Cincinnati pop-punkers Mixtapes just dropped a new song off their highly anticipated upcoming album. The song, called “Hey Ma Pt. 2”, can be heard on AbsolutePunk.com.
“This song was fun to make,” says singer/guitarist Ryan Rockwell. “When it was done, musically I felt like the verses had a bouncy almost Superchunk type vibe and we were really happy with how it came out. I think it fits the album well. The album as a whole is upbeat and was a blast to make.”
I for one can so I am super stoked about this song and their upcoming release. I am really excited to see this band mature in the last couple years and can not wait to see what they have to offer on their new album.
Check out another new track titled “Even On The Worst Nights” by Mixtapes on AltPress.com.
My heart seriously just sunk a few moments ago when I learned that Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the Beastie Boys, passed away today after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 47.
When I heard he was not attending the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony a few weeks back, I knew something was up, but I figured he was just getting treatment again.
At the ceremony, Ad- Rock (Adam Horovitz) and Mike D. (Michael Diamond) read a letter from Yauch in response to being inducted to the Rock Hall:
“I’d like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike. They walked the globe with me. It’s also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band. This induction is as much ours as it is yours.”
I think “touched” is an understatement. The Beastie Boys are one of the most important bands of my lifetime. Love them or hate them, the B-Boys changed music in a good good way and Yauch had a big part in that.
Yauch at the 2007 Virgin Mobile Festival
Currently the website / blog for the Beastie Boys is down, so I am waiting to see what the rest of the band has to say about this unfortunate loss. (UPDATE – The site is now up and there is an amazing piece about Yauch on it. Head over to the Beastie Boys site if you would like to check it out.)
All I know is that when I found out, I was sad – really sad. Maybe some people do not care, but I do…
I have been a fan of the Beastie Boys since I picked up Licensed To Ill in a Gold Circle store in 1986. I remember hearing them once on MTv when it was a cable channel that actually played music videos all the time. My Mom caved in and bought it for me. The way I looked at music changed the moment I ripped off that cellophane wrapper.
I grew up with them and wanted to be like them as a youth. My Paul’s Boutique cassette was played so much that it disintegrated. I have caught them a handful of times including when they headlined at Bonnaroo in 2009.
I was lucky enough to have met Yauch, and the rest of the B-Boys, in 2007 at the Virgin Mobile Music Festival in Baltimore. I interviewed the band for about 7 minutes and laughed more than anything. They were cool guys and I remember specifically Yauch just laughing hard while Ad-Rock stood ever so close to me while I rifled off some questions to them. It was a memory I will never forget, and now plan on cherishing for the rest of my life.
Yauch was always the bad ass of the group. He was an inspiration, an icon, a legend. He will be missed.
It really sucks that people need to resort to robbing other people. It’s trashy, mindless, and just pathetic if you ask me. I am not trying to tell people out there how to live your life, but stealing from someone, especially from a hard working someone is just shitty.
Yesterday, Philly punk rockers The Menzingers fell victim to some douche who decided it would be best to smash out their vehicle’s windows and steal a few things while the band was hanging with fans at an after-party. Normally this would not be something I would even make a big deal about, but the boys are overseas in Manchester currently and in those bags were their tour money and more importantly, their passports.
Greg from The Menzingers posted what happened on their Tumblr account this morning. At first I glanced over it and thought their clothing and electronics were lifted, but once I read it over some more, I realized that they really do need some help. Maybe their label will be of some assistance, but I am pretty sure these guys are freaking out and need all the help they can get. Hopefully someone will just step forward and give them back their passports.
Here is what Greg had to say:
Ok so here’s what happened…
We played a sold out show at The Moho last night in Manchester which ended up being the absolute best show of tour. Seriously! Stage dives, singalongs, shots of mystery liquors.. It was one for the books. An after-party started to form at a bar down the street. In the great moods we were in we decided to partake and spent the night singing and dancing to The Cure and Springsteen with The Souls, Red City Radio, Leagues Apart, and tons of friends.
Dave March (our driver/front of house/lifemate/best friend), Eric (bass player/ good looking one) and I decided to only have a beer and then hit the road. Tom and Joe were going to take a cab back to the house. Ok cool. Everything’s going great. We walk around the block To the van and I hear Dave give a quiet “oh fuck”. The driver side window was smashed out and 3 personal bags were stolen. Unfortunately my bag was stolen with all of our tour money inside it. To top it off, we brought around $2000 in US cash with us in case of an emergency. So let’s see €5000 Euros, an iPad, 3 iPods, 3 passports, 2 pairs of raybans (I know, I know they’re super expensive but they make you look pretty cool), my personal tour journals from the last year and a half which included all of my “On the Impossible Past” lyrics and all of my god damn memories, a digital camera, prescriptions, blah blah blah.This sucks. It really fucking sucks because it’s not your fault and so many, in fact an absurd amount of you want to help out. It’s pretty surreal and heartwarming to know we’re not alone in this situation. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Cant tell you how much it means.
The absolutely wonderful folks at Banquet Records have set up a donation drive for us. They really are the best. If you live in the UK and care to help you can donate there. I hear they’re matching donations which is just too nice. Too nice. http://www.banquetrecords.com/MenzingersAppeal
While we’re extremely apprehensive about this we’re going to open up our paypal account if you care to donate. We don’t expect much and we feel extremely uncomfortable putting our hats out like this but here’s our paypal account if you care to help: MenzingersSkrilla@gmail.com Tom made the account name up years ago. Sounds about right.
We’ll find a way to make it up to you by way of acoustic demos, new songs, free shows. Whatever. Thanks for the help. Love you all.
-Greg
Kudos to Banquet Records for being so awesome to them. I know this is a reach of help for the fans in the UK, but it is open to everyone all over the world.
If you fancy yourself a fan and want to help out, you know what to do.
Luckily Jaded Punk Hulk, as found on Twitter, as already pitched in to help:
I admit, I have not been too good to this site. You see, school is wrapping up for the semester so that means tons of writing, reading, writing and studying. It sucks.
I thought I would take a moment out of my busy day and talk about two bands that I have been getting into a lot lately.
This Brookyn-based-originally-from-Iran punk act surprised me the other day when I listened to them. They are more of an up-beat dance-y punk rock act and carry no gimmick at all. This is no rap-punk or whatever the hell these kids are making these days, this is a nod to 70s/80s punk acts that, dare I say, has some major musical Clash-like qualities (even some Joy Division as well). The band will be dropping a new EP titled Upper Class Complexity on May 10th.
There there is this little band called Joyce Manor. Holy shit this band rules. Some of you may know this already…
Their new album Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired dropped the other day on Asian Man Records. This sophomore release is about the best 13 minutes I have heard this year. The songs may be short, but are poignant, consistent, and beg to be listened to over and over. I can not tell you how excited I am about this release. Why the hell did I wait until the 2nd half of this post to tell you???
Do yourself a favor and pick it up if you like the punk rock. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. Sometimes a little bit of something does in fact go a long way.
Check out “Violent Inside” off of their new release and then go and buy it.
If you fancy yourself a fan of Tim & Eric, you should check out this track by track post David Liebe Hart did of Joyce Manor’s Of All Things I WIll Soon Grow Tired. It’s kind of hilarious even though I do not get Tim & Eric at all. Maybe I need to do drugs or something. Still, check it out. Well worth the read.
I’ll admit, I am not one for tribute albums and never really have been. There are a couple of exceptions out there (Bad Religion’s tribute from SPIN Magazine is one of them), but overall I just turn my head away usually when I hear the term “tribute album”.
Today was one of those days I changed my mind about a certain tribute. Earlier today, I heard about a tribute album and rather than ignore it, I got excited. I got really excited.
American Laundromat Records announced today that they would be releasing a tribute for the soundtrack to the 1980s cult classic Repo Man. Having a tribute featuring modern day bands cover classic late 70s / early 80s punk rock tracks from one of my favorite soundtracks to date has the potential to be seriously awesome.
Maybe it is because I adore the movie so much that I like this idea, or perhaps the fact that Those Darlins are covering the title track for Repo Man originally performed by Iggy Pop. Come to think, it could even be because Polar Bear Club is covering Black Flag’s “TV Party”.
Regardless, this is one of those “exceptions” I spoke of earlier in regards to tribute albums, and I have already put in my pre-order for the CD that drops September 18th.
Why did I pre-order so early? Check this out (taken from ALR’s website):
All pre-order customers receive a 6-panel CD eco-wallet featuring original artwork by revered rock poster designer Lonny Unitus (Melvins, Decemberists, Willie Nelson), bonus promo pin, album preview prior to release date and, while supplies last, an official Little Trees’ royal pine tree-shaped air freshener which were featured in the film — “you find one in every car… you’ll see” (Miller to Otto).
Did I mention the CD pre-order bundle is only $10? Click HERE to pre-order one for yourself. See the track list below.
While you are at it, click HERE to check out a post I did in 2009 about why I like Repo Man so much.
Track List:
“Repo Man” – Those Darlins
“TV Party” – Polar Bear Club
“Institutionalized” – Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
“Coup d’Etat” – New York Rivals
“El Clavo y la Cruz” – Black Francis
“Pablo Picasso” – The Tellers
“Let’s Have A War” – Mike Watt
“When The Shit Hits The Fan” – TBA
“Hombre Secreto (Secret Agent Man)” – Matthew Sweet
“Bad Man” – TBA
“Reel Ten” – Weekend
