by Sunday Edition

.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 brought word of major layoffs taking place at the RIAA. Some are describing the job losses at the controversial and much reviled music industry group as a bloodbath. Robert Smith of the Cure criticized the concept of "pay what you want" albums. Smith stated that he violently disagrees with the idea, which had been popularized by acts like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails and is utilized by punk labels like Quote Unquote Records. Once wonders what he'd think of Cursive's new album, which went on sale for $1 today, with the price to increase a dollar each day until March 10th. Influential act Faith No More recently announced a reunion tour. Screw 32 are also planning to get back together.

NOFX is promising their new record Coaster for later this year. Paper + Plastick has signed Lansing, Michigan's Cheap Girls, with a new album set for mid 2009. The Gaslight Anthem talked to MTV and unvieled their video for "Great Expectations." We also saw a video for MC Lars' "Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn't Make You Slash)." Thursday announced plans to perform their fan-favourite full length Full Collapse in it's entirety tomorrow on the Providence, RI date of the Rock Star Taste of Chaos tour. No Doubt has announced tour dates with Paramore, Bedouin Soundclash, the Sounds and Janelle Monae. Nine Inch Nails will play what may be their final tour this year with Jane's Addiction. MxPx also unveiled their cover of Dead Milkmen's "Punk Rock Girl."

This week we, after much delay, opened the Punknews.org 5.0 Beta to the public. Check it out, put it throught its paces, and help us get it ready for prime time. I Can't Control My Fingers I Can't Control My Brain New feature content, weekly columns and exclusives Punknews.org is proud to present a new feature from Mike Hale (Gunmoll, In The Red). Having packed up his belongings, moved out of his apartment, and committed himself to literally living as a touring musician, Mike will have some tales to tell. Check out Episode 1 of For Those Still Standing. Our Dispatches series of band tour blogs featured Propagandhi (Episode 2, Episode 3), the Bouncing Souls (Episode 2, Episode 3), O Pioneers!!! (Episode 1).

This week we spoke with Ryan Murphy and Tony Weinbender, organizers of Harvest Of Hope (interview). We also spoke to Chris Cresswell of Toronto's Flatliners (interview). Our Video of the Week featured footage of Richmond, VA's Landmines at Atlas Studios recording their new EP for Paper & Plastick. As always we brought you new Streaming Music including the new full length from Fort Collins, CO's Drag the River, the new full length from Jon Snodgrass, six songs from Oakland's Druglords of the Avenues (members of Filthy Thieving Bastards, Swingin' Utters and others), the new record from Louisville, KY-based Mansions. So what's coming up this week? Look for new releases from Drag the River, Jon Snodgrass, Neko Case and Mansions with tours kicking off from Millencolin (Canada, US, Europe), Circle Jerks (South America), Propagandhi / Paint It Black (US), Brand New (US), Poison The Well / 36 Crazyfists (Europe), Fear Before / Alesana / Drop Dead Gorgeous (US), and Less Than Jake / the Expendables (US).

Radio Free Punknews
Streaming music

Check the Punknews Music page to stream all sorts of anticipated new music including the new full length from Boston, MA's Defeater, the new record from Phoenix, AZ-based Stereotyperider, a 7" from Moncton, New Brunswick's Varsity Weirdos, from Edmonton, AB's Passenger Action (members of Choke, Fordirelifesake and the Fullblast). the new full length from Chris Wollard and The Ship Thieves (Chris of course having played in Hot Water Music and the Draft), the new EP from Tom's River, NJ-based One Win Choice, the new album Neon Creeps from Spring, TX-based O Pioneers!!!, South Wales based Attack! Attack!, a full album from Long Island's Agent, Athens, GA-based Pegasuses-XL (featuring members of Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches), the Marked Men's new full length Ghosts, and the new record from New Brunswick, NJ-based Let Me Run.

It's Funny, I Don't Feel Like a Winner
Contests

Celebrate five years of Rockstar/Taste of Chaos
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, we've got some exclusive merch from Hurley and Dinglife.com.

Win a release copy of The Sweller's My Everest
That's right, Punknews, Team Science Records and The Swellers are teaming up to give one lucky reader a test pressing of the record as well as a copy of it on each color (red and blue). One runner up will receive both colors of the record, while a second runner up will receive a copy of the record in the color of their choice. Don't want to wait a week? Order a copy here.

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 blogs Kinder Words and JustinAugust.org, editor Adam White's blogs 2:59 and AdamWhite.org, editor Jesse Raub's short fiction webzine Bitter Press, and reviews editor Brian Shultz' blog Over Looked.

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @adamwhite, @jesseraub and @justinaugust's every move at Twitter.

Super Powers Enable Me To Blend In With Machinery
Social networking links

We've theorized that you visit other websites out there, and we know it can be tough to leave the calming blue glow of the `Org, so we'll help by infecting the rest of the web with Punknews content. Befriend us on the Punknews.org MySpace page, network on the Punknews.org Facebook group and Punknews.org Facebook fan page, follow us on Twitter, and contribute your listening habits to the weekly charts at the Punknews.org Last.fm group.

Come Join Us
Register your account on Punknews.org!

Why register on Punknews.org? Registered users can post their comments under articles and reviews. Users can also rate bands and reviews, building recommendations and links between artists for the whole community to share and discover. Your favourite records and artists, latest comments and your own customizable profile will show up on your own personal user page.

Signing up for an account is free, easy and private. With an account you can remain effectively anonymous and your email will address be hidden from everyone. Create your account today!