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
October 23rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of STEVE IGNORANT AND PARANOID VISIONS
October 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE SHADRACKS
October 21st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of FUCK! (IT'S PRONOUNCED SHIT)
October 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE LAST GANG
October 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CLOWN SOUNDS
September 30th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CHARACTER ACTOR
September 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Reviews of ZOWISO
September 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE LAWRENCE ARMS
September 20th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DOWN AND OUTS
September 15th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of JILTED JOHN
September 11th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DARIUS KOSKI
September 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SPOILERS
September 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CRIMINAL KIDS
September 7th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PARASITE
September 6th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MEAN JEANS
August 31st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BURNING BRITAIN boxset
August 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of STRUNG OUT
August 24th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CLEVELAND STEAMERS
August 19th - BLOG - Obituary for STEVE SOTO
August 17th - READING MATTER - Review of PUNK AVENUE book
August 3rd - INTERVIEW - With PHIL MARCADE

LP/ ALBUM/ CD REVIEWS
WILD ANIMALS - The Hoax {B-Core}; TRAVERSE- s/t {Brassneck}; HERESY - Face Up To It, MOVING TARGETS - The Other Side, SPOILERS - Roundabouts {Boss Tuneage}; HAWKWIND - At The Roundhouse, NEW YORK DOLLS - Personality Crisis, VIBRATORS - The Albums 1979-85 {Cherry Red}; YOUTH AVOIDERS - Relentless {Destructure}; HARD FEELINGS - Side Ways, THE PRETTY FLOWERS - Why Planes Crash {Dirt Cult}; PROUD PARENTS - s/t {Dirtnap}; DIRECT HIT/ PEARS - Human Movement {Fat Wreck}; THE COUNTRY DARK - Cookie Trail {Humu}; RUBELLA BALLET - Danger Death {Overground}; RUN UPS - s/t {Real Ghost}; ABRAZOS - Belligerent And Numerous {DIY};

7"/ EP/ CASSETTE REVIEWS 
THE DARTS - Subsonic Dream {Alternative Tentacles}; CIVILISED SOCIETY? - War In My Head, THE CRIPPENS - The Minnow And The Pike {Boss Tuneage}; CHAIN WHIP - s/t {Dirt Cult}; EPIC PROBLEM/ HOLIDAY - Split, STAY CLEAN JOLENE - Live At The Dog {JSNTGM}; RAVAGERS - Drowning In Blood {Spaghetty Town};

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
This Is The Clash {Akashic}; The Hard Stuff, Heavy Duty Days And Nights In Judas Priest {Da Capo}; The Damned: The Chaos Years {DIY}; 

ZINES

 

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, 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, 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