Has The NME Got Good?

When I (was) stopped (from) writing for Uncut in 2004 it had gone up to 25p a word and if you didn't sign you didn't necessarily stop getting work - you just didn't get paid for it until you had signed. It isn't necessarily beneficial to IPC since freelancers are naturally encouraged just to write any old hack rubbish rather than give away their best stuff. From scanning of recent issues this appears to have been the preferred path for writers to take. Oh yes, and the first person singular was ruthlessly excluded from any IPC writing but not for socialist reasons.

Oh that's something that always hated. "Kele bought the NME a drink", "Beth gave the NME a lift home" all that.

Mind you, it did lead to "the NME wrote this article from an interview by Tim Jonze" etc...

Ha ha ha yes.

Don't forget "your reporter" for when you're really writing from the heart

So, do NME reporters go on to greater things thesedays?

(Greater being: better paid and/or more prestige within the journalism genre, or media careers in general)

(Thesedays = since 2004)

You know all those who went on to Nationals, Word, Mojo, Wire, TV/Comedy and the like, back in the day, but have any notable NME 'name' writers from circa 2004 ever been seen since?

as morrissey said, no.

<i>does this still apply?</i>

The per-word rate's about half that now, isn't it?

They had notable writers in 2004?

it was a random year choice.

Oh, the NME has had a redesign.

It's much better, mmm... (shrugs)

The design is a vast improvement though not perfect (the typography is all over the place at times). However, the quality of writing is still pretty weak. I hadn't read it in years before the relaunch and was disappointed to see that they still use that "overanalyse one arbitrary line from a song and run run run with it" writing style.

Not judging from this Steve Reid obit (c&p'd because they will presumably change it):

James Brown, Miles Davies drummer Steve Reid dies

Reid had been battling cancer

James Brown and Miles Davies collaborator Steve Reid has died aged 66.

The American drummer, who was battling cancer, passed away in his sleep earlier today (April 13).

Davies began playing professionally at the age of 16 and had his first recorded work with Martha And The Vandellas, working in the Apollo Theatre House band, under the direction of Quincy Jones.

Also working with the likes of Miles Davies, Fela Kuti, James Brown and Sun Ra, Davies' last studio album came in the form of 2008's 'NYC', where he worked with Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet.

"Steve was one of my great friends and the most wonderful musician I have ever encountered," Hebden said in a statement. "The music and adventures we shared have been some of the most happy and meaningful experiences I've ever had - a true inspiration."

He added: "He lived a great life and gave us incredible music. I'll miss him forever."

http://www.nme.com/news/james-brown/50650

um, what's wrong with that one?

Over-reliance on someone they had the phone number of, as opposed to friends and close family members who presumably want some quiet time right now?

What's wrong with it? Seriously? Well, for starters, they appear to think that Steve Reid's name is "Davies" throughout.

There is no one relevant to that story with the surname Davies that I can tell. Not Miles, and certainly not the guy who died.

oh right.

The moral is: Type in haste, proofread at leisure.

Steve Davies, victim of terminal snooker loopiness.

We'll show you what we can do with a load of balls...

"Still, no argument that Eve's "Scorpion" is a knockout masterpiece of an album"

haha

I have most certainly never, ever said that anyone or anything anywhere should have anything to do with 'Popstars', 'Missy Elliot' or 'the Miami Dance Conference'. I have a feeling that all of them are probably atrocious.

― the pinefox, Sunday, 15 April 2001 00:00 (8 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://newportcommunitytv.org/images/PleaseComeBack.jpg

NME magazine has hooked up with Oxfam to urge music fans to donate unwanted albums to the charity.

Donors will receive a free copy of the magazine in return.

"We want to get the mag out to as many people as we can - Oxfam is a great way to do that but it's a great cause as well," editor Krissi Murison said.

The music swap marks the first time a major publication has been given away in a charity shop and is expected to bring in more than 12,000 donations.

Artists such as Jarvis Cocker and DJ Norman Cook have previously backed Oxfam campaigns and are self confessed lovers of the charity store, discovering rare gems for their own music collections.

One treasure recently discovered in an Oxfam shop in Glasgow was a signed Michael Jackson signed record.

"Whoever it was haggled with the person at Oxfam and got it for £73," Murison told BBC 6 Music. "I would have put my hand over the signature and passed it off as a normal one."

According to Oxfam, around 1.8 million CDs and records are sold every year, all donated by the public with money being used to fund projects across the world.

The swap begins on Friday at more than 150 Oxfam stores nationwide.

It also coincides with the recent launch of the magazine.

Murison, who became editor in September, claims it has been well received so far. She said: "It's really shocked me, the biggest cynics out there have Twittered me to say they really like it."

OXFAM'S MOST DONATED ARTISTS
Beatles
The Cure
New Order
The Smiths
Led Zeppelin

the biggest cynics out there have Twittered me to say they really like it.

God, the modern internet. What happened? D:

NME got fed up with british music?
http://i48.tinypic.com/xx841.jpg
http://www.nme.com/images/10524_115720_nmemagpageusindie240510.jpg
http://www.nme.com/images/10524_115650_nmemagpagedrums240510.jpg

wtf are The Drums?

what, you haven't heard? 10-night stand at the Meadowlands just last month, biggest act since REO

From the looks of them I would only listen if they were called the Murds.

if you go to their show & provide me with visual evidence that you spent at least some of the time down front yelling "the murds! the murrrrrrrrrds!" between songs, I'll reimburse you for your ticket

MUSE + JACK WHITE: HOW TWILIGHT SCORED THE COOLEST SOUNDTRACK EVER

I love that even in 2010 the NME cover still features both the Stone Roses and Liam Gallagher

they have to cover themselves incase this new american invasion doesnt work out obviously.

The Drums are an American band from Brooklyn, New York,[1] with members stemming from the shortlived band Elkland (formerly Goat Explosion)

Now there's a name.

OH MY GOD NME HAS AN AMERICAN BAND ON THE COVER

I GUESS IT MUST BE FED UP WITH BRITISH MUSIC

The Drums are seriously fucking terrible

The issue still on the stands at Borders is a Joy Division tribute. How long ago did it shrink in size and get a glossy cover? I haven't paid much attention in a long time. Flipping through it reminded me of late 70s Creem. If they would offer an actually affordable subscription in the U.S. I would read it.

The most recent issue with all the American stuff was done by a stand-in editor while KM was on holiday. The others are markedly different in the sort of music they cover. I think it's improved massively since the redesign, but I would say that I guess.

It doesn't make me cringe quite so much when I see it in Sainsburys.

The Strange Boys are dope though real talk

I do wonder if "young people" really do want an Ian Curtis tribute issue, though?

Lots of "young people" listen to Joy Division.

Ian Curtis' 'stock' is probably as high now as it was in the early 80s. Just count the number of people you see wearing JD T-shirts at gigs.

didn't they run a cover not even 18 months ago with vampire weekend on the cover that was all AMERICA IS COOL AGAIN & then listed 20 american bands

I think Hermann still thinks it's 1995.

lolling at animal collective being buried there in b/w avi buffalo & the dum dum girls

cover is kinda cool visually tho -- whole redesign has gone a long way towards making the magazine look less like a music tabloid & instead like an actual journalistic endeavor

ok so it was about 18 mons ago - lol @ lil wayne

http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2008/08/nme-top_25_bands_making_america_cool.jpg

Yeah that old cover style was appalling, I think a lot of the recent covers have been a lot better.

'how twilight scored the coolest soundtrack ever' is a bold claim!

but it does seem (from the covers n e way) to be better than under conor mack.

has nme forgot that someone made a famous movie about ian curtis

'Joe Lean - Why I canned my debut album'

A nation holds it's breath while we await it's appearance.

I do wonder if "young people" really do want an Ian Curtis tribute issue, though?

― djh, Monday, May 31, 2010 9:10 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Lots of "young people" listen to Joy Division.

― billstevejim, Monday, May 31, 2010 9:20 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Ian Curtis' 'stock' is probably as high now as it was in the early 80s. Just count the number of people you see wearing JD T-shirts at gigs.

― Duran (Doran), Tuesday, June 1, 2010 11:01 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^ truth

the thing about young people is that Joy Division is still a novel thing to them

the Miami Dance Conference

is this still a thing?

http://www.nme.com/images/10524_115720_nmemagpageusindie240510.jpg

^^ I like that they picked Colorado to fill in the west