It’s Sunday, September 9th, 2007. Well, it’s been a week without anonymous comments and the world is still turning, so far, so good. Since we’re in constant search of improvement here’s another change for you: I’d like to welcome Ben Conoley to the editorial staff. Ben’s been volunteering reviews and news for some time now, and he’s the one responsible for our new hit Vinyl File column every Wednesday. To top it off, the provincially New Brunswick resident’s sitting on the final jury for this year’s Polaris Music Prize (like the Mercury, only in loonies), which we think is pretty wild. If he gives Plaskett the cheque then maybe we’ll keep him on board.

The people must have something good to read on a Sunday

This was a week of hand-wringing over the future of the music industry. The New York Times kicked it off with an in-depth look at famed producer and new Columbia Records head Rick Rubin, yet while the magazine mused over ways of handling the digital world, Apple further pushed that horizon with new iPod hardware and new distribution models (digital single with your latte?). Corporate censorship was afoot in Anaheim, as a show featuring Throwdown and Machine Head was moved due to “violent imagery” and “undesirable fans.” Halfway across the world NOFX remained relatively controversy-free in the mid-east, the band posted an update this week from their Israeli excursion. Back in the U.S. the environment was on the minds of acts like Darkest Hour, Mike Park and Strike Anywhere, each of them contributing art to reusable shopping bags.

We heard quite a bit about upcoming records this week. Streetlight Manifesto finally stopped hinting and detailed their album cover, release date, track listing. Pennywise was short on details but we know they’ll add a new disc to their lengthy catalogue in early 2008 Saves the Day gave fans a taste of their next with the song “Get Fucked Up” while the Ataris promised a return to their End is Forever and Blue Skies era. Avenged Sevenfold posted their album cover, a new webisode and even a NOFX cover to get their fans excited. Speaking of excited, there’s life in the Dillinger Four camp! The band chatted about comics and their new record this week. On the touring circuit we had dates for a Thursday / Circle Takes the Square trek. The Misfits may not be what they used to be, but they’re celebrating 30 years nonetheless. In the pop field Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Plain White T’s and Cute Is What We Aim For further fleshed out their tour. On a decidedly lower budget note, ‘Org favourites Bomb the Music Industry! will be on the road as well.

Our Video of the Week featured part one of our video countdown to the Fest 6. This week we checked out the supergroup Armalite. The seventh edition of Vinyl File featured a chat with Justin Schwier of Underground Communiqué and previewed lots of upcoming wax. Our Editors Picks featured audio from Germany’s Deny Everything and Richmond’s Cloak/Dagger. We also streamed new music from Young Livers, featuring members of Glass and Ashes, Fiya and Towers of Hanoi.

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Off With Their Heads are headed out on tour in support of their upcoming collection of singles and 7″‘s, All Things Move Toward Their End. They’ll be joined by the UK’s Four Letter Word on their way from Cleveland, OH down to das Festinhäven 6 in Gainesville, FL.
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Saw Wheel has posted a demo track from their upcoming split with Idle Kids. You can hear “Army Life” a song originally written by folk and blues legend Leadbelly at their MySpace page.

You can still stream Saw Wheel’s recent release End of the Line at their band profile.
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Boston’s The Unseen are headed to Europe this fall in support of their new Hellcat Records full length Internal Salvation, the follow up to 2005’s State Of Discontent.
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Hit the Switch have posted a new song online titled “Tidal Wave.” You can check it out via their MySpace page. Whether this track will end up on the Californian band’s next full length How the West Was Won or the online-only EP that their website speaks of remains to be seen.

The band released Domestic Tranquility and Social Justice in 2006 via Nitro Records.
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Set your PVRs or TIVOs or old school VCRs or what have you. Bad Religion will appear tomorrow evening (that’s Monday, September 10th) on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The veteran punk band will perform a track from their new record New Maps of Hell on the late night program. There’s no official word on whether or not Paul Giamatti and Alyson Hannigan will pick up instruments and join them, but since they’ll all be in the same room it’s theoretically possible.

NBC does offer up these episodes online, so you can view it there so long as you’re safely within the borders of the United States.
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