Copper Press #1 US$2.95 CONTACT: Contact info: Steve Brydges Copper Press 214 W. 7th Street Gaylord, MI 49735 email: steve@copperpress.com http://www.copperpress.com $12 ($20 outside the U.S.) gets you one year/four issues of Copper Press, plus the choice of a free CD.

Two things struck me about Copper Press from the moment I saw it.

(or maybe I should say "From the first time I really had time to go through it thoroughly", since CP is readily available in bookshops around here, but I've never had time to peruse it)

First, the design is lovely. Yeah, there are a few gratuitous and overt uses of photoshop filters, but the magazine looks as if time has been taken to make it look not just good, but great (and I gather issue #2 looks even better). The design strikes just the right compromise; it's neither too bland to get your attention, nor so DavidCarsonesque that articles are inimical to the human eye.

The second, slightly more subtle thing I liked about Copper Press is that I didn't immediately see the same familiar bunch of names on the cover. Do we really need another Tristeza interview, or more Promise Ring chatter?

The Songs: Ohia article proves Jason Molina to be far more interesting than I'd expected, while the brilliantly designed interview with found-sound crafters the Climax Golden Twins packs plenty of laughs. For a bit more depth, try the interview with snowboarder/Juno frontman/writer Arlie Carstens or the too-short conversation with the folks behind the "Dutch Harbor" documentary. Non-readers can simply enjoy some great art and photography; showcased artists include Sterling Ruby and Michael McLeod.

Copper Press divides its efforts between twin poles: on one side, music and art; on the other, skating and snowboarding. I haven't touched a skateboard in years, and am probably more at the snowblower point of my life than the snowboard stage, but I didn't feel alienated by these articles; they're never overly technical. Your mileage may vary.

You say you want music reviews? Copper Press has loads, all of them written by CP honcho Steve Brydges. I counted 94 reviews, which is a lot for anyone to write (and longtime Splendid readers will know that I say this from experience). As you might expect, Brydges' style gets a bit familiar over 94 reviews. Often he'll write about the feelings or moods inspired by the music as opposed to really addressing the album itself. Some readers will find this self-indulgent, while others will love it. Regardless, the sampling of music reviewed here covers a lot of CDs I haven't seen reviewed elsewhere, rather than the same few "hip" bands and labels (and you know who you are). The reviews could probably use a bit more editorial (or at least proofreader) attention, though after writing 94 of them I can understand if Brydges never wants to read them again!

Now I'm going to be a bit of an old fart. Do you know what annoys me -- really annoys me -- about Copper Press? It's very minor.

It's "yr". That damned affected abbreviated monstrosity, yr.

I can get past the use of "yr" as an abbreviation for "your", but when it's substituted indifferently for "your" and "you're", the pedantic English major in me bristles. In such a solid, mature magazine, "yr" sticks out like a sore thumb that's been stuck through the middle of a Promise Ring CD.

I didn't stop reading...I just had to pause every few seconds to mutter "Oh God." That's what you do when you've got an English degree and think poetry's for wankers. Enough said.

The "yr" thing isn't that off-putting. There's too much that's great about Copper Press for me to abandon it so pettily. After all, once you're (yr) done reading, it even looks presentable on your (yr) coffee table.

Reviewed by George Zahora