The "worlds richest person", the ironically named Carlos Slim  has found the solution for current economic problems.  "Hurrah!" I hear you cry.  No, wait, he's not going to do the decent thing and  kill himself...in an interview with Forbes, the first choice of magazine for total losers, the Mexican multi-billionaire not only put forward the genius idea that struggling European countries should privatise their motorways and charge users, but also that the average retirement age be raised from 65 to 70. Excellent. You stick to what you do best; monopolising services in developing countries at the cost of it's citizens standard of living, and we'll all go to work for an extra 5 years. Oh, and have to get the fucking bus there because we can't afford the toll on the motorway.   Nice one, thanks for that, Fatboy-not-Slim.

Grunge is Dead?
by Lilly O’Connor and Steven Thomas Smith

Grunge is dead... These words were written on a Kurt Cobain t-shirt alongside a famous picture of the musician holding his daughter Frances. 20 years later, Nirvana, Mudhoney, the Melvins are selling more CDs than ever. What makes this music so special? Is Grunge still dead?

In 2012 it is perhaps to be expected that Grunge died at the end of the ’90s.  But there are bands like the American Spayed, Dominoise, Tommy Mills & The Jade Amenity, Aussie band Mud Letter Pie, German band Pandora and the Irish one You Name Us, that keep the 90s fire alive. With passion, devotion and tenderness, the fire of grunge music keeps burning.

Questions were asked, and answers have been given. ’90s grunge bands keep touring, and their shows impress by their energy and passion. In a time where the look wins over quality it’s a welcome return to the roots of punk rock music.

The ‘new grunge’ (for lack of a better term) movement can be traced back to the early 2000s and before. Some of these bands have been veterans of the scene for the better part of two decades.

It hardly seems fair to call it ‘new’, but some things take longer than not to get noticed, listeners grow tired of the condensed and processed top 40 bands penetrating the eardrums of ‘mainstream’ radio listeners. Therefore, many have now discovered these bands and with great enthusiasm.

There’s a somewhat ‘basic’ formula in ‘grunge’ and the garage/punk genre. Some of it’s a blast of straight up ’60s throwback. From the fuzz laden guitars, to the chord structures and arrangement, to the in your face garage lyrical approach. It’s been said that yes, there is indeed a ‘new’ grunge movement. It is definitely rootsy Punk and garage influenced, but wait a minute… it’s also been said ‘new’ grunge has a more ‘sophisticated’ approach. Maybe that’s because the younger generation picked up where the older generation left off, and made it their own. There is an undeniable raw, artistic approach to the music that people seem to be able to relate to.

No, I don't think punk rock is dead, it can’t die, it expresses the frustrations and the lack of hope of youth, as long as there will be inequality there will be punk rock music.

Domi-noise are currently on tour in France.  You can check out their myspace for dates.

Tommy Mills & The Jade Amenity will be on tour in France/Europe this September.  The live line up of the band features Richie Ramone of The Ramones on drums.  Watch the official myspace for tour dates.

If you're at a loose end this Saturday why not pop down to Cambridge and join Ian Bone in baiting some over-privileged wankers? To be honest my gut is full of cider and both my heart and head are weary so I'm a bit hazy on the facts, but it's something to do with winding up posh twats in row boats, with the added support of animal rights people who think it's wrong to hit swans with oars. It sounds fucking amazing and everyone should go. Senate House, Cambridge, 11am, June 16th.

If you can't be arsed with that this weekend, because you're a total dick, then you should probably stay at home and wank into a shoe. Thanks to Regretsy for pointing us to the guide on how to do it properly, turns out we'd been doing it wrong all these years...