:: Pelican released a new track called Lathe Biosas. Their new EP, Ataraxia/Taraxis, is out on April 10.

:: Lacuna Coil took New Jersey by storm with an acoustic set at Vintage Vinyl in support of their new album, Dark Adrenaline. Let’s hear it for actual Italians in Jersey, without the fake tans and big hair.

:: All Shall Perish hits the road with Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Conducting From the Grave, and The Contortionist. The North American This Is Where It Ends tour runs from March to June.

:: Hair metal gurus Steel Panther were too crude for the U.K. Their promo art, which features a woman with large tatas and shiny dangling balls, was banned by the Advertisting Standards Authority. The image is also the cover of their latest record, aptly titled Balls Out.

:: King Diamond is back and hungry for festivals. After open-heart triple-bypass surgery, he’ll be scaring the crap out of fans at Hellfest in France and headlining the Rock Stage at the Sweden Rock Festival.

Another fine video from Red Fang, with the song Hank Is Dead from the album Murder the Mountains. I love the part when he looks at his watch.

:: While you were punching in your credit card number to buy tickets to see At the Drive-In, Pussy Riot was getting arrested for protesting in Red Square.

:: There might be a CBGB reopening, so everyone can complain about how it’ll never be like the original.

:: Marky Ramone took time from his food tour in Italy to dispute a recent leather jacket auction.

:: The touring drummer for Journey, Deen Castronovo, was booked on charges of “coercion, assault, criminal mischief, interfering with making a report and harassment.”

Blessed by a Broken Heart – Feel the Power
Release date: January 24, 2012

I can’t think of a reason not to feature this on A Grand Design. I mean…look at it.

Say what you will about MegaUpload being closed; those guys were making bank. Yesterday, New Zealand police arrested Kim Dotcom (yeah, Dotcom) and a three other people based on “U.S. accusations that they facilitated millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content.”

New Zealand Police also seized guns, artwork, more than $8 million in cash and luxury cars valued at nearly $5 million after serving 10 search warrants at several businesses and homes around the city of Auckland.

The argument that record labels and movie studios have enough money already is pretty weak when you think that this company had $8 million in cash on hand. Mr. Dotcom, according to the indictment, made $42 million last year.

Loincloth – Iron Balls of Steel
Release date: January 17, 2012

It’s good to know that as cheeky as these guys are, they are taking the high road with the album cover.

The label that you drew on your notebooks during your angry punk phase in high school is done. Lookout Records has closed its doors. Most telling is this blog post from our friend Ted Leo, who said his catalog “reverted to my complete ownership.”

We can blame the internet, bad management, the economy… but these things happen. And will keep happening.

A hundred more labels will take Lookout Records’ place, a thousand more downloads will happen, and a million punk kids will write RIP LOOKOUT on Facebook walls across the interwebs.

David Crowder Band – Give Us Rest
Release date: January 10, 2012

The thing I would suggest Crowder do to ramp up his marketability to normal people is not to go for the obvious Biblical reference in album titles. The sparrow is nice and rich with Christian allegory, so that area is covered. But he should angle the album toward the stoner crowd by naming it something nonsensical, like Porkins’ Stovepipe. He already looks like he should be doing something weird anyway. Might as well make it official.

Not long after I found out that At the Drive-In was reuniting for Coachella, I found out that we’re getting a Refused reunion at Coachella, too. My head is ‘sploding.

Here are some words from the band about why we’re getting a Refused reunion. Man, I just typed “Refused reunion.” Anyway, here are those words:

We never did The shape of punk to come justice back when it came out, too tangled up in petty internal bickering to really focus on the job. And suddenly there’s this possibility to do it like it was intended. We wanna do it over, do it right. For the people who’ve kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes.

We feel that you deserve it and we hope the feeling is mutual.

See you in the pit.

That’s right, At the Drive-In is reuniting! We don’t have a lot to go on right now, but it looks like the band will at least be playing Coachella.

Words can’t begin to describe what I’m feeling right now.