Netpunk June 2000

This month I have a slew of sites submitted by various readers. Some of you are trying to get their band mentioned, and some of you are simply being helpful. I appreciate all of your e-mail, because hey, it helps me write this column -- plus, it turns me on to some fun punk stuff that otherwise I'd never run across.

If I were giving out honorable mentions for helping me find sites, I'd have to give one to Ricky Ferry. He wrote me with basically an entire column worth of links on the DC scene. I'm not going to use all of them this time around, but a few of the stuff in this month's column probably came from him. You can check out his website at http://www.geocities.com/mcpunkska/ .

One site that he didn't send me is http://www.proberecords.com, which is the home of everyone's favorite naked punk magazine and record label, The Probe. This site focuses mainly on the stuff Aaron has available. There isn't much content here. For that, you'll want to visit http://www.punkrocksex.com/ This is an "adult" site, with nekkid banner ads and the like, so you want to be careful if you're checking it out in the library or computer lab. A bunch of material from The Probe is online here, including some interviews and articles from past issues, as well as a few photos. Check it out.

The punkrocksex site is actually designed by Kittyfeet.com (http://www.kittyfeet.com/). This is the home of Michael Dean of the band Bomb. Kittyfeet is a very cool site. Not only are there Bomb songs and Michael Dean stuff that you can download in mp3 format, but the site is organized in such a way that you're are always discovering something new. You could spend a lot of time here running across things you haven't seen before.

Another wacked-out site is that of Testicular Pressure zine, label, mail-order, and whatever else they do, at http://www.testicle.com/ . All kinds of weird stuff here, from punk rock, to psychedelia, to sex and comics. Yet another site with stuff to keep you busy for days on end.

Nihilism on the Prowl has some of the nicest background layouts I've seen on a website. Dealing mostly with Brit-punk (or American bands that sound Brit-punk), this site has a bunch of old punk rock photos from the 70's and 80's, a handful of interviews and reviews, and a columns section that hasn't really taken off yet. Still, visiting the site is worth it if only to see the nifty layout. Nihilism on the Prowl is at http://www.sufferinsuffragettes.homestead.com/ .

If looking at band photos is your thing and you're into hardcore, you'll want to check out Danielle's Punk and Hardcore Photos. Along with the band photos, there is also a section of art photos that is pretty cool, and some random photos that probably aren't that interesting unless you know the people in the pictures. Anyway, it's worth a look at http://www.punkmusic.com/daniellesphotos/ .

If you have a zine, record, video, book, etc you'd like to get some distribution for, you might check out Stranger Than Fiction at http://www.nvo.com/diystro/ . They seem to have their shit together. The only drawback I can see is that they only pay %50 on consignment, which is a little bit weak. Still, check out their site to see what they do.

Somebody e-mailed me (it might have been Ricky) to turn me on to the Buzzerzine website. Well, it doesn't look like the site has been updated much in the last six months, but there is a ton of writing here, some of which is political, and some of which are rants that crack me up (hint: read everything by Veronica Stabb). You can visit Buzzerzine at http://www.geocities.com/buzzerzine/ .

On to some more music sites. Antidote is a kick ass band from Holland whose style is in the late-70s / early 80s Britpunk vein. Their site contains the standard info about the band -- a bio, discography, tour dates, etc. However, they also have some real audio songs for you to download, and that's why you want to visit. Check out their stuff, because you'll probably want more. The Antidote page is at http://members.xoom.com/anti_dote/ .

Check out http://personal.isla.net/tainayjavier/RugAnarweb.html for information on the Puerto Rico hardcore scene at Rugitas Anarkus. This page is the home of 'Zineverguenza, Anaconda Records, and the band Cojobo. While there isn't a ton of info here, there are links to other Puerto Rican sites, and I always find it interesting to read about what is going on in other countries. Oh, the site is in both English and Spanish, so you should have no problem checking it out.

One final site for this month is PastePunk at http://www.pastepunk.com/ . While much of the bands they feature lean towards the Epitaph / Fat Wreck variety, they also have some interesting rants and articles, and they keep the material fresh. There was brand new material the day I visited, and several updates within the past month. By far, the most compelling reason to visit is for the articles.

Okay, so that's all the time I have this month. E-mail me at netpunk@diehippiedie.com or write me at PO Box 8059, Santa Cruz, CA 95061. Oh, and I am now streaming audio on the web, with songs culled from my vast record and CD collection. I may even start throwing up demo tapes of bands from the 80's that NOBODY remembers. Visit me at http://www.diehippiedie.com/. Over and out.