I've been dipping in and out of it at my leisure over the last couple of weeks and am really impressed. Every article I read I enjoy. Call me crazy...

Not had a chance to pick this up yet, but Muse on the cover is a bad sign...

that's kinda the only sign for me...

...never judge a book by its cover...

..but always judge a magazine by its cover...

Truff - If there's a bird with big tits on the cover, chances are there'll be birds with big tits inside!

Nah I don't think thats true of State, the last issue had Michael Stipe on the cover and there's alot more in there than just a 3 or 4 pages of an REM interview. Great writers, really interesting articles. Think they are just going for a mainstream front cover to get more people buying in the first place. Personally I think its a hundred thousand times better than Hot Pap, and as I say thats only have reading 3/4 of the first issue. So read a copy before judging it ya snobs.

You should get a job in their PR Dept.

dont think mixtapepublicity would take a demotion from State Magazine Editor/Journo to PR! ;-)

So enthusiasm for a new magazine means I work for them?! Hurrah, easiest job interview ever, I hope I get paid well.

we can discuss bonus's at the review, ching ching

PQ

Not having a go at you, Mixtape, but who are the "great writers" on The State's payroll?

website seems quality havent had a chance to pick up the mag yet...

So, anyone bought the second issue?

Nope. Not me. I bought the first issue out of curiosity only.

John Meagher made some very good points about it in today's Day and Night section of the Indo-it's too expensive and it's not in enough newsagents. I've heard from another source that is not sellling either. For that price it should, at the very least, have a cover-mounted CD a la the brilliant and much missed Foggy Notions. It has a decidedly 'cheap' feel to it also, it feels a student mag or one of those fashion mags you get in Top Man. The quality of the writing is good if rarely outstanding.People slag off Hot Press, including me, but to give them credit it's a lot cheaper and has tonnes more content - and the badly-needed redesign of it has impressed me. Fair dues to them for taking it on but being brutally realistic here, there is no real need for another mag like this, esp in a tiny country like Ireland with such a small potential readership ( a readership who are probably going to get their music info for free on the internet anyway or from the freesheets)If the Foggy Notions can't survive, what hope is there for State? And why put Muse on the cover? What is the point of that,exactly?

What did happen to FN?

No idea, but I'd imagine they ran out of money to be honest. The magazine seemed to be genuinely produced for the love of it more than anything else. The writing wasn't half bad, the cover CD almost always worth a listen and the design quality was great, each issue was like a work of art. I just don't think you can realistically keep up that standard, with a small circulation and make a profit.

I think "Foggy Notions" still exists as a collective putting on gigs and stuff though.