Jersey Beat
Jersey Beat is a zine by Jim Testa.
The first issue of Jersey Beat was published in New Jersey in 1982. Since that time, dozens of issues have been released. It is one of the longest running zines still in existence. As of 2007, it is published three times a year and is generally 150 pages. Jersey Beat covers the music scene, both internationally and locally, with special emphasis on New Jersey and New York states. It covers a wide range of music, including all the various permutations of punk; Old Skool, Pop-Punk, Hardcore, and spin-offs like Anti-folk and Synth Punk. The zine features extensive reviews of zines, CDs, demo tapes and vinyl recordings, with a preference for vinyl; fifty pages are usually devoted to reviews.
A number of well-known zine writers have contributed to Jersey Beat over the years, including Donny The Punk, Jim DeRogatis, Ben Weasel, Tris McCall and Phil Rainone. Editor Jim Testa has also written for Maximum Rock N Roll and Punk Planet. Testa was also a member of the Alternative Press and Radio Council (APRC) in the 1990's.
Besides still regularly publishing after more than twenty years, on March 25, 2007, Jim Testa was one of the zinesters participating in the Bluestockings Zine Reading Extravaganza, where he read from Jersey Beat. Jersey Beat also has a website and a regular Podcast.
