Sunday Edition
January 6, 2013

January 6, 2013

Hello everyone and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back in the week in Punknews. I'm Brittany Strummer and I'll be your guide through some of the juiciest, most popular and otherwise noteworthy stories from the last seven days. Remember, every Punknews story is built from tips from our wonderful, good-looking readers, so get to submitting. Here's what got the strange, slow and old community talking this week:

With that, we hand over this Sunday evening to the Punknews community, where anything is possible, from the next amusing-then-overwrought meme, to the creation of bands and message boards, to alienating sports chatter. So talk amongst yourselves, spin some tracks in the Navel Gazing turntable.fm room and we'll see you Monday morning.

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Sunday Edition
Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Punknews content is syndicated to a handful of your favorite social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Join our Last.fm group and contribute your listening habits to our weekly charts. All of our high definition video footage can be found at Vimeo.

Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:

Q: Would the old episodes of the podcast ever be re…uploaded? Or some similar procedure to allow listens? Or suggest something else for me to do with my time.

A: According to tech guru and religious zealot Adam White, we should be working on getting them up some way soon. I guess Apple doesn't want a ton of podcasts up at once (even if they are of such startlingly amazing quality that they make angels weep).

So…hopefully soon-ish. Hold tight.

-Rich

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @aubinpaul, @adamwhite, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @dante3000, @ameliaaacline, @kiraface, @mcflynnthm, @kidecono, @wackymondo, @BrittStrummer, and Bryne Yancey's every move at Twitter.

Where else are you online? Share your links below and keep connected with the Punknews community.

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Sunday Edition
December 30, 2012

December 30, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back in the week in Punknews. I'm Brittany Strummer and I'll be your guide through some of the juiciest, most popular and otherwise noteworthy stories from the last seven days. Remember, every Punknews story is built from tips from our wonderful, good-looking readers, so get to submitting. Here's what got the strange, slow and old community talking this week:

With that, we hand over this Sunday evening to the Punknews community, where anything is possible, from the next amusing-then-overwrought meme, to the creation of bands and message boards, to alienating sports chatter. So talk amongst yourselves, spin some tracks in the Navel Gazing turntable.fm room and we'll see you Monday morning.

Everyone at Punknews would like to wish our readers a happy and safe New Year!

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Sunday Edition
Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Punknews content is syndicated to a handful of your favorite social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Join our Last.fm group and contribute your listening habits to our weekly charts. All of our high definition video footage can be found at Vimeo.

Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:

Q: Although the Ramones are considered the first punk band, it is a rarely mentioned concession that they desperately wanted to be rock stars. How should this shape our view of them? How does this shape our view of punk itself since Ramones are the keystone?

A: I can certainly understand that feeling, especially in light of the counter culture, anti-commercialism that is a large part of modern era punk. However, I don't think it's fair to place these morals and standards to The Ramones.

In my opinion, their desire to be rock stars makes them all the more endearing. Their self-titled debut came out in 1976. Looking at the US charts the big albums of that year were from bands like Chicago, The Eagles, Peter Frampton and Stevie Wonder. Pretty much all bands that have absolutely nothing in common with The Ramones. And yet, many critics will list The Ramones' S/T as one of the top/most important albums of 1976.

The fact that they wanted to be rock stars while taking such an incredibly counter intuitive approach to reaching that goal is amazing. And yet, somehow, they did achieve moderate commercial success (and arguably a much large impact in the overall musical landscape through influence). Their single minded devotion to success sort of turned into a reality, despite the fact that they shared almost nothing with huge rock bands of their era.

In a way, that is their legacy on punk music, more than anything else. They went out there and achieved. Not through trying to sound like The Eagles or Earth, Wind and Fire but by simply grinding out the best music they could and doing it over and over again. To me that ethic of grinding it out, trial and error and even showmanship is all a great part of punk and something I'm happy the Ramones helped pioneer.

Also, the desire to be famous gave us DeeDee King…And aren't we all a little richer for that?

-Rich

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @aubinpaul, @adamwhite, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @dante3000, @ameliaaacline, @kiraface, @mcflynnthm, @kidecono, @wackymondo, @BrittStrummer, and Bryne Yancey's every move at Twitter.

Where else are you online? Share your links below and keep connected with the Punknews community.

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Sunday Edition
December 23, 2012

December 23, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back in the week in Punknews. I'm Brittany Strummer and I'll be your guide through some of the juiciest, most popular and otherwise noteworthy stories from the last seven days. Remember, every Punknews story is built from tips from our wonderful, good-looking readers, so get to submitting. Here's what got the strange, slow and old community talking this week:

With that, we hand over this Sunday evening to the Punknews community, where anything is possible, from the next amusing-then-overwrought meme, to the creation of bands and message boards, to alienating sports chatter. So talk amongst yourselves, spin some tracks in the Navel Gazing turntable.fm room and we'll see you Monday morning.

Happy holidays from everyone at Punknews!

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Sunday Edition
Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Punknews content is syndicated to a handful of your favorite social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Join our Last.fm group and contribute your listening habits to our weekly charts. All of our high definition video footage can be found at Vimeo.

Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:

Q: If you committed a terrible crime and were sentenced to be either: a) the drummer for Madball or b) the drummer for The Ataris which would it be and why? Thank ya, jwinston

A: Madball, hands down.

First, despite the fact that I don't understand anything about the band, they are fairly popular, as opposed to The Ataris who are on some combination of dying band life-support and kids who really liked that "Boys of Summer" song. So I'd imagine touring with Madball would be a bit more comfortable. Sure it's lots of silly hardcore shows, but I'm behind a drum kit, so the odds of me getting windmilled are pretty low.

Second, Madball (more than anything) seems concerned with "keeping it real." I'm pretty sure all this requires is adding something about "my family" or "My crew" to the end of every statement. Example: "I'll have the number three with a Mr. Pibb…For my crew!" Suddenly I go from ordering a pathetic excuse of an adult meal to making a bold statement that eating at Burger King is how I keep shit ultra real (note: poor nutrition is real as fuck!).

Kris Roe still seems to believe that being in The Ataris matters, not just for playing old hits but for making new and interesting music. That's too much pressure for me. I'd be setting there during one of his long ass breakdowns and before I know it'd my mind would wonder off to thinking about which reststop we'll be eating dinner at or how I'll be bathing with wetnaps tonight. Then, BAM! fucking snare drum to my face. Now, I got to find a way to get blood out of my clothes and fix up my forehead and you know Kris Roe doesn't provide shit for insurance.

So yeah, Madball. Plus, Chad from New Found Glory is apparently a big fan and maybe we could hang out some time and he could touch my Chadballs (seriously, that's the dumbest fucking nickname ever. No adult should have that nickname and not be under guardian supervision anytime they use tools more advanced than a bottle opener).

-Rich

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @aubinpaul, @adamwhite, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @dante3000, @ameliaaacline, @kiraface, @mcflynnthm, @kidecono, @wackymondo, @BrittStrummer, and Bryne Yancey's every move at Twitter.

Where else are you online? Share your links below and keep connected with the Punknews community.

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Sunday Edition
Ghost Thrower

Radio Free Punknews

Check out the Punknews Music page to stream all sorts of new music from recent or upcoming releases. Our latest additions include:

Also, don't forget to check out the latest release from Los Angeles, CA's Fiction Reform and a song each from Scranton, PA's Three Man Cannon and Portland, OR's Lee Corey Oswald from their new split.

We've also expanded our podcast empire to something that will eventually resemble a network. Be sure to check out the original Punknews Podcast (subscribe via RSS or iTunes), Jesse and Goodrich's metal/hardcore/jokes bonanza The Wizard's Beard (subscribe via RSS or iTunes), Matt and Mondo's Punk Rock Power Hour, and Greg Simpson and Greg Moore's Two Gregs One Podcast.

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Sunday Edition
December 16, 2012

December 16, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back in the week in Punknews. I'm Brittany Strummer and I'll be your guide through some of the juiciest, most popular and otherwise noteworthy stories from the last seven days. Remember, every Punknews story is built from tips from our wonderful, good-looking readers, so get to submitting. Here's what got the strange, slow and old community talking this week:

With that, we hand over this Sunday evening to the Punknews community, where anything is possible, from the next amusing-then-overwrought meme, to the creation of bands and message boards, to alienating sports chatter. So talk amongst yourselves, spin some tracks in the Navel Gazing turntable.fm room and we'll see you Monday morning.

Read more
Sunday Edition
Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Punknews content is syndicated to a handful of your favorite social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Join our Last.fm group and contribute your listening habits to our weekly charts. All of our high definition video footage can be found at Vimeo.

Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:

Q: Favourite pizza toppings?

A: I am the worst person on earth for this questions. I absolutely love pizza. You know that crazy devotion to pizza that little kids have (where they say they could eat it every day and inevitably find that they do eat it every meal for some short period in their lives and have massive digestive problems because of it)? That's me at 30.

I fucking LOVE pizza. Thick crust, thin crust, deep dish, Chicago style (FUCK YEAH Chicago Style). I even love the calzone, that inverted bastard son of pizza. There's so few toppings I don't enjoy on a pizza I can literally not think of any (I've had anchovies and in certain settings, they fucking work!).

When I was 8 years old a friend had pizza and ice cream at his birthday party and I put ice cream ON the pizza and ate it. Why? Because the fucking Ninja Turtles would have done it and at eight years old they were my infallible deities. Of course, not being privy to the effects of mutagen I totally vomited it all up later but even with that knowledge, I would totally do it right now, today! Because Pizza!

I once didn't have pizza for an entire month. Then I had an insane craving for pizza and spent 40 minutes stewing over the menu trying to figure out what pizza to get. I had choice overload and everything sounded good. In the end, do you know what I got? Pepperoni. That's it. Because it may be the most perfect, unfuckwithable pizza topping ever (I also got wings because the lady was all, "You want wings with that?" And my brain was completely destroyed from 40 minutes of pizza debates and went, "What? What the fuck are wings? Just say yes! I don't fucking know anymore!")

In this vein ordering pizza online is the most perfect thing ever (and the most awful thing to happen to self respect). From the confines of my own living room I can go to Roundtables website and order an All Meat Marvel. Click a button to add ground beef. Click another button to switch out regular sauce with barbecue sauce and then have it delivered to my door! I make some god damn Frankenstein monster pizza all without facing the shame of looking at another human to order it. If I could do everything this way I promise you my car would be painted black as the Batmobile and would probably have like 10 doors and no backseat, simply because the ability to do something means that I MUST do it.

FUCK YEAH PIZZA!

-Rich

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @aubinpaul, @adamwhite, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @dante3000, @ameliaaacline, @kiraface, @mcflynnthm, @kidecono, @wackymondo, @BrittStrummer, and Bryne Yancey's every move at Twitter.

Where else are you online? Share your links below and keep connected with the Punknews community.

Read more
Sunday Edition
Fiction Reform

Radio Free Punknews

Check out the Punknews Music page to stream all sorts of new music from recent or upcoming releases. Our latest additions include:

Also, don't forget to check out the new EP from Chicago, IL's The Vindictives and the new 10-inch from New Orleans, LA's Heat Dust.

We've also expanded our podcast empire to something that will eventually resemble a network. Be sure to check out the original Punknews Podcast (subscribe via RSS or iTunes), Jesse and Goodrich's metal/hardcore/jokes bonanza The Wizard's Beard (subscribe via RSS or iTunes), Matt and Mondo's Punk Rock Power Hour, and Greg Simpson and Greg Moore's Two Gregs One Podcast.

Read more
Sunday Edition
December 9, 2012

December 9, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to Navel Gazing: your look back in the week in Punknews. I'm Brittany Strummer and I'll be your guide through some of the juiciest, most popular and otherwise noteworthy stories from the last seven days. Remember, every Punknews story is built from tips from our wonderful, good-looking readers, so get to submitting. Here's what got the strange, slow and old community talking this week:

With that, we hand over this Sunday evening to the Punknews community, where anything is possible, from the next amusing-then-overwrought meme, to the creation of bands and message boards, to alienating sports chatter. So talk amongst yourselves, spin some tracks in the Navel Gazing turntable.fm room and we'll see you Monday morning.

Read more
Sunday Edition
Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Tonight We're Going To Give It 35%

Punknews content is syndicated to a handful of your favorite social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Join our Last.fm group and contribute your listening habits to our weekly charts. All of our high definition video footage can be found at Vimeo.

Here's your question and answer of the week from the Punknews Formspring:

Q: Is the Misfits font played out?

A: I think most band logos who have had their font re-purposed are played out. Metallica, would be another good example. It was kind of interesting but now it's just a reference, like Family Guy. Just giving a head nod to something doesn't make it funny.

-Rich

Of course your day wouldn't be complete without knowing every inane detail of your humble editors' lives. Follow @aubinpaul, @adamwhite, @justinaugust, @brian_shultz, @dante3000, @ameliaaacline, @kiraface, @mcflynnthm, @kidecono, @wackymondo, @BrittStrummer, and Bryne Yancey's every move at Twitter.

Where else are you online? Share your links below and keep connected with the Punknews community.

Read more