MXV

MXV (aka Mike V.) is one of the most well known online bloggers/historians/journalists/photographers/etc of the 80s Chicago Punk scene. His site, The Punk Vault, is probably the most popular site (at least with national readership) for Chicago punk. Though it doesn't focus specifically on the Chicago scene, a sizable chunk of his photo shoots and record reviews are based on Chicago acts.

MXV was an active member of the 80s Chicago punk scene, specifically in the Western Suburbs and the scene focusing on Keith Garage and Landmind Records. To this day, MXV goes a lot of shows in Chicago and almost always takes photos and writes reviews of them.

MXV's punk record collection is probably the largest in the city, numbering well into the thousands. He does a semi-frequent podcast called Tales From Combustion Manor where he and the guys from Destroy Everything (ex-Happy Toons) spin old records and shoot the shit. His reviews of older records, called Selections From The Punk Vault, takes an older, more obscure indie punk record and writes a review. He often has an mp3 from the record and usually gets a member of the band reviewed to write up a history. The comments section of those Punk Vault Selection typically gets other members and old fans of that band to chime in. A large amount of info on this site comes from MXV's selections on Chicago records.

MXV runs a small label and now defunct zine called Spontaneous Combustion. The focus of the label is the release and re-release of older punk bands material.