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
February 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PARANOID VISIONS
February 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SNUFF
February 15th - BLOG - Best of 2019 listings
February 14th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MYSTERY GIRL
February 13th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BORIS THE SPRINKLER
February 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of LES BLACK AND THE AMAZING PINK HOLES
February 6th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SUICIDE GENERATION
February 2nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of ABOLITIONIST
January 31st - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PERSECUTION
January 30th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of MUCH THE SAME
January 22nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of WET SPECIMENS
January 18th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CAS PRAWDE
January 17th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE SWEET THINGS
January 16th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of REDD KROSS
January 11th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of BOB MOULD
January 10th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of 4-WAY SPLIT Pirates Press 7"
January 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET
December 30th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of SPERMBIRDS
December 29th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of THE HANGMEN
December 28th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of CANDY SNATCHERS
December 26th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of HIP PRIESTS
December 24th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of GOOD RIDDANCE
December 23rd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DANGER!MAN
December 16th - READING MATTER - Review of HARDCORE ANXIETY: A Graphic Guide To Punk Rock And Mental Health book
December 7th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of Merge Records 2019 Fall Sampler

LP/ ALBUM/ CD REVIEWS
JUNKYARD - Old Habits Die Hard {Acetate}; ADRENALIN OD - Cruising With Elvis,  Humungusfungusamungus, Wacky Hi-Jinx, POPULATION CONTROL - Death Toll {Beer City}; THE DAMNED - Black Is The Night {BMG}; HAWKWIND - All Aboard The Skylark, VARIOUS - Optimism/Reject {Cherry Red}; GRAHAM DAY AND THE FOREFATHERS - Good Things, JOHNNY MOPED - Live At The Trafalgar Square, REVILLOS - Compendium Of Weird, From The Freezer, Live From The Orient, ZAC - s/t {Damaged Goods}; MORE KICKS - S/t {Dirt Cult}; THE HUSSY - Looming, PERSONALITY CULT - New Arrows, STEVE ADAMYK BAND - Paradise {Dirtnap}; CLOWNS - Nature Nurture, FACE TO FACE - Live In A Dive, LAGWAGON - Railer, LEFTOVER CRACK - The E-Sides And F-Sides, MAKE WAR - Get It Together, MEAN JEANS - Gigantic Sike, TOMMY AND JUNE - s/t {Fat Wreck}; MISS JUNE - Bad Luck Party {Frenchkiss}; THE CRAVATS - Hoorahland {Overground}; RESTARTS - Uprising, VICIOUS CYCLES - Motorcycho {Pirates Press}; TOYS THAT KILL/ IRON CHIC - Split {Recess}; BITCH QUEENS - City Of Class, JORDAN JONES - s/t {Spaghetty Town}; UNION MORBIDE - Freely Chosen, VERNON WALTERS - Present History {TCBYML}; THIS IS NOT A DRILL - Fight Like A Girl {TINAD}; BATTALION ZOSKA - s/t, BILLYCLUB GENERATION - Time Bomb, DROOGETTES - Clockwork Girls, OLDE TIGERS - Build An Illusion Of Safety {Violated}; DOLLYROTS - Daydream Explosion {Wicked Cool}; DECENT CRIMINAL - Bliss {Wiretap}; TRITA - Tunguskan {DIY};

7"/ EP/ CASSETTE REVIEWS 
UNITED X BOMBS - s/t {Bomb City Rockers}; CTMF - Marc Riley Session 2019, JOHNNY MOPED - Hey Belinda {Damaged Goods}; KIRA JARI - Spooky Freak, SUSPECT PARTS - You Know I Can't Say No {Dirt Cult}: TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET - Vs Human Robots {Fat Wreck}; VULPYNES - Dye Me Red {FOAD}; AUTOGRAMM - Bad Day {Jarama 45RPM}; KONTAKTA - Life In A Cage {Militant Tendencies}; TERRITORIES - Quit This City {Pirates Press}; BRUTALLIGATORS - Friends I Wish I Had {Real Ghost}; CLEVELAND STEAMERS - Maga Maga Maga {Smog Veil}; FAST EDDY - Toofer One, KILLER HEARTS - EP {Spaghetty Town}; STATE FUNERAL - Built For Destruction {Static Shock}; SOMETHING HAPPENING - Q {TCBYML}; DEVILS ELBOW - ID {DIY};

DVD REVIEWS
ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE - We Are The League, 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}; The Angry Brigade {PM Press};

BOOK REVIEWS
Face It: Debbie Harry {Harper Collins}; Dayglo: The Poly Styrene Story {Omnibus}; San Francisco: Political Upheaval, Punk Rock And A Third-Place Baseball Team {Rutgers};

ZINES
Flashmag #4

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. Hit HERE to access recent broadcasts. 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, 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, 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