Paste Magazine Releases First-ever "International Issue"

Entire issue, cover-to-cover, features artists from around the world

Decatur, GA (July 10, 2008)-Timed to coincide with the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the upcoming August issue of Paste magazine has been dubbed “The International Issue”—an exciting cover-to-cover look at music and artists from around the world.  On newsstands July 15th, this is the first issue of its kind from Paste.

“I love that Paste has the freedom to explore things far outside the mainstream,” explained editor-in-chief Josh Jackson.  “Most people think of stodgy traditional songs when they hear ‘world music,’ but we’ve attempted to redefine it by looking at musical innovation in unexpected places. This issue is crammed with artists that will be new to most readers, but we cater to a remarkable audience that trusts—and even expects us—to turn them on to new things.”

Among the issues many features are Palestinian MCs who use hip hop to explain their struggles—peacefully—to their Israeli neighbors, and Sheva, a soul septet from Israel, who do the same; associate editor Steve LaBate interviews Chinese-speaking bluegrass artist Abigail Washburn who will perform with her band, The Sparrow Quartet at the opening of the new U.S. embassy in China [Abigail will also be blogging live from the Olympic games, exclusively for Paste at www.pastemagazine.com/August08]; Philadelphia DJ Diplo goes around the world—literally—hunting for new sounds with Paste magazine’s managing editor Nick Marino in tow; Paste’s British correspondent Steve Turner meets with Sudanese-child-soldier-turned-socially-conscious-rapper Emmanuel Jal; Conor Oberst recounts his recent trip to Tepoztlán, Mexico, where he recorded his new self-titled album; and much, much more!

Tying all of this together is a special foldout map of the musicians, filmmakers, authors and other creatives appearing in this issue, along with music picks from some of the Olympic athletes competing in Beijing.  Fittingly, the issue’s CD sampler features music from 16 different nations on six continents.

Voted “Magazine of the Year” by the PLUG Independent Music Awards for the third consecutive year in 2008, and having been nominated for a 2008 National Magazine Award, Paste is rapidly emerging as the go-to source for devoted music and culture aficionados.