Punk forums and Twitter went aflutter Sunday night when the Minor Threat song "Minor Threat" was played on HBO's Entourage. Given that big companies have a history of using Dischord stuff without permission, some assumed it went down like the Great Nike Copyright Infringement of 2005, or the Forever 21 T-shirt, or the Fox assholery over unauthorized use of "Salad Days."

But nope, it was nothing like that, says Dischord's Alec Bourgeois. "It's not as juicy as it seems," he says over email. "Minor Threat clears plenty of stuff--some of it never runs, some of it does and no one notices."

The Dischord spokesperson says "HBO actually asks all the time. What is more surprising is that they actually used it." [Washington City Paper]

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

The Vaccines in Central Park

The Vaccines regularly cover Minor Threat's cover of "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" by the Standells. Tuesday night, 5/24, during their opening set at Central Park Summerstage in NYC, Minor Threat's Lyle Preslar actually played it with them!
NME talked to both of them:

"I was a little worried The Vaccines might turn out to be like the British version of emo-core or something," Preslar told NME. "Frankly, over the years, you do find yourself in a situation where you don't like the bands that claim to like you. But I genuinely love the way they're quite referential to other bands but quite fresh at the same time."

The Vaccines frontman Justin Young explained his surprise at finding Preslar to be so enthusiastic, especially as the guitarist hadn't played the song since Minor Threat disbanded in 1983. "I couldn't help but think it sounded so much tighter with Lyle than we do when I play the song," he said. "It was a great honour. I got into hardcore when I was 13 or 14 but to be honest, Minor Threat are the only hardcore band that I still listen to."

The Vaccines were opening for the Arctic Monkeys like they are on the whole tour they're on now. The Vaccines next return to the NYC-area to play a fest in the Hamptons.

Too bad Lyle didn't join Ted Leo who played Minor Threat tracks with a backing track at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday. Ted should invite Lyle to the free show he'll be playing at South Street Seaport this summer.

Watch a video of Lyle playing with The Vaccines last night at Summerstage, with more pictures from the opener's set, and their setlist, below...

Continue reading "The Vaccines played Summerstage w/ help from Minor Threat's Lyle Preslar (video, pics & setlist)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Andrew Frisicano

The "Our Band Could Be Your Life" tribute Sunday night at Bowery Ballroom ran more than four hours with 14 bands playing the music of 13 bands (plus a special encore act that covered Nirvana). Set changes were kept short, and bands generally played about 10-15 minutes (between one and four songs). Unannounced guests included Tim Harrington and Lee Ranaldo singing the Minutemen, Craig Finn playing the role of Minneapolis cop, and Dan Deacon's multimedia barrage and three-piece band. More highlights, lots of pictures, and a bunch of videos (UPDATE: NPR has audio of the show) are below...

Continue reading "'Our Band Could Be Your Life' in pics, video & review (Dirty Projectors, St Vincent, Dan Deacon, Ted Leo, Wye Oak & more)"

Nat Baldwin, David Longstreth and Brian McOmber play Black Flag
Delicate Steve plays the Minutemen
Ted Leo plays Minor Threat
Titus Andronicus plays the Replacements
Tune-Yards plays Sonic Youth
Dan Deacon plays the Butthole Surfers
St. Vincent plays Big Black
Wye Oak plays Dinosaur Jr
Buke & Gass plays Fugazi

No, that's not a list of what happened in a weird dream last night. That is the LINEUP of a NYC show at Bowery Ballroom on May 22nd in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Michael Azerrad's "classic history of the '80s indie underground", Our Band Could Be Your Life (a book everyone reading this site should probably own!)

To quote show co-presenter Tiger Mountain Presents, "some of the best bands in contemporary indie music will play songs by each of the 13 bands in the book."

"For years, all kinds of people -- musicians, people who run labels, concert promoters, journalists, whatever -- have told me that they've been very inspired by Our Band Could Be Your Life and the bands it profiles, which is incredibly gratifying and totally unexpected," says Azerrad. "The tenth anniversary of the book was a great occasion for the current generation of bands to celebrate these pioneers."

More bands & guest hosts TBA. Tickets are $25 & go on sale Friday, 3/11 at noon.

Meanwhile the book will also be the topic of a panel discussion at SXSW that Merrill Garbus aka tUnE-yArDs (who is also playing the festival) will speak on.

Ted Leo is headed to Austin too, an appearance at the BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase included.

Delicate Steve and Wye Oak are going to SXSW too. Wye Oak can be found at the BV/KF/Partisan day party at Swan Dive on Friday, 3/18. Wye Oak will also play Bowery Ballroom as part of a tour in April.

St. Vincent plays Big Black. I just felt like saying it again!

Continue reading "'Our Band Could Be Your Life' 10th anniversary show lineup (Big Black, Black Flag & Fugazi songs will be played)"

by Klaus Kinski

As we pointed out, Them Crooked Vultures were the musical guest on SNL last Saturday (two nights before they played Roseland Ballroom as part of a short tour). What we haven't mentioned is the skit that Vultures drummer Dave Grohl also participated in during the course of the Superbowl-eve show. I'm talking about the Fred Armisen-penned ode to hardcore set at a wedding with Bill Hader and Ashton Kutcher rounding out a four piece Fred Armisen-as-dad-of-the-bride band that proceeded to destroy everything in sight.

What people may not have noticed at the time was how elaborate an homage to 80s hardcore the skit was. Not only did the sketch hilariously caricature and encapsulate the anti-authoritarian, anti-meathead-letterman mentality the bands of that era railed against, but the wedding party's name "Cadena - Norton" is, presumably, a shout out to Black Flag's Dez Cadena and Husker Du's Greg Norton. The band was named Crisis of Conformity (Earth Crisis, Corrosion of Conformity). They broke up in 1983 (just like Minor Threat). Its members are also a serious tip of the hat to that 80s era scene. The skit's line-up featured Steve (Steve Hansgen of Minor Threat), Greg (Greg Ginn of Black Flag) (or maybe Greg Norton) (or was it Greg Hetson of the Circle Jerks), Lyle (Lyle Preslar of Minor Threat, Samhain), and Ian (Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat, Fugazi, Egg Hunt). Such a dense homage in such a short set could only have spawned from the mind of Fred Armisen (whose own credits also include Trenchmouth). However, theatrically, the skit wasn't without it's minor faults. As Tom Scharpling succinctly pointed out in a recent tweet, "Remember when hardcore guitarists acted like they were in Warrant? Aston Koocher does." Check out the video with the full lyrics below...

Continue reading "Crisis of Conformity played SNL (video & lyrics) "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Doomriders - "Lions" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Portal - "Omenknow" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Javelina - "Step Child" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Karma To Burn - Live at Lit Lounge 4/20/09 (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: 20 Buck Spin Label Sampler (Mediafire, Zipped MP3 via)
DOWNLOAD: Kowloon Walled City - Gambling On The Richter Scale (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Converge - "Axe To Fall" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Power Pellut - "Black Molly" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Skies - "Smoke and Mirrors" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yoga - "Seventh Wind" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sleep - Live at ATP 5/9/09 (MP3)

Javelina @ the Northside BV-BBG Showcase (more by Jason Walker)

Alright! I get it. Doomriders rules. Revocation is up there. There's a new Converge and Baroness on the way. But even with all of those great releases, it suprises me that Javelina isn't near some of the top of those lists. The band's filthy debut was a monster and their new one, Beasts Among Sheep, only adds to their considerable reputation. If you are a fan of the last LP, this one is a must have. Dig on "Stepchild" above and preorder the limited edition LP version of Javelina's Beasts Among Sheep via Brutal Panda Records and the CD version via Translation Loss.

Speaking of that Doomriders album, Darkness Come Alive is out NOW via Deathwish Records. Though the party vibe that permeated through Black Thunder is mostly gone, it has been replaced by a propulsive punk rock fury and, at times, a Misfits-era Danzig croon (see "Come Alive")! There are quite a few killer moments on this long-player, but we present to you the most "fuck you" of them all, the galloping "Lions" downloadable above!

In our last round up, we shined a light on into the deepest fathoms of Australia and the truly frightening Portal. The band's claustrophobic and positively frightening new death metal LP, Swarth, relies as much on freak-out atmosphere as it does killer discordant riffery. Swarth is due out on 10/20 via Profound Lore and we have a second taste in the form of "Omenknow" above.
Misery Index have completed four new songs and are looking to enter the studio in early 2010 to record their follow up to Traitors! Stoked.

Iron Age @ Cake Shop (more by Jason Walker)

I still remember that kick ass Cake Shop show with Iron Age, Mind Eraser, and Sex Vid, and walking out of that show wanting more. Thankfully, I can add to those great memories with a PAIR of Iron Age shows in the coming weeks! First up, the rowdy Texans will team up with the great Mother of Mercy (profiled here) for a show at Cake Shop (10/16). The next day (10/17), look for the band to pull a double header with a day show at Generation Records and a night show at The Charleston with Brain Killer, Naam & Descender. Speaking of Mind Eraser, the band will team up with the kick ass Iron Lung for a string of east coast dates which will include Cake Shop on 11/8! Full Iron Age and Iron Lung dates are below.

Black Skies will release the limited edition vinyl from their 2008 EP Hexagon on I'm Better Than Everyone Else Records. The Chapel Hill doom trio is currently on the hunt for drummer #5, but not before blessing us with some seriously killer riffage in the form of "Smoke & Mirrors" above. Preorder Hexagon here.

Power Pellut is also releasing their debut LP via I'm Better than Everyone Else Records. Preorder that here and dig on "Black Betty" from that LP above!

Church of Misery will release a live record culled from their recent set at Roadburn 2009! More details are to come, but look for Burning World to do the honors in November/December of this year. In the meantime, dig on this killer live video from Roadburn 2009!

That video, news on Kowloon Walled City, Boris, Asphyx, Struck By Lightning, Ringworm, Repulsion and more!

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (09/30/09)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Dan Graham (blue stripes), Thurston & Kim? @ the MOCA (ricardodiaz11)

Dan Graham has been a central figure in contemporary art since the 1960s. [Dan Graham: Beyond], his first American retrospective, traces the evolution of his art from his early conceptual projects and performances, to his films and videos, architectural projects and pavilions, and sculptures as well as his collaborations with musicians and rock bands such as Sonic Youth and Japanther.

Graham (b. 1942) has been a central participant in the development of contemporary art since the 1960s --- from the rise of minimalism, conceptual art, video art, and performance art, to explorations of architecture and the public sphere, to collaborations with musicians and the culture of rock and roll. [press release]

Dan Graham: Beyond will be on display at the Whitney Museum of Art from June 25th to October 11th.

Graham has a strong connection to the rock and avant music world. As the press release below documents, Graham has written about bands like the Kinks, the Fall (who recently signed to Domino Records), and the Sex Pistols. And his hour-long "video-essay" Rock My Religion (1982-84) uses "footage of Patti Smith, Sonic Youth, and Black Flag, mingled with historical images of a rapt Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker religion to trace a continuum between the Shakers, the early-American religious sect that sought spiritual transcendence through collective dance and song, and rock music."

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore performed as Mirror/Dash at Beyond's debut opening at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art in February. The pair also joined Graham for a panel discussion as part of that event (video below).

During Beyond's run in New York, the Whitney will host a series of free Friday concerts. The shows, held in the museum's Lower Gallery, are scheduled for July 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31th at 7pm. No word on who specifically, but the museum writes, "These events feature young bands that have inherited the New York rock scene from bands that Dan Graham has written about and/or worked with, such as The Feelies, Television, and Sonic Youth. As always, admission to the Whitney on Friday evenings is pay-what-you-wish from 6 to 9pm."

Last year, the Whitney's free shows included Dan Deacon on February 8th, May and April Biennial-related-shows by Gang Gang Dance and Lucky Dragons, and four free Wordless Music showsin June (with Prefuse 73, Times New Viking and others).

Other plans for the Graham exhibit include:

A music event to kick off the series; the U.S. premiere of "Put Blood in the Music" (1989), an experimental documentary on the late-nineties New York downtown music scene, introduced by filmmaker Charles Atlas; a conversation between Dan Graham and Glenn Branca, followed by a screening of Graham's "Westkunst (Modern Period): Dan Graham Segment" (1980); and a roundtable discussion exploring key themes in the work, such as sound, perception, and performance.

Among Dan's music related works on view in the show will be the above-mentioned "Rock My Religion" (which features music by Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth), and "Minor Threat", a 38 minute video of the band performing at CBGB.

The Feelies will play an acoustic set at the Whitney on Friday, June 26th (presumably the 'music event to kick off the series').

We recently talked about The Feelies' continued reunion - including their big show last July 4th (when they played with Sonic Youth). Other upcoming dates for the Feelies include July 3rd & 4th at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ (tickets on sale) and September 11th at ATP NY, where the band will perform its debut Crazy Rhythms in full (tickets on sale).

The above-mentioned videos of Dan Graham talking with Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Mirror/Dash live, and an interview with Graham, all from his L.A. MoCA exhibit earlier this year, plus full Whitney press release, below...

Continue reading "Dan Graham exhibit @ The Whitney, The Feelies performing"

The Daily Swarm points out that Fox Sports' unapproved use of the Arcade Fire song is perfectly legal. Video of the clip in question below....

Continue reading "1972 Copyright Act's delineation of ephemeral use"

"Jeff Nelson (drummer for Minor Threat, High Back Chairs, 3, et al./pre-computer typographer bad ass/half owner of Dischord Records/overall decent dude/Iraq war hater) is selling boatloads of primo 80's relics from his own personal collection." [Chunklet]