On this week’s BBC 1 Punk Rock Radio show, The people who make up Lawrence Arms, Sundowner and The Falcon dropped in to perform some acoustic songs and talk about their tour with American Steel. The show’s host Mike Davies let us know about the proceedings:

The Lawrence Arms came by the studio to hang out, talk about theire tour with American Steel, The Falcon and Sundowner and they also performed three acoustic songs. Frank Turner, ex-Million Dead singer was in the studio talking about his US tour, forthcoming album and also played some of his favorite tracks. Plus our weekly record chart The Outlaw Anthems and music from NOFX, The King Blues, The Briggs, The Dropkick Murphys, Agnostic Front, H2O, Leatherface, The Slackers, Gallows, The Flatliners, Thrice, Municipal Waste, Bedouin Soundclash and many more.

The show aired on Monday so we’re a tad late on this one, but you can still find archived copies of the show right here.
Source Continue reading The Lawrence Arms/Sundowner/Falcon visit BBC Radio, perform, talk a lot →

Kevin Barnes, band leader for Of Montreal recently wrote a lengthy essay on the nebulous issue of “selling out.” Barnes’ contends that such a thing is the natural order of things:

The only way to avoid selling out is to live like a savage all alone in the wilderness. The moment you attempt to live within the confines of a social order, you become a sell out. Once you attempt to coexist you sell out. If that’s true, then selling out is a good thing. It is an important thing. If we didn’t do it, we’d be fucked, quite literally, by everyone bigger than us physically who found us fuckable.

The pseudo-nihilistic punk rockers of the 70’s created an impossible code in which no one can actually live by. It’s such garbage. The idea that anyone who attempts to do anything commercial is a sell out is completely out of touch with reality. The punk rock manifesto is one of anarchy and intolerance. The punk rockers polluted our minds. They offered a solution that had no future. Of course, if the world would have ended before Sandinista! was released then everything would have been alright. It didn’t.

Now we have all of these half-conceived ideas and idiot philosophies floating around to confuse and alienate us. I think it is important to face reality. It is important to decide whether you are going to completely rail against the system or find a way to make it work for you. You cannot do both — and if you attempt to do both you will only become even more bitter and confused.

You can check out the article here.
Source Continue reading Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal talks about selling out →

Today, NOFX will be releasing their second live album, They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live. It’s the sequel to I Heard They Suck Live which was released more than a decade ago. We managed to trick Fat Wreck Chords into giving us six live songs from the album using a combination of tin foil and a flashlight and we’re happy to bring you the proceeds of this ingenious deception today.

You can check out all six songs on NOFX’s Punknews.org Profile..
Source Continue reading NOFX: “They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live” →

The track listing has been announced for Rivers Cuomo‘s of Weezer‘s new solo album. The record is titled Alone – The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo and is due out December 18, 2007.

As recently reported, the set will include four songs from the famous “Black Hole” sessions that eventually led to the band’s album, Pinkerton. The songs are “Blast Off,” “Who You Calling Bitch,” “Dude We’re Finally Landing” and “Superfriend.”

Source Continue reading Track listing for Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) solo album →

Veteran skate-punks Pennywise will reportedly be trying something new with their upcoming album. The band has teamed up with social networking powerhouse MySpace and Textango, a mobile music distributor to release their album free.

According to the report, when the album is released in March 2008, it will be available through traditional retail channels, or people can go to the MySpace profile of Textango which will allow them to download the entire album for free. The promotion is the first test by MySpace if there can be an alternative for bands to the current distribution model.

You can read more about the plan here.

Pennywise released their previous album, The Fuse, in 2005.
Source Continue reading Pennywise to release ad-supported album through MySpace →

Gordon Withers, a “freelance rock cellist” has completed work on a all-cello tribute to Jawbox. The project features 12 songs from the Washington, DC-based band and has been put together as a fundraiser and tribute for Callum Robbins, son of Jawbox leader and producer, J.Robbins.

The disc is available directly from Withers on his myspace page and will be available digitally beginning December 18th.

Four songs from the tribute can be streamed on the myspace page. Those unfamiliar with Jawbox should check out the performance of “Iodine” from the band’s major label debut, Jawbox.
Source Continue reading “Rock cellist” performs tribute to Jawbox →

Tommy Ramone, former drummer for The Ramones will be appearing live on Soundcheck, the music talk show from WNYC New York Public Radio. Tommy will be discussing his former band’s new double DVD set It’s Alive: 1974-1996.

Soundcheck airs live Monday through Friday at 2 PM on 93.9 FM, XM Satellite Radio and on WNYC.org where you will also be able to download the show after it has aired.

Ramone supervised the production of It’s Alive which contains four hours of rare and previously unreleased performances arranged in chronological order throughout the bands illustrious carreer.
Source Continue reading Catch Tommy Ramone on the WNYC today →

Brad Logan has shed light on the recent cancellation of Leftover Crack‘s Canadian tour dates. Apparently it was a criminal record on his part and MySpace to blame:

We all took different routes based on what we thought was gonna work best and here’s what happened: There are a couple members of the band with criminal history, but mine is surely the worst. Last time we got denied the kindly immigration officers told me all I had to do was apply for the proper permits and all would be well. So I spent 6 months compiling the mountain of documents they requested including a check for $200, and 2 days before the tour I received an official “fuck off” from the Canadian Consulate General and a receipt for my $200 (which they took anyway).

The show was going to go on however, with Sturgeon playing second guitar until their bass player ran into some trouble.

Then the day of the first show our bass player was stopped in the Montreal Airport by immigration once again. This time they had all our tour dates pulled off myspace and refused to grant him entry based on our previous denial. As his name is permanently attached to ours (as far as their records are concerned) he was also FUCKED . Mind you,he’s NOT one of the guys with a shitty criminal past. So I guess that’s what we get for trying to do things the legal way. Next time we’ll try a different approach.

He goes on to warn bands about the dangers of using MySpace to announce Canadian dates and is hoping for refunds for those who already purchased tickets.
Source Continue reading Brad Logan explains Leftover Crack tour cancellation →

Cobra Starship have announced the dates for a 2008 tour in support of their new album. The record is titled If the World Is Ending, We Are Throwing the Party and was released October 23, 2007.

Source Continue reading Tours: Cobra Starship →

Shadows Fall have posted the new video from their 2007 album, Threads of Life.

You can check out “Another Hero Lost” right here.
Source Continue reading Shadows Fall: “Another Hero Lost” →

Protagonist have posted two new songs from their upcoming full length the Chronicle. This full length will be the follow up to 2006’s Reasoning With Time on Stake Out Records. You can check out the songs on the band’s MySpace page.

Talk Slower, which features former members of Some Kind of Sleeping Giant, have posted an instrumental track from their upcoming EP No Dads, No Masters. You can check out “Ass Moments 4” on their MySpace page.

Queen City Station, which features former members of It Dies Today have posted two new tracks at their MySpace page.
Source Continue reading Protagonist, Talk Slower, Queen City Station →

Protagonist have posted two new songs from their upcoming full length the Chronicle. This full length will be the follow up to 2006’s Reasoning With Time on Stake Out Records. You can check out the songs on the band’s MySpace page.

Talk Slower, which features former members of Some Kind of Sleeping Giant, have posted an instrumental track from their upcoming EP No Dads, No Masters. You can check out “Ass Moments 4” on their MySpace page.

Queen City Station, which features former members of It Dies Today have posted two new tracks at their MySpace page.
Source Continue reading Protaganist, Talk Slower, Queen City Station →