Trouser Press

Back in the mid to late Seventies, when I was discovering punk rock and independent American and British music, I lived in the middle of rock nowhere: Huntsville, Alabama. My only sources of information were magazines like New Musical Express, Sounds, Creem, and Trouser Press.

TP had interviews and articles about up and coming new bands like Blondie, the Dictators, Television, Patti Smith, Devo, the Ramones, Pere Ubu, but the bulk of the magazine was taken up with reviews of hundreds of records from all over the world. It was a vital part of my rock and roll education.

Times changed and the magazine's leading light, Ira Robbins, eventually retired it. He published a series of Trouser Press Record Guides, basically compilations of reviews from the mag with some updates. But in the late 90's it was revived as a website. And now it's got most of the old content, along with additions well into the 21st century.

It's a great site to browse. The discographies are detailed, the reviews short but accurate, and the band histories pretty comprehensive. Today when you think "punk rock" it conjures a pretty specific image, but back in the early days bands like Blondie and Devo were part and parcel of the punk aesthetic. Look at pictures of the earliest audiences and bands and you'll see a lot of hippie length hair, polyester clothes.

Anyway, go and wander around. It'll give you fodder for your "to download" lists.