It’s finally here! We’re excited to invite you to check out the second edition of our new quarterly digital zine. This time around we look at recent and upcoming Memphis based releases, bring you inside the room for special discussions lead by local luminaries, and make sure you’re caught up on what’s been happening around town since our inaugural edition dropped a few months back.
This time around you’ll find pieces on folk rocker Mark Edgar Stuart‘s fresh approach to creating his forthcoming LP, a look back at our inaugural LoFi in HiFi session at the Memphis Listening Lab with legendary horrorcore producer Blackout, and a conversation with Jeff Bransford, one of the minds helping to shape the recently launched downtown Riverbeat Festival. There is also a feature article on a rare Memphis soul sample that became part of one of the most massive hip hop records of all time, and a few origin stories pulled from a Shangri-La sponsored conversation with James Alexander, a store favorite personality and the bassist and sole remaining member of the all-time great Stax soul and funk act, The Bar-Kays. We also get a Memphis drumming influences check-in with nonstop musician, bandleader, and Sun Studio knowledge repository, Graham Winchester, as well as a quick trip around the shop talking about some favorite artists and albums with air traffic controller and in-demand WYXR DJ Alpha Whiskey. Lots to dig into so get your readers out, your scrolling finger ready, and dive in!
We’ve also thrown together a Spotify playlist full of tracks from featured artists, Memphis releases from this quarter, as well as a number of other songs or artists referenced throughout this edition of the magazine. Give it a listen and share it around. We hope you find some new favorites amidst the classics.