A freelance photographer named Nichole Torpea was apparently assaulted by My Chemical Romance‘s security detail despite having press credentials. A River Front Times story explained:

The man, whom she later described to St. Louis police as six-foot-three, 210 to 230 pounds and dressed all in black, grabbed her arm, led her through a door to a stairwell and forced her to the ground. I was collapsing under his pressure,” she says. “I had no idea what was going on. He had no ID and wouldn’t tell me who he was. He kept saying, ‘You know what you did. Give me the fucking camera.'”

He returned several minutes later and gave back her camera, having deleted all the images on the memory card. His parting words: “You’ll never work for MCR or [the band’s label] Warner Bros. again!”

The assailant remains unknown, but the band is “looking into it.” The band did their best to make up for the incident though, providing full access to the band, including photo credentials and an invite to the after-party celebrating the end of their concert tour. This time around the photographer had no run-ins with the band’s security.
Source Continue reading My Chemical Romance photographer assaulted, then made special guest →

Guitarist Knut “Euroboy” Schreiner of Turbonegro has posted an update detailing his illness.

In March I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease, which is a “lucky” version of lymphoma cancer (90% percent get healed, according to Wikipedia and other and more reliable health information sources). Since then I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy every 14th day. That has kept me out of business for a while now, not being able to tour, but things have gone a lot better than feared. Last week they found out that my cure has so far been successful and my chances are as good as it gets.

Receiving the news that I had cancer, but not knowing which type and how bad, was of course a rough one. The situation soon changed to the better once I learned what it really was and I headed into therapy. When staying alive is all you care about, then things really can only go upward. I don’t have that much experience with health institutions (maybe except from the occasional meeting with Dr.Rock while on tour…) but I must say that the way I’ve been taking care of by the people at Radiumhospitalet, has just been fantastic.

You can find the entire update by clicking below.
Source Continue reading Turbonegro’s Euroboy discusses illness →

Dates and a lineup have been unveiled for the 2008 edition of the Thrash and Burn Tour. The tour will feature Darkest Hour, Parkway Drive, Misery Signals, Arsonists Get All The Girls, Winds of Plague, Stick To Your Guns, Arsis, Light This City and After the Burial.

Source Continue reading Tours: Darkest Hour / Parkway Drive / Misery Signals / Stick To Your Guns →

Recent Pluto signing, Delaware-based My America Is Watching Tigers Die, have posted some more new music as well as set a release date for their upcoming full length. The record is titled Stone Age and is due out July 08, 2008.

You can check out “Brown Concrete” on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading My America Is Watching Tigers Die: “Brown Concrete” →

>Head honcho of Alternative Tentacles, former frontman of Dead Kennedys, and all around punk icon Jello Biafra will be celebrating a rootin’, tootin’ fiftieth birthday bash. Occuring over two nights, June 16th and 17th, the shows will feature Jello himself performing with the Melvins, performing without the Melvins featuring a new band and new music with Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms, etc.) on guitar, Billy Gould (Faith No More, Cool Arrow Records, etc.) on bass, and Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey,Tonnage, etc.) on drums, Drunk Injuns, Los Olvidados, Triclops!, and Akimbo.

As a special treat, Melvins will revert back to their original line up from 1983 with Dale Crover on bass and Mike Dillard on drums, allowing them to accurately play the songs from their fairly recently released Mangled Demos From 1983. Both shows are at 8pm, and will be at the Great American Music Hall.

Source Continue reading Alternative Tentacles to host Biafra Five-O →

Sky Eats Airplane has set a July 22, 2008 release date for their forthcoming self-titled full-length. The 11 track release was recorded with producer Brian McTernan (Circa Survive, Hot Water Music) at his studio in Baltimore. You can click Read More to check out the album’s track listing.

The band signed to Equal Vision in March.
Source Continue reading Sky Eats Airplane set release date →

After Universal removed three songs from the band’s new album Get Awkward due to violent lyrics, XL Recordings will get to play hero by releasing the offending Be Your Own Pet in the form of a new digital single and double-7-inch titled Get Damaged on June 03, 2008.

The three tracks “Blow Yr Mind”, “Black Hole”, and “Becky” were on the original promos released by the label and are widely available in the UK and Europe. Lyrics in question include “We’ll wait with knives after class!” and “Eating pizza is really great / So is destroying everything you hate.” There are also some songs about zombies which may be offensive to zombies.

In any case, you can check out the artwork here.
Source Continue reading Be Your Own Pet’s “censored” material due out June 3rd →

Sonic Youth has revealed the track listing for their upcoming Starbucks Records-released hits compilation, Hits are For Squares. The songs were selected by a number of celebrity fans including Dave Eggers and Mike Watt, Portia de Rossi, Beck, Mike D, David Cross, Flaming Lips, Gus Van Zant, Eddie Vedder, Catherine Keener and more. The band’s frontman (and frequent documentary talking head) Thurston Moore commented:

In a way, Sonic Youth has a branded name. People know the name, but not necessarily our music, which might be a little too outsider for some. And when they do hear a little something, it doesn’t tell the whole story. I thought it would be interesting to have a CD available in a store like Starbucks where the casual consumer can sort of have access to [our music] more readily.

The set is due out June 10, 2008.
Source Continue reading Sonic Youth details celebrity curated hits compilation →

Far right radio host, Michael Alan Weiner, better known by his pseudonym Michael Savage recently played Dead Kennedys‘ track, “California Über Alles” to insult US Senator Ted Kennedy who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Savage explained himself, saying the song wasn’t supposed to be mocking:

The poor guy’s been suffering for years, you know? Unfairly he’s been accused of alcoholism, but we see now that it was something much more deep-seated. And so, to cut this out in some respect for Ted Kennedy, here’s a tune coming at you from the Dead Kennedys. Go ahead and play it, please.

After reading from the lyrics of “California Über Alles, No gloating today, no laughter, all serious. You don’t joke about a man’s cancer. I do it, but I won’t do it today; it’s something I will not do. You know I’m playing the Dead Kennedys not to mock Ted Kennedy. It’s just appropriate, that’s all.”

You can check out the Media Matters coverage here.
Source Continue reading Michael Savage plays Dead Kennedys song “in some respect for” Sen. Kennedy →

Blacklisted have posted the new video from their brand new album, Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God.

Source Continue reading Blacklisted: “I Am Weighing Me Down” →

Dillinger Escape Plan have launched the latest video from their 2007 album, Ire Works. Along with antagonizing nu-metal bands, Dillinger is headed to Europe next month for a tour with Meshuggah and Between the Buried and Me.

Source Continue reading Dillinger Escape Plan: “Black Bubblegum” →

Paramore have announced a headlining tour that will feature support from Jack’s Mannequin, Paper Route and Phantom Planet.

Speaking of Paramore, the band recently dropped by the Walmart Soundcheck for what is like the internet version of an in-store performance. You can check out the video here.

Source Continue reading Tours: Paramore / Jack’s Mannequin / Phantom Planet →

Cold World have posted an audio player featuring music from their upcoming Deathwish release. The record is titled Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First and is due out July 22, 2008.

You can check out the player here.

Source Continue reading Tours: Cold World / Trash Talk / Iron Age →