Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Led Zeppelin Appearing On Late Night TV
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin are set to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman. On Monday, December 3, Zeppelin members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant will guest on the program when it broadcasts from Washington D.C.
There's no word on whether the group will perform on the show or simply do a sit-down interview with the host.

Both Zeppelin and Letterman are in Washington this weekend to receive the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors. more on this story



New Jimi Hendrix Song Preview Goes Online
(Gibson) Engineer Eddie Kramer has revealed audio from one of the songs appearing on the forthcoming Jimi Hendrix album, People, Hell and Angels.

In a new video (watch it here) , the veteran Hendrix soundman discusses the making of "Somewhere," a track Hendrix recorded with Stephen Stills on bass and Buddy Miles on drums. "He hadn't worked with them before, but here he is establishing his independence by doing this track without Chas [Chandler], and it yields this track called 'Somewhere'," Kramer says. "It's an amazing example of Jimi's control of the wah wah, the tone of the wah wah, how that affects the whole song. It projects itself through the track."

Kramer goes on to praise Hendrix's vocals on the track. "Jimi's vocal encapsulates this lovely softness in his voice," he says. "It's wonderful." People, Hell & Angels gathers never-before-released tracks recorded in New York in 1968 and 1969. The album is scheduled for release on March 5. more on this story






Metallica Declare Independence
Metallica have begun a new chapter of their career with very own their declaration of independence. The band now owns their catalog of master recordings and has launched their own record label, Blackened Recordings. On Friday their camp sent over these details:

Metallica announced today that they have taken ownership of all their master recordings including all music and long form videos, a move almost unprecedented for musicians signed to recording contracts. Under provision of their renegotiated joint venture agreement with the Warner Music Group in 1994, all masters reverted back to the band as of November 30, 2012.

"We would like to thank everyone at the Warner Music Group for 28 years of a fantastic relationship, particularly since 1994 where we truly felt we had partners in every aspect of our business in North America," said the band's James Hetfield.

Metallica also announced the launch of their new record label, Blackened Recordings. Blackened Recordings was created by the band as a home for all of their recordings, both audio and visual, and anything else that suits them. more on this story




Slash Records New Song For Film Soundtrack
(hennemusic) Slash updated fans over the weekend on a film project by his production company, Slasher Films.

"Recorded a song for Nothing To Fear over the weekend," tweeted Slash. "Myles [Kennedy] did a fantastic vocal. Haunting/creepy as hell. Movie's out next year."

The movie follows a family that moves to a small town seeking a better life, only to run against a charismatic but emotionally conflicted man of the cloth. more on this story




KISS' Paul Stanley Working On Autobiography
KISS frontman Paul Stanley appears to have changed his strong views against autobiographies with news that he plans to release his own.

Stanley told Nikki Sixx that his autography is "in the works" during an exchange on the Motley Crue bass player's radio show last Wednesday (November 28).

"[A]t this point, with the three other guys from the original lineup having written books," he told Sixx. "It's kind of like, 'OK, have you all said your piece? OK? Now let me tell you what happened.'"

Stanley was the lone holdout from the original KISS lineup to pen an autobiography. In 2007, he said of the idea, "It's a waste and I don't find a need to sing my own praises." Apparently he now ready to sing that tune. You can listen to the interview here.




Asking Alexandria In A Tour Bus Accident
Asking Alexandria told fans via Twitter that their tour bus was in an accident on Sunday, but that no one was seriously injured.

The group was traveling from Cleveland, Ohio, to Chicago on their current North American tour when the accident occurred.

The band members reported that their bus was damaged in the crash and that lead guitarist Ben Bruce suffered a sprained ankle but there were no serious injuries and the crash would not effect their tour.

You can read more details and see the various tweets here.




Sea of Treachery Pull Out Of A Metal Christmas Tour
Sea of Treachery have been forced to cancel their headline run on the A Metal Christmas leg of the A Metal Christmas & A Heavy New Year Tour.

The band offered this explaination: "There is no easy way to say this, but about a week ago we found out that due to personal issues, Tommy wouldn't be able to join us on the Metal Christmas Tour. Since then, we attempted to work with 2 different fill-in drummers and it wasn't working out.

"Without a solid drummer, we have been forced to drop off the Metal Christmas Tour. It is the worst feeling on the planet, because we would much rather be on the road playing for you than sitting at home being bummed. more on this story




Axl Rose Looking Forward To Guns N' Roses Visit To India
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses are set to play three shows in India this month, starting later this week.

Now, in a new interview with TheTimes Of India , frontman Axl Rose opens up about his thoughts on Indian spirituality and his desire to play for fans in the country.

"I've always wanted to play in India. We've tried to make that happen but for whatever reasons it just didn't work out," explains Axl. "We're all looking forward to coming there and performing for everyone."

When asked if he plans to travel to places apart from the cities he's performing in, Axl said, "That would be great! I'm sure the rest of the guys and crew will visit some other places. If I'm lucky I'll be able to. Mostly I focus on the shows but if I have time I'm excited to explore India." more on this story




Robert Plant Plans New Zealand Concerts
(hennemusic) Robert Plant the Sensational Space Shifters will be bringing their current tour to New Zealand.

The band will play two shows in the country, hitting Wellington on April 9 and Auckland on April 11.

Plant and his band recently completed an extensive tour of South America, playing a dozen dates over a three-week period. See video from the tour here.




Tomahawk Announce Tour Plans
Tomahawk are following up the release of their first new music in six years with a string of North American tour dates early next year.

The band has mapped out plans for a brief February tour along the west coast and they will also perform at Lollapalooza Brazil and Australia's Soundwave Festival.

The new North American dates kick off on Feb. 12 in Seattle at The Showbox with Retox opening all dates. Retox, the San Diego outfit helmed by The Locust's Justin Pearson, are currently in the studio recording a follow-up to their 2011 debut, Ugly Animals. more on this story




Smashing Pumpkins Playing Hurricane Makeup Shows
(Sub) This Halloween, The Smashing Pumpkins were set to perform in New York City at Brooklyn's new Barclays Center, but due to the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the show has been rescheduled for Monday, December 10.

Having heavily disrupted the Northeast, Hurricane Sandy also forced the band to reschedule their shows in Camden, NJ for December 8 and Fairfax, VA for December 9.

The Smashing Pumpkins resumed their tour December 1 in Portland, ME and wrap the year at the December 10 performance in Brooklyn. more on this story




Richie Sambora Releases Hurricane Sandy Benefit Song
Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has released a special edition of his song, "I'll Always Walk Beside You," to benefit Hurricane Sandy relief.

The special version of the song features Alicia Keys on piano, Aaron Sterling on drums and Curt Schneider on bass, along with Richie on vocals and guitars.

This single is available for download on www.richiesambora.com and 100% of the proceeds from each download will benefit the American Red Cross and the ongoing disaster response and recovery efforts. more on this story




Senses Fail Announce Initial 2013 Dates
Senses Fail have announced the dates for UK leg of their 2013 tour plans, with North American dates still to be announced.

The UK dates kick off on May 18th in Kingston and will feature support from Handguns (another special guest will be added to the lineup in the near future).

Singer Buddy Nielsen said, "We are very excited to head back to the UK, it's been two years and we are itching to return. There is no better place to be than the UK in the spring." more on this story



Maker Members Injured In Tour Accident
We received the following word that The band Maker were in an accident Friday morning while on tour in Texas. The band lost control of their Suburban and they proceeded to flip - ejecting two of them and subsequently injuring them and placing one of their crew in critical condition.

Animal Style Records has stepped in to help by setting up donations through PayPal to help the band cover medical and vehicle expenses. If you are able to help, donations can be sent via PayPal to makerdonations@gmail.com.

Eric Soucy of Maker explains, "This morning on our way to Texas we flipped our vehicle over. A few of us are injured; one in critical condition and the vehicle is totaled. We're trying to raise money to help pay hospital bills and buy a new vehicle. Any help is appreciated and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers." Facebook Link




Drive-By Truckers' Mike Cooley Releasing Solo Album
Drive-By Truckers' Mike Cooley will be releasing his debut solo album, The Fool On Every Corner, on December 11, 2012.

The Fool on Every Corner was recorded by longtime Drive-By Truckers' producer David Barbe during a three-show run last March, beginning with a two-night stand at no-frills Atlanta rock club The Earl and closing at The Melting Point in Athens, GA .

The record features live acoustic versions of fan favorites such as "Carl Perkins Cadillac", "3 Dimes Down", and "Marry Me" as well as one new song, "Drinking Coke and Eating Ice" and a Charlie Rich cover of, "Behind Closed Doors". more on this story




MAXX12 Release Ronnie Montrose Tribute Song
MAXX12 have released, He Rocked The Nation, their tribute to best friend, mentor and executive producer Ronnie Montrose, who died earlier this year.

The band is currently offering a stream and a free download of the song for a limited time here. We were sent over these details:

Montrose was known as one of the premier guitar players of the '60s and '70s. He started his career as a teenager playing for Van Morrison. Ronnie later went on to play for the wildly popular Edgar Winter Group, and then formed his own band, Montrose, also very popular in the '70s, and later, Gamma in the '80s. Montrose was also famous for discovering then unknown singer Sammy Hagar, who went on to be a superstar in his own band and later with other megaband Van Halen in the '80s. more on this story




Matt Skiba And The Sekrets Releasing Digital EP This Week
Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba has set a December 4th release date for the new digital EP, Haven't You?, from his solo project Matt Skiba And The Sekrets.

The EP will be available for purchase through all major digital outlets, and features two previously unreleased, stripped down tracks. An acoustic version of "Haven't You?" and an acoustic version of "Voices" are included on the EP, as well as the original version of "Haven't You?," taken from their debut album, Babylon. The iTunes release will also include a download of the "Voices" music video

An acoustic rendition of "Haven't You?" that will be featured on the EP. The track can be heard here.




Judgement Day To Tour With Pinback
Judgement Day will be hitting the road with Pinback for a two-week tour kicking off on January 16th at The Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Before kicking of the January tour with Pinback, the bay area group will be playing a few hometown shows including a New Year's Eve show with Dredg in Santa Cruz, Ca.

Judgement Day will be touring in support of their latest album, Polar Shift, which was released in July. more on this story





Rolling Stones and Florence Welch Jam Video Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones played their second London show Thursday at the 02 Arena and were joined on stage by Eric Clapton and Florence & The Machine's singer Florence Welch.

As with last Sunday's concert, the band was once again joined by former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, who turned up to play the same tracks on Thursday – for Wyman, that was "It's Only Rock & Roll" and "Honky Tonk Women," and for Taylor it was "Midnight Rambler."

Clapton played the Muddy Waters tune "Champagne & Reefer" with the band, while Welch joined the Stones for their 1969 classic, "Gimme Shelter" which you can watch video of here.




Ozzy Shares Candid Shot From Black Sabbath Photo Shoot
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath took part in a photo shoot on Friday with famed British photographer/artist Sam Taylor-Wood.

Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne is sharing a picture of himself at the session.

The metal icons continue to work in the studio on their new album with producer Rick Rubin; the project is due to be released in April. See photo here.




Johnny Depp Jams With Alice Cooper
(hennemusic) Alice Cooper brought his Raise The Dead tour to the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles Thursday night.

The event was one of the few remaining shows of the tour, which wraps up over the weekend with a final date in Indio, CA.

Alice and his band were joined by Johnny Depp on guitar; the actor performed the final 8 songs in the set, including covers of tunes by The Doors, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Who, and Alice concert staples like "Eighteen," "Under My Wheels" and "School's Out." Watch video here.




Coheed and Cambria On Crash Concert Series
Coheed and Cambria are featured in the latest episode of Yahoo's Crash Concert Series.

This episode featured Coheed and Cambria performing their single "The Afterman" in what they describe as "guerrilla style" at New York's Comic Con.

Coheed and Cambria faced a 'superhuman' challenge in figuring out how to handle the acoustics and setup of the convention center -- they had no amps, no stage, no microphones, and a large and very loud moving crowd to overcome. The guys cheerfully took it on, terming it "guerrilla style" showmanship. Watch it here.

Coheed and Cambria will be releasing The Afterman: Descension, which is the second half of a double-album set, on February 5, 2013. The first half, The Afterman: Ascension, hit stores in October.




A Skylit Drive Release Lyric Video For Song From Forthcoming Album
A Skylit Drive has released a lyric video for their new song, "Fallen", which comes from their forthcoming album.

Lead vocalist Michael Jagmin of A Skylit Drive comments, "'Fallen' is about having the courage to look those who hold you back in the face, and telling them they can't bring you down any longer. It's about seeing passed all the bullsh*t, and fighting with every ounce you have to achieve what you want. It's the ultimate anthem for anyone and everyone that has a dream." Watch it here.

A Skylit Drive is also pleased to announce the new album will be released jointly by their former label Tragic Hero Records and their current label, Fearless Records. Both labels will be involved in the marketing and promotion efforts for the new release. more on this story




No Bragging Rights Release Repeater Video
No Bragging Rights have release a brand new music video for their current single "Repeater."

Directed by veteran director Josh Knoff (As I Lay Dying, Asking Alexandria), NBR offers their support for our country's men and women enlisted in the armed forces and the struggles they deal with upon returning home.

Lead singer Mike Perez offers his thoughts: "I'm happy but not just because it's my favorite track off the album, but because of the message behind it. Also, I'm glad we went the soldier route. I don't think people understand the emotional strain some of them have to deal with when returning back to normal life." more on this story




The Who's Pete Townshend Pays Tribute To Mike Shaw and Chris Stamp
Pete Townshend has issued tributes to "two great and long-time friends of The Who" who passed away recently: Mike Shaw (The Who's first production manager) and Chris Stamp (helped break the group as their co-manager and also released the Jimi Hendrix Experience's first single and album through his Track Records label.)

Pete wrote these tributes: Chris Stamp wasn't just a good looking boy. He was tough, kind, creative and fun to be around. I can't think of anyone with whom it was better to brainstorm. For me, our best idea will always be THE WHO SELL OUT. We got so excited when we figured we could sell advertising space between tracks on our records. Why leave that income to radio stations and pop magazines? We weren't prepared for how irritated those guys would be with the idea. Chris was also very spiritually open, and later in his life focussed on the questions of the purpose of the soul. That said, he was never pious or pompous, never preachy. In his last days, despite terrible pain, we who were lucky enough to spend time with him, felt the presence of angels (or something like that) around him. There was a different kind of light in the room when he was fighting back at his cancer.

He had a wonderful life in his early and later years. The middle years, very much like my own, were tough partly because of his massive success. Track Records – which Chris ran for many years – had The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan and a dozen other big hit single successes. The Who's success in the USA brought us all great notoriety, and Chris was as hard living as the rest of us. But he found recovery many, many years before it came into vogue to do so in the music business, and as a result became like a kind of recovery guru in the New York area, loved and respected by hundreds of people he met in his work as a counsellor.

Roger became especially close to Chris in recent years, all past arguments and complaints forgotten. Love prevailed between them. I never lost touch with Chris because together we continued to be partners in Fabulous Music who published all the early Who music in the UK and Europe.

I will miss him, but remember him with real gratitude and pleasure – always.