State Magazine

stolenwine

I had a leaf through a copy the other day and I couldn't fathom who it's audience is? 20 -30 something uber cool alternative luminous t-shirt wearing indie/electro clubby types? I found the strange mix of bands mildly irritating..

Does anyone here buy it? Please explain.

Orizio

I haven't bought it, but I do check out every new issue for the pretty extensive review section (although they have handed out some dodgy reviews, particurly to the new Samamidon and Cyrstal Castles albums).

It generally seems superior to the turd that is Hot Press, better presentation too, but still not worth the asking price. Could do with a free quality CD.

TBH Foggy Notions is the only Irish music mag I buy.

eclectichoney

Foggy notions is sadly dead now though

Don't like state at all.

judas101

I think state is great.

well written reviews of music and film.

a lot of the stuff wouldnt be my cup of tea but there's lots of interesting stuff in it too.

blows hotpress out of the water anyway

eclectichoney

judas101 wrote: »

blows hotpress out of the water anyway

That's certainly true, though it wouldn't be hard!
Fair play to them though for attempting to do something decent - it's good to see.

Bstatic

I bought hot press the other week for the first time ever, I never bothered with it before and always bought Q instead. But now that Ireland has a better music scene now than it had a few years back I've started buying it. Plus I find the reviews and articles better written than that of Q and NME.

Orizio

Really though, Q, NME, Hot Press are all **** and not worth anyones money.

Better to stick to internet sites and blogs.

Dudess

stolenwine wrote: »

I had a leaf through a copy the other day and I couldn't fathom who it's audience is? 20 -30 something uber cool alternative luminous t-shirt wearing indie/electro clubby types? I found the strange mix of bands mildly irritating.

Why? I don't get this need for stuff to be clearly defined/labelled/categorised as if it's a bit of a challenge when things aren't so clear-cut. Not just directing that at you, OP, it's something I find in general - e.g. people complaining about pubs because "it had a very mixed crowd". Big deal - they're not working for a marketing company. Personally I'd prefer eclecticism.
State is obviously just a magazine that features good bands/musicians spanning various genres. Its target reader is gonna be anyone who likes good music.

ZakAttak

Orizio wrote: »

Really though, Q, NME, Hot Press are all **** and not worth anyones money.

Better to stick to internet sites and blogs.

==> Exactly! why would anyone buy a magazine when you can get it for free on the internet. Theres only 3 magazines I would consider buying; Hot press, The Economist and four-four-two~ and they've all got one thing in common, within 10-15 minutes you've read all the articles that are of any interest, I don't think I've bought one in years. Besides, most magazines these days are 40% text and 60% advertising, you might as well buy a shopping catalogue.

The Slate was really good- then again it was free.
Viz has gone to sh1t.

The worst part about music journo's is this: they'll give a good review to anyone if it means they can get an extended interview- so its not very honest in the end. (A similar thing happens with political journalism).

el_tiddlero

ZakAttak wrote: »

==> The worst part about music journo's is this: they'll give a good review to anyone if it means they can get an extended interview- so its not very honest in the end. (A similar thing happens with political journalism).

that's a bit of a generalisation wouldn't you think? Believe it or not, there are many honest music reviewers out there, although, you won't find too many of them in mags like Q, HotPress, or even State.... As a writer for a music site myself, i've never given a good review in order to get an interview.. in fact, mostly you'll get to interview someone BEFORE an album comes out or a gig happens - so you've already talked to them before you review it...

When you say extended interview what do you mean? something that runs to 2 or 3 pages in print? Depending on font size and lay out, a 2 or 3 page spread in a mag, including pictures etc, will usually be the result of an interview lasting no more than 20 minutes. more likely 10 and asking questions quickly. it all depends on who you interview though, i did a 5 min interview before that ran to 800 words....

Orizio has a good point.. by reading 2 or 3 blog/online reviews of a band, you'll usually get a much clearer picture than what you would from reading 2 or 3 print mags...

Stiv

ZakAttak wrote:

Exactly! why would anyone buy a magazine when you can get it for free on the internet.

Get what, exactly, for free? Magazines are always going to offer a different sort of analysis to blogs. There are some great blogs out there, but few are able to dedicate the time and effort that professional music writers can afford to. It's a different sort of writing, and if you're interested in a multiplicity of opinions then it makes perfect sense to seek out both professional and non-professional sources.

The worst part about music journo's is this: they'll give a good review to anyone if it means they can get an extended interview- so its not very honest in the end. (A similar thing happens with political journalism).

Do you seriously believe this? For one thing, reviewers and interviewers are invariably different people. They are two completely different disciplines that require vastly different skills. Secondly, artists are rarely so vain that they'd refuse the free publicity an interview offers in order to grind some axe with a music reviewer. Kanye West is in the minority, believe it or not.

ZakAttak

Stiv wrote: »

Get what, exactly, for free? Magazines are always going to offer a different sort of analysis to blogs. There are some great blogs out there, but few are able to dedicate the time and effort that professional music writers can afford to. It's a different sort of writing, and if you're interested in a multiplicity of opinions then it makes perfect sense to seek out both professional and non-professional sources.

==>How much do you think a write-up is worth? 'seek out professional and non-professional sources'- you're not performing open heart surgery for fvcksake, you're doing an article on a band!

Do you seriously believe this? For one thing, reviewers and interviewers are invariably different people. They are two completely different disciplines that require vastly different skills.

==>Get over yourself! I can just imagine it now; some young rookie doing a review of an album and he gets a phone call from the editor's office-"Our main interviewer has called in sick, we need you to interview stevie wonder, don't worry stevie won't know the difference...", But alas the young rookie can't do it because he suddenly realises that- even though he will considerably improve his reputation and earnings- interviewing and reviewing are 'two completely different disciplines that require vastly different skills'!!!.

Secondly, artists are rarely so vain that they'd refuse the free publicity an interview offers in order to grind some axe with a music reviewer. Kanye West is in the minority, believe it or not.

==> ARTISTS ARE ALWAYS VAIN, VERY VAIN!!! They do this all the time, theres too many to mention; oh fvck it, heres a few; 'The magic numbers'- wont go on BBC cos a presenter made a fat joke about them, 'The Kooks'- wont go on any channel 4 programme cos a presenter asked them questions they didn't like, Axl Rose - because interviewers "just wanna ask questions about G N' R" (well what else have you done Axl?)- Theres plenty.

You're post is undoubtedly the funniest thing I've seen on this site, especially the 'different disciplines' bit.

Stiv

ZakAttak wrote: »

==> ARTISTS ARE ALWAYS VAIN, VERY VAIN!!!

How many have you actually talked to?

You're post is undoubtedly the funniest thing I've seen on this site, especially the 'different disciplines' bit.

You don't think it requires different skills to analyse a record as it does to ask somebody questions?

Orizio

In fact, websites like Pitchfork, Popmatters and Audiversity offer news and reviews daily for free in a way far superior to those of Hot Press, Q and so on.

Blogs are better imo, at putting you on to new and exciting bands that the mainstream media ignores.

Stiv

Well those are commercial, ad-supported websites that can afford to employ professional writers, and a large number of those writers also work in print media. Granted, print has its problems at the moment- as anyone who's read Hot Press or the godawful NME in the last few years will know- but even Pitchfork and Popmatters (which I check daily) have their bad writers and their dodgy content that slips through the net.

I agree that it's difficult to justify spending €3.50 or whatever it is on Hot Press when you can just go online and read a bunch of lengthy, more in-depth reviews, but there are some really top-quality magazines out there that are worth the cover price. I don't know if State is one of those (even though I technically work for them), and I'm sceptical of their ability to compete with a price almost twice that of Hot Press, but if there's a feature I'm really interested I'll still shell out the money.

Besides, music magazines don't really pose as news sources anymore. Even weeklies like The Ticket are mainly feature-based now, and State doesn't even have a news section iirc (I've only read the first issue.) Apart from magazines like Classic Rock and Rolling Stone that are aimed at audiences who don't really use the internet, the new generation of magazines are becoming more and more content based. It would be silly for them to compete with websites that can provide to-the-minute news reports.

Dennis the Stone

ZakAttak wrote: »

The Slate was really good- then again it was free.
Viz has gone to sh1t.

Viz is great, still beats almost everything else

ZakAttak

Stiv wrote: »

How many have you actually talked to?

Quite a few. Its a prerequisite to being an artist- you have to be slightly up your own arse and believe your work is better than other peoples (for the simple reason that its you thats doing it- although you don't say that). Otherwise you wouldn't have the confidence to go out and do it.

You don't think it requires different skills to analyse a record as it does to ask somebody questions?

Building a wooden table and putting shelves on the wall are, technically speaking, two different disciplines- but I'm sure if you ask a qualified carpenter if he can do these 2 things he (or she!) will say "Yeah sure, no problem" rather than "Well, I can build the table- but putting up those shelves, gee, I don't know- I mean, they are two different disciplines!". In other words reviewing/interviewing are 2 different things, but they're not worlds apart.

ZakAttak

Tago Mago wrote: »

Viz is great, still beats almost everything else

Viz does beat everything else but its not nearly as good as it used to be- too much 'celebrity' themed stuff and not the usual football slaggins and political p1sstakes, simply because alot of young kids these days wouldn't get those kind of jokes. So they had to change unfortunately.

Top Tip- People suffering from Dwarfism, save money by buying children's clothes.

Dudess

LOL

I remember there was a section on various japes one could play such as sewing cutlery to the tablecloth with silver thread - watch the hilarity when everyone lifted their knife and fork to commence eating...
Or purchasing the same make of television set as the neighbours and craftily hiding outside their window with the remote control and carrying out a spot of channel changing!

Dennis the Stone

Dudess wrote: »

LOL

I remember there was a section on various japes one could play such as sewing cutlery to the tablecloth with silver thread - watch the hilarity when everyone lifted their knife and fork to commence eating...
Or purchasing the same make of television set as the neighbours and craftily hiding outside their window with the remote control and carrying out a spot of channel changing!

have a look at these!

http://fishtank.org.uk/humour/humour.php3?articleid=61

Stiv

ZakAttak wrote: »

Building a wooden table and putting shelves on the wall are, technically speaking, two different disciplines- but I'm sure if you ask a qualified carpenter if he can do these 2 things he (or she!) will say "Yeah sure, no problem" rather than "Well, I can build the table- but putting up those shelves, gee, I don't know- I mean, they are two different disciplines!". In other words reviewing/interviewing are 2 different things, but they're not worlds apart.

Well I wasn't implying they were, I was merely making the point that the people who write reviews generally aren't the ones who conduct interviews. There are people who are particularly good at both tasks.

ZakAttak

Stiv wrote: »

Well I wasn't implying they were, I was merely making the point that the people who write reviews generally aren't the ones who conduct interviews. There are people who are particularly good at both tasks.

So whats your point?

monkey9

I always buy music mags. I appreciate people's opinion about web sites and blogs and them being a better of source, but to be honest, i couldn't be bothered reading all that off a computer. I like having the magazine with me so i can read it wherever i am.

AU Magazine

Just to put ourselves into the firing line here, we're AU Magazine and we're a regional focussed music / culture / lifestyle mag that covers both the healthy Irish scene (north and south) along with the best in new music.


We've been around for five years, but have only recently began to have distribution outside the north. Check it out if you're that way inclined, here's a rundown of what's in our current issue - http://iheartau.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=571

Oh, we have a website too - http://www.iheartau.com - in case that's your thang.

Dennis the Stone

AU Magazine wrote: »

Just to put ourselves into the firing line here, we're AU Magazine and we're a regional focussed music / culture / lifestyle mag that covers both the healthy Irish scene (north and south) along with the best in new music.


We've been around for five years, but have only recently began to have distribution outside the north. Check it out if you're that way inclined, here's a rundown of what's in our current issue - http://iheartau.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=571

Oh, we have a website too - http://www.iheartau.com - in case that's your thang.

I see there that you did a feature on Can. Will try to get my hands on that

lordgoat

****ing yawn

Stiv

ZakAttak wrote: »

So whats your point?

That reviewers don't give albums high ratings in order to get interviews?

ZakAttak

Stiv wrote: »

That reviewers don't give albums high ratings in order to get interviews?

But they do all the time, or, they give a good review of a festival so that next year the organisers will send them more free tickets to go to it. Concert organisers/promoters are very keen to have good things written about them in the press; sometimes a gig review will have as much to say about the promotion and organisation of the gig as it will the music being played.
Why do you find this so hard to accept?
Read a football column and you may notice certain sports journalists saying how the facilities at a certain ground are 'world-class' or that a certain club's new stadium is 'amazing' and so on. Football writers get free tickets to games all the time; because the football media is so influential chairmen and club owner's are more than willing to stay on their good side- if the football journo has a go at the ground or its staff, that particular journo might find it much harder to get free tickets to future games.

catch--22

ZakAttak wrote: »

But they do all the time, or, they give a good review of a festival so that next year the organisers will send them more free tickets to go to it...................................if the football journo has a go at the ground or its staff, that particular journo might find it much harder to get free tickets to future games......edited by catch--22

If you are there to review a gig you don't pay for it anyway......sports journo's will be sent by their paper/station etc. They don't pay for it either. They can say what they like about the facilities etc it won't make a sod of a difference! The people who pay their wages, for their copy, will send them to whatever event they want covered!

ZakAttak

catch--22 wrote: »

If you are there to review a gig you don't pay for it anyway

==>But the band (or manager/booking agent) always controls who gets in and who doesn't- its at their discretion, and if they feel a journalist is going to give them a bad review in any case then they won't let you in, that way they can always refute your opinion,if you give them a bad review, by claiming you weren't at the gig.

......sports journo's will be sent by their paper/station etc. They don't pay for it either. They can say what they like about the facilities etc it won't make a sod of a difference! The people who pay their wages, for their copy, will send them to whatever event they want covered!

==>This isn't the case at all. Like I said before it will always be at the discretion of the venue's management who gets in and who doesn't, so a journalist has to be nice to people like that.

Howard the Duck

I only read MoJo and Uncut. I used to buy foggy notions whenever i seen it but that wasn;t very often. "Bang" used to be good i dunno if they are still going i stopped reading them after they compared the pixies to the melvins.
I did buy "the word" the other day but haven;t gotten around to reading it properly yet but they do seem to have good writing staff on their books

el_tiddlero

ZakAttak wrote: »

==>This isn't the case at all. Like I said before it will always be at the discretion of the venue's management who gets in and who doesn't, so a journalist has to be nice to people like that.

incorrect..... it will always be at the discretion of the promoter of the event.. venues are spaces for hire. The promoter is the person who organizes press etc. While there are some cases where a venue manager will act as a promoter for an event, it isn't that common and will most likely be contracted out to a smalller PR company who will solicit publicity from media outlets...

In reality, most places aren't too worried about good/bad reviews. The review is incidental really.. The reason you get in free to gigs is the publicity you provide prior to an event: be that via interviews or announcing shows etc.. After you've provided that publicity, you can pretty much say what you like..

catch--22

el_tiddlero wrote: »

incorrect..... it will always be at the discretion of the promoter of the event..

Exactly. When it comes to gigs it's the promoter who calls the shots regarding guest-list and media access.

Stiv

ZakAttak wrote: »

But they do all the time, or, they give a good review of a festival so that next year the organisers will send them more free tickets to go to it. Concert organisers/promoters are very keen to have good things written about them in the press; sometimes a gig review will have as much to say about the promotion and organisation of the gig as it will the music being played.
Why do you find this so hard to accept?
Read a football column and you may notice certain sports journalists saying how the facilities at a certain ground are 'world-class' or that a certain club's new stadium is 'amazing' and so on. Football writers get free tickets to games all the time; because the football media is so influential chairmen and club owner's are more than willing to stay on their good side- if the football journo has a go at the ground or its staff, that particular journo might find it much harder to get free tickets to future games.

Where exactly do you get your information from?

Rimbaud

I’ve picked up Slate and it looks good to me.
Hot Press possibly has the worst and most misguided coverage of the Irish music scene ever in my opinion.They’re more supportive of beer sponsored band competitions and Barcardi than anything else…or the few Strokes/killers style bands with fringes and names starting with ‘The..’.
Anyways…

I buy zines mostly, the added benefit of magazines over blogs is that you can sit on the bog and have a light read!

The only magazine I’ve bought in the last few years has been a few issues of Wire (bit too much experimental for my liking these days) and AU Magazine.

Au Mag is probably one of the best Irish magazines I’ve read in years for their local coverage and the bands they focus on. Its not too expensive either, some of the other big UK mags are rip off.

jill_valentine

I'd just like to heap some praise on AU. It's hard to find, but worth it.

State is still a bit clinical, but I think it's still just finding it's feet.

I'd like to add to the "Jesus Christ, anything but Hot Press" sentiment. These days, they just seem to print whatever sh*te Olaf comes up with, or some random interview from 30 years ago or whatever.

Last month, they made a cover story out of a seven month old interview from SPIN magazine; word for word, and without ever acknowledging where it came from. Worse, half the interview was available for free on Spin's website anyway. Shocking.

I_was_a_man

I think state is really good. it's trying to compete with NME in ways in that it tries to promote up and coming Irish bands. Yes its better than hot press but then, you dont even have to try to be better than that