Music Zines for the 21st Century

How do you find out about artists that aren’t on MTV or on the radio all the time? Music zines! Zines started out as handwritten or typewritten pages done by one person with a passion for music. With today’s computer and publishing technology, some modern zines look the same or even better than “mainstream” magazines. The difference is in their focus. Zines generally focus on artists that don't get much exposure in mainstream music magazines, and usually have a very obviously different attitude than music magazines such as Rolling Stone or Spin. They range from one person operations to a full staff of writers. The Suite 101.com Pop Music Site strongly supports print and e-zines, and this is the latest in a continuing series of articles on non mainstream music magazines. They are usually available at major bookstore chains such as Barnes and Noble or Borders, music and record stores, and of course, on the web. Visit the magazine’s web site, and if you like what you see, order a copy or subscription of the printed version. These zines are run on a shoestring, and support by readers and serious fans is needed for them to keep publishing. Here is the latest batch of featured zines, in alphabetical order:

Aquatulle

If you like the 80’s, you’ll love Aquatulle. It’s a wonderful blast from the past featuring all types of 80’s culture, with articles on everything from New Wave music to Wilma Flintstone to the TV show Zoom. There are very entertaining interviews with Terri Nunn of Berlin and radio legend Casey Kasem. There are also some humorous articles and even some cartoons. It’s cheesily retro and cutting edge hip at the same time. Editor Raquel Bruno has put together a great magazine about 80’s pop culture and its influences today. A subscription to Aquatulle, published quarterly, is $15.

Web Link: http://www.80s.com/aquatulle/

The Big Takeover

It usually takes just a few minutes to skim through a magazine, or half an hour if you read it cover to cover. That’s not the case with The Big Takeover. Issue 47 was nearly 300 pages, and was so interesting it took me a few hours to make it to the end. This magazine could provide weeks or even months of quality bathroom reading! The gigantic review section alone makes it a worthwhile magazine. There are dozens and dozens of reviews in all genres and about artists from the most obscure to the most famous. There are also insightful interviews with artists such as Flaming Lips, Elastica, Wire, Dandy Warhols, Chameleons and many more. The Big Takeover is one of the oldest zines around, having just celebrated their 20th anniversary, and they are also one of the best. The Big Takeover is published quarterly, and a subscription is $20.

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