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<p>Joan Jett has a black heart for a former bandmate.</p> <p>The hard-rocking frontwoman is suing a bassist of her first band, the Runaways, for blocking a film about the all-girl hard-rock group.</p> <p>Jacqueline Fuchs, a k a Jackie Fox, who played for the band from December 1975 to June 1977, claims to own a piece of its trademark and has gone out of her way to disrupt the biopic, titled "The Runaways."</p>

A South Shore preteen band named after a Dropkick Murphys song about a drunken bruiser is getting support from their punk rock heroes as they fight for the right to perform in bars. Ken Casey, a Dropkick Murphys founding member, told the 9, 10, 11 and 12-year-old members of Barroom Heroes yesterday: We survived and so can you. “Most of the good punk songs out there are about the man keeping you down. You are not a true punk band until you’ve been shut down,” Casey said yesterday in a Herald interview before he invited members of the pint-sized band...

Indie Punk Rock Record label Endorses McCain/Palin! Thats cool! Heres what they said: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=6195316&blogID=445350077 _______________________________________________________________ We Endorse JOHN McCAIN for president! Current mood: anxious I know this isn't going to be cool.... and it does not necesserily represent the opinions of the bands on the label..... and I do normally try to keep politics out of the label business, but this election is too important to sit on the sidelines. I know many of you think anything "establishment" is bad... and you've got disgust for anything GW Bush and (the party that birthed him) the Republicans (and I would agree...

James Duke Mason, son of famous international singer and former Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle is an Obama supporter and wants to raise $1,000 for the campaign prior to Oct. 24th. He says "I recognize that Obama will change America".... he also said that "My Mom and her friends have already given me $315.00".... he wants to be part of the "movement of change in America". James has lived in France since he was a toddler. Belinda moved her family (her husband is Morgan Mason, son of famed film actor James Mason) to the French countryside in 1992.

The "Musicians Who Turn 50", "Musicians Who Turn 60", "Favorite Drummer" and "Favorite Guitarist" were such hit threads on FR, I've decided to do this one. Who is your favorite SONGWRITING DUO? We all know that Lennon-McCartney were amazing together and possibly the best songwriting duo ever. They might be mentioned several times on this thread. If you choose John & Paul, be specific about which song and lyric(s).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Vinny Appice, Anita Baker, Jello Biafra, Andrea Bocelli, Simon LeBon, Kate Bush, Belinda Carlisle, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shaun Cassidy, Darby Crash, Randy DeBarge, Bruce Dickinson, Thomas Dolby, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Siobhan Fahey, Neil Finn, Bela Fleck, Martin Fry, Lisa Germano, Grandmaster Flash, Jools Holland, Ice-T, Alan Jackson, Michael Jackson, Tony James, Joan Jett, Al Jourgensen, Nik Kershaw, Sammy Kershaw, Limahl, Madonna, Bird McIntyre, Mike Mills, Thurston Moore, Alannah Miles, Gary Numan, Michael Penn, Vicki Peterson, Prince, Stacey Q, Will Sergeant, Nikki Sixx, David Sylvian, Toyah, Tanya Tucker, Paul Weller, Jane Wiedlin, Jah Wobble.

And The Winners Are....

Well, actually, maybe it would’ve been an “important” endorsement 25 years ago? This is video of James Duke Mason, son of 1980’s pop sensation Belinda Carlisle and former Reagan administration official Morgan Mason (who is the son of legendary actor James Mason) — telling the world that his Mom Belinda is endorsing Hillary Clinton! Heaven IS a Place on Earth, Hillary!

It was supposed to be a harmless advertisement for a telecommunications company, but all it ended up demonstrating was an advertiser's negligence and extremely poor taste. The Solo Mobile ad, which Thursday hung high above the crowds inside Downsview Station, depicts a tearful woman wearing a series of buttons, one of which reads "Belsen was a gas," a reference to Bergen-Belsen, a Nazi concentration camp used during the Second World War. CityNews was notified of the offensive ad by an angry viewer, who like many we spoke to, had little to say in favour of the tasteless display. "I was...

AMERICAN rocker and writer Henry Rollins was reported to the National Security hotline during his recent Australian tour because of a book he was reading on a flight to Brisbane. A furious Rollins was informed he was "nominated as a possible threat" for reading Jihad: The Rise Of Militant Islam In Central Asia, writes Kathy McCabe. The incident happened on a flight from Auckland on the recent Big Day Out tour. Rollins told Australian fans during his tour that he received a letter from a "nice woman" who worked "in one of those government areas that deals with anti-terrorism matters."...

Steven Van Zandt, Tommy Ramone, Debbie Harry, Ted Leo, Jesse Malin, and more band together to save the beleaguered NY landmark. Debbie Harry performs Blondie classics at CBGB, hopefully not for the last time. / Photo by Lane Brown If the graffiti-splattered, poster-covered walls of CBGB could talk, aside from asking for a good scrubbing, they might wax nostalgic about an era when they watched the Ramones grow up and fantasized as Debbie Harry sauntered across the stage. With those legendary walls facing possible demolition in a month, the venue's owner kicked off a month-long campaign on Monday to save...

LP about Warsaw Uprising by Lao Che rock group will gets to music shops today. - These were young people like us. We decided to make a record about the time of moral test - say the musicians. They come from Plock. Age average in this band is twenty something. They played heavy metal and hip-hop. Under the name Lao Che they've been working since 1999. They do not resemble a typical rock band. Before they start writing a song they discuss the vision of new album very long, research the subject thoroughly they intend to speak of. Their first...

LOS ANGELES - Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band "The Ramones" that influenced a generation of rockers, has died. He was 55. AP Photo AP Photo Slideshow: Musician Johnny Ramone Dies at 55 Johnny Ramone of 'The Ramones' Dies at 55 (AP Video) Ramone, who had been fighting a five-year battle with prostate cancer, died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and family, said the band's longtime artistic director Arturo Vega. "He was the guy with a strategy. He was the guy who not only looked after the band's...

Hi, I am the Dad of "Attila and the Huns", a rock/punk band that has had numerous songs debut here on Free Republic (for instance, the Michael Moore skewering Hateful Lies and the post-election "nyah nyah" The Better Man Won. The band is one of 28 in the Orlando region picked to compete in a competition sponsored by Zippo Lighters... first prize includes an actual tour. Friends, if you have enjoyed these kids' work in the past, please go to their site (www.aath.net) and click on the banner for the Zippo Hot Tour. You'll have to register, but once you...

Former Sex Pistols performer Glen Matlock calls for less profanity in Music and TV now that he has children.HEY GLEN! could it be 30 years too late??I love how these aging Punk rockers have suddenly found themselves now that they have kids.The Sex Pistols were very popular when I was in High School. I never understood the attraction myself. I was into the Beatles, the Stones, the B52s, DevoNeil Young... etc. I never cared for the groups that used profanity at the drop of a hat. Call me an old fogey!

Mon 28 Feb 2005 4:26pm (UK) Swearing Is Just Pathetic, Says Sex Pistol Star By Anita Singh, PA Showbusiness Editor They outraged the nation with their four-letter outburst on teatime television – but former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock now says he disapproves of swearing. The band’s bassist claims repeated use of the f-word is “pathetic”. Now a respectable family man, Matlock does not like his children, aged 11 and seven, hearing obscenities on the radio or TV. “It’s pathetic when people just swear for the sake of it,” the 48-year-old tells a Channel 4 show this Sunday. “Something ought to...

Linda Cummings arrived at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in a white, backless, nearly see-through mini-halter dress, white fur jacket and white high-heeled go-go boots. Not exactly site-specific attire, but then again, she is Johnny Ramone’s widow. Various celebs milled about, including Anthony Kiedis, who showed up wearing a Johnny Ramone–style hairdo to go with the anorexic-model type on his arm. The crowd included everyone from mohawked gutter punks in leather jackets and bondage pants to businessmen in three-piece suits. They had all come for last Friday’s unveiling of the Johnny Ramone memorial statue. Ramone (born John Cummings) died in September from...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Late punk guitarist Johnny Ramone is being immortalized with a bronze statue at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Ramone, co-founder and guitarist of The Ramones, was 55 when he died of prostate cancer on Sept. 15, 2004, at his Los Angeles home. The statue is near the grave of bandmate Dee Dee Ramone, who died of a drug overdose in 2002. The Johnny Ramone monument, created by artist Wayne Toth, shows Ramone playing his Mosrite guitar and it features the words, "If a man can judge success by how many great friends he has, then I have...

In 1997, Michale Graves, then lead singer for the horror punk rock group the Misfits, found himself on tour in Germany at the site where the Berlin Wall once stood. He took home with him a piece of that wall and with a few years' time, a bold commitment to fighting the mindset that built it. Punk rock is all about resisting the establishment. But punk rock itself has an establishment that is driven by Left wing, anti-war, anti-life, anti-faith politics. To scream, as Green Day does in its new CD "American Idiot," "I'm not a part of a redneck...

A BITTER battle over Johnny Ramone's estate has pit Stella Cummings, the 79-year-old mother of the legendary guitarist, against his wife, Linda Cummings. Stella Cummings claims that Johnny, who died in September of prostate cancer, had promised her $2,500 a month, but she suspects Linda somehow convinced the punk rock pioneer to leave her out of his will.

The irony of “conservative punk,” or ConPunk as it’s uncommonly known, is not lost on yours truly. According to my thesaurus, “conformist” is a synonym of “conservative.” We’ve heard enough about Punkvoter.com and Rock against Bush in the past year to be swayed into thinking that punk rock – the few remaining bones of punk rock’s corpse not already sold to television commercials – is decidedly liberal. But punk rock’s history is steeped in conservative politics; it should come as no surprise that there’s been a rise in conservative punk in recent years. To those who choose not to take...

To hear Steven Van Zandt tell it, he had no choice. He had simply wanted to do a two-hour radio show, no big deal, on which he could play some of the garage rock he loves and have some fun. But when he pitched the idea to syndicators, what they told him forced him to turn his hobby into a crusade. "They said, 'Stevie, baby, we love you,' " he said, his eyes wide in mock disbelief, "but we cannot get rock 'n' roll on the radio anymore.' " Big pause. "And it was like, aaarrrggghh," he said, his voice...

“God bless President Bush, and God bless America!” shouted Johnny Ramone, center, flanked by Dee Dee Ramone, left, and Marky Ramone at the Ramones’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2002. Johnny Ramone's statement pointed to the growing impact of conservatism on younger voters.

Punk Rock Hates America? by Michale Graves 21 July 2004 Groups like Punkvoter.com are the spearhead of young liberal-minded activist organizations backed by and aligned with big money corporations and groups like moveon.org, PETA and NARAL. The counter culture of the 1960’s has clearly infused itself within the system and has spawned a new generation of young activists and revolutionary minded leaders with a new sense of fury. They are entrenched in their idealistic views and relativist thinking.  They are the blame America first groups. Whatever has happened to us we have done worse.  They are the present day counterculture...

New York Dolls bassist Arthur Kane died last night (July 13) in Los Angeles due to complications from leukemia, the group's manager confirms to Billboard.com. He was 55. The reunited Dolls were fresh off a well-received appearance at Morrissey's Meltdown Festival in London last month and had also opened some of Morrissey's concerts in May in New York. It is unclear if the David Johansen-led group will still perform next month at Little Steven's International Underground Garage Festival in New York. The Dolls are scheduled to release an album for Morrissey's Attack imprint in September, but no details have been...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The guitarist with pioneering punk rock band the Ramones is fighting a losing a battle with cancer in a Los Angeles hospital, Rolling Stone magazine reported on its Web site on Tuesday. Johnny Ramone, 55, whose real name is John Cummings, was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago, and it has now spread throughout his body, Rollingstone.com quoted the band's drummer, Marky Ramone, as saying. "Johnny's been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim," Marky Ramone said in the report. "John never smoked cigarettes, he wasn't a...

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Billboard) - Guitarist Robert Quine, one of punk rock's most daring soloists, was found dead Saturday in his New York apartment. He was 61.   According to close friend and guitar maker Rick Kelly, who discovered Quine's body, the musician died of a heroin overdose Memorial Day weekend. He had been despondent over the recent death of his wife. Born in Akron, Ohio, Quine was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, whose music he recorded obsessively while living in San Francisco. He moved to New York in 1971 and became the lead guitarist for bassist Richard Hell's...

Hi there, my kids (ages 18 down to 12), disgusted with their favorite rock/punk bands turning off their brains and organizing a "Rock against Bush" CD, have written and performed their own Patriotic/Pro Republican song "Whats Wrong", and I am so proud of them for making this statement I thought I would use my self-imposed one vanity per year to see if anyone would like to hear it. Its on Streaming Audio at http://www.aath.net/whatswrong (the name of their band is Attila and the Huns). The lyrics are out there as well. Hopefully even if its not your style, you can...

In 2004, punk rock fans don't have to all be the same. Sheep are the same. Lemmings are the same. But punk rock fans should never demand sameness, be it from the left or the right. A healthy democracy depends on a free thinking, engaged citizenry -- and a healthy punk rock scene should be the FIRST to welcome ideological diversity. I call punk rock conservatives gonzo conservatives. This is not your father's conservatism. Gonzo conservatives have done and seen things their fathers never could have imagined, and right alongside punks on the left. Gonzos are inked and scarred and...

George W Bush: Punk icon? By Damian Fowler BBC reporter in New York It sounds unlikely, but there is a surprising new subculture emerging in the United States: Republican punk rockers. In his knee-high Dr Martens and with his head shaved, Michale Graves is the Bush-friendly face of punk rock. He is the front man for the band Gotham Road, which has just kicked off its US tour. On stage he belts out angry, obscure lyrics, but offstage he is also known for his conservative rants and raves. "The leftist radical agenda seems to be resonating loudly from within pop...

(CNSNews.com) - A 26-song CD coming out on Tuesday urges punk music fans to "Rock Against Bush." For the "especially low price of $8.98," those fans can hear various bands "uniting against a common enemy." Three of the songs on the CD are titled "Moron," "Warbrain," and "No W." Others include "The School of Assassins" and "Sink, Florida, Sink." According to the punk record label Fat Wreck Chords, which is releasing the CD, 17 of the 26 songs are "unreleased and exclusive," from bands including Social Distortion, NOFX, Ataris, Anti-Flag, New Found Glory, Alkaline Trio, Descendents, Ministry, and others. A...

With his mohawk, ratty fatigues, assorted chains and his menagerie of tattoos — swallows on each shoulder, a nautical star on his back and the logo of the Bouncing Souls, a New York City punk band, on his right leg — 22-year-old Nick Rizzuto is the very picture of counterculture alienation. But it's when he talks politics that Mr. Rizzuto sounds like a real radical, for a punk anyway. Mr. Rizzuto is adamantly in favor of lowering taxes and for school vouchers, and against campaign finance laws; his favorite Supreme Court justice is Clarence Thomas; he plans to vote for...

Bleached-blond Mohawk? Check. Ripped and faded blue jeans? Check. Silver-studded dog collar? Check. Political science textbook? Check. Pierced and tattooed rockers are in for a mosh-pit civics lesson this year. Nearly 200 bands are lining up to lambaste President Bush (news - web sites) and try to register a half-million voters through the Punk Voter coalition. These bands say they can harness votes from the average liberal-leaning but disenfranchised punk-rock fan with a combination of politically charged lyrics and constant reminders about civic duty in a time of war. "If you don't find yourself in the voting booth you may...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Bleached-blond Mohawk? Check. Ripped and faded blue jeans? Check. Silver-studded dog collar? Check. Political science textbook? Check.</p> <p>Pierced and tattooed rockers are in for a mosh-pit civics lesson this year. Nearly 200 bands are lining up to lambaste President Bush and try to register a half-million voters through the Punk Voter coalition.</p>

<p>The backlash is hitting San Francisco punk rocker Mike Burkett, better known in punk circles as Fat Mike. His perceived sin: launching a national effort to get punk rockers to vote.</p> <p>In Fat Mike's world, you're a sellout if you've got a big record contract, let alone talk up mainstream politics. Which explains the reaction the 37- year-old head of the San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords has received for starting Punkvoter.com last fall and spending $100,000 on the effort.</p>

<p>The backlash is hitting San Francisco punk rocker Mike Burkett, better known in punk circles as Fat Mike. His perceived sin: launching a national effort to get punk rockers to vote.</p> <p>In Fat Mike's world, you're a sellout if you've got a big record contract, let alone talk up mainstream politics. Which explains the reaction the 37- year-old head of the San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords has received for starting Punkvoter.com last fall and spending $100,000 on the effort.</p>

A Eugene teen-ager killed by bacterial meningitis and a second one made critically ill by the same virulent disease attended the same punk rock show at the WOW Hall during the Eugene Celebration, public health investigators said Monday. Both 16-year-old Mani Shimada, who died last Thursday, and 15-year-old Christina Norton, who fell ill Sunday and is listed in critical condition, were sickened by bacterial meningitis. Also known as meningococcal disease, the illness can progress at a frightening pace and lead to death if not quickly treated. Both attended the Sept. 20 "Bloodstains Across Eugene" music show at the WOW Hall,...

Rhino Records will release a four-disc punk box set, Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated? The '70s Punk Rebellion, on October 28th. Following in the footsteps of the garage-rock anthology Nuggets, the set is designed to serve as a punk rock primer, spanning 1973 to 1980. "I'm not doing this set for people who were there the first time or to 'give the kids a history lesson,'" says the collection's producer Gary Stewart. "I'm hoping that somebody new to rock & roll who just picked up albums by the White Stripes, Good Charlotte or Radiohead will find much to...

Last Update: Saturday, July 12, 2003. 9:40am (AEST) Never mind the WMDs: here's the Sex Pistols British punk band the Sex Pistols want to bring their particular brand of anarchy to Iraq, vowing to play a live concert in Baghdad with the message that democracy has its pitfalls. In an interview posted on the MTV music channel website, Pistols' front man John Lydon, who was known as Johnny Rotten during the punk heyday, said the reformed band hoped to set up the concert for sometime early next year. "I am definite about it," Lydon said. "The red tape is lining...

Saturday, January 11, 2003 Police make arrest in 1993 Mia Zapata slaying By TRACY JOHNSON SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER The 1993 killing of Seattle punk-rock singer Mia Zapata, which baffled police and her fans for nearly a decade, appears to have been solved with the arrest of a man in Miami. Police say they used DNA evidence to tie Jesus Mezquia, 48, to the slaying. The Gits, from left, were: Steve Moriarty, Matt Dresdner, Joe Spleen and Mia Zapata. Mezquia was arrested late Friday. He is a Cuban native who lives in the Florida Keys, where police searched his home Saturday,...