Punknews.org

Punknews.org
Website type
Music journalism, online music community
Available inEnglish
FoundedOctober 1999; 27 years ago (1999-10)
Country of origin
Canada
CreatorAubin Paul
Websitewww.punknews.org
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
Current statusActive

Punknews.org, or Punknews, is a Canadian music journalism website and online music community focused on punk music and the subculture. It was founded in October 1999 by Aubin Paul in Ontario, Canada, and comprises news and reviews. The site is regarded as one of the most influential punk music websites.

History

Aubin Paul founded Punknews.org in Ontario, Canada, in October 1999. The site focuses on music news regarding the punk subculture, including hardcore, ska, emo and indie. Described as "community-based", it allows registered users to submit content to the site under editorial discretion, such as news, album reviews and comments. The site features a review system of five stars, with half a star as the lowest rating. During the 2000s, the site's positive album reviews included Against Me!'s Reinventing Axl Rose (2002) and As the Eternal Cowboy (2003). Negative reviews of albums from the time period included My Chemical Romance's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004), and Silverstein's When Broken Is Easily Fixed (2003).

In 2005, Punknews formed its own record label, Punknews Records, partnering with Epitaph Records for distribution. The site launched a weekly podcast in 2010. In 2012, the now-defunct BuzzMedia acquired Punknews alongside AbsolutePunk.net, Property of Zack and Under the Gun Review; all four sites were under the AbsoluteVoices collective for punk-related news. In 2016, Punknews posted a soon-taken down April Fools joke article about Latterman reuniting, which coincided with the band's plans to perform several shows later that October; the band previously announced their breakup in Punknews. One year later, Punknews organized the annual Summer Soiree event in Philadelphia on August 12.

Impact

Punknews is considered one of the most influential punk websites, and a pioneer of online music discussion. Journalist Matt Diehl asserted that it was "the world-wide-webbed CNN of neo-punk" in his 2007 book My So-Called Punk. The 2025 book In Too Deep called Punknews "the premier web forum for punk rock". Writer G'Ra Asim, who contributed interviews to Punknews, regarded it as an iconic punk site in his 2021 book Boyz n the Void: a mixtape to my brother.

Bands such as Matchbook Romance and Motion City Soundtrack garnered an audience from Punknews. The former signed to Epitaph Records following the label's owner Brett Gurewitz discovering their song "Ex Marks the Spot" on the site. Among other music websites, Punknews was credited for pioneering the "Orgcore" subgenre of punk. It comprises bands recommended among Punknews and Pitchfork users, most prominently Alkaline Trio, Dillinger Four, and Hot Water Music.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Daschuk, M. Douglas (2010). "Messageboard Confessional: Online Discourse and the Production of the "Emo Kid"". Berkeley Journal of Sociology. 54: 84–107. JSTOR 40999937. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  2. ↑ Hannon, Sharon M. (November 25, 2009). Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 9780313364570. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Daschuk, Mitch Douglas (March 24, 2011). "The significance of artistic criticism in the production of punk subcultural authenticity: the case study of Against Me!". Journal of Youth Studies. 14 (5): 605–626. doi:10.1080/13676261.2011.559215. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Feibel, Adam; Bobkin, Matt (June 3, 2025). In Too Deep: When Canadian Punks Took Over the World. House of Anansi Press. ISBN 9781487012694. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Martens, Todd (July 1, 2006). "Punknews Makes News". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2026.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ Torok, Frankie (August 19, 2020). "PunkNews Celebrate 500th Podcast with Keith Morris, Jesse Michaels, Steve Ignorant, and Many More". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ Rhys, Dan (August 27, 2012). "BuzzMedia Purchases Four New Sites, Creates AbsoluteVoices Punk Music Collective". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Houghton, Bruce (August 27, 2012). "Fresh Off Spin Magazine Purchase, BUZZMEDIA Buys 4 Top Punk Rock Sites". Hypebot. Archived from the original on February 11, 2026. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ Ozzi, Dan (April 13, 2016). "Latterman Reunite, No Joke". Vice. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Punknews Summer Soiree Announced For August 12, 2017". New Noise Magazine. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Asim, G'Ra (April 6, 2021). Boyz N the Void: A Mixtape to My Brother. Beacon Press. p. 44. ISBN 9780807059500. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  12. ↑ Harrington, Richard (February 24, 2006). "Matchbook Romance, Ready to Take Action". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ McDonald, Glenn (2024). You Have Not Yet Heard Your Favourite Song: How Streaming Changes Music. Canbury Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780807059500. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
  14. ↑ Fossum, Melissa (May 17, 2012). "Throwback Thursday: What is "Orgcore Punk?"". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2026.