Today, April 18th, 2011 Dirt City Chronicles celebrates one year of publishing. My goal from the start has been to draw attention to the music and musicians of Albuquerque and The State of New Mexico. I have no hidden agendas, but I do rage against misguided self promotion, rock star mentality and bad music. In 1980, I moved to Albuquerque from Fairfield,Ca., here everything seemed so hopelessly barren and desolate, it made me keenly aware of what I had left behind. The Duke City then was a cultural wasteland, the local scene consisted entirely of bad cover bands. Thankfully, it didn't stay that way and eventually homegrown music sprouted up, a local scene took root and it's still growing. I lived in Albuquerque long enough to forget what it was like to live anywhere else. However when the opportunity for a move to Southwestern New Mexico came up, I took it. I prefer the slow pace and sprawling scenery of the boot heel country, it just suits me better. Can someone write about music in Albuquerque if they no longer live there? Sure! it's New Mexico, we scoff at conventional ways, we clear our own paths and head down our own roads without giving a fuck who likes it or not, to me that defines a New Mexican. I guess all that's left to do now is stick a candle on a cupcake and sing Happy Birthday. Dirt City Chronicles, where we are deconstructing the myth, one rock star at a time.
