December 17th, 2006
 

It's Sunday December 17th, 2006. Now there was a time when winter weather created an ice bridge on the Niagara River and we'd all head out for various international merryment amidst the cataracts. Not this year though. It's mid December and I think the mean temperature is somewhere north of Mercury. Granted it makes driving easier, but sooner or later the polar bears are going to push south. Then we'll learn. The people must have something good to read on a Sunday You know it's December when most of our big stories really have nothing to do with new music. We had the expected controversy as CNN spoke with the so-called "punk preacher" Jay Bakker. While the Org lists are still in the oven Rolling Stone chimed in with their 100 best songs of `06. The grinches at the RIAA, looking for a new way to steal Christmas this year, petitioned to lower artist royalties. Let's hope they're not looking at the global index of illicit markets, because pirated music ranks pretty highly. Fat Wreck at least has the spirit, posting their "Xmas Bonus" with rarities, alternate versions and more audio goodness from bands like NOFX, Smoke or Fire, and Strike Anywhere. Speaking of NOFX, congratulations El Hefe! On a more somber note DeSoto Records has started a support fund for legendary musician/producer J. Robbins and his son Cal, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy.Since nothing much happens in December we find many bands looking towards 2007. Big D and the Kids Table and Bad Religon were confirmed for next summer's next summer's Warped Tour, while the upcoming Bamboozle added the Blood Brothers, Catch 22 and many others. This week we said goodbye to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2006) and Team Spider vocalist Joseph Bernard Zak (1926-2006). Click Read More to see this week's streaming music, contests and other highlights.

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