There won't be a live stream, but Engadget will be live blogging the Apple event today at 1pm EST (10am Pacific)...

"...this isn't just any Apple event. Not only is it the long-rumored and much delayed unveiling of the iPhone 5, it will also mark the first Apple event with new CEO Tim Cook at the helm since Steve Jobs resigned in August. All eyes are on Cupertino to see what Apple's got in store, and how it will all play out. Here's what to expect....

...The iPhone 5, after all, is coming months after it was originally expected, and it's Apple's flagship product. While rumors have predicted everything from a complete redesign to a WiMax 4G model over the past year, a consensus has emerged on what will probably be unveiled in Cupertino today.

The next iPhone will look a lot like the last one. It'll be an incremental upgrade, design-wise, and won't be called the iPhone 5 ("iPhone 4S" appears to be the leading candidate for the name). The processor will be the Apple A5, the same chip found in the iPad 2, and it'll sport an 8-megapixel camera. There's virtually no chance it'll have LTE connectivity or an NFC chip, but the AT&T version will support HSPA+ 21 networks.

If the name of the event is any indication, voice recognition will factor highly as a new feature. Last year Apple acquired Siri, a company that makes voice-to-text software, and some blogs have reported that the next iPhone will have much more extensive voice control than previous models, essentially bestowing the user with a "personal assistant."

Changing the game even more will be the addition of Sprint to the U.S. carriers that offer the phone. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Sprint is paying billions to get the iPhone in order to keep its customers from defecting. (Of course, there's always the crazy, out-of-left-field rumor that Sprint will exclusively get the iPhone 5 while AT&T and Verizon get the iPhone 4S, for whatever that's worth.) When will it be on store shelves? Best guess: Oct. 21. iPhone launches are always on Fridays, typically two to three weeks after the unveiling. Happy Halloween. [PC Mag]

MadeMan.com lists the "10 Best iPhone Apps For Hipsters". They have Daytrotter on there. Hype Machine also now has an app.

Punk Island returns to Governors Island on June 19 as part of the annual city-wide Make Music New York fest (which actually occurs two days later). The main stage will be headlined by UK anarcho-punk pioneers Zounds. The festival is FREE and also features performances by A.P.P.L.E., Stza Crack (of Leftover Crack/Choking Victim/Star Fucking Hipsters) who is playing a solo set, White Collar Crime (reunion show, after 8 year hiatus), and tons more over multiple stages from 11AM to 5PM. The full lineup is below.

Zounds, who are led by Steve Lake (only remaining original member), got their start touring with fellow UK anarcho-punks Crass and releasing an EP on their label, Crass Records. Zounds followed that EP with a full length and 3 singles on Rough Trade before breaking up in 1982. The band's entire history since 1982 is unclear, but you can watch videos of a 1996 performance below, and they reportedly reformed in 2001, though these June performances are also being billed as the band's first-ever US shows. Before Punk Island, Zounds will play a NYC show at ABC No Rio on June 18 with Neon Bitches (feat. Brian of Dropdead) and Zero Content, both of whom also play Punk Island.

Zounds, whose current lineup is pictured above, are set to release The Redemption of Zounds, their first album of new material since reforming. Their 1981 Rough Trade album was titled The Curse of Zounds (also pictured above). According to Steve Lake, "It is as bewildering, absurd, tragic and joyful as it ever was." The album comes out on July 12 via Overground/Plastic Head. Tracklist and album art are below. Check them out along with the full Punk Island lineup, the flyer and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Punk Island happens Sunday (final lineup), Zounds are playing there & ABC No Rio & releasing an LP too"

by BBG

The Dwarves at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by Tim Griffin)

"THE DWARVES were kicked off tour with Motorhead for sleeping with the girls the aging metalheads had hired to hang out backstage. They were banned from venerable punk dive CBGBs for breaking a table and bleeding on the floor, making the venue cleaner and improving its décor." [25 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE DWARVES]

The Dwarves are celebrating 25 years of mischief with a new collection with songs titles like "The Dwarves Are Still The Best Band Ever", "We Only Came To Get High", and "Happy Birthday Suicide"...

That's right folks, the Dwarves magnum opus is done and set to drop May 10, 2011 on vinyl and cd, both including a free dvd! 25 years in the making the Dwarves Are Born Again features heroes from throughout the Dwarves saga. Blag the Ripper, HeWhoCanNotBeNamed, Rex Everything, the Fresh Prince of Darkness and a cast of thousands including Vadge Moore and Sgt. Saltpeter from the notorious Blood, Guts and Pussy record return to crush the ears of a desperate public.

Stream it below, or with a large amount of their output at their bandcamp. As you may/may not know Dwarves member Rex Everything currently goes by his government name Nick Oliveri (ex-Queens of The Stone Age, Mondo Generator).

The Dwarves have a few dates on the way including an appearance at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas and two NYC dates: July 15th at Knitting Factory and July 16th at The Studio at Webster Hall. Tickets for both the Knitting Factory date and the Studio date go on sale Friday at 10AM. All other Dwarves dates are below.

--
Steve Ignorant rehearsing earlier this month

In other news, after a stutter a few weeks ago, TONIGHT (4/20) marks the return of Steve Ignorant to the U.S. to play Crass songs at Europa. Dog That Bites Everyone Thulsa Doom,A.P.P.L.E., and Goldblade open the Brooklyn show... though there is a rumor that Goldblade, who are supporting on the whole tour, may not get here in time for tonight's show due to visa issues (update: rumour confirmed as true) (maybe you caught them at Southpaw in 2003). if not, they will hopefully make it soon though, and definitely in time for the sold-out Santos Party House 'Crass songs' show on 5/8. Tickets for tonight's Europa show are still available, and a full list of Steve Ignorant tour openers is below (Santos has Goldblade, Cult Of Youth and Primitive Weapons).

Also tonight (4/20), strangely, ex-Black Flag/current-Misfits-er Dez Cadena will hit Park Slope venue Union Hall with his band Dez Cadena & The Broken Down Bitches, as well as The Slants and Lunic. Tickets are still available.

Speaking Black Flag, two Black Flag vocalists (Henry Rollins & Keith Morris with his band Off!) will share one stage (Terminal 5) as part of a show/tour with Dinosaur Jr. Since that show was announced, Off! also announced even more tour dates which are listed below.

And while we're on the subject, former Misfits vocalist Glenn Danzig heads out on a tour that hits Starland Ballroom in his birth state next month. The current version of the Misfits play Festival For Humanity in Vernon, NJ on May 27th.

In more modern punk news (and other "Off" news), Off With Their Heads will team with Dead To Me for a string of US dates surrounding their appearance at Best Friends Day, including Knitting Factory on August 4th with The Holy Mess and Brian Bruner. Tickets are on sale.

And last and probably least, CJ Ramone will play The Studio at Webster Hall on July 9th, performing "an all Ramones set with Ramones producer Daniel Rey on guitar". Tickets are on sale. Joey Ramone died a little more than 10 years ago, and his birthday will again be celebrated at Irving Plaza in May.

All tour dates and that Dwarves stream is below.

Continue reading "new Dwarves LP & dates, Steve Ignorant is here, Dez Cadena too ++ CJ Ramone, updated Off! dates, Off With Their Heads"

by Ryan Barkan

Duffy @ Lollapalooza 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

The cola war has been heating up globally in the last couple of months with music as the weapon of choice.

Pepsi's image rebranding campaign, including a new smile-esque logo, launched right after Christmas with a tv commercial featuring The Apples in Stereo song, "Energy". They then went deep during the Super Bowl, dropping a spot featuring Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am singing "Forever Young" as the beverage's new anthem.

Coke counters with a European spot for Diet Coke that features a playful Duffy doing things on her time during an encore break at a concert. In the commercial, she sings a cover of Sammy Davis Jr's "I Gotta Be Me."

When Sara Tate, a senior planner at the London advertising agency Mother, was asked to find a new face for Diet Coke, she knew what she didn't want. "Definitely no rent-a-face," says Tate, whose ad with Duffy will launch on British television, before rolling out across Europe. "We steered clear of yet another glamorous star with a six-figure fee who will promote anything if the price is right. The public is getting smart to that. We wanted someone who is well known, but not hugely famous. Someone who is on the rise, for whom fame is recent enough that they remember what it is like to have a regular life. Duffy was a perfect fit because, although she is extremely successful, she's still incredibly down to earth." [Via Times Online]

Duffy has since cleaned up at the Grammys, at the British version of the Grammys, and - per Paul McCartney's request, recorded a cover of his song "Live And Let Die" for the new War Child Heroes comp that is released in the US this week. You may have heard the Beck/Dylan track from the same album, when it was played during the credits of last night's Oscars (more on the Oscars in a second...).

Coke's second attack is from Justice - Coke enlisted the duo along with Ed Banger Records' So_Me to design a glow-in-the-dark bottle and provide the soundtrack, their massive jam "D.A.N.C.E.", to a commercial. The bottle will be available in clubs throughout Europe. See the bottle in the commercial below.

The third assault from the Coke comes in their Full Throttle NHRA spots; three of the five have licensed songs: The Faces has "Blue Moon" by the Mavericks, The Machine kicks it country with Merle Haggard's "Working Man Blues", and Left Behind features Operator Please's "Zero Zero."

The final wave occurred as I was writing this article. A one-two punch during the Oscars with both The Boy Least Likely To's "Be Gentle With Me" and Sea Ray's "Revelry" showing up in Coke spots during the telecast on ABC (no video available yet). For those not familiar with the band, Sea Ray broke up in 2005.

Other Notable Licensing News:

Continue reading "This week in Music Licensing (Duffy, Justice, Sonic Youth, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead, Sea Ray & more...) "

Apple Inc. cut the price of its best-selling iPhone in half Monday - to $199 - making the all-in-one smart phone, media player and Internet device more accessible than before.

Apple also said it had increased the speed for the iPhone so that it runs on the latest 3G technology, shortening the time it takes to download a Web page and access the Internet. And for the first time, it will also incorporate GPS technology so that users can track where they are as they're traveling. [SF Gate]

What are the best ways/places to download music videos?

Check out the iPod touch ad featuring the CSS song (those traitors!) "Music is My Hot Hot Sex", and other videos, below...

Continue reading "how to get music videos for your iPod or Zune"

actual dudes (not actors) w/ iPhone & new Zunes (CRED)

Mad TV dressed up like the iPod commercial too!....

Continue reading "Mad TV iPod Nano Feist 1234 Commercial & new Zunes"

cute or cruel? (CRED) (via)

Speaking of sell-outs (JUST KIDDING!), Thurston Moore is opening for Bright Eyes at Radio City Music Hall, and playing an in-store performance at the Apple Store in SOHO on October 17th. There's no mention of it on Apple's site yet, but they do have a listing for an appearance by Stephen Colbert one day earlier. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Thurston Moore - 2007 Tour Dates --- Radio City w/ Bright Eyes & The Apple Store"