Hello everybody and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back at the week in Punknews. I’m Adam White and I’ll be your guide through some of the most popular, notable, and otherwise attention getting stories of the past seven days. Each and every Punknews story is built from tips contributed by you fine folks, and here’s what got the community talking…

This week the Dillinger Escape Plan verbally sparred with mainstream metal act Distrubed. Considering the latter band’s earlier Finch-punching episode we can’t wait to see where this one goes. Speaking of amusing, the Foo Fighters‘ tour rider doesn’t top Iggy Pop’s, but it’s pretty funny regardless. We’re equally amused that restaurant chain Denny’s is apparently serving up “signature dishes” from bands like Taking Back Sunday and the All-American Rejects. This week Yellowcard‘s violinist chatted about the band’s hiatus, their label and music piracy. Anti-Flag‘s Justin Sane also chatted with a UK music rag about his band’s latest work. Victory Act Moros Eros called it quits this week as well.

There was plenty of show news this week. Rancid announced a massive tour, with the band on the road from June through October. Mall punk fans will want to note that Good Charlotte and Boys Like Girls will be on the road as well. We had tour announcements from Foxboro Hot Tubs (dates), the Smoking Popes (dates), and the combination of Slightly Stoopid and Pepper (dates). Annual metal gathering Ozzfest has morphed into a one-day event this year in Dallas.

On the new release front we had details on the 2008 Warped Tour compilation. The Offspring unveiled the artwork for their upcoming full length. The Gaslight Anthem have completed their new record The ’59 Sound. The UK’s Gallows are hard at work on a new album, ditto Norma Jean who hit the studio recently. New Hellcat act Civet set a release date for their new full length Hell Hath No Fury. This week brought another new track from Weezer as well.

This week we spoke with Jamies Tworkowski of non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms (interview) and Scott Middleton of Toronto hardcore act Cancer Bats (interview). Our Video of the Week featured footage of American Steel performing live at the Fest 6. This week’s Vinyl File featured a new contest and took a look at upcoming releases. This week also brought new Streaming Music from Richmond, VA’s Mouthbreather, the debut full length from pop punk act Lipona, as well as a great piece of live footage from gypsy punks Gogol Bordello.

So what’s coming up this week? Look for releases from Foxboro Hot Tubs, Islands, and Mates of State with tours kicking off from The Queers and Lemuria as part of the Asian Man Records Tour, Shipwreck AD and the aforementioned Green Day side project.
Source Continue reading May 18th, 2008 →

Hit The Lights has set July 8 as the release day for their sophomore release Skip School Start Fights. The album, which will be the follow-up to This Is a Stick-Up…Don’t Make It a Murder, will see a release via Triple Crown Records.

Skip School, Start Fights was produced by Rob Freeman (Hidden In Plain View) at Pilot Studios in New Jersey and was mixed by Zach Odom and Kenneth Mount (Mayday Parade, All Time Low, Cartel).
Source Continue reading Hit The Lights set release date →

Taang! Records‘ Everybody Out! have embarked on a full US headlining tour dubbed the “Favors + Vapors Tour.” While out on the road the band will meet up with acts like Swingin Utters, Far From Finished, the Last Gang and the Hollowpoints for select shows.

The five piece notably features founding Dropkick Murphys guitarist Rick Barton and Dead Pets / LCA frontman Chris ‘Sweeney’ Todd.
Source Continue reading Tours: Everybody Out! (USA) →

British post-punk outfit the Futureheads have further detailed their upcoming releases. According to Pitchfork the US release date of This Is Not The World has been pushed back from May 27th to June 3rd. The UK will see two versions of the record available on May 26th. Aside from the standard edition the band is offering a deluxe package via their website that includes a 60 page booklet, a DVD featuring a live show from this past March in London, interviews, acoustic performances and more. In addition a single for the song “Radio Heart” is due in the UK on May 19th on CD and as a pair of 7″ releases. The CD will feature the B-side “Charity Shop,” with one 7″ backed with “Invasion!” and the other with a live cut of the single. All of these releases are coming out via the band’s self-launched Nul Records label.

The band will play a number of festivals in Europe this summer.
Source Continue reading The Futureheads detail forthcoming releases, festival dates →

Ignite will travel to Australia this summer for a five date tour. The acclaimed Orange County punk / hardcore act has also confirmed an appearance at this October’s LiskFest on October 25th. The band is currently on tour in Europe with Terror, Strung Out, Death Before Dishonor and Burnthe8track.

The band has been tourign in support of their latest album, Our Darkest Days. Footage for a forthcoming DVD release was recently shot in Leipzig, Germany.
Source Continue reading Tours: Ignite (Australia) →

Berkeley, CA’s Static Thought have announced summer US tour dates.

The band is currently supporting a new split 7″ with labelmates Societys Parasites that was released by Glue Rot Records. A new full length titled The Motive For Movement is due at the end of August on Hellcat Records. The band previously released the full length In the Trenches.
Source Continue reading Static Thought (US) →

Black Lungs, the side project from Alexisonfire guitarist Wade MacNeil, has a full album stream online now at MySpace. The band, which also features Jordan “Ratbeard” Hastings of Alexisonfire / Jersey and Sean McNabb of Jersey / The Creepshow, will release Send Flowers on May 20th.

We’re currently running a contest to give away a copy of the record. The band will be hitting the road throughout Canada beginning May 21st with City and Colour and Sleepercar.
Source Continue reading Black Lungs (Alexisonfire) album stream →

Following their joint appearance at Coachella, Jacksonville, Florida’s Whole Wheat Bread and LA rapper Murs have formed a side project dubbed The Invincible(s). Whole Wheat Bread’s Aaron Abraham appears in a new video discussing the side project. You can check it out at Vimeo or by clicking Read More. The Invincible(s) will perform their first show tomorrow at the Social in Orlando, FL.

Whole Wheat Bread recently completed work on their new album The Hearts of Hoodlums for an August release. They previously posted a few new songs to their MySpace page.
Source Continue reading Whole Wheat Bread and Murs form the Invincible(s) →

The UK’s Citizen Fish will return to the US this summer for a tour. Kicking off in early June, the trek will feature Intro5pect on every date and Leftover Crack on select dates.

Citizen Fish and Leftover Crack released the Deadline split in 2007 via Fat Wreck Chords.
Source Continue reading Tours: Citizen Fish / Intro5pect →

Heather of Teen Idols, Bullets to Broadway has joined Gui of Rehasher and Nick of The Know How to form The Terror of Tiny Town. The band has posted four new tracks.

You can check them out on the band’s myspace page.
Source Continue reading Members of Teen Idols, Rehasher, Bullets To Broadway, and The Know How form Terror of Tiny Town →