Fader #50 / 1:45 / 212M / http://www.thefader.com /
This marks Fader’s fiftieth issue, a milestone that few magazines actually get to. As has been the case with previous issues of Fader, there is a pretty even amount of advertisements to actual articles. Despite the fact that Fader has more advertisements present in it than some other magazines, the abilities and skills shown by the writers in this issue make this quite the value. Focus articles concerning Hollertronix, beautiful sets of pictures showcasing Fader’s love for the West Indies, as well as a number of photos showing photographs culled from the last forty-nine issues provide individuals with some pretty heady material to go through. “Best of†review lists encompass everything from mix tapes to DVDs, and allow individuals to get into what Fader has deemed “the best of the bestâ€. The tendency to pat themselves on the back runs through this issue, but does not make #50 less readable. Rather, it shows that the magazine finds bands well before they’ve broken big and pleads the case that Fader is the bleeding edge when it comes to independent media. The advertisements may not go along well with the coverage that is in this issue, but one has to belly up to those with money to spread the gospel of those up and coming artists. #50 is the next step for Fader, allowing the magazine to build off of what is a decidedly solid foundation. Pick the issue up if it is on newsstands near you, if not – go to their web site and check out what is there.
Rating: 6.5/10