An Interview with The Bouncing Souls

For nearly 30 years, New Jersey's Bouncing Souls have been charming audiences with their passionate punk sounds and inspiring music. The band, who just released their 10th album, Simplicity, just wrapped up a two-night sold-out stay inside the iconic Garden State venue, The Stone Pony, and will hit the road in support of their latest effort. The new record is their take on modern times and as the band has grown up, their views of the world may have changed but one thing that has been constant is their honest and DIY approach to their music. We spoke to bassist Bryan Kienlen about the new album, life on the road, and staying together for all this time.

This band is over 20 years old now and after all of this time, you find joy in making music, what still makes The Souls bounce?

It still feels the same to me to write and play music, it may be one of the only few constants in my life haha! And it remains a life line to my youth and what’s really important.

The record is called "Simplicity" and the themes on the album -- social media, the world today, society in general are anything but. Did you want to craft songs that took you back to your roots?  

Yeah the lyrics take a look around and deal with some of today’s problems, but all o the bullshit just makes us long that much more for a simplicity.  The title also reflects our approach to writing and recording this time.  We wanted to just capture the band as close to live as possible, without all the bells and whistles and production.

You reunited with John Seymour to produce the album, what was it like working with him again.

Effortless. Working with John felt as if not a day had gone by.  We went through so much digging to find ourselves and our sound with John (on Summer Vacation and Anchors) that this time we were pretty much already there together. 

After all this time making music, what is your favorite memory?

One of them might be recording Anchors Aweigh at Longview Farm with John.  It was amazing experience living on that farm in under a huge snowstorm with he fire place an great food everyday.  That place was so amazing.

When the band first started, did you ever thing you would still be going this long?

We never spent any time at all thinking about the future, so I guess the answer is no.  I remember thinking I’d never make it to 25 hahahaha!

The Souls have never taken the easy route and always did everything DIY, in an era when artists and even fans feel a sense of entitlement, how do you respond to that? 

I’m really happy and proud of my decisions regarding how we ran the band.  Our only rule was to listen to our hearts and that’s what we did.  Money comes and goes and it’s just not as important as being able to sleep at night and be happy with who you are.  We didn’t invent DIY ethics but we carried that torch and help light the way for others.

Like "Ghosts on the Boardwalk," "Simplicity" marks the longest gap between Souls records. Why the long wait?

We took some time to solidify our personal lives and other pursuits.  I needed a long uninterrupted stretch like that to really progress in my tattooing, just as the other buds took some time to tend to their lives as well. 

You have influenced so many young artists today, is there any new band or recent artist that has caught your attention?

Just discovered a band called “We’re Ghosts Now” who are pretty cool, but mostly I’m waiting for some good new punk to discover.

New Jersey is your lifeline and recently the governor of the state has sided with Donald Trump. These are two guys that clearly are against what you stand for. What do you want people to know about the good people of The Garden State that Chris Christie is getting wrong?

Fuck that slime ball.  “Bridgegate” is just the tip of the iceberg with him, thinks he’s a wiseguy.  He’s holding up progress on marijuana legalization. I just can’t hate the Republican party (or the scumbags who’ve hijacked it) enough. What a total disgrace.

With your music you have managed to influence so many artists from all different genres. What would you say about music today?

In a lot of ways what’s important hasn’t changed.  All art is inspired by something, there will always be heartfelt and honest art and music being created, the trick is to recognize the real from the fake.

As more albums are made and the arsenal of music you have, what is it like putting together that setlist each night?

The funny thing is, there are some standouts that always make the set, with each new record we hope to add to the list of great live songs.  I think we have a bunch off of Simplicity.  It feels a lot like “How I Spent my Summer Vacation” which produced so many live greats.

After the shows are done and you are not recording, what do the Bouncing Souls do for fun at home?

Ride my Harley and my beach cruiser and my surfboard… Dig in on tattoo career, and enjoy living on the awesome Jersey shore with all my friends and my hot wife.

VINTAGE CLIP: Miles Davis on 'Arsenio' in 1991

To celebrate the video release of Don Cheadle's fantastic Miles Davis biopic, Miles Ahead, watch this VINTAGE CLIP of the King of Cool on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1991.

Titus Andronicus S+@DIUM ROCK Concert Film

To celebrate the release of their new live album, S+@DIUM ROCK, Titus Andronicus released a corresponding concert film. Take a look!

Read Our 2010 Interview with Titus Andronicus 

Quick News

Sting will release his new album, 57th & 9th, in October.

Pink Floyd will release their massive 27-disc box set, The Early Years 1965 – 1972, in November. It will contain unreleased outtakes and demos, TV appearances, seven hours of concert recordings, concert films, interviews and three feature film documentaries on the iconic band. It will also contain 20 unreleased songs that have never been heard by the public.

Speaking to NME, Paul Banks of Interpol and RZA of Wu-Tang discussed their collab Banks & Steelz which arrives later this year. On the record, the unlikely duo team up with Florence Welch and Banks talked about how that appearance happened. Interpol was on tour last year and our final show was in Ireland," he said. "And as I got off stage, she approached me… and she was super-sweet and friendly. So we talked and exchanged information, and then I kind of circled back to her." He added that working with her for Banks & Steelz "went smoothly" and she "fucking killed it" on the track she appears on.

Dillinger Escape Plan will release their new album, Dissociation, in October.

Along with his autobiography, Bruce Springsteen will release a companion album, Chapter & Verse, in September. The record will feature 18 songs that correspond with the book. Take a look at the cover, below:

Sturgill Simpson on 'Fallon'

Watch Sturgill Simpson perform on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

Local Natives on 'Conan'

Watch Local Natives perform "Fountain of Youth" on Conan.

Quick News

Speaking to Q magazine, Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis said the band need to go big for album No. 5. He said: "I want us to break the chains of familiarity and to have that question mark in the room again. I think that it’ll be beneficial for the band just to be nervous about being in the room together again. I think we need to rock our own boat." The band plans on taking a break after the summer before they head into the studio.

While this isn't news about the band, a man in Florida has legally changed his name to Kraftwerk. We are just going to leave that right there....

Public Enemy are getting their own toy set. The iconic hip-hop group will become action figures when they hit the market next month thanks to Aggronautix. Take a look at the set, below:

The Cure co-founder Lol Tolhurst, will release his memoir Cured: A Tale of Two Imaginary Boys, in October. The book tells the story from the former member's perspective of what life was like in and out of the band. He was with the band from 1976 to 1989. Take a look at the cover, below:

Great Soundtracks: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

When the Coen Brothers get together to create a film it is always a special event, yet, when they blended their direction with music, a timeless masterpiece was created -- O Brother, Where Art Thou? The film, which was opened to critical acclaim, featured the music of America during the Great Depression.

With T-Bone Burnett at the helm as executive soundtrack producer, the country king assembled Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Norman Blake, The Cox Family and others to cover traditional songs and music of that era. The result brought songs that were almost 100 years old to a whole new audience in 2000. Hailed as one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, it spent 20 weeks on the Billboard charts when it was originally released and continues to be praised by fans and critics.

Recomended Reading: Bob Dylan 'Tarantula'

It should never come as a surprise that music's greatest lyricist is also a phenomenal poet. Between 1965 and 1966, Bob Dylan dropped his guitar and began writing for the sake of writing. He crafted poems that would never be turned into songs but something to flex another creative muscle. In 1971, those poems would be released in a compilation book called Tarantula.

The book, which was originally scheduled to be released in 1966 was halted following his infamous motorcycle accident that left him sidelined. Many copies of the book floated around in the underground as well as bootleg paperback versions that fans passed around. Dylan never intended to publish the book at all, but after years of fans calling to read it, it was released. It still to this day, remains some of his finest and sharpest words. His experimental poetry and verses are still dissected today as they were then. 

VINTAGE CLIP: Arctic Monkeys at 2012 Olympics

Exactly four years ago today, Arctic Monkeys were directed by Danny Boyle for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics. The Sheffield band covered The Beatles' "Come Together." Take a look and relive the moment in this VINTAGE CLIP!

Live Pix: Black Moon / Smif-N-Wessun @ Queensbridge Park

On Tuesday night, hip-hop icons Black Moon and Smif-N-Wessun took over Queensbridge Park for a raucous set of classics. They brought out many special guests like Buckshot, Dee Jay Logic, Evil Dee and more. 

Our very own RICH D SMOOV was on hand to capture the action. 

Smif-N-Wessun

 Dee Jay Logic

 Buckshot

 Black Moon

Aurora on 'Colbert'

Watch Norway's Aurora make her TV debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Strokes on 'Kimmel'

Watch The Strokes perform "Threat of Joy" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Listen To Our Essential Strokes Playlist on Spotify!

Lee 'Scratch' Perry Announces New Album

The iconic reggae and dub master Lee "Scratch" Perry will return in September with Must Be Free.

Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below:

Psycho Dread

Rat Race

House of Sin

Isabel

Jungle Tongue

No Evil

No Sorrow

On Nigeria

Strip Off

Too Much Is Too Much

Therapist

Must Be Free

House of Sin (Remix)

Live Pix: Benefit for Bad Brains' Dr. Know

Last November, iconic Bad Brains guitarist Dr. Know suffered a heart attack which lead to organ failure in the 57-year-old's body. He was give a slim chance of recovery but he made it and has been recovering since. However, his medical bills have stacked up and on Saturday in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan, punk and hardcore vets Cro-Mags, Breakdown, Token Entry, Antidote and Maximum Penalty all got together to play a benefit for the axe man.

Dr. Know did appear on stage and they raised over $20,000 to help the musician.

Read Our 2010 Interview with Bad Brains

Our own RICH D SMOOV braved the heat and was on hand to capture the afternoon.

Maximum Penalty

 Antidote

 Cro-Mags

 Token Entry

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VINTAGE CLIP: Prince on 'Arsenio' in 1993

Because the wounds of Prince's passing are still raw, here is a VINTAGE CLIP of the Purple One on Arsenio in 1993. Take a look!

Prophets of Rage on 'Kimmel'

The Rage Against the Machine / Cypress Hill / Public Enemy supergroup, Prophets of Rage, made their TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night. Watch the band perform "Prophets of Rage" and "Killing in the Name of..."

Ryan Adams on 'Colbert'

Watch Ryan Adams perform "Oh My Sweet Caroline" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Live Review: Guns N Roses @ Metlife Stadium

Guns N Roses returned to the Meadowlands for the first time in over 20 years this weekend. The iconic L.A. band brought their blistering semi-reunion tour dubbed "Not In This Lifetime" to Metlife Stadium.

After Axl Rose announced that Slash and Duff McKagen have rejoined the band earlier this year, the band hit the road playing Coachella. Now on a full on summer stadium tour that brings everyone back to the crazy days of their heyday.

Ready for night 2, #NY? #NotInThisLifetime Tour #GnFnR livemu.sc/GNR_Tix

A photo posted by Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) on Jul 24, 2016 at 12:58pm PDT

GNR sold-out Saturday night and even caused a raucous when 30 people were busted for various causes like disorderly conduct, drug possession, assault and criminal trespassing. On Sunday, the crowd, which was packed but not sold-out, seemed to be a bit milder, maybe because they had work the next day.

Opening with "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone,"  Axl, Slash, Duff and the crew sounded as if they never missed out on playing time with each other. In a setup unlike any on the road, LED stairs were on top of the stage and under 3 massive projectors that flashed random images, animations, the band and their iconic logo. Plus the pyrotechnics and fireworks that made this feel like a national holiday, it was as if the 80s never ended and the band were still rolling. Straight away they threw in a surprise by performing "Chinese Democracy," a song in which only Axl of the original members played on, but Duff and Slash made it their own.

Axl, who owns the naming rights to the band, brought along his GNR bandmates -- Richard Fortus on guitar, whom he has played with since 2001, Frank Ferrer on drums, who has played since 2006 and newcomer Melissa Reese who joined this year to support one of the original touring members Dizzy Reed on keyboards.

It became a rock and roll spectacle for the ages and something every GNR fan, young and old, wanted to see. Playing all the hits like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O Mine," "Live and Let Die," "November Rain," "Nightrain," "Knocking on Heaven's Door," and the epic show closer "Paradise City," it was everything a fan wanted and more. Deep cuts like "Rocket Queen," "Civil War," "This I Love," "Coma," "Better," were played. A variety of covers aside from the ones they made hits out of like The Damned's "New Rose," The Who's "The Seeker," as well as brilliant instrumental versions of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and The Godfather Waltz, which stole the show.

Want a better view? Follow @gnfnrofficial on Snapchat

A video posted by Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) on Jul 24, 2016 at 8:40pm PDT

As the night went on, Axl, who ran around stage like he was 20 again, seemed to slowly loose his voice. His vocals by the end of the blistering 2 hour and 40 minute set was nearly shot and he save himself for his higher octave notes that he built a career on. However, there was enough to be distracted by like how tight the band was. It was hard to take your eyes off Slash's fingers hammering on his strings or watching Duff play as if this was the last gig he would ever have on Earth. As sweat poured out their bodies in the hot summer heat, they actually looked like they were having fun.

The band are older, the fans are older, but the music is timeless.

That was something #NY... Next up #Atlanta #NotInThisLifetime Tour #GnFnR livemu.sc/GNR_Tix

A photo posted by Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) on Jul 25, 2016 at 4:21pm PDT

Opening the show was legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz, who brought his own funk and flair to get the massive crowd warmed up for what was about to happen. In a greatest hits filled set that featured "American Woman," "I Want to Get Away," "Mama Said," "Let Love Rule," "Are You Gonna Go My Way," the everlasting rocker and his band jammed through each song, extending it significantly. The jam sessions for what he had added a whole new dimension to his show as he has surrounded himself with some of the best horn players and rhythm section on the planet. For the hour he was on set, not only was he the ideal opener, he made the massive stage his own.

@mlstadium night 2 #4 @gunsnroses

A photo posted by Lenny Kravitz (@lennykravitz) on Jul 25, 2016 at 9:49am PDT

QUICK SPINS

BadBadNotGood – IV

The best music from Canada usually comes from oddball collectives and BadBadNotGood are no different. The acid jazz group has released a collection of fascinating and brilliant songs that transcend the genre into pop, rock, and of course, hip-hop. IV is one of the best and freshest albums of the year.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Blood Orange – Freetown Sound

Take the sounds of Africa and mix it with the funk of Prince and passion of Michael Jackson and you get the latest offering from Blood Orange. Dev Hynes has released his finest album to date and one for all to enjoy.

FINAL GRADE: A

 

The Bouncing Souls – Simplicity

The iconic New Jersey punks return for their latest offering and bring forth a social commentary of today’s issues. With their legendary raw power and inspiring sound, The Souls are still standing on solid ground.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Mumford & Sons – Johannesburg

Inspired by their first tour to South Africa, Mumford & Sons recorded an EP with local musicians to please their creative nerve and let the world know about a sound that is captivating a continent.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Pup – The Dream is Over

Take the early 2000s emo scene and give it a modern twist and Pups latest is a bit of nostalgia as well as a bit of much needed energy in 2016. The album is like a cup of black coffee and will wake you up straight away and after one listen you will be looking for more.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Descendents - Hypercaffium Spazzinate

The punk icons first album in 12 years picks up right where they left off and gives fans hope for the future.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Clams Casino – Ghost in a Kiss

The beatmaker, producer, DJ and hitmaker has finally released his long awaited debut and it does not disappoint. Ghost in a Kiss has it all – it is sexy, it is a banger and it is transcendent.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Caveman – Otero War

New York City indie rockers return with their latest and best album. Otero War is unlike any other Caveman LP, in fact, it is more than just a Caveman record. Otero War is a walk into the unknown. Combining space age themes and progressive rock, Caveman are out of their slumber and into your earbuds.

FINAL GRADE: B+

DJ Shadow – The Mountain Will Fall

The latest offering from electronica hero DJ Shadow is another galactic trip that takes you into another planet without leaving the comfort of Earth.

FINAL GRADE: B

Bat For Lashes – The Bride

In one of her darkest and most personal albums, Bat For Lashes returns as The Bride. What feels like a concept album about falling in and out of love, Bat For Lashes delivers a haunting and introspective into her heart.

FINAL GRADE: B

Band of Horses – Why Are You OK

In a total turnaround from 2012’s disappointing Mirage Rock, Band of Horses saddle up and sound like they are having the time of their lives. Experimenting with prog, psychedelic, and ambient, the band is evolving past the Americana folk rock that made them fan favorites.

FINAL GRADE: B

Puro Instinct – Autodrama

The Hollywood sorority return with another record of sexy sounds from the Sunset Strip.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Jake Bugg – On My One

With Jake Bugg’s third record, there was so much promise since it was revealed he was doing it all on his own – playing each instrument, writing the songs an going back to basics in a way. Yet, the outcome is far from it. Bugg needed a bit more direction for On My One as the record is all over the place. From garage rock hits to dismal folk tunes and even rapping at one point, it is one of the disappointing releases of the year and discouraging album from someone who had so much promise.

FINAL GRADE: C

Biffy Clyro – Ellipsis

The Scottish band returns with another album of stadium rock songs that seem to not evolve from their previous efforts.

FINAL GRADE: C-

Kool Keith Returns in September

Kool Keith will return in September with Feature Magnetic. 

Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and hear the first single "World Wide Lamper."

01 Intro
02 Statocaster [ft. Godfather Don]
03 MC Voltron [ft. Craig G]
04 Super Hero [ft. MF DOOM]
05 World Wide Lamper [ft. B.A.R.S. Murre & Dirt Nasty]
06 Bragging Rights [ft. Psycho Les of the Beatnuts]
07 Girl Grab [ft. Necro]
08 Bonneville [ft. Mac Mall]
09 Tired [ft. Ed O.G.]
10 Cold Freezer [ft. Bumpy Knuckles]
11 Peer Pressure [ft. Slug of Atmosphere]
12 Life [ft. Sadat X]
13 Writers [ft. Ras Kass]
14 Cheesecake (Bonus Track)

Lost David Bowie Tour Rehearsal Audio Surfaces

Since David Bowie's passing in January, more gems and nuggets of behind the scenes footage and audio has emerged online. The latest was uploaded to Soundcloud and the Thin White Duke vents his frustration during practice sessions for 1995's "Outside Tour." Take a listen to the 25-minute clip.

A$AP Mob on 'Fallon'

A$AP Mob came out on The Tonight Show in full force last night, take a look!

Stream The Descendents New Album!

Descendents are releasing their new album, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, next week via Epitaph but the good folks at NPR are streaming it early. Take a listen!

Quick News

The Beatles will reissue their Hollywood Bowl performances this fall. The concerts, from 1964 and 1965, were originally released on vinyl in 1977. The new reissue will feature a different tracklist and four previously unreleased songs. The CD and digital versions will arrive in September and the vinyl will arrive in November.  Take a look at the tracklisting, below:
1. "Twist and Shout" [August 30th, 1965]
2. "She's A Woman" [August 30th, 1965] 
3. "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" [August 30th, 1965 / August 29th, 1965 - one edit] 
4. "Ticket to Ride" [August 29th, 1965] 
5. "Can't Buy Me Love" [August 30th, 1965] 
6. "Things We Said Today" [August 23rd, 1964] 
7. "Roll Over Beethoven" [August 23rd, 1964] 
8. "Boys" [August 23rd, 1964] 
9. "A Hard Day's Night" [August 30th, 1965] 
10. "Help!" [August 29th, 1965] 
11. "All My Loving" [August 23rd, 1964] 
12. "She Loves You" [August 23rd, 1964] 
13. "Long Tall Sally" [August 23rd, 1964] 
14. "You Can't Do That" [August 23rd, 1964] 
*15. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" [August 23rd, 1964] 
*16. "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" [August 30th, 1965] 
*17. "Baby's In Black" [August 30th, 1965] *
 * Previously Unreleased

For the first time ever, Temple of the Dog, the band featuring Chris Cornell and members of Pearl Jam / Soundgarden are reuniting and go on the road. The band will reissue their debut album for its 25th anniversary in September.

Are My Chemical Romance reuniting? Planning a new record? Tour? A video on their Facebook page suggests something is coming. 

NAF on 'Colbert'

Jenny Lewis' band NAF (Nice As Fuck) made their TV debut on The Late Show last night. Take a look!

Another Wilco Album Is On The Way

A year after they released the surprise album, Star Wars, Wilco will release Schmilco in September.

Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below:

01 Normal American Kids
02 If I Ever Was a Child
03 Cry All Day
04 Common Sense
05 Nope
06 Someone to Lose
07 Happiness
08 Quarters
09 Locator
10 Shrug and Destroy
11 We Aren't the World (Safety Girl)
12 Just Say Goodbye

Quick News

via GIPHY


Led Zeppelin will release / reissue their Live at the BBC sessions in September. The double album will feature the 33-song sessions at the network that were recorded in 1969 and 1971. The album was initially released in 1997, yet, a new disc of eight "lost" songs will be released for the very first time in this new packaging.

Marilyn Manson will release his new album, SAY10, on Valentine's Day next year.

Speaking to Britain's Radio Times, Keith Richards has said that The Rolling Stones will end when they all die. The axeman said: "They’re not really bands if they don’t last; they’re groups. We’re a band and a real band sticks until it dies. These bands, they become big, but they’re generational, just for their one decade. They literally go when their testosterone goes.”

Slayer are teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to release Slayer: Repentlessness Vol.1, a series of graphic novels based around the songs and ideas of the metal legends. It was announced at Comic-Con that they will come out later this year. Guitarist Kerry King told Rolling Stone: "My philosophy as far as anybody working on anything regarding Slayer, be it the album cover art or video concepts, is to let the people who do that for a living do it. That's how we started working with [cover artist] Larry Carroll for Reign in Blood, South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss. We gave him song titles, lyrics, just things to put ideas in his head."

JEFF The Brotherhood Announce New LP!

JEFF The Brotherhood will release their new album, Zone, next month.

Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and hear the new single, "Punishment."

1. Zone

2. Energy

3. Punishment

4. Juice

5. Roachin

6. Idiot

7. Ox

8. Bad

9. Habit

10. Toasted

11. You

12. Portugal

Against Me! Announce New Album

Against Me! will release their new album, Shape Shift With Me, in September. 

Take a look at  the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and hear the new single, "333."

01 ProVision L-3
02 12:03
03 Boyfriend
04 Crash
05 Delicate, Petite & Other Things I’ll Never Be
06 333
07 Haunting, Haunted, Haunts
08 Dead Rats
09 Rebecca
10 Norse Truth
11 Suicide Bomber
12 All This (And More)

Quick News

via GIPHY


Danny Brown took to Instagram to announce that his new album will be called Atrocity Exhibition and it is indeed named after the Joy Division song, which the Detroit rapper later posted the lyrics to on social media. No official release date has been set.

Sting is currently working on his new album, 57th & 9th, the singer told Rolling Stone that his new record will be a rock LP and that it is "impulsive." He says he was inspired by the deaths of David Bowie and Prince to record the album, which currently does not have a release date.

If you ever wanted to see what Jeff Buckley had in his record collection, now you can. His estate has crafted a site to show what the late musician was into. Take a look HERE.

GorillazNorthAmerica points out that in a recent interview with BBC, Damon Albarn said that the new Gorillaz LP should be done "fairly soon." No word on an exact release date but older reports suggest it could come next year.

According to recent reports, Prince purchased the home that was used in his film, Purple Rain, last year. The Minnesota home was on the market, so The Purple One bought it, according to findings. Prince also purchased other homes in the Minneapolis area.

Live Pix: No Redeeming Social Value / The Krays @ Grand Victory

On Friday, Brooklyn's the Grand Victory held one of its final concerts with No Redeeming Social Value and The Krays.

Our RICH D SMOOV was there to capture the chaotic and sweaty action.

 The Krays

Playlist

July's 27-song playlist is here, take a listen!

Rest in Peace: Alan Vega of Suicide

2016 continues to punch in the gut and heart. Legendary pioneering punk frontman, Alan Vega of Suicide has passed away.

Henry Rollins announced the news on his website Saturday night with a statement from the family.  Vega, 78, died peacefully in his sleep. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones.

Read the statement below:

With profound sadness and a stillness that only news like this can bring, we regret to inform you that the great artist and creative force, Alan Vega has passed away.

Alan passed peacefully in his sleep last night, July 16. He was 78 years of age.

Alan was not only relentlessly creative, writing music and painting until the end, he was also startlingly unique. Along with Martin Rev, in the early 1970’s, they formed the two person avant band known as Suicide. Almost immediately, their incredible and unclassifiable music went against every possible grain. Their confrontational live performances, light-years before Punk Rock, are the stuff of legend. Their first, self-titled album is one of the single most challenging and noteworthy achievements in American music.

Alan Vega was the quintessential artist on every imaginable level. His entire life was devoted to outputting what his vision commanded of him.

One of the greatest aspects of Alan Vega was his unflinching adherence to the demands of his art. He only did what he wanted. Simply put, he lived to create. After decades of constant output, the world seemed to catch up with Alan and he was acknowledged as the groundbreaking creative individual he had been from the very start.

Alan’s life is a lesson of what it is to truly live for art. The work, the incredible amount of time required, the courage to keep seeing it and the strength to bring it forth—this was Alan Vega.

Alan is survived by his amazing family, wife Liz and son Dante. His incredible body of work, 
 spanning five decades, will be with us forever.

Quick News

Speaking to Matt Pinfield on his podcast, 2 Hours with Matt Pinfield, Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen confirmed the band will enter the studio later this year to record the follow-up to 2012's brilliant, ...Like Clockwork. He said: "We’ve already started talking about what we’re gonna do next for the next Queens record. There’s tons of ideas that are bouncing around … We’re going to do something before the end of the year, as far as recording goes. We’re excited to get back together to follow-up …Like Clockwork, which was a really, really big record for us, personally. It was a big record for us ’cause it was the hardest record to make. And we’re trying to not do that again. We just want to keep things simpler and try that, I guess.”

MIA will release her new album, AIM, in September and the rapper has confirmed that it will be her final record.

Murs will attempt to rap for 24 hours and get into the Guinness Book of World Records with his day-long freestyle. The rapper will perform the task in September at an L.A. concert. He recently spoke to HipHopDX about the challenge: "I'm like we can do a 24-hour rap and started suggesting people for it. The more I talked, the more it seemed like something I could do…But this will be live streamed for all 24 hours. People can go to bed, wake up and make sure I’m still rapping. Whenever you want to tune in, I’ll be there for 24 hours. The more I talk about this now, the more I think about ‘what did I get myself into.'”

Circa Survive / Saosin frontman Anthony Green will release his new solo album, Pixie Queen, in September. Take a look at the cover, below:

Live Review: Brand New / Modest Mouse at Madison Square Garden

Brand New and Modest Mouse brought their summer co-headlining tour to the World’s Most Famous Arena Thursday night.

For Modest Mouse it was a night in the iconic venue, for Brand New, it was a hometown throwdown for the Long Island heroes.

The two bands toured together two years ago and it came as no surprise that they reunited on the road for another outing. Each night on the tour, a different band closes, for New York, it was no surprise that Brand New were the favorites to finish the night.

While it was joint venture, it often times felt that Modest Mouse was just an opening act for the Long Island rockers. The eight-piece band from Portland brought their massive catalogue to life and brought some hits, some rarities and some fan favorites.

Singer Isaac Brock hardly spoke to the crowd but they just barnstormed through their set without any interruption.

Songs like “Bury Me With It,” “Lampshades on Fire,” “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes,” sounded crisp inside the venue. While tracks like “King Rat” and “Dashboard” had fans thrilled, the band calmed things down with “Dramamine,” “Wicked Campaign,” and “Night on the Sun.” Some inside began losing interest, while fans of Modest Mouse were thrilled. It was a divided set among fans but following their 90-minute performance, it was time for Brand New.

The enigmatic emo-punk band has been teasing that this tour could very well be their last. In fact, it seems as if whatever impending record they allegedly have coming this year will be their last.

No one knows what tricks Brand New has up their sleeves but one thing was for sure, the 20,000-plus inside the sold-out arena were ready for whatever they wanted to throw at them.

The starkly lit stage featured flowers around the microphone stands, almost as if it were a wake for the band before a funeral.

“I love New York,” singer Jesse Lacey said as soon as he walked on stage.

Opening with “Sink,” “Gasoline,” and “Millstone” fans were jumping for joy straight away.

It wasn’t until the four-song punch from Deja Entendu that had everyone screaming the words in unison – “Tautou,” “Sic Transit Gloria,” “Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t,” and “The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot.”

Guitarist Vinnie Accardi looked as if he was having the time of his life as he slayed his axe across the famous stage. Lacey, known for being a moody frontman, seemed to be enjoying himself, though with him you can never tell.

The band sounded together, loud, and explosive. If this were to be their final New York show, they were doing it on their terms but also at their thunderous best.

As the clock went past 11, songs like “Luca,” “Jesus Christ,” and “Sowing Season,” brought the set to a close.

While each night on the tour, both bands got 90 minutes, Brand New stretched their New York performance to almost two hours, performing for an hour and 45 minutes. Taking the stage for the encore, Lacey thanked everyone and his parents for supporting the band over the years and said: "This is a Long Island song," before going into "Play Crack the Sky."

The band, who skipped songs from their debut, Your Favorite Weapon in the setlist, finished with "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" and "You Won't Know," before leaving the stage, for what could be their final concert ever in New York.

As they retreated to the wings, the screens behind them lit up with "Brand New 2000-2018."

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Beach Slang Announce New Album!

Beach Slang will release their new album, A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings, in September. It is the band's follow-up to last year's fantastic, The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us.

Read Our 2015 Interview with Beach Slang

Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below, and hear the new song, "Punks in a Disco Bar:"

01 Future Mixtape for the Art Kids
02 Atom Bomb
03 Spin the Dial
04 Art Damage
05 Hot Tramps
06 Punks in a Disco Bar
07 Wasted Daze 0f Youth
08 Young Hearts
09 The Perfect High
10 Warpaint

Quick News

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So, this could have been awkward. The upcoming Pixies album, Head Carrier, which features Paz Lenchantin on bass, has a song where she sings about former and original bassist, Kim Deal. In a recent interview with BBC6 Radio, frontman Frank Black said the song is a "thank you letter" to Deal and penned it only if his new axewoman agreed to sing it.

It is being reported that Broken Social Scene will perform new music on their upcoming summer tour and are working on a new record.

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Hip-hop duo, The Cool Kids have reunited. In a press release, Chuck Inglish said: "I called Mikey and realized nothing would feel better than us being the originators again." Inglish confirmed that once his is finished with his solo album, he and Mikey Rocks will head back to the studio to record a new album.

Speaking on the Spotify series, Secret Genius, James Blake said he once turned down Drake and ignored rules laid down by Beyonce's people. On her new album, Lemonade, Beyonce and Blake have a song called "Forward," and her camp allegedly gave him lyrics to sing, but he sang his own. "It ended up just being me and an engineer in a room. Him playing me something that just sounded—like the start of something—and I wrote something that was completely against the brief... I've never sung anybody else's lyrics. So I just assumed that's not I was going to be doing. So I got my phone out and sang some of my own lyrics that were about something else and about somebody else. But it fit somehow into the song and it fit into the album, and I'm just honored that they used it," he said. As far as the Drake front, the rapper once asked him for an old beat he had made and Blake said no. Now, the English singer comes clean, saying: "I remember having a conversation with my publisher later, and saying: What did you think of that decision? Because you know that was a massive album. I asked how much money exactly I turned down by doing that. I spat out my drink. But I could have made far more money if I had taken certain opportunities, or gone to the right parties. And actually, I a little bit regretted, because it is good, it sounds good on the track. I just did it as a matter of principle at the time. I really liked it. And I think had they come to me beforehand and said we really want to use this what do you think I probably would have said yes."