UK-based punks Queen Cult have released a video for their new song “Stop Calling”. The video was created by Foxa Riot. The song appears to be a standalone single. Queen Cult released their single “Be Better” earlier this year and released a handful of singles in 2023. Check out the video below.
Danbert Nobacon of Chumbawamba has released a new single. It's called "New York Times Agrees with Fox" and it's off his upcoming album. The new album is called Kochtopus's Garden - Now That's What I Call Capitalism - The Musical and it's out May 1. The record is set as a musical that follows two song writing bots as they escape their owners and go on the run across the USA. You can hear the new single below.
Today we are thrilled to bring you the premiere of the new video by Winnipeg-based emo punks Screaming at Traffic! The video is for their new song “General Ken O.B.” and was filmed and edited by bassist Paul Colman. Speaking about the song and video the band said,
“The idea behind ‘General Ken O.B.’ is self-destruction. The perspective we're exploring is someone in the midst of a bender, trying to justify it to themselves. They start off almost regretful but quickly give in to their worst tendencies. I think it's something a lot of people do, and while exploring giving that thought process a voice, I imagined it'd be cynical, sarcastic, and maybe even a little tongue-in-cheek.
For the video, we originally had the idea of doing something super DIY, and we looked at other DIY type projects and decided the found footage horror motif fit really well with the song. The whole tune is about self-destruction, teetering on the edge of it, and giving into it, and we thought we could capture that thought with the idea of us disappearing one by one throughout the night. It was directed and edited by our bass player, Paul, and we just brainstormed how we could make something fun, kind of spooky, and as stripped down as possible. The entire thing was shot in one night, without a crew of any kind beyond the four of us.”
“General Ken O.B.” will hit streaming services tomorrow and is off their upcoming album If You Play These Songs At A Party You’ll Bum Everyone Out which will be out everywhere on May 4. Screaming at Traffic will be playing Turbo Haus as part of Pouzza Fest on May 17 in Montreal, Quebec. Watch the video below!
Spiritual Cramp and White Reaper have teamed up to release a new song. It is called “Whatever You Want Man” and is off their upcoming split which will be out on May 16 via Blue Grape Music. The bands have also announced a handful of shows together around the US for this June. Spiritual Cramp released their self-titled album, Spiritual Cramp , in 2023. White Reaper released their album Asking For A Ride in 2023. Check out the song below.
![Nihiloceros - Skipper [Digital Single]](https://static.punknews.org/images/covers/nihiloceros-skipper-single.jpg)
Wristmeetrazor have released a live performance video for their song “Synthetic-51n”. The video is part of Lawnchair Youth’s LCY Uncut series and was shot and edited by Carlisle Jones. The song is off the band’s album Degeneration which was released earlier this year and we spoke with Justin Fornof about it last month. Wristmeetrazor are currently touring the US. Check out the video below.
In two days Orange County-based ska band Half Past Two will be releasing their excellent new album Talk Is Killing Me. The album finds the band infusing more punk elements into their sound, leaning into their anger and redefining themselves in the process. Lyrically the band isn’t shying away from heavy topics as they discuss trauma, shine a light on ableism in our society, and talk about tumultuous times within the band with honest, imagery-filled lyrics. Talk Is Killing Me will be out everywhere on April 19 via Bad Time Records. Half Past Two will begin their tour of the US tomorrow (April 18) in Brooklyn.
Punknews editor Em Moore caught up with lead vocalist Tara Hahn to talk about the new album, finding catharsis through songwriting, the importance of advocating for the disability community, making sure shows are accessible for everybody, and so much more. Read the interview below!
This interview between Em Moore and Tara Hahn took place on April 11, 2024 over Zoom. This transcription documents their conversation and has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
IDLES have released a video for their song “POP POP POP”. The video was directed by Stewart Baxter/ The song is off their album TANGK which was released earlier this year. IDLES will begin their tour of North America, Europe, and the UK starting in BC in May. Check out the song below.
One Step Closer have released a new song called “Orange Leaf”. The song is off their upcoming album All You Embrace which will be out on May 17 via Run For Cover Records. One Step Closer released their album This Place You Know in 2021. Check out the song below.
Hawthorne Heights have announced US tour dates (ane one Ontario date) to celebrate 20 years as a band. They will be playing their debut album The Silence in Black and White in full on every date. Thursday, Saosin, Anberlin, I See Stars, Cartel, Armor For Sleep, Stick To Your Guns, Emery, and This Wild Life will be joining them on select dates. The dates also include stops at their recently announced touring festival Is For Lovers. Check out the dates below.
Ekko Astral have released a video for their song “on brand”. The video was produced by Kate the Cursed (who also edited it and did VFX) and Joel Holzman. The song is off their album Pink Balloons which is out today via Topshelf Records. Ekko Astral will be touring the US with IDLES in June. Check out the video below.
The Dopamines have announced two PA shows and one down in Dc. Those are all in early August. They also added that one show is a door deal (as opposed to a guarantee) so they need you to buy tickets so they can get paid. The band also reminded everyone that they have a new album on the horizon, but they did not offer more details than that. You can see the dates below.
The lineup for this year’s Over The James festival has been announced. Along with Avail, The Menzingers, The Suicide Machines, Sheer Mag, Division of Mind, and Doll Baby will be playing. Over The James will take place on Brown’s Island in Richmond, Virginia on July 27.
The Chats are hitting Europe this Winter. The tour covers a good chunk of November and December and finds the band hopping all over the UK and thee olde continent. The Prize and Rifle open. You can see the dates below.
Get your dancin' shoes on because we are debuting the new track by As for the Future!
As for the Future is the new Brazilian/Nossa Nova influenced group headed by David Nagler. The group features an impressive array of musicians including vocalist Alexia Bomtempo, Mauro Refosco (David Byrne’s American Utopia, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Atoms for Peace), and Ryan Keberle (David Bowie, Maria Schneider Orchestra). The band takes classic Brazilian rhythms and styles and pushes them into space-age sonic drift. It's groovy and makes you feel like you're a real cool, sophisticated person. Plus, there is a trombone solo that makes you feel like you are walking around Greenwich Village and maybe you'll run into someone like Andy Warhol or Dizzy Gillespie… or maybe you'll get mugged, but at least the soundtrack is super nice.
Speaking to Punknews, Nagler says "'Encyclopedia of Songs' is all about songwriting, taking what goes on in the world, from the profound and awe-inspiring to the personal and mundane, and turning it into something that you can sing and play. It’s about collective and creative expression, which can be accomplished with equal doses of enthusiasm and patience."
You can pre-order the band's new album right here and hear the new tune below, right now!
More than 200 artists have signed an open letter requesting that A.I. development companies be mindful of artists when developing future A.I. The letter was signed by 200+ artists including Robert smith of the Cure, Elvis Costello, Cake, Stevie Wonder, Chuck D, Nicki Minaj, the estate of T-Rex, the estate of Bob Marley, Czarface, Katy Perry, Bon Jovi, Peter Frampton,Billie Eilish, Don Was, and many more.
In short, the letter requests/demands that developers, technology companies, and platforms and digital music services “pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content, or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.” It continues, “Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere.”
You can read the letter here.