What music magazine now?
Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 12 May 2003
I've had a subscription to Q magazine for a while on the basis that the review section was pretty comprehensive, seemed fairly immune to hype and was generally useful for keeping me abreast of new releases. Although my reading of the rest of the magazine was never very comprehensive it used to be occasionally interesting. It is clear from the last 3 months that a new editor has now taken the magazine steeply downhill (intentionally I suspect). The quality of the writing in general has dived and most importantly the reviews are noticeably shorter and less interesting.
So the question is-what else should I buy once a month to give me a broad spread of reviews that might stimulate my music-buying and maybe also the odd interesting article? I've never really flicked through any of the competition before now.
Bruce
Posted on: 12 May 2003 by Jez Quigley
I find Uncuts reviews a bit suspect, treat with caution. Cover CDs are usually interesting though. Mojo is the pick of the bunch for me, but as Nick says it has a leaning to us old hippies.
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"
Posted on: 12 May 2003 by Markus
The only thing I read now that Listener is out of business. They've only published four issues and the first two are out of print and impossible to find but each issue keeps getting better and better. They don't do "reviews" per se but do write a lot about music. Check out
www.waxpoetics.com to get a feeling for their focus.
Markus
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Posted on: 12 May 2003 by Thomas K
Poets Waxing?
At first glance I misread an extra "f" into that.
Looks like an unusual mag -- blissfully untrendy.
Thomas
Posted on: 12 May 2003 by Not For Me
Music Magazines
I only suscribe to 'The Wire'. Totally essential great for the free CDs, and to find out what pretenious rubbish to buy.
I pick up 'Jockey Slut' every couple of issues, if the artists on the cover tempt me.
I also get X-ray (2 out of 3 so far), again, if they are covering artists or a scene that interests me.
I read the reviews in 'Future Music' every month.
Very occasionally get Mojo, but it is a bit too old farty for me.
Used to read - Q, NME, Uncut, DJ. IDJ, Mixmag, but got bored of identikit indie nobodies and faceless techno bollocks/ clubbing clothing reviews.
To find out what is going on, subcribe to new release e-mails from shops / organisations you feel an alignment with. For me, this is Carbon disks, Boomkat, Smallfish, Action and Drum & Bass Arena amongst others.
DS
OTR - The Archers
Posted on: 12 May 2003 by Not For Me
Alex,
I better get down WH Smiths tomorrow to check it out then!
DS
ITC - King of the World - Sheila & B. Devotion
Posted on: 12 May 2003 by redeye
Uncut for sure. Helps that they're heavily biased in the Americana/alt country direction which suits me down to the ground.
Freebie cds vary between unlistenable junk (dorks do Bowie/Dylan etc) and fab when they highlight the new stuff.
Eternally grateful to Uncut for introducing me to the divine Ms Neko Case.
Bless
red
OTD..Infected (side2) The The
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Shayman
One word......
Mojo
You won't regret it.
Jonathan
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Bruce Woodhouse
I have the impression I may be too young for Mojo but not 'yoof' enough for Q....
Uncut looks interesting-movies reviews too i see. Time to buy a copy I think.
Bruce
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by matthewr
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Keddie
I subscribe to the Wire and really don't read much else as far as the music press goes. As a couple of people have said, it can seem quite a daunting publication, as it features large numbers of artists who I, for one, haven't heard of. But that's one of the reasons I like it. Like (I suppose) many people who use this forum, I have been listening to music for years and years and have a pretty broad and detailed knowledge of a wide range of artists. So its very refreshing (not to say salutory) to find dozens of reviews and articles every month in the Wire which discuss people for whom I have virually no reference point, I may only ever hear a fraction of them, but its exciting to know that even after all these years I've only scratched (well, put a fair size gouge in) the surface of what's going on in popular/experimental/avant garde music. And the free CDs are a real ear-opener - worth the price of the subscription.
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Anna Tooth
It's interesting that no-ones mentioned Bang yet. It was a new title at the beginning of April from the Future stable. First edition had the Flaming Lips on the front, covered in blood in a swimming pool, and was £1. It was quite good and nicely laid out. Did no-one else see it/buy it? Won't be £1 in the future, and also doesn't have free CD, which I always find tempting...
Anna
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by greeny
i also subscribe to Q and agree with some of what has been said. The review section does seem to be producing briefer reviews than previously. I still like many of the articles and like the Cash for Questions and Now section a lot. It still provides about the most compreshesive review section even if some are getting briefer.
I buy Mojo and Uncut sometimes if the articles appeal, but the Uncut reviews I agree are a bit suspect with many unjust (IMO) 4 and 5 star reviews, Q goes the other way with next to no 5 star reviews.
I bought the first issue of Bang but didn't find the articles very interesting (big articles on Devandra Banhart,Ladytron, Interpol, Darkness, The Faint) the reviews were in more depth than many of Q's but not the same coverage. Whoever their reviewer 'SW' is they had a bad month giving one star to: Placebo, 'lazy, pompous writing at its most abysmal'; Sonic Youth, '..shit, for deaf snobs and pretentious idiots', and Linkin Park, 'You can put a monkey into orbit, but you can't stop it wanking. ...One song is good enough for a Kylie album filler' (but only one)
In the end I still think Q is the best of the bunch, (subscribe for two years and its only £2.20 an issue) but I think it's between Uncut and Mojo for an alternative.
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by matthewr
My favourite Wire quote was something along the lines of "challenges conventional notions of exactly what constitutes music".
As to the other mags -- they all seem to me to be either dull Dadrock or just hype filled comics pedalling the latest corporate musak. Plenty on the web so I've not bothered buying a music mag for years. Free sampler CDs are their only value now and that won't last much longer with the rise and rise of downloadable music.
Matthew
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Not For Me
Alex,
Got the X-ray 4, useful mini-primer on electro! Looking forward to the Donnas track, I like their image!
I also got the Bang mag, didn't find it very memorable. A bit snotty kid-like.
So far, it looks like more Wire readers than any other mag ?
DS
OTD - Senor Coconut - Electrolatino
(More TLA's to discover)
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by scottyc
I buy HiFi+ - mainly for the music reviews, not the hifi stuff. I've found some really wonderful stuff through this, more than I ever found with Q.
Scottyc
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by JamieWednesday
Bang seems to have yet to find it's audience. It seems to be trying to appeal to the NME readers but introduce at least some musical variety.
My own opinion? I think it's cr*p...
Music magazines are OK and I get Q, Uncut, Mojo, X-ray so I'm perhaps as guilty as the next punter but the best place for reviews, I think, is still to review your own and listen to the radio. Even if often on line for XFM, 6Radio etc..If you hear something you like, you can always search for more on KAZAA or whatever and if you like it, buy it...I've wandered off the subject here haven't I?
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by ejl
Actually Jamie this is pretty much what I'm doing too, besides reading on-line reviews and looking at recommentations on various forums. I let my Wire subscription lapse; like Matthew I've realized that print magazines are becoming increasingly irrelevant for finding new music.
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by matthewr
Eric,
"Save Yourself" by The Make Up arrived today and mighty fine it is too so thanks for the tip.
Matthew
Posted on: 13 May 2003 by Mick P
The best music magasine is the Gramophone.
Very good analysis of both music and equipment.
I believe it is the longest running music mag in the UK.
Regards
Mick
Posted on: 23 May 2003 by matthewr
I understand The Observer is about to launch a new Observer Music Monthly along the lines of the existing Observer Sport and Food Monthlies. If its half as good as OSM it'll be another reason to buy Britain's best Sunday newspaper.
Matthew
Posted on: 12 June 2003 by Kevin-W
I have seen an early dummy of this mag, and it looks good.
What it (and all of us) needs is the courage of its convictions, so that the editor/writers cover music they feel passionate about. What wwe don't need is a monthly version of the NME, or a tarted-up version of the Guardian Guide's music page.
The Observer is the best paper in Britain bar none, though, so I have high hopes.
Kevin
Posted on: 13 June 2003 by Dave J
As an addition to the above, there's a very good US magazine that covers the alt.country thing depressingly called "No Depression" (named after a 1930's song by the Carter family or the album by Uncle Tupelo - take your pick).
Posted on: 13 June 2003 by thirty three and a third
If you're interested in the art of recording then
Tape Op is for you. Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse recommends it too.
Posted on: 19 June 2003 by Dave J
Q collection being sold
I had an email from a mate of mine who is selling his Q collection with CD's, over 200 of them. If anyone's interested, please email me and I'll put you in touch.
Dave
