During hardcore’s rise to prominence in the 1980s, a teeneage Mike Gitter chronicled and self-published the musical and cultural revolution in one of Boston’s most beloved DIY zines, xXx.
Now, three decades later, the history of the underground has been assembled into the long awaited, 288-page 11” x 11” book, “xXx Fanzine 1983-88: Hardcore & Punk In The Eighties.”
Told through reprinted fanzine pages, hundreds of largely unseen photographs and over 100 then-and-now interviews from seminal figures like Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris and Milo Akerman, xXx Fanzine 1983-88 is a portrait of music in motion. View the full details, pre-order and listen to music inside!
“xXx Fanzine (1983-1988) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties” isn’t a mere collection of articles, reviews and photographs from one of Hardcore America’s best-known fanzines – it’s a chronicle of punk’s evolution in the 80’s; a story of music and ideologies in motion. xXX’s story picks up while the first wave of hardcore was in full swing. Major players including Minor Threat had already released landmark records and bands were loading up station wagons to play now infamous venues like The Channel, A7 or D.C. Space.
While based in Boston, xXx’s main writer and editor, Mike Gitter, not only concentrated on his own city’s burgeoning scene, spear-headed by bands like SS Decontrol and D.Y.S., but looked to other states and countries for xXx’s reportage. This hardcover, 11″x11″, 288-page book documents a time when hardcore and punk were not mutually exclusive and bands and cities had a chance to develop their own diverse and strident sounds.
This creative ethos and aural zeitgeist is literally spelt out on the 19-song compilation that’s included with xXx Fanzine, with either a digital download or limited edition 12inch; a wide variety of current hardcore, punk and hard music luminaries including Strife, letlive., Fu Manchu and The Riverboat Gamblers contributed their interpretations to some of the most influential songs to come from xXx’s original era.
Now, in addition to reproducing (and restoring) countless interviews and pages from the ‘zine itself, xXx Fanzine re-interviews countless bands and musical prime-movers including Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris and members of Agnostic Front, Bad Brains and Cro-Mags to give the book a rare ‘then and now’ perspective. xXx Fanzine (1983-1988), Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties isn’t merely a look back at hardcore’s salad days, but a unique look at how punk’s music and message shook the mainstream itself.
“xXx Fanzine (1983-1988) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties” features:
Minor Threat, Misfits, Necros, Circle Jerks, Suicidal Tendencies, Husker Du, Jerry’s Kids, Black Flag, D.O.A., G.B.H, Void, Negative Approach, 7 Seconds, D.Y.S., Scream, Metallica, Corrosion of Conformity, Minutemen, The Exploited, Anthrax, Subhumans, Dead Kennedys, SSD, Henry Rollins, Descendents, Bad Brains, Youth of Today, Motorhead, Dag Nasty, Snapshot, Samhain, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Bad Religion, Fugazi, and more…
PRE-ORDER HERE.
Releases November 10, 2017
PACKAGE DEAL INFORMATION:
The MASSIVE package deal comes with a copy of the hardcover, 11″x 11″, 288 page xXx Fanzine book as well as the following items that are 100% exclusive to the package:
– A 19 song compilation “Still Having Their Say,” featuring some of today’s most relevant band’s in hard music covering classic and influential hardcore/punk songs from the xXx Fanzine era. This is pressed on 12″ vinyl available on 3 different colors. 150 red/white/black tri-color, 300 half red/half white, and 650 red. Vinyl colors will be given out on a first come first serve basis.
“Still Having Their Say” Tracklisting
Strife – Who Are You (Void)
Done Dying – Blending In (Government Issue)
Letlive – Fix Me (Black Flag)
Trial – Money (Embrace)
H2O – Safe (Dag Nasty)
Nomads – How When Where – The Eliminator (Crucifix – Agnostic Front)
Walter Schriefels – Society Suckers (Agnostic Front)
Tombs – Kiss Of Steel (Samhain)
Voivod – Man In The Trees (Die Kreuzen)
Aeges – Hungry Child (Corrosion Of Conformity)
Last Light – A Wish To Dream (Uniform Choice)
Fuck You Pay Me – Religious Wars (Subhumans)
Jesse Leach – Salad Days (Minor Threat)
Shai Hulud – Raw Power (Raw Power)
True Rivals – Coolidge (Descendents)
Fu-Manchu – When The Shit Hits The Fan (Circle Jerks)
Gallows – The Possibility Of Life’s Destruction (Discharge)
American Nightmare – It’s The Limit (Cro-Mags)
Riverboat Gamblers – Hate The Police (The Dicks)
– An additional 64 page book that includes all three issues of Suburban Mucus. Suburban Mucus isn’t merely a companion piece and precursor to the book xXx Fanzine (1983-88) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties. It’s a three-issue snapshot of the shape of punk to come: turning the dial all the way to the left and discovering a new musical revolution at the dawn of the 1980’s. Co-conceived in 1982 by xXx writer and editor, Mike Gitter, Suburban Mucus was an early vehicle for its high school aged editors to connect with Boston’s burgeoning hardcore sect and stake their claim in the D.I.Y. revolution that forever shifted punk’s paradigm and still echoes loudly today.
– A huge 24″x 36″ full color xXx Fanzine poster that features some of the most iconic photographs featured in the book. This includes shots of Minor Threat, SSD, Jerry’s Kids, Black Flag, Dag Nasty, and more!
– An additional 12″x18″ poster showcasing the art of Brian Walsby.
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