.ng-section1 { font-size: small; border-bottom: 1px solid #C5C5C5; width: 70%; font-weight: bold; padding: 1em 0 0em 2em; } .ng-section2 { font-size: xx-small; padding: 0 0 2em 3em; } 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 strange, slow, old people in the community talking… The People Must Have Something Good To Read On A Sunday This week's most popular stories This week saw the debut of The Thorns of Life, a new three piece featuring Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker / Jets To Brazil on guitar / vocals, Aaron "Cometbus" Elliott of Crimpshrine / Pinhead Gunpowder on drums and Daniela Sea on bass. We had an exciting few days of rumors, eyewitness reports and discussion on the subject. Speaking of returns, a most unlikely band is rumored to be resurfacing. Some new incarnation of ska-punk stars Sublime have been suggested as a surprise Bamboozle 2009 performer. Edgar Bronfman Jr, CEO of the Warner Music Group, reveal to a Web 2.0 conference that the major label was requiring all new acts to sign 360 deals which allow the label to get a cut of all of a band's activities. Artists have continued to react to the ongoing gay marriage controversy in the United States. Notably this week we read a thoughtful blog posting from Canada's Tegan and Sara and saw Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz also discuss the subject on Larry King Live.
AFI's looking to return in 2009 with a new full length produced by David Bottrill. Punknews buddies Say Anything are set to release a new full length next year. Propagandhi teased that they were almost done their new record… then they finished it. Funny that. This week saw a new free sampler from Anti- Records featuring Billy Bragg and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds among others. The Gaslight Anthem posted their video for "Old White Lincoln" as well. The Get Up Kids got back together today for a reunion show in their hometown of Kansas City. They're celebrating the upcoming 10 year anniversary of Something To Write Home About. Jimmy Eat World are going to do the same with the 10th anniversary of Clarity, planning to play the record on tour early next year. Finally we had word on two new punk products for your purchasing pleasure, one being the Burning Fight book covering the 80s and 90s hardcore scene, and the other is (sit down for this) punk Bratz dolls. That's way more exciting than the Schwarzenbach news isn't it?
This week we said goodbye to Bent Outta Shape's Jamie Ewing (1983-2008) and drummer Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience (1947-2008). I Can't Control My Fingers I Can't Control My Brain New feature content, weekly columns and exclusives This week we spoke with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips on their new feature film Christmas on Mars (interview). Our Video of the Week featured the Sainte Catherines performing a new song on Montreal television show Mange ta Ville. As always we brought you new Streaming Music including Stourbridge, UK's Science vs Romance, and Grand Rapids, MI-based La Dispute.
So what's coming up this week? Look for new releases from Dustin Kensrue of Thrice, Bring Me the Horizon and the Foo Fighters (live DVD) with tours kicking off from Smoke Or Fire / Fake Problems (Australia / Europe), Billy Bragg (US / UK), Comeback Kid (South America), and Useless ID (Russia).
Check the Punknews Music page to stream all sorts of anticipated new music including Warship's Supply and Depend, Tim Barry of Avail's new record Manchester, Scranton, PA-based Tigers Jaw, New Brunswick, NJ-based Scream Hello, the song "Six Days a Week" from the Bronx, the new album from Israeli punk outfit Useless ID, the new charity-benefiting compilation All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash, the new solo album from Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape, Columbus, Ohio's Two Cow Garage, the new full length from Los Angeles-based Roll the Tanks, Jersey Shores, the new album from Seattle's Akimbo, the new EP from Dead To Me titled Little Brother, Orlando, Florida's Virgins, featuring Sam Johnson of New Mexican Disaster Squad, Dallas, Texas-based True Widow, featuring members of Slowride and The Mag Seven, Dillinger Four's long-awaited new record C I V I L W A R, the debut full length debut from Shorebirds, featuring Matt Canino of Latterman and Jawbreaker's Chris Bauermeister, Orlando's How Dare You, featuring former members of As Friends Rust and Hand to Hand, and the sole LP from now-defunct RVA melodic hardcore act Resonance.
Win copies of the Germs film, "What We Do Is Secret"
We're very happy to bring you a contest featuring the Peace Arch Entertainment-released DVD for the film, What We Do Is Secret. The film tells the story of Darby Crash, who became an LA punk icon before taking his own life in 1980. After getting kicked out of high school, Darby (Shane West) forms the Germs with a collection of friends who have little experience with their instruments or playing music; Pat Smear (Rick Gonzalez), Lorna Doom (Bijou Phillips) and Don Bolles (Noah Segan). After a few disastrous gigs, the band begins to click and Darby and The Germs soon find themselves the talk of the LA punk scene. When hard drugs enter the picture, Darby starts alienating those closest to him and when the Germs collapse, he's at a loss to figure out what comes next. Director Roger Grossman enlisted the help ex-Germs guitarist Pat Smear, as well as members of Crash's family and others involved in the late '70s/early '80s Hollywood punk scene, You can find the box art here.
Win "Gasp Asp" from Look Mexico on vinyl, as well as CDs and more
To celebrate the release of Look Mexico's new 7-inch, Gasp Asp, the band has put together two big prize packages to give away to two Punknews.org readers. Along with the new seven-inch, the package includes a complete Look Mexico starter kit with copies of the band's critically acclaimed full length, This Is Animal Music, as well as the band's EP collection, The Crucial Collection and more. The 7-inch is being released through Tiny Engines. You can pre-order the disc here.
Win a very rare Beware of Safety Test Press
Instrumental rock powerhouse Beware Of Safety will be releasing their debut full length Dogs through The Mylene Sheath this month. The follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut EP It Is Curtains promises to be a much more ambitious outing spreading across 10 tracks and clocking in at over 60 minutes. To celebrate the release, the label has offered up one very rare test press. Only ten copies in total were made, with the nine remaining copies going to the band and label. Along with giving away one of those unique items, we've also got a copy of the album on pilsner vinyl and a copy on CD to give away.
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 Kinder Words, editor Adam White's blog 2:59, and editor Jesse Raub's short fiction webzine Bitter Press.
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