Your Guide to Punk Rock on the Web

Fans of punk-rock and its many offshoots may find themselves overwhelmed by what a simple Google search of "punk" yields. To help simplify things below are some of the best sources for punk and its sub-genres on the net. From album reviews and purchasing limited edition records to album streams and interviews these sites will have you covered.

Punknews.org

One of the longest running and most jam packed punk sites on the web, Punknews.org offers numerous daily news updates, 20 album reviews a week, exclusive streams of new tracks and albums, a release schedule, interviews, and more. Recently the site has also begun dispatches from bands on the road and a couple of columns. The news is done in a professional manner, meaning that rumors and bias are left on the sidelines. They also manage to keep punks up to date on music industry and music law information. The site is community based too, meaning that all reviews, interviews, and pieces of news can be commented on by community members. This allows you to offer your own opinions or learn more about said piece, even if it also means dealing with some inane or offensive comments in the process.

Interpunk.com

Interpunk's own headline pretty much says it all: "The Ultimate Punk Music Store!" They were doing it first and they are still doing it well. Interpunk sells everything from CDs, 7 inch records, and books to DVDs, t-shirts, and stickers. Their catalog is massive and easy to search thanks to "quick find" options like band, song title, and record label. They even sometimes sport exclusive vinyl colors, making them an important stop for vinyl nerds everywhere. The site is easy to navigate and sure to have what any punk fan is looking for. Like iTunes, you can even check out music from discs before purchasing them.

AbsolutePunk.net

AbsolutePunk.net caters more to the emo side of punk rock. The site offers reviews, interviews, frequent news updates, and exclusive streams that focus more on the sort of more pop-oriented punk rock that sprung up in the mid-90s. Like Punknews.org the site is community based so you can be more interactive with your music news and reviews. The site is easy to navigate and packed with information.

PunkBands.com

Another community based site sporting a ton of info and goodies for punk fans is PunkBands.com. Like the other sites they've got the reviews, interviews, frequent news updates, and streams. They also place an emphasis on their message board with direct link to recent topics on the home page and offer a weekly video. Next to their most recent reviews they also post what rating the review received in case you are in a hurry to see how good a record is.

PunkVoter.com

Originally intended as means to vote Bush out of office in 2004, PunkVoter has morphed into a site to keep punks politically motivated. There are links to voter registration pages, columns from people within the punk community and news updates on the sort of politics that punks would be interested in. Although the focus of the site is to involve the punk community in the political process, there is a very strong liberal bias complete with an anti-Bush logo and Rock Against Bush compilation records.