Thursday frontman Geoff Rickly recently spoke to Buzznet about some of the band and his future plans.

Rickly had high praise for the Japanese hardcore act saying:

Envy’s been [one of] our favorite bands for a long time. A lot of stuff on [2006’s] A City by the Light Divided was sort of influenced by Envy in a certain way. …

When I heard them, it reminded me of the whole culture we started in – doing basement shows with Saetis, and You and I, and Usurp Synapse, and GoGoGo Airheart, all these bands that used to fill me with so much love and excitement that I don’t really get from as many of the bands that we tour with now.

When I heard Envy, I was like, “Oh, sh–, this is it. This is what we’re trying to do. But here’s this band that’s taking it that next step further, like, to where they’re actually kinda creating a new genre and, like, just making something super-beautiful out of it.”

He is also hoping to line up a tour with Thursday, Envy and Converge. He also talks about his grind side project, United Nations:

United Nations has 10 songs recorded. Three of them are still missing bass tracks, and one of the members who has a billion other bands has recorded about half the stuff. So we’re pretty close. I think that band will release the record this summer. I hope, at least. It’s going really well. We’re already … the first record I going to be a full-length on Eyeball [which released Thursday’s 1999 debut, Waiting], and then we’re already doing a 7-inch on Deathwish.

You can read the interview here or watch the entire thing on video here.
Source Continue reading Thursday’s Geoff Rickly talks about Envy split, side projects →

Popular pop-punk act Yellowcard have announced plans to go on an “indefinite hiatus” in a new interview. Frontman Ryan Key told The Minaret:

We are calling it an “Indefinite Hiatus.” After this tour, so, I don’t know. It could be a year, 10 years, or 6 months. It’s been an interesting time in this business and our record label. It’s just. We kind of need a break. I think it appears everything is ok on its surface but we definitely need a little bit of time to figure out our personal lives.

It doesn’t have anything to do with turmoil in the band. It’s more of a, facing adulthood now, and we can’t stay in Neverland forever. You know what I mean. I think we just need a break. Hopefully we will get back to making another record sometime, if not it may be our last but we don’t really know.

The band released Paper Walls last year.
Source Continue reading Yellowcard going on “Indefinite Hiatus” →

According to a new interview, punk-prog act The Mars Volta have already begun work on the follow of to 2008’s Bedlam in Goliath.

The album has been relatively successful, selling 54,000 copies thus far, Guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López explained the need to work on new music:

The Bedlam in Goliath is a year old for me at this point, and it was written a year before that, so, essentially, it’s two years old for me. Whatever people know of us [from] the new album, it’s actually two years behind where I am now. So you have to put your current world in park and go in reverse just to talk about whatever’s ‘new.’

Source Continue reading Mars Volta writing for next album →

Epitaph has announced plans to release an iTunes-only digital EP featuring acoustic versions of tracks from Motion City Soundtrack‘s latest album, Even If It Kills Me.

Due out May 06, 2008, the disc will be available solo or bundled with a copy of the full album if purchased on iTunes. The label is also promising a physical CD release of the EP in the fall.
Source Continue reading Motion City Soundtrack plans acoustic EP →

Means has posted a new track, “Breaking In,” from their forthcoming, May 27, Facedown release To Keep Me From Sinking. You can check out the track on MySpace.

The band is currently on tour with Life in Your Way.
Source Continue reading Means: “Breaking In” →

Scott Hull, producer and guitarist behind such colorful acts as Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed has announced plans to release a new solo album which is decidedly different from his past output. Due out June 10, 2008, the album called Requiem focuses more on ambient movie soundtrack-esque music with elaborate orchestration.

You can check out two songs here.
Source Continue reading Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer) plans solo album →

This week we bring you footage from Glass and Ashes, who recently released their S/T sophomore LP via No Idea Records (which we are also streaming in its entirety at the band’s Punknews profile page). Their brand of punkrock fused with metal and hardcore tenancies has been compared to the likes of Planes Mistaken For Stars.

The following footage was again provided by our amigos at National Underground, a new site devoted to providing free, high-quality live performances of some of the best bands in punk, hardcore and other related genres.
Source Continue reading Video of the Week: Glass and Ashes →

Coffee Project, the punk/acoustic side project from Buddy of Less Than Jake and Jake from Rehasher, have posted a new song on their myspace page entitled “You Always Wanted a Song, Right?” The song is set to appear on an upcoming seven inch.

You can check out the track on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading Coffee Project (Less Than Jake, Rehasher): “You Always Wanted a Song, Right?” →

Bayside‘s Anthony Raneri has responded to the wealth of criticism his band has received since their video began airing on MTV. Anthony had this to say:

I feel pretty confident in the fact that we don’t sound like Boys Like Girls or All Time Low. Our music and lyrics are abrasive and they have a tendency to weed out the shit heads. Bayside is not and will never be casual listening. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it and that’s all. If a 30 year old hardcore guys from Boston or a 20 year old Modest Mouse fan in Seattle or 15 year old teeny bopper from Dallas understands our band, like what we’re doing and can relate to it in any way, then that’s amazing.

That’s why I make music, so it can help people and give them something to believe in and smile about. I’m not an elitist. I don’t want to alienate anyone and it’s got nothing to do with money or popularity. You don’t have to be a certain level of cool to listen to Bayside. i just want you to get it

You can check out the rest of the blog post here.
Source Continue reading Bayside responds to MTV video criticism →

Sumerian Records death metal act has put together a surprising cover of Paramore‘s big hit, “Misery Business” complete with death growls, blast beats and all the metal trappings. Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams commented on the cover:

Sea of Treachery’s cover of “Misery Business” IS better than the original version. Faces will be melted. Floors will be punched. Change will be picked up. Limbs dismembered. but really, this is just a note to the dudes in the band: Thanks, guys, for taking the time to cover a Paramore song. For whatever reason you did,

You can (and should) check it out here.
Source Continue reading Sea of Treachery: “Misery Business (Paramore)” →

Do you think you have what it takes to be a punknews.org interviewer? We’re looking towards publishing interviews on a more frequent basis, but that means we’re going to need some help writing them.

“What’s in it for me,” you ask? Like all positions at Punknews, it will be done on a volunteer basis, however there are plenty of perks involved. Take for example:
1. Lots of free shows, merch and other items usually comes to interviewers.
2. A chance to talk to your favorite bands and help new ones.
3. It looks good on a resume, some journalism and english programs may allow you to get credit (no guarantees, of course)
4. Great chance to meet a lot of people in the industry.

If you’re interested in becoming a staff interviewer, email ben (at) punknews (dot) org with an explanation as to what makes you an ideal candidate as well as some samples of your work. Interview staff will be expected to contribute an interview every 4-6 weeks and will have plenty of help arranging interviews and contacting bands.

Source Continue reading Punknews.org is seeking interviewers →

Outbreak have announced dates for a headlining tour kicking off on May 9th, 2008. The band continues to tour in support of Failure and their latest 7-inch, a split with Only Crime.

The band will be joined by Miles Away and Cruel Hand.

Source Continue reading Tours: Outbreak / Miles Away / Cruel Hand →