Jerk Store #7

from Blackguard

52 pages, digest size, $?, PO Box 284, Maylands WA 6931, AUSTRALIA +++ jerkstorehq(at)gmail.com
Totally bitchin' punk rock zine assembled by Alex (interviews and reviews) and Kelly (design/layout and interviews) who have recently moved from the UK to Perth, WA. (That's good for us, not so good for the UK, ha ha!)
First of all, this is such a cool looking zine, with terrific design and layout.
Second of all, the band interviews are terrific. Alex and Kelly seem to live and breathe punk rock and it shows. It's like they're sitting around with these bands in the back yard shooting the shit over six-packs. They get some great and funny replies too, like this one from Perth band Chilling Winston when asked about the local scene:
Christian: "...I personally think we should have band vs. band sack races to decide who gets support slots. Or maybe a Halo tournament or some shit, I'd school all the noobs in town and before you know it, CHILLING WINSTON will be supporting every punk band."
Other bands interviewed: Rumspringer (US), The Arteries (UK), The Hextalls (Canada) and Grim Fandango (Australia).
Alex writes a pretty cool editorial too along with a couple of rants (or, as he calls 'em, 'Paranoid Chants').
Finally there's eight pages of record reviews. Each one is short and sharp (like the punk tunes they describe), and fun to read. Alex has a wicked sense of humour. Most importantly perhaps, these reviews really worked on me - by the end of 'em I had circled at least five albums to hunt down as soon as possible.
[Alex also sent me Jerk Store #6 which I've just started to read (#7 took me all week! It's really meaty, and I read it cover to cover), it has interviews with XOXO, Underground Railroad to Candyland, Virgins, Off With Their Heads, and The Dopamines.]