Many of you may have noticed some of your favorite radio and internet music stations not playing any tunes today. Hundreds of radio stations and internet broadcasters altered or silenced their streams in order to protest recent increases in internet radio rates. Participating stations include California faves like KALX, KUSF, KPFA, KCRW, & KZSU, as well as a host of other terrestrial/streaming radio stations nation-wide. Also included are services like Pandora, Rhapsody, Live365, Yahoo’s LaunchCast, MTV Radio, & dozens of internet-only stations.

From Save Net Radio:

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). To protest these rates and encourage the millions of net radio listeners to take action and contact their Congressional representatives, a national Day of Silence will be held June 26. Webcasters across the country will observe this day of silence in a number of ways, including dedicating entire programs to the campaign to save Internet Radio and broadcasting complete silence.

For an updated list of the participants in this national day of silence, visit Radio And Internet News (RAIN).

Net radio listeners, please excuse the interruption of your normal programming and take action to ensure this silence is not permanent. Call your Congressional Representatives today.

Recently, NPR joined the fight against the recent increases.
Source Continue reading Day of Silence observed today for online radio →

Dates have surfaced for an Rx Bandits headlining run through the West Coast. The band will see support from The Fall of Troy and Maps & Atlases on most dates.

The band continues to tour in support of …And the Battle Begun.
Source Continue reading Tours: Rx Bandits / The Fall of Troy / Maps & Atlases (West Coast) →

The Riot Before will hit the studio tomorrow to begin recording their new EP and 7″. The releases will follow their debut full-length, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, and will be released via Quote Unquote Records for the EP and the 7″ from Fall of the West Records.

The band commented on the upcoming releases::

Apparently we suck at recording. We demoed these songs, but we didn’t feel comfortable enough with the outcome to release them. We went to Athens, GA to try again, but Brett came down with a nasty flu which had it’s own nasty impact on the product and the process. We are hoping that the third time is a charm. It has to be because Jeff Rosenstock [Bomb the Music Industry/head of Quote Unquote Records] is calling us everyday to yell at us for taking too long. Apparently he wants to unleash a massive media blitz and make tons of money off our free record.

Source Continue reading The Riot Before enter studio to record EP and 7″ →

Jimmy Eat World has announced festival appearances this summer in South Africa. This follows their July US and August European tour dates that we announced previously. The band will appear on August 9th at The Way of the Dassie at Oppikoppi Farm in Northam. On the 10th and 11th they’ll take part in the Ampli5 Music Tour, playing the The Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg the first day followed by a show at the Bellville Velodrome in Cape Town.

The band is working towards their upcoming fifth proper studio album. That record will be the follow up to 2004’s Futures and 2005’s Stay on My Side Tonight EP.
Source Continue reading Tours: Jimmy Eat World (South Africa) →

Raleigh, NC’s Alesana is set to hit the road this summer in support of their Fearless debut On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax.

The band is currently on the road with Bayside and the Status, hitting the Warped Tour when those dates wrap up. Following Warped the band will tour with From First To Last and Vanna.
Source Continue reading Tours: Alesana (with Bayside, Warped, with From First to Last) →

On July 17, 2007, Sound the Alarm will be releasing their full length and major label debut. The record is titled Stay Inside and is due out July 17, 2007. To celebrate, Sound the Alarm and PunkNews.org have assembled a contest in which you can win an XBOX360, Autographed Poster and a copy of the album. There are also prizes for two runner ups who will walk away with a Sound the Alarm Poster and a copy of Stay Inside.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is in that you won’t be entered unless you fill out an incredibly complex five line form with your details.
Source Continue reading Contests: Win an XBOX360 from Sound The Alarm →

Seattle, WA hardcore outfit Sinking Ships have posted a new track online. The song “Irish Wristwatch” comes from their upcoming release, Ten, due out later this year. You can check out the song here.

The band has also unveiled plans to release an additional 7″ around the same time as Ten. This as yet untitled one will seemingly not have label distribution and will presumably be self-released.

Last summer the band released their Revelation debut, Disconnecting.
Source Continue reading Sinking Ships post new song, announce dual 7-inches →

Sixer‘s upcoming reunion tour has started to come together. The band will hit the road on August 28th in Atlanta, GA, wrapping things up a month later in their hometown of Richmond, VA.

The band’s last release was 2002’s Beautiful Trash. The band has music from their 2004 Asleep at the Wheel demo online at their MySpace page.
Source Continue reading Tours: Sixer’s tour coming together →

Rise Against has posted their new video for “The Good Left Undone” via MTV2. The song appears on the popular Chicago punk act’s latest record The Sufferer & the Witness. Of course, since MTV2’s website probably won’t work unless it’s a full moon and you’re positioned on the proper lay lines, we’ve posted the YouTube version for you below.

The band will be on the road all summer with bands like Silverstein and Comeback Kid. A new record is also in the works.
Source Continue reading Rise Against: “The Good Left Undone” →

From Autumn To Ashes and I Hate Sally will hit the road early next month for a 15 day trek across Canada.

From Autumn to Ashes is touring in support of their fourth full-length Holding A Wolf By the Ears.
Source Continue reading Tours: From Autumn to Ashes / I Hate Sally (Canada) →

There are reports coming in that former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins will front a reformed version of UK punk act the Ruts at a benefit show in London. For the first time in years guitarist Paul Fox, who has fronted a new Ruts lineup in recent years, will play with original members Segs and Dave Ruffy.

The July 16th charity concert will benefit Paul Fox and cancer research. The guitarist is reportedly terminally ill due to lung cancer. The show will take place at London’s Carling Academy Islington.

Rollings will be filling in for late Ruts frontman Malcolm Owen, who died from a heroin overdose in 1980.
Source Continue reading Henry Rollins to front the reformed Ruts →

Vagrant Records has signed Wauconda, Illinois’ Dr. Manhattan. The band will issue an as-yet-untitled full length on the label this fall. You can find an introduction to the band with some audio at the Vagrant website.

Dr. Manhattan released the 6 song EP For The Lonely Lest The Wiser in January of last year. A year prior they appeared on an Aritao Records compilation of up and coming Chicago-area bands.
Source Continue reading Vagrant signs Dr. Manhattan →