Coheed And Cambria Announces Double Album:"The Afterman"

Rockers Coheed & Cambria have announced their sixth studio release will be a double-album titled The Afterman. Split into two parts, The Afterman: Ascension will be released October 9, with The Afterman: Descension due out in February 2013.

Machine Head Release "Darkness Within" Video

Machine Head have released their latest music video, for the track, “Darkness Within,” off last year’s acclaimed album, Unto the Locust. The clip was filmed in the Czech Republic between May 4 and May 9. Check it out below.

Japanese Unveil iPhone-Controlled Battle Robot

As seen in this story by The Guardian, a Japanese electronics company has debuted Kuratas, a 13-foot high robot that can fire 6,000 BB bullets per minute (100 rounds per second). The robot "is controlled either by a human pilot in a mid-torso cockpit or by a smartphone connected to a 3G network," the Guardian article says - while it could be used as a weapon, it could also be customized "for more peaceful functions such as firefighting or cleaning." The cost of this new robot is estimated at some $1.4 million.

Feist And Mastodon Release Interactive "A Commotion" Video

Mastodon and Feist have released an interactive video for their Record Store day split single. The “Feistodon” clip was directed by Vice Cooler, and utilizes an HTML5 video app, enabling users to crossfade between Feist and Mastodon’s versions of “A Commotion”. It also comes with visuals of Feist tearing shit up in a house. Check it out at listentofeist.com or mastodonrocks.com, or watch a non-interactive version below:

New Skyfall International Trailer

After releasing a preview during the Olympics, Sony Pictures have unveiled the official international trailer for Skyfall, the upcoming James Bond movie. Directed by Sam Mendes, and starring Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory and Javier Bardem the film opens in the UK on October 26th, 2012 and in the US on November 9th.

Social Distortion Unveil New Animated Video For "Gimme The Sweet And Lowdown"

Social Distortion has posted the new animated video for "Gimme The Sweet and Lowdown." The track comes from their 2011 album, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. It was animated by Olya & Vira Ishchuk (known as "The Mad Twins") and loosely celebrates the life of frontman Mike Ness. 

Porsche 918 Martini Racing

Porsche pays tribute to the iconic Martini Racing Team of the late 60s and 70s with the new Porsche 918 Spyder Martini Concept. The team has a vibrant history of iconic race victories, including Targa-Florio in 1973, first at the Sports Car World Championship in 1976 and overall victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1976 and 1977. The Porsche 918 Spyder is currently under-going testing before actually being released in limited numbers. Since future owners will be able to custom design their vehicles, it is a nice inspiration seeing the sportscar in this iconic outfit.

The Company Band Streaming New EP "Pros & Cons"

The Company Band - featuring vocalist Neil Fallon from Clutch, drummer Jess Margera from CKY, guitarist / vocalist Jim Rota from Fireball Ministry, bassist Brad Davis from Fu Manchu and guitarist Dave Bone - have a new five song EP ready entitled Pros & Cons, due out tomorrow, Tuesday, July 31st on Weathermaker Music. The album is currently streaming in full as part of AOL's Full CD Listening Party at this location.

Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man" Could Hit Theaters In 2014

Ant-Man has been rumored for a 2014 release. Edgar Wright's comic book movie will take over Marvel Studios' London production branch following the completion of Thor: The Dark World, reports Latino Review. This schedule could see the film set for release in the same year as Guardians of the Galaxy and the Captain America: Winter Soldier sequel. Thor: The Dark World is expected to begin filming in August. Wright debuted test footage of Ant-Man at San Diego Comic-Con International, confirming that the long-awaited film would be part of Marvel's phase two movie releases. The director is also due to team with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on World's End, which was recently given the greenlight.

NOFX Premiere New Song "Ronnie & Mags"

VICE Magazine has premiered the new NOFX single “Ronnie & Mags”, which is the title track from the upcoming 7″ single and and will appear on their anticipated new full-length Self Entitled. The “Ronnie & Mags” 7″ single will be released on August 14th, while Self Entitled arrives on September 11th. Both will be released on Fat Wreck Chords. 

Popeye The Sailor - A Clean Shaven Man (1936)

Popeye & Bluto try to impress Olive Oyl with a fresh shaved face. Original Air Date: 7 FEB 1936.

Russ Rankin Streams New Album “Farewell Catalonia” In Full

Good Riddance/Only Crime vocalist Russ Rankin is streaming his debut solo record, Farewell Catalonia, in its entirety on Soundcloud. The stream comes a week ahead of the album’s release date, as it will be officially available on August 7. The record is up for preorder in the Paper + Plastick Records webstore HERE on LP, CD and digital formats now with an expected ship date of August 6 for CDs and August 13 for LPs.

Frankie Rose Releases Video For "Know Me"

Frankie Rose has teamed up with Urban Outfitters for a new sci-fi themed video for her single, “Know Me”, from her album, Interstellar, released earlier this year. Watch the Ricardo Rivera-directed video below.

Testament Release "Native Blood" Video

The music video for "Native Blood", a brand NEW song from San Francisco thrashers Testament, can be seen below. The song is taken from the bands latest album entitled 'Dark Roots of Earth', which was produced, mixed and mastered once again by the world renowned Andy Sneap (Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Accept, Exodus).

Los Straitjackets - "Space Mosquito" (New Video)

"Space Mosquito" is a brand-new track by Los Straitjackets, aka "America's instrumentalists." "Space Mosquito" is from the band's new album, Jet Set, which will be released August 7 via Yep Roc Records.

Botswana's Cowboy Metalheads

While Botswana is perhaps best known for its wildlife reserves, a burgeoning counter-culture is painting a very different image of the small south African country. Clad in leather, adorned in spikes and topped off with cowboy hats, these are Botswana's heavy metal heads. (more)

Insane Clown Posse Releases "Chris Benoit" Music Video

Insane Clown Posse has released the music video for “Chris Benoit,” a single off their upcoming album “Mighty Death Pop” due out on August 14, 2012. 

Turkmenistan's Giant Burning Gas Crater

In the heart of the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan the Darvaza Gas Crater or The Burning Gates give off a glow that can be seen from miles away during the dark night. The large crater is a result of a Soviet gas exploration accident in the 1950’s. It was created when a Soviet drilling rig was drilling for natural gas fell into an underground cavern resulting in a crater which today measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. The huge crater was set alight shortly after being discovered and has been burning ever since. The smell of burning sulfur can be detected from a distance and becomes quite strong as you near the hot edge of the crater.

Tyga - "Make It Nasty" (Remastered)

Tyga decided to reshoot the video for ‘Make It Nasty’ after the original one was unsuitable for TV. This one is directed by Colin Tilley and features appearances by Birdman and Mack Maine. “Careless World” in stores now. Watch the video below.

First Trailer For "Silent Hill: Revelation 3D"

Open Road Films has revealed the trailer for Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, hitting theaters on October 26. Written and directed by Michael J. Bassett, the film stars Adelaide Clemens, Sean Bean, Kit Harington, Radha Mitchell, Deborah Kara Unger, Carrie-Ann Moss, Malcolm McDowell, Martin Donovan and Heather Marks. In "Revelation," Heather Mason (Clemens) and her father (Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand. Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.

"Olympic Eddie"

Eddie breaks a record! Check out this amazing artwork from Stan W. Decker.

Psy Releases Video For "Gangnam Style"

After a two year break, Psy has announced that he will be making a comeback with his new album ‘Psy’s Best Sixth’. After releasing the MV teaser earlier, the singer has unveiled the music video for, “Gangnam Style“. Check out the music video below which includes MC Yoo Jae Suk and 4minute’s Hyuna!

Down Reveal Cover Art for "Down IV Part I – The Purple EP"

One day after releasing their new song Witchtripper, NOLA icons Down have unveiled the cover art to their new EP – now officially titled "Down IV Part I: The Purple EP". The EP will be released on September 18 via Roadrunner. 
"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" track listing:

01. Levitation
02. Witchtripper
03. Open Coffins
04. The Curse Is A Lie
05. This Work Is Timeless
06. Misfortune Teller

London 2012 Olympics Stamps

A series of stamps have been released by Royal Mail to mark the beginning of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Created by Hat-trick Design, the stamps have been created to celebrate the sport and landmarks around the city, featuring athletes and iconic London landmarks. Royal Mail plans to print stamps featuring action shots of every Great Britain team member who wins a gold medal, it has said, through the Next Day Gold Media Stamps scheme. The organization has promised to work through the night if necessary to produce a stamp to celebrate each gold medal within 24 hours of it being won, regardless of the time it takes place. Royal Mail ran a similar scheme in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics, 2004 for the Greece Olympics and 2008 for the Beijiing Olympics.

New Track From Chelsea Light Moving: "Frank O'Hara Hit"

Wednesday was Thurston Moore’s birthday, and the Sonic Youth frontman saw fit to give fans another gift: “Frank O’Hara Hit,” the third free track from his new band Chelsea Light Moving — which you can stream below, via Matador Records, which will put out the group’s debut album at some point in the future.

Down: New Song "Witchtripper" Available For Streaming

A brand new Down song titled “Witchtripper” has officially debuted online over at Rollingstone.com. The track comes from the groups forthcoming EP, “EP One“, which is slated for a September 18th release date.

Solar-Powered "PlanetSolar" Boat Completes Trip Around The World

After more than 14 months of construction and then over a year and a half of global circumnavigation, the Planetsolar has completed its journey as the first solar powered boat to circle the world. Its voyage ended with four naval world records. The top of the catamaran is covered in a spread of photovoltaic panels and over 38,000 solar cells that fueled six blocks of massive lithium-ion batteries. Advanced engineering and science created a boat that uses marginally less energy than standard motorized boats of its size. An aerodynamic and energy efficient design makes the Planetsolar the new wave of aquatic engineering.

Hear New Tame Impala Single "Elephant"

Here’s “Elephant”, the lead single from Tame Impala’s upcoming album Lonerism, which will be released on October 9th via Modular. It’s the second track to surface from the album following “Apocalypse Dreams”.

Banksy Interprets The Olympics

Underground artist Banksy has released three pieces of artwork to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics. The first (above) shows a javelin thrower about to hurl a military missile, while the second (below) shows a pole vaulter leaping a chain-link fence onto a discarded mattress. His final piece (below) shows a young child creating Olympic-themed bunting on a sewing machine, the likes of which are sure to be hanging outside buildings across the country come Friday.

Casiokids: "Olympiske Leker" (New Video)

The official video for Casiokids' special Olympic-themed song "Olympiske Leker". Taken from their latest album, Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen, out now. Directed by Chad Blevins

Hot Chip Release Video For "How Do You Do"

Hot Chip has debuted their second video off of their new album In Our Heads. The video features some throwback effects with a Cali backdrop. Watch the Rollo Jackson directed video for How Do You Do below:

 

First Trailer For "Life Of Pi" Released

20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for Ang Lee's adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel Life of Pi. The film stars Suraj Sharma as a young man who ends up sharing a lifeboat with a zebra and a hungry Bengal tiger after surviving the sinking of a freighter ship in a thunderstorm. The film also stars Tobey Maguire, Irffan Khan, Gerard Depardieu and Adil Hussain.

Agnostic Front Releases "Us Against The World" Music Video

Hardcore legends Agnostic Front posted a new music video for the song "Us Against the World." The song appears on their latest album "My Life, My Way," which was released in 2011 through Nuclear Blast. The video was directed and produced by Samantha Astolfi and the band's very own guitarist, Joseph James.

Fergus & Geronimo, "No Parties" (New Song)

The eccentric music duo of Andrew Savage and Jason Kelly, better known as Fergus & Geronimo, have released another single, “No Parties”, from their new album, Funky Was The State of Affairs, out August 7th through Hardly Art. 

Gunther Holtorf's 23-Year Road Trip In A Mercedes G Wagon

Back in 1989, as the Berlin Wall fell, Gunther Holtorf and his wife Christine set out on what was meant to be an 18-month tour of Africa in their Mercedes Benz G Wagen. Now, with more than 800,000km (500,000 miles) on the clock, Gunther is still going. The German former airline executive has travelled the equivalent of 20 times around the planet in the vehicle - which he calls Otto. He says he has never had a serious breakdown. Recently in Vietnam, Canadian-born photographer David Lemke joined Gunther on one section of his epic journey.

Chicara Art Motorcycles By Chicara Nagata

Chicara Nagata, a well known Japanese artist, has been designing motorcycles throughout his career, apart from other works of art, for the last two decades. He has brought motorcycle engines from 1939 to 1966 back to life, and mounted them on fully working, hand made, art pieces on two wheels. He manufactures, designs and assembles around 500 components in the field. Back when he was just 16, Nagata has suffered an accident that almost killed him. He now spends most of his life working on motorcycles. The public can now view three bikes created by him, on display at the M.A.D. Gallery. The exhibited vehicles are the Chicara Art Four, the Chicara Art Three and the Chicara Art One. The bikes’ prices are even more stunning: the Chicara Art One and Three are priced at a staggering CHF 370,000 ($381,274 + VAT) each, while the Chicara Art Four costs a meager but still whopping CHF 78,000 ($80,378 + VAT).

 

Orchid Signs Worldwide Deal With Nuclear Blast

Nuclear Blast is extremely proud to announce the worldwide signing of San Francisco based doom rockers ORCHID!

Commented the band: “After many months of talking to different labels about our future, we’re very excited to announce that we’ve decided to join forces with Nuclear Blast. We’ve been working on new material on and off for the last year and we’re feeling really good about the new songs. It seems like they’re a continuation in the same tradition of the material on our first full length, „Capricorn“, but also, show some new sides of our music that should surprise everyone and show that ORCHID isn’t a band that just wants to keep making the same album over and over. We’re really excited for everyone to hear it!“

Commented Nuclear Blast head of A&R, Andy Siry: “Ever since we first heard of ORCHID and witnessed their perfect way of bringing back the glorious days of rock music, we knew we had to work with this amazing band. After meeting them on their most recent European tour we literally were blown away by their stunningly intense performance! So here we are, proud as f*ck, welcoming one of the most hopefully and authentic bands to the Nuclear Blast family. Every single one at the label loves ORCHID and so will you! CHECK THEM OUT!“

Since their inception back in 2006, the band featuring well-known tattoo artist Theo Mindell on vocals has achieved massive global awareness with their stunning debut releases “Through The Devil’s Doorway” (EP, 2009) and “Capricorn” (Full-length, 2011).

Concrete Watches By Dzmitry Samal

Paris based designer Dzmitry Samal has created a series of watches with frames made of concrete. The watches are partly made of concrete using a patented technology and are "Megapolis inspired". Each timepiece is realized by hand in Switzerland in a limited edition of 100 and 150 pieces. Says Samal, "Watchmaking, as I see is more than just a time measuring mechanism. It is the main male jewellery and should reflect the personality and strenght of its owner." "I chose concrete, a noble, modern, honest and robust material, the stuff our megapolis are made of. My watches tell the story of an alliance of French creativity and Swiss technical performance, innovating in a field that has never been explored in watchmaking before."

First Poster For Ang Lee’s "Life Of Pi"

The first poster for the adaptation of Yann Martel‘s novel The Life Of Pi has finally been revealed. The Life Of Pi will be directed by the Taiwanese director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain) who has an impressive set of award-winning films to his name. The film has a script that has been written by David Magee who was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for 2004′s semi-biographical film Finding Neverland. The plot of the film is as follows:

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

It is another film that will be receiving the 3D treatment and, also, stars Tobey Maguire, Irrfan Khan and Gerard Depardieu. It will sail in to cinemas on 21st December 2012.

McLaren Explores Supercar Future

McLaren made their intentions on creating a small, stripped-out supercar clear when they announced a design contest asking students enrolled in the Royal College of Art’s vehicle design course to imagine a minimalist McLaren supercar. Now, the winner of that contest has been chosen and may just be a starting point to McLaren’s future model. The McLaren JetSet designed by Marianna Merenmies uses an electric motor and uses extensive amounts of carbon fiber on the chassis, body, and wheels. The concept measures just 3.7 meters long and 1.03 meters high, and has a proposed drag coefficient of 0.20. When asked about the future model, McLaren Design boss Frank Stephenson said: "It’s about making more of less. It’s our job to push automotive technology — to make the car safer, lighter, more powerful, more efficient, eco-friendly and more fun to drive." Expect to see the new supercar launched in 2015 with an intended price of £50,000, or about $78,000 at the current exchange rates.