Of course, easy to find plenty of free media out there (the net etc.), but hard finding quality mags that cost zero. Here's some I've chewed on - all London based & free. Spread your love & respect to those producing them as they're pretty much doing it for those same reasons.
Always exuding that fresh printing press whiff, FACT; oh the smell of it!!! Contents so fresh too, often turning me onto plenty of sub-pop-culture. Current issue got me moist with pieces on WFMU radio, the rarest of rare record labels, 'Black Patti', Surf Movies, Johnny Trunk's 20 best Movie Soundtracks, plus Woebot's excellent 'expose' (!) on grime DVDS!!!
Touched on 'Vice' in the 'Wake Up & Smell The Ink' blog. Tend to get it from Soul Jazz and, as I said before, major props. Recently, its themed issues are provocatively similar to how Colors mag was when it began, though Vice's over-all editorial is wittily razor-sharp. Last month, the Sex issue, this month, 'The Mental Illness' issue - smart & sassy, with Michelle, a featured mental patient sub-editing the music features (!!)
Grabbed this from Berwick St. 'Church', towards the end of 2004. Its smooth broadsheet newspaper format was bursting with great pieces on Throbbing Gristle, Interpol, Kris Kristofferson, UK rappers 'Infinite Livez', Memphis Starfucker writing about seducing the woman found dead in Phil Spector's house, Robert Frank's Rolling Stones flick, 'Cocksucker Blues', the Roland MC-909 plus plenty of reviews. That was issue 1, I'm waiting and hoping for issue 2....
Also found in Berwick St. 'Church', buried under the mountain of flyers, this is free in select stores. Issue 5's editorial shows the true devotion in fuelling a fanzine, aiming to take it mainstream and like every free mag. mentioned here, I wish the editors, in this instance Suzy & Ian, total success. Plenty of bite-size media morsels rest alongside printed breaths of fresh air such as art-anarchist, James Cauty (one half of KLF), designer toy culture featuring Pete Fowler, the Tiki scene (which gave me flashbacks to a teenage barmitzvah at London's Trader Vics!!), blues legend Robert Johnson and again, 'nuff reviews.
FULL MOON, EMPTY SPORTS BAG
Pretty sure it's 'Church' again if you want this one (Jesus, do I live there or what?!!). Lots of emotional well-written shorts e.g. issue 9 where Dot Allison pens a piece on the void of fame and Rose McKnight's intro-spective tight 3-columns on loneliness.
Brazil blew me away a lot last year, musically for the punked-up energy of this 'Baile Funk' compilation and Diplo's dabblings. I clocked this read the other week when I DJ-ed with Yoda at Cargo, as it lay in the restaurant area. Simply Brazilian culture including a short 'Spice' on Seu Jorge who rocked it in 'City Of G-d' & strummed that tearing David Bowie 'Life On Mars' cover in 'The Life Aquatic'.
With that same fresh smell as 'FACT', this is snippets galore - books, events, web, music, film, games, fashion and guest columnists.
Least glossy of the lot but so what! Sincere info. and as the title suggests, music based.
Plopped into my Xfm pigeon-hole, this has just reached double figures and now monthly. Like 'Loud And Quiet', plenty of heart-felt music content.
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