ISSUE 19: FANDOM
Fandom – in all its various permutations – is explored in characteristic New Feeling fashion through sharp, engaging reads that highlight exactly what makes us unique.
New Feeling was born out of the same impetus that drives fandom: a passion for music – and great writing about music – and the desire to ensure that the dying art of music journalism still has a home at a time when there are fewer and fewer outlets for that work (let alone [m]any that value the labour that goes into it).
So it feels apt that Fandom – in all its various permutations – is the theme of Issue 19, explored in characteristic New Feeling fashion through sharp, engaging reads that highlight exactly what makes us unique.
Our What We’re Listening To feature continues to upend expectations of what we assume a music review to be – instead of being beholden to album cycles or what’s topping the charts (excuse the extremely outdated terminology), New Feeling writers share the music that’s truly exciting them. This issue, that includes everything from a collaboration between a composer and a Griffin Poetry Prize winner; a live album recorded at Toronto’s beloved community hub the Tranzac Club; a debut West Coast punk-rock EP; and more unsung gems to discover.
Writer Karen K. Tran delves into the power of the music fan – once derided as ‘fangirls’ or ‘stans,’ there’s no denying the social, economic, and creative clout of the masses who support their favourite artists, genres, and sounds. At a time when the music business has been rattled in all sorts of ways, fandom is what’s bolstering the entire enterprise – as it always has, but now in even more important ways.
And this issue takes us full-circle to the genesis of New Feeling with a roundtable that examines the fine line between fan and writer – and what music journalism can look like when the love of an artist and their music doesn’t preclude constructive criticism of the same.
New Feeling wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the impulse to tell everyone and anyone about that great song, album, or artist that’s setting your brain on fire – but in a way that’s more intentional than the predictable churn that often passes for music and arts journalism of late.
Luckily, we’re not alone in this thinking when it comes to publishing – more community-based and collective forms of media are challenging old norms and charting a new course. New Feeling recently joined Unrigged, a coalition of 20 local, regional, and national non-profit media outlets which all share and promote each other’s work through their respective networks.
We’re also thrilled to be partnering with The Grind, Toronto’s new free citywide magazine (in print and online) focusing on local politics and culture from a progressive lens.
They’ve already reprinted several previous New Feelings features, and now you’ll be able to read new work (and curated concert listings!) from New Feeling writers in The Grind’s issues – including Daniel G. Wilson’s recent deep dive into how the New Friends Fest is growing the local post-hardcore scene.
DIY Defiance: How New Friends Fest Is Growing Ontario’s Post-hardcore Community
Daniel G. Wilson
We’re pretty big fans of coming together in community to disrupt archaic notions of media – and in being part of New Feeling’s experiment to do just that, we know you are, too.
– Tabassum Siddiqui
Editorial: Daniel G. Wilson, Tabassum Siddiqui (public editor), Michael Rancic, Leslie Ken Chu, Sarah Chodos, Tom Beedham (features editor)
Community: Daniel G. Wilson, Michael Rancic, Rosie Long Decter (lead)
Care: Tabassum Siddiqui (Public Editor), Sarah Chodos (lead), Tom Beedham
Organization: Michael Rancic, Leslie Ken Chu, Tom Beedham
Budget: Michael Rancic, Leslie Ken Chu
Web: Laura Stanley (lead), Michael Rancic, Leslie Ken Chu
