Chicago-based Punk Planet magazine has a motto: "Us vs. them." In those three words, the 12-year-old independent music, culture and politics publication sums up its never-ending battle against the "watered-down" mainstream media.
By refusing to accept major label ads or cover artist, Punk Planet has remained dedicated to providing "notes from the underground," and in doing so, has secured a loyal readership, especially in the Midwest.
On paper, comprehensive coverage of the independent music world with no mention of TRL or the Billboard charts sounds idyllic. But the media landscape has changed dramatically since the mid-'90s, and now with Web sites like Pitchforkmedia.com and Popmatters.com providing similar content for as much as the cost of Internet service, is the success of a diehard indie mag like Punk Planet realistic anymore?
The recent financial woes experienced by Punk Planet's distributor, Independent Press Newsstand Services (IPNS), suggest that it might not be.
According to Punk Planet's managing editor Anne Elizabeth Moore, a letter she received from the president of the Independent Press Association revealed that IPNS -- the last distributor in the country that specializes in distributing independent magazines -- announced in early April that it was having "cash flow" problems. In short, payments to publishers for magazines already distributed had been and would continue to be affected for an unknown amount of time.
"The money coming in from newsstand sales is vital to publishers' bottom line," she says. "For a magazine like Punk Planet, where our ad rates remain very low to cater to independent businesses, those distributor payments are even more critical. A decade ago, there were close to a half dozen such independent distributors; the loss of each has also brought about the loss of a few magazines. Because Indy Press is owned by the IPA, an organization whose mission is to 'amplify' the voice of the independent press, no one expects that they will go out of business -- but the independent press also remains unclear about when all distributor accounts will be brought to date."
In a collaborative effort to help support the magazine, numerous musicians and writers have organized several benefits in the Chicago area, and Punk Planet freelance writer and Milwaukee resident Michael Carriere is staging "The Milwaukee Punk Planet Benefit Show" on Saturday, May 6 at Mad Planet.
The 5 p.m. all-ages show features Wolfbite, Juiceboxxx, Hewhocorrupts, Red Knife Lottery and Since By Man. The 10 p.m. drinking show features The Danger, Hewhocorrupts, Red Knife Lottery and Since By Man. Both shows are $8.
"All of the bands immediately jumped on board, even if it meant rearranging schedules," says Carriere. "I was actually taken back by such responses, as I thought I would have to try to 'sell' the event to many of them. I think it's a testament to how important such publications are to musicians -- and the musicians realize that they have to do something to keep them alive and kicking."
Carriere sees it as more than just a benefit for Punk Planet, but also one celebrating the continued vitality of all independent publications.
"Independent press is the only voice that really seems to care at all about new and challenging music. The writing of all of these publications is top-notch, and often puts the efforts of more mainstream publications to shame -- and this is why so many bands are willing to help out a magazines like Punk Planet; they understand its importance But I think the need for publications like Punk Planet goes beyond the music scene. In this age of Clear Channel, Fox News and the continued process of media conglomeration (not to mention the way the current administration has made manipulation of the media into an art form), there is a growing need for an independent press across all of American culture."
Punk Planet's Web site is punkplanet.com.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
