Ugly Things

Ugly Things, commonly abbreviated as UT, is a specialist music magazine established in 1983 and based in La Mesa, California. It concentrates on the lesser-known and historically neglected corners of rock and popular music, especially 1960s beat, garage rock, psychedelic music, rhythm and blues, freakbeat, punk precursors, and adjacent scenes. Its subtitle, “Wild Sounds from Past Dimensions,” reflects the publication’s archival and exploratory character: rather than treating popular music history as a canon limited to major stars, Ugly Things investigates obscure recordings, regional scenes, short-lived groups, independent labels, musicians, producers, and cultural networks. The title is a punning reference to the English rock group the Pretty Things. That wordplay places the magazine within a tradition of enthusiast-led music publishing that values irreverence, collecting, historical recovery, and close attention to the visual and sonic culture surrounding records. The publication emerged during the 1980s, when independently produced music fanzines and specialist magazines were important vehicles for documenting music that received little attention from mainstream media. Ugly Things subsequently developed a durable international readership among record collectors, historians, musicians, DJs, and fans of 1960s-derived underground music. Mike Stax is the magazine’s editor and its principal public identity. Born in England in 1962, Stax has also worked as a writer, musician, and record-label operator. Under his editorship, Ugly Things expanded beyond a conventional periodical format into a broader research and publishing project. Its contributors have included writers such as Mick Farren, Alan Clayson, Richie Unterberger, Doug Sheppard, David Biasotti, Bill Wasserzieher, Michael Lynch, Miriam Linna, Phil X Milstein, Bill Shute, Gray Newell, Don Craine, Mark St John, Pete Innes, Lenny Helsing, and Michael Lucas. Their work has helped give the magazine an encyclopedic reputation within specialist rock journalism. In addition to the magazine, the Ugly Things name has been used for related activities in music publishing and recorded music. In 2002, Stax launched UT Records, issuing an album by the Misunderstood and receiving international media attention. The publishing work later extended to a book project connected with a planned feature film about the Misunderstood. A novel based on the screenplay, titled Like, Misunderstood and co-written by Stax and Rick Brown, was published in October 2007. Ugly Things is also linked to Stax’s work as lead singer of the band the Loons, although the band is a separate musical act rather than a magazine product line. The brand’s central proposition remains specialist music documentation: preserving stories, recordings, and perspectives associated with “wild” or overlooked sounds from the past. Its continued relevance comes from the combination of archival research, interviews, discographical knowledge, collector culture, and an independent editorial voice.

Ugly Things was established in 1983 as a specialist music magazine devoted to sounds and artists that had been overlooked by mainstream rock history. Based in La Mesa, California, the publication developed within the tradition of independently produced music fanzines and enthusiast magazines. Its editorial focus is primarily the 1960s, with particular attention to beat, garage rock, psychedelic music, rhythm and blues, freakbeat, and related forms of underground popular music. The magazine’s title is a pun on the name of the Pretty Things, while its “Wild Sounds from Past Dimensions” tagline signals its interest in rediscovery and musical archaeology. Mike Stax became the magazine’s editor and is closely associated with its editorial direction. His work has helped maintain a consistent emphasis on detailed research, interviews, rare recordings, local scenes, and musicians whose contributions were not fully documented by larger publications. The magazine has drawn on a wide network of specialist contributors, including Mick Farren, Alan Clayson, Richie Unterberger, Doug Sheppard, David Biasotti, Bill Wasserzieher, Michael Lynch, Miriam Linna, Phil X Milstein, Bill Shute, Gray Newell, Don Craine, Mark St John, Pete Innes, Lenny Helsing, and Michael Lucas. Over time, Ugly Things became known beyond its original fanzine context. Contemporary commentary has described it as unusually comprehensive in its treatment of obscure rock and roll and as an important surviving publication within the 1980s music-zine tradition. Its audience includes collectors, record dealers, musicians, historians, DJs, and listeners interested in the connections between 1960s beat, garage, psychedelic, R&B, punk, and related scenes. The Ugly Things project later expanded into recorded-music and book publishing. In 2002, Stax started UT Records and released an album by the Misunderstood, a group central to his broader research and creative work. The release received international media attention. Stax also worked with Rick Brown on a feature-film script about the group. A novel derived from that script, Like, Misunderstood, appeared in October 2007. The brand is also associated with Stax’s activity as lead singer of the Loons, though the band is a separate act. Ugly Things itself remains principally identified with its magazine and with independent documentation of historically marginal or under-recorded music. Its significance lies less in mass-market scale than in continuity, specialist authority, and the preservation of musical histories that might otherwise remain scattered among private collections, rare records, and local memories.

• 2007

  Like, Misunderstood is published

  [1]Ugly Thingsen.wikipedia.org

  A novel based on a planned Misunderstood feature-film screenplay is published, with Stax and Rick Brown credited as co-writers of the underlying project.

• 2002

  UT Records is launched

  [1]Ugly Thingsen.wikipedia.org

  Mike Stax begins operating UT Records and releases an album by the Misunderstood.

• 1983

  Ugly Things is established

  [1]Ugly Thingsen.wikipedia.org

  The specialist music magazine is founded, focusing on 1960s beat, garage, psychedelic, and related underground music.

An independent, archival music publication for serious listeners and collectors of obscure 1960s beat, garage, psychedelic, R&B, freakbeat, and related underground music.

• Music magazine · 1983

  Ugly Things magazine

  The core Ugly Things product is a specialist music magazine devoted mainly to 1960s beat, garage rock, psychedelic music, rhythm and blues, freakbeat, and related underground styles. Its editorial approach combines artist interviews, historical features, collector-oriented research, and coverage of obscure recordings and scenes. The publication is known for treating marginal or poorly documented musicians as important subjects of music history rather than merely as curiosities.

• Record label · 2002

  UT Records

  UT Records is a related record-label venture started by Mike Stax in 2002. Its documented activity includes the release of an album by the Misunderstood, a group closely connected to Stax’s archival and publishing interests. The label extends Ugly Things’ editorial mission into the preservation and circulation of historically significant music.

• Novel and music-related publishing · 2007

  Like, Misunderstood

  Like, Misunderstood is a novel based on a feature-film script about the Misunderstood. The underlying project was written by Mike Stax and Rick Brown, and the book was published in October 2007. It represents an expansion of the Ugly Things-associated research and storytelling activity beyond periodical journalism and recorded music.

• 2007

  Extension into book publishingOther

  Background

  Work on a feature-film project about the Misunderstood created a basis for a longer written treatment of the group’s story.

  Action taken

  A novel based on the screenplay was published under the title Like, Misunderstood.

  Aftermath

  The publication extended the Misunderstood-related work into book form while retaining the project’s connection to Ugly Things’ music-historical focus.

  Source

• 2002

  Expansion into recorded music through UT RecordsProduct launch

  Background

  Ugly Things had established an identity around documenting obscure and historically important music. Creating a related label provided a way to circulate recordings connected to that editorial mission.

  Action taken

  Mike Stax started UT Records and released an album by the Misunderstood.

  Aftermath

  The release received international media coverage and broadened the project’s activities beyond magazine publishing.

  Source

1. 1Ugly Thingsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ugly Things official websiteugly-things.com