Chicagolandian Michael Xavier Vinikour (hereafter referred to as MXV) has been collecting records, going to various underground (i.e. punk rock, industrial, noisecore, and whatever other musical labels the kids are dreaming up these days) shows, watching B movies, and writing about these passions for over two decades now. He ran a fanzine by the name of Spontaneous Combustion from 1985 to 1997 and his record label of the same name has put out vinyl by some amazing bands, including JFA, The Cheifs, and Government Issue.

His record collection — lovingly called The Punk Vault — now numbers in the thousands. It’s truly a lovely thing to behold — a museum of obscurities, test pressings, and classics spanning the history of underground music. But MXV doesn’t just selfishly hoard his slabs of waxy joy away from the world, oh, no! He shares his reviews, photos, observations, and more at his site as well as playing host to a semi-regular Internet radio (aka podcast) show, Live From Combustion Manor.

If you enjoy underground and independent music, this is definitely a worthy stop in your daily Internet travels!

• The Punk Vault
• MXV’s MySpace
• Spontaneous Combustion
• Live From Combustion Manor

Tags: punk, industrial, underground music, vinyl, record collecting, record collector, record trading, independent music