hello all! and welcome to the digital journal of myra mains! thanks for checking out the site!

sign my guestbook below!

the printed first issue of the journal of myra mains will be available in the next week or so! stay tuned!

hello friends, my name is Myra Mains… at least that’s what you can call me! I’m a senior at UCLA studying European Languages and Transcultural Studies and minoring in Music Industry. I’ll be starting a Master’s degree in Oral History at Columbia University next year where I’m planning to do research in alternative/punk/feminist perspectives in music, culture, and activism, and I’m so stoked. I love music, film, magazines, and all kinds culture. Some of my favorite bands are The Replacements, The Cowboys, Blind Melon, Gang of Four, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Some of my favorite shows and movies are Northern Exposure, Monk, Harold and Maude, Ghost World, and American Graffiti. Thanks for checking out my blog and/or reading my printed zines!!

memories from the 2000s 4/21/25

Every once in a while, a random memory from my childhood comes back to me. Recently, I’ve been thinking about several memories from my childhood that felt like they were a product of the 2000s. When I was a little girl and I found a song that I really loved, I would print out the lyrics for the song and put them in a ziplock bag so that I could stick them on the shower wall and learn the lyrics while I was in the shower. Another very distinct memory from that time was on the 4th of July in maybe 2009 or so, I was out in the yard kicking a ball around with some neighbors, my brother and one of his friends when all of a sudden, a car of high school boys drives by and eggs my brothers friend right in the middle of his chest. My mother was livid, but I thought it was hilarious. I used to get into spitball fights with my neighborhood kids around that time and it was tons of fun, I wonder if kids still get into spitball fights these days… anyway, there are lots of rough memories from my childhood, but I like to focus on the good ones like those. :)

America - Simon and Garfunkel 4/20/25

One of my favorite songs of all time is “America” by Simon and Garfunkel. The line, “‘Kathy, I’m lost’ I said, though I knew she was sleeping” in particular is one of my favorite lines in any song. When I was 18 and living in Minnesota, I felt very lost and confused about what I was doing with my life and my future and that line really resonated with me because I felt like I lived my life crying out for help, even though I knew no one could hear me. I told that story to a close friend of mine who shared with me that “America” was one of her favorite songs as well. When one of her friends passed away and she drove home from the funeral, she watched the moon rise over an open field, the same way it did in the song. I love songs like “America” because when you listen to it, you think about all the different ways other people listen to the song, as well as your own way. I think it’s really lovely and it’s really easy to feel lonely in this world, but I’m sort of comforted by the collective loneliness.

vivid dreams... 4/20/25

I’ve been having these ridiculously vivid dreams recently about all sorts of random things. I don’t usually dream about people I know, but recently, almost every dream I’ve had involved someone I knew well. In all of these dreams, the person that I know was in a different part of my life from where I know them from. For example, I dreamt that a friend I know from my building was my next door neighbor, but we lived in Europe and she had a baby. I have had lots of dreams where I visit the cemetery where my grandparents and great uncle are buried with friends who never knew these people. Not that I believe in signs or anything, but I do think that I would like to go visit that cemetery some time soon. Anyways, I had rarely remember my dreams before and now they are so memorable that they almost seem real, I wonder what’s going on...

current #mood 4/20/25

a major loss in my life 4/17/25

Today, I learned that one of my most significant mentors passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. As a young person, I attended a sports camp in Portola Valley, CA every summer. Dan Flahavan started Panthers Camp in 1995 at Corte Madera middle school. Beginning in 2006, my brother started attending Panthers Camp and in 2007, when I was only 4 years old, Dan allowed me to attend as well, despite the minimum age officially being 5. I spent every summer from the time I was 4 until 12 as a camper at Panthers Camp. Dan Flahavan was one of the kindest, most encouraging mentors. At 13, I got a job working at Panthers Camp. Dan was not only my first boss, he was a great boss. He made all of the staff and campers feel so loved and included and he fostered my athleticism. When I applied for my second job, Dan wrote my recommendation. He welcomed me into his family’s home for events and dinners. I am eternally grateful for the impact that Mr.Flahavan has had on my life and so incredibly heartbroken over his passing.

where have all of the poets gone? 4/15/25

I’ve been reading through lots of poetry zines and journals from the mid 80s to the 2000s recently and I just want to know where all of the poets have gone! Where are the hopeless romantics? I never meet people like the people I meet in zines and literature. I want to talk to the people who are in love, or people who are angry or heartbroken, but I have no idea where to find these people. I just can’t handle lots of people who call themselves poets because what they care about is how people react, not how they themselves feel. Anywho, I’m rambling, but I want to meet new people who want to talk about love and life and music and books and latin and so on and so forth. I just want to meet real people.

I hate basketball 4/10/25

growing up, I played all kinds of sports, I mean ALL kinds of sports (basketball, softball, taekwondo, etc.), you name it, I did it. When I was in fourth grade, I broke my collarbone playing basketball, I have sprained several ankles playing basketball and most recently, I tore my ACL and meniscus while playing. Sure, knee injuries are common in other sports too, but I’ve never had as severe of an injury in any other sport as my current knee injury. I concluded in the car ride from the gym to the emergency room that I absolutely hate basketball. I still love all other sports though!

Bands and artists that I’ve seen play live! (organized alphabetically)

some bands are missing for several reasons, but this is a pretty comprehensive list. please understand that I only paid to see about 1/15 of these artists because I organize small shows where I’ve seen some of the smaller bands and I also get into shows through the magazine that I write for which has allowed me to see some bigger bands for free. I understand that live music is very expensive and I am privileged to have been able to see all of these bands.❤s indicate that it was a favorite show

  • the 5.6.7.8's

  • Adam ant

  • Anti-Feds

  • Anti-groupies

  • the Aquadolls

  • automatic

  • Avengers

  • the B-52s

  • beach waste

  • Belly

  • the beths

  • Billy idol

  • Blemish

  • Blondie

  • boryoku

  • Bratmobile (x2)

  • The breeders ❤

  • Brower

  • Bush Tetras

  • The buttertones

  • casset juno

  • Cat Power

  • The Chameleons

  • Chevy metal

  • Chudson

  • the clockworks

  • Courtney barnett

  • DREAMCAR

  • Dani and the blue moon (x2)

  • devo

  • Die spitz

  • Dirty honey

  • Dry spell

  • Duran Duran

  • echo & the bunnymen

  • The electric ferrets

  • ESG

  • The faint

  • Fea

  • fear

  • Flames of Durga

  • The flaming little shits

  • Gang of Four ❤

  • Gary Numan (x3)

  • gemini messengers

  • Generation suicida

  • Get got

  • ghetto foos (x3)

  • the glorious sons

  • going outside (x3)

  • goof

  • Go sailor ❤

  • Gravy Train!!!!

  • Greta van fleet

  • the groans (x2)

  • gruel

  • Gutterball

  • Harsh symmetry

  • Hot laundry (x2)

  • Hunx & His Punx

  • Iggy pop (x2)

  • Interpol

  • Jackpot

  • The jellyfish method

  • the jesus & mary chain (x2) ❤

  • Jj fad

  • kent osbourne

  • kevin seconds

  • kilroi

  • L7 x2 ❤

  • lamictal

  • The last

  • Lady vengeance

  • Le tigre

  • Light Asylum

  • Local natives

  • the Lou man group

  • Meat puppets

  • The Mexican standoff

  • Ministry

  • The mission (UK)

  • Modest Mouse

  • Monkey & the permavirgins

  • moon wave

  • Morgan & the organ donors

  • The motels

  • mourning star (x4)

  • Mudhoney (x2) ❤

  • Niis

  • Nuovo testamento

  • OFF!

  • Pansy division

  • The Paranoyds (x3)

  • parquet courts

  • pixies (x2)

  • Redd kross (x2)

  • Reignwolf

  • Rival sons (x2)

  • the rolling stones

  • royal fools (x2)

  • STRFKR

  • Santigold

  • the schizophonics

  • Scott Reynolds

  • Simple minds

  • Siouxsie sioux

  • sissyfit

  • The Sleeperz

  • Slingshot

  • Snooper (x2) ❤

  • Soft cell

  • stanton

  • Stereobliss

  • sting

  • Stolen nova

  • The stranglers

  • Subhumans

  • Sun room

  • surfbort (x2)

  • surfer blood

  • Surprise privilege

  • tito puente jr

  • toxic energy

  • trap girl

  • t.s.o.l.

  • twin tribes

  • upchuck

  • urban heat

  • vangozeer

  • von’s island

  • voodoo glow skulls

  • Warning?

  • Warren Fitzgerald

  • the witless

  • ZZ TOP

This is where I post about music and bands! Feel free to send me suggestions!!

I think The Zeros are one of the best bands in the world. They’re fun, garage rock with a punk edge. They make the kind of music you need to listen to when you’re walking to a show. They’re from the 70s, but they’ve played a couple of reunion shows in LA in recent years and I’ve really been meaning to see them, hopefully I can see them soon!!

4.18.25

The Ladybug Transistor is such a sweet band. I think they are so lovely and their music is really beautiful. “The Albemarle Sound” in particular is a really lovely album that blends all sorts of instruments into a really wonderful soundscape. If you love twee, The Ladybug Transistor is for you!!!

4.18.25

I hadn’t heard of NoMeansNo until about a month ago, when I was reading through the personal ads of an old issue of MRR and it seemed like half of the people who’d placed ads mentioned how much they loved this band. Naturally, I looked them up and had a listen. They sound a lot like Big Black to me, but the way I think I would most accurately describe is like a punk version of Primus. I’m honestly not sure that they’re quite my taste in music, but they still might be worth checking out if you don’t already know about them.

4.16.25

Blind Melon is undeniably one of the most hated bands of the 1990s and I honestly don’t understand why. Sure, they have some jam band-ish tendencies, but what’s so bad about that? I think that Blind Melon is one of the best bands in the world. Much like other one hit wonders like the La’s and Thin Lizzy, Blind Melon is far more than their one hit. I got into them because it was clear how influenced by Led Zeppelin they were and I love LZ. They have some hard rock songs, some more psychedlic songs and some that are more folk-y. I really love Blind Melon and reccomend that everyone listen to them, especially their second album, “Soup."

4.16.25

here’s where I share my thoughts on film, tv, books, etc. I have opinions that are both good and bad. please feel free to reach out to let me know what you agree or disagree with or if there’s anything that you think that I should watch or read.

OMG!!! I watched this movie for the first last night and fell in love. Within the first 5 minutes of the movie, I was cackling out loud. It is so funny, a bit sad, and very comforting. I expect that I’ll be watching this movie several more times in the coming weeks. Zach Braff is so strange and lovable #swoon and Natalie Portman is adorable. I really loved this and highly recommend.

4/20/25

Watching this movie took an hour and a half of my life that I can never get back. I thought this was so fucking weird and creepy and fucked up. I didn’t think it was funny at all. It was a weird portrayal of the middle school experience of an “ugly girl,” but rather than telling that story with sensitivity, the director just makes every kid evil— including the protagonist. I think that there were a couple scenes that could have been really powerful if the rest of the movie was better, but they just fell flat.

4/24/25

kiddy camera pics <3

jacob the rock and roller 4/22/25

reunited with cynthia my loveeeeeeeee 4/19/25

paola in the stacks! 4/18/25

target run w irma and amin 4/18/25

in the archive 4/18/25

marika and gabe! 4/15/25

azad the amazing 4/15/25

neil aka the #1 R.E.M. fan 4/15/25

me ’n’ cooper w/ sum music mags 4/15/25

coop dutt 4/15/25

rough week, but mom took me to lunch <3 4/12/25

josh and irma <3 4/9/25

#bro-ingout pt.2 4/14/25

un caffe, per favore! 4/13/25

carrie, the best minnesotan in the world 4/10/25

#servingcunt 4/9/25

pauley after hours 4/9/25

zachary after his amazing presentation!! #proudroomiemoment 4/9/25

someone stole his ice cream cone :( 4/9/25

cris! all he’s missing is a propellor hat and a rainbow swirl lollipop! 4/9/25

yash aka the best pool player in the world 4/9/25

sam and vielka! 4/9/25

vielka !! 4/9/25

irma the great 4/9/25

james #workinghard #nothardlyworking 4/9/25

mitali! 4/8/25

zaczaczaczac! 4/8/25

alekhyah! 4/8/25

eli ping-ponging 4/8/25

talia <3 4/8/25

co-op pool table 4/8/25

i annoy them mucho #ohwell 4/8/25

#bro-ingout 4/8/25

dinner! 4/8/25

ronan! 4/8/25

bernard! 4/8/25

me!! first pic w/ the camera 4/8/25

THIS SECTION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SORRY!!

“Everything I Touch Turns to Shit and Garbage”I found this zine from the 90s in the archive at UCLA and it immediately resonated with me. I think that it’s so fun and creative and #relatable.

Boy holding baseball and Beatles trading cards, 1960sThis photo is part of the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive. I think it’s such a cool reflection of culture during the 1960s.

Crucifix, not sure of yearI found this picture at the UCLA Punk Archive. I just think Crucifix is a really cool band that not too many people know about! The photo was taken in LA, I forgot to write down who the photographer is unfortunately, but I’ll go look soon to see if I can figure it out!

Epitaph For a Darling Lady by Dorothy ParkerDorothy Parker is my favorite writer of all time. I love her so much and think so was so brilliant and witty. This is one of my favorite of her poems!

Old Punk Flyers from UCLA Punk Archive