Filter Mini #7 / Free / 32M / :15 / http://www.filter-mag.com / http://www.filtermini.com /??
This zine is rendered in beautiful color, and the layout is as professional as one can get, even rivaling Rolling Stone in that department. The pieces are informative, but seem to really focus disproportionately on those bands which Filter???s PR firm deals with (Nada Surf, Silversun Pickups, Sigur Ros). However, the entire zine is not a promotional tool for the bands they promote, as there are interesting pieces throughout (for example, The Redwalls show individuals around Chicago, and there is a nice cross-section of different new fashions to pick up in ???Filter Fashion???. The condensed interviews (such as those with Sigur Ros and Black Rebel Motorcycle club provide a valuable insight to what makes the bands tick without really boring readers to tears. The mini-reviews (???one-liners??? are snarky, and done in the style of Buddyhead ??? they are always good for a laugh. The slightly-longer reviews that follow are a little more informative, a fact that is made all the more impressive when one considers the fact that each one is lucky to crack 100 words. This zine is free, and for the amount of material that is contained within one can ignore the ample amount of advertising that is strewn about. The advertisements themselves are fairly large-market (Comedy Central) and do not really provide the informative aspect that smaller-market advertisements do, but again ??? one doesn???t need to pick up the zine if they will be bothered by their presence. A hard-hitting zine that never lets its small size be a factor.
Rating: 6.3/10
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