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
- It's Not A Toy
Prolific podcaster, artist and writer, Ian Boldsworth, in conversation with Outsideleft's John Robinson - Who were Satellite Lovers and why are they suddenly a thing 30 years after they disappeared?
David O'Byrne tries to find out - Words are My Bondage and My Liberation
Cassie Thomas explores mercurial multi-hyphenate Jeremy Gluck's recent pair of career-spanning retrospectives as well as his latest artistic endeavour, Vaporscan - Pete Williams at the Outsideleft Night Out
The Outsideleft Night Out returns at the 1000 Trades on the Park, Bearwood, with Pete Williams, DJ's Woodenhand and Prehistoric Man - Outsideleft Week in Music Experiences the Sound of Sleep Paralysis
We're Hearing From... Coppergear, John Cale, Hot Chip / Sleaford Mods, Me and Thee, Sacred Paws, Inner Space Quartet, Yves Jarvis, Parastatic, Dorian Concept, Bind Torture Kill, Valerie June, The Unthanks, Meshuggah, Overt Enemy, zzzahara, Mary In The Junkyard, The Jungles!!!, Heavenly Trip To Hell, Sun Ra, Gazelle Twin, Status Quo, Kilynn Lunsford, Lionel Limiñana, David Menke, The Limiñanas, Escape-ism - Sweet Sorry
Better Tate Than Never - Shed End
Consternation and Convolution, of course! While Writing Nothing About Writing About Nothing. It's a new Ancient Champion Column - The Fortunate Fifty
Pete Williams' is magic at the Outsideleft Night Out - Perfecting the Art of Falling Apart
Ancient Champion hears Me & Thee's live bootleg of their final concert - Third Rail PowerTrip - Revisited
Some forty years later, Jonathan Thornton says, the music produced by the Paisley Underground retains an elusive magic
All About and Contributors
HELP OUTSIDELEFT
Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]
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, Becca Kelly, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Cassie Thomas, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, David O'Byrne, 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, J.Lee, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Thornton, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Kleo Kay, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Martin Devenney, 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, Richard John Walker, Rick Casson, Rikki Stein, 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, Tony Fletcher, Toon Traveller, Trevi, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & LamontpaulWEEK IN MUSIC
OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE
outsideleft content is not for everyone