Idolator
Occasionally, we get a little bored and start picking up men's fashion magazines for the award-winning journalism and free cologne samples. While learning that we can drink red wine with fish now (GQ), that Sienna Miller has complex emotions (Esquire) or that getting a divorce is the hot new trend (Details), we discovered that each magazine contained a music section. This would be generally regarded as a good thing, but since these magazines have a target audience that tends to buy whatever they're told, perhaps someone needs to review these publications' reviews. As a public service to the reader, we leaf through the current issues of the big three American men's fashion mags to determine which one provides the least-awful musical advice.
Esquire
Contributing music editor Andy Langer has a radio show and a podcast, but in the February issue, he's limited to a bit on a tastefully gray pie chart called "The Leisure Meter." We'll spare you the surprise awaiting within: Apparently, Bloc Party have a new disc coming out. "Cultural Advisor" John Mayer is absent from this issue as well, which is a shame, because his columns about enjoying phone sex, phone sex with women, and women were incredibly enlightening. WELL-FITTING SUITS: 1 out of 5
Details
Details holds out with an entire page dedicated to music in the hideously titled "Know and Tell" section. There's a brief profile of Elvis Perkins, which sticks to the now-standard comparison to Neutral Milk Hotel and mentions that his guitar teacher played bass in the Knack: It's the closest thing on the page to music journalism. A decent Sam Cooke reissue is recommended, and there's a reviews section that follows a 50-words-or-less style. To recap: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Harry Connick, Jr. are great; the Shins and Yoko Ono are good; and Stephen Marley is a good choice for marijuana dealers. But really, would anyone care about the Connick disc if it were about Toledo instead of New Orleans? WELL-FITTING SUITS: 3 out of 5
GQ
GQ's front-of-the-book section is called "The Essentials", and it has a page titled "The Music"; there are also music recommendations sprinkled on "The Essentials"' main page. As for guilty pleasures, there's Norah Jones and Fall Out Boy; for the more cultured GQ reader, Lucinda Williams, and not surprisingly, Bloc Party. Other lessons: Elijah Wood has a vanity label, Clap Your Hands are sellouts, and there's some singer from England named Lily Allen. WELL-FITTING SUITS: 2 out of 5
Comments
Don't forget that Voice of His Generation/noted Whitesnake enthusiast/all-around douchebag Chuck Klosterman has a column in Esquire, although he seldom uses it to share his penetrating insights on music (so I guess we should be grateful).
Aside from GQ's "Essentials" they have some wonderful writers in music, like Alex Pappademas (whose Shins piece was quite good) and Chris Heath, who profiled Billy Childish a few months back -- never thought I'd see that in a mainstream style magazine.
Esquire is still the only read-able magazine out of the 3. GQ has Vanity Fair-levels of advertising and Details is basically the same thing as Out Magazine.
Targeting music reviews in lifestyle mags? Come on.
I stopped reading Details when Pete Wells ditched it for the NY Times food section. Peres unfettered? Not so much.
Klosterman has a column in fucking Esquire? Is that true? What does he write about? What socks to wear while playing "Grand Theft Auto?"
Actually, I'd like to hear Klosterman's sock suggestions. Maybe he recommend the proper tie for Guitar Hero while he's at it.
I would agree Klosterman can be considered a douche-bag, but I respectfully ask you leave a love of Whitesnake out of it!
If loving David Coverdale is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
Sorry, I'm fresh out of Klosterman insults. I used them all up on Gawker.
It is very true that Esquire is the best of this bunch, by a country mile, although it was better a few years ago. I don't believe John Mayer holds the Cultural Advisor title anymore. It hasn't been on the masthead, at least.
And Brian, I love this site, but I did see a review by you in Spin this month, so don't throw stones.
I don't remember who "Klosterman" is.
Details "journalism" makes that "million little pieces" guy seem believable by comparison. Every single thing they write that is ostensibly "true" sets off the bullshit detector in a big way.
It appears Brian is not currently at the wheel, as it were.
Dan, fire away!
"Details is basically the same thing as Out Magazine."
Wait... so that makes it less readable?
John Mayer is still listed as "cultural advisor" as of the February 2007 issue, but then again, George Foreman is there as "spiritual advisor", so who knows?
On another note, it's not like I don't care for the magazines (ok, I hadn't read details in ages, and was unaware of how crappy it is until this week), but there's something sort of comical about the cultural consensus they provide. What's the point of having a music section, if you're just going to recommend the Bloc Party disc?
what's the point of having a music poll if you're just going to recommend TV on the Radio?
Elvis Perkins comparable to Neutral Milk Hotel? SERIOUSLY!?! I'm sorry, they've got a cool thing going with the horn section and all, but HELLZ NO.
Did they mention who his father is? That's far more interesting trivia than the Knack guitar teacher business.
"Details is basically the same thing as Out Magazine."
Wait... so that makes it less readable?
Yes, since Details is almost entirely about shirtless men instead of actual content. If you want to buy a men's magazine that's all about shirtless men, you're better off buying Out.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. Peoples personal magazine preferences are nobody's business but their own!
Oh, the tangled webs that are weaved when one of the editors takes off for a few days without a wireless router!
I probably shouldn't even be commenting here, as this is a conflict-of-interest landmine: I've written for Esquire, and co-founded GQ's "Essentials" column, which I wrote for a year or so. But I will say this: Covering music for the monthlies is a grade-A pain. The issues close way in advance of publication date, and the majors are often too slow to get you full advances (or at least, the good advances). As a result, you often rely on the indie publicists, who tend to send stuff out a good three months or so in advance. That's why you see a lot of the same artists popping up.
That said, when I was at GQ, I was surprised by how much leeway they gave me in championing bands that I dearly loved, but which were never going to break even the 50,000-sales mark. I think I got the Bigger Lovers and the Figgs in the same column one month.
Comment on this post
Login with your username and password below.
Forgot your username or password? New User?