Three words: Good scene reports. If you're like us, they're mostly what you look for in a rock music magazine. Although West Coast Performer is only semilocal, and it's technically a musician's trade publication, it has good scene reports from Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, and here. Unlike most other (totally heroic in this day and space-age, by the way) print music magazines, Performer is genuinely multigenre; the editors and writers have great taste. It's distributed free in bars and music stores, it has good photos and a relatable layout, and the general tone is independent music boosterism at its best. Bonuses include smart news updates that shy far away from advertorial, and advice that assumes both do-it-yourself indie spirit as well as a desire to make music seriously — or at least not lose money doing it. Rock on, Performer seems to say to the reader: Here are some tips on how to, here are some other bands who do, and check it out: Our magazine does too.