Ugly Things Magazine

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Ugly Things Magazine

Wild sounds from past dimensions Ugly Things is a music magazine established in 1983, based in La Mesa, CA.

History
Contributing writers include such names as Mick Farren, Alan Clayson, Richie Unterberger, Doug Sheppard, Michael Lynch, Miriam Linna, Phil X Milstein, Don Craine, Mark St John, Pete Innes, Lenny Helsing and Michael Lucas. San Diego City Beat reviewed Ugly Things in an article titled, "Mike Stax of Ugly Things: A local scenester's internationally known music magazine." The Lama Workshop editor Patrick Lundborg has stated about UT and editor Mike Stax: "1980s (music) zines have retired into the great recycling container in the sky (it's down to UT, Shindig!, and Misty Lane now), Mike Stax has managed not only to keep it alive, but expand his trip in various directions, and in the process become one of the very best -- perhaps THE very best -- 1960s-oriented writer out there." A review of Ugly Things in Head Press by David Kerekes sums up the publication, "When it comes to garage rock and everything associated with “wild sounds from past dimensions”, there is little to compare to the magnitude that is the mighty Ugly Things." .

07/18/2026

Happy Caturday, box set edition.
Anja Stax

07/14/2026

This Thursday, July 16 at the Casbah in San Diego, the Loons will be playing with our friends from Spain, the incredible Mohama Saz. Saguaro will be getting the party started. Hope to see you there!
The Loons Marc Schroeder Christopher Marsteller Christopher Cancelliere Casbah MOHAMA SAZ Miguel Portela

07/10/2026

The Pretty Things’ S.F. Sorrow gets a comprehensive review on Abigail Devoe’s Vinyl Monday show this week. She does an outstanding job of telling the story of the album and analyzing the songs track by track. Find it on YouTube. Well worth 47 minutes of your time!
https://youtu.be/3qgwFjCplho?si=nTOFkYCwxSnjJ7lv
Abby ⭐️ Wally Waller

07/07/2026

UGLY THINGS #72 goes to the printer today. In an extraordinary, expansive interview, Jim “Harpo” Valley talks about his years on the early Northwest rock ‘n’ roll scene with the Viceroys and the Goodtimes, his wildly eventful year with Paul Revere & the Raiders at their 1966-67 peak, a summer of love solo career that failed to launch, and the dramatic events that sent him to live alone in a cave in Big Sur. Then, from “Louie Louie” to Fun House, Don Gallucci tells all about his adventures with the Kingsmen, Don & the Goodtimes, Touch, and producing the Stooges’ seminal second album (which he thought was their first!). Also, the wild ride of 1965-67 Sunset Strip garage band the New Generation, the continuing saga of ‘60s Canadian psych/rock legends the Collectors, and lots more, including our life-sustaining reviews sections covering the latest reissues and music-related books. Another fabulous cover design by Anja.
It’s available for pre-order at the UT webstore.
paulrevereandtheraiders

07/02/2026

NEW EPISODE! Time to binge on the Kinks. Author and historian Andrew Sandoval discusses his immense new Kinks book, All Day and All of the Night (co-authored with Doug Hinman, and the magical greatness of the Kinks and their music.
Please listen, subscribe, rate and review the podcast. Better still, become a Patreon subscriber and get access to a growing archive of cool bonus content.
andrewsandoval Beatland Books The Kinks

06/26/2026

New Ugly Things coming soon! I’m excited to be finishing up an epic and, honestly, quite mindblowing, no holds barred interview with Jim Valley, covering his journey from Northwest rock n roller with the Viceroys and Don & the Goodtimes to national pop stardom with Paul Revere & the Raiders at their 1966-67 peak to Laurel Canyon flower child, Big Sur cave dweller and Rainbow Planet ambassador. It’s been a blast talking to Jim and getting to know him. Can’t wait for you all to read this! Here’s Jim as a teenager, circa 1959, with his brand new Fender Stratocaster: “It cost $279 and I used to sleep with it.” He’s wearing his Viceroys band jacket with a patch on the breast pocket with the band’s name. They were waiters’ jackets. “There was a fancy restaurant in Seattle called the Viceroy, and there was a little patch on the jacket that said, ‘The Viceroy’ and we had an ‘s’ added on.”

06/12/2026

R.I.P. David Hockney 1937-2026. Artist, visionary, trailblazer, hero. Another icon has left us. I love his work and his attitude toward art and toward life. Pictured here with the sadly missed Derek Boshier at the Royal College of Art, circa 1960-61, ready to shape the visual landscape of the imminently swinging sixties. His book David Hockney on David Hockney is a wonderful chronicle of his early years, filled with humor, wisdom and brilliant insights into his art and the world as he experienced it in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

06/09/2026

COMING IN LATE JULY: UGLY THINGS #72. Headline story this issue is an extraordinary, epic interview with Jim “Harpo” Valley, who shares amazing stories about his journey from Northwest rock n roller with the Viceroys and Don & the Goodtimes to pop stardom with Paul Revere & the Raiders to Laurel Canyon flower child, Big Sur cave dweller and beyond. Also: Don Gallucci on the Kingsmen, Don & the Goodtimes, Touch and producing the Stooges Fun House album. Plus: the Collectors, the New Generation, the Whips, the Commercials, the Yardbirds and much more. Advertising space is still available. Get in touch to hear about our affordable rates delivering your ad to the hippest readers everywhere.

06/07/2026

Thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes. I’ve read and liked every single one of them. I celebrated last night at the Maui Sugar Mill in Tarzana, doing one of the things I love best: playing music with my friends, for my friends (and some beautiful strangers). Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders capped off the night with a blazing set of pure, from-the-heart rock ‘n’ roll. My birthday arrived during the two-hour drive through the misty night back home to La Mesa. Today I’m taking it easy. We woke up early to watch Sascha Zverev win his first grand slam title at Roland Garros. He earned it through immense skill, perseverance and tenacity. It was inspiring to see the pay-off. I’ll likely spend the rest of my birthday reading Richie’s superb Velvet Underground book (I’m halfway through and it’s still only 1967). I have a few bottles of Saison Dupont chilling in the fridge, a couple of which I plan to polish off later — with skill and tenacity. Thanks again for acknowledging another circle around the sun. Love to all — especially Anja ###cancelliere

06/06/2026

Tonight in Tarzana, home town of Tarzan!

Address

San Diego, CA

Telephone

+16193371966

Website

http://www.ugly-things.com/

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