When I started Pastepunk during my first year of college, the plan was to write reviews of local shows and CDs that I had owned. There were no other goals and no big ambitions. The word "blog" had yet to be coined and the MP3 will still an innocent technological breakthrough. I never thought that my hobby would become such a substantial part of my life for the next 10 years. In that time period, we have seen the internet turn the independent music world upside down, and have been there to document the fruits and spoils along the way. - Jordan Baker, founder of Pastepunk.com
In punk rock, stating that you've been around for a decade is essentially admitting that you're an ancient vessel amidst a sea of doe-eyed, baby-faced, sometimes-talented (but often not) newbies who have barely tested the chilly DIY waters before sailing for warmer shores. Not to say that crusty old people rule, but there are certainly a handful that possess a nugget or two of wisdom and should be looked upon with reverence and admiration.
Such is the case with well-respected, often-imitated-but-never-duplicated webzine
PASTEPUNK.COM.
Ten years ago to the day, Jordan Baker created the site as an outlet against boredom and vapidity of dorm room life. And while diligently sticking it out for so long is impressive, all this talk about who has the most notches on their studded punk rock belt or more indie cred means nothing unless you're contributing something relevant and interesting...and more importantly, doing it with passion and unshakable dedication. Jordan was one of the first people with whom I ever worked when I entered the fray almost nine years ago; I can state without hesitation that he and Pastepunk measure up to those qualifications.
With an archive of more than 10,000 news posts, 3000 album reviews and 300 interviews from bands such as Bad Religion, Rise Against, Thrice, Dropkick Murphys, H20, Less Than Jake, Bane, Set Your Goals, Strike Anywhere, Modern Life Is War, Against Me!, Crime In Stereo, Paint It Black, Thursday and AFI, Pastepunk's quality of content ranks up there with the best. What's more is that Jordan and his staff not only entertain on a daily basis, they do so with thought-provoking commentary and discerning tastes. In the words of the site's creator:
As a teen, I spent countless hours reading MRR, Punk Planet and Flipside, obsessing over music reviews and searching for a consistent voice of recommendation. I have tried to be that source with Pastepunk, relishing the role of being a filter in a world where the number of bands is simply overwhelming. It hasn't always been easy, but the relentless, addictive search to discover the next great hardcore, punk, metal or indie band is a desire that runs through my bones. I've always said that I'll keep doing Pastepunk until it isn't fun anymore and it means the world to me that we're still here.
To mark the occasion, Jordan and I have gathered 25 songs from
BEARTRAP bands, creating the
Pastepunk 10th Anniversary MP3 Compilation. It includes a number of previously unreleased songs, rare and live material, demo recordings for upcoming releases and several exclusive tracks recorded specifically for the comp. All 25 MP3s are completely free, but only available for the next month - until November 16th. For more information, go
here, or directly download a zip file (including cover art and detailed information about every song)
here.
And by all means, feel free to pass around the link or post it on your website!
TRACK LISTING
-------------------------------------------------------
ANNABEL - "Four Corners" (From rare tour EP)
ASTPAI - "Of Imposition and Instinct" (From new split EP with Attack! Vipers!)
BROADWAY CALLS - "Get At Me" (From 7" split with Teenage Bottlerocket)
CHEAP GIRLS - "That's The Reason" (Previously released as vinyl only bonus track)
DE LA HOYA - "Union Square" (New song for upcoming Discography release)
DRIVINGONCITYSIDEWALKS - "That the Sound I Make Would Be Worth Hearing" (New song from upcoming documentary)
HISTORY - "Sterves of Neel" (New Song - Pastepunk exclusive!)
INTO IT. OVER IT. - "Holding Hands With Me" (Pastepunk exclusive - Up Up Down Down cover)
JENA BERLIN - "Sing Yourself To Sleep" (Unreleased song from rare demo)
JUMPERCABLE - "Scrape 'Em Off" (From an upcoming 7" split with Hoodratz)
LA DISPUTE - "Only Everything Below" (From limited edition S/T 7")
LIGHTEN UP! - "Buttspeak" (New song from upcoming full-length)
LIPONA - "Hawks" (New song from upcoming EP)
LOOK MEXICO - "You're Not Afraid of the Dark Are You?" (New song from upcoming 7")
MEMORIAL - "The Great Lakes" (New song from upcoming 7")
NAKATOMI PLAZA - "4017" (New Song - Pastepunk exclusive!)
ONE SMALL STEP FOR LANDMINES - "Creaking Like The Cradle" (New song from upcoming full-length)
ONE WIN CHOICE - "Under Quarantine" (New song from upcoming 7")
PAPER THE OPERATOR - "You're Fired" (Rare demo)
POMEGRANATES - "Corriander" (New song from upcoming full-length)
SCREAM HELLO - "Gary" (New song from upcoming 7")
SHARKS AND SAILORS - "Topple The Pillar" (From out of print EP)
STAY SHARP - "PCS Panthers" (Demo from upcoming 7")
THE NEW DRESS - "Mabel Had Her First Serious Suspicion" (New song - recorded live)
THE OUT_CIRCUIT - "Dark Horizons" (Rare - Frantic Mantis cover)
Pastepunk is no stranger to compilations, releasing
Broken Lamps and Hardcore Memories Volume 1 and
Volume 2 in 2002 and 2004 respectively, the latter of which was exclusively distributed by
Suburban Home Records. The company, through its Vinyl Collective store, is helping out once again, handling order fulfillment for the limited edition
Pastepunk Coffee Mugs. There are only 144 of these bad boys available, so grab yours
here!
Pastepunk would also like to add, "thanks to all of the bands, record labels and management and PR firms that keep us well-stocked with new music and information, and our advertising partners as well. Without your support, we would probably have a lot more photos of cute babies chewing on stuffed animals."
| 
Pastepunk.com - 10th Anniversary / Free MP3 Compilation
Triple Crown 10th Anniversary Show