According to a recent Rolling Stone article based on reader responses and their own nominations, Green Day‘s multi-gajillion-platinum selling record, American Idiot, has been named the “best comeback record ever”.

American Idiot was the highly successful follow-up to their 2000 release, Warning. Though it did not share the same mainstream success as American Idiot, Warning is viewed by many as a groundbreaking, yet honest approach by a band that many in the independent music scene had written-off. Our own former reviews editor, and current Alternative Press editor, Scott Heisel, awarded the album a perfect score. What do you think? Is American Idiot a better album than Warning? What are the great “comeback albums” in your collection? Let us know your thoughts below.
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Hidden In Plain View has posted a new track on MySpace entitled “Bendy.” The track will appear on the band’s forthcoming and last record Resolution, which will see a release through Drive-Thru Records on July 24.

The band decided to break-up in January due to creative differences.
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The Queers and Black Tie Bombers will hit the road together at the end of May for a brief US tour.

The Queers are touring in support of Munki Brain, which was released earlier this year, while Black Tie Bombers tour in support of their Pinky Ring Records release Eternal Happiness and Good Health, which you can stream in it’s entirety on their Punknews band profile.
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NYC punk group the Lower East Side Stitches (or L.E.S. Stitches) have reunited after a 6 year hiatus. The band, which was famously featured in the Spike Lee film Summer of Sam, released 3 records between 1996 and 2000 before going on hiatus in 2001. The group features U.S. Bombs guitarist Curt Gove, and had reunited in 2005 and 2006 for two one-off reunion shows at legendary NYC bar, The Continental, before its closing.

Material for an upcoming new release is in the works, and the band is scheduled to headline the NYC Unity Fest in Brooklyn NY on July 7th with Murphy’s Law, The Freeze, Turbo ACs, Subzero, and others.
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Aubin: Since we renamed this feature from “MP3 of the Week” to “Editor’s Picks,” this has given me a little creative license with what I can use this space for and this is probably the most out-there example of this flagrant abuse of the rules. An Italian student has assembled a fully animated version of the beloved comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes using Bill Watterson’s designs as a reference and despite being voices in Italian (albeit subtitled) it is about the most natural looking animation of Calvin and Hobbes that I have ever seen. It’s definitely worth a look:
The Animated Calvin & Hobbes – in Italian with English Subtitles

Meg: Despite the song still being pretty rough around the edges (rightfully so), Bracewar’s recently posted “Demo 2” is just as frenetic and chaotic as any fan could hope to hear in the months preceeding the release of their debut full-length Juggernaut on 1917 Records. The band’s hardcore punk/ powerviolence concoction should satisfy fans of Ceremony and maybe even Mind Eraser. Sometimes it’s just nice to listen to music that makes you feel OK about being pissed off.
Bracewar – Demo 2

Chris: I love me some good “munk”. Mock-punk, if you will. I first heard of this band via t-shirts I’ve seen a number of people sporting. I mean come on, how could you not laugh at the name of a band that so blatantly ridicules one of the worst incarnations of “punk” we’ve ever had to put up with? Go listen to some Jewdriver and realize that the best way to deal with idiots is to laugh at them.

Jewdriver MySpace page
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Social Distortion has posted a month-long slew of US tour dates beginning in late June.

The tour kicks off just a few days after the release of their greatest hits album, which is the follow-up to 2004’s Sex, Love and Rock ’n’ Roll.
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The Redemption Song has decided to call it quits and head in different directions.

The band’s guitarist Jeremiah has already started a new band called Through Trials, which will play music in the vein of Youth of Today, American Nightmare and Mouthpiece and will feature ex/current members of xDown to Nonex, Cast from Eden, Another Way and sink or swim. You can check out the new project on MySpace.
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The Pietasters are back. The DC ska band has launched a new label through Redeye USA dubbed Indication Records. The label will launch with the band’s new album All Day on August 21, 2007. The 14 track record is the band’s first since 2002’s Fueled By Ramen released Turbo. Jagermeister will partner with the band release free EPs previewing three tracks from the album (“Don’t Wanna Know,” “Dream of You” and “Fozzy (Part 1).” These will be given away at two release parties, June 1st at the 930 Club in DC, and June 2nd on the Rocks Off Concert Cruise. Every person that attends one of these shows will pick up a free EP.

In addition to the new record Indication Records will reissue out of print Pietasters albums and look towards signing other artists. The Pietasters are planning dates around the US throughout the year there are also European and Japanese tours in the works. The band will appear at the upcoming All Good Fest and Knoxville Ska Weekend as well.

Click below to check out the artwork and track listing.
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The lineup for the 5th annual Dude Fest has been posted. The festival is scheduled to take place July 27 and 28 in Indianapolis, IN and will feature Ed Gein, Coliseum, Hewhocorrupts, Young Widows, Engineer and Premonitions of War, among many others.

Tickets for the festival are currently available here.
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The Junior Varsity has posted a new song online. The track will appear on the band’s forthcoming release Cinematographic, which is scheduled for a June 19 release through Victory Records.

You can check out “The Sky” on MySpace.
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