March, 2023
Alarcon: Founder / Managing Editor
Alarcon is an American writer best known for his independent debut fanzine titmouse (1994 - 1998), which achieved measured success among pop culture obsessives and the literati. During its publication, Alarcon attended college in Southern California while working at Tower Records. There he met and worked with Lamontpaul: singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for Ron & Nancy, a seminal post-punk four piece of the era. The Tony Wilson to his Rob Gretton.
Sometime around 1996, Alarcon began working for the now-defunct OC Weekly where he wrote features, cover stories, and reviews as well as “Boy About Town,” a weekly award-winning, full-page column, best described as a cross between Michael Musto's La Dolce Musto and the journal entries in Henry Rollins' Get in the Van.
After the Weekly, Alarcon bounced around the editorial departments of several newspapers and magazines before ending up as the head writer at an early online pop culture magazine about a year before the dot.com bubble burst of ‘99. He currently writes copy and documentary scripts for a variety of publications based in Southern California, but he saves his best stuff for OUTSIDELEFT.
Alarcon and Lamontpaul founded OUTSIDELEFT in the summer of 2004 over cordials at Ye Olde Ship in Fullerton, California, named in honor of the greatest outside left winger to ever: George Best. Since then Alarcon and Lamont have gone on to curate an entirely independent media hub which has produced noted books, records, and music events.
Alarcon now oversees OL’s American headquarters, while Lamont helms all UK and European operations. He maintains an archive of selected writing at michaelalarcon.com.
Adventures in the archives
What Readers are Reading Right Now
- Outsideleft Week in Music is all about Me and Thee
We're hearing from... Me and Thee, Michel Moers, Still House Plants, Guy Hamper Trio, Infinite River, Leæther Strip, Baby Rose and BADBADNOTGOOD, Mike Watt and Papa M, Nas & DJ Premier, Brainstory, Applied Communication, Scott Robertson, Principe Valiente, Esther Rose, Rebecca Karpen, Nina Soleil, Jim Jones Allstars, Dead Kennedys, Lu Warm and Ornette Coleman - Elza Soares: Beyond Boundaries
Sofia Ribeiro Willcox traces the incredible life and career of one of the all time great, Elza Soares - Outsideleft Week in Music: The Night Coming After the Vulture Prince
We're hearing from... Arooj Aftab, DYW, Basement Letters, Reviser, Belle and Sebastian, Sadistic Force, Craig Benedict Valentine Badynee, Oloff, Lu Warm, Jean-Jaques Perrey, Flesh Field, Cigarettes After Sex, L'Imperatrice, The Slits, Allman Brothers, English Teacher, Stephen Bluhm , The Pull of Autumn and The Wesleys - Industrial Revolution
A new publication aims to catalogue the UK industrial underground through the voices of those who were there - Maddening Genius
Dead Voices On Air's Mark Spybey's new biography (of sorts) details the revolutionary act of making music - Bass Communion. Perfecting Imperfection
Steven Wilson's solo act Bass Communion are releasing their first album for 12 years. He explains why, and how imperfection and flaws are at the heart of his creating unique new music. - David J: Chats from the Attic
Alan Rider sits down with former Bauhaus and Love and Rockets founder David J to ask him about ritual magick, exhuming his old demos, and whether Bauhaus really is finished. - Dry Cleaning Hare
Duncan Jones' Temerity: Spring Clean those guitars please - Be Silent No More
Attrition's 17th studio album may have taken almost a decade to arrive, but it was well worth the wait - Short Story Orgy #2: Genocide
Charlie Hill adds to Outsideleft's Short Story Orgy Series
All About and Contributors
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WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT
If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]
WRITERS thru' the Years
Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Lee, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Burns, Paul Hawkins, Paul Mortimer, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Rick Casson, Ronan Crinion, Rowena Murphy, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Toon Traveller, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & LamontpaulWEEK IN MUSIC
Me and Thee: new single, School of BlackbeltsThe Week in Music - see/hear it here every week →
OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE
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