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


January 18th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE CRIPPENS
January 15th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NATTERERS
January 14th - BLOG - Best records of 2018
January 11th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE BLANKZ
January 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE AR-KAICS
January 6th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SWINGIN' UTTERS
January 5th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of UNION MORBIDE
January 2nd - PODCAST - Latest Hey Suburbia Podcast
December 31st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of Damaged Goods 1988/2018 compilation
December 31st - BLOG - Obituary for PETE SHELLEY
December 30th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of HERESY
December 29th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of RUBELLA BALLET
December 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PEARS/ DIRECT HIT split
December 23rd - READING MATTER - Review of WAYNE KRAMER's autobiography
December 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of AUTOGRAMM
December 18th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NEW YORK DOLLS
December 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NOFX
December 14th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE COUNTRY DARK
December 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of TRAVERSE
December 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SPOILERS
December 7th - READING MATTER - Review of We Are The Clash book
November 30th - TOP SOUNDS - THE PRETTY FLOWERS
November 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of WILD ANIMALS

LP/ ALBUM/ CD REVIEWS
BITTER GROUNDS - Two Sides Of Hope {Bad Granola}; HEAVY HEART - Love Against Capture {Brassneck}; VIBRATORS - The Albums 1979-85 {Cherry Red}; ADOLESCENTS - Cropduster, VARIOUS - Lucky 13 Label Sampler {Concrete Jungle}; HOLLY GOLIGHTLY - Do The Get Along {Damaged Goods}; YOUTH AVOIDERS - Relentless {Destructure}; ALLVARET - Skam Och Skuld, COLUMNA - Las Cosas Que Perdemos, HARD FEELINGS - Side Ways, NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS - Claw Marks, RADON - More Of Their Lies, YOUR PEST BAND - Automatic Aspiration {Dirt Cult}; BAD SPORTS - Constant Stimulation, MARKED MEN - On The Other Side {Dirtnap}; DIRECT HIT - Crown Of Nothing, NIGHT BIRDS - Roll Credits {Fat Wreck}; THE HOLDOUT - The Things That Brought Us Here {Grafton}; KING BROTHERS - Wasteland, MORLOCKS - Bring On The Mesmeric Condition {Hound Gawd}; FAIR DO'S - Leopards, FULLCOUNT - Part Of The Game, MISGIVINGS - Hermitage {Lockjaw}; FUCKED UP - Dose Your Dreams, REDD KROSS - Hot Issue, Teen Babes From Monsanto {Merge}; ITCHY-O - Mystic Spy/Psykho Dojo {Mettle Studios}; SMIERC - Godzina Pusta {Niki Nic Nie Wie}; BRENDAN KELLY AND THE WANDERING BIRDS - Keep Walkin' Pal {Red Scare}; HEWHOCANNOTBENAMED - The Good, The Bad And The Brutal {Spaghetty Town}; RESTORATIONS - LP5000 {Tiny Engines}; BAD MOJOS - I Hope You OD {Voodoo Rhythm}; ABRAZOS - Belligerent And Numerous, FLOAT HERE FOREVER - Tour The Ruins, THIS IS NOT A DRILL - Hysteria/Hypocrisy/Lies {DIY};

7"/ EP/ CASSETTE REVIEWS 
VANILLA POD - Goodbye My Love... {Brassneck}; THE LURKERS - Electrical Guitar {Damaged Goods}; CORNER BOYS - Love Tourist {Dirt Cult}; EPIC PROBLEM/ HOLIDAY - Split {JSNTGM}; HARD SKIN - Not Messing Around {JT Classics}; ROYAL BEGGARS - Tales From Disgraceland {Low Medium High};

DVD REVIEWS
NOFX - Backstage Passport II {Fat Wreck}; DUST - Full Circle, PUSSY RIOT: Act And Punishment, The Color Of Noise, The US Festival, Its Gonna Blow, Records Collecting Dust II {MVD}; The Angry Brigade {PM Press};

BOOK REVIEWS
Heavy Duty Days And Nights In Judas Priest, Smash: Green Day, The Offspring, Bad Religion, NOFX And The '90s Punk Explosion, Wasn't That A Time {Da Capo}; There's No Bones In Ice Cream: Sylvain Sylvain's Story Of The New York Dolls {Omnibus}; 

ZINES
Flashmag #2

 

HEY SUBURBIA POCAST

The Scanner zine Hey Surbubia 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. Additionally, there is now room to leave comments on each broadcast, administer an 'I Like' Facebook hit and subscribe via I-Tunes or RSS. Hit HERE to access recent broadcasts. So common - leave some comments, requests or general abuse because, as Ben Weasel said, "We don't give a shit about tomorrow." Previous Podcasts can be found by clicking this link 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, 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, KURT COBAIN, WIZ, STEVO, MIA ZAPATA, MATTY BLAGG, TOMATA DU PLENTY, MIKEY 'OFFENDER' DONALDSON, 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, SID VICIOUS, TIM YOHANNON, GREG SHAW, JOHN PEEL

Individual hits since July 2004:

Geographical hits since October 2009