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 People Must Have Something Good To Read On A Sunday
This week's most popular stories
This week saw Elgin Nathan James of Righteous Jams arrested for extortion. Authorities allege James started the FSU street gang in Boston the 1990s to establish control over the punk rock scene there. He previously appeared in the infamous Boston Beatdown DVD series and was featured in a National Geographic documentary on Straight Edge. Ten people were arrested at the Knoxville stop of the 10 for $10 hardcore tour, which fatures bands like Poison The Well, Madball, and Bane. According to a local news report, the incident stemmed from a conflict between bouncers and the crowd which spilled out into the parking lot. According to a recent report from music industry veteran Wayne Rosso, EMI Group has been contacting small accounts, mostly independent "mom & pop" record stores, to tell them that they would no longer sell them product. A major development this week came when the makers of popular rhythm video game Rock Band announced a system to allow independent bands to submit music to the game. A band or artist will soon be able to submit their music to freelance developers or develop their own "track charts" in house.

Social Distortion has announced plans to record in December or January. Banner Pilot has detailed their upcoming record Collapser, due out on September 1st. Naked Raygun is planning to hit the studio soon to record for a new 7-inch series. In a move that returns the labels to its roots, Equal Vision Records has launched a new krishna-core imprint Mantralogy. This November look for the Lawrence Arms to hit the road with Teenage Bottlerocket and Cobra Skulls. Teenage Bottlerocket is also recruiting extras for an upcoming video shoot. Fake Problems has announced rescheduled dates with Ninja Gun. None More Black will also play a short run of shows in August with Lifetime, 7 Seconds and the Bouncing Souls among others. This week brought new music from Bane ( "The Bold And The Beautiful") and Frank Turner ("The Road"). Exclaim's Garageland video series visited Warped Tour and spoke with bands like NOFX, Alexisonfire, and Gallows in a quest to get a consensus on the tour's worst band. Finally we have footage of Bruce Springsteen performing the classic Clash single "London Calling" at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in London's Hyde Park.
I Can't Control My Fingers I Can't Control My Brain
New feature content, weekly columns and exclusives
Punknews Interview Editor Ben Conoley has announced the upcoming publication of Food Not Songs. The cook book is to be published in 2010 by Suburban Home Records and will feature favorite recipes, food-related anecdotes and hometown dining secrets from dozens of bands and musicians.

This week we spoke with Reign Supreme vocalist Jay Pepito (interview), and Dan Bond and Josh McKenzie of London's interview). Our Dispatches series of band blogs featured Episode 3 of the Sidekicks' tour journal. As always we brought you new streaming music from some great up and coming bands, including the new 7-inch from Scranton, PA-based Tigers Jaw.

So what's coming up this week? Look for new releases from American Steel, Broadway Calls, Frank Turner, Kevin Seconds / Mike Hale, Reel Big Fish, Portugal. The Man, Set Your Goals and the Takers with tours kicking off from Cursive (US), Cobra Skulls / the Copyrights / the Sidekicks / the Menzingers (Red Scare Tour), Kevin Seconds / Kepi Ghoulie (US), and Blink 182 / Weezer / Fall Out Boy (US / Canada).

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



Radio Free Punknews
Streaming music
Check the Punknews Music page to stream all sorts of anticipated new music including American Rubicon, the new full length from Cobra Skulls, the new full length from Anaheim, CA-based the Scarred, the new full length by The Takers from Gainesville, FL, a new track from Beverly, MA-based Caspian, Sudbury, Ontario's Vicious Cycle, There Are No Answers from Houston, TX's Something Fierce, Dream Homes from Chicago, IL's Dear Landlord, As always we brought you new Streaming Music including the new song "No Rest" from St. Catharines, Ontario's Alexisonfire, the new full length from Calgary, Alberta's This Is A Standoff, Minneapolis' the Gateway District (members of the Soviettes, Banner Pilot, Off with Their Heads, Rivethead), Philadelphia, PA's Lighten Up, Orlando, FL's No Friends, Akron, OH's post rock outfit If These Trees Could Talk, and the new full length from Kalamazoo, MI-based the Reptilian.
It's Funny, I Don't Feel Like a Winner
Contests
Living With Lions
Next week, Canadian pop-punk act Living with Lions will be releasing their album titled Make Your Mark via Adeline Records. To celebrate, the label has put together a contest featuring the band and some cool prizes.

Win Caspian vinyl and CDs
On August 11, 2009, The Mylene Sheath will be releasing the highly anticipated new album from Caspian. The record is titled Tertia and the label has provided some copies of the record on limited vinyl and CD for three lucky winners.
Tonight We're Gonna Give It 35%
Staff blogs and side projects
Your trusty Punknews staffers and reviewers have all sorts of projects on the go, everything from poorly spelled and oft neglected blogs to big official world domination schemes. Make sure to check out editor and videographer Chris Moran collection of recordings online at Vimeo, editor Justin August's blog JustinAugust.org, editor Adam White's blog AdamWhite.org, editor Jesse Raub's short fiction webzine Bitter Press, and reviews editor Brian Shultz' blogs Over Looked and Witness.

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @adamwhite, @jesseraub, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @bconoley and @bryneyancey's every move at Twitter.
Super Powers Enable Me To Blend In With Machinery
Social networking links
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