Jello Biafra

Jello Biafra was the singer of the infamous San Francisco band Dead Kennedys back in the late-'70s and early '80s, founded Alternative Tentacles which is one of the first independent label to emerged of the punk rock scene back in 1979, ran for mayor of San Francisco that same year, is a member of the Green Party of the United States and will put out two records in the upcoming months with his band Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medecine. The first one is an EP entitled SHOCK-U-PY and then there will be a full length, White People and the Damage Done which's release date is to be determined. Two records on which he has a lot to say about corporate America, banks and Obama. Starting August 22nd, he will go on tour with his band to play a few of dates in Canada and the United States. Punknews collaborator Alexis Charlebois had the chance to talk with Jello Biafra to discuss about these albums, some of the songs on them and many other things 'cause, you know, it's Jello Biafra.

Dale Crover (The Melvins)

The Melvins are attempting to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Starting on September 5, the avant-garde punk/metal band will attempt to play 51 shows in 51 days, with one show per state and one in Washington DC.

It's quite the undertaking especially considering that they've already toured for all of April, all of May, and almost all of July. The 51 dates version of the Melvins will be The Melvins Lite, which features founding member Buzz Osborne on guitar, almost-founding member Dale Crover on drums, and recent Melvins associate, Trevor Dunn, on standup acoustic bass. Meanwhile, the band just released the LP Freak Puke the EP The Bulls and the Bees, have a reported 50-55 songs still in the can, and have plans to continue as BOTH the current four piece Melvins with Jared Warren and Coady Willis as well as Melvins Lite. Whew!

To see how the band is preparing for their audacious undertaking, staff writer John Gentile called up Crover to talk about the band's training regimen for breaking the record, the new album, and also, the importance of being nice.

Kerry McCarthy MP on visiting the 'Pussy Riot' trial in Moscow

Between mid July and early September, an eery quiet descends over the UK Parliament's House of Commons. Usually filled with robust, often raucous debate, it shuts up shop for the summer recess, giving MPs a couple of months away from the Commons to deal with other things, or to take a holiday.

Recently, Kerry McCarthy, Member of Parliament for Bristol East since 2005, jumped on a plane to spend a few days overseas. So far, so unexceptional, except she wasn't off on holiday, but visiting Moscow to attend the trial of the three detained members of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, having received an invitation from their defense team. Punknews editor Andy Waterfield got in touch with Ms McCarthy, and asked her about the trip.

Play Date

To those aging punkers out there with young children, let's face it: So far, our kids aren't too impressed with our old Dillinger Four and Jawbreaker records. Sure, they're colorful and serve as questionable teething devices, but for whatever reason, "Peel It the Fuck Down" just doesn't resonate with a one-year-old. Not mine at least.

Fortunately, there is relief. Fun Fun Records--brought to you by nicest guy in punk rock, Mike Park--is a new label that features punk and ska veterans trying their hat at children's music. On October 9, 2012, Fun Fun will release Imagination by Play Date, which features Greg Attonito (singer of Bouncing Souls) and Shanti Wintergate (singer, actress).

The album isn't Greg and Shanti's first foray into children's entertainment. The couple has already released a children's book entitled I Went for a Walk, and they have been playing kid shows over the last couple years. Punknews interviewer Michael Dauphin recently caught up with Play Date via email to discuss the band, the book, and the differences between performing with Play Date and Bouncing Souls.

Joey Cape

"I'll never be Ozzy/onstage when I'm fifty," Joey Cape once sang. But despite being active since 1989, the 45-year-old Cape is still oft seen gracing stages worldwide with no signs of falling apart any time soon. Seemingly content to ride his 'Wagon until the wheels fall off, Cape and No Use For A Name mouthpiece the late Tony Sly released the second installment of their acoustic split project last month. In a two-part conversation, Punknews.org interviewer G'Ra Asim spoke with each of the performers about their contributions to Acoustic Volume 2. The former Bad Astronaut and Afterburner main man waxed philosophical about what he has in common with Elton John and how parents just don't understand.

Tony Sly (No Use For a Name)

His band's purported lack of use for one notwithstanding, the recently departed Tony Sly had made quite the name for himself as one of punk's most prolific and enduring songwriters, both at the helm of seminal West coast Fat Wreck Chords outfit No Use For A Name and more recently as a solo artist. This summer Sly reprised a team up with another punk veteran in Lagwagon's Joey Cape for the split record Acoustic Volume 2. In a two-part conversation, staff interviewer G'Ra Asim spoke with each of the legendary frontmen about their contributions to the sequel to 2004's Acoustic. Shortly before his untimely passing on July 31st, the late, great Sly expounded via email on what was to be his final caper with the Caper.

Jordan Burns (Strung Out)

In 1996 Strung Out released Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues. An album that became an instant classic as it was one of the fastest album the punk rock planet had ever heard. Two years later the Simi Valley band didn't disappoint when it came back with Twisted by Design. Both albums are considered by a legion of Strung Out fans to be essentials records to own for any punk rock devotee. To celebrate those two records Strung Out decided to go on a two month long tour that would be called Twisted In A Suburban Wasteland and to play both records in their totality every nights. Crazy concept right? Many people rejoiced including Punknews interviewer Alexis Charlebois who had a conversation with drummer Jordan Burns to talk about this tour who will go through North America from July 17th to October 5th

Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, Joe the Barbarian, Hellblazer: City of Demons)

Sean Murphy's artwork is in high demand. In the last few years, his atmospheric and emotive line work has graced some of comics' most acclaimed titles, allowing Sean to collaborate with some of the finest writers of his generation, including acclaimed work on Hellblazer and Hellblazer: City of Demons; penned by Jason Aaron and Si Spencer respectively; and Scott Snyder's American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest. He is best known, though, for his work with legendary writer Grant Morrison on the Vertigo maxiseries Joe the Barbarian, a tale of fantasy, family, and diabetes.

As already mentioned, Sean is an artist in high demand, so why is he taking a break from collaborative work to put out Punk Rock Jesus; the tale of Chris, a clone of Jesus Christ; his first solo comics work in seven years? PunkNews editor Andy Waterfield sought to find out.

Spencer Hazard (Full of Hell)

Full Of Hell from Ocean City, Maryland is a band that many readers might have missed over the past years, but is deserving of much praise for their seamless mixture of hardcore, noise, and death metal. Not only has the young band proven that they have the musical chops to keep up with older members of the DIY scene through several releases, but their live performances are always memorable and reveal an unparalleled intensity. Staff interviewer Andrew Clark spoke with guitarist Spencer Hazard about the band's origins, family support, and the mysterious Dave Bland.

Pete Allen (Baroness)

The American South is well-known for its rich musical history, which includes the blues, jazz, and more recently, it being home to numerous bands playing a sludgy variety of metal. Although emerging out of this scene initially in the mid-2000s, Savannah, Georgia's Baroness has shown with each album that a band can evolve, yet still incorporate aspects of where they began. With the debut of their double LP, Yellow & Green, this month the band continues to push the limits of American metal. Punknews staff interviewer Andrew Clark spoke with guitarist/backing vocalist Pete Allen via e-mail about the band's origins, current tour plans, and what he misses most when away.

Allison Weiss

You could call Allison Weiss an internet sensation. You might say she's a social media savant. Perhaps it would even be fair to champion her as a Kickstarter poster child. But whatever you do, don't call her a "songstress."

Confounding the typical, reductive pigeonholes that contemporary punk is guilty of lazily attributing to any combination of earcandy and estrogen, Allison Weiss is taking over the globe one URL at a time with her growing catalogue of accessible, addictive tunes and endearingly quirky swag. The Brooklyn, NY-based singer-songwriter chatted recently with Punknews interviewer G'Ra Asim about her upcoming second full-length, sharing digs with fellow musicians and making the leap to the musical big leagues.