I am addicted to magazines.

There are a number of reasons.

I want to get mail that is not bills. Subscribing to magazines (at least the ones I get) guarantees I will get at least some good news in my mail box. Gas bill, electric bill, cable, **sigh** - the latest copy of MOJO -- aaaahhhhh.

Mojo is one of the magazines to which I am addicted. It is a British mag about rock and pop music. There are about 1000 CD reviews in every issue (that's not true but it seems like a thousand) - everything from electronica to folk to heavy metal head banging to reissues of obscure one off garage bands from the American mid-west that you would never expect would be reviewed let alone reissued.

There's also a great bit at the front of the magazine where celebrities talk about the tunes they are listening to, the first record they bought and the performer they would like to be if they weren't already a stinking rich rock star. A lot of times it is a British celebrity I have never heard of which makes it a bit useless for me anyway.. (uh.. what's the point of knowing what they listen to if you've never heard of them?). Useless, but I like it. And.. of course there are ones I have heard of. Peter Gabriel is in the issue that arrived today. He's good, I've heard of him.

In the back of Mojo there is something called Hello... Goodbye. A former member of a band talks about how he or she (mostly he) joined the group and then what shit hit what fan when he or she left. Okay.. many times it is a really obscure band.. and it is often just whining and complaining over "artistic differences" (probably money and drugs.. ) but I love this part of the magazine too.

And sometimes they run out of ideas. In the latest issue is about Chaz Jankel who helped establish Ian Dury and the Blockheads with the late Ian Dury. I guess he came and left the band a bunch of times, and now that Mr. Dury has left us, he's running the Blockheads. So, Chaz really didn't say good bye, Ian did.

That's my long winded way of saying.. sometimes they stretch the story to fit.. but you know what? It's always a good story.

Best of all? There's a CD with each issue. It's like getting something for nothing. Remember how much you paid for your very first CD? $20? $30? This one is free. It is usually not crap music.. sometimes it is crap but it is always FREE.

A magazine from the states does one better in the "it seems like I am getting something for nothing but I am not" department . Paste covers independent music, film and independent other stuff. Most issues contain only about three or four hundred CD reviews (not really but it seems like it) but you get a free CD and a DVD in most issues. They are both usually pretty good - chalk full of indie tunes and short independent films and music videos - not videos you see on Much Music or whatever you local teenybopper music station is called (MTV or whatever). They are videos that would be on the video station you wish existed but doesn't. (if you hear of one.. call me)

Am I getting money or stuff or even free mags for going on and on and on about these magazines? Nope. I am writing about them because I like em.

I also subscribe to No Depression (alt country) Penguin Eggs (Canadian folk music) Vintage Guitar (duh!) Acoustic Guitar (duh! again) and Guitar Player (did I mention I am addicted?) - and that's just a partial list.

Not really free stuff with those magazines but there is always a contest to enter and not win.