LJJ's raison d'etre is pretty straightforward: to balance against the fitfully closeted, overly rockist esthetic conservatism of the indie press/scene. The margins--breakcore, screw tapes, dancehall, neo-drum & bass, even "New Weird America"/avant-folk, &c.--should be pulled toward the center, if not out of a sense of esthetic preference, then of esthetic diversity & experiment. And the best older music, from Kiwi pop to No Wave to
kosmische, should be kept fresh in our minds. With any luck, LJJ will help preserve exciting music from the dustbin, & in the process introduce a few people to new sounds & ideas. Warning, warning: I'll probably digress now & then into armchair art crit, political philosophy, & Robert Lowell worship.
