Metallica Working On New Album

Legendary Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich floated the idea of the band writing an entire album during quarantine, apparently speaking it into existence. Ulrich confirmed they have begun exchanging ideas during their weekly Zoom meetings. 

Hey, Ho! Let's Go (Get A Bass Guitar)

If you're looking for an incredible piece of music history, Dee Dee Ramone's beloved '75 Fender Precision bass is going up for auction. Dee Dee rocked this bass from '79 through his departure from the band in '89, when he finally sold it to close that chapter of his life.

Check Out Our My Likes Feature

We don't normally use this space to talk about what we're up to, but the new My Likes feature we just launched is just too good not to! We're super excited about giving you an awesome tool to save all of the merch and vinyl you love. Check out our blog post that showcases how it works, then start building your ultimate collection!

Every week we take to Google Trends to see what people are searching for. Are people looking for WD-40 or E-40? What about Lil Yachty vs. Boat Rentals? Are people yawning, or looking up Yanni's discography? What's more popular; NASCAR or Coachella?  

The world needs more Cardi B, dropping her stunning debut Invasion of Privacy in 2018 and leaving fans holding their breath as they wait for her sophomore follow-up. You don't want to hold your breath if you're doing Cardi O, though, if you follow where we're going here. Yes, it's Cardi B vs. Cardio this week:

Cardi B is doing laps around the competition, running the states like Forrest Gump. 

This might be the most aesthetically pleasing fan pic yet, with Lenny sending in this incredible homage to David Bowie on the 46th anniversary of Diamond Dogs' release. Can we see the rest of the vinyl collection, pretty please?

We'd like to give a special birthday shoutout to the one and only Kendrick Lamar, who turned 33 on Wednesday. Is this our way of summoning a new album from Kung Fu Kenny? Look, it's been three years since DAMN. dropped, you can't blame us for trying! Much love and respect to the one and only K Dot. 

The Ramones are one of the most influential bands of all-time, birthing an entire genre of music as the fathers of punk. 40-plus years since their 1976 debut, the Ramones remain musical icons, and their logo is one of the most recognizable band logos ever created. Here are 10 awesome facts about the history of the Ramones' seal.

1. The man who designed their logo was the “fifth” Ramone

Arturo Vega, the man who designed the iconic Ramones logo, was widely considered the “fifth” Ramone. He was the band's creative director, archivist, and was responsible for creating the seal and t-shirt that propelled the Ramones’ image in their early years. Vega was also a close confidant of the group, even letting Joey and Dee Dee live with him before the band had recorded their first album.

2. The Ramones have sold more shirts than albums

The legendary Ramones classic logo t-shirt was actually the band’s primary source of income for several years, and overall, they've sold more shirts than albums. The Ramones seal continues on as a piece of living history, transcending music culture and becoming iconic around the world.

3. The “ultimate” all-American band

Vega saw the group as the “ultimate” all-American band, so he decided to use the US presidential seal as the foundation for the Ramones’ official logo. This design has stood the test of time, first created in 1976 and still going strong over four decades later. 

4. “Beat on the Brat” with a baseball bat

The eagle holds a baseball bat in one of its talons. This was meant to symbolize Johnny Ramones’ love for baseball, replacing the arrows traditionally held by the eagle. It was also a play off of the track Beat On The Brat. 

5. As American as apple pie

The eagle’s other talon, which holds an olive branch as a peace offering in the presidential seal , is actually holding an apple tree branch. This ties back to Vega’s belief that the Ramones were “as American as apple pie.”

6. “Hey Ho, Let’s Go!”

The banner held in the eagle’s beak reads “Hey Ho, Let’s Go,” which are the famous lyrics from the band’s first single “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Vega initially had the idea of using the text “Look out below” instead, but decided to go with the now-iconic lyrics. 

7. Capturing the Ramones’ sound

The Ramones’ logo is filled with imagery, and while Vega did remove the arrows from the eagle’s talons, he still included them as a way to represent the band’s “aggressive” sound. Instead of the star design above the eagle’s head, arrows are striking outward. 

8. Replacing the red, white and blue shield

The red, white and blue shield at the center of the presidential seal was also replaced by Vega. The use of arrowheads was another way to symbolize the edgy punk sound the Ramones created. 

9. The founding members

While Vega may have been the “fifth” Ramone, the final detail of the seal was the inclusion of the four founding members names. Dee Dee, Tommy, Johnny and Joey — the original Ramones — each had their names included around the seal. The logo would update these names as lineup changes occurred over the years, but the original founding members’ names are the finishing touch on the world-famous logo.

10. The logo’s debut

The Ramones’ seal logo was a part of the band from the very start. The seal appeared on the back of the Ramones’ self-titled debut album and has been a part of the band’s identity ever since.