Month: April 2016

Viet Cong Rename Themselves “Preoccupations”

Preoccupations
Jason Tate

The band Viet Cong have, finally, decided to rename themselves. They will be Preoccupations going forward.

After finishing our latest record and taking some time off, we are excited to announce that we will be performing and recording as “Preoccupations” going forward. We will be previewing new material from a forthcoming record in a series of festivals and shows in North America and Europe in the coming months. We apologize to those who were adversely affected by our former band name. This was never anticipated nor our intent. We are artists and not politicians, we understand that the name reflected pain to some individuals and we are happy to change it and move on and focus on our music. Thanks to all our friends and fans. See you all soon.

For this week’s “Throwback Thursday” gallery I wanted to go back into the archives to see what I had stored on film. That’s when I found an old box of photos from Finch playing at Endfest on June 22nd, 2002. I’d been looking for this box for a very long time. It’s insane to think that it has been 5,053 days, or 13 years and 10 months, since these images were captured. But what’s even more crazy to me is that it was a short three months after What it is to Burn was released. Finch were just becoming the it band of the moment and I still remember the day I first heard that album. You can find the gallery below and I hope these bring back some memories of the days when Drive-Thru Records ruled the world.

Dave Gaslin

Johnny Marr Announces Autobiography

Johnny Marr
Jason Tate

Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths, has announced he will release his autobiography, Set the Boy Free, on November 3rd. Pre-orders are up on Amazon.

I wanted to convey a feeling of breaking free, that has been a constant throughout my life. A feeling that expresses itself as both escape and discovery. Transcendence. I found it through rock ‘n’ roll and art and a journey living both in the modern world.

Study Says Dyson Hand Dryers Spread More Germs

Jason Tate

Beth Mole, writing for Ars Technica, on how Dyson hand dryers spread viruses in bathrooms:

Researchers have long known that warm air hand dryers can launch bacteria into the air—compared to dabbing with paper towels, which unleashes virtually none. But new jet air dryers, made by Dyson, are significantly more problematic—they launch far more viruses into the air, which linger for longer periods of time and reach much farther distances, researchers recently reported in the Journal of Applied Microbiology. This is particularly concerning because viruses, unlike many infectious bacteria, can easily maintain their infectiousness in the air and on surfaces, and just a few viral particles can spark an infection.

Half Hearted Hero – “Same Old Same” (Song Premiere)

Half Hearted Hero
Drew Beringer

Half Hearted Hero will be releasing their (very good) new LP, Isn’t Real, on May 27th via Animal Style Records. Today we are premiering one of my favorite songs from the album: “Same Old Same.” It contains an upbeat vibe that’ll make you want to roll down the windows and sing along while maintaining the edge that gets the band compared to peers like Polar Bear Club and Motion City Soundtrack. 

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