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

April 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DIRECT HIT
April 19th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of RAT PATROL
March 31st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of EAST TOWN PIRATES
March 29th - READING MATTER - Review of SMASH: THE 90s PUNK EXPLOSION
March 26th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of RADON
March 24th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of HEWHOCANNOTBENAMED
March 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of VANILLA POD
March 19th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of RESTORATIONS
March 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE LURKERS
March 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of Concrete Jungle Records sampler
March 14th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MISGIVINGS
March 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BITTER GROUNDS
March 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MIKE PUKE
March 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of FULLCOUNT
March 7th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of YOUTH AVOIDERS
March 5th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of ITCHY-O
February 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BAD MOJOS
February 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of ADOLESCENTS and ABRAZOS
February 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS
February 4th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of HARD SKIN

LP/ ALBUM/ CD REVIEWS
ABOLITIONIST - A New Militance {1859}; HEAVY HEART - Love Against Capture {Brassneck}; MAHWRIN SKEL - Excession {Corndog}; HOLLY GOLIGHTLY - Do The Get Along {Damaged Goods}; ALLVARET - Skam Och Skuld, COLUMNA - Las Cosas Que Perdemo, YOUR PEST BAND - Automatic Aspiration {Dirt Cult}; BAD SPORTS - Constant Stimulation, MARKED MEN - On The Other Side, STEVE ADAMYK BAND - Paradise {Dirtnap}; TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET - Stay Rad! {Fat Wreck}; KING BROTHERS - Wasteland {Hound Gawd}; BURNT TAPES - Never Better, FAIR DO'S - Leopards {Lockjaw}; FUCKED UP - Dose Your Dreams, REDD KROSS - Hot Issue, Teen Babes From Monsanto {Merge}; SIGNAL CRIMES - Perfidious Albion {Network Of Friends}; SMIERC - Godzina Pusta {Niki Nic Nie Wie}; LENNY LASHLEY'S GANG OF ONE - All Are Welcome {Pirate Press}; BRENDAN KELLY AND THE WANDERING BIRDS - Keep Walkin' Pal {Red Scare}; MOTOSIERRA - S/t, VARIOUS - Down South Spaghetty Accident {Spaghetty Town}; BONY MACARONI - S/t {TCBYML}; E.T EXPLORE ME - Shine, REVEREND BEAT-MAN AND IZOBEL GARCIA - Baile Bruja Muerto {Voodoo Rhythm}; MATT PLESS - Tumbleweed {Wembleway Music}; FLOAT HERE FOREVER - Tour The Ruins, GIGLINGER - Money Power And Corruption/ Pay No More, SINGING LUNGS - Groan, THIS IS NOT A DRILL - Hysteria/Hypocrisy/Lies {DIY};

7"/ EP/ CASSETTE REVIEWS 
CORNER BOYS - Love Tourist {Dirt Cult}; SCHOOL DRUGS - Relative Suffering {Hell Minded}; ROYAL BEGGARS - Tales From Disgraceland {Low Medium High}; THE BLANKZ - Getting Over You {Slope}; MOUNT WYCHEPROOF - Is Everybody Dead Yet? {DIY};

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, Wasn't That A Time {Da Capo}; No Apocalypse {Microcosm};

ZINES
Flashmag #3

 

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