MP3s and NPCs

Anime fans from around the world made their way to Anime Expo earlier this month to celebrate the convention's 35th anniversary. With a turnstile attendance of over 422,000 fans, this year's Anime Expo was its biggest one to date. The four-day event featured a plethora of special premieres, including the first-ever look at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2's first episode. The show floor featured a plethora of exhibitors showcasing some of the best in gaming and anime.

Jeff Rosenstock guitarist Mike Huguenor will deliver a video game in celebration of the one-year anniversary of Surfing the Web With the Alien. Revealed today, Surfing the Web With the Alien: The Game will be released on PC (via Steam and itch.io) on August 20 via Infinite Baffle. The game will also arrive on limited edition Game Boy cartridges. Huguenor worked on the game in between writing the book Elvis is Dead, I’m Still Alive: The Story of Asian Man Records and touring with Rosenstock.

Two icons will collide for a special collaboration at San Diego Comic Con. Revealed today, pop-punk band Blink-182 and video game legend Pac-Man will join forces for some exclusive merch only being sold at the pop culture convention.

Three new songs have been added to the forthcoming music rhythm game Stage Tour. Revealed today, Castle Rat’s “Siren,” Rise Against’s "Broken Dreams, Inc.,” and Slipknot’s "Phychosocial" will be part of the game’s setlist. These three songs join tracks from artists such as Ghost, Paramore, and Extreme. An updated setlist can be seen below. San Diego Comic Con attendees will be able to grab a special Stage Tour one-shot comic book from Dark Horse Comics.

Santa Fe death metal band Street Tombs will unveil their sophomore studio album next month. Revealed on Tuesday, Existence Is Corruption will be released on August 21 via Carbonized Records. The eight-track album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Engine 70 Studios in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Earhammer Studio in Oakland, California. Pre-orders for the album can be made here. The first single from the album titled “Systematic Suffering” can be heard below.

The musical lineup for SEMA Fest 2026 was announced yesterday. The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World, 311, and The Alive will perform at the event, which takes place on Friday, November 6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. SEMA Fest is the official closing ceremony of SEMA Week, which showcases automobiles. Unlike The SEMA Show, SEMA Fest will be open to the general public.

The soundtrack to New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt will be making its way to vinyl. Revealed today, the vinyl release will go on sale on September 30. The release will include everything featured in the standard edition CD (excluding the voice actors’ drama tracks). First-press editions will come on a pink record and include a bonus poster of the jacket illustration on the inside. The tracklisting can be seen below. The soundtrack for is available on streaming services right now.

Photo credit: Pooneh Ghana Austin post-hardcore band Porcelain will deliver their sophomore studio album this fall. Announced today, Today’s Minor Victories will drop on October 23 via TODO Records. The band worked on the 10-track release with Scott Evans at Estuary Recording in Austin. Pre-orders for the album can be made here. To celebrate the announcement, Porcelain dropped the new single “Apocalypse,” which arrives with a music video directed by Pooneh Ghana.

Los Angeles always has a plethora of events going down at every corner. Whether it’s a convention or some improv, there’s always something to do if you’re looking to leave the house. We look at some of the best events going down in Los Angeles this week (July 13 through July 19). Thursday, July 16 Chinese American Bear @ The Echoplex (1154 Glendale Blvd.) Doors: 7 p.m. (tickets) Chinese American Bear will return to Los Angeles this week with a stop at The Echoplex.

The Elysian's Spaghetti Festival returns this week with a slew of new shows from talented artists in Los Angeles. We pick out five exciting shows to check out during the festival, which runs from July 15 through July 19. More information about the Spaghetti Festival can be found here. Act Black Thursday, July 16 The Vault Doors: 7:15 p.m. Show: 7:30 p.m. Dark comedy Act Black focuses on what it really means to be black.