As 2011 has come to an end, we are taking a look back at some of our favorite posts of the year by our guest editors.
With a major-label distribution deal right out of the chute, Candy Butchers seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of other smart, song-focused, melody-driven, ’90s outfits like Ben Folds Five and Fountains Of Wayne before the proverbial window of opportunity slammed shut circa 1997. Since then, seemingly unflappable leader Mike Viola has kept plugging away, fending off adversity in his personal life (his first wife died of cancer) and overall public indifference to get his music out there, whether as himself, under the Candy Butchers moniker, on film soundtracks or elsewhere. Viola’s new solo release, Electro De Perfecto (Good Morning Monkey/Hornblow), is a slickly produced celebration of a versatile songwriter in his prime, one who deserves a little more love. Viola will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Viola: Remember joke shops? There used to be tons of them. Stan’s Joke Shop in Brockton, Mass., didn’t really sell jokes beyond hand buzzers, candy that made your mouth black and trick gum. They mostly sold adult toys and masks with a section of magazines. Mostly Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler and Oui but mixed in there was Famous Monsters Of Filmland, Mad and Cracked. The place was actually run by Stan. He smoked cigars all the time, yet the store was overpowered by the smell of mildew and latex. It was a great place to burn a day, a hiding place when skipping school. I was mostly attracted to the artwork on the covers of Famous Monsters and the advertisements for cool monster stuff in the back that you could order by mail but never did. The mag is still going strong after 50 years. Mostly ’cause of older dorks like me who grew up on it and are pathetically holding on to this shred of fantasy and have the nine bucks to blow. Big deal. It’s innocent, it’s esoteric and niche (if you’re looking for a pop-culture escape, that is). One thing missing from the recent issues are the advertisements in the back of FM (I buy them anyway just because). The thing to do is go to a good comic book store and buy an original copy of Famous Monsters. It might cost you 25 bucks an issue, but they are a work of art. If you like drawings of monsters … I know I know …
Video after the jump.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXFvxsjocyI&feature=related
