The Pixies have cancelled their upcoming trip to Israel in light of the controversial raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza last week. The band made this statement:

The decision was not reached easily. We all know well the Israeli fans have been waiting for this visit for far too long. We’d like to extend our deepest apologies to the fans but events beyond all our control have conspired against us.

The band was set to perform on June 9th at the Pic.Nic festival. The cancellation has been linked to the May 31st raid by Israeli forces on ships that were said to be carrying aid to Gaza. Nine activists were killed and many others were injured in the action, which took place in international waters. Other recent cancellations include Elvis Costello, The Klaxons and Gorillaz.

Producer Shuki Weiss took a contrary position describing the cancellation as “cultural terror against the State of Israel.”
Source Continue reading Pixies cancel Israel shows →

Jimmy Eat World have completed their new album. The band posted this update:

Our new album is officially done. Now we wait for a release date. We’ll keep you posted.

As reported earlier, the album sees the band reuniting with producer Mark Trombino on the record. The band worked with the Drive Like Jehu member and producer on 2001’s Bleed American ] and also on the 2005 EP, Stay on My Side Tonight. It will be Jimmy Eat World’s first full length since 2007’s Chase This Light.
Source Continue reading Jimmy Eat World complete album →

Rise Against has posted a slideshow-style montage of images set to their track, “From Heads Unworthy.” They explained:

We put together a whole bunch of pictures that people have emailed us and some that we and our crew took ourselves while on the road, and created a slideshow of our adventures on the stage and off the stage in the last year..

Source Continue reading Rise Against: “From Heads Unworthy” →

The lineup has been announced for the 2010 edition of Bumbershoot. Along with headliners like the legendary Bob Dylan, the event will feature: Baroness, Billy Bragg, The Bouncing Souls, David Bazan, Fences, HEALTH, Idiot Pilot, Japandroids, JEFF the Brotherhood, Meat Puppets, Motion City Soundtrack, Neko Case, Rise Against, Surfer Blood, The Cute Lepers, The Decemberists, The English Beat, The Raveonettes, The Thermals, This Providence and Weezer.

The 40th anniversary event will take place September 4th through 6th at the Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. check out the full lineup here.
Source Continue reading Billy Bragg, Bouncing Souls, Baroness, English Beat, MCS, Rise Against at Bumbershoot 2010 →

Cincinnati, OH pop-punk stalwarts The Dopamines have unveiled a new track from Expect the Worst, the band’s forthcoming Paper and Plastick debut. It’s due out on June 29, 2010, following up 2009’s Soap and Lampshades EP.

Head here to check out “It Couldn’t Really Be Any Other.”
Source Continue reading The Dopamines: “It Couldn’t Really Be Any Other” →

In a recent interview, vocalist/guitarist Dan Vapid stated that The Methadones will call it a day by year’s end, playing two final shows (one at this year’s Insubordination Fest and another in their hometown of Chicago, IL) and releasing a collection of b-sides and outtakes packaged with five new songs. Here’s a snippet regarding the band’s split:

“i think the band has run it’s course. The Methadones have played consistently for 10 years, which is more than any band/project I’ve been a part of. We had our share of problems but were always intent on working past them. For the last 5 years every member has gone through a period of giving a shit and not giving a shit, all at different times. It got to the point where I felt like we were just going through the motions and forcing it.”

Over the years The Methadones released material through A-F Records, Thick Records, It’s Alive Records and Red Scare, with the latter label issuing the band’s last full-length, 2007’s This Won’t Hurt… Meanwhile, Vapid continues to stay busy with both Screeching Weasel and Riverdales, as well as his newest project, Noise By Numbers.
Source Continue reading The Methadones (1993-2010) →

Next weekend a number of garage punk acts will converge on Victoria, BC for the Earthquake Shake. The event’s inaugural year will feature shows on June 11th and the 12th at Logan’s Pub featuring bands like Mean Jeans, Tranzmitors, The Vicious Cycles,Vapid, B-Lines, Pure Country Gold, Thee Manipulators, the Throwaways, Blank-Its, Sex Church, Electric Kisses and Ape City.

For more details check out the official event website.
Source Continue reading Tranzmitors, Mean Jeans playing Earthquake Shake in Victoria BC →

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 new album from Against Me! was made available to stream this week, an absolute eternity after the record leaked online. The ban also posted a Daytrotter Session with Cock Sparrer and Dead Kennedys covers.
• Strike Anywhere discussed their move from Fat to Bridge Nine, commenting on the cultural differences between east coast hardcore and west coast pop punk.
• Kid Dynamite will reunite for This Is Hardcore 2010, which will also feature Ink and Dagger and Bane among others.
• Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb The Music Industry! spoke out in an interview about free music, Against Me! and Green Day among other topics.
• Baltimore, MD’s Ruiner have decided to hang it up in October of 2010
• Epitaph is getting back into the compilations game with New Noise, Volume 1
• The notorious swastika t-shirt worn by the Sex Pistols‘ Sid Vicious is on sale for £10,000.
• Protagonist‘s trailer and gear stolen in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

With that we hand over this Sunday evening to you, the Punknews community. From that glorious, likely bearded rabble we’ve see the creation of everything from message boards and Punknews fantasy sports leagues to even a band or two. So talk amongst yourselves and we’ll see you Monday…
Source Continue reading Navel Gazing for June 6th, 2010 →

Prior to their tour with Tigers Jaw and Man Overboard, Cleveland’s The Sidekicks will hit the road for a few weeks of shows. During this leg they’ll play with bands like The Menzingers and Bomb The Music Industry.

The band’s 2009 Red Scare full-length Weight of Air was voted the Punknews.org staff’s favourite record of 2009.
Source Continue reading Tours: The Sidekicks →

In a move that will surprise absolutely no one, Activision has announced the first details about the upcoming sixth Guitar Hero game. Titled Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, the new game is expected in the fall and promises a “story-driven component” to be narrated by KISS’ Gene Simmons. The game is promising 90 playable songs including tracks by Avenged Sevenfold, Buzzcocks, Dethklok, DragonForce, Foo Fighters, Jane’s Addiction, Metallica Muse, My Chemical Romance, Silversun Pickups, Slayer and The Cure.

Along with the music, the game incorporates the legendary CBGB venue as a playable stage in the game but are removing playable musicians from the game after the controversial placement of Kurt Cobain and No Doubt in the 5th iteration of the series.
Source Continue reading AFI, Buzzcocks, Foo Fighters, The Cure, Silversun Pickups confirmed for Guitar Hero 6 →

Fake Problems has posted a studio update from the making of their new record with Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Lucero, Flogging Molly).

Source Continue reading Fake Problems post first studio update →