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…

While chatting about the new Bad Religion reissue, guitarist, songwriter and Epitaph head Brett Gurewitz was optimistic about the future, claiming that the music industry is about to enter a golden age. Mr. Brett will also be part of a panel soon with the Vandals‘ Joe Escalante and Angels & Airwaves‘ Tom Delonge chatting about the annual Warped Tour. Warped patrons however shouldn’t look for an appearance by the OC’s Avenged Sevenfold this year. Despite previous appearances the band boasts current levels of badasstitude that are much to scary for the fest. Speaking of scary, we had a disturbing report that Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten was being sued for hitting a female producer. On the flip side of the coin we have some unwarranted police attention inflicted upon the Star Fucking Hipsters. It seems the authorities are simply not fans of poor Stza and the Leftover Crack frontman’s looking at legal options. UK tabloid the Daily Mail has responded to the backlash caused by their “emo” demonizing articles, and they’re not apologizing. Thomas from Strike Anywhere spoke out this week about politics, film, and major labels. The Riot Before spoke out as well, coming out in defense of record labels. Fans of Swedish luminaries Refused take notice: Dennis Lyxzén and David Sandström are set to unveil a new hardcore project.

Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records have made up, thrown out the lawsuits, and are partnering up to release the album Fragile Future. This all has something to do with Obama, at least according to the press release. We’re not sure what. Lagwagon have announced a 7 song EP titled I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon. Against Me! have a deluxe edition of New Wave on the way for mail order and the French. Dragonforce also has a new record on the way. Ska punk jokesters Reel Big Fish have some sort of “epic” new project in the hopper, but that’s all we know about it. Hot Water Music detailed the support for their Philly show and are set to reissue the Forever and Counting LP. H2O posted the video for “What Happened” while the Offspring‘s Rise and Fall was previewed. Finally, Microsoft has unveiled it’s Joy Division Zune. Punknews videographer Chris Moran, the only Zune owner I’ve confirmed to exist, is undoubtedly stoked.

This week we said goodbye to the legendary, pioneering blues and early rock’n’roll musician Bo Diddley (1928-2008).

This week we spoke with Jason LaRocca of the Briggs, who are gearing up for their new record Come All You Madmen (interview). We also sat down for a chat with Lana Davies, musician and daughter of the Kinks’ Dave Davies (interview). Mark Lind of the Ducky Boys talked to us about his new record (interview), as did Germany’s long-running punk band Donots (interview). This week also brought new Streaming Music from eclectic Ohio-based act nsdwhoa.

So what’s coming up this week? Look for releases from Terror, Throw Rag, Mouthbreather and that hits collection from Sonic Youth with tours kicking off from Rancid (North America), Rival Schools (UK), and a Canadian tour featuring Strike Anywhere, the Flatliners and Hostage Life.
Source Continue reading June 8th, 2008 →

Berea Fest III, an annual DIY music festival in Berea, Ohio, has announced the list of performing bands. The fest will see appearances by Defiance, OH, Bridge and Tunnel, Lemuria, the Sidekicks and Vietnam Werewolf among others. The event takes place on July 18th and 19th at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Berea. The event will double as a fundraiser for the Berea Children’s Home.
Source Continue reading Defiance, OH, Bridge and Tunnel, Lemuria, the Sidekicks at Berea Fest 2008 →

Nine Inch Nails continues to roll out free downloadable content. The band has released a free tour sampler EP. The Lights In The Sky Over North America 2008 Tour Sampler features five high quality, DRM free, MP3s from A Place To Bury Strangers, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Crystal Castles, Deerhunter and Nine Inch Nails. The EP is available via the band’s website.

Following Reznor’s split with Interscope, Nine Inch Nails has released two full lengths free via their website. The first was the instrumental set Ghosts I-IV on March 2nd. On May 5th the band followed with the full length The Slip. Reznor was also involved in Saul Williams‘ The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, which saw a similar digital release.
Source Continue reading Nine Inch Nails releases free tour EP →

The documentary film The Gits has been confirmed for a theatrical release on July 7, the 15th memorial anniversary of death of lead singer Mia Zapata. Screenings will take place throughout the US and Canada throughout the month. The Gits, described as “part musical history and part murder mystery,” was directed by Kerri O’Kane and produced by Jessica Bender, Danny Goldberg, and Gits drummer Steve Moriarty. More information can be found at TheGitsMovie.com.

The Gits were a Seattle-based four-piece punk band that formed in 1986, releasing their debut album Frenching The Bully in 1992. By the summer of 1993 the band began recording their follow up, titled Enter: The Conquering Chicken. Popular in the Pacific Northwest and poised to break nationally, the band’s career was tragically ended with the rape and murder of frontwoman Mia Zapata in July of 1993. The murder went unresolved for years until the 2002 arrest and 2004 conviction of her killer.
Source Continue reading Gits documentary hits theaters in July →

Bad Religion‘s deluxe reissue of New Maps of Hell may not have hit stores yet, but that hasn’t stopped talk about the inevitable follow up. At the recent Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands, an interviewer put the question to bassist Jay Bentley and drummer Brooks Wackerman. With frontman Greg Graffin set to teach at UCLA from January through March, the band may next hit the studio in April or May of 2009, with an album ready for June. You can check the entire interviw at JATV.

The deluxe edition of New Maps hits stores on July 8th, and will feature original album bolstered with seven acoustic tracks and a DVD. Graffin and Brett Gurewitz recently chatted with Rolling Stone about the project and the future of the music industry. Graffin was also recently the recipient of the Rushdie Award for Cultural Humanism from Harvard University.
Source Continue reading Bad Religion looks ahead to 2009 album →

Orange County metalcore act Bleeding Through had some harsh words for label Trustkill Records in a guest blog posting at MTV’s Headbangers Blog. In the lengthy diatribe they rail against a planned reissue of 2006’s The Truth. From the blog:

Now we have a new album finished that we are very proud of and he wants to squeeze our fans and our band by throwing out an unapproved “special” edition in a fast and overt attempt to pay some bills.

Trustkill no longer employs his sales guy, his art director or his publicist. “Trustkill” is now Josh and one employee in his basement, as far as we can tell. We have kept silent about the fact that we made our new album with a loan from our singer’s dad, a loan from our management and less than 25% of our recording fund from Trustkill. They breached our contract (not for the first time) on March 31st, 2008 when we hit the studio without proper funding and have failed to cure the breach.

The band goes on to question the previously announced August released date of the new record, titled Declaration. The record was recorded with producer Devin Townsend (Darkest Hour) and the band will support the project (whenever it comes out) with a tour alongside Bullet for My Valentine. You can read the full blog post at Headbangers Blog.
Source Continue reading Bleeding Through take Trustkill grievances public →