Buzzcocks will release a live album on Cooking Vinyl titled Buzzcocks 30. The set, which features 28 tracks recorded recently at the London Forum, will arrive be released digitally on November 26th. A CD is expected in early 2008.

The band is set to hit the road later this month in the UK. They’ll play alongside veteran acts like Alternative TV and Chelsea, as well as young acts like Twisted Wheel and CityRoyals.
Source Continue reading Buzzcocks live album arrives this month →

While we typically don’t report on contests hosted elsewhere, this one had to be mentioned. Apparently Australia’s Parkway Drive are hosting a new contest, co-sponsored by their US label Epitaph.

The contest encourages fans to video record their “best mosh move” to a song from Horizons and post the video for everyone to see. Besides ensuring that you’ll never be able to run for public office, you could potentially win a Parkway Drive skate deck. You can find all the rules here.
Source Continue reading Parkway Drive launches “mosh” contest →

Memphis garage punk maven Jay Reatard is on the road now supporting his latest slew of releases. This includes 2006’s In The Red full length Blood Visions and this year’s FDH Records released electropunk album under the moniker Terror Visions. Following the November shows the former Reatards and Lost Sounds frontman will support Dinosaur Jr in his hometown.
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Omar Espinosa, rhythm guitarist of Epitaph act Escape the Fate has left the band. He explained:

I parted ways with them about a quarter of the way through the Black on Black Tour. We are still good friends and it did not end on bad terms. I was just feeling like going a different way for various reasons and decided to persue them.

To that end, Omar has unveiled his new project, Las Vegas-based The Black and White City.
Source Continue reading Escape the Fate loses guitarist →

Copenhagan’s The Raveonettes have signed to Vice. The acclaimed US/Danish rock duo will make their debut for the label in 2008 with Lust Lust Lust.

The band formed in 2001 and recorded their debut Whip It On which was later honored as “Album of the Year” in the Danish Music Awards. They are known for a signature blend of two part harmonies, lo-fi garage sound and 60s noir aesthetic. Comparisons have been drawn to everyone from the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Velvet Underground and Suicide to Buddy Holly, the Shangri-Las and Ronnie Spektor.

Some tracks from Lust Lust Lust can be found on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading The Raveonettes sign to Vice →

Acrassicauda, the Iraqi Heavy Metal act famously profiled in VBS.tv’s Heavy Metal Baghdad, has been receiving death threats, merely for playing the music they play in sectarian Iraq.

Their friends at Vice explained:

On October 10th, 2007, the visas of the members of Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda expired. The Syrian government has made it clear that they will not renew them, meaning the band will be forced to return to Iraq. We don’t need to stress just how dangerous this will be for them. It could very likely be a death sentence, and the time in which we can help them is quickly running out.

Vice is sponsoring events in the hopes of raising money to help the band leave the country, and will be hosting a fundraiser in Chicago on Wednesday, November 7th. The event is free to enter, and proceeds from both a raffle and all drinks will be donated to the cause.

The band needs $20,000 and Vice has already raised $13,000. You can also donate directly here.

For more on the band, and the incredible challenges faced by a band just trying to play music, check out the film’s trailer.
Source Continue reading Help get the Iraqi Heavy Metal Band out of Baghdad →

Fat Wreck Chords have announced that the third album in their popular Classic Colored Vinyl Series will be Propagandhi‘s 1993 album How to Clean Everything. The repress will be available on yellow vinyl limited to 506.

The first album to be released in the series was Lagwagon’s 1992 debut Duh, which was released in October on purple vinyl and was limited to 524 copies. It was followed by NOFX‘s End of the Longest Line which was released this afternoon on white vinyl limited to 1,082.
Source Continue reading Fat Wreck Chords announce third installment of Classic Colored Vinyl Series →

Weerd Science, the project of former Coheed & Cambria drummer Josh Eppard, has apparently begun work on their next album. The album is the follow up to their Equal Vision-released Friends And Nervous Breakdowns.

Currently, not too much information about the record is available, but the band has posted some photos from the studio and also mentioned that they are recording at Darkworld in Kington, New York.
Source Continue reading Weerd Science begin work on sophomore album →

Super-popular My Chemical Romance is on the verge of a suit by the student government of the University of Maine.

The band were due to play the University on October 27, but pulled out at the eleventh hour blaming an apparent “medical issue” within in the band. Now the Student Government at the campus have sent two letters to the band asking for $20,500 to cover “lost” costs, covering money paid out for advertising, money paid to contractors and compensation costs.

They’ve given the band and their management until November 12 to stump up the cash, otherwise they will take a vote over whether to launch a lawsuit. This is all despite My Chemical Romance saying they will honour the show at another time – an offer that the university turned down.

Of course, playing another gig doesn’t really solve the problem since the promoters will again have to spend money on advertising and other promotions.
Source Continue reading University of Maine v. My Chemical Romance? →

Underground Communique has signed Olehole. The band is a new project featuring Brian Moss of The Ghost & Hanalei, Dan Wedgwood of Burial Year & Quest For Quintanaroo, Jackson Blumgart of Quest For Quintanaroo, and Alex Case.

The label will be releasing the band’s debut full length on compact disc, 12″ vinyl, and MP3 format sometime late during the Spring or early in the Summer of 2008.

You can check out some music on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading Underground Communique signs Olehole (The Ghost, Burial Year) →

Australia’s Parkway Drive have announced a brief West Coast tour this December. The band is supporting their new Epitaph full length, Horizons.

Source Continue reading Tours: Parkway Drive (West Coast) →