Rancid, the punk rock legends, have announced a full scale U.S tour for this summer. No festivals, no gimmicks, just raw Punk Rock. They are playing dates with all sorts of punk rockers from the diehard’s to the pop-punk stylings, they cover the whole punk scene from today and yesterday on their way to potentially releasing a new disc of music. Check out the dates below, sadly…no Seattle date has been announced.

June 10, 2008 Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona T.S.O.L, The Dead Tones
June 11, 2008 Club 101 El Paso, Texas T.S.O.L, Fixed Idea
June 13, 2008 La Zona Rosa Austin, Texas Lower Class Brats, Ill Spent Youth
June 14, 2008 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas Lower Class Brats, Damage Case
June 15, 2008 Warehouse Live Houston, Texas Complete Control, Deathbed Repentance
June 18, 2008 Jannus Landing St Petersburg, Florida Whole Wheat Bread, The Scurvy
June 19, 2008 The Revolution Ft Lauderdale, Florida Guajiro, The Clockouts
June 20, 2008 House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista, Florida Voo Doo Glowskulls & Whole Wheat Bread
June 21, 2008 Plush Jacksonville, Florida Against All Authority, Far From Finished
June 22, 2008 The Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia Th’ Legendary Shack, The Dead Towners
June 24, 2008 House Of Blues North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Th’ Legendary Shack, The Independents
June 25, 2008 Hooligan’s Music Hall Jacksonville, North Carolina Murphy’s Law, Far From Finished
June 26, 2008 Jester’s Fayettefille, North Carolina Murphys Law
June 27, 2008 Rocketown Nashville, Tennessee Th’ Lengendary Shack, Hillbilly Casino
June 28, 2008 Pop’s Sauget, Illinois Exene Cervenka, Coliseum
June 29, 2008 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, Oklahoma Riverboat Gamblers, Dirty Mugz
July 1, 2008 Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, New Mexico Riverboat Gamblers, 12 Step Rebels
July 2, 2008 Marquee Theatre Tempe, Arizona Riverboat Gamblers, The Dames
July 3, 2008 House Of Blues Las Vegas, Nevada The Aquabats, Urchin
July 26, 2008 The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, Colorado Murphy’s Law, I Am Ghost, MXPX
July 27, 2008 The Beaumont Club Kansas City, Missouri Murphy’s Law, Architects
July 28, 2008 The Myth Maplewood, Minnesota MXPX, The Cretins
July 30, 2008 House Of Blues Chicago, Illinois MXPX, Rule 22
July 31, 2008 House Of Blues Chicago, Illinois H2O, The House the Gloria Vanderbilt
August 1, 2008 Clutch Cargo’s Pontiac, Michigan H2O, The Red Shift
August 2, 2008 Kool Haus Toronto, Ontario H2O, The Flatliners
August 3, 2008 Kool Haus Toronto, Ontario Sick Of It All, The Creepshow
August 5, 2008 Metropolis Montreal, Quebec Sick Of It All, The Brains
August 6, 2008 Metropolis Montreal, Quebec H2O, The Alley Dukes
August 8, 2008 Palladium Worcester, Massachusetts Sick Of It All, Capital Radio
August 9, 2008 Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, Rhode Island Murphy’s Law, Bloodshot Hooligans
August 10, 2008 Electric Factory Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Big D and the Kids Table, Percocettes
August 11, 2008 9:30 Club Washington, Washington DC Big D and the Kids Table, Bloodclot
August 13, 2008 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York Sick Of It All, Bloodclot
August 14, 2008 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York Theo and the Skyscrapers, Westbound Train
August 15, 2008 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York Big D and the Kids Table, Capital Radio
August 16, 2008 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York Murphy’s Law, Shiragirl
August 17, 2008 The Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York Madball, Bomb the Music Industry

Beck hasn’t felt like a loser in a long time, and with the announcement of his latest venture into live performances, he’s setting up a good pace to return to full time tours. This latest summer announcement, isn’t a full blown tour, but it has enough dates to please the majority of Beck fans for now.

Check out Beck in a city near you, or just wait for him to announce a really lengthy tour.

06-25 Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival
06-27 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
06-28 St. Gallen, Switzerland - St. Gallen Festival
06-30 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
07-04 London, England - Hyde Park (O2 Wireless Festival)
07-06 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival
07-07 Paris, France - Olympia
07-09 Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
08-22 San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park (Outside Lands Festival)
08-30 Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival
09-20 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl ^
09-27 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)

When I was younger, I used to call Portishead “porpoise head”. I never saw the appeal.

Now that I’ve lived another 10 years, I see the talent and hear the amazing musical stylings of Portishead for more than just a random musical endeavor. The lyrics to any Portishead song can be somewhat haunting, and the tone in which the delivery breaks through the vapid music scene, is just top notch.

With their latest album, you can tell that they are up to their old antics, and aspiring for a little more.

You can stream the whole Portishead album now, and see if you like it…or if you’ll stick to your metal.

P.s Metal rules!

Silver Jews
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Drag City

As soon as I heard that the Silver Jews were releasing Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, I straightway journeyed to the paramount of Lookout Mountain to exclaim my joy for such an occasion. When you have Pavement in your pedigree, you can put a guarantee on your band’s ability to excite. As I gazed upon the blue/green waters of Lookout Sea, I reminisced about all of the great songs that the Joos have recorded and how I still listen to The Natural Bridge on a regular basis. It’s been a few years since I’ve heard anything new from Silver Jew family. (In fact, American Water was the last Silver Jews album that I purchased despite the reality that they have been regularly releasing sonic gems in my periphery). The slight changes that the Jews have made in this timeframe are a very pleasant surprise, especially if didn’t follow them through this adaptation/reformation (but not renovation). The instrumentals have been fine-tuned; David Berman’s deep vocals seem to have cultivated confidence, creating a sound akin to Lee Hazelwood or even Mr. Cash. I don’t know what else to say about this record other than it rawks. The intro track “What Is Not But Could Be If” is pretty much great: one of those songs that sounds so good it seems to rinse away a bad day. The Joos don’t quit. Thank goodness. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Sky Hero
Rose Hip (Silent Tracks Vol. 1)
Kreativ Network Recordings

Sky Hero is officially in the air. With the release of Rose Hip we are reminded that sound is not always sound. This particular release, more of a “performance/sound art piece” than party mix is composed of 15 tracks (two of them bonus tracks) of raw silence introduced by a consistent sound of something starting and stopping. These starts and stops are the essence of the album, as one forgets he is listening to anything at all until the next track is introduced and audibly startles the listener back into the activity of listening… intently… to nothing… to silence. Maybe it’s all a joke. The perfect solution to rid your ears of today’s appalling music: no music at all. Grab a listen (or download your favorite Sky Hero album) at Last.fm. – Ryan Stephens, Mannerist Zine

Finest Dearest
Self-titled
Bloodtown Records

The rocking prowess of this San Francisco quartet is the result of gambit basement jams a few years back. After a few lineup adjustments, Finest Dearest is now equipped to release a notable album with a blasting vocal front courtesy of Carly Schneider. Clean and convinced, this band is obviously still new, yet reminds me of a Sleater-Kinney/Belly/Breeders mashup. As far as lyrics, there are a few witty remarks and plenty of chic prose, but this element comes off as secondary to the instrumentation, which is highly studio-processed. The final word is that these folks have packaged some refreshing rock for you to discover. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine

Bronx River Parkway
San Sebastian 152
Truth & Soul

Bronx River Parkway makes their debut on Truth & Soul with one of the best Latin jazz funk records that I’ve heard. This timeless sound is a collective product of Pablo Rodriguez (of Candela Records) and artist Rostarr that successfully presents the diverse sounds of Puerto Rico’s brilliant music scene. Excellent recording and overall soulful aesthetics make this album sound like it could have existed in the atmosphere of your favorite bodega twenty years ago. Veiled with the aged samba beats of the past, heightened with finger tapping instrumentals and coalescing vocals. San Sebastian 152 boasts the type of relentless sounds that make the forehead sweat. I like it. – Kelly D Williams, Mannerist Zine

The Atari Star
Aniseed
Johanns Face Records

Allow me to begin by answering a quote from one of this albums less forgettable tracks, “let me be a taste you have to acquire”, um… no thanks guys. This is a group with a ton of talent and zero originality. Honestly, listening to this album was like talking to a gorgeous dude asking predictable questions and giving predictable answers. I just kept hoping for something to redeem itself, but the bore kept pouring out. If you like John Mayer, or Teen Disney T.V. shows you might dig this stuff… might. - Ryan Stephens, Mannerist Zine

Heartsrevolution
Switchblade EP
IHEARTCOMIX

Heartsrevolution needs way more cred and attention than I can possibly attempt in this measly little paragraph. To get a feel for what this duo is all about you gotta check out heartschallenger.com. It isn’t the bands website, but is about the personas that form the HEARTS duo… kind of. But wow! Switchblade EP is definitely danceable. It’s the kind of record that you would catch “Misses Toughie Cool Hottie” brushing her teeth and flexing to in the morning. I was hypnotized by hypersensual vocals filtered only by the techy grit of the input device repeating phrases like, “foxes and bunnies, fire and snow”. I must also add that the rhythm and beats are precise and unique to each track, while keeping a cohesive handclap throughout the EP. Way to go team! - Ryan Stephens, Mannerist Zine

Justice of the Unicorns
Angels With Uzi’s
Little Lamb

Justice of The Unicorns is the numinous music project of New York’s Rusty Dungan and troop. As the name of this band implies, Justice of the Unicorns is a tavern band with a penchant for fantasy tales and magical verse. The meddling theme of Angels With Uzi’s doesn’t give the band much promise of permanence, but maybe with lines like “In your dreams, the wild tiger’s eyes creep upon you in the forest,” their intentions are to do nothing more than endorse a chuckle. Like Thurston Moore singing the story line of David Bowie’s Labrynth, the novelty may be more compelling than the aptitude. This album juxtaposes blues and folk with contemporary synthetics and digital instrumentation to accompany you and your imaginary Might Be Giant on your journey to the land of Zorcon. – Kelly D. Williams, Mannerist Zine