by BBG

Bad Religion circa Suffer

Bad Religion are back on the loose, and have a new LP due on 9/28 via (Weezer's new home) Epitaph, The Dissent of Man (preorder it). Tracks new and old will be on display when the band plays Roseland Ballroom on 10/20 and Starland Ballroom on 10/22 (ticket info forthcoming), as part of a larger tour for the punk rock legends that will include an appearance at Riot Fest and Fun Fun Fun Fest.

UPDATE: Bad Religion is playing three nights at Irving Plaza instead of a single show at Roseland Ballroom

So far Bouncing Souls and Off With Their Heads are confirmed for all OTHER dates (not FFF, or NY & NJ) including a show at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY on 10/12... will they be added to Roseland? Unsure, but we do know that Bouncing Souls WILL play a sold out Music Hall of Williamsburg and a sold out Rocks Off Cruise (hopefully) on Sep 12th and 13th respectively. Off With Their Heads released their new LP In Desolation in June.

While we're on the subject of upcoming punk shows, The Studio at Webster Hall has a pair of 'em worth looking into. First up, Guttermouth will play The Studio at Webster Hall TONIGHT with The New Threat and World War IX. Tickets are on sale.

Riverboat Gamblers will also be at the venue a couple weeks later (Sept 2nd) before they hit the road with Pennywise, tickets are on sale. The Pennywise tour hits Starland Ballroom just five days later. Riverboat Gamblers are currently hosting a remix contest for their song "Robots May Break Your Heart".

Tesco Vee is touring behind a new book, TOUCH AND GO: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83, and can be found in two different places in NYC in August.

"Dead Kennedys" (sans Jello) are playing Irving Plaza on October 15th. Tickets are on sale.

"Misfits" (sans Danzig) are playing Clifton Park on 10/20 (tickets), Irving Plaza on 10/28 (tickets), and Starland Ballroom on 10/29 (tickets). All dates below.

Post-Danzig, pre-Jerry Misfits singer Michale Graves plays Europa TONIGHT (8/20).

Some videos and all Bad Religion, Bouncing Souls, Off With Their Heads, Riverboat Gamblers, Misfits and Guttermouth tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Bad Religion tour dates & other upcoming punk shows "

words by BBG, photos by Zachary Roberts

Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine at Europa

Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine are back in NYC TONIGHT (5/28), scheduled to play a Rocks off Boat Cruise with Tim Barry (Avail) Morning Glory, and Shake Rattle Rattle Shake. Online tickets are dunzo, but you can still nab a pair at Pier 81 (cash only). The show marks the second NYC appearance for the new Jello Biafra project. The first came in the form of a Europa appearance on March 25th.

Overdue pics and setlists from Europa, which included appearances from Disaster Strikes, Witch Hunt, and Star Fucking Hipsters, with all dates, below....

Continue reading "Jello Biafra played Europa in March (belated pics & setlist), plays Rocks Off cruise TONIGHT & other dates "

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Dr. Ike

"Before Kansas City was recorded by everyone from the Beatles to Peggy Lee, the song was first released in 1952 as K.C. Loving by an obscure Houston pianist named Little Willie Littlefield.

The single became a regional hit in the Los Angeles area, where Littlefield was recording for Federal Records, but it would be up to Wilbert Harrison, Trini Lopez, James Brown and Hank Ballard to turn Kansas City into a top 25 hit on the national pop and R&B charts. Littlefield remained a fascinating, mysterious footnote to pop-music history.

The annual Ponderosa Stomp festival in New Orleans exists to bring such footnotes to life. This showcase for the semi-legends of rockabilly, blues and R&B was founded eight years ago by Ira Padnos, a local anesthesiologist and record collector who goes by the moniker of Dr. Ike and favors thrift-shop fezzes and Indian headdresses atop his unruly bush of dark curls. His extravaganza has grown from a local bar to this year's two-night stand at the French Quarter's House of Blues, with 37 sets spread out over two stages.

And so, on Tuesday, the first day of the eighth-annual Ponderosa Stomp, there was the 77-year-old Littlefield, dressed in a dark-blue brocade blazer and grinning with delight beneath his comb-over." [Jazz News]

Continue reading "the 2009 Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans - Day 1 in pics "

by Ryan Barkan

Advertising agencies make lots of online commercials. You know, spots made not for television, but with the hope the brand's message will spread virally on the net in an organic way. Though lots of them never catch steam like a rickroll, the new Guitar Hero World Tour "Bike Hero" video has already been watched over one million times. The creative takes The Living End's "Prisoner of Society" and turns it into a live action, first person bike ride through the song's playable level in GHWT. It's a pretty cool idea with amazing execution and a slight bit of computer magic. Watch the video below.

Other Notable Licensing News:

Bishop Allen played two shows in NYC over the weekend. They are a band that has benefited from some key licensing placements in the last year. The band appeared and performed in the recent Michael Sera movie, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Watch the scene below. The song they performed, "Middle Management", was also on the soundtrack and used in the film's trailer. They were also used in a commercial for Sony digital cameras late last year - watch the spot here.

Crayola goes indie-cool this holiday season with Dan Deacon and Lightspeed Champion songs in the campaign for the new Glow Station (via Pitchfork). Watch the spots below.

The new holiday commercial from LL Bean features "Valley Winter Song" by Fountains Of Wayne.

Danish band The Blue Van rock the soundtrack to the new Samsung Behold commercial. Watch below.

While enjoying college football on Saturday, I heard Nick Drake's "Place To Be" used in a promo spot for Michigan State. That video is below too.

I have a bunch of friends that can not get enough of the show Top Chef. Some of those friends are also crazy for the Foo Fighters (editor's note: with friends like that who needs enemies? JUST KIDDING. Actually that doesn't even make sense...). Those friends will be in heaven when TC goes "Foo Fighters Thanksgiving" this upcoming November 26th. The episode taped during a tour stop in Rochester, NY; the band will guest judge the few remaining contestants. Apparently, TC is Dave Grohl's favorite show.

You may have heard A-Ha's classic jam "Take On Me" before. It is/was a popular song and video. So popular, A.C. Newman is going to cover it for an upcoming Valentine's Day compilation for Starbucks. Even more so, you can take it on karaoke-style in the new video game by Microsoft, LIPS. The pretty clever commercial for the game uses the song as well. Watch it below.

The game's soundtrack also includes songs by The Police, Coldplay, Duffy, The Cure, Peter, Bjorn, & John, Radiohead, and more.

Nintendo DS and Wii players can now get their skateboard on while on the go with the release of EA's Skate It. The soundtrack contains tracks by Cut Chemist, Fujiya & Miyagi, Judas Priest, The Clash, Sly & the Family Stone, and more.

continued below...

Continue reading "This week in Music Licensing "