Looks like Mr.Iggy Pop will be returning to television on Comedy Central‘s new program, L’il Bush. Pop is no stranger to the medium having previously appeared on programs like The Adventures of Pete & Pete. He also recently popped up as a charater the Venture Bros., albeit an unsanctioned one. Joining Pop will be a number of musicians including Jeff Tweedy, Frank BLack, Colin Meloy, Dave Grohl, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and more.

Lil’ Bush: Resident of the United States is a series of cartoons created by Donick Cary, a writer of The Simpsons. The show previously appeared on recently defunct mobile carrier Amp’d Mobile, and has been picked up a six episode run beginning this month. Pop will be playing Lil Rummy, and other characters include Lil’ Condi, Lil’ Cheney, Lil’ Jeb and of course, Lil Bush.

Some of the original shorts can be seen via Amp’d’s Lil Bush site. A trailer for the program is now available and might help to explain what a “painful weiner zipper snag” is.

Source Continue reading Iggy Pop, Dave Grohl, Frank Black and more in Comedy Central’s “Lil Bush” →

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) recently spoke to The Socialist Worker about his influences and his solo work under The Nightwatchman moniker.

Tom discusses everything from Billy Bragg, The Clash and Public Enemy with the political newspaper. He notes:

For years while I was in Rage Against the Machine, I was asked, “Why are you guys the only band?” We were all fired up about the Clinton administration! So now, it seems that every CD I’ve come across shows this, whether it’s Nine Inch Nails, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, the Coup’s new record, even Linkin Park.

I think this shows that not just artists are disgusted by what they’ve seen over the course of the last seven years or so, but everybody’s disgusted. And some of them happen to have access to recording studios. He doesn’t care that his approval rating is around 27 percent. The damage is already done. So I applaud artists and musicians stepping forward. Hopefully, it will spark and galvanize their audiences, or push them toward greater revolutionary fervor.

You can check out the interview here.
Source Continue reading Tom Morello (Rage Against Machine) talks to Socialist Worker →

Plus 44 and German act Wir Sind Helden have produced a new split together. Wikipedia helpfully describes the latter band as similar to Neue Deutsche Welle, which isn’t really very helpful at all if you think about it.

The four song EP features two tracks from each group and represents iTunes’ new Foreign Exchange series. Both bands provide covers of each others songs as well as their own version: “Guten Tag” and “When Your Heart Stops Beating” respectively.

You can preview or purchase all four songs here.
Source Continue reading New Split EP from Plus 44, Wir Sind Helden →

Ben Weasel has posted the first song from his upcoming sophomore solo album, These Ones Are Bitter. The record is due out June 26, 2007 and is his first solo outing since 2002’s Fidatevi.

As reported, the disc will be released via Ben’s own digital-only Mendota and will be available via digital download from iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, downloadpunk.com, Napster, and many other digital retailers. That said, the site notes that a limited edition vinyl version of the album will be released later in 2007 on Edmond Records.

For the record, Weasel has recruited bassist Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio as well as two members of he All-American Rejects: Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor. Kennerty also acted as producer.

You can check out “Got My Number” on this myspace page.
Source Continue reading Ben Weasel’s new single, Got My Number, now on Myspace →

Chuck Ragan has announced a release date for his debut studio full length. The record is titled Feast or Famine and is due out August 07, 2007. It is the follow-up to the live disc, Los Feliz, which was released earlier this year.

Recorded last April, Feast or Famine includes collaborators Jolie Holland, James Fearnley (The Pogues), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) as well as others and incorporates a broad range of instrumentation including banjo, harmonica, lap steel, organ, piano and percussion.

Source Continue reading Chuck Ragan announces “Feast or Famine” →

Last Thursday, May 31st, the DIY music community suffered a tragic loss. Ben Hutson, who had been performing acoustic folk-punk music for years under the name Mancub was killed in a senseless automobile accident while driving through West Virginia on tour returning to his home in Richmond, VA. His girlfriend Cayce and mandolin player Joe Waffles were also killed in the accident.

All three of the victims involved attended Richmond’s Virginia Commonwealth University, and were active in the local music and activism communities. Just before the tour, Mancub finished recording his debut full length album, slated to be released by Richmond’s Valiant Death record label, who Ben & Cayce actively worked for. As a tribute to their memory, and in an effort to share Mancub’s music with the world, Valiant Death has released this CD, and is donating all the profits made to various vegan based organizations which the three victims supported. A limited 300 copies are being made in hopes of raising $1000 for the donation. You can order the album here.

Anyone interested in finding out information about memorial services, or other ways to support the memory and families of the victims may contact [email protected].

This news comes just a little over a month after another Richmond musician and activist, Jonny Z, lost his life in Richmond.

Source Continue reading In Memoriam: Ben Hutson (Mancub) →

The Locust has posted the dates for an August-September European tour.

The band continue to tour in support of New Erections.
Source Continue reading Tours: Locust (Europe) →

New Jerset ska-punks Legitimate Business, who’s music was featured in the hit video game Tony Hawk’s Project 8,have completed their new four song EP If You Can’t Take The Heat…. The band has posted a two minute sampler of all four tracks on their MySpace page along with a new version of the song “It’s Not Murder (If You’re Already Dead)” for free download. The EP hits stores on June 26th.

Canadian label Harvest Earth Records has signed Gray Lines of Perfection. The Monroe, New Jersey band plans an early 2008 release on the label, and will be on tour throughout July and August. Check their MySpace page for music and tour dates.

Syracuse based dance rock outfit the Sister Lovers will soon release a new self titled debut EP via Barrett Records. The label namechecks the Arcade Fire when describing the band’s sound. Music from the release can be found via MySpace.
Source Continue reading Legitimate Business, Gray Lines of Perfection, Sister Lovers →

Against Me! have posted a stream of their new song, “White People for Peace” as well as stills from an upcoming video. The video is expected to premiere on June 8th.

The song surfaced in physical form in a limited edition White People for Peace with only a few copies pressed. Conversely, the song also appeared on a very unlimited iTunes EP which is limited to fifty gazillion copies, since it’s digital. (Let’s just agree that they can make as many as you want. )

Accordingly, you can stream or purchase the songs via iTunes. The entire of “White People for Peace” can be found on myspace and stills from the video are posted on their website.

The track is the first single from their upcoming debut for major label, Sire Records. The record is titled New Wave and is due out July 10, 2007.
Source Continue reading Against Me! post “White People for Peace” stream, video preview →

The Evens have announced plans for a tour that will take them through Eastern Canada and parts of the United States. East Coasters will be happy to hear that the band doesn’t just think of Montreal and Toronto when it says “East Coast” and has booked shows in Halifax, Fredericton and even PEI.

The duo is touring in support of their sophomore release, Get Evens. The shows will be all ages.

Source Continue reading Tours: The Evens (Canada, USA) →

As previously reported, Richmond VA’s Sixer have announced tentative dates and cities for an upcoming tour this September. The tour will kick off August 28th in Atlanta, GA, going through Texas and into California, continuing through the midwest into the northeast, and wrapping up in Richmond, VA on September 29th. Most of the venues are listed as TBA, however, the dates and cities are confirmed.

Additionally, the band has posted four new demo tracks to stream or download free. The songs come from the recent Asleep at the Wheel demo sessions, though they were originally written in 2004. You can check out all of the tour dates, and listen to/download the tracks here.

The band’s last release was 2002’s Beautiful Trash
Source Continue reading Sixer announce tour dates, post demo tracks →

Hellcat Records has posted a new track from the Unseen‘s forthcoming release Internal Salvation, which is due out July 10, 2007.

You can download the song “Break Away” here.

The Unseen will be supporting Internal Salvation by playing this year’s entire Warped Tour.
Source Continue reading The Unseen post track from upcoming album →

Throwdown has posted a new track from their upcoming release. The record is titled Venom & Tears and is due out August 07, 2007. It is the follow-up to Vendetta which was released in 2005.

Frontman Dave Peters notes:

We kinda went back to our roots as far as what got us into playing music, rather than sticking to what got us into hardcore. When I saw my first hardcore band live in 1992 I remember thinking, whoa, this is like Pantera without the guitar solos. We weren’t trying to consciously add metal or other elements into our songs. When we wrote Haymaker (2003) that’s about as bare bones and raw as it gets, add four years later of playing and touring together to that and we’ve developed quite a ways with influences, execution and fuck it we’ll play a solo if we want to too.

You can check out “Holy Roller” on their myspace page.
Source Continue reading Throwdown: “Holy Roller” →