Music Magazines - Advice Needed!

[narly101]

I would still have to say that NME, although being mightily up their own arse, do seem to still have their finger on the pulse of new music. I must admit though that I will only buy it for Radar, and their Reviews (which can be easily got on-line). For a good read on the tube/train, opt for Wired UK - best magazine out imho.

 

[NMH]

Mojo or Record Collector for me.

And listening to music online

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

All about the Berlin trilogy for me, especially Low. Sounds good though will check it out.

Yes, yes and yes!

 

[middletoenail]

Some great suggestions on here everyone, many thanks! x

 

[Spider]

NME is much better now than it was a few years ago, when it was obsessed with it's revolving carousel of cover stars like Pete Doherty, Arctic Monkeys, Oasis etc. If it wasn't so short and so expensive I would consider buying it, but £2.30 for the actual content you get is pathetic. Looking back at old NMEs its pretty depressing what they deem an acceptable weekly music newspaper nowadays!

 

[Storer68]

As you haven't been too definite on the genre of music you wsnt in your magazine.......

and a free CD every month

 

[Norman Potting]

At what age do you qualify for Dad Rock? I'm probably more Grandad rock but I prefer Uncut to all the other magazines I've bought over the last couple of years. It covers new albums as they all do but I've always found magazine reviews very hit and miss, one man's "superb" is another man's "dross". You do get an idea of what the music is about though and a quick listen on itunes will let you know if it is your style or not and whether it is worth pursuing.

Not so sure about this dad rock tag - to me there are only two types of music (and I don't mean "Country" and "Western"), good and bad. Anyone care to enlighten me on how something qualifies for dad rock?

 

[Icy Gull]

Not so sure about this dad rock tag - to me there are only two types of music (and I don't mean "Country" and "Western"), good and bad. Anyone care to enlighten me on how something qualifies for dad rock?

I think it's probably something like the music on a Top Gear CD? This is a guess as I haven't a clue.

I have to say, trying not to be too conservative in my grandad rock tastes, I bought Arcade Fire after the recommendations on here about it being one of the best albums of the year by so many posters. I'm not suggesting it's shit, in fact it's quite listenable in a commercial sort of way but best album of the year?

 

[Sausage]

Q is a bit formulaic but if you subscribe you can get it for £20 pa. Which 'aint bad.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

RIP Vox and Select.

 

[TheBlueAndWhiteStrips]

RIP Melody Maker it was always better than NME.

Apparently 86% of UNCUT readers are male aged 37

 

[TheBlueAndWhiteStrips]

So if they do that poll next year will that be 86% of UNCUT readers are 38?

 

[The Modfather]

I've got to admit to being MASSIVELY underwhelmed by British Sea Power. They seem the type of band to have very devoted fans, and before I saw them at Latitude a couple of years back I had plenty of people in my ear telling me they were superb - "like Arcade Fire, but better!"

Then saw them live and honestly couldn't recall a single moment, the songs seemed completely forgettable to me. Apologies to any BSP fans here, any of their albums recommended for me to go back and have another try?

All the BSP albums are pretty good, but unfortunately they do seem to lack any charisma when playing live.

As regards the best magazine, I would have to say Mojo, but why we need 10 pages on the Beatles every 3/4 months is beyond me.

 

[Willow]

All the BSP albums are pretty good, but unfortunately they do seem to lack any charisma when playing live.

As regards the best magazine, I would have to say Mojo, but why we need 10 pages on the Beatles every 3/4 months is beyond me.

Simply because when the Beatles are featured, sales are up.

I tend to buy Mojo or Uncut, but only when the cover CD interests me. Been some good ones over the years, but plenty of duff ones, too.

 

[Mick Beard BHA]

Lots of people saying Mojo, which is interesting. It must have improved over the past few years then because when i used to occasionally buy it i found it fairly dull.

 

[Mick Beard BHA]

I think it's probably something like the music on a Top Gear CD? This is a guess as I haven't a clue.

I don't think the term Dad Rock is used too seriously anywhere outside of the NME when they're slagging off the 'olds'.

But i suppose what its getting at is when you get to the age where you start stroking your chin at gigs (!) and appreciating "muscianship", "good songwriting" and the such, while at the same time you find it more difficult to get into some younger bands who are more about image and attitude and would have seemed more attractive in your teens/early 20's.

I'm generalising and part-joking of course, but still - I'm 31 and i found myself at and enjoying a Richmond Fontaine gig this time last year. I'd never have gone near them 10 or perhaps even 5 years ago.

 

[narly101]

RIP Melody Maker it was always better than NME.

This. - Loved MM

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

All about the Berlin trilogy for me, especially Low. Sounds good though will check it out.

Btw have you got London Sessions by LCD? It's nothing new, live but well produced studio versions of known songs but it tends even more towards Eno than normal. You'll certainly hear Berlin trilogy influences.

I still think Get Innoc is more Talking Heads than Neu! though

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

Sadly I probably qualify for the Dads Rock end of the market but I like Classic Rock and Record Collector.

 

[Wienergull]

At what age do you qualify for Dad Rock? I'm probably more Grandad rock but I prefer Uncut to all the other magazines I've bought over the last couple of years. It covers new albums as they all do but I've always found magazine reviews very hit and miss, one man's "superb" is another man's "dross". You do get an idea of what the music is about though and a quick listen on itunes will let you know if it is your style or not and whether it is worth pursuing.

Judging from past threads on here on music, I am in the same age bracket as you, but Grandad rock? Blimey, I suppose I could be a Grandad technically!

I agree on Uncut. I switched from Q because of the surfeit of nostalgia pieces, and as someone else has said, Uncut has gone a bit the same way - articles on the making of Exile on Main Street, a Clash gig from 1977, that sort of thing. But if you're into Americana - and I am in a big way - then Uncut is the magazine for you. I've discovered a lot of new(ish) artists through them - the Felice Brothers, the Handsome Family, Tom Russell, Richmond Fontaine, Drive By Truckers to name but a few - and also caught up on a lot of ancient blues, country and R'n'B artists through their excellent CD compilations. The editor Allan Jones used to write for the Melody Maker and must be in his 60s now, but is a passionate advocate of a lot of new bands, which just goes to show that you're only as old as you feel and that the Dad Rock tag is just a lazy journalistic cliche.