Once upon a time ago, there was a magazine called The City Revolt, which blossomed into a contemporary, funky music magazine we?d like to call Zero Magazine.

If there?s one thing that Larry Trujillo is proud of in his lifetime achievements, it?s turning what once was a very small local magazine, into one of the most widely known music magazines in the Northern California area.

“There are so many genres within genres of music out there, that I like to keep it as wide and varied as possible,” Trujillo said. “But I don?t try to cover everything. I let the hip-hop magazines do their thing, and I mainly stick to the alternative scene.”

And with so many different classifications of music within the alternative scene, Trujillo has his hands full keeping up with all of that.

Zero Magazine is based out of San Jose, California, but is expanding their delivery route around the Northern California area. Trujillo is trying to add more distribution areas in Sacramento because he recognizes that the Sacramento music scene is definitely making its mark on the music industry.

The fact that Trujillo is so in-depth with the whole up-and-coming music scene seems almost unreal.

“It?s all about music awareness, just knowing. It pretty much dictates itself,” Trujillo said.

His phone lines are constantly ringing off of the hook with music agents calling to update him on upcoming albums, tours and new singles, that he?s always surrounded with information about the music scene.

When it comes to the content of the magazine and the writers themselves, Trujillo admits that it?s about 90% assigned topics. Although he does accept submitted articles from some of his writers, he knows what?s coming up in the music scene and what his reporters need to be covering for their readers.

By just flipping over the cover, the reader is submersed into this new realm of music and other cool stuff. After you flip past the advertisements (every magazine has them) you get blasted with the latest in local music, pages upon pages of upcoming concerts big and small, as well as live show reviews. Zero Magazine makes the reader feel as if they?re right there in the front row of the concert cheering on their favorite bands, with its intensely well-written reviews.

Plus, they don?t just cover what?s up-and-coming in California, they travel around the states to bring the reader live interviews with the latest underground bands. And once you hit center page, it?s all over. You start to find that your hooked, you can?t put the magazine down, not even for that last bite of sandwich that?s been sitting there on your lap all afternoon.

Especially for this month?s issue. Their feature artist, Alien Ant Farm, is getting so much attention lately it?s hard not to know who they are. And Zero Magazine definitely knows who they are, with a full two-page interview with the lead singer, Dryden Mitchell.

Zero Magazine also has a NorCal underground metal report, if you?re into that thing. If not, then the following page is a look at the underground techno scene in the Bay Area. And like every good music magazine they have a CD review section that features everything, not just alternative music.

But Zero Magazine isn?t just about the music, it has so much more. Take this month?s release for example, it features the Tahoe Snowboard Series, the art of Takashi Yamatasu, and the film Series 7.

The film section reviews upcoming movies with honesty. The writer isn?t sucking up to some unknown critic out there, if the movie sucks, they?re going to tell you. Which is almost a blessing from the monotonous positive reviews that every other magazine conforms to.

As if Larry Trujillo doesn?t have enough things to do, there is also the magazine website and a little side project of his coming out soon. He?s introducing a huge merchandise website that pertains to all of the bands plus more that he features in his magazine. But as for new ideas for the magazine, Trujillo had this to say: “I can?t tell what my new plans are for Zero, it?s a secret. But you?ll find out soon enough.

To get your free copy of Zero Magazine, you can pick one up at Dimple Records, The Bee or check them out on the web at www.zeromag.net.