u/7SoldiersOfPunkRock

Another incredible album. I’ve listened to it three times since it came out yesterday.

I just finished Joe Country and I’m really disappointed at the drop in the quality of the writing. It has its moments but the characters seem inconsistent with past portrayal and the stories are lazy and dull.

In the main plot line, it started well with Louisa being asked to look for Min’s son. But the other Slow Horses only found out something is going on because of Frank Harkness’ incompetence, where he blows his own cover in front of the entire security service. Not really in keeping with him being a master spy. (I also couldn’t understand why he needed a look at Louisa at the funeral anyway - for him to know she was involved he would have already tracked Min’s widow to he coffeeshop and seen Louisa, or if he had her communications hacked then his mercenaries would have known a lot more.) After they know he’s in country they do almost no work before they set off to Wales. In fact it was so easy for the Slow Horses I assumed there was a set up, but no, just lazy writing.

Once they’re in Wales, it‘s all walking around on snowy paths and waiting in sheds. Every character makes the obvious poor choice, seemingly for no reason but to keep the snowbound drama trudging forward. The mercenaries clearly should have bailed as soon as they lose their target and the security services show up, Louisa and Emma should have gone to the police or at least around other people instead of skulking around the edges of the village (notice the presence of cops and civilians is what saves Louisa and Lukas in the end), and Diana Tavener, who was informed about the murder scheme seemingly only so we the readers would have more details, should have intervened since there is no other way she could come out looking good. I was checked out by the time the heroes started dying and couldn’t have cared less.

I can’t think of anything good to say about the other plot line, where the new Slow Horse is a victim of planted pornography. He does nothing but suffer, in a way that is humorless and totally not in keeping with the spirit of the series. Ending with a gory fit of self mutilation because no one can find a doctor in London who would treat a patient with compassion? Was Herron trying to make a point about false accusations, what with all the references to Me Too throughout the book?

Really hope the next books are better.

Also check out this post for reliable sources of information on fire restrictions, closures, and air quality:

https://www.reddit.com/r/northcascades/comments/1v8m5cv/current_fire_conditions_and_closures_reliable/

>Music publications BrooklynVegan, Alternative Press, Revolver, and Goldmine have been gutted by parent company Veeps, according to various sources. Nearly all staff at each publication appear to have been laid off yesterday. Veeps, which is now part of Live Nation, seems to have owned the publications since 2024 or 2025. Pitchfork has emailed Veeps and Live Nation representatives for comment. Emails to BrooklynVegan staffers, with the exception of founder Dave Levine, bounced back.

>Veeps was founded by Good Charlotte’s Benji and Joel Madden and has operated for many years as a ticketed livestream platform. 

BrooklynVegan had some good music coverage over the years, including punk and indie and ska bands. It’s a shame and I feel for the writers who were fired. But also, I had no idea that the brothers from Good Charlotte had purchased it or that they run a company in partnership with LiveNation.

The author tries to put a positive spin on it, make your own conclusions.

Hi all, moderator here: flyers and tour dates are welcome in this subreddit. If you have a band, if you’re promoting a show, or if you are just a fan and you notice a band that you like is going on tour: post that stuff here.

The other guidelines do apply, so no AI art, don’t spam the same flyer multiple times, and the bands should be punk bands.

This clarification is brought to you by the confused people who keep reporting flyers as spam.

Here are links to official / reliable sources for fire information in the North Cascades areas. Feel free to add additional links in the comments. For those not from the area, understand that the North Cascades is a complex area, with multiple jurisdictions, so no one site will list all trail closures and other relevant information.

National Park Service - North Cascades Complex: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire-closures.htm

National Forest Service - Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee/alerts

National Forest Service- Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/alerts

Washington State Department of Natural Resources information and wildfire map: https://dnr.wa.gov/wildfire-resources/current-wildfire-incident-information

Remember that there is a complete fire ban within the North Cascades areas, this includes campfires, wood or charcoal stoves, and any other sources of open flame. Do not push it.

This article has information about current wildfire conditions as of 7/27/26, including closures within the National Park Complex. They say it will continue to be updated as conditions change but be sure to check when it was last updated before relying on it.

Both the Luna and the Border Fires were started by lightning strikes. Disgustingly, there are other active fires in Washington that were started by fireworks. Reminder: there is a complete fire ban within the North Cascades areas, do not push it, these fires can be a matter of life and death for those who fight them and those who live here.

I’ve posted this before, but I’ve been noticing some questionable posts lately so it’s worth saying again. Here’s the deal: if someone is selling tickets to a show through a Reddit post there is no mechanism to ensure that the tickets are real. Once you transfer them your money they might ghost you or send you a bogus image of a ticket. Be cautious, or just buy the tickets from the venue itself.

“Workers at Kings Road Merch—which acts as a supplier for punk luminaries including Rancid, Descendents, Dropkick Murphys, and Converge—had unanimously voted to unionize on May 11 this year, citing pay discrepancies and unfair contracts. Sony formally announced the warehouse’s closure on June 23, hours before the company’s first scheduled bargaining session with the union.”

This merch business was founded by Brett Gurewitz of Epitaph and Bad Religion who sold it to Sony recently.

A hot flash of a show review from the Guardian.

As we are halfway through the year, what’s been your favorite release of the year so far?

What’s been your favorite show?

What are you looking forward to for the rest of the year for upcoming releases? How about upcoming shows?

Hardcore punk history lesson from Victoria, B.C.

Beginning Friday, June 26, 2026, until lifted, Mount Rainier National Park will implement a parkwide fire ban.  All campfires and the ignition of wood, briquettes, or any fuel in fire pits, fire pans, and barbeque grills will be prohibited. This ban is in place to reduce the risk of human-caused wildland fire. 
 
All campfires will be prohibited in the park. Currently only Cougar Rock Campground is open. White River Campground is expected to open soon, and all campfires will be prohibited when it opens.  The Ohanapecosh Campground is closed for construction in 2026.  Information on park construction projects can be found on the park’s website.
 
Use of portable, petroleum-filled cooking stoves, heating devices, and/or lanterns using liquefied or bottled fuel are permissible provided such devices can be turned off.