Microsoft yesterday brought out their Zune player in the US, in the hopes that it will rival Apple’s iPod and iTunes. Microsoft themselves admitted it would be hard and that they were playing the David to Apple’s Goliath and the man leading the marketing of the Zune said “We would like people to say there’s a clear No. 2 in the marketplace.”
The Zune player will be sold at around the same price as the iPod with Microsoft’s main distinguishing feature being the inclusion of WiFi technology which will allow limited sharing of files between players.
Some Aussie scientists have created the “air guitar t-shirt”, which apparently turns air guitarist’s fake strumming into actual music.
MxPx‘s new deluxe edition of Let It Happen will include 3 brand new tracks and 3 original demos which were recorded at the start of the group’s career, it has been announced.
Legendary group Madness have posted up a new track from their recent reunion on their myspace page. The track, Sorry, features UK rappers Sway and Baby Blue and comes from their upcoming album, which has been produced by Clive Langer and Liam Watson, and will be their first in seven years.
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke might be having his artwork exhibited in Barcelona. The only problem is that Yorke doesn’t talk much about his art and the names he works under but the exhibition, which begins on November 23rd, includes work by Dr Tchock, which is thought to be Yorke.
Back in the 1980’s, the genre crossover metal made it’s mark in venues and skateparks all over the planet but was engineered by bands in the USA such as Cro-Mags, DRI, Anthrax, Agnostic Front, Gang Green, Ludichrist, and many more who bridged the gap between metal and hardcore.
So, I finally got to see the anticipated partner piece to Steven Blush’s book “American Hardcore: A Tribal History” from 2001, where the author put into words his own historic take and first hand experiences from those crucial days of North American Hardcore in the early ’80’s. Blush is joined in production duties on “American Hardcore” (The Movie) by Paul Rachman, and you did read that right… this is a Sony Pictures Classic…
If I’ve got a problem with ‘American Hardcore’ it’s that for all the cool bands and music in it, I was constantly left thinking about all the shit that was missing… no Husker Du, no Crucifix, no Toxic Reasons, no JFA, MIA, FU’s… Freeze… Naked Raygun… and crucially – no Dead Kennedy’s. I shit you not. The DK’s were THE American Hardcore band… and one of the most important Punk acts ever. They took it national, and then global. Go read the interview on this website with Vic Bondi for more on why the DK’s were a non-starter as far as this film went.
San Francisco’s Set Your Goals have said that after they’ve finished their tour with Terror, which they’re currently on, they’ll be taking time off until they go on a full tour of the States in March and April.
Explosions In The Sky have announced they’ll be playing a one off show in London at Koko on March 1st next year.
Florida’s Poison The Well have posted an updated on their myspace regarding their upcoming album, entitled Versions, which is due out in 2007.