With a documentary, feature film. MP3 player and two greatest hits packages out in the last six weeks, June and July are shaping up to be the months of Joy Division. Even Alkaline Trio’s new album includes a tribute to Joy Division in the track, “Help Me.” Unfortunately, as the BBC reports, the headstone over the grave of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis was stolen earlier this week.

Detectives said the stone, which has the inscription “Ian Curtis 18 – 5 – 80” and the words “Love Will Tear Us Apart” was taken sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Curtis was just 23 when he hanged himself in the kitchen of his Macclesfield home in May 1980, shortly before the band were due to go on tour in the US. Curtis was suffering from depression and epilepsy when he killed himself.
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Gainesville, FL-based Anchor Arms have posted two songs from their upcoming debut for Fail Safe Records. The record is titled Cold Blooded and is due out August 12, 2008. The band will be supporting the record this fall at The Fest 7.

You can check out the songs on their myspace page.
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In a recent interview about celebrities and death row, Hawthorne Heights shared some of their thoughts about the current problems ailing the music industry:

It pisses me off that most labels have no idea how to handle people illegally downloading MP3s. They’re still trying to sell CDs and do everything like it was 10 years ago. That just doesn’t fly today, and it’s incredibly frustrating watching these labels flail around as they try to figure out their new business plan.

The band joins a chorus of artists frustrated with the music industry. On one hand, bands want to connect with and find new fans in any way possible, on the other hand, file sharing has had measurable effects on the music industry, particularly independent labels. While their label, Victory Records, had previously avoided digital releases, the label has moved much of their catalogue onto Apple’s iTunes service, even selling most of their music without DRM through Apple.

For their part, the band is gearing up for the release of their new album. The record is titled Fragile Future and is due out August 05, 2008.
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Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travis McCoy was arrested last night in St. Louis, MO on one charge of third-degree assault. The band was just one song into their Warped Tour set when an audience member called McCoy a “fucking ignorant nigger.”

The band’s management issued the following statement:

Somebody in the crowd was taunting Travis with racial slurs. Travis invited him onstage with the intent of calling him out in front of the crowd, with absolutely no intention of a physical altercation. When he tried to help him onstage, the guy hit Travis in the knee area (which has been in a brace because of a recent sprain), forcing Travis to defend himself.

At this point, a scuffle broke out. This whole incident is unfortunate. Travis McCoy and Gym Class Heroes are anything but violent. Their message is about racial unity and having a good time. It’s amazing that in 2008 there are still people out there that would say such ignorant things.

The band is supporting their 2006 album As Cruel as School Children and their upcoming 2008 full length, The Quilt.
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Hit The Lights have a full album stream of their new record. The record is titled Skip School, Start Fights and is due out July 08, 2008. It is the follow-up to This Is a Stick-Up…Don’t Make It a Murder which was released in 2006.

You can find it here.
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Tim Barry and Josh Small were recently invited to play Mary Munford Elementary, for Ms. Kieslers’ Second Grade Class. The duo performed two Woodie Guthrie songs, as well as a version of “Shoulda Oughta.” Their friend Dave Watkins recorded the entire set and have made available MP3s of the performance. Tim and Josh are apparently mulling over the option of releasing a 7-inch featuring the material with a class photo for the artwork.

You can check out the music here.
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Streetlight Manifesto have announced their fall touring plans which include a US tour with The Swellers and The A.K.A.s as well as trips to Japan, Australia and the UK.

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Another batch of new reviews for you today. Leading the pack is the highly anticipated new album from Alkaline Trio. The record, Agony & Irony, is their first for Sony/BMG and our friend Toby from Red Scare put together a lengthy review for it.

Also brand new is the full length debut from Clouds who follow their Legendary Demo with We Are Above You (get it?) We’ve got a review of the latest rarities/b-sides compilation from punk favorites, Hot Water Music, Til the Wheels Fall Off and the new reissue of Minus the Bear‘s popular EP, They Make Beer Commercials Like This [reissue].

All of those, and new reviews from Relient K, The Constantines, The Blind Shake, In First Person and more can be found on the reviews page.
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Vancouver, BC’s The Real McKenzies have released the very first MP3 from their upcoming album Off the Leash, due out August 05, 2008. It is the follow-up to 10,000 Shots which was released in 2005. The track, titled “The Lads Who Fought & Won” is available as a full MP3 download from Fat Wreck Chords here.
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Bad Religion have posted the acoustic version of their track, “Sorrow.” The song is one of the bonus features on the deluxe version of New Maps of Hell which is due out July 08, 2008. We spoke to songwriter Brett Gurewitz about the song back in 2004 who discussed the origins of the song and the meaning it picked up after September 11th. The interview is here.

You can find “Sorrow (Acoustic)” on their myspace page.
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