Great Non-Mainstream Music Magazines (Part 3)

There are many music magazines out there far superior to the mainstream ones you see in stores. They are published by small companies, and sometimes just one person. They're called "zines", and this is part 3 in a series of articles about non-mainstream music magazines. I encourage you to visit the websites of these zines, and if you like what you see, subscribe to the print version. If you publish a music magazine and would like it considered for inclusion, mail me a copy. Email me for the snail mail address.

MK Ultra

MK Ultra, based in Chicago, focuses mostly on dark music. The strength of the magazine is its interviews. They are very entertaining and ask interesting questions. Some of the artists interviewed recently include Love and Rockets, Hate Dept., Mortiis, Thrill Kill Kult, Rob Zombie, and more.

MK Ultra also has album, film and concert reviews. It's a very well-written magazine. It's published bimonthly, but the website is updated weekly. Visit their website here: http://www.mkultramag.com

Rockrgrl

RockrGrl focuses on emerging female musicians. It's written mostly by women for women. But you don't have to be female to enjoy it. The majority of the articles are profiles of up and coming female artists such as Sixpence None the Richer and Ann Wilson. There are also some informative columns, including "Legal Ease" that focuses on legal issues for musicians that's written by an attorney. I also really liked the layout. It's very readable and easy on the eyes, unlike a lot of other zines. Rockrgrl is published 6 times a year.

Here's their website address: http://www.rockrgrl.com

Ball Buster

Ball Buster calls themselves "The Official International Underground Hard Music Report". There is so much information in this magazine it almost boggles the mind. There are tons of reviews, music news, artist profiles and interviews of artists such as Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Yngwie Malmsteen, Slaughter, and more.

There are also reports of the metal scene in many different countries. Ballbuster is the definitive hard music magazine, and a must read for all hard music fans. Ballbuster is published semi-annually, and their website is updated much more frequently. Check it out: http://www.yft.com/BallBusterHard/

The Exclusive

The Exclusive merits mention because editor Matt Tee was one of the few overseas zines editors willing to spend the cash to mail me an issue for review. In addition, it's a very good read. The Exclusive comes from the UK, and claims to be the only zine named after a brothel!

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