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…

This week brought major news that Public Image Ltd is reforming in December. John Lydon’s influential post-Sex Pistols act hasn’t played in 17 years, but the group wil return for a series of shows to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metal Box. The presence of Kurt Cobain as a playable character in the new Guitar Hero 5 video game has enranged the members of the Nirvana camp. Cobain’s widow Courtney Love threatened to sue the shit out of Activision, while the developer claims that Love signed agreements allowing for Cobain’s image to be used. Former Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl were also dismayed, with Grohl urging Activision to “re-lock” Kurt’s character so that it can’t be used for anything but Nirvana songs in the game. In less contentious Nirvana news, the band’s 1992 Reading Set will arrive as a CD / DVD set in November. Influential post-hardcore band Small Brown Bike has announced plans to reform and play shows in the near future. At a recent product announcement Apple unveiled the iTunes LP. The digital download will accompany music with lyrics, liner notes, video, photos and other content. Another forward thinking digital initiative has arrived from Nick Cave, who has released an enhanced ebook for the iPhone. It features the text of his second novel The Death of Bunny Munro with an audiobook read by Cave and featuring original music.

Rise Against has announced plans to work on new album for release in 2010. The Lawrence Arms are gearing up for their upcoming anniversary show by asking fans to choose the set list. Brendan Kelly was also interviewed by NME with a report on his favorite songs. Suburban Home records is giving away free albums for their 14th Anniversary. The kids from the Harry Potter movies were spotted checking out popular UK punk act Gallows at recent shows. BYO Records has unveiled Let Them Know covers by Dropkick Murphys, American Steel, and In The Red among others. Keep an eye open for upcoming tour dates from Shook Ones and Title Fight (co-headlining) as well as an upcoming trek from the Star Fucking Hipsters, Citizen Fish and Molotov Compromise. The Fest 8 has confirmed more bands, including Broadway Calls, The Swellers, and Panthro UK United 13. New video footage arrived this week of Frank Turner performing “Poetry of the Deed” live on CNN and Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem acoustically performing “Casanova, Baby!”

This week we said goodbye to Jake Brockman of Echo & the Bunnymen (1956-2009).

This week we spoke with lead singer/guitarist John Gourley and bassist Zachary Carothers of Portugal The Man (interview), Nick and Nate from Minneapolis’ Banner Pilot (interview), drummer and songwriter Brad Lokkesmoe of Dear Landlord (interview), Jon Ginoli of Pansy Division (interview), and Chase Brenneman of Living With Lions (interview).

Our Dispatches series of band blogs featured another edition of Mike Hale‘s For Those Still Standing (Attica! Attica! (Episode 1). Our Video of the Week featured Against Me! live at the Fest 4. As always we brought you new streaming music from some great up and coming bands, including the new album Phoenix from Los Angeles’ Orange, and the latest from Rochester, NY’s Such Gold.

So what’s coming up this week? Look for new releases from Every Time I Die, Mock Orange, Moneen, Orange, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Bomb and Thrice with tours kicking off from Youth Brigade with Off With Their Heads (US), Poison The Well with Billy Talent (US), Streetlight Manifesto with Outernational and Broadway Calls (US / Canada), North Lincoln (Canada), Dillinger Four with Riverboat Gamblers and The Arrivals (US), Social Distortion with TAT and the Strangers (US), Thursday with the Fall Of Troy and Young Widows (US), and Face to Face with Pegboy and Polar Bear Club (US).

Click Read More to check out our ongoing contests, new streaming music, social networking links and more.
Source

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…

This week brought major news that Public Image Ltd is reforming in December. John Lydon’s influential post-Sex Pistols act hasn’t played in 17 years, but the group wil return for a series of shows to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metal Box. The presence of Kurt Cobain as a playable character in the new Guitar Hero 5 video game has enranged the members of the Nirvana camp. Cobain’s widow Courtney Love threatened to sue the shit out of Activision, while the developer claims that Love signed agreements allowing for Cobain’s image to be used. Former Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl were also dismayed, with Grohl urging Activision to “re-lock” Kurt’s character so that it can’t be used for anything but Nirvana songs in the game. In less contentious Nirvana news, the band’s 1992 Reading Set will arrive as a CD / DVD set in November. Influential post-hardcore band Small Brown Bike has announced plans to reform and play shows in the near future. At a recent product announcement Apple unveiled the iTunes LP. The digital download will accompany music with lyrics, liner notes, video, photos and other content. Another forward thinking digital initiative has arrived from Nick Cave, who has released an enhanced ebook for the iPhone. It features the text of his second novel The Death of Bunny Munro with an audiobook read by Cave and featuring original music.

Rise Against has announced plans to work on new album for release in 2010. The Lawrence Arms are gearing up for their upcoming anniversary show by asking fans to choose the set list. Brendan Kelly was also interviewed by NME with a report on his favorite songs. Suburban Home records is giving away free albums for their 14th Anniversary. The kids from the Harry Potter movies were spotted checking out popular UK punk act Gallows at recent shows. BYO Records has unveiled Let Them Know covers by Dropkick Murphys, American Steel, and In The Red among others. Keep an eye open for upcoming tour dates from Shook Ones and Title Fight (co-headlining) as well as an upcoming trek from the Star Fucking Hipsters, Citizen Fish and Molotov Compromise. The Fest 8 has confirmed more bands, including Broadway Calls, The Swellers, and Panthro UK United 13. New video footage arrived this week of Frank Turner performing “Poetry of the Deed” live on CNN and Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem acoustically performing “Casanova, Baby!”

This week we said goodbye to Jake Brockman of Echo & the Bunnymen (1956-2009).

This week we spoke with lead singer/guitarist John Gourley and bassist Zachary Carothers of Portugal The Man (interview), Nick and Nate from Minneapolis’ Banner Pilot (interview), drummer and songwriter Brad Lokkesmoe of Dear Landlord (interview), Jon Ginoli of Pansy Division (interview), and Chase Brenneman of Living With Lions (interview).

Our Dispatches series of band blogs featured another edition of Mike Hale‘s For Those Still Standing (Attica! Attica! (Episode 1). Our Video of the Week featured Against Me! live at the Fest 4. As always we brought you new streaming music from some great up and coming bands, including the new album Phoenix from Los Angeles’ Orange, and the latest from Rochester, NY’s Such Gold.

So what’s coming up this week? Look for new releases from Every Time I Die, Mock Orange, Moneen, Orange, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Bomb and Thrice with tours kicking off from Youth Brigade with Off With Their Heads (US), Poison The Well with Billy Talent (US), Streetlight Manifesto with Outernational and Broadway Calls (US / Canada), North Lincoln (Canada), Dillinger Four with Riverboat Gamblers and The Arrivals (US), Social Distortion with TAT and the Strangers (US), Thursday with the Fall Of Troy and Young Widows (US), and Face to Face with Pegboy and Polar Bear Club (US).

Click Read More to check out our ongoing contests, new streaming music, social networking links and more.
Source