The Altercation Punk Rock Comedy Tour is set to kick off it’s second national tour of 2008 this October. The travelling group of underground comics will play a number of shows as they make their way to an apperance at Fun Fun Fun Fest. The tour will feature comics JT Habersaat (also the head of Altercation Magazine / Records), Ruby Collins, Chris Cubas and Richie Stratton.

The tour was launched in April of 2008 with the intent of marrying underground stand up with the “get-in-the-van ethos of Black Flag.” The group will release an album this fall, titled Metal Up Live. It should be available from Altercation on October 7th.
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Chicago’s Rosaline have reunited with a new line up. The band has been inactive since March of 2007. More information will be announced soon but for now you can check out some of the group’s past work at MySpace.

Windsor, Ontario’s Orphan Choir are currently mixing their first proper full length. It was recorded this summer at Hive Creative Labs (Ladyhawk, Tranzmitors, Black Mountain) by Stu Mckillop (Daggermouth, Aspirations). A label is to be announced. The band also has a new 7″ on the way (their fourth in a year and a half), a split with Montreal’s Whiskey Trench on Vinyl Addict. Artwork for that record was prepared by Frank Chartrand (Vicious Cycle, Small Change Inc).

Punknews community regular MattRamone has unveiled his new three-piece The Sandwiches. You can preview the Washington, DC based band’s first song “And Out Come the TimberWolves” at MySpace. We expect nothing less than greatness guys…
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Billboard is reporting that Weezer will hit the studio this November to record the follow up to the “Red Album.” Drummer Pat Wilson revealed that the band will again be working with producer Garret “Jacknife” Lee.

On the last record all four members of the popular act switched instruments, took turns singing, and contributed songwriting. Wilson pegs this as the reason for the quick turnaround.

Now that we’ve got more writers, we don’t have to wait for Rivers to have a bunch of songs he’s happy with. We used to take forever to make a record, then tour on it forever and be burnt out and not do anything for two years. This is a lot better.

You can find more details at Billboard.
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On September 18th Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds was allegedly in a confrontation with garage punk maven King Khan (of the Shrines and BBQ Show). Pitchfork and a number of blogs are reporting on the incident, and the `fork has pictures.

In short, Khan was in town from Berlin to support Atlanta scene fixture BJ Womack, who was just diagnosed with brain cancer. Khan, Womack, Chicago’s Frank Jensen (of the Tyrades and the Busy Signals) and drummer Jessica Juggz performed at the Highland Inn Lounge’s weekly Kirkwood Ballers Club open mic. After a few songs, Hinds spontaneously joined the group on stage. For what happened next, we’ll refer you back to Pitchfork’s account, but know it involves a dumped beer, the “greatest guitar player alive,” a split lip, and a $2,700 hospital bill.

All parties are reportedly “cool” now.
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Now that they’re home from extensive touring in support of Career Suicide, A Wilhelm Scream are getting set to work on the follow up. Aside from a few weeks of shows leading to and from the Fest in Gainesvlle, the band plans to be off the road and working on new songs. Trevor Reilly commented:

Writing time is my favorite part about being in a band. I love writing new songs with my friends and this is the second time writing with Brian and I am really looking forward to watching he and Nick further develop writing their parts together. This will be the first time writing with Mike (the fastest and flashiest player I’ve ever been in a band with since Brian) and I know he writes alot of material which is a new thing for me to have so much input already coming from the other players. I am stoked about it. Mike’s songs are probably gonna necessitate me practicing my instrument which is nice. Dick! I know Nuno’s been writing some lyrics so it will be great to have some more material come from him as I enjoy his writing when it comes. As for myself, I have alot of ideas brewing and alot of words written. All I need is a couple late nights to drive around New Bedford by myself to put some of them together. New Bedford inspires these songs in a way that I can’t really explain. It’s good to be home.

I have a feeling we’re gonna have a fuckload of songs. We got like five going already (and a few that didn’t get recorded for the last album which we’re revamping), so we’re looking at doing a few AWS projects that should be a blast to put together. Fuck, I even wanna do a covers record, I think that would be an interesting collection of songs! One thing at a time though, I’m rambling. That’s why this is a blog. Fuck off.

So the next full length will be recorded in January at the Blasting Room with Bill and Jason once again. Once we have the label(s) figured out, you’ll hear it here first, but I’d expect the new album in the Spring. (Start searching the pirate mp3 sites now.)

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New Brunswick, NJ’s Spiro Agnew, featuring members of Gaslight Anthem, have posted four tracks to their MySpace page.

A blog post on the site says that the songs are from an album called The Greatest Story Ever Wrought, but leaves no information about the release of said album.
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Brooklyn, NY’s Japanther have an exclusive download of the song “Bumpin’ Rap Tapes” available through SPIN.com. The song is from their upcoming full length Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt due out on Wantage USA on Oct. 14th.

You can listen to and download the song here.
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Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Stuart Ross and Kyle Johnson of Misery Signals and Matt Mixon and Ryan Morgan formerly of 7Angels 7Plagues have formed a new side project dubbed The Departed. You can preview two songs from the five-piece Milwaukee-based band at MySpace. There’s no word yet on the group’s plans for releases or touring.
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Bayside is now streaming their new full length Shudder at MySpace. The album, due September 30, follows up 2007’s The Walking Wounded.

This fall the band will tour with the Matches, Valencia, and the Status. We posted the dates earlier.
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MSNBC is reporting that drummer Travis Barker is in critical condition following a plane crash. The Lear 60 aircraft was departing an airport in Columbia, South Carolina late Friday night when traffic controllers reported seeing sparks from the vehicle. The jet reportedly failed to lift off, went off the runway and crashed into a nearby road. The Learjet was headed to Van Nuys, California. CNN has an image of the wreckage.

Two crew members, and two passengers on board were killed while two others were critically injured, including Barker. He was transferred to a burn center in Augusta, Georgia and is listed in critical condition as of this morning. The other injured party was DJ AM, real name Adam Michael Goldstein. He is also in critical.

Barker had performed that night at an event alongside former Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, singer Gavin DeGraw and DJ AM. There is no word yet if Farrell and DeGraw were traveling on the plane.

Travis Barker is currently the drummer for Plus 44 and previously played in both the The Aquabats and most famously Blink 182
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Shiny Toy Guns have embarked on a US tour in support of their forthcoming album, Season of Poison. The record is due out November 4, 2008.

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Pulley has posted a new song from their upcoming EP Time Insensitive Material. You can check out the song “Mandarin” on the band’s MySpace page.

The EP will mark the bands first major release since 2004’s Matters and their first since parting ways with Epitaph.
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As Less Than Jake embark on a tour across Canada, Punknews.org‘s own Ben Conoley thought it was the perfect time to drop those school books and hit the road.

Starting on Sunday, keep your eyes peeled as we bring you an exclusive blog from the tour. Expect pictures, set list information and Ben’s tour journal as the band makes its way across the Great White North with Reel Big Fish and The Flatliners.

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