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:

• Propagandhi is looking for a new label to make them a solid offer. Is MCA still around?
• Jay Navarro’s Hellmouth have released their new song “Exodus”
• Karl Alvarez talked about the future of the Descendents
• The great musical Satan known as Brokencyde unvieled their video for “Teach Me How To Scream”
• The Flatliners, The Menzingers, Fake Problems and Mockingbird Wish Me Luck are teaming up for a Canadian tour that just looks pretty amazing (for me anyways).
• Buddy from Senses Fail spoke quite critically of pop-oriented bands like All Time Low, and Boys Like Girls this week
• Converge has begun writing their next album
• Social Distortion unveiled their new album artwork

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 November 7th, 2010 →

With Social Distortion canceling some dates of their tour due to Mike Ness getting sick, tourmates Lucero and Frank Turner decided to play a free show last night at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Shortly after Lucero ended their set, Turner came back on stage to belt out his rendition of famous Asbury icon Bruce Springsteen‘s classic “Thunder Road”. A Punknews reader snagged this video of the singalong. You can see it below.

You can see more videos from the set, including “Nights Like These” and “Smoke” by Lucero, at Punknews Vimeo Channel.
Source Continue reading Frank Turner: “Thunder Road” (Live in Asbury Park, NJ) →

Trophy Scars just self-released their new EP, Darkness, Oh Hell and we’ve got an exclusive download of a song from the album for you today. You can buy a copy of the EP on CD direct from the band or via iTunes.

Check out the song here.
Source Continue reading Trophy Scars: “Time in Heaven, Forever in Hell” (Download) →

Samiam is the latest band to be featured on Switchboard Sessions. The band called in to record acoustic versions of “Mexico,” originally from 2000’s Astray as well as “When We’re Together,” originally found on 2006’s Whatever’s Got You Down, along with covers of Guided by Voices‘ “Game of Pricks” and “Search and Destroy,” originally recorded by The Stooges. Check it out here.

The band is currently in Germany supporting their new collection for No Idea Records, Orphan Works.
Source Continue reading Samiam featured on Switchboard Sessions →

New Jersey’s Speak Easy, which features members of Bigwig, Crash Romeo, Driver Side Impact and Day At The Fair, have posted a new song for free download. The band’s sound is described as “post punk” and are influenced by Thrice, Jawbreaker, Comeback Kid, Hot Water Music, Polar Bear Club and Circa Survive.

Find “Strike Three” for download here.
Source Continue reading Speak Easy (ex-Bigwig, Crash Romeo, Drive Side Impact) post new song →

Inspired by Record Store Day, a Metal Club has been launched that will feature deluxe and unusual issues of records from a variety of hardcore and metal outfits including Slayer, Metallica, The Sword, The Damned Things, Job for a Cowboy, and more.

The albums are due out on November 26th and examples include a hexagonal picture disc from The Sword, a 7-inch single for Slayer‘s World Painted Blood single and a super elaborate version of Mastodon‘s Crack the Skye.

Find more details here.
Source Continue reading Deluxe metal reissues and singles planned for “Metal Club” →

Cobra Skulls will be making their debut for Fat Wreck Chords on January 18, 2011 with Bringing the War Home. Vocalist Devin Peralta commented on the 5 song EP:

I’m very proud of our new 5-song EP, “Bringing the War Home”. I think the new songs are some of our best yet. They aren’t necessarily an indicator of what our next full-length will sound like as I wrote these songs year ago, but never got the chance to bring them to the band until a couple weeks before we recorded them in August.

The title of the EP comes from an old protest slogan of the Vietnam War era and I think the phrase is just as meaningful today during our ongoing, illegal war in Iraq. It’s an obvious play off of “Bring the Troops Home”, but it has a few more meanings as well as the implication to bring our troops home. To some it may sound offensive, but in the instances of the Vietnam and Iraq wars it implies that if there were no troops there would be no war. It also refers to the fact that the war is taking our tax dollars that we could spend on building and maintaining health care, schools and a crumbling infrastructure.

The band last released American Rubicon in 2009.
Source Continue reading Cobra Skulls announce Fat debut EP →

Some promising news coming from Arkansas as the controversial West Memphis Three were granted a new hearing by the state Supreme Court. The case, which dates back to 1993, involves Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley who are all serving life sentences. The three men, known as the West Memphis Three, were convicted of murdering three eight year old boys in West Memphis in the early 90s. The ruling allows the defence to provide significant evidence not presented at trail including DNA evidence which could exonerate the three. Even the parents of the victims have questioned the verdict.

Much of the anger against the conviction comes from the lack of forensic evidence and even lack of motive, with all the murders ascribed to a “satanic ritual.” The prosecution used the three’s predilection towards black clothing and heavy metal as justification for the entire case. At the time of the case, there was a “moral panic” about the threat of satanic child abuse, even though it was later found that there was little or no cause for it.

The three have had a number of high profile supporters including Henry Rollins who released 2002’s Rise Above – 24 Black Flag Songs in support, Joe Strummer, Supersuckers, Tom Waits and others contributed to another benefit compilation, Free the West Memphis 3 . Jello Biafra has spoken at length about the issue, as have South Park’s Trey Parker, actress Winona Ryder, actor Johnny Depp and many others.
Source Continue reading Arkansas Supreme Court grants West Memphis 3 a new hearing →