Music Magazines/Websites

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:02

I've decided I don't actively search out enough new music anymore. I used to read a fair few magazines back in the day (Rock Sound and Mixmag mainly), but I just don't know where to start these days. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:05

The Wire http://www.thewire.co.uk/

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:10

Zardoz wrote:

The Wire http://www.thewire.co.uk/

I've just looked at the covers for the last couple of years and don't know anyone on there. Brilliant!

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:11

Pitchfork can be pretentious , but they're fantastic at finding out new music.

http://www.pitchfork.com

It's a website though rather than a print magazine... but it's still very popular and important and stuff.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:14

Curiosity wrote:

Pitchfork can be pretentious , but they're fantastic at finding out new music.

http://www.pitchfork.com

It's a website though rather than a print magazine... but it's still very popular and important and stuff.

Too much Michael Jackson!

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

Mixmag's went downhill a bit but the charts, reviews & consistently good cover CD still make it worth a look to find new music.

DJ mag is still wank.

Your local wanky music bars & record shops probably have those free newspapers about the local & national music scene. One of ours "The Skinny" is worth reading, the rest are shite.

http://hypem.com searches through blogs for music, I've found a couple of decent blogs through it.

Google blog search is handy too.

The specialist shows in the evening on Radio 1 are usually worth a listen.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:57

Our local music shop closed down a few months ago. RIP Selectadisc.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 12:59

What do you expect now that music is free?

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:04

I always wanted to support them (and did when their prices were similar to that of HMV, Virgin, etc), but when they started selling albums for £16 that I could get elsewhere for £8, I just couldn't do it anymore.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:06

myp wrote:

Curiosity wrote:

Pitchfork can be pretentious , but they're fantastic at finding out new music.

http://www.pitchfork.com

It's a website though rather than a print magazine... but it's still very popular and important and stuff.

Too much Michael Jackson!

There is a fair whack on there. Surprising.

Anyway, it's generally considered to be the #1 place for alternative music IN THA WURLD!

So it's worth a look.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:11

myp wrote:

I always wanted to support them (and did when their prices were similar to that of HMV, Virgin, etc), but when they started selling albums for £16 that I could get elsewhere for £8, I just couldn't do it anymore.

You shallow bastard.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

Oh aye, not a magazine or anything but it's worth keeping an eye on Glasgow's beloved Optimo DJs. I learned a fair few skills off them & discovered loads of new (to me at least) musicians.

Example, their first commercial mix CD. It's mostly punk & electronic on this one, but their other mixes have all sorts on there.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

1) intro / funkadelic - wars of armageddon

2) laibach - decree beat

3) john carpenter - the end

4) hiltmeyer inc. - narkotik!

5) hashim - rocking the planet (beat)

6) miroslav vitous - new york city

7) soft cell - sex dwarf

carl craig - demented drums

9) luciano and quenem - orange mistake

10) basic channel - phylyps track 2

11) crash course in science - flying turns

12) revolting cocks - on fire

13) depeche mode - dead of the night (electronicat remix)

14) quarks - i walk (superpitcher schaffel mix)

15) liaisons dangereuses - los ninos del parque

16) the cramps - new kind of kick

17) harco pront - night

18) cls - can u feel it

19) gang of four - damaged goods

20) langley schools music project - good vibrations

21) the junkyard band - the word

22) the stranglers - nice n' sleazy

23) pablo - cissy strut / os mutantes - a minha menina

24) banbarra - shack up

25) joubert singers - stand on the word (larry levan remix)

26) 20th century steel band - heaven and hell

27) the rapture - out of the races

28) cameo - money (reese revamp) / crackhaus - blow brotha blow

29) pj pooterhoots - barf

30) black devil disco club - timing, forget the timing / akufen - whorehouse new process

31) loose joints - is it all over my face?

32) grauzone - eisbar

33) chromeo - destination overdrive (dfa dub) / medium medium - hungry so angry

34) modettes - white mice

35) akufen - quebec nightclub / monte cazazza - sex is no emergency

36) nurse with wound - two shaves and a shine

37) blondie - atomic

38) ricardo villalobos - easy lee / art of noise - moments in love

39) ricardo villalobos - dexter / suicide - dream baby dream

40) ricardo villalobos - dexter / truffle club - autoconform

41) optimo (espacio) end of the night choir - one more tune

42) love - everybody's got to live

UNMIXED CD

1) angelo badalamenti - mullholland drive theme

2) arthur russell - another thought

3) the balanescu quartet - the model

4) lee hazelwood and nancy sinatra - some velvet morning

5) nouvelle vague - guns of brixton

6) big ned - final steps

7) sun city girls - opium den

andre williams - bacon fat

9) hasil adkins - chicken walk

10) the monks - i hate you

11) os mutantes - a minha menina

12) the meters - the handclapping song

13) 20th century steel band - heaven and hell

14) the flirtations - nothing but a heartache

15) bush tetras - snakes crawl

16) modettes - white mice

17) the creepers - baby's on fire

18) the only ones - another girl another planet

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:31

WullieOoster wrote:

Oh aye, not a magazine or anything but it's worth keeping an eye on Glasgow's beloved Optimo DJs. I learned a fair few skills off them & discovered loads of new (to me at least) musicians.

Example, their first commercial mix CD. It's mostly punk & electronic on this one, but their other mixes have all sorts on there.

ZOMG Spoiler! Click here to view!

1) intro / funkadelic - wars of armageddon

2) laibach - decree beat

3) john carpenter - the end

4) hiltmeyer inc. - narkotik!

5) hashim - rocking the planet (beat)

6) miroslav vitous - new york city

7) soft cell - sex dwarf

carl craig - demented drums

9) luciano and quenem - orange mistake

10) basic channel - phylyps track 2

11) crash course in science - flying turns

12) revolting cocks - on fire

13) depeche mode - dead of the night (electronicat remix)

14) quarks - i walk (superpitcher schaffel mix)

15) liaisons dangereuses - los ninos del parque

16) the cramps - new kind of kick

17) harco pront - night

18) cls - can u feel it

19) gang of four - damaged goods

20) langley schools music project - good vibrations

21) the junkyard band - the word

22) the stranglers - nice n' sleazy

23) pablo - cissy strut / os mutantes - a minha menina

24) banbarra - shack up

25) joubert singers - stand on the word (larry levan remix)

26) 20th century steel band - heaven and hell

27) the rapture - out of the races

28) cameo - money (reese revamp) / crackhaus - blow brotha blow

29) pj pooterhoots - barf

30) black devil disco club - timing, forget the timing / akufen - whorehouse new process

31) loose joints - is it all over my face?

32) grauzone - eisbar

33) chromeo - destination overdrive (dfa dub) / medium medium - hungry so angry

34) modettes - white mice

35) akufen - quebec nightclub / monte cazazza - sex is no emergency

36) nurse with wound - two shaves and a shine

37) blondie - atomic

38) ricardo villalobos - easy lee / art of noise - moments in love

39) ricardo villalobos - dexter / suicide - dream baby dream

40) ricardo villalobos - dexter / truffle club - autoconform

41) optimo (espacio) end of the night choir - one more tune

42) love - everybody's got to live

UNMIXED CD

1) angelo badalamenti - mullholland drive theme

2) arthur russell - another thought

3) the balanescu quartet - the model

4) lee hazelwood and nancy sinatra - some velvet morning

5) nouvelle vague - guns of brixton

6) big ned - final steps

7) sun city girls - opium den

andre williams - bacon fat

9) hasil adkins - chicken walk

10) the monks - i hate you

11) os mutantes - a minha menina

12) the meters - the handclapping song

13) 20th century steel band - heaven and hell

14) the flirtations - nothing but a heartache

15) bush tetras - snakes crawl

16) modettes - white mice

17) the creepers - baby's on fire

18) the only ones - another girl another planet

Ooh, looks good.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Kill-DJ-Pt-2/dp/B00026WSM0
If you want to track it down somewhere.

Runcle · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:45

I don't really buy music magazines anymore but if I was going to get one I'd get the word.

http://www.magazine-group.co.uk/magazine/entertainment-magazines/music/the-word

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

There isn't a good music magazine. The Word is pretty good, but it appears to have been sub-edited by a five year old most of the time, and some of the stuff in there is really specialist interest (boring as fuck).

Website wise, I'm yet to find one that isn't pretentious as fuck, American, or both.

Blogs are usually pretty good if you have time to read 50 different ones, but as for magazines and magazine-style music websites, there's fuck all of worth out there.

myp · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 13:57

Jonarob wrote:

as for magazines and magazine-style music websites, there's fuck all of worth out there.

How do you find out about new music then? Word of mouth?

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

myp wrote:

Jonarob wrote:

as for magazines and magazine-style music websites, there's fuck all of worth out there.

How do you find out about new music then? Word of mouth?

Yeah generally. I'm fortunate enough to sit next to a chap at work who does all of the research for me, so I haven't had to rely on shitty magazines for a while. I'm finding Spotify is helping me a lot as well - share playlists with hipster-cool-dudes. One of my friends is on every new band within minutes, sifting out the shit and putting them into his shared playlist. I mean, I wouldn't write off the likes of Pitchfork - I look at it once a week, but I wouldn't rely on it. I also tend to go to gigs quite regularly - we get a fair few up and coming bands around here.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Oh, and tragically, the Xfm playlist quite regularly offers up some good upcoming bands:

http://www.xfm.co.uk/onair/playlist

Not that they actually play them on the radio station - airtime is reserved for their "indie anthems 2003" CD that they haven't changed for over a year.

(You have to ignore the Jack Penate stuff and find the one or two songs on there that are actually decent.)

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 14:14

I occassionally get Word, but I've got a horrible feeling it's going the way of Uncut - ie with their cover features:

Springsteen! Weller! Hendrix! Pink Floyd! Pink Floyd again! Pink Floyd again! Beatles! Rolling Stones! The Jam! Oasis! Beatles again! The Eagles! Neil Young! Neil Young again! Springsteen again! REM promise they're not crap anymore!(Repeat ad nauseum)

They're beginning to flounder. I got Uncut early on and it used to be ace, and introduced me to so much in the way of music, and the cover CD's were fab. I found their decline and fall pretty sickening, and all because arseholes out there want to read about the same fuck-boring Lennon story for a gazillionth time. Also, 'Collectible Covers'? Get tae fuck. Still, Word ain't bad yet, and the CD is good, and I like the Good 20/Bad 20 thing, and they have the odd good interview, and won't shut about The Wire which is also good. (Show, not rival publication.)

I haven't tried The Wire, but I am intrigued. What can you tell me about it? I also read Froots (folk and roots music) and the simply titled 'Country' and BBC Classical Music, the three of which we get in the library.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

nervouspete wrote:

I occassionally get Word, but I've got a horrible feeling it's going the way of Uncut - ie with their cover features:

Springsteen! Weller! Hendrix! Pink Floyd! Pink Floyd again! Pink Floyd again! Beatles! Rolling Stones! The Jam! Oasis! Beatles again! The Eagles! Neil Young! Neil Young again! Springsteen again! REM promise they're not crap anymore!(Repeat ad nauseum)

Oh my god, definitely this! A couple of years ago I'd buy The Word every single month and read it (more or less) from cover to cover, forgiving the occasional spelling/grammatical/typographical error. But now it seems to be repeating itself. It seems to be getting pretty cynical about new music as well, which isn't what I want to read. I'm cynical about new music already - I want to be convinced otherwise!

Er, barring the CD of new music every month, of course...

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

blip.fm is where it's all at now. For sure.

RuySan · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3542

I used to buy terrorizer until i realized that after a while all the musician interviews are all the same:

Their latest album is the best, they never have been as good as a band and they are really eager to play this songs live.

Three years later:

The new album is our best. The latest album wasn't so good because of our problems with our bass player which provoked his exit. The band wasn't getting along and that reflected on our record and live performances. But now we're better than ever, we're like a family and we all get along just fine. The recording process went smoothly and it shows on the record....

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 16:21

Terrorizer and Zero Tolerance are my pick. Metal Maniacs if it was still running, too. I used to talk on the Southern Lord forum before it shut down, and that was good for bantering recommendations around if you stand the macho postuering that went on around there. I couldn't, so left.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Dimrill wrote:

Terrorizer and Zero Tolerance are my pick. Metal Maniacs if it was still running, too. I used to talk on the Southern Lord forum before it shut down, and that was good for bantering recommendations around if you stand the macho postuering that went on around there. I couldn't, so left.

You fucking pussy! RAWWWWWWWWWRRRGRRRGHHHH!!!!!! :metul:

Dimrill · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 16:23

Don't hit me sir.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

Zardoz wrote:

The Wire http://www.thewire.co.uk/

This one. And Fact Magazine. And Simon Reynolds' blog.

And not Pitchfork. 95% crapness.

Sledge · **Posted:** Mon Jun 29, 2009 19:18

Prindle.

Be Excellent To Each Other

Music Magazines/Websites
Which are the best?

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

Music Magazines/Websites Which are the best?

Who is online

Music Magazines/Websites
Which are the best?