Late Night Wallflower recently sat down with Jim Ward, leader of Sleepercar and Sparta. In the interview, he talks about the beginning of Sleepercar, along with Sparta’s hiatus and how the band is currently label-less. Ward had this to say:

It was in that meeting where I looked at a calendar and said ‘I’m going to be thirty two next year. I want to go now. Let’s take 2008 off.’ Everybody was fine with it. It wasn’t a big deal. We were on the road for fifteen months. Keeley [Davis, guitarist for Sparta] just got married when Threes came out. He never really got to be home for the first year and a half of his marriage. I know he’s just enjoying being home and designing. I don’t see any reason to be on any timeline. I don’t have any label contracts right now so I can do whatever I want. I want to take advantage of that. I’ve been under a major since I was twenty three.

You can read the full text of the interview here.
Source Continue reading Jim Ward talks about Sleepercar, Sparta’s hiatus, and being off a major label →

The notorious ticketing company Ticketmaster has been spun off from parent IAC/InterActiveCorp. This just a few months after the company lost its contract with Live Nation/Clear Channel. The two events are notable because it diminishes much of the market power that enabled Ticket Master to control venues, tickets and their famous service charges.

The new company will no longer have exclusive access to Live Nation’s venues. This was one of the most common complaints by major artists like Pearl Jam who made charges to monopolistic behaviour against the company.

You can find the Reuters report here.
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Rancid have announced a UK tour set for November. The shows comes shortly after the band’s lengthy North American run.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow from this link.

Source Continue reading Tours: Rancid (UK) →

According to reports from the Associated Press, punk/new-wave pioneers Devo have launched a lawsuit against McDonald’s for co-opting the band’s image and trademark “energy dome” headwear.

The band notes:

McDonald’s [is offering] American Idol TV show themed toys in their children’s Happy Meals. One of the toys is named “New Wave Nigel”, who sports an orange jumpsuit, punk shades, and an unmistakable DEVO Energy Dome. Flipping a switch plays a DEVO-esque song (which sounds a bit like a mutated version of DEVO’s Doctor Detroit.)

You can check out a video of the toy and music here.
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Bad Religion and Circle Jerks guitarist recently spoke to Europunk about the future of the Circle Jerks saying:

Doing the Circle Jerks is kinda like going to the dentist. You have the appointment and then you have to go, but you don’t really feel like it. We did the song, that you can check on our myspace, a year back, but we haven’t had any plans on doing more songs this year or so. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but in the near future no Circle Jerks stuff will come out.

With the exception of a single song released last year, the band has not released any new studio material since 1995’s Oddities, Abnormalities, and Curiosities.

You can find the rest of the interview here.
Source Continue reading Greg Hetson says “no new Circle Jerks in the near future” →

Motörhead have announced release date and details about their forthcoming album. The record is titled Motörizer and is due out August 26, 2008 in North America and September 01, 2008 in Europe. The album was produced by Cameron Webb.

Source Continue reading Details and release date for upcoming Motörhead album →

Sloppy Seconds have announced some summer tour dates in support of their new Kid Tested/Go Kart release, Endless Bummer. The band will be hitting a number of cities in the US as well as Insubordination Fest.

Source Continue reading Tours: Sloppy Seconds →

Glassjaw-influenced hardcore act Lower Definition have posted another new song from their upcoming Ferret debut. The record is titled The Greatest of All Lost Arts and is due out August 15, 2008.

You can find the song on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading Lower Definition: “The Ventriloquist” →

Eulogy hardcore act The Mongloids have posted three songs from the re-release of their debut full length Time Trials due out in July. The new version will include two brand new tracks, enhanced footage from their set at This is Hardcore Fest 2007, as well as new packaging.

You can check out the songs on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading Mongloids post three songs from “Time Trials” reissue →

France’s OC Toons have announced a new label and set a release date for their upcoming full length. The record is titled What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger and is due out July 26, 2008 via Fast Life Records. The band recorded at the legendary Motor studios in San Francisco with producer Adam Krammer (NOFX, Lagwagon)

The record features contributions from Tony Sly (No Use for a Name), Steve Rawles (ex-Belvedere) and Lynda Mandolyn (Fabulous Disaster) We posted the art and track listing in April.

You can check out some music from the album on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading OC Toons set release date for Japan →