So what’s on tap for 2012? With the slew of more reissues sure to be coming down the pike and some much anticipated shows, here are a few highlights of whats to come in the new year in the  world of classic alternative and new wave.

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS celebrate the 30th anniversary of their second album Lincoln. TMBG are set to embark on a full US tour (in support of a new album) and will perform the entire album Lincoln in L.A. and Atlanta check. Details HERE

RHINO RECORDS who are never short on a more reissues than anyone can shake a stick at have a fine roster will be at it again in 2012 with some real heavy hitters including Ministry, Ramones,INXS, Depeche Mode and many more Details HERE

BEGGARS ARCHIVE is also getting in on the act with a number of classic reissues and best of collections as well. Highlights include best of comps from the Go-Betweens and Belly as well as reissues from Cocteau Twins, Beck, Bauhaus and the Charlatans.

But of course probably the biggest and most anticipated event to look forward to is the Stone Roses reunion gigs. I’m crossing all my fingers (and toes) the boys decide to bring the tour to america!

Best of luck in 2012 folks and don’t be afraid to let us know what you are most looking forward to this year.

Cheers, Matthew Rubbish

Sure not all of these are the most current blogs out there but I thought it might be fun to compile a small handful of blogs that are loosely related to Warning Radio and maybe even turn people on to one or two of them

Starting off is one a friend turned me onto PRESS PLAY AND RECORD an excellent blog that compiles dozens of old NME cassettes from the 80′s including C81 and the famed C86 comp that has gone to inspire countless bands and labels over the years.

Next up we have WHFS & OTHER GREAT MUSIC this one is a little old and I knew about it a while back but wasn’t sure how it fit into Warning Radio. Anyhow, anyone in their late 30′s or early 40′s and from the Baltimore/DC area can attest to just how fucking awesome the radio station WHFS was back in the day. The station was truly cutting edge mixing in not only 80′s college rock mainstays but a great mix of new wave, punk, industrial, reggae and much more! This blog/site contains several downloads recorded to cassette straight off the radio. Sound quality can sometimes be spotty but that’s part of the charm and reminds me of some of my own home recording and the days when there was great radio and real DJ’s behind them. I even think I have an HFS tape or two lying around. I should bust them out!

Finally, I started reading the killer book by Sara Marcus GIRLS TO THE FRONT all about the early 90′s riot grrrl movement when I suddenly had an itch to bust out my Bratmobile/Heaven To Betsy split 7 inch. I wanted to rip the record to my computer but feeling lazy I did a quick search on line and stumbled onto  THE (FORMERLY) DAILY 7. A blog primarily dedicated to late 80′s and early 90′s underground. The site is chocked full of over 100 7″ rips from Sub Pop, Amphetamine Reptile, Touch And Go, K Records, Kill Rock Stars and more. Def worth checking out.

It seemed every year or so we were all teased with rumors of the Roses getting back together but every time we were left short as one of the guys would come out and say that it was just and only that, a rumor. But growing older has a way of unintentionally causing one to begin to reflect and as the famous Gear Daddies song goes “Time Heals and Time Forgets” and with the passing of Mani’s mum seeming to be the catalyst for bringing the boys all back together, I think the guys could no longer ignore the magic the four guys had. Not to get too reflective but I’ve always believed in trying to take something positive away from the passing of a loved one and it’s uplifting to hear the guys talk about making something beautiful out of an unfortunate situation.

The Roses have received a boat load of press over the reunion and if you have yet to see the press conference I recommend checking it out and for more fun hop over the the NME page and vote on the greatest Stones Roses track.

Also I posted this the day the news came out but I threw together a Spotify mix of a few of my favorite Roses tunes so click the link below to check that out. Enjoy and for us over here in the states we are holding our breath for some US dates!

WARNING RADIO STONE ROSES MIX

The Ray album has always been a favorite for both my wife and I and certainly an early 90′s nugget so we were stoked to get outta town for the weekend and catch the show. We were pleasantly surprised to see Evan Dando in good spirits as him and his new cast of merry men tightly ripped though the 1992 album in it’s entirety plus more. It was a solid show, i thought the band played well and the crowd was joyful and enthusiastic for every track.

I was able to snap a few shots and I also found a you tube clip of the guys performing the LP’s title track. There are plenty more dates on the tour so click HERE to see if the guys are coming your way.

Iv’e often wondered if some of the classic alt “heavy hitters” would get their due with the hall. Several bands like The Smiths, Joy Division/New Oder, Depeche Mode, The Pixies, The Jesus & Mary Chain and a number of others in my mind are all very deserving and should be recognized not just for being ahead of their time but for the huge influence we have seen them become in music over the past 20-25 years.

As for The Cure, well they are right there and I couldn’t be happier to see them even get the nomination. I think they are far from shoe-ins but I think they deserve it. The Cure have had a great career, great songs and most important to me I really believe they have been a huge influence on a number of bands and will continue to do so.

Hop on over to the RnR Hall website and check out the 2012 nominees (which also includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Small Faces, Beastie Boys and many more) and you can even cast your vote for who you think  should make it in.

I can pretty much distinctly recall first hearing the band and even then they had already been kicking around for a few years. But as I began to read some of the band member statements it didn’t feel all that shocking and began to totally make sense. Though not on the scale of a major rock band I have been lucky to be part of a few things in my life that were not only successful (on a local level) but also a lot of damn fun and while people and bands can sometimes struggle with success there are instances where people know and are totally ok with things coming to an end and I honestly feel this is the case here.

Personally, I have for quite a long time been a very big fan of R.E.M. and however you feel about the band one thing can not be denied. R.E.M. are and will forever be one of if not the most important and well respected bands in american alternative music. They come from a time when hitting the road, honing your craft and staying true to what you believe in was what you had to do to even have a sniff at achieving minor success. They also used what success they had to keep branching out, stretching their creativity as well as taking the opportunity to inform many on a number of important social and environmental issues. And for all of this they should be championed.

I wanted to try and pay tribute to one of the cornerstones of Warning Radio and have some fun at the same time so I put together a little mini mix of a a fewl of my favorite R.E.M. songs enjoy the mix and feel free to chime in and comment on some of you favorite R.E.M. tracks.

So thinking more, I thought it would be cool and fitting to the blog to bypass mentioning my 100th post and make a special note of my 101st post by talking about the classic tour documentary and album from Depeche Mode, Depeche Mode 101. A few weeks went by and I kinda forgot about it and low and behold I posted my 101st entry about something entirely different..

I’m sure everyone that frequents this blog or has heard the podcast are all familiar with the DM classic 101 but let’s have some fun and revisit it anyway.

Depeche Mode 101 was a documentary that followed DM and a few lucky fans around the US during the 1988 tour for DM’s classic LP Music For the Masses. 101 the album was a recording of the final show (101st show of the tour) at the famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA in front of nearly 60,000 fans! Not too shabby for a british synth pop band that hadn’t even been around a decade.

Both LP’s Music For the Masses and 101 happen to be personal favorites of mine and though DM made some great records following I think many would agree that the 101 LP was definitely one of if not the highest point of their career.

This year the festival features 70 bands including three classic alternative heavyweights The Dead Milkmen, Throwing Muses and Husker Du/Sugar frontman Bob Mould as well as dozens of great indie pop bands.

Tix are on sale now plus check out the Athena Popfest and website from more details and updates.

But until then here is a little something to hold you over, check out a couple vids from two of the artists performing at the festival.

FYM Productions Presents: Saturday, August 13th at 9:30pm

CRYFEST – The Crybaby Championship of the World! THE CURE vs THE SMITHS
SUMMER SLAM DANCE PARTY
(The largest Cure/Smiths dance party in the US!)

w/DJ Steve E P . DJ Missguided . Killa K . Krasty McNasty

@The Black Cat 9:30 pm
1811 14th St. NW WDC 20009
202.667.7960
www.blackcatdc.com

BUY TICKETS HERE: http://www.ticketalternati​ve.com/Events/14659.aspx