Friday, June 15, 2007

The Offspring getting close to finishing new album

The Offspring frontman Dexter Holland has issued the following update via the band's official website:

"Working hard, it's just taking awhile to get everything right. Every new part you record, you're trying out different stuff to get just the right guitar, microphone, amp, whatever...I can tell you though, the couple songs we just finished sound like a friggin' freight train...trying to get finished recording in the next month or so we'll keep you posted."

The still-untitled new album is their follow-up to 2003's Splinter and is expected in 2007 release via Columbia Records. It will mark the very first proper studio album recorded with drummer Atom Willard, who is the replacement of former member Ron Welty.

The band plans to play Japan in August, appearing at the Summer Sonic Festival on the 11th and 12th alongside bands like Sum 41, Avenged Sevenfold, Bloc Party, Interpol, and of course Cyndi Lauper.

Rancid to return to the studio in January 2008

Rancid has posted an update on the progress towards their long-awaited new album. The band's newest addition, drummer Branden Steineckert, explained:

"A lot of people have been asking me about the new Rancid record. Here's what's planned right now. We are getting together this Fall to begin writing the new record with plans to record it Jan 08. Check out the Rancid myspace or rancidrancid.com for official updates and band info. Meanwhile pick up Tim Armstrongs solo record "A Poets Life"....it will give you what you need til then."

The legendary East Bay punk rockers have not released any new material since 2003's Indestructible. The band went on an unofficial hiatus in 2004 while all members were busy concentrating on their own project. They did, however, reunite last year to embark on a successful tour before their original drummer Brett Reed left the band and then Used drummer Steineckert replaced him.

Frontman Tim Armstrong recently issued his solo full length, A Poet’s Life.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

TSOL status changed to "hiatus"

Despite seemingly calling it quits in November of last year, veteran punk act T.S.O.L. has upgraded their status to "hiatus" from "done for good." The band made this announcement:

"T.S.O.L has not broken up, they are just on a long break and will probably tour again coming end of summer early fall. In the meantime Jack will be playing shows with some good friends of his. The band is called " Jack Grisham and the West Coast Dukes" they will be playing some Joykiller T.S.O.L and Gentleman Jack songs."

The band had fallen on difficult times in recent years due to a shooting that occurred while they were on stage in Hollywood in 2002. While T.S.O.L. was cleared in the court case they were left with a daunting bill from the attorney that prevented them from widespread touring. That period also resulted in the band's last album Divided We Stand.

T.S.O.L.'s 1981 gothic punk debut Dance With Me was recently reissued by Nitro Records. A retrospective release titled Who's Screwin' Who? surfaced in 2005.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Studio report from The Offspring

The Offspring's Dexter Holland has posted another update on the band's follow up to 2003's Splinter:

"Still working on the record over here. Most of the music is recorded and we're working on vocals now. We counted up the other day, we actually demo'd 23 songs for this CD. Wow! That's a new record for us. Of those we've recorded 13. Will they all be on the album? I don't know! We'll see how they turn out. Maybe we'll cut one, or maybe we'll write a couple more. Because we're artists we're flaky like that."

The band plans to play Japan in August, appearing at the Summer Sonic Festival on the 11th and 12th alongside bands like Sum 41, Avenged Sevenfold, Bloc Party, Interpol, and of course Cyndi Lauper.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Social Distortion to release Greatest Hits album in June

On June 26, 2007, Social Distortion will release their Greatest Hits on CD and limited edition vinyl through Time Bomb Recordings. The collection distills three decades of the band's career to a succinct 11 tracks, spanning from "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster" to recent tracks like "Reach for the Sky" and "I Was Wrong." The set features a new single titled "Far Behind." Expect the song to hit radio on May 15th.

The cover of the Greatest Hits album has been posted, you can check it out here.

Here is the confirmed track listing:
  1. Another State of Mind
  2. Mommy's Little Monster
  3. Prison Bound
  4. Story of My Life
  5. Ball and Chain
  6. Ring of Fire
  7. Bad Luck
  8. When the Angels Sing
  9. I Was Wrong
  10. Reach for the Sky
  11. Far Behind

Friday, April 27, 2007

Top 50 greatest punk albums of all time

OK, fans! During my break from posting news articles, I started working on a listmania that has something to do with punk as well. I decided to work on a list of punk-related albums that changed my life or that I've been listening to all the time.

1. Ramones - Ramones (1976)
2. The Clash - London Calling (1979)
3. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
4. Black Flag - Damaged (1981)
5. Bad Religion - Suffer (1988)
6.
Green Day - Dookie (1994)
7.
The Offspring - Smash (1994)
8.
Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
9.
Bad Brains - I Against I (1986)
10.
NOFX - Punk in Drublic (1994)
11. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
12.
Minor Threat - Complete Discography (1989)
13.
Social Distoriton - Social Distortion (1990)
14. Circle Jerks
- Group Sex (1980)
15. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
16. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade (1984)
17. The Vandals
- Peace Thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals (1989)
18.
Descendents - Milo Goes to College (1982)
19.
Napalm Death - Scum (1987)
20. The Replacements
- Tim (1985)
21. Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies (1983)
22. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
23. Crass - The Feeding of the 5000 (1978)
24. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
25. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)
26. Fugazi - 13 Songs (1989)
27. Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising (1985)
28. Ramones - Road to Ruin (1978)
29. ALL - Allroy's Revenge (1989)
30. AFI - Sing the Sorrow (2003)
31. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come (1998)
32. Bad Religion - No Control (1989)
33. MxPx - Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo (1998)
34. Sublime - Sublime (1996)
35.
Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster (1982)
36. NOFX - S&M Airlines (1989)
37. blink-182 - Enema of the State (1999)
38. Pennywise - Land of the Free? (2001)
39. Propaghandi - How to Clean Everything (1993)
40. The Offspring - Americana (1998)
41.
Sick of It All - Blood, Sweat and No Tears (1988)
42. Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code (2005)
43. D.R.I. - Dealing With It! (1985)
44. Rancid - Let's Go (1994)
45. Adolescents - Adolescents (1981)

46. Green Day - Nimrod (1997)
47. Rise Against - Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)
48. D.I. - Horse Bites Dog Cries (1985)
49.
Jawbreaker - Dear You (1995)
50. Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction (1994)

Bad Brains set official release date and track listing for Build a Nation

Bad Brains have set an official release date and track listing for their new album Build a Nation. There has been much speculation about the release date, but this comes directly from the label. The disc is now set for June 26, 2007. Rumour has it that some versions of the record will contain extra tracks but nothing has been confirmed yet.

Build a Nation was produced by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys. It reunites band members H.R., Dr. Know, Daryl Jenifer and Earl Hudson for the first time in more than a decade. The album will arrive via Megaforce Records this summer. The band plans to appear at May's Sasquatch Festival, warming up with a May 25th show at Berbati's Pan in Portland, OR. More European and US dates are in the works as well.

Some friends and fans commented on the record, Beastie Boy and producer Adam Yauch noted:

"The Brains are one of most powerful and unique bands in the world, They have been a huge influence on me, and it was an honor to work with them on this record."

Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day also commented on the band:

"The thing about a lot of punk is the feeling that bands have is of apathy and hopelessness. Whereas Bad Brains lyrical content had a lot of hope in it."

Prior to the release the band's Omega Sessions will be released by Victory Records on May 1st as part of that label's new vinyl series.
  1. Give Thanks And Praises
  2. Jah People Make The World Go Round
  3. Pure Love
  4. Natty Dreadlocks 'Pon The Mountain Top
  5. Build A Nation
  6. Expand Your Soul
  7. Jah Love
  8. Let There Be Angels (Just Like You)
  9. Universal Peace
  10. Roll On
  11. Until Kingdom Comes
  12. In The Beginning
  13. Send You No More Flowers
  14. Peace Be Unto Thee