Music Rags

After years spent as a loyal SPIN reader, you, ma’am, have been replaced.

My free trial issue of Paste has usurped my allegiance.  Andy Whitman’s blog was my introduction, followed by Ctrl+V.

Issue #33 came in last week’s mail.  The first ten or so tracks of the CD have been mildly interesting.  Petur Ben and Fields are both groovy, but God knows what Cake’s instrumental b-side “Conroy” is doing on it.

The mag itself sealed the deal; overflowing with intelligent, earnest writing about good music from the top 40 to Carolina Chocolate Drops and everything in-between.  Limited ads, mostly for records I’d probably like.  Makes SPIN look like the magazine equivalent of VH1’s “Best Week Ever,” full of entirely predictable snarking and reveling in empty pleasures.  SPIN’s review section sucks too now; what good is it to write a thousand fifty-word reviews and give every record three out of five stars?

No good, that’s what.

Today I love Paste.  It is a good magazine+CD about good music.  Love, -howie