Zine Review: Raw Analog by Andrea Knight

   I have always had a deep affection for music photo zines. To get a glimpse of shows and performers I never got to see in the flesh is always a treat. Or if I had been fortunate to experience the live show, it's great to go back and revel in the nostalgia. To see the looks of excitement, contemplation, and sometimes horror on the faces in the crowd are priceless.  Photos don't even have to be very good for me to appreciate that someone took the time to step back and document a moment in time and, in best cases, create a lasting piece of history of the scene. 

   Keeping with that long tradition of music photo zines is Andrea Knight’s Raw Analog. Published by one of my favorite record labels, Popnihil, Raw Analog is perhaps one of the best photo zines I have seen in recent memory documenting the outsider music scene. It’s all full-color and captures many bands and solo artists who have performed around the state of Florida. There's plenty of blood, sweat, grime, and tables full of electronics on display. Truth be told, I don't know who the majority of the performers featured are and no photos are labeled to give me any insight. While I thought I might find that bothersome at first, the anonymity of the photos actually make them as much about capturing the zeitgeist as they do highlighting the individual performers. It's a real high quality effort through and through. You can tell this was a labor of love and not cheap to assemble.

Popnihil still has some listed on their site, so don't miss out.
Grip some tapes while you are at it.

​REVIEW by Hal Harmon