AbsolutePunk.net - News

fun. and Hayley Williams Cover Gotye

Thomas Nassiff — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:05:05 GMT

Fun. covered Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" for the BBC Live Lounge and they were joined by Paramore's Hayley Williams. Listen to the cover in the replies.

Live Sessions: Anthony Raneri / Steve Soboslai

Alex DiVincenzo — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:26:25 GMT

Anthony Raneri of Bayside and Steve Soboslai of Punchline recently wrapped a brief tour together, and I captured the final date at T.T. the Bear's Place in Cambridge, MA on April 29 for our Live Sessions. Head to the replies to watch full acoustic sets from each musician.

Hold Tight/Pedals On Pirate Ships Tour Dates

Christian Wagner — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:18:01 GMT

Hold Tight and Pedals On Pirate Ships are going on tour. Dates in the replies.

The Fake Boys Tour Dates

Christian Wagner — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:14:13 GMT

The Fake Boys are going on tour. Dates in the replies.

AP.net Interview: Ed Sheeran

Jake Denning — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:30:36 GMT

Check out our interview with Ed Sheeran here. Sheeran's debut album, +, has already sold over one million copies outside the U.S. alone; it releases June 12th in the U.S. through Atlantic Records.

From The InterviewYour debut album + (Plus) is about to come out in America in June; however it's been out everywhere else since September of last year. What some people might not know is that you've already sold 1 MILLION copies of this record. That's a huge accomplishment! Were you overwhelmed at the massive response you've received so far?

Thanks man, yeah I was overwhelmed by how many people have related to some of my songs, I've had a brilliant time travelling the world playing this record.

Staff Content [05/16/12]

Jake Denning — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:16:20 GMT

"364 days until next year's hockey tryouts, I have to toughen up."

Staff InterviewsEd Sheeran (Jake Denning)

New Song from The Spill Canvas

Jason Tate — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:25:13 GMT

You can stream a new song from The Spill Canvas, and read a new interview, here.

Submitted by billyboatkid

Stream New Flatfoot 56 Single

Christian Wagner — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:32:41 GMT

You can stream Flatfoot 56's new single, "I Believe It," here. Just click "listen now" and fast forward to 40:40. The song comes from their Paper + Plastick Records debut full-length Toil, which will be available on July 24.

Random Interview - The Holiday Electric

Jeremy Aaron — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:13:17 GMT

Today's interview from the random questionnaire offered to any and all bands comes from The Holiday Electric. You can read the interview here.

PropertyOfZack Presents: Escape the Fate, Pianos Become the Teeth, and More.

Jason Tate — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:12:37 GMT

PropertyOfZack has a few things to share today: an Escape The Fate interview that is quite odd, a Pianos Become the Teeth road blog, a Lowtalker studio feature, and a Foreign Tongues track-by-track.

The Streaming End Of Sirens

Jack Appleby — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:11:55 GMT

The Receiving End Of Sirens have set up a make-shift live stream of tonight's show. Head here at 6:30 PST for their set.

Submitted by JesseKilgannon

Stacy Clark Posts New Vieo for "Sign"

Jason Tate — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:04:55 GMT

Stacy Clark's new video for "Sign" can be found in the replies.

Some Live Set Your Goals Videos To Pass the Time

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:46:41 GMT

Three live videos of Set Your Goals performing "Goonies Never Say Die,� �Summer Jam,� and �The Few That Remain" can be found in the replies.

Submitted by zack-182

Afternoon Turntable?

Jack Appleby — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:46:24 GMT

Seems like the jam sessions always happen at night - let's listen while the sun's still up. Come over to the AbsolutePunk Turntable room for good times and good tunes.

EDIT: Thanks for coming by people!

American Gospel Cover Radiohead

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:35:30 GMT

American Gospel just released a video cover of Radiohead's "Lucky" (in the replies) and an interview for You, Me & Charlie.

Breathe Carolina Ask Fans to Unlock New Single

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:25:36 GMT

Breathe Carolina want fans to help unlock "Hit and Run" -- each 1000 'Likes" unlocks another 15 seconds.

Submitted by fbrrocks

Lamb of God/Dethklok Tour

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:24:50 GMT

Lamb of God and Dethklok will co-headline a tour with support from Gojira. Dates can be found in the replies.

Testament Announce New Album

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:21:29 GMT

Testament will release Dark Roots of Earth on July 31st via Nuclear Blast Records. The artwork can be seen in our gallery.

Track Listing
1. Rise Up
2. Native Blood
3. Dark Roots Of Earth
4. True American Hate
5. A Day In The Death
6. Cold Embrace
7. Man Kills Mankind
8. Throne Of Thorns
9. Last Stand For Independence

Paris Hilton Is a DJ

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:37:46 GMT

I'm procrastinating from answering all the emails in my inbox, so .... Paris Hilton announces she's going on a DJ tour and will be releasing an album of house music.

Submitted by botDs-r

Four Year Strong No Longer on Universal

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:30:22 GMT

Four Year Strong is no longer on Universal/Motown records.

From the BandWhen the merger between Motown and Republic happened, our album was essentially done. Republic put out the album since it was done and didn't seem like they had much intention other than that, so we were able to get off the label. Nobody is unhappy about this on our side.

The Albums that Changed Kevin Devine's Life

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:48:47 GMT

Check out a new feature on the albums that changed Kevin Devine's life.

Submitted by WhoSaidThat?

Tegan and Sara Post Video Update

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:41:44 GMT

Tegan and Sara's latest video update is in the replies.

My Chemical Romance Confirm Jarrod Alexander

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:40:56 GMT

My Chemical Romance have confirmed that Jarrod Alexander will be drumming on the band's new album.

The Menzingers Video for "Nice Things"

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:36:45 GMT

The Menzingers video for "Nice Things" is in the replies.

Fastest Finger Contest: Cherri Bomb

Ryan Gardner — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:14:56 GMT

Update: We have a winner!

In honor of Cherri Bomb's debut record, This Is The End Of Control, being released today, we've teamed up for a giveaway. The first person to reply to this thread will get a signed copy of the record and a signed poster (seen in the replies).

Stream An Exercise in Form

Ryan Gardner — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:08:43 GMT

Head here to stream the new The Orphan, The Poet EP, An Exercise in Form. Read our review of it here.

Bill Ward Not Joining Black Sabbath Reunion

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:54:07 GMT

Drummer Bill Ward will officially not be participating in the Black Sabbath reunion.

Dear Sabbath Fans and Fellow MusiciansI sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued. At this time I have to inform you that I won�t be playing with Black Sabbath at the Birmingham gig dated May 19th, 2012, nor will I be playing at Download on June 10th, 2012. Further, I will not be playing at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2012.

It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I am sincerely passionate in my desire to play with the band, and I�m very, very sorry that it�s fallen to this. This statement is even more painstaking to write, as I was particularly excited to play alongside Tony Iommi after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to become a reality.

To express my thoughts about you, the Sabbath fans, I�m going to speak to you all through an experience my brother James had recently. My brother Jimmy lives in the U.K. When speaking with him a couple of days ago, he told me that an acquaintance had stopped him on the street and confronted him, �is your brother playing Birmingham? What�s going on? I waited in line with my son and paid x amount for the concert tickets.�

The man�s son is a young drummer. He�s going to see Sabbath, and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news, I felt horrible. I couldn�t help feeling some resentment towards the failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came from, the failure to be as brothers, as we once were. To be clear, I�m not blaming the other guys or finding any faults with them. I would think it can�t be easy for them either, but this situation is just really sad. It�s sad that it�s come to this. �This� will surely leave a mark and be unwelcome to the memory. Hopefully �this� will heal and pass in time.

My heart sank when Jimmy told me about this young boy. I know this boy is going to be disappointed, and I don�t know how to amend it, other than to put my arms around the boy and tell him I love him. Sabbath fans have a voice and a face, to me you�re human, you have families and despair. You have ferocity and emotions and graciousness, and at this moment as far as I�m concerned you are also that young boy in England. I don�t know how to amend my part in these failings other than to put my arms around you and say I love you and let you know I�m very, very sorry.

Throughout this process, which began over a year ago, I have had to stand up for myself time and time again. I have had to stand up for myself and in doing so realize my actions indirectly, although unintentionally, are upsetting and hurting a lot of you. I know in my heart I couldn�t have done these concerts by agreeing the terms suggested. I made a solemn vow after the last European and Ozzfest concerts that I would never again enter into what was, in my opinion, a totally unsatisfactory contract. I have to stand for something, and as painful as it is, I�m doing it.

Earlier in April 2012, I�d been asked to participate �minimally� in the Download festival. I believe I�d been offered no more than three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath. I was not willing to participate in that offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set, while I was to play only three songs.

I found out about the Birmingham gig on Monday, April 30 through the Internet ad. I was taken aback somewhat by the date, and the fact it was Birmingham. Knowing the �signable� contract negotiations were at best in shreds, I was upset by the idea that the band was going to play Birmingham and play it assumedly without me. I had no prior knowledge of the date and location, and I felt totally excluded. We contacted the representative for Black Sabbath to see if something could be worked out. In the meantime my drum crew and I, along with our US endorsers, finished all the necessary planning for a swift departure to the UK. There wasn�t a whole lot to complete; we�d all been on standby more or less since mid-January 2012. The remaining work in the UK was confirmed done by our European and UK endorsers and we were good to go by Friday, May 4 2012. There were two stress points: firstly, getting an agreement in place, and secondly, getting to England in a timely manner. Jetlag time was taken into account as well as drum practice, a drum practice room in the heart of Birmingham, accommodation, and travel arrangements were all in place to meet with any band rehearsals that may have transpired before the Birmingham show. So far everything that had been arranged was on my dime, but we didn�t move ahead without a realistic confirmation.

Communications between the representative and my lawyer continued through the weekend of May 5 finalizing on Wednesday, May 9. The offer we received on May 9 was, �come to the UK, play for free and see how the first show goes.� I was tempted. Playing for free would not have been a problem for me, but �seeing how the first show goes� left an element of risk which could have affected Download. My ideal thought was to play in full the Birmingham show, in full Download, and in full Lollapalooza.

I had notified the representative that May 10 was my cutoff day in order to have good lead-in time for England. On the night of May 9 I asked for a brief letter to be sent to the representative asking to find out if we were at an end. On the morning of Thursday, May 10, I received a reply in the affirmative. After consulting with my advisors and crew a decision was made to let go and stop.

I can�t prioritize the Sabbath fans making one show more important than the other. I can�t do that. All of you are important. It�s all the gigs or none at all. I can�t come to Birmingham and �see what happens� knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it�s all or nothing. I had to say �no� to Birmingham on the principle of wanting to play all the shows. Saying no to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham. It�s still my hometown and I resent having to arrive at such a difficult choice.

Although the statement was made that, �the door is always open� for me, as explained above, walking through that door is not always as easy as it sounds. There are many complicated issues and unseen and unspoken agendas on hand. I can assure you, my criteria for a �signable� contract is based in mindful principles, respectability, and acknowledgement of my history within the band.

I hold no malice or resentment towards the other band members. I love them; I�m tolerant of them; I�m frustrated with them, as they may be with me. My fight has never been with them. I�ll love them forever. In my opinion, nobody wins this time; the band doesn�t win; the fans for an original lineup don�t win. Nobody wins, nobody. Even the ones who thought they did.

I didn�t want to make this decision, but I have to be honest and transparent. This is the statement I didn�t want to write; it�s the last thing I wanted to do. But, I have written it, and now it can go into the universe.

Since Spring of 2011, I�ve waited patiently and hopefully for a signable contract, you know the rest. I stand for the boy in the U.K., for the coming drum student, for all the drummers, who write their parts out and get stiffed on the publishing, I stand with the Sabbath fans chanting �Bill Ward� and asking �why?� and I stand with Tony and Geezer and Ozzy.

On a final note, even though I�m at an end with the upcoming announced concerts, I will remain with an open mind and a position of willingness to negotiate �signable� terms with Sabbath�s representatives in the future.

New NOFX Single

Deborah Remus — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:51:58 GMT

NOFX will release a 7" single titled My Stepdad's a Cop and My Stepmom's a Domme. It will be released on June 19th, but you can get an instant download if you pre-order it right now.

Refused Announce Western Canadian Shows

Deborah Remus — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:13:58 GMT

Refused will be in western Canada at the end of August and tour dates can be found in the replies.

Bonnaroo Announces Schedule

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:06:44 GMT

Bonnaroo have announced the set times/schedule for the 2012 festival.

Clips of New Beach Boys Album

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:54:25 GMT

Clips of every song on the new Beach Boys album are on Amazon.

Submitted by sammyboy516

Green Day Headlining Voodoo Fest

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:51:04 GMT

Green Day will headline Voodoo Fest this year. Their only scheduled US date all year.

4 of 5 The Air I Breathe Members Leave Band

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:46:58 GMT

4 of the 5 members of The Air I Breathe have left the band. The only remaining member is vocalist Tony Dougard. However, it looks like he has found replacements for the Rise Records Freshman Tour.

Submitted by walk aimlessly

New Death Grips Video

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:42:28 GMT

Death Grips have released a new video for their song "Hustle Bones" -- its in the replies.

Submitted by Derka Derka

American Gospel Album Up for Purchase

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:39:02 GMT

American Gospel's (Gregg Dellarocca from The Republic of Wolves) debut album "Tall Tales Vol. 1" is now available for purchase. Personally, I think it's better than the last TROW album.

Mark Hoppus + CollegeHumor

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:35:18 GMT

Mark Hoppus recently did a video with CollegeHumor.

Submitted by Cozz

Conor Oberst Adds Two Dates

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:33:22 GMT

Conor Oberst has added two live dates to his 2012 schedule. Oberst will be playing at Royce Hall in Los Angeles on September 27th and in New York City at Carnegie Hall on November 21st. The full press release is in the replies.

Sparks the Rescue/Rocky Loves Emily Tour

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:23:03 GMT

Dates for the Surrender Your Booty Tour featuring Sparks the Rescue, Rocky Loves Emily and Aristo can be found in the replies.

Meg Myers "Adelaide" On Last Call

Kyle Huntington — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:13:23 GMT

Watch Meg Myers performing "Adelaide" live on Last Call with Carson Daly here.

Lights' Daytrotter Sessions

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:03:53 GMT

Lights' Daytrotter sessions are now up.

With The Punches Streams New Song

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:03:10 GMT

With The Punches is streaming a new song called "Don't Panic" here. It comes from their upcoming full-length, Seams and Stitches, which is due out July 3 via Doghouse Records.

Benji Madden Working With Chiddy Bang

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:00:05 GMT

Good Charlotte's Benji Madden is currently working with rapper Chiddy Bang on a new collaboration.

Stream New River City Extension Song

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:49:55 GMT

River City Extension's new song titled "Ballad of Oregon" can be streamed here.

Stream The Gaslight Anthem's NY Show Live

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:42:58 GMT

On May 16th, at 9pm EST, The Gaslight Anthem will be streaming their NY Show online. I feel like this trend (live show streaming over the internet) is really just starting, I think it just may have legs.

Kimbra Stream New Album

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:19:52 GMT

You can stream Kimbra's new album Vows over at NPR.

Submitted by Mario57

Planes Mistaken For Stars Announce Reunion Shows

Jason Gardner — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:17:53 GMT

Planes Mistaken For Stars have announced a string of reunion dates to coincide with their previously announced reunion show in Brooklyn, NY on August 8. The band will also be re-pressing their 2006 LP Mercy via No Idea Records and will have them available on this tour. Dates for these reunion shows are in the replies.

A389 Records Mixtape

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:15:37 GMT

A389 Records has released their 2012 sampler. 51 tracks and over two hours of music for free.

The Word Alive Video Teaser

Christian Wagner — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:52:58 GMT

The Word Alive has released a a video teaser of a new song called "Wishmaster" from their album Life Cycles. You can listen to it in the replies.

Cary Brothers Posts New Covers EP

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:50:17 GMT

Cary Brothers has released a covers EP on iTunes and Amazon.

Interview: Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:40:14 GMT

Over the years I've worked on this website, there are a handful of interviews that have really stood out to me. A handful that I sit back and think, "yeah, those I'm really proud of." When I finished typing up the interview with Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem -- I immediately re-read through it, and had that feeling of pride. It's an interview that talks about a variety of topics, from the band's new album and the lyrical themes and "punishing sound" throughout, to the recent Against Me! news and Brian's thoughts on a wide range of topics. It's an interview that I think gets a little deeper into the mind of one of today's great songwriters -- and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did doing it.

From the Interview Sometimes when a new record's out people will come out and say something like, "so and so's overproduced" - and first of all: I didn't know that everybody and their mother had an engineering degree all of a sudden. And you'll have magazines doing the, "well, I like so and so's last album and the new one is just too over produced." And I kinda feel like calling up the magazine and saying, "Yeah, well - the article was great, but you know I don't really like the paper you printed this on." I mean, since when did all these people work the tape ops? Well, whatever ... the thing that was really cool this time - if you listen to our records, they're all really attempting to be these big sounding records. Attempting to sound huge. And I think on this one - we actually had all of the opportunities to do it with the kind of equipment we were using and we had 'the guy' that, well, that's what he does: he makes things sound huge. Even if you have this quiet acoustic song, somehow he's still able to make it sound huge when he's done with it. So, you know, I think that was really the coolest � and I guess most different thing � about this record.

Pre-Order New House Of Heroes Album

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:28:05 GMT

House of Heroes new album is now available for pre-order.

ABSOLUTExclusive: NGHBRS Song Stream

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:05:57 GMT

Today we've got an exclusive song stream from one of our favorite up-and-coming bands in NGHBRS. The band plays a bluesy/southern brand of rock-and-roll, so head to the replies or the band's AP.net Profile to hear the big-riffing, arena-filling "Animals," which comes a free mixtape they'll be releasing later this summer. Leave your thoughts in the replies.

MxPx 20th Anniversary Tour

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:58:27 GMT

MxPx's upcoming shows in celebration of their 20th anniversary are in the replies.

Fighting With Wire Announce New Album

Andy Biddulph — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:38:11 GMT

Fighting With Wire's new album Colonel Blood will be released on September 24th in Europe and September 25th in North America through Xtra Mile Recordings. The band have also announced a UK tour, dates for which can be found in the replies.

Jesse Lacey Speaks Out About Brand New's Future

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:32:22 GMT

Jesse Lacey was interviewed for this article about Bamboozle and said some things about Brand New, including how the band's studio time in April was not used to record a new Brand New album. It doesn't seem like there's a plan to record one soon, either. The quote is below.

From the ArticleBy phone from his Suffolk County home, Lacey speaks earnestly but vaguely about the band's future. Brand New booked studio time in April, and its members took advantage of it -- but usually not together. "You start to lose that whole idea that it's important for our band to be known as this entity. And we put a lot more importance on our individual fulfillment, really," Lacey says. "In some ways a band can be limiting, especially after being in it for 10 to 12 years. It really has become a lot more about the friendship and the families we have with each other -- and the idea that we can't do this much longer."

So what's the band's future? "Brand New is always going to be Brand New -- I don't think we're ever going to say, 'Hey, we're never going to record a record again,' " Lacey continues. "But at the same time, there were things in the course of the band that we weren't looking ahead to what the next record was going to be."

At the least, Lacey confirms Brand New will still be together when it plays Bamboozle. "We're playing the day that Bon Jovi is playing, and it's just a total laugh. How does that make any sense whatsoever?" he says amiably. "You mention it in passing to your friends. Just the look on their faces: 'What do you mean?' 'I don't know, they asked us. So we're going to do it.'"

My Arcadia Stream "Stay"

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:27:09 GMT

My Arcadia's new EP, Stay, is streaming here. It was produced by Craig Owens of Chiodos.

The Gaslight Anthem Reveal Artwork for Handwritten and New Tour Dates

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:22:25 GMT

Head to the replies to see The Gaslight Anthem's artwork for Handwritten. It'll be out on July 24 ... only 70 long days away. Also, there are new tour dates in the replies.

Update: The deluxe version of the album will have a different cover. - Jason

I Call Fives Announce Full Length Debut

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:04:07 GMT

I Call Fives will release their self-titled full-length debut on July 10th via Purse Noise Records.

Track Listing
1. Late Nights
2. Obvious
3. Backup Plan
4. The Fall Guy
5. Stuck in �03
6. Enemy
7. Wrong Things
8. Two Sides To Every Story
9. We Were Right Together and We Were Wrong Together
10. Regrets and Setbacks
11. Sleep Well

Night Verses Free EP Available

Jack Appleby — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:52:31 GMT

You can download Night Verses' debut EP for free via their official website, and check out our review of Out of The Sky here.

Alan Rickman In CBGB Founder Biopic

Kyle Huntington — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:21:47 GMT

Alan Rickman is set to play Hilly Kristal in the forthcoming biopic about the founder of the legendary venue CBGB's.

Riot Fest Line-Up Announced

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:55:42 GMT

Riot Fest 2012 will take place on September 14-16 at Humboldt Park and Congress Theater in Chicago, IL. In addition to headliners such as Rise Against, Iggy & the Stooges, Elvis Costello, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys and The Offspring, the event is scheduled to be Choidos' first show back with Craig Owens. Check out the poster with the first batch of bands in the replies.

Misser Album Stream

Alex DiVincenzo — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:44:13 GMT

Stream Misser's Every Day I Tell Myself I'm Going To Be A Better Person and read track-by-track descriptions here.

Still Rings True Posts New Song

Christian Wagner — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:43:31 GMT

Still Rings True has posted a new song called "All The Same." You can download it and another new song called "The Broken" here.

ABSOLUTExclusive: Write This Down

Ryan Gardner — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:38:17 GMT

Today we are premiering a new Write This Down jam called "Red 7." Hit their AP.net Profile or the replies to stream it. The track comes from their upcoming sophomore record, Lost Weekend, available June 5th via Tooth & Nail Records. It's a little different than on their previous record self-titled record - it's rowdy and heavy - but I have a feeling fans will dig it.

Staff Reviews - 05/15/2012

Drew Beringer — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:48:27 GMT

Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets.

Staff Reviews 5.15.2012mewithoutYou - Ten Stories (Drew Beringer)
The Orphan, The Poet - An Exercise in Form EP (Ryan Gardner)
Above The Underground - Autumns EP (Ryan Gardner)
Bad Veins - The Mess We've Made (Gregory Robson)
Night Verses - Out Of The Sky (Jack Appleby)

Albums in Stores Today: 5-15-2012

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:00:11 GMT

Here are the albums that are in stores today. Pick up anything good? What do you recommend for other viewers? If we missed anything, please add it to our calendar. Check out rdio or spinner for album streams of new releases.

John Mayer Album Stream

Jonathan Bautts — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:49:39 GMT

John Mayer's new album Born And Raised is streaming on iTunes.

Topshelf vs. No Sleep Comes To An End...

Thomas Nassiff — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:03:54 GMT

The Topshelf vs. No Sleep war has ended and resulted in this: A 20-song compilation featuring rare songs from the labels' bands available in select Hot Topic stores on May 22. Check out all the details here.

New Mest Song Available For Download

Jason Tate — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:25:49 GMT

A new Mest song is available for download.

Submitted by iseejosh

Random Interview - What Tyrants

Jeremy Aaron — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:58:21 GMT

Today's interview from the random questionnaire offered to any and all bands comes from What Tyrants. You can read the interview here.

Small Band Round-Up (05/14/12)

Christian Wagner — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:49:59 GMT

Head to the replies to read this week's Small Band Round-Up.

Flatfoot 56 to Premiere New Single Tomorrow

Jason Gardner — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:41:40 GMT

Flatfoot 56 will premiere its first single from the band's upcoming full-length, Toil, on Mike Davies' BBC Radio 1 Punk Rock Show tomorrow, Tuesday the 15th, at 7 p.m. EST / midnight in the UK. The song is called "I Believe It" and Toil is out July 24 via Paper + Plastick Records.

Interview Tease: The Gaslight Anthem

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:44:27 GMT

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem late last week. I'm in the midst of typing up the interview (transcribing is a pain in the ass), and I am planning on having it done and ready to publish tomorrow morning. But, since I've got a portion done now, I thought I'd toss up one of my favorite answers to tease the interview and get a little information out there for fans.

From the InterviewWell, lyrically, this one was no holds barred. Whatever I'm thinking right now, whatever I'm feeling, I'm putting on that page. And, I wasn't going to "edit" it � I mean, I edited it like crazy; hmmm, I wasn't going to censor it. I wasn't going to pull the, "would so and so do this" or "would this band say this" or "is this cool?" -- cause you always think about your peers, and you don't want to say something that leads to everyone going "why did you say that, man?" - and then you've got to live with that forever. But with this one it was a little bit more � well, it was less thinking about that kind of thing. It was "well, you know, if I'm not cool then I'm not cool." I just gotta write what I'm feeling. Cause what if this record blows up? And I had written a bunch of songs that I didn't really mean, but I thought sounded cool, and then I'm stuck singing them for rest of my life? And I definitely don't want to do that. And if I'm lucky enough that this blows up, I want it to be because I did something that was me, and I didn't want to sell anybody anything that I wasn't going to like.

So, check back tomorrow for the full thing. Personally, I think it's one of the best interviews I've done. We talk about just about everything. From how Lady Gaga inspired a song, to Against Me!, to over-production, to lyrical and album themes from the new record.

Ice Nine Kills Added To The All Stars Tour

Christian Wagner — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:06:49 GMT

Ice Nine Kills has been added to The All Stars Tour.

fun. On Jimmy Kimmel June 4

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:13:04 GMT

Fun. will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 4th.

Submitted by TheDillon

Vipers of America

Alex DiVincenzo — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:11:55 GMT

Listen to a new Vipers (FKA The Vipers) song entitled "Vipers of America" here.

Derrick Frost Rejoins Chiodos

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:05:54 GMT

Derrick Frost has rejoined Chiodos as their drummer. There's a video in the replies about it.

Submitted by four people within a very short timeframe

Make Do and Mend Preorders for Everything You Ever Loved

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:47:19 GMT

Preorders for Make Do and Mend's new record, Everything You Ever Loved, are now up on MerchNow. The vinyl options are a tri-color wedge, limited to 200 units, available in a $60 bundle with two t-shirts and a photo book, 300 ultra clear vinyl, 500 deep purple vinyl, and 500 gold vinyl. You can also see their music video for "Lucky" in the replies.

The Return Fight (ex-YMAEWK) Post Song Up For Free

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:26:33 GMT

The Return Fight (ex-You, Me, and Everyone We Know) have put their song "Oh Betty" up for a free download in exchange for a tweet.

Submitted by LoveLoveLove222

The Front Bottoms Opening for Brand New

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:20:15 GMT

The Front Bottoms will be opening for Brand New at their show this coming Saturday at The Stone Pony is Asbury Park, NJ.

The Dropkick Murphys Respond to Republican Using Their Song

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:17:25 GMT

Jeff Fitzgerald, candidate for U.S. Senate and current Speaker of the Assembly of Wisconsin, used the Dropkick Murphys/Woody Guthrie anthem "Shipping Up To Boston" as his intro at the state�s Republican Party Convention. The band was less than pleased.

From the BandThe stupidity and irony of this is laughable. A Wisconsin Republican U.S. Senate candidate � and crony of anti-Union Gov. Scott Walker � using a Dropkick Murphys song as an intro is like a white supremacist coming out to gangsta rap! Fitzgerald: if you and your staff can�t even figure out your music you might wanna give up on the politics!!!!! We stand beside our Union and Labor brothers and sisters and their families in Wisconsin and all over the U.S!

Smartpunk Live: AbsolutePunk.net Sessions -- Bayside [Video]

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:24:00 GMT

Check the replies to view two acoustic Bayside sessions we've teamed up with SmartPunk to produce.

Technology Round-Up: May 14th, 2012

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:17:41 GMT

Check the replies for last week's Technology Round-Up. If you're interested in a more consistently updated tech (and politics and other shit) round-up, check out my blog (RSS, Twitter). I updated it often with stories I think are worthy.

O'Brother Acoustic

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:07:50 GMT

O'Brother did an acoustic version of "Machines Part I" for Atlanta's 99X. Check the replies.

Submitted by brook183

The Killers Cover The Raspberries

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:03:19 GMT

The Killers have released a cover of The Raspberries' "Go All The Way" -- check it out in the replies.

Counting Crows Want You To Download Their New Music ... On BitTorrent

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:50:09 GMT

Counting Crows released Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation) in June - which you can stream in the replies - and they want you to download four new songs from the album, complete with liner notes and artwork, for free on BitTorrent. In addition, BitTorrent and Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz will host a Q&A session with fans on Twitter at 4 p.m. EST today. Participate by following the hashtag #crowchat and sending tweets to @CountingCrows and @BitTorrent.

Submitted by mr_raccoon

GlassJAw Live DVD in Progress

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:48:35 GMT

GlassJAw are planning to release a live DVD probably around the 10 year anniversary for Worship and Tribute.

Motion City Soundtrack Video Interview

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:45:28 GMT

Check out a video interview with Motion City Soundtrack in the replies.

Say Anything to Release Documentary

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:43:30 GMT

Say Anything be releasing a documentary on the making of their new album, Anarchy, My Dear. Check out the trailer in the replies.

Anchor & Braille Release Date

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:36:23 GMT

Anchor & Braille will release The Quiet Life on July 31.

Submitted by contra11mundum

Another John Mayer Lyric Video

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:34:11 GMT

John Mayer's lyric video for "Love Is A Verb" can be seen in the replies.

Submitted by WhoSaidThat?

Coachella Announces Advance Ticket Sales for 2013 Festival

Thomas Nassiff — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:22:43 GMT

Coachella's 2013 festival will take place on April 12-14 and 19-21. Tickets will go one sale on May 17. Check out details here.

To Speak of Wolves Music Video

Christian Wagner — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:22:11 GMT

To Speak of Wolves has released the band's music video for "Je Suis Fini." You can view it in the replies.

Don't Take My Baroness Away

Alex DiVincenzo — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:14:40 GMT

Head to the replies to hear a new Baroness song entitled "Take My Bones Away."

Braid Announces Tour Dates with Owen

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:03:35 GMT

Braid has announced nine new tour dates with Owen. Check them out in the replies.

Liam and Me To Release Album on June 23rd

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:59:47 GMT

In a past Thursday Discussion I talked about Liam and Me and wondered whatever happened to the follow-up album they recorded, but never released. Well, I just got my answer. After talking to the band, it looks like some crazy shit went down (more on that soon), but the band will be releasing the album online sometime around June 23rd before their upcoming NYC shows. So, it's coming. We'll keep you updated with more information when we get it.

Your Haircuit Is Fucking Up Your Vision

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:56:30 GMT

An optometrist is warning that "swooping haircuts" may just end up leading to eye problems.

From The ArticleMr Hogan said a curtain of hair over one eye could actually act like an eyepatch, limiting the eye's access to both sunlight and sensory stimulation. He said recent research had shown a lack of direct sunlight resulted in short sightedness.

Submitted by mr_raccoon

P.O.D. Release Video, Push Back Album

Alex DiVincenzo — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:52:00 GMT

P.O.D.'s music video for "Lost In Forever (Scream)" can be seen in the replies. The band's new album, Murdered Love, will now be released on July 10th via Razor & Tie.

The Almost Begin Recording

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:50:20 GMT

The Almost has started recording their new LP.

Submitted by theonethingihav

The Junior Varsity Perk Up

Jason Tate — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:45:20 GMT

According to a recent twitter status, The Junior Varsity are stirring.

Submitted by Mario57