Scanner Web Zine - The place for Punk Rock, Hardcore, Anarcho and scuzzy Garage Rock 'n' Roll

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 Crass. For electronic contact, hit this LINK and send me an email. If you work for EMI or Columbia, yeah, please forward me your releases. They sell well on ebay but do NOT expect a review of your corporate crapola. 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

     

November 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of COMMON ENEMY
November 9th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of DESTROY ALL MONSTERS
November 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of TRUSTY
November 8th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of RUDY SCHWARTZ PROJECT
November 6th - TV PARTY - Review of RAMONE, DEE DEE
November 6th - TV PARTY - Review of TV SMITH AND THE BORED TEENAGERS
November 5th - TOP SOUNDS - Review of NEW CHRISTS
November 4th - READING MATTER - Review of You're Wondering Now: THE SPECIALS From Conception to Reunion in 'Books'
November 2nd - TOP SOUNDS - Review of PAINT IT BLACK
November 2nd - HOME PAGE - 'Hey Suburbia' Podcast #14

CD REVIEWS
A.O.A. - Aix Of Ascendancy {All Out Audio}; BEEZEWAX - A Dozen Summits, BIG DRILL CAR - A Never Ending Endeavor, DOUBLECROSS - Things Will Never Change, FOUR LETTER WORD - Follow As The Crow Flies, GERIATRIC UNIT - Permet Hrin Blues, SLEEP - Back To Square One Again, TV SMITH - Live At The NVA, VANILLA POD - Poets On Payday, VARSITY DRAG - Night Owls {Boss Tuneage}; VARIOUS - Sugar Free Ear Candy Vol. 3 {Brown Bag Propaganda}; LOS SALVADORES - Attack Of The Clones {Corndog}; FALSE ALARM/ YOUTH GONE MAD - Split {False Alarm}; STRUNG OUT - Agents Of The Underground {Fat Wreck}; PROPAGANDHI - Supporting Caste {Hassle}; GEARS/ DIs - Rockin At Ground Zero {Hep Cat}; IMPERIAL LEATHER - Unconditional Conditions {MCR}; HARLEY'S WAR - Hardcore All-Stars, GRANT HART - Hot Wax {MVD}; I GOT A VIOLET - Backwash {New Model Label}; BORN/DEAD - The Final Collapse {Prank}; MURDER DISCO EXPERIENCE - Complete Discography 1997-2004, {Profane Existence}; MIKE PUKE - An Horrific Fracas..., MIKE PUKE - 21 Years of Total Fuckin' Mike Puke Hell {Puke}; DESTRUCTORS 666 - Quisnam Vigilo Vigilo, Pow! That's Kill Music 666 Vol. I {Rowdy Farrago}; EASTER MONKEYS - Splendor Of Sorrow, FACE VALUE - Rode Hard, Put Away Wet: Clevo HC 89-93, TIN HUEY - Before Obsurity: The Bushflow Tapes {Smog Veil}; ANTISECT - In Darkness The Is No Choice, SUBHUMANS - The Day The Country Died, EPLP, From The Cradle To The Grave, Worlds Apart, Rats/Time Flies, 29:29 Split Vision {Southern/ Bluurg}; D.O.A. - Kings Of Punk, Hockey And Beer {Sudden Death}; KRUM BUMS - Same Old Story {TKO}; VARIOUS - Mainstream Music Is Shit Vol.2 {TNS};

7"/12" VINYL REVIEWS
INFECTED - Awake In Our Own Graves {Add}; COLT SEAVERS - s/t {Boss Tuneage}; JFA - To All Our Friends {DC Jam}; REMISSION - Absolute Power {Profane Existence}; CHANNEL THREE - To Whom It May Concern: The 1981 Demos {TKO}; GEOFFREY Oi!COTT - I Was Monty's Double {X-Fist};

DVD REVIEWS
SPERMBIRDS - Me And My People {Boss Tuneage}; KILLING JOKE - Requiem {Charly}; Punk In England, Punk In London {MVD}; D.O.A. - The Men Of Action: 30th Anniversary DVD {Sudden Death/ MVD}

BOOK REVIEWS
Joe Strummer And The Legend Of The Clash; Ramones - The Complete Twisted History; Rock 'n' Roll Babylon; Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys To Green Day

ZINES
Beat Motel #8, Gadgie #24, Ont Road #12, Rum Lad #4, Angry At The Bus Stop #5, Lights Go Out #5, Maximum Rocknroll #316, Give Me Back #5, TNS #6, Artcore #26, Pipebomb #36, Short Fast And Loud #22

INTERVIEWS
Christ On Parade, Cobra Khan, Section 13, TSOL, JFA

 

HEY SUBURBIA - Podcast #14 - November 2009

Here's the latest installment of Hey Suburbia - The House Of Scanner Podcast!  You can either stream the whole hour-long show by left-clicking the link below, or if you want to save it to your hard drive to play later or burn as a CD, then right click the link and save it as you wish.  You'll probably need a Broadband connection for a moderately quick download.
Let me know what you think - and if any of you have any requests - let me know!!

HEY SUBURBIA PODCAST, #14
JIM CARROLL - Catholic Boy
GERMS - Land Of Treason
CHANNEL 3 - Fear Of Life
GEARS - Don't Be Afraid To Pogo
- - - -
D.I’s - People Like Me
TEEN GENERATE - Mess Me Up
D'CORNER BOIS - Everything's A Mess
ENGLISH DOGS - Free To Kill
- - - -
GRANT HART - Narcissus, Narcissus
BUZZCOCKS - What Do I Get
KRUM BUMS - Coliseum
FALSE ALARM - Horrible Life
- - - -
YOUTH GONE MAD - False Alarm
DOA - Overtime
COMMON ENEMY - We're Under Attack
FACE VALUE - Up To Us
- - - -
BANNER PILOT - Farewell To Iron Bastards
LEFTOVER CRACK - Burn Them Prisons
MISSING TEETH - No Way Out
DILLINGER FOUR - Doublewhiskeycokenice

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, JOE STRUMMER, DARBY CRASH, BOB STINSON, RANDY 'BISCUIT' TURNER, PIG CHAMPION, RON ASHETON, DAVE ALEXANDER, MALCOLM OWEN, PAUL FOX, LANCE HAHN, DENNIS DANELL, JIM CARROLL, JEFFREY LEE PIERCE, LUX INTERIOR, JERRY NOLAN, ARTHUR KANE, BILLY MURCIA, NICHOLAS 'RAZZLE' DINGLEY, STIG, DIMWIT, WILL SHATTER, RAYBEEZ, KURT COBAIN, WIZ, STEVO, MIA ZAPATA, TOMATA DU PLENTY, MIKEY OFFENDER DONALDSON, PAUL RAVEN, NIDGE BLITZ MILLER, D. BOON, DAVE INSURGENT, FRED 'SONIC' SMITH, ROB TYNER, NIKKI SUDDEN, PETER LAUGHNER, IAN CURTIS, SID VICIOUS, TIM YOHANNON, GREG SHAW, JOHN PEEL

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Individual hits since July 2004:

Geographical hits since October 2009