More kudos is coming in for Against Me!‘s major label debut, New Wave, which has topped the list for Spin Magazine. Beyond that, the magazine also exchanged some questions with frontman Tom Gabel who finally addressed the unfortunate incident which saw him arrested:

All I can say is, it was ridiculous. They were holding an anti-Against Me! protest show at this coffee shop I go to, and no one warned me. I walked into a hornet’s nest. So I was baited into a confrontation; some drunk kid got in my face. It’s just fucking stupid.

Gabel was also a little on the defensive, attacking the band’s less open-minded fans saying:

The argument the punk scene is making about mainstream culture is totally irrelevant now — technology is changing everything, and they’re still talking about $5 shows and seven-inch records. . We wanted the album to be polarizing, we wanted it to break us out of being stuck as just a punk band, but it’s taking some time.

[Some people], their minds were made up before they even heard the record, and there’s nothing I can do to change that, especially since they’re basing their opinions on totally inconsequential factors, like the label it’s on or the production value.

Source Continue reading Spin declares Against Me!’s “New Wave” as album of the year, talks to Tom →

Matt Pryor, the voice of both the Get Up Kids and The New Amsterdams is planning a 20-date solo tour to feature music from his various projects over the past twelve years. The tour is currently in the process of being booked but is expected to kick off March 18th.

Besides that, Matt has set a goal of playing at least 100 shows in 2008, promising to “play any proverbial barn dance I can find.” To that end, besides the solo tour, the New Ams are currently looking at a West Coast tour in April/May.

Finally, Matt promises to round up all the demos, b-sides and other unreleased/rare material and make them available via his webstore.

The New Amsterdams released At the Foot of My Rival this year.
Source Continue reading Matthew Pryor (Get Up Kids, New Amsterdams) plans solo tour, demos/b-sides albums →

The Loved Ones and Gaslight Anthem will be hitting the road together in February. The Loved Ones are touring in anticipation of their new album, Build & Burn, which is due out February 05, 2008.

Gaslight Anthem continue to tour on their critically acclaimed debut, Sink or Swim, which can expected to surface on at least a few best-of lists for 2007.

Source Continue reading Tours: The Loved Ones / Gaslight Anthem →

In a follow up to our original story, a number of prominent indie labels have sent a sternly worded open letter to Rolling Stone to both condemn the magazine for their thinly veiled cigarette promotion which also happened to include a number of their bands. The letter was signed by Kill Rock Stars, Touch and Go, Skin Graft, Lovepump United, Lucky Madison, the defunct 5RC, Audio Dregs, and Fryk Beat,.

It explained:

Rolling Stone has referred to the “Indie Rock Universe” pull out section as an “editorial”, but it hardly seems accidental that this editorial content is wrapped in a giant ad from R.J. Reynolds announcing their support for independent artists and labels.[…] Many of the bands named, and the labels that represent them, are very unhappy with the implication that they have any involvement with R.J. Reynolds and Camel cigarettes. We ask that Rolling Stone apologize for blurring the line between editorial and advertisement, and in doing so, implying that the bands named support the product being advertised.

Toronto’s Fucked Up went a little further than the labels and was recently covered in a major local newspaper, The Toronto Star which notes:

Bands and labels are now gearing up to file their own lawsuits because the online music provider Rhapsody surrendered their tunes to an alleged tobacco ad without their consent. [The band], is casting about for an entertainment lawyer.

Source Continue reading Labels demand apology from Rolling Stone over Camel “feature” →

Rochester, NY’s Polar Bear Club have set the official release date for their upcoming full length, Sometimes Things Just Disappear. The record will be out in stores on March 11, 2008 via Red Leader Records, but the band has currently set up a preorder that promises the album three months before that date.

The band has also posted another song from the album, “Another Night in The Rock,” and you can find that on their myspace page.

The full length is the much anticipated follow up to 2006’s The Redder, The Better.
Source Continue reading Polar Bear Club: “Another Night in the Rock” →

Here are your reviews for today. Beard-trimming and work awaits me.

• Rising post-hardcore outfit the Receiving End of Sirens unleash their conceptual sophomore full-length, The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi
• Punx Suburban Lockdown are Laid to Waste
• O’Death Head Home
• The new EP from screamo act Cease Upon the Capitol
• More at the reviews page

Source Continue reading Friday, December 14, 2007 →

Epitaph and Bad Religion‘s Brett Gurewitz has put together a list of his top albums of the year. Among the list are recent albums from LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Weakerthans, Gallows, Timbaland, Fall Out Boy, The Klllers, Hard-Fi and Battles. For Gallows, Brett praises the record calling it the best punk rock album since Refused’s classic The Shape of Punk to Come.

You can check out the list and his explanations right here.
Source Continue reading Brett Gurewitz names his top ten albums of 2007 →

Of the potential candidates for the 2008 edition of the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, the five winner: Leonard Cohen, The Ventures, The Dave Clark Five, John Mellencamp and Madonna, have been confirmed.

Other prospective nominees included The Beastie Boys, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic and Donna Summer.
Source Continue reading Madonna, Leonard Cohen in the Hall of Fame; Beastie Boys denied →

Copper Lung Records has signed Vancouver, BC’s Grave Maker. Copper Lung will be re-releasing the band’s demo as a 7″ with remastered songs and new artwork. It will be out just in time for their west coast tour next month. The band also plans to hit South America in April 2008.

Source Continue reading Grave Maker signs to Copper Lung Records, announce west coast and South America tours →

The Singularity has posted their version of Weasel’s “Hey Suburbia” online for download. You can check out the track on MySpace.

Long Island’s Call it Fire has posted their full-length Slow and Painful for download. You can download the album, free of charge, here or here for the “Mac-friendly” version.

The Epidemic has posted new music online. You can find it on their MySpace here.
Source Continue reading The Singularity, Call It Fire, The Epidemic →