‘Zine collections are usually cool to have, and this one looks that way: Descenes and Discords: An Anthology is a hardcover collection of two D.C. music ‘zines from the ‘70s and ‘80s, .
Descenes kicks off with a new conversation between Ian MacKaye and the ‘zine writer and editor, Howard Wuelfing, the latter himself a vet of the D.C. scene. Mark Jenkins, who co-wrote Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital, provides the foreword. After that, Wuelfing includes a ‘zine introduction and an additional new introduction for each issue in the book.
After six issues, Descenes ended in 1980 and Wuelfing picked back up with Discords in 1981 and there’s eight issues there. Going through old ‘zines is like entering a time machine, not only for the writing of the time and, in this case, the bands, but the ads too. There’s advertisements for The Atlantis (which gave way to the 9:30 Club), the Bayou, late ’70s and early ’80s local record stores, WMUC-FM radio.
There’s coverage of bands like Slickee Boys, Half Japanese, Bad Brains (first interviewed here back in ’79), and Circle Jerks; a review of a Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Youth Brigade show at the 9:30 Club; a rambling letter to the editor from Henry Rollins from 1981; and on and on.
Descenes and Discords: An Anthology is out on August 18 from DiWulf Publishing and is up for preorder now. At the link there’s images from the book, more info, and one of those videos where they flip through the book, so you can see what you’re going to be getting. Check it out.
Images: from Descenes and Discords
