MAGAZINES : Extras put bargains on the racks
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008
We all want more bang for our bucks. When it comes to magazines, that means compact discs, DVDs, pamphlets and great deals. Music fans and computer users often get bonuses with their publications, which, in the case of British magazines, helps offset cover prices that top $ 9. Here’s what we found on a recent perusal of the racks:
ROCK ON The new Harp ($ 4. 95 ) has a striking cover with musician David Grohl posed in a patriotic design touting him as a presidential candidate. A sampler CD has an eclectic mix of tunes by Mavis Staples, Bettye LaVette, Tom Waits, Porter Wagoner and more from the Anti- Records catalog. Rock Sound ($ 8. 95 ) includes a 15-track CD with tunes by rockers Meshuggah (“ Combustion, ” promoted as an exclusive ), Genghis Tron and others.
Metal Edge ($ 5. 99 ) put Ozzy Osbourne on the cover; he confesses “I never expected to live past 40.” A 16-tune CD includes Meshuggah and Cavalera Conspiracy.
Global Rhythm ($ 5. 99 ), devoted to world music and culture, offers an eight-song CD with its current issue, including a fun take on the Police’s “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” by Toots & the Maytalls and a smoldering “Une Americaine A Paris” by Rupa and the April Fishes. A great way for newbies to sample new sounds.
British publications such as Q and Mojo have some of the cheekiest writing in music. But the new Q ($ 9. 25 ) is without a CD as it touts the best British albums of the rock era. Mojo ($ 9. 25 ) attaches a 15-track CD with selections by The Teardrop Explodes, The La’s and Wah ! Heat, among others.
How can one pass up the wonderful Paste ($ 5. 95 ), with Gnarls Barkley on the cover and a 20-song CD ? It has tunes from the BoDeans, Bob Mould, the Weepies and Lily Haydn.
Also appealing is the CD in the current Uncut ($ 9. 50 ), with tracks by Deadstring Brothers, The Gourds, Paul Westerberg and Okkervil River. BUDDHAS, BRIDES AND WOOD
Art & Antiques’ cover story, “Allure of the Buddha,” is particularly timely given the recent $ 14. 3 million sale of a Buddha statue at Christie’s. That sale set a record for any Japanese work of art. The issue also looks at photographer Erwin Blumenfeld, whose work is now regarded as more artistic than about fashion. The April issue ($ 10 ) has a bonus as well — a copy of Collector’s Sourcebook.
Bridal Guide ($ 5. 99 ) includes a CD-ROM with runway shows, tips and more.
You and Your Wedding ($ 9. 99 ) is a British publication for that big day. This issue includes a honeymoon magazine.
Eve ($ 6. 99 ) has a unique freebie — a designer bag.
HiFi Choice ($ 10. 99 ) includes a book on “Top 50 Tweaks” for your home system.
Guitar World ($ 7. 99 ) offers “Best of Guitar World Video” with Slash, Zakk Wylde, Dave Gilmour, Dave Mustaine and others.
SFX Collection ($ 15. 99 ) is a pricey British publication that includes a free CD with themes from 10 science fiction TV shows, including Buck Rogers in the 25 th Century and The Avengers.
Home & Remodeling Trends ($ 10. 95 ) adds a copy of Home & Living Trends.
Western Interiors & Design ($ 5. 95 ) includes a certificate for five free issues.
Woodworker’s Journal ($ 5. 99 ) adds Woodshop Mastery.
Digital Camera ($ 13. 99 ) extras include a booklet of readers ’ photos and a CD with Photoshop videos and tips.
Science magazine Discover ($ 5. 99 ) adds a booklet with 80 brain games. AND THE NOMINEES ARE...
The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME ) has announced its nominees for the National Magazine Awards. A New York Times Magazine piece on former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, “The Huckabee Factor,” is nominated for profile writing.
General excellence: Circulation under 100, 000: Aperture, The Georgia Review, Metropolis, Print, The Virginia Quarterly Review; 100, 000-250, 000: Foreign Policy, Mother Jones, Paste, Philadelphia Magazine, Radar; 250, 000-500, 000: Backpacker, Cookie, New York Magazine, W, Wondertime; 500, 000-1 million: Budget Travel, The Economist, GQ, National Geographic Adventure, Wired; 1-2 million: Men’s Health, The New Yorker, Play, The New York Times Sports Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Vanity Fair; more than 2 million: Glamour, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, People, Time.
Personal service: Field & Stream, Good Housekeeping, O: The Oprah Magazine, Popular Mechanics.
Leisure interests: Domino, Field & Stream, Men’s Health, New York Magazine, Time Out Chicago.
Public interest: 5280, Bloomberg Markets, BusinessWeek, The Nation, The New Yorker.
Profile writing: The Atlantic, “Present at the Creation” by Matthew Scully, September; Los Angeles, “Casualties of War” by Steve Oney, June; The New Yorker, “Azzam the American” by Raffi Khatchadourian, Jan. 22; The New York Times Magazine, “The Huckabee Factor” by Zev Chafets, Dec. 16; Vanity Fair, “Pat Dollard’s War on Hollywood” by Evan Wright, March.
Design: Good, GQ, New York Magazine, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Vanity Fair, Wired.
Photography: Gourmet, GQ, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, New York Magazine, W.
Photojournalism: Aperture, Mother Jones, National Geographic, The New Yorker, The Virginia Quarterly Review.
General excellence online: Babble. com, Chow. com, NewYorker. com, RunnersWorld. com, Slate. com.
For a complete list of nominees, go to www. magazine. org. So, ASME members, here’s a new category. We’re inaugurating the Julie Andrews “egregiously overlooked” Award (she rejected Victor / Victoria’s only Tony Award nomination in 1996, saying she would rather stand with “the egregiously overlooked” ). It goes, hands down, to All You. It does a terrific job of reader service, but its orientation toward workingclass women probably doomed consideration.
Other pubs deserving recognition include thoughtful choices such as Parabola, Buddhadharma, Harvard Divinity Bulletin and Skeptical Inquirer. Good surely deserved more than a design nod. And Mad deserves some sort of careerachievement award or something.
A special award should go to the Southern-oriented magazine with a name that’s bizarre and right on the money: Garden & Gun. E-mail:
ewidner@arkansasonline. com
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