DIY Culture Has Always Been at the heart of Washington, DC's thriving punk community. As DC's punk rock scene emerged in the mid-1970s, so did the "fanzines" that covered it. Fanzines are amateur, small-run magazines created by fans as a way to communicate and to revel in the joy of fandom. More than just publications, fanzines embody punk's allure through their freedom and accessibility, connecting fans to a broader punk network while celebrating-and often critiquing-their own local scene. Even after the rise of the internet changed the way fans communicate, fanzines remain a meaningful, tactile creative medium for punk fans to connect with like-minded people outside the corporate-controlled world. In Keep Your Ear to the Ground, archivist and musician John R. Davis explores the development of punk fanzines and their critical role in the DC punk ecosystem from the 1970s into the twenty-first century. He sheds new light on DC's punk community and highlights some of its key personalities, including many who are often overlooked in punk histories.

Featuring high-quality images of rare zines and insights drawn from numerous interviews with zine creators and musicians, this book vividly weaves together the origin of zines and their importance in underground communities. For punk fanatics, zine enthusiasts, American studies scholars, and anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, Keep Your Ear to the Ground illuminates the vital role fanzines have played in the story of Washington, DC, punk.