Now that all you lovely people have gotten to know all of us here at The Syndicate a little bit better, we decided it was high time to reach out to some of your predecessors to find out what they’ve been up to! We’re proud to announce a new feature on our blog, which will showcase previous Synners and what they’re up to now. See what you can learn by joining the team and where it could possibly take you. Hell, you might even learn something!

This installment comes from Rachel Bulla, a former Austin / San Antonio Synner. She’s now at XM Satellite Radio, where she’s currently battling hordes of rodents…literally. Enjoy!

NAME: Rachel Bulla
AGE: 27
OCCUPATION / COMPANY: Sr. Marketing Services Specialist / XM Satellite Radio
FORMER SYNNER MARKET AREA(S): Austin, TX / San Antonio, TX
YEAR(S) YOU WERE A SYNNER: Hmm…you guys were always calling me for random projects. Let’s just say two years (on and off) and call it even?

NITTY-GRITTY

Where do you work and what are you doing now?
I work at the XM Satellite Radio headquarters in Washington, DC. I project manage the execution of many of the high level advertising accounts for XM. I work with clients and ad agencies to get their campaigns up and running on the air and online. I also help brainstorm - and then implement - special promotions we carry out with our advertising partners and our programming team.

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BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) — Electronic light boards featuring an adult-cartoon character triggered bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday, spurring authorities to close two bridges and a stretch of the Charles River before determining the devices were harmless.Turner Broadcasting Co., the parent company of CNN, said the devices contained harmless magnetic lights aimed at promoting the Adult Swim network’s late-night cartoon “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.” Law enforcement sources said the devices displayed one of the Mooninites, outer-space delinquents who appear frequently on the show, greeting visitors with a raised middle finger.

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The gents in Franz Ferdiand have posted a new song on their MySpace page. The song, “Hallem Foe, Dandelion Blow,” was written for the Scottish film, Hallem Foe. Appropriate, I know. Oh yeah, the song doesn’t sound a whole lot like Franz Ferdinand. It’s good, just a bit darker and moody. Maybe they’re sad. I don’t know. I’m not one to speculate.

Aside from writing the new song, frontman Alex Kapranos has been keeping himself damn busy. He just put out a book called Sound Bites that chronicles all of the different foods that h’s had the opportunity to sample during his time touring. The book is out through Penguin Publishing who also have the majority of the notable Jack Kerouac under their umbrella. I think they publish some other stuff, too.

Oh yeah, homeboy is also going to lend his production skills to The Cribs as they record their second record and first to be put out on new label, Warner. Sure, the guys wrote one of the catchiest songs that I’ve heard in the past couple years with “Hey Scenesters” but what REALLY warms me to this band is how damn good they are with an interview. Lets hope Alex doesn’t go screwing it up.

COLDPLAY announced plans today to release all 14 of their singles in a boxed set.

The collection is due out on March 26th and is entitled The Singles 1999-2006. Each single will be pressed on heavyweight 7-inch vinyl. The tracklisting includes the extremely rare Blue Room EP. The collection will not be available on CD.

In other Coldplay news, the band is about to begin work on the follow-up to 2005’s X & Y with producer Brian Eno at the helm.

We’re posting a lot about them here these days. Probably because we’re pretty damn excited about their new album Make Another World. So you can imagine how happy we were when we say that IDLEWILD’s new video for the track “No Emotion” made it’s way online. The album is due in stores this spring.

We had reported earlier that Long Island punk rockers PATENT PENDING were in a car accident headed to their first tour date with MC Lars and Suburban Legends. According to a press release by the band here’s what happenened…

We took off from New York on Monday to start driving to our Denver show on Thursday. But at about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, we hit a patch of black ice and lost control of the van. We spun out on route 80 just outside of Elkhart Indiana. We gracefully 360′d 3 times before crashing into a snow ditch in the median. EVERYONE IS OK! Unfortunately our trailer was DESTROYED!!! You could see the inside of the trailer from the outside, and that’s not how that’s supposed to be!

The band then sprung into action and made a video documentary about the accident which was then used to launch their very own channel on Youtube called Band World. Watch the video here.

You can stream the new BLOC PARTY record A Weekend In The City in its entirety on their myspace page. But hurry up! You only have a week to do so. Once the album hits stores this goes down.

IDLEWILD are having a contest where you will win airfare and tickets to see the band perform live in Japan at the British Anthems Festival on March 3rd. To enter just got here and put in your information. To enter you must be 18 years old and have a valid passport. Their new album Make Another World is due out this spring via Sanctuary Records.

Another example of why the Japanese are better than us:

You have all been very nice to us this week, and for that, you deserve a treat.

Here you are, the lead track off of seminal and somewhat-recently-reunited NJ hardcore band Lifetime’s upcoming album!

“Northbound Breakdown” [Stream]

So, when does the record come out?
February 6th, on Decaydance / Fueled By Ramen Records.

And, will my photo shop-enhanced finger point at the Stone Pony earn me any cred points with the punknews.org community?
Absolutely not.

RCA Records is proud to announce the release of Kings of Leon’s new record. Entitled “Because Of The Times,” it will be released on April 3, 2007. Turning once again to producers Ethan Johns and Angelo Petraglia, “Because Of The Times” is the Tennessee-based band’s first record since 2004’s widely acclaimed “Aha Shake Heartbreak,” which firmly established the Followills – Caleb, Jared, Matthew and Nathan — as international stars. The first single from “Because Of The Times,” will be “On Call,” and will be sent to radio February 12. The song will be available on itunes beginning February 6. (more…)

BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB have announced details of their 4th studio album Baby 81. It’s the band’s second album on RCA records. According to a press release from the band, the album will hit stores on May 1. Following the album’s release there will be an extensive tour to support the album. Baby 81 is the followup to 2005’s Howl which was a departure for the band sonically representing their folk/blues roots. The new record is said to have more of the loud, wall-of-sound and reverb guitar work that was the band’s trademark sound on their first two albums.

The tracklisting for Baby 81 is as follows.

1. Took Out a Loan
2. Berlin
3. Weapon of Choice
4. Window
5. Cold Wind
6. Not What You Wanted
7. 666 Conducer
8. All You Do Is Talk
9. Lien on Your Dreams
10. Need Some Air
11. Killing the Light
12. American X
13. Am I Only