Bang On

Parallax View recommends an exploratory purchase of the new rock magazine Bang which is out in stores from today for a trial price of a mere quid (who said you don't get many bangs for your buck these days?). There's no free CD but with The Flaming Lips on the cover, and Interpol, Ladytron and The Warlocks prominently featured within that hardly seems to matter.

There's an agony column where you can send your problems to Wayne Coyne (What's Up Wayne?); Steven Wells contributes some reviews (sample quote during write-up on Sing The Sorrow: 'nu-metal is the disease - AFI is The Cure [revisited]') and there's even the first ever recorded sighting of Mira Aroyo from Ladytron (almost) smiling.

It's pretty hip but not painfully so - it seems to know its niche and determinedly exploits it without paying sop to the Smash Hits demographic (unlike the NME does these days) or patronising its readers (ditto). Definitely one to keep an eye on (cover price from next month will be £3.30).