Reconstruction 5.2 (Spring 2005)

Return to Contents »

iPunkRockBlog.com

iPunkRockBlog reminds me of all the reasons I was ever drawn to punk rock in the first place: It's passionate, cheap, and subversive. There is a unique thrill in sitting down in front of a computer in Michigan and tuning in streams of chaos from abroad. With headphones and a wi-fi card, I am initiated into a secret sect that battles against the Top 40 conspiracy that struggles for my attention through the tinny speakers of the café/Laundromat/tanning salon where I have parked with a borrowed laptop. I watch the plucked turkeys file into the roasting chambers and file back out looking a bit flushed, the smell of fruity lotions burning my nose. And I smile, knowing that no matter what is happening right here and now, far away from here, there is somebody stomping and swaggering and screaming at the top of their lungs to save those of us who will listen from the ovens of conformity. And they are doing it for free. It's no live show. It's a bit more like scuba diving: I can experience the culture of tanning without drowning in weirdness.

iPunkRockBlog, more than a Spanish-language web log, is one of the many netlabels that are available to people who enjoy good music and believe in the free exchange of culture. Publishing complete albums that can be accessed, downloaded, and played for free, netlabels offer alternatives to the high cost of cds, the boredom that comes with listening to commercial radio, and the fears associated with filesharing. For artists, these labels offer opportunities to share their art, generate publicity, and build an audience from the grassroots up. Because the form of distribution is ideally suited to artists with a DIY sensibility, netlabels like iPunkRockBlog tend to be progressive in their vision, placing their community front and center. And since it is able to connect someone like me, listening in the United States, with what appears to be a thriving scene in Spain, it offers a real chance to build communities and shape ideas that circumvent the traditional market-driven channels for global exchange.

Relatively new, iPunkRockBlog has a slim, but growing catalog. Highlights include: Kickin' Ass EP Faster, Kill, Kill!, The Fujiyama Kids Varieties from the New End, and The Fuck Are Waiting for You. The artists featured on iPunkRockBlog remind me of great bands like the Stooges, the Dictators, and the Dead Boys, which makes it a real treat for those who crave music that lacks pretension and delivers energy. Since it is free and easy to access, sampling iPunkRockBlog's catalog is risk free. Visit www.ipunkrockblog.com. For more information on netlabels, visit Netlabels.org.

Davin Heckman

ISSN: 1547-4348. All material contained within this site is copyrighted by the identified author. If no author is identified in relation to content, that content is © Reconstruction, 2002-2016.