Zine Review: Musical Mysteries

On occasion, a zine arrives in the mailbox that might sit on my desk for weeks (or months), and when I finally pick it up, I’m completely captivated. A primary example is “How did Arthur Miles learn to throat sing and other musical mysteries?” by David, who edits / writes / publishes No Quarter. My father was a cowboy singer (from New Hampshire, no less) during the 1930’s and I am fond of the world of old 78’s that seem to come out of left field with deep music from the cobwebs of the last century. Even in the digital age, older songs and music are going undocumented or extinct. Thankfully, dedicated musicologists are unearthing gems and preserving them for future generations.

I once heard an April Fools report on NPR that sound preservationists had agreed that the best way to store and catalogue music is on durable 78 rpm shellac. In some ways, it might be true – we still have some of the recorded repertoire from a century ago, but with technology racing out of control, where will our era’s music be found (and in what format) a century from now?

This zine is 24 pages created in 24 hours. Totally absorbing. Who ever heard of a throat singing cowboy? And to add to the mystery, “Lonely Cowboy” is the only known recording of the enigma that is Arthur Miles.

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Arthur Miles - Lonely Cowboy, Part One