Jimellow

Like many, I really enjoy music a lot, yet despite this, I've never subscribed to a music-related magazine.

I've read scattered posts around the Internet and gathered that Rolling Stone has gone down hill, and isn't a subscription-worthy magazine anymore, but regardless of whether that's true or not, I'd really appreciate it if you all could suggest some good general music magazines to look into.

In terms of what genre.. I like anything, so instead would be interested in the magazines content quality, writers, etc. A good "general music" magazine would be nice, but the only magazine that comes to mind is Rolling Stone. Are there other (better) ones out there?

What music-related magazines to do you read/subscribe to, and do you recommend them?

Also, if you think Rolling Stone is in fact good and worthy of subscription, please reply too! I got the general vibe that it wasn't a good magazine, but that could be totally wrong, and I don't want to shoot it down as a possibility before I give it a shot.

After suggestions are posted, I'm going to head down to the bookstore and take a look at some magazines, but I'd appreciate some guidance first.

Thanks!

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trickyy

i got RS for two years and finally had enough. they rarely recommend anything very good, but of course that is totally subjective. usually there is a couple of interesting reads, but often it's not really about music. they are anti-republican in a very dumb way. if you want to get it, it should be about $4/yr at www.bestdealmagazines.com.

i also got SPIN for a year. found a free sub online. it only comes once a month and seems a bit short. while RS had a picture of britney or avril each issue, SPIN loved to talk about the strokes. the focus is a little more on music but i didn't find it particularly interesting.

you could go british...Q mag or NME are some well-known options. i can't vouch for either, but it seems like Q could be one of the better mags?

personally i read www.pitchforkmedia.com a lot. it is updated daily and i've found a lot of good stuff through the site. it's also funny to deal with the hipster pretense surrounding the reviews. sometimes odd music is highly lauded, like several hours of decaying drone tape loops, but i still visit regularly.

if you're into independent music,
someone recommended paste on here a few days ago
i've head good things about www.brainwashed.com and www.adequacy.net but haven't really looked into them

roachboy

the wire is really good.

www.thewire.co.uk

they cover a huge range of music, often in some depth, with a bent toward experimental things. the subs are kinda expensive, but you get cool cds sent to you with the issues is you cough up the cash for one.

signal to noise is also good, but a bit more narrowly experimental in content. sometimes it seems like "the wire"-lite. on the other hand, i have found out about alot of good music through them.

http://www.signaltonoisemagazine.org/

webzines, in addition to brainwashed:
paris transatlantic:

http://www.paristransatlantic.com/ma...main/home.html

dusted is sometimes interesting as well:

http://www.dustedmagazine.com/

there are others---i'll post them when i ahve a chance.

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K-Wise

I like to read Guitar magazines because often times they have interviews/stories with/about a lot of guitarists I consider to be talented, Eddie Van Halen, Henry Garza, Justin & Dan Hawkins, Prince, Trey Anastacio, Slash, Derek Trucks, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Perry, etc. Not sure which Guitar mag I prefer over the other usually they both end up talking to the same people, and sometimes one talks to someone but not the other, etc.

Asta!!

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snowy

I read Q Magazine nearly every month though the cost prohibits me from buying every issue I lay my eyes on--I go to Borders or B&N, get cozy, and read the issue through because at $8.75 a pop not every issue is worth buying but it's definitely worth reading. I like Q because annually they release a couple of CDs--best of the summer festivals (this year it was a Glastonbury only CD, I was kind of disappointed) and best of the year. I just got the issue with the Best of 2004 CD on it, featuring Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Green Day, the Killers, the Clash...all manner of artists including some old ones with reissues out this year. They have a dry sense of humor and good interviews--last month's interview with U2 was probably the best press I read regarding How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, a clever and thoughtful piece that wittily noted that Adam Clayton (the bassist) looks remarkably like a geography teacher. As for their opinions regarding up-and-coming artists, Q has never led me wrong yet...they've never recommended an album to me that I subsequently purchased and disliked. I have nothing but glowing recommendations for their content, but familiarity with British culture is probably necessary to truly enjoy it as a great deal of their humor makes reference to it. Despite the price, I like them endlessly better than any of the American competitors--they were on this new rock wave long before any of the American magazines were. Savvy, they are.

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trickyy

another good one is Filter. it seems to be one of the better college radio/indie magazines. not very diverse, but still good. the editor is also a music critic for npr; he seems to know his stuff.

quadro2000

I wrote about my favorite music magazine, Paste Magazine in this thread.

I subscribe to Rolling Stone. I've subscribed since 1989 and I'm now a lifetime subscriber. It's not the revolutionary, innovative magazine that it once was, and it now focuses more on the flavors-of-the-month than it does on new, up-and-coming artists. But I'm big into pop culture, and therefore I really don't mind their slant. They are definitely very much anti-Republican, but they do some excellent, EXCELLENT investigative reporting outside of music - such as Bush's failures in environmental and logging reform, the plight of the Mexican immigrants who enter America illegally, and the pot scene at the "most stoned campus in the country." They also have three excellent editors: David Fricke in music, Peter Travers in movies, and Rob Sheffield, who has a very pop-culture, snarky slant on things (which is only funny if you like that sort of thing - and for the most part, I do).

Buy one or two issues of RS and see if you like it - most issues are very similar in terms of overall content, so if you don't like it, you'll know. But read my other thread for more info on Paste, which I think is a damn fine magazine - and you get a CD and DVD to boot with the music they talk about in the mag.

I haven't read any of these but they certainly look interesting:

Blender - seems more like a music mag for Maxim readers

Under The Radar

Tracks - Seems similar to Paste, but perhaps a touch more mainstream?

Good luck and let us know what you pick up so we can pick it up ourselves!

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