My parents read Rolling Stone. It's become wholly unreliable.

I started reading Spin last year, after seeing their Morrissey and Yeah Yeah Yeahs covers. Unfortunately, since then, they've gone on to showcase washed-ups, rip-offs, and radio lamewads like Beastie Boys, Green Day, The Vines, and The Killers on the cover.

This has singlehandely made me begin to lose interest, though I try and remind myself that they were the first place I heard of Joanna Newsom before anyone on the internet was discussing her in any noticeable context.


The point is, are there any really good music magazines? Or, is the best you can do simply a magazine that will feature good music occasionally, sifting through the crap in the meanwhile?

Harp and Paste are both fabulous.

You can find them at any Borders or Barnes & Noble.

oh my.

I haven't received an issue yet, but Resonance looks pretty cool (and comes with 3 CDs).

http://www.resonancemag.com

There's a lot of good smaller music magazines.

I have never seen a Barnes & Nobles and I don't know what a Borders is.

Magnet is pretty good.

So is Skyscraper.

Ahhh well they're giant chain bookstores throughout the states.

Most big bookstore chains should carry the mags.

I like a bunch of the British mags, but they can be kind of expensive.

Steve

Holy Shit. Elektra Woman and Dyna Girl....I spent like 40 bux a few years ago, to get all the episodes on VHS.......nice find!

Outburn was good up until the last two.

Wire is still good, if you're into that left-of-center stuff.

print is dead.

Comes with a Smile gets my vote for the best music magazine being published today. The interviews are top notch. There's also a sizeable record review section. Each issue also comes with a CD of rare and unreleased tracks. The last issue included rare/unreleased tracks from Kevin Tihista, The Decemberists, Mark Eitzel, and comedian David Cross.

http://www.comeswithasmile.com for more details.

I also like Filter (a new-ish magazine; lots of reviews; etc) and Res (not entirely music).

Revolver.

Heavy metal, porn starlets, illicit drugs, hard drink, a French publisher/editor (included because one wouldn't think that a Frenchman would have such tastes; maybe sherry, go-go girls, and qaaludes, but nothing heavier than those).

You cannot go wrong.

... Oh, yeah, & MIDRE CUMMINGS!

Filter is like Pitchfork in print

One of the great mysteries to me is what happened to Rolling Stone. I cancelled my decade long subscription to them about 5 years ago because they became a tabloid ala People. It's a shame.... that magazine used to mean something.

Spin will still give some lip service to music, but then backhands it at the same time for the latest nu metal or fad. Irony is good, ridicule is bad... I'm not sure they have a clue tho. If I'm flying, I will pick one up to remind me why I no longer subscribe. If any magazine has milked Kurt Cobain's marrow from his bones, it's Spin.

CMJ... where art tho CMJ?

Magnet
Paste
Big Takeover
Skyscraper

4 mags I endorse


finally took the plunge and subscribed to the UK's "Comes with a Smile" (4 issues at $50 with 4 cds)... haven't rec'd one yet so we will see.

I had a crush on Dyna Girl when I was a kid. As an adult Electra Woman is definitely finer.

As mentioned above, HARP is a good one. It comes with a CD each month too. The last issue had a pretty cool Bloodshot records comp.

i like fader, cmj (when it comes out), resonance, diw (devil in the woods), stop smiling (yes, its a lifestyle mage, too), mojo, wire, no depression, filter (sometimes), venus and punk planet. its hard for music magazines to be exclusively music any more -- either they go super-niche or go broad, becoming lifestyle or all-arts magazines. advertisers aren't always keen on music-only, and if it's music-only, the ads aren't enough. i love print, i don't think it's dead. its been very hard for the magazine industry over the last 5 years. regardless, good things are still happening in the magazine industry -- so long as they run great photos. most people can learna bout music from the internet and additional stuff like photos, exclusives, gifts help people stick with print.

I usually check out a smaller local mag called Rockpile..It's not to shabby...

SId and Croft have to release this in an official DVD set at some point.. All their other shows are getting the dvd treatment.

I currently subscribe to and read:

Alt Press (I still like it)
Outburn (love it)
Revolver (the competition)
Blender (sucks meat)
Rolling Stone & Spin (cause i get em for free)
Magnet and Big Takeover (cause they be free as well)
I Like URB as well.

i don't subscribe to anything, i just go read them in their entirity at the newstands .