Re: Big Takeover and what else?

The Hollydays brings out the music arguments between me and the young'uns.
Recalling geezer days of old I remember going to Ye Olde Book Merchants and grabbing Trouser Press,Slash, Search and Destroy, Punk, Zig Zag,Creem,Backdoor Man, Maximum Rock and Roll, Big Takeover, even Circus, New York Rocker............ all in one day, every month.
Now I peruse the Merchant Borders and find nary an interesting mag cept for Big Takeover, Mojo, Uncut and maybe one or two others if there is a band I'm interested in featured in said mag.
What am I missing, or is it the juniors got their own thing?

I'm really liking Under the Radar magazine - they cover a lot of the same stuff as Magnet without the hipper-than-thou attitude which has made Magnet unreadable for me these days.

No Depression is first-rate for coverage of its focus genre (americana/alt-country, although they've pretty much broadened the definition of that to be mostly meaningless anymore).

Paste is pretty good for coverage of what I call NPR-Alternative (which I will attempt to define some day if anyone asks.) Also it's one of the few music-oriented magazines that can branch out into movies, books, etc. - whatever strikes their fancy - and actually have something worthwhile to say about them and not just be irritating.

Juniors do got their own thing. It's called the internet. I'd say music sites (like this one), mp3 blogs, message boards, chat rooms etc are the new fanzines. They're DIY, low budget, all comers welcome - doesn't get more punk then that, eh?

Having said that, read Ghetto Blaster, the mag I write for!

MRR is still good. Of course, I'm biased because I'm a columnist :-)-

I just got the new Big Takeover and I'm impressed with who he interviews.. for the most part.

NPR Alternative=Soprano's Theme Song.

URL's people. U-R-Lzzz



Post Edited (12-27-05 19:36)

NPR-Alternative (which is not a slam against NPR, which I am a fairly loyal listener to) is a term I use to describe music which is moderately alternative - good stuff, but not especially challenging, the kind of stuff that people for whom music is still important but not a passion listen to - they want to feel informed about what's going on but are not particularly interested in being on the cutting edge or tracking down every influence on their favorite band. They don't listen to mainstream radio but will get interested in a band from a movie soundtrack, commercial or maybe a profile on Morning Edition.

The Holy Grail of NPR-Alternative is the GARDEN STATE soundtrack, with the VANILLA SKY soundtrack being beloved by the slightly more adventurous.

Other NPRA faves:
Aimee Mann
Fiona Apple
Wilco
Lucinda Williams
Elvis Costello (and Diana Krall)
Ani Difranco
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
White Stripes
Air
Anyone included on a Cameron Crowe soundtrack

Again, this isn't a slam against NPR, Paste Magazine or any of those artists or their fans. Just a categorization I use.

I like Uncut a lot, there's a shitload of bands from many a different era I would never have heard if not for Uncut and I enjoy the cover story, even if I'm not that into the band/artist. And I owe them for Richmond Fontaine.