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Underground > Radio & Music >

Music Magazines and other media such as Blogs and TV shows, also discussion of individual critics

All Acting Regiment

10:40 / 15.06.07

So, I talked about starting a thread about music media, and Flyboy said:

There's been a few over the years but nothing recent or exhaustive enough to stop you starting a new one, although it does tend to be problematic subject, by which I mean it often inspires people to moan in a somewhat unoriginal fashion - but there are ways to make that less likely, such as specifically asking people to talk about music writing they do like...

Which is a good point.

Although, if I can do this without moaning, to save people's time I might point out that certain magazines we can probably discard straight away, such as the execrable Artrocker with its constant right-wing editorials and its ridiculous bias against anything that isn't Shitdisco, and, well, if we mention the NME we'll just get angry; the Guardian's Guide and the Observer Music Monthly are both awful as well, their target audience being essentially 30-40 yr old versions of the 15-25 range titilated by the other two.

So.

That said, who knows a good magazine? The music section in Vice is wide-ranging but probably doesn't justify the rest of the magazine. What's Plan B like these days? Edge? Mix-mag? What should I be reading if I want to find out about hip-hop?

OR...

Is print media on its way out? Are we all reading blogs these days? If so, which? Are there any good TV programmes about music? What about the radio? Are there any critics/presenters/writers you have a personal favour for?

11:04 / 15.06.07

I'm thinking that we would probably assume all of the magazines you've just mentioned are better than they are if the internet had never happened. Even the best magazines lack the urgency that's so particular to the web, which is why music magazines (and really all magazines, for that matter) are such a different proposition today than what they once were. Not necessarily better or worse, but definitely different.

11:07 / 15.06.07

That being said, I read a few -- I get The Wire, and just today I bought a copy of Decibel for its feature on Cave In's first album -- and even the bad ones throw up some minor gems that I'd never think of looking for (or would never come across) online.

11:27 / 15.06.07

That said, who knows a good magazine?

I know a good magazine: Plan B.

Not without it's flaws, but still doing a damn good job of being everything the rest of UK music media should be but isn't (eg, intelligent, enthusiastic, wide-ranging, well written, well designed etc).

For those who remember their predecessor mag, Careless Talk Costs Lives, Plan B lacks the flawless quality control and the fanziney us-against-them DIY ethics, but makes up for it with what I think is a very brave effort to put together a decent, culturally inclusive and financially viable magazine that people who AREN'T obsessive indie-bores like myself are liable to be able to pick up, enjoy and discover new music through.

In light of which, It's a pain in the ass that their distribution is still so poor.

I'd urge anyone unfamiliar with the mag and looking for a decent read on the train or whatever to track a copy down.

Even just looking at the pictures is 100% more satisfying than anything else on the shelves at WH Smiths.

Regrettable Juvenilia

11:33 / 15.06.07

Slightly off-topic, but it's fucking great to see Wiley on the cover of both Plan B and The Wire. Oh my face!

Mon Oncle Ignatius

13:21 / 15.06.07

I'll have to join Rizla in enthusing about Plan B, but then I ought to really as I help write some of it every month.

14:31 / 15.06.07

I'll have to check out Plan B then, because most of the music media doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. My main source of information about new music is my friends - I'm much more likely to trust their opinion than the NMEs', the Guardian's or Mojos'. There is the odd feature in publications like that which interests me but for the most part I can't really be bothered. If I like a band, I'll surf the net to find out more about them.
I also read the odd book about music if the mood takes me.
(Oh yeah - if anyone out there is involved in music media and wants an opinionated dickhead in his late twenties from the provinces with extremely varied music tastes and a mohican to write about music then feel free to ask me.)