Social Distortion is headed to the land of kangaroos and wallabies. The band’s first trip to Australia will happen in early 2011 at the nationwide Soundwave festival. Tickets are going on sale this month however at the Soundwave website.
The band recently finished up the writing of their new albumHard Times and Nursery Rhymes and have presumably come close to tying the whole thing up by now. The band, who recently signed to Epitaph Records, will release their new album in the fall. The record will be the band’s first of all new material since 2004’s Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll. It will also be their first release with a new lineup consisting of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham (guitar) and Brent Harding (bass).
The band is currently on the road and heading to Chicago for an August 7 main stage performance at this year’s Lollapalooza. Dates with Dan Sartain and The Action Design resume in Green Bay, Wisconsin on August 8. Check out those dates here.
Ben Weasel has posted a tweet announcing the remixing and re-release of Screeching Weasel‘s 1998 album Television City Dream. According to the Weasel “the original mix sucks and it’s been bugging the hell out of me for 12 years…Justin Perkins is doing the Television City Dream re-mix. I just heard “Count To Three” and it smokes!” The album will feature new art by Nate Fierro and extra, previously released material.
The Corin Tucker Band has posted their first downloadable track on Pitchfork. the track is titled “Riley” and comes from the former Sleater-Kinney frontwoman’s new album 1,000 Years due out October 5, 2010 via Kill Rock Stars. Tucker’s new band features Sara Lund (Unwound), and Seth Lorinczi (Golden Bears).
We also have the previously announced October tourdates. You can see those below and at least one of us at the Philadelphia show.
Sleater-Kinney called it quits after released the critically acclaimed The Woods in 2005.
Who needs backstory? Who needs resource-gathering? Diplomacy is so last year. Take advantage of this Gratuitous Weekend Deal and save 75% off Gratuitous Space Battles and all the Gratuitous DLC.
Gratuitous Space Battles cuts right to the chase of sci-fi strategy games, and deals with large, completely unjustified space battles between huge opposing space fleets.
Our friends at Paper and Plastick are stepping up to help out one of their bands, Protagonist. Earlier this year the band had $22,000 worth of gear stolen right before entering the studio to record their new album. The label has dug up 43 rare test pressings from the vaults to be auctioned off. All proceeds will go straight to the band.
Japanese proto-screamo veterans Envy will be doing a series of dates in the U.S. this fall. Joining them on all dates will be Touché Amoré and And So I Watch You from Afar. Additionally, Trash Talk will join up as main support for one leg and La Dispute for the other.
Weezer has signed to Epitaph Records. Label head Brett Gurewitz confirmed the news via Twitter earlier today. Alternative Press is reporting that the band’s next album will be titled Hurley and will arrive on Epitaph on September 14th with a fall tour to follow.
Weezer released seven full lengths via major label Geffen Records since their self-titled debut (the blue album) in 2004. This will be the group’s first release via an independent label. The group has had some connection, however, with Epitaph in the past. Drummer Patrick Wilson’s side-project The Special Goodness released their full length Land Air Sea via the label in 2004.
On August 31st WiNGSPANTT and 7 other Golden Wrench owners will commit a nigh unutterable act of brazen item-aggression so egregious that we shudder to think of the implications should the Administrator herself catch wind of it.
Somehow these few have found the strength of will to reject the lure of Australium to serve a greater cause.
Over the last month Jon “WiNGSPANTT” Tran has spent his personal time and energy promoting and collecting donations for the Child’s Play charity. The more donations received, the more Golden Wrenches to be destroyed on August 31st. As each Golden Wrench is destroyed a global message will be sent to everyone playing Team Fortress 2 announcing the sacrifice. Everyone who donates will receive a place on a special steam group to mark their generosity.
So far the event has managed to raise over $5,000 in donations. Further contributions may very well secure the destruction even more Golden Wrenches.
If you are interested in participating in the Golden Charity event please visit the website.
The TF2 team knew that the Golden Wrench event would be controversial — an experiment in the distribution of an ultra-rare item. We never imagined that it would empower a small group of players to benefit a much vaster group of children in need. We are constantly shocked and impressed by the creativity of the Team Fortress 2 community, but today we are humbled.
It’s time for everyone’s favorite Wednesday night leisurely activity: the surely-by-now world-renowned Punknews podcast! This week on the show, interviews editor Rich Verducci plopped into the moderator’s chair where he, news editor Adam White and I discussed such popular stories as the mysterious Sound and Fury motorcyclist, Fat’s decision to reissue Banner Pilot’s Resignation Day and the larger question of the viability of reissues in general, Rancid’s Lars Fredriksen lending his name to and taking appointments at a Tokyo tattoo parlour, speculation on the sonic direction and label affiliation of Brendan Kelly’s solo album, and the many questions raised by Oh, Sleeper guitarist Shane Blay’s article laying out the income and expenses of touring for a ‘mid-level band.’
In addition to the roundtable, we’ve also got brand spankin’ new music this week from VRGNS (née Virgins) and The Estranged, as well as a head-to-head review of new releases from La Otracina and La Gritona from copy editor Jesse Raub.