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Bearded (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Bearded is a bi-monthly music magazine that distributes nationwide through WHSmith, Borders
, independent record shops and newsagents. The magazine covers the independent music industry and only reviews artists who are either unsigned or signed to independent record labels.
Bearded is known for its high quality print which uses 100% recycled paper stock and its very high standard of art direction - commissioning illustrations from artists such as David Shrigley
and Paul Davis
.
Starting from issue FFP. E in January 2009, Bearded have published a mission statement to reassert the reasons for the magazine's existence. This statement also appears on the magazine's website under the 'About Us' heading.
The statement, in full, is:
The idea behind Bearded came when founder Gareth Main was working as editor of golf trade publication Golf Course News International
. With a nonchalant attitude to golf and a love for independent music, Main realised that there was a gulf in the music magazine
market for artistic magazines aimed at music and that there was a significant niche
in providing nationwide coverage on independent artists.
The first issue of Bearded was released on 14 August 2007 with an illustration of actor and musician Matt Berry
on the cover. The design of the cover was minimal, with the original, barely readable Bearded logo being the only branding with no contents or other information on the front. This design continued through the first 18 months of the magazine, until Bearded relaunched into WHSmith and other major retail stores on 29 January 2009 where the logo changed and a few contents were subtly inserted into the cover. It did though retain the minimal aesthetic.
Bearded is printed on high quality, 100% recycled heavyweight paper stock that is uncommon in the music magazine marketplace (which tends to have an emphasis on basic stock). Its art design is minimal throughout, with a heavy emphasis on white space and readability as opposed to cluttering the pages with text and information. Full page illustrations from unknown and famous artists are common, and the writers are generally unknown in music journalism. The magazine has become known as a useful stepping stone for young writers, with many now working at major publishing houses.
Gareth Main stated at the launch: "Bearded launched... with the express aim of generating national coverage for the independent music sector. Since then, over 100,000 people have picked up a copy or been through our website and we want to utilise that popularity in a way that will not only help Bearded survive into the future, but also help independent labels get more coverage than they could have dreamt imaginable."
Amongst others, Bearded has featured Matt Berry
, Animal Collective
, Polyphonic Spree, Fiery Furnaces, Future of the Left
, Misty's Big Adventure
, Robert Wyatt
, Stanley Brinks, David Shrigley
, British Sea Power
, Jeffrey Lewis
and Adele
.
Bearded has also run features on a number of record labels, including Trunk Records
and Stiff Records
.
blog
ger Paul Bradshaw heralded the magazine's "web-savvy business model
" whilst Created in Birmingham's Pete Ashton commented on Bearded's "very impressive start."
Cover star and star of Channel 4
's The IT Crowd
Matt Berry
said of the lead feature on him, "I love it, love the article and love you."
. The magazine starts with reviews of live events (the past), continues with news and features (the present) and ends with listings and reviews of future releases (the future). The break to this line comes in the feature From the Euphotic Depths on the second to last page where one of the contributors talks about their love for a band long forgotten.
Another regular feature is the Bearded Sluice Box, where a handful of emerging artists are highlighted for readers to investigate further.
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
, independent record shops and newsagents. The magazine covers the independent music industry and only reviews artists who are either unsigned or signed to independent record labels.
Bearded is known for its high quality print which uses 100% recycled paper stock and its very high standard of art direction - commissioning illustrations from artists such as David Shrigley
David Shrigley
-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...
and Paul Davis
Paul Brooks Davis
Paul Brooks Davis is an American graphic artist.-Biography:Paul Brooks Davis, better known as Paul Davis, was born in 1938 in Centrahoma, Oklahoma...
.
Mission statement
The statement, in full, is:
Bearded exists to generate coverage for independent labels and artists regardless of genre, background or how fashionable they are.
Bearded aims to do this in a publication that has top quality art direction and design at its heart, with writing that allows the reader to form their own opinions rather than being told what to think and what to like.
Bearded’s editorial direction is not dictated by advertisers, distributors or anybody else that might generate monetary support. It is put together exclusively by music lovers for music lovers – like a conversation in a pub, but with much nicer paper.
Bearded tries to make its money simply through magazine sales and Beardaid support. Help us carry on making beautiful, refreshing and unwavering publications at: www.beardaid.co.uk.
History
Golf Course News International
Golf Course News International, more often referred to as GCNI, is a bi-monthly golf trade publication based in Birmingham, UK.In 2001, United Publications sold the title to Amenity Technologies ....
. With a nonchalant attitude to golf and a love for independent music, Main realised that there was a gulf in the music magazine
Music magazine
A music magazine is a magazine dedicated to music and music culture. Such magazines typically include music news, interviews, photo shoots, essays, record reviews, concert reviews and occasionally have a covermount with recorded music.-Notable music magazines:...
market for artistic magazines aimed at music and that there was a significant niche
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
in providing nationwide coverage on independent artists.
The first issue of Bearded was released on 14 August 2007 with an illustration of actor and musician Matt Berry
Matt Berry
Matthew Charles "Matt" Berry is an English actor, writer, comedian and musician. Berry is perhaps best known for his appearances in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh; he also had his own series, Snuff Box...
on the cover. The design of the cover was minimal, with the original, barely readable Bearded logo being the only branding with no contents or other information on the front. This design continued through the first 18 months of the magazine, until Bearded relaunched into WHSmith and other major retail stores on 29 January 2009 where the logo changed and a few contents were subtly inserted into the cover. It did though retain the minimal aesthetic.
Bearded is printed on high quality, 100% recycled heavyweight paper stock that is uncommon in the music magazine marketplace (which tends to have an emphasis on basic stock). Its art design is minimal throughout, with a heavy emphasis on white space and readability as opposed to cluttering the pages with text and information. Full page illustrations from unknown and famous artists are common, and the writers are generally unknown in music journalism. The magazine has become known as a useful stepping stone for young writers, with many now working at major publishing houses.
Beardaid
On 14 July 2008, Bearded announced the launch of Beardaid, a charitable side to the magazine that aimed to further help people working in the independent music industry by offering exclusive records, magazines, gigs and merchandise to supporters who donated £2 a month to the scheme. Beardaid would then offer independent labels subsidised advertisements in Bearded to help them reach a wider audience previously unreachable due to cost.Gareth Main stated at the launch: "Bearded launched... with the express aim of generating national coverage for the independent music sector. Since then, over 100,000 people have picked up a copy or been through our website and we want to utilise that popularity in a way that will not only help Bearded survive into the future, but also help independent labels get more coverage than they could have dreamt imaginable."
Notable artists featured
Matt Berry
Matthew Charles "Matt" Berry is an English actor, writer, comedian and musician. Berry is perhaps best known for his appearances in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh; he also had his own series, Snuff Box...
, Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
, Polyphonic Spree, Fiery Furnaces, Future of the Left
Future of the Left
Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
, Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure
Misty's Big Adventure are an eight piece band from Birmingham, England. Their music is an eclectic mix of jazz, lounge, psychedelia, two tone, pop and punk....
, Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
, Stanley Brinks, David Shrigley
David Shrigley
-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...
, British Sea Power
British Sea Power
British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...
, Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
and Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
.
Bearded has also run features on a number of record labels, including Trunk Records
Trunk Records
Trunk Records is a British independent record label, which specialises mainly in lost film scores, unreleased TV music, library music, sexploitation and kitsch releases...
and Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
.
Critical reaction
After the magazine's launch, it gained a positive response from the online community. Online JournalismOnline journalism
Online journalism is defined as the reporting of facts when produced and distributed via the Internet.As of 2009, audiences for online journalism continue to grow...
blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger Paul Bradshaw heralded the magazine's "web-savvy business model
Business model
A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value...
" whilst Created in Birmingham's Pete Ashton commented on Bearded's "very impressive start."
Cover star and star of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
Matt Berry
Matt Berry
Matthew Charles "Matt" Berry is an English actor, writer, comedian and musician. Berry is perhaps best known for his appearances in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh; he also had his own series, Snuff Box...
said of the lead feature on him, "I love it, love the article and love you."
Content
The flow of Bearded is follows a chronological timelineTimeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
. The magazine starts with reviews of live events (the past), continues with news and features (the present) and ends with listings and reviews of future releases (the future). The break to this line comes in the feature From the Euphotic Depths on the second to last page where one of the contributors talks about their love for a band long forgotten.
Another regular feature is the Bearded Sluice Box, where a handful of emerging artists are highlighted for readers to investigate further.