Music Magazines

[FdL]

I used to read a lot of music magazines some years ago. But nowadays import magazines have become more difficult to get and more expensive, so I'm kinda stuck with the same old mags.

I like to read about music, but I don't like Rolling Stone, it's too mainstream-oriented and commercial for me. British mags like Q are usually ok, but they tend to overhype unknown bands that in the end are not worth it (and then stone them to death a short time).

What magazines can you recommend to me? Nothing too obscure or I won't be able to get it.

What I'm looking for is good journalism, indie and rock oriented (don't care for rap and hip hop, I hate it actually). Maybe Mojo? I have one and I like what they have going.

[Amotis]

I always take reviews and articles and opinions with a grain of salt. So I never was much for paying money for them. I do like the interwob ones though. I know The Wire and NME have magazine but both. But to make incorrect stereotypes horribly; pitchfork are arrogant lo-fi hipsters, NME takes any chance to take a shot at them for being arrogant while being arrogant and pushing sometimes crappy bands like MCR, The Wire I like but can be shaky sometimes, Under The Radar is decent but still shaky, but yeah. You get the point. I like all of those to a certain extent. Those pitchfork guys are very smart and their interviews I enjoy a lot. NME is okay. The Wire is good and smart. And I haven't read much of Under The Radar but what I've heard and read was decent.

The only site/mag I would avoid entirely would be some french one called OOR or something. Yeah, it's bad.

I don't know much more non-obscure ones 'cause I don't really spend my time reading about bands much less listening to them. But sites and mags are great. You learn about new bands, learn more about existing bands, and it's all in good fun. For me anyway.

[FdL]

Yeah, I've read Pitchfork since it's first inception back in mid-90's, back when their reviews were short and shallow but featured song clips (that's what got me hooked to the site). I like their overall style, what I don't like is that they've incorporated hip-hop and rap and related styles which IMHO is a whim of the editor because it has nothing to do with the style of the site. They do tend to be snobbish and arrogant, but sometimes it's better to read overly harsh, stern reviews than to read condescending ones that tell you anyone is greater than The Beatles (british press, anyone?).

Another site I've started reading from reccomendation by a friend is PopMatters. But I find the layout and navigation to be awful. There's another one of his called TinyMixTapes, but I haven't read that one a lot.

The thing with magazines is that you can read them anywhere (obvious fact of the day :D). Until I have a net wired laptop I can take to bed, I guess a magazine would be better alternative :p

And of course that is a good thing to read about bands. I love it, I've learned a lot about music reading AMG and other internet sites, plus I have a lot of mags from the 90's that I still read. I think keeping yourself informed this way gives you knowledge and perspective. I appreciate the culture of reading about music, after all it's one of the cornerstones of rock culture (Rolling Stone sucks but it's an institution).