Magazine: The Architects of Post-Punk

Magazine was a pioneering British post-punk band formed in Manchester in 1977. Their cerebral and art-damaged sound, built around the distinctive baritone of frontman Howard Devoto, established them as one of the most innovative and influential groups to emerge from the era.

Early career

The band was founded by Howard Devoto, who had just departed the seminal punk band Buzzcocks after co-writing their seminal Spiral Scratch EP. He recruited guitarist John McGeoch, bassist Barry Adamson, keyboardist Bob Dickinson, and drummer Martin Jackson, crafting a sound that deliberately moved beyond punk's three-chord simplicity. Their debut single, Shot by Both Sides, released in early 1978 on the independent label Virgin Records, immediately set them apart.

Breakthrough

Magazine's 1978 debut album, Real Life, was a critical triumph that cemented their reputation. Featuring the singles Shot by Both Sides and Touch and Go, the album showcased a darker, more complex and keyboard-driven aesthetic. The band's lineup solidified with the replacement of Dickinson with Dave Formula on keyboards, creating the classic quintet that would define their peak.

Key tracks

Shot by Both Sides - This explosive debut single, co-written by Devoto and former Buzzcocks bandmate Pete Shelley, bridged the gap between punk energy and post-punk sophistication, becoming an instant classic.

The Light Pours Out of Me - A brooding, rhythmic masterpiece from Real Life that perfectly encapsulated the band's tense, atmospheric power and John McGeoch's inventive guitar work.

Song from Under the Floorboards - From their second album Secondhand Daylight (1979), this track highlighted Devoto's acerbic, intellectual lyricism set against a dense, synth-heavy backdrop.

A Song from Under the Floorboards - A defining moment from 1980's The Correct Use of Soap, marrying paranoid lyrics with an unexpectedly accessible and driving rhythm section.

About the Weather - This single from 1981's Magic, Murder and the Weather showcased a more polished, yet still characteristically tense, side of the band's evolving sound.

The band's sound evolved through albums like Secondhand Daylight and the more accessible The Correct Use of Soap, which featured the single Sweet Heart Contract. After 1981's Magic, Murder and the Weather and subsequent lineup changes, including the departure of John McGeoch to join Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magazine disbanded in 1981. They briefly reformed in 2009 for a series of live shows and released a live album, No Thyself, in 2012.

Fans of Magazine's art-punk intensity and lyrical depth should also explore the work of Joy Division, who shared a similarly dark and atmospheric Manchester post-punk vision. The theatrical art-rock of The Fall offers a parallel path of relentless innovation. The intricate guitar work and pop sensibility of Wire provides another crucial link in the post-punk chain. For the synth-driven angularity that followed, listen to The Human League in their early, more experimental phase.

Magazine's influential catalog remains a staple on dedicated post-punk and alternative rock radio stations, frequently featured in programming that explores the roots of alternative music. Their songs are regularly played on online radio streams specializing in classic and independent music from the late 1970s and 1980s.

Listeners can discover the pioneering music of Magazine on the curated radio stations available on onairium.com, where their essential post-punk anthems continue to resonate with new audiences.