Another State Of Zine...

Scanner was born in a hail of phlegm, defiance and attitude as an A5 print zine back in the Summer of 1998, in the English hamlet of Ipswich, Suffolk. It ran for near-on five years, culminating with a 92-page whopper in January 2003, which featured the likes of AVAIL, Exene Cervenka and Winston Smith.
From small beginnings - the first issue was a comparatively small 40-page minnow - the zine grew steadily in stature with a final print run of over 1,000 and distribution throughout the UK and in various parts of Europe and America plus Australia and New Zealand with further readers in Japan and South Africa.
The zine stopped not due to my personal lack of interest in the world of Punk Rock, or any kinda burgeoning disillusionment in an overtly commercialised and tame Punk Rock scene. Admittedly, I was getting tired of generic releases from say-nothing bands and ‘Punx’ who cared more for the shade of their hair dye and brand of sneaker than they did for the ideals behind MDC or SUBHUMANS. Thankfully, this was constantly countered by bands like FOUR LETTER WORD, DILLINGER FOUR and many bands like them that released vital, energetic, intelligent and out-spoken releases. Of course, the old faithfuls - surely I don’t need to name names - always revitalised the soul and scorched the ears.
Nope, Scanner in print form stopped due to a life-changing move. In March 2004, I packed my bags and headed to New Zealand. At the time I had no idea whether it would be a long-term move. I sure wanted it to be, but due to seemingly limitless bureaucratic red tape bullshit from the Immigration Services, I had to wait a year to see if my future here in NZ could be even semi-permanent. During that year I set up this website in an attempt to continue where the zine left off.
Move forward to August 2005... My application for Residency in NZ was approved and here I remain with no plans of leaving. From here, Scanner on-line continues and will continue until I either go back to a print form zine or get so disillusioned by the whole bloody world of Punk Rock and its seemingly increasing links to the safe, corporate and sponsored world of mainstream society that I would rather vomit all over my crotch than face another tiresome safe, major label band desperately wanting to be ‘dangerous’ and/ or ‘cool’. Fuck ‘em!
Where is this website gonna go from here? Well, I hope it’s just gonna get bigger and better, just as the print version did. I did have a ‘News’ section, but due to lack of release news etc being forwarded, I ditched it. Except for a few notable labels - Fat Wreck, Revelation, Household Name, Recess and Alternative Tentacles in particular - I had no release news sent despite requests and adding myself to mailing lists.
You can forward all review material to the address above that’s shadowed by The Replacements. For electronic contact, hit this LINK and send me an email. My review policy remains the same - all releases sent WILL be reviewed, but anything on a major label does not run parallel to my ideals of Punk Rock. Period. Get over it and concentrate on your lucre-lusting contracts.
Also hit the LINK if you wanna join the mailing list to receive emails of each and every update as it happens. OK - get on with it - self-explanation over. Enter and enjoy....

Latest Updates
Nay 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Reviews (3) of THE REVILLOS
May 25th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE VERNON WALTERS
May 23rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of JORDAN JONES
May 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MAKEWAR
May 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of FAZ WALTZ
May 19th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CTMF
May 18th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MISS JUNE
May 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of WARP LINES
May 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of STANK VOOR DANK
May 15th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE CRAVATS
May 12th - BLOG - The JOE STRUMMER FOUNDATION
May 11th - BLOG - Obituary for DAVE GREENFIELD
May 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE DROOGETTES
May 9th - READING MATTER - Review of SAN FRANCISCO YEAR ZERO book
May 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE VICIOUS CYCLES
May 7th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of POPULATION CONTROL
May 6th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET
May 5th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CLOWNS
May 4th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DECENT CRIMINAL
May 3rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE RESTARTS
April 30th - TV PARTY - Review of ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE documentary DVD
April 29th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of VULPYNES
April 27th - PODCAST - 59th Hey Suburbia Podcast
April 26th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE HUSSY
April 24th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of KIRA JARI
April 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of JUNKYARD
April 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THIS IS NOT A DRILL
April 18th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of LAGWAGON
April 17th - ZINES - Review of FLASHMAG #4
April 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BRUTALLIGATORS
April 14th - TOP SOUNDS - Reviews of ADRENALIN OD
April 11th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of KONTAKTA
April 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE DOLLYROTS
April 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of TOYS THAT KILL/ IRON CHIC split
April 7th - BLOG - Obituary for ANDY GILL
April 6th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CLEVELAND STEAMERS
April 5th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of ZAC
April 3rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of AUTOGRAMM
April 2nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MEAN JEANS
February 23rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of STEVE ADAMYK BAND
February 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of LEFTOVER CRACK
February 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PARANOID VISIONS
February 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SNUFF
February 14th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MYSTERY GIRL

LP/ ALBUM/ CD REVIEWS
SPECTRES - Nostalgia {Artoffact}; THE DAMNED - Black Is The Night {BMG}; HAWKWIND - All Aboard The Skylark, Roadhawks, THE PARTISANS - 1981-84, THE PRIMITIVES - Bloom, VARIOUS - Optimism/Reject {Cherry Red}; CHATHAM SINGERS - Of The Medway Delta, JOHNNY MOPED - Live At The Trafalgar Square {Damaged Goods}; MORE KICKS - S/t {Dirt Cult}; PERSONALITY CULT - New Arrows {Dirtnap}; VARIOUS - Stay Home {Drunk Dial}; BOMBPOPS - Death In Venice Beach, DAYS N DAZE - Show Me The Blueprint, FACE TO FACE - Live In A Dive, SUICIDE MACHINES - Revolution Spring, TOMMY AND JUNE - s/t, WESTERN ADDICTION - Frail Bray {Fat Wreck}; LITTERBUG - Abstract Melodies Saying Terrible Things {JSNTGM}; HERE LIES THE ORDINARY - Laughing In The Face Of... {Lockjaw}; JADE HAIRPINS - Harmony Avenue {Merge}; THE DROWNS - Under Tension, LION'S LAW - The Pain, The Blood And The Sword {Pirates Press}; MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT - Sinister Whisperz III: The Rykodisc Years {SleazeBox}; BITCH QUEENS - City Of Class, FAZ WALTZ - Rebel Kicks {Spaghetty Town}; UNION MORBIDE - Freely Chosen {TCBYML}; KNIFE CLUB - We Are Knife Club {TNS}; BATTALION ZOSKA - s/t {Violated}; WYLDLIFE - Year Of The Snake {Wicked Cool}; ANSWERING MACHINE - Bad Luck {Wiretap}; ABOLITIONIST - Live At The Black Water, DZTN 1980 - Outside The City, War Of Good Intentions, SUNSHINE STATE - The Mess, TRITA - Tunguskan {DIY};

7"/ EP/ CASSETTE REVIEWS 
UNITED X BOMBS - s/t {Bomb City Rockers}; SINGING LUNGS - Mutter {Count Your Lucky Stars}; SPIDER - Energy Gone Wrong {Cpyrt Cntrl}; COURETTES - ...Like A Cigarette, JOHNNY MOPED - Hey Belinda {Damaged Goods}; SUSPECT PARTS - You Know I Can't Say No {Dirt Cult}: HAKAN - Drunk Dial #6 {Drunk Dial}; DAVE SMALLEY AND THE BANDOLEROS - Ignited {Little Rocket Records}; SUNLINER - Structure {Lockjaw}; BAR STOOL PREACHERS - Soundtrack To Your Apocalypse, TERRITORIES - Quit This City {Pirates Press}; FAST EDDY - Toofer One, KILLER HEARTS - EP, THE SCANERS - X-Ray Glasses: On, SICK BAGS - Only The Young Die Good {Spaghetty Town}; STATE FUNERAL - Built For Destruction {Static Shock}; SOMETHING HAPPENING - Q {TCBYML}; THE OUTCASTS - Stay Young {Violated}; ABRAZOS - Angry All The Time, DEVILS ELBOW - ID, FLOAT HERE FOREVER - Stacking Tombstones, PSYCHIC PIMPS - Agents Of Instant Karma {DIY};

DVD REVIEWS
DUST - Full Circle, PUSSY RIOT: Act And Punishment, The Color Of Noise, Its Gonna Blow, Records Collecting Dust II, Room 37: The Mysterious Death Of Johnny Thunders {MVD};

BOOK REVIEWS
Face It: Debbie Harry {Harper Collins}; Dayglo: The Poly Styrene Story {Omnibus};

ZINES
Artcore #39

HEY SUBURBIA PODCAST

The Scanner Hey Suburbia Podcast now has a new home!!  You can still stream it direct from this site (now via a natty player) and you can still download it. Hit HERE to access recent broadcasts.

The history of the Podcast and what bands have been played, can be access HERE

Gone but not forgotten...

This website will forever remember those who provided inspiration and continue to inspire.  Let us never forget those that paved the way for where Punk Rock is today and made some of the most refreshing, rebellious and raucous music ever.  R.I.P. guys...

STIV BATORS, JOHNNY THUNDERS, JOEY RAMONE, DEE DEE RAMONE, JOHNNY RAMONE, TOMMY RAMONE, JOE STRUMMER, PETE SHELLEY, DARBY CRASH, BOB STINSON, RANDY 'BISCUIT' TURNER, PIG CHAMPION, LOU REED, RON ASHETON, SCOTT ASHETON, DAVE ALEXANDER, MALCOLM OWEN, PAUL FOX, POLY STYRENE, MIKE HUDSON, KIM SHATTUCK, DICKIE HAMMOND, JOHN 'STABB' SCHROEDER, STEVE SOTO, VI SUBVERSA, IAN 'LEMMY' KILMINSTER, LANCE HAHN, DENNIS DANELL, JIM CARROLL, JEFFREY LEE PIERCE, LUX INTERIOR, NICK KNOX, JERRY NOLAN, ARTHUR KANE, BILLY RATH, BILLY MURCIA, NICHOLAS 'RAZZLE' DINGLEY, STIG, PHIL VANE, DAVE GREGG, DIMWIT, RANDY RAMPAGE, WILL SHATTER, RAYBEEZ, DAMIEN LOVELOCK, KURT COBAIN, WIZ, STEVO, MIA ZAPATA, MATTY BLAGG, KID KRUPA, DAVE GREENFIELD, TOMATA DU PLENTY, MIKEY 'OFFENDER' DONALDSON, ANDY GILL, ARIANNA 'ARI UP' FORSTER, PAUL RAVEN, PHILIP CHEVRON, NIDGE BLITZ MILLER, D. BOON, TONY KINMAN, DAVE INSURGENT, FRED 'SONIC' SMITH, ROB TYNER, DAVID BOWIE, NIKKI SUDDEN, PETER LAUGHNER, IAN CURTIS, ROBERT QUINE, PHIL 'PHILTHY ANIMAL' TAYLOR, PHIL LYNOTT, BARRIE MASTERS, SID VICIOUS, TIM YOHANNON, GREG SHAW, JOHN PEEL

Individual hits since July 2004:

Geographical hits since October 2009