? We got a show May 28 at The Fillmore in Charlotte to help raise money for the homeless folks of Charlotte. Aside from that we've no "plans" but Ashlee and I have written a few songs together recently, and we've been toying with the idea of cutting them, but honestly Bassh and her solo project are our focus for now.

Coston: Finish this sentence. The future of Bassh is….

Brown: Release music, tour the world putting on crazy shows, write, record.