Manual Dexterity Music Zine

Here’s what’s been happening at the ManDex lately:

A new issue is in the works and will be a departure from the normal format and will be released on a special date in April, if all goes as planned. 

The Signals Midwest album is killer! Thanks Tiny Engines!

The new Now, Now album is incredible!

Rediscovering The Jazz June, anyone else listen to them? So good!

Editing this thing. Copies available soonish!

There are so many awesome bands coming thru MN in March! (La Dispute, B&C, IIOI, Empire! Empire!+ others I’m forgetting)

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Ask us a question.

Love this band + love this label! Stoked they’re working together!

tinyengines:

Welcome Long Island’s State Lines to the Tiny Engines family! Really really happy to add these guys to our roster. The band’s debut, Hoffman Manor, was one of my favorite releases last year and made me feel about 10 years younger than I actually am. If you read my year end list you’ll remember I mentioned I was leaving one record out cause I didn’t want to spoil any TE surprises, well, it was State Lines’ Hoffman Manor which you can still get for free here. Think early Saves The Day and early Brand New as well as Tigers Jaw, Transit, Joyce Manor, etc. Anyway, we’ll be releasing the band’s new 7” (that includes the song in this video) in April. Please help spread the word!

hightidehotel:

polyvinylrecords:

Are you prone to paper cuts? Do you have too little confidence to carry a magazine into the bathroom at work? If you answered yes to either, I have the solution for you! The latest issue of Manual Dexterity is now archived online in stunning color, in crisp RGB no less. You can now enjoy the latest issue from your couch!, chair!, or bed!, heck even from an easily concealable mobile device while “taking a break” in your work’s restroom! Peruse feature interviews by Dan Andriano, Dowsing, Polyvinyl Records Matt Lunsford and Braid’s Bob Nanna while “dropping the kids off at the pool”! Or read through some political commentary from members of Coping, Suns, Big Science, Noise By Numbers, Mannequin Men, and The Copyrights while #occupying your cubicle! Get inspired at your desk while looking at some cool screen-printed posters by Jay Ryan or reading the origins of the artwork for The Narrators’s Such Triumph! Plan your vacation while reading the travels of Into It. Over It while he was on tour with Frank Turner! Heck, you can even fall asleep reading the reviews while tucked into your comfy bed!

Like to live dangerous and risk paper cuts and inky fingers? Pick up a paper copy in the store!

Some lucky folks will be getting the latest issue in the mail next week! Get your own here: mandexzine.com/print

Here’s a little New Years gift for everyone! It has 31 tracks from nearly all of the featured bands plus tracks from tons of other bands that made an impression on us this year. 

Thanks to all the bands, labels and readers for a great year and we look forward talking with you all in 2012. Have an awesome New Years!

Manual Dexterity 2011 Year End Sampler tracklisting:

1. Tokyo Police Club - Bambi - Champ

2. Mixtapes - I Accept That - Maps and Companions 

3. Monument - Fiestival - Sweatpants Fever! 

4. Football, etc. - Sideline - The Draft 

5. Hightide Hotel - Your Bed - Secret Somethings: Vol. 2

6. Laura Stevenson and the Cans - Master of Art - Sit Resist 

7. The Prizefighters - Hypocrite - Follow My Sound 

8. Survival Guide - One to One 

9. Into It. Over It. - PROPER - Live @ Triple Rock Social Club 10.23.11 

10. Direct Hit! - Monster In The Closet - Domesplitter 

11. Banquets - Lips to the Ground - Top Button, Bottom Shelf 

12. Pswingset - The Swept Under - Live @ Scoot Inn 12.19.11 

13. Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room - Me and Denver - Hurricane Season

14. Braid - Do Over - Closer To Closed

15. Dowsing - Midwest Living - It’s Still Pretty Terrible 

16. Mannequin Men - Hobby Girl - Mannequin Men 

17. Betterment - Life Itself Is A Terminal Illness - Betterment / Gatlin Split 

18. State Lines - Probably In A Notebook - Hoffman Manor 

19. Flashlights - Choking - I’m Not Alone

20. Festa D’Estate - The Mechanical Function of the Heart 

21. By Surprise - So Long And Thanks For All The Sharkjaws - Mountain Smashers

22. Luther - Sixty One - Copyrights/Grey Area/The Reveling/Luther split 12”

23. The New & Very Welcome - You Terrify Me - What Will You Do When It Happens To You? 

24. The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Bread for Brent - Are Here To Help You 

25. Robin Bacior - Ohio - Rest Our Wings

26. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - I Swim like a Minnow - Home After Three Months Away 

27. Palette Town - Along The Edge - Palette Town EP 

28. Dan P. and The Bricks - One Reason - Watch Where you Walk 

29. Warren Franklin - You Get Weary - Your Heart Belongs to the Midwest

30. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Hate, Rain On Me - Knife Man 

31. Boris Smile - Queen of Green Welly - My Love Powered by 10,000 Practice Amps

Ever wondered how a zine gets made? No. I’m not surprised. It’s not rocket science or any kind of science actually, but It does take a lot of manual dexterity (see what I did there) to complete one. 

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Oh man! What a year 2011 turned out to be huh? First I want to say thanks to all the people that contributed photos and content, you are all GREAT! Secondly, thanks to everyone who checked out the zine this year, your great too!

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Not another year end list! I know, I know, you’ve probably already read a thousand of these already, so I suggest you just skim this one and get back to work or whatever you are doing.

I’ll be posting some other 2011 recap zine stuff this week and the ManDex Compliation may be out this week, but probably next week.  

Thanks!

EPs (listed in order by the likelihood that I’m listening to it right now)

Betterment Volume One (Self-Released)
My Heart to Joy Reasons To Be (Topshelf Records)
Grown Ups  Hand Holder (Doghouse)
Dowsing All I Could Find Was You (Count Your Lucky Stars)
Mixtapes Hope Is For People (Animal Style Records)
Cattle Drums  Boy Kisser Sessions + 3 (Tiny Engines)
Glocca Morra Ghoul Intentions (Self-Released)
Braid Closer to Closed (Polyvinyl Records)
The Bombpops Stole The TV (Red Scare/Bermuda Mowhawk)
Baby Teeth Boss (Self-Released)

LPs (listed in order by the likelihood that I’m listening to it right now)

Into It. Over It. Proper (No Sleep Records)
La Dispute WIldlife (No Sleep Records)
State Lines Hoffman Manor (Meadowbrook Records)
Algernon Cadwallader Parrot Flies (Hot Green Records)
Banner Pilot Heart Beats Pacific (Fat Wreck Chords)
Mannequin Men Mannequin Men (Addenda Records)
Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys (Atlantic Records)
Monument Goes Canoeing (Tiny Engines)
Wavelets Athaletics (Tiny Engines)
Football, etc. The Draft  (Count Your Lucky Stars)
Direct Hit! Domesplitter (Kind of Like Records)
Laura Stevenson and the Cans Sit Resist (Don Giovanni Records)
Say Hi Um, Uh Oh (Barsuk)
Banquets Top Buttom, Bottom Shelf (Black Numbers)
By Surprise Mountain Smashers (Topshelf Records)
Owen Ghost Town (Polyvinyl Records)
Decibully Decibully (Self-Released)
The Story So Far Under Soil and Dirt (Pure Noise)
Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room Hurricane Season (Asian Man Records)
The Aquabats Hi-Five Soup (Fearless Records)
Graham Wright Shirts vs Skins (File Under: Music)

Rad Labels That Released Rad Music in 2011 (no particular order)

No Sleep Records
Tiny Engines 
Black Numbers
Count Your Lucky Stars
Side With Us
Topshelf Records
Lovitt Records
Kind of Like Records
Asian Man Records

Not since Sufjan Stevens Illinois has the state of Illinois been so well represented by music in one place. And that place is the latest issue of Manual Dexterity! Loosely related by geography, every band and artist in this issue is currently from, or made significant contributions to the Illinois music scene.

This issue has feature interviews with Alkaline Trio/In The Emergency Room member Dan Andriano, one of Chicago’s newer indie bands, Dowsing, and a special feature with Matt Lunsford, co-owner of Polyvinyl Records, about the label’s organic beginnings and 15 year history, along with an interview with Bob Nanna, of Braid, one of Polyvinyl’s most recognizable bands. 

SIXES this time around deals with the political and economic status of the US and has interviews with members of Coping, Suns, Big Science, Noise By Numbers, Mannequin Man, and The Copyrights. 

Transmissions: Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It. checks in from his tour with Frank Turner.

SCRND: Accomplished screenprinter Jay Ryan.

A Sound Design: Zach Dodson talks designing The Narrator’s Such Triumph album with guitarist Sam Axelrod. 

Plus tons of music and book reviews. 

Click the photo above or here to view. Click here to directly download a PDF of the issue.