This Week's Top Stories
Lou Reed Dead at 71
(Classic Rock) Lou Reed has died at the age of 71, it's been confirmed. The Velvet Underground icon, who'd been active over six decades, is thought to have passed away after suffering complications from a liver transplant which took place in April.
No official statement has been made public, although his UK spokesman confirmed the news to Classic Rock. In June Reed revealed he'd had his liver replaced in an emergency operation two months earlier and said: "I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry.
"I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever. I look forward to being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future." - more on this story
Fleetwood Mac's John McVie Diagnosed With Cancer
(hennemusic) Fleetwood Mac have cancelled their upcoming 14 date tour of Australia and New Zealand following news that bassist John McVie has been diagnosed with cancer.
One of the co-founding and original members of Fleetwood Mac along with Mick Fleetwood, McVie is now scheduled to be in treatment for cancer during that period of time.
"We are sorry to not be able to play these Australian and New Zealand dates," posted the group. "We hope our Australian and New Zealand fans as well as Fleetwood Mac fans everywhere will join us in wishing John and his family all the best." - more on this story
Motley Crue's Vince Neil Addresses Celebrity Apprentice Rumor
(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is denying rumors that he that has been cast to appear on the next season of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice, but did confirm that he has spoken to the show about it.
"Been off for awhile," tweeted Neil. "New phone password didn't work! The rumor about apprentice was started by a loser wannabe reporter Norm Clark who I haven't seen or talked to in over 2 years! I've talked to the show but that's it! But if I got the offer I'd do it!! Sounds fun!!"
Last week, Norm Clarke at the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Neil has been telling friends he's heading for Donald Trump's boardroom on the show's upcoming season. - more on this story
Black Flag Releasing Their First New Album in 28 Years
(Radio.com) After nearly three decades, Black Flag have announced they're releasing a new album called What The…. But this isn't the same Black Flag from nearly three decades ago.
This new album–due out November 5–will feature the band's co-founding guitarist Greg Gin, singer Ron Reyes and drummer Gregory Moore. The 22-track album will be the Los Angeles hardcore punk band's first since the 1985 full-length, In My Head.
This new inception of Black Flag, which was founded in January 2013, should not to be confused with FLAG, which features ex-members Keith Morris and Chuck Dukowski. Ginn has filed a trademark suit against members of FLAG accusing the band of infringing on Black Flag's name and logo.
After Black Flag released the live album Who's Got the 10½? in 1986, Ginn broke up the band. Although Ginn recorded two albums with the more experimental band Gone, his focus was on running Long Beach, CA's SST Records, which distributed other acts such as Bad Brains, The Minutemen, and the Descendents. - more on this story
Pearl Jam Take On Van Halen Classics
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam performed a pair of Van Halen classics during their concert at Hartford, Connecticut's XL Center on Friday, and video from the show has surfaced.
On the road in support of their new No. 1 album, "Lightning Bolt", the Seattle band's return to Hartford brought a déjà vu vibe to frontman Eddie Vedder.
"The last time we played here, in 2010, we played a song and we said it was the only time we would ever play this song," Vedder told the crowd. "And it was the only time we ever played this song. But as soon as we walked into the back room tonight…I was like, 'This is where we played that song! And, for some reason, I just really need to play that song again!' But before we play that song, he's (points to lead guitarist Mike McCready) going to play this song."
McCready launched into Eddie Van Halen's classic solo, "Eruption", before Pearl Jam went into "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", both tracks featured on Van Halen's 1978 self-titled debut album. - Check out the video here.
Slayer Going Old School On New Tour
Slayer announced that they are going old school on their new North American tour and proved it at the kick off date in Las Vegas on Friday night.
Slayer had been planning to perform an "Old School" show in Los Angeles but the band decided to adopt the set for the full tour. Kerry King explains, "We're having such a great time rehearsing this 'Old School' set, we've decided to play it on every one of our upcoming tour dates."
"The final set list is still coming together," added Araya, "but we're going to give the fans what amounts to 'decades of aggression.' It's going to be a great night of music and moshing for everyone."
You can see the set list for the kick off show to see some of the old school songs that they did end up including - here.
Kings of Leon Announce North American Tour Dates
(Radio.com) Kings of Leon have announced the first string of dates for their upcoming world tour by releasing the details of their The Mechanical Bull North American Tour.
The band kicks thing off in Atlanta, GA on February 5 before making stops in Chicago, Nashville, Boston and New York City with blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr as the opening act.
In a statement, the band says these first 16 dates they've announced are only the first leg of the tour with more dates to be announced soon. Tickets for the already announced dates go on sale November 1.
Check out the dates and video of their appearance on Kimmel from last week - here.
Def Leppard Planning Return To The Recording Studio
(Gibson) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has spoken to Atlantic City's WZXL radio station about the band's new Viva! Hysteria live DVD. The show was recorded during the band's Las Vegas residency of March 2013, and is out now.
Campbell says: "We had dinner last night – Rick Allen [drums], Phil Collen [guitars] and myself – and we agreed we're kind of embarrassed about how long it's been since Def Leppard had new music out. We have been writing, but we've now set a date. We're going to get together in January [2014] and crank out something. So next time we go on tour, we'll have at least one new song to play."
Phil Collen tells Rolling Stone the plan is agreed. "We've got a sh*tload of new songs," Collen explains. "it's just implement them and then, 'What direction are we going take? Who are we going get to produce it? Are we going do it ourselves? Are we gonna do multiple stuff?'
"An album would obviously take too long, so we're going to do about four or five songs, get those out and then next year have an album come out, so it'll be an EP and an album." - more on this story
Paul McCartney Still Has 'A Conversation' with John Lennon
(Gibson) Speaking in the new edition of Rolling Stone magazine (out 25 October), Paul McCartney says he still has "a conversation" with John Lennon if he is struggling to get a song right.
"If I'm at a point where I go, 'I'm not sure about this,' I'll throw it across the room to John," McCartney tells Rolling Stone. "He'll say, 'You can't go there, man.' And I'll say, 'You're quite right. How about this?' 'Yeah, that's better.' We'll have a conversation. I don't want to lose that."
McCartney's New album is aided by a host of younger production talent - Adele collaborator Paul Epworth, Amy Winehouse producer Mark Ronson, Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George) and frequent Kings of Leon partner Ethan Johns.
In the interview, McCartney also says that his sometimes-bitter relationship with Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, is now good. Describing Ono as a "badass," McCartney says he's moved on from any bad blood. "I thought, 'If John loved her, there's got to be something. He's not stupid.'"
"It's like, what are you going to do? Are you going to hold a grudge you never really had?" His also takes wisdom from the words of another late Beatle, George Harrison. "George would say to me, 'You don't want stuff like that hanging around in your life.'"
McCartney debuted his new video October 24. The piano-led "Queenie Eye" features a host of A-list acting celebs, including Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Jude Law, Sean Penn, Alice Eve, plus designer Tom Ford and U.K. supermodels Kate Moss and Lily Cole. The video was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. - Watch the video here.
Queen DVD Box Set Coming Soon
(hennemusic) Queen will release a limited edition 6 DVD box set on November 19 that features four concerts, including "Live At Wembley Stadium – 25th Anniversary Edition", "Queen Rock Montreal", "On Fire: Live At The Bowl", and "Live In Rio."
Exclusive to this special box set package, "Live In Rio" features the band performing at the "Rock In Rio" festival in January 1985 in front of 250,000 fans.
"Live at Wembley Stadium – 25th Anniversary Edition" was originally released as a separate DVD in the US in March of this year, and features two sell-out shows at London's famed Wembley Arena in 1986. This DVD includes the bonus film "The Magic Tour," which features interviews with Brian May and Roger Taylor filmed in 2011, where the members reflect on this 1986 tour. - more on this story
Deep Purple Releasing NOW What?! Live Tapes
(hennemusic) Deep Purple will issue the "NOW What?! Live Tapes" at the end of November as part of a European re-release of the band's latest studio album, "NOW What?!"
The "NOW What?! Live Tapes" is a collection of 12 live songs that have been recorded in Rome, Milan, Gaevle and Aalborg on the band's current tour.
Fans who have purchased "NOW What?!" will have the chance to buy the double pack, paying less than a newly released live album. Fans of vinyl will have the chance to purchase the live album as a limited heavy vinyl double LP. - more on this story
Pantera Wanted To Destroy Glam Rock Club Scene
(Classic Rock) Former Pantera and Downmain man Philip Anselmo says he set out with the intention of tearing down the popular glam rock culture in the club scene when Pantera began.
Speaking to Radio.com he recalled setting out on the road with band in their early days when the landscape of the rock world was very different. He says: "We are guys from the underground despite my success with Pantera, but my heart has always lay with the underground of heavy metal and extreme music. That's where I shout well.
"My whole mission was to destroy the whole club scene in Texas, the thought and the entire protocol of the entire club scene. We started incorporating heavier music and more and more people starting coming along and I wasn't just the new guy any more. People were buying into it and the clubs were packed and I started saying 'I don't like glam music and I don't like popular rock'n'roll.'
"Eventually when we were packing out these clubs I said I am never going to wear a pair of spandex again in my life. We are packing the clubs. What are they going to do? Turn us down? All they want is a packed house." - more on this story
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour In Concert Apple App Released
(hennemusic) Pink Floyd have announced that the David Gilmour In Concert App is now available for iPhone and iPad in the Apple App Store, following its prior release for Android devices.
In 2001 and 2002, Pink Floyd's singer and guitarist David Gilmour performed some solo dates, originally as part of Robert Wyatt's Meltdown Festival at London's Royal Festival Hall, returning to the venue in the subsequent year.
Playing in a solo context, Gilmour performs some tracks with just voice and guitar, and others with a mostly acoustic group including piano, double bass, guitar, cello, drums and a large vocal choir.
The first 13 songs (Shine On through to Hushabye Mountain) were shot in HD, with the remainder of the concert footage and the extras shot in standard definition. - more on this story
Book About AC/DC's Young Brothers Set For Release
(hennemusic) A new AC/DC book, "The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC", will be published this Friday, November 1 in Australia (a North American date is TBA).
Billed as less a biography and more a critical appreciation, the book tells the story of the Young brothers – Angus, Malcolm and George – through 11 classic songs and reveals some of the personal and creative secrets that went into their making.
Written by Jesse Fink, "The Youngs" sees important figures from AC/DC's long way to the top open up for the very first time, while unsung heroes behind the band's success are given the credit they are due. - more on this story
David Bowie Channel on SiriusXM Launching This Week
(hennemusic) Satellite radio service SiriusXM is launching a David Bowie Channel for a two-week period on satellite via channel 111, starting this Wednesday, October 30 at 12:00 pm ET and running through Tuesday, November 12.
The David Bowie Channel will be available as a 24/7 channel online and through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and mobile devices beginning Wednesday, October 30 for an extended period.
The limited-run channel will feature music from the vast body of artistry from Bowie's entire career, from his earliest recordings through 2013's "The Next Day". The channel will also exclusively premiere the five unheard songs from Bowie's "The Next Day Extra", the 3 disc collector's edition; the songs will only be heard on The David Bowie Channel until November 5, the day "The Next Day Extra" is released. - more on this story
The Arctic Monkeys Release ' One for the Road' Video
(Radio.com) It's funny how even the most nationalistic of British bands at some point succumb to the temptation of Americana and all its red, white and blue trappings. The Arctic Monkeys are the latest to follow suit.
But in their latest video for "One for the Road," Alex Turner and the gang give their take on Americana an ironic twist. In it the band get dressed to the nines in designer duds while hanging out on a farm. Guitarist Jamie Cook even cruises through the dusty fields atop a big-wheeled tractor wearing none other than a three-piece suit.
The black and white clip was directed by Focus Creeps, who's worked with the Arctic Monkeys in the past, coming up with the clip for their 2011 song, "Suck It and See."
The video cranks up the rock 'n' roll quotient considerably towards the song's climax, with the band taking to its instruments amidst a gaggle of leggy models, farm equipment and plumes of fireworks. - Watch the video here.
Boston Preview New Album Online
(hennemusic) Boston have posted audio samples of their first new album in more than a decade, "Life Love & Hope", due December 3. Fans can listen to the samples on the band's official website here.
The project includes lead vocals from Brad Delp, Tommy DeCarlo, Kimberley Dahme, David Victor and Tom Scholz, and features tracks with the classic Boston sound, as well as the latest in the evolution of Scholz' musical artistry.
"I intentionally stayed close to the early Boston style on some of the songs, even using the same amps and instruments," says Scholz, "on others I let my imagination run wild." - more on this story
Alter Bridge Release Behind The Scenes Video Of Tour Kick Off
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge launched their Fortress world tour in Orlando, Florida on October 4, and the band are now sharing behind the scenes footage of the event in the second episode of their Fortress Tour 2013 web series.
The video features behind the scenes material as the band prepared for their only US show of 2013 at the House Of Blues – check out fan-shot video from the show here.
Alter Bridge's new album, "Fortress", recently debuted at No. 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart following first week sales of 30,000. Alter Bridge are currently playing dates on a headlining tour of Europe. - Check out the new footage here.
Megadeth Release Costa Rica Video Footage
(hennemusic) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is sharing behind-the-scenes footage from the band's October 22 concert at National Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica while on the Black Sabbath Latin American Tour.
The two bands wrap up their month-long trek with a show in Mexico City this weekend. Following the Sabbath dates, Megadeth play two concerts in the southwestern US in October before taking a short break, followed by the launch of a full Super Collider US tour on November 23 in St. Paul, MN.
Ellefson will also publish his autobiography, "My Life With Deth", on October 29 and will launch the project with a series of book signings. Check out the new video footage - here.
Pearl Jam Perform Lightning Bolt on Fallon
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam performed the title track to their new No. 1 album, "Lightning Bolt", and frontman Eddie Vedder was a interview guest on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday.
The appearance was the final night of Pearl Jam Week, as the program marks the release of the group's new album, which sold 166,000 copies in the U.S. to top the Billboard 200 album chart this week.
"Lightning Bolt" is the Seattle group's fifth No. 1 album, following "Backspacer" (2009), "No Code" (1996), "Vitalogy" (1994) and "Vs." (1993). - Watch video of the Fallon performance here.
The Last Vegas Release 'Come With Me' Video
(Classic Rock) Chicago rockers The Last Vegas have released a music video for their brand-new track Come With Me, which will appear on the band's upcoming full-length album Sweet Salvation, available in spring 2014.
Here's the Last Vegas telling the story of their new video: "We paired back up with our good buddy Whitewall Jones, who directed our video for Other Side. We started to explain what we were going for conceptually, and Whitewall finished the sentence for us. He got it right off the bat. Sixties, go-go, acid trip with some good old-fashion rock from the groin. Let's make it 'f*cked up'. That was the plan.
"So we packed up the van, and headed far east out of the city into a small Indiana town, literally in the middle of nowhere. A good friend lent us her barn and we set up shop with one camera. Stripped down, bare bones. Took a bunch of stuff laying around and created a barn-stage. We drove around in our van looking for scenes of good ol'-fashioned Midwest farm country. Back to the earth, back to the Midwest small towns in which we all grew up where the people are strong and with faith. Where the locals are nice enough to literally lend you their car for the day (see that rippin' purple Barracuda in the video? Yup, that dude owned the local general store, just happened to have it in the parking lot, and lent it to us for the afternoon). Come With Me, dude. Don't find that kind of hospitality in the big city.
"We filmed all day in old churches, old thrift shops, flea markets, dusty roads. Then at night we made a massive bonfire, filmed more, trying to just make it as messed up as we could. Screw perfection, let's capture imperfection. And may have guzzled some country moonshine, smashed and sacrificed a drum set to the epic fire in hopes the rock spirits would smile upon our efforts for the day. We think they did…" - Watch the video here.
Solstice Release Promo Video For New Album
(Prog) UK prog rockers Solstice will release their latest album, Prophecy, through Esteric Anetnna today October 28th in the UK and the band have released a promotional video for the album, the band's fifth.
Prophecy is a five-track album revolving around a central theme inspired by the Cree Native American prophecy Warriors Of The Rainbow. In addition the album will also feature three Steven Wilson remixes of tracks from the band's debut album Silent Dance, namely Earthsong, Find Yourself and Return Of Spring.
Solstice launch Prophecy with a live show at London's Borderline on Tuesday October 29. Support comes from fellow Esoteric artist Matt Stevens. - Check out the promo video here.
Michael Anthony Rates Wolfgang Van Halen As A Bassist
(hennemusic) Former Van Halen and current Chickenfoot bassist Michael Anthony sat down with For Bass Players Only's Jon Liebman recently for an interview to discuss several topics, including Anthony's thoughts on Wolfgang Van Halen, his replacement in his former band.
"I think he's a great kid," said Anthony. "I mean, obviously, I've known him since he was born. He's a great musician. He's a great bass player. He plays drums, guitar, bass and sings."
"His dad, Ed, wanted his son to play with him, so you know, that's, you know, totally great," he continued. "I mean, I found out that he was going to be playing bass [in Van Halen] with everybody else…when they did their press conference. I wished him luck in a couple interviews I did, and hopefully he read those."
The session also included a recap of how Anthony joined Van Halen, an update on the status of Chickenfoot and more. Watch it - here.
Mick Mars Denies Being Reason For Motley Crue Retirement
(Classic Rock) Mick Mars has shouted down Tommy Lee's suggestion that his illness is connected with Motley Crue's looming retirement. It's the second time the guitarist has denied suggestions from within his own camp that his lifelong struggle with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is forcing him off the road.
Frontman Vince Neil recently said one of the reasons Crue were aiming to bow out after one more album, a world tour and a movie was that Mars was too ill to deal with the trauma of constant travel.
The guitarist said that wasn't true – but now drummer Tommy Lee has repeated the suggestion, telling Dedmau5: "Mick has a spinal disease that's slowly fusing his vertebrae together. It's treatable but not curable. It's progressively getting worse and it's painful for him, so he doesn't want to tour much longer."
Mars responds via Twitter: "Once again, any rumours regarding a farewell tour due to me 'poor health' is BS. I am doing fine. My AS has never kept me from touring." - Read Lee's response.
Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Won't Watch Band's New DVD
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell won't watch the band's new live DVD Viva! Hysteria because he doesn't want to see how ill he looked during his cancer battle.
The band recorded two nights of this year's Las Vegas residency – during which they performed their classic album Hysteria in full – and released the results on October 21 following a series of cinema screenings.
But Campbell, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma just before the Vegas shows, would rather not see the movie. He tells Rolling Stone: "I don't like watching myself. I took that in consideration when I stood in front of the bedroom mirror pretending to be Marc Bolan.
"I was really, really sick when we filmed this. When I look at pictures I look very pale because I was anaemic and everything. So I'm not in a hurry to see myself on the big screen." - A lot more.
Slayer Not Ready To Quit
(TeamRock Radio) Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph has shouted down the suggestion that Slayer are reaching the end of their career. The band have endured a difficult year after firing original sticksman Dave Lombardo in February, then losing founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman when he died in May after ill-health had kept him off the road since 2011.
Frontman Tom Araya recently speculated that the thrash giants might not continue after their current tour, saying: "Kerry King and I are going to sit down and talk as far as how we want to move forward – if we want to move forward."
But Bostaph – who first replaced Lombardo between 1992 and 2001, and later played with Slayer's stand-in guitarist Gary Holt in Exodus – tells Metal Kaoz: "Every single one of us has put over 40 years into music and gone through a lot of crap to get to this point. You just don't look at your career and just pack it in." - more on this story
All Shall Perish Were Forced To Fire Frontman
(TeamRock Radio) All Shall Perish bassist Mike Tiner says the band was forced to fire vocalist Eddie Hermida after he joined Suicide Silence. Hermida was this month named as the replacement for late SS frontman Mitch Lucker, who died in a motorbike accident in 2012.
He'd originally planned to work with both outfits – but Tiner says the pressure applied by him and his new band's management made it impossible. Hermida has said he was "asked to step away" by All Shall Perish – but his former bandmate argues the situation isn't as simple as that.
"When Eddie first brought it up he made it seem as if he was only recording with them, but it became very clear he wanted to join Suicide Silence," Tiner tells Metal Injection. "Everyone in the room had the same reaction: 'How are you going to have time to do both?' Eddie reassured us that both bands would be able to coexist."
ASP decided to offer Hermida "the benefit of the doubt" and things seemed to work out at first. But then they were offered a handful of support shows with Death Angel, and although Hermida wanted to do them, he later told his bandmates that SS had blocked the plans. - Find out what happened next.
Neil Young's Entire Bridge School Benefit Concert Streaming Online
(Radio.com) Neil Young and co. put together a solid lineup of classic rock icons, chart-toppers and a jazz singer for this year's Bridge School Benefit concert, which took place this weekend in Mountainview, Calif. As usual, the artists on the bill all seemed enthused to be sharing the stage with Young, and judging by his on-stage visits, the feeling was mutual.
The main event was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's headlining performance; the group hasn't toured together since 2006, but there's no word as to whether this is a one-off or if it will lead to another tour. The setlist reflected the fact that CSNY is as much a collective of songwriters as it is a band: of the nine songs they played, only two were actually from CSNY catalog.
Opening with Nash's CSN hit "Just A Song Before I Go," they also played Young's "Human Highway," "Don't Want Lies" (from Stills' other band, the Rides), the Young rarity "Singer Without A Song," and Crosby's solo "What Are Their Names," before getting into an actual CSNY song, "Deja Vu." The set also featured the Stills-Young Band's "Long May You Run," CSN's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," and CSNY's "Teach Your Children," on which they were joined by Jack Johnson, Jenny Lewis, and members of My Morning Jacket and Arcade Fire.
Young's presence was felt more than usual throughout the day. He's usually thanked by the other performers, but this year, his songs and the man himself popped up on stage often. He kicked off the day with a brief solo acoustic opening set, starting with his cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" (which is also how he started his recent solo set at Farm Aid). He also played "Heart Of Gold" from 1972′s Harvest, and "Comes A Time" from his 1978 album of the same name. But it was Harvest and its 1992 "sequel," Harvest Moon, that seemed to be on the minds of many of the artists on the bill: Diana Krall covered "A Man Needs a Maid," while Young joined Johnson for a take on "Out on the Weekend."
Arcade Fire got some quality time with Neil as well. Frontman Win Butler announced that he'd written a new song called "I Dreamed A Neil Young Song" in his sleep, on which Young sang harmony and played guitar and harmonica. It sounded like an After the Goldrush outtake.
As for the benefit's second day, Tom Waits stole the show, along with his band that included Primus' Les Claypool on bass and Los Lobos' David Hildago on guitar and accordion. As Waits has rarely performed live since the close of his 2008 tour, the performance was something of an event. As far as the setlist goes, however, it was mostly focused on his 2011 album, Bad As Me, with a few older songs thrown in, including rarity "Lucinda" and "Tom Traubert's Blues."
Also on the second night, Young joined Heart on stage for their cover of his "War of Man." And, paying tribute to Lou Reed, Young and Elvis Costello joined My Morning Jacket for a run through the Velvet Underground classic, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'."
Watch the entire eight-and-a-half-hour webcast of the Bridge School Benefit's first day (day two wasn't webcast) — which also featured fun. and Queens of the Stone Age — until 11 p.m. PT October 30 - here.
KISS Full Budokan Show Streaming Online
(hennemusic) KISS' performance at Tokyo's legendary Budokan on October 24 was broadcast in Japan on pay-per-view, and now video of the full show has surfaced online.
The appearance was the second of two nights at the venue for the band, and one of four shows on a Japanese tour in support of their current album, "Monster."
KISS were among the nominees announced recently for the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Rolling Stone revealed the full list, which also includes Deep Purple, Yes, Nirvana, Hall & Oates, The Replacements, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Peter Gabriel, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Link Wray, the Meters, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, and the Zombies. - Watch the concert stream here.
Leslie West Release Track By Track Video For New Album
(Gibson) Mountain legend Leslie West has made two videos for his Mascot label where he talks track-by-track through his new album Still Climbing. The album follows 2011's acclaimed Unusual Suspects, on which Slash, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa guested.
Still Climbinga includes guest spots from Jonny Lang, Johnny Winter, Dee Snider and Mark Tremonti. Says West, "I played one of the early tracks we recorded for Slash, and he said, 'That is as heavy as it gets.'"
A diabetes-related illness saw West have most of his right leg amputated in 2011. "I'm lucky it wasn't one of my hands or I'd be screwed," he says. "It was a difficult struggle, and after the amputation I didn't know whether I'd ever want to or be able to perform again. But a month later I played at the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp in New York City, and I heard my guitar on stage and that was it. I knew I had to keep going." - Watch the videos here.
Humble Pie Revisit Rockin' The Fillmore
(Gibson) Humble Pie's classic double live album Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore - The Complete Recordings was released in a new re-mastered version this week.
The release features all four of the concerts the band recorded at the Fillmore East on May 28-29, 1971, with the re-mastering overseen by band members Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley.
"It's like a breath of fresh air after listening to one particular version," said Frampton about the reissue of the live album. "The beauty of it is that you get three completely different performances of most of the songs. It's great to hear Steve Marriott's banter from all of the shows. We've lived with 'It's really been a gas!' for 40-odd years, and now there's more." - more on this story
The Blackout Cancel Tour For Medical Reasons
(TeamRock Radio) The Blackout have been forced to cancel the remaining dates of their Final Party UK tour after frontman Gavin Butler suffered a repeat of his migraine problems.
The rare condition, which causes him to lose the ability to control his voice and movement, struck during the band's set in Manchester on Saturday. He was forced to leave the stage two songs before the end of the show.
The Blackout say in a statement: "Having consulted local medical advice, in addition to what Gavin was told in hospital when the issue occurred earlier this year, it's become clear that one of the key issues in helping Gav get better is rest.
"That has put us in a difficult position, and it's with great regret that we have to announce we will not be performing any of the remaining dates on the Final Party tour at this time." - more on this story
Mastodon Releasing Live At Brixton in December
Warner Bros. Records will be releasing a new digital live album and video from Mastodon on December 10th that will be entitled Mastodon Live At Brixton.
The release will be offered at major digital retailers as a stand-alone live album as well as in digital video format. The video version was directed by Ryan Mackfall.
Mastodon Live At Brixton was recorded at the London's O2 Academy in Brixton on February 11th, 2012 during the band's world tour in support of "The Hunter" album and both the audio and video versions will include the full 97 minute set. - more on this story
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackberry Smoke Teaming For Record Store Day
(hennemusic) Lynyrd Skynyrd are teaming up with Atlanta rockers Blackberry Smoke to release a split, live vinyl EP on Black Friday, November 29th edition of Record Store Day.
Skynyrd are issuing three classic tunes – "What's Your Name", "That Smell" and "Simple Man" – from their June 2012 set at the Sweden Rock Festival.
Blackberry Smoke are releasing three live tracks that were recorded during an April 2013 concert in Winston-Salem, NC, North Carolina including 'Six Ways to Sunday', 'Pretty Little Lie' and 'Ain't Much Left Of Me'. - more on this story
Shelby Lynne Says Thanks With New EP
Shelby Lynne have announced that she will be releasing a new five-song EP, entitled "Thanks", digitally on November 19th which will be followed by a physical release on December 10th.
Lynne had this to say about the new release, "As a musician, these songs are a way to express my love and gratitude to the universe and to all of the music appreciating souls out there for the friendship and fellowship that music brings us…all in the name of love and sharing."
The EP was co-produced by Ben Peeler at the EVERSO Studio in Palm Desert, CA and features Maxine Waters on piano and vocals, Michael Jerome on drums/percussion and Ed Maxwell on upright and electric bass, Wurlitzer, Moog and background vocals. - more on this story
Motorhead's New Album Hits The Charts Across Europe
(hennemusic) Motorhead's new album, "Aftershock", has debuted on the album charts across Europe prior to its North American release on Tuesday. They made top 10 debuts in three countries.
The band's 21st album debuted in the top 10 in Germany (#5), Finland (#5), and Austria (#7). The album also landed on the charts in Belgium (#61) and Holland (#64).
The project was recorded at NRG Studios in North Hollywood with longtime producer Cameron Webb. Motorhead will launch a fall tour in support of "Aftershock" starting November 7 in Zurich, Switzerland. - Check out video here.
Rush Release 2112 From New Live Package
(hennemusic) Rush are premiering audio of a performance of "2112" from the band's forthcoming live package, "Clockwork Angels Tour", due on CD and DVD/Blu-ray November 19.
The project was filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. The 11-month marathon world tour crossed North America twice and ventured overseas to Europe in support of the band's acclaimed 2012 studio release "Clockwork Angels."
In capturing the tour's three-hour set, "Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" pairs Rush classics ('Tom Sawyer', 'The Spirit Of Radio', '2112'), with a nod to the '80s Rush era ('The Analog Kid', 'Territories', 'Subdivisions') alongside newly reworked arrangements specifically for the tour featuring the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble ('Headlong Flight', 'YYZ', 'Red Sector A'). The string section marks the first time the trio has brought additional musicians on the road with them. To showcase their latest studio release, the epic set list also features nine tracks off "Clockwork Angels." Other highlights include tracks rarely performed and never before recorded live ('The Body Electric', 'Middletown Dreams'), in addition to three separate drum solos by Neil Peart. - Watch the video here.
Boston Premiere New Song 'Heaven on Earth'
(hennemusic) Boston followed the full album clip preview of their forthcoming album, "Life Love & Hope" with the premiere of the album's lead single "Heaven On Earth".
Due December 3, the project is the band's first new album since 2002's "Corporate America." The project includes lead vocals from the late Brad Delp, Tommy DeCarlo, Kimberley Dahme, David Victor and Tom Scholz.
"I intentionally stayed close to the early Boston style on some of the songs, even using the same amps and instruments," says Scholz, "on others I let my imagination run wild."
"These are songs from the heart, each of them taking many months of effort to write, arrange, perform and record, always up to the demands of Boston's harshest critic, me," added Scholz. "They have all been meticulously recorded to analogue tape on the same machines and equipment used for Boston's hits for the past 35 years." - Check out the song here.
Korn's Jonathan Davis Remembers First Time Hearing Himself on Radio
(Radio.com) Radio.com speaks with Korn frontman Jonathan Davis about the first time he heard himself on the radio. The year was 1994. Davis hadn't the faintest idea that his life would never be the same.
"I was in Long Beach [California]. I was in my car coming home from practice and I heard it, and I just screamed all the way home. I opened the windows up. It was an amazing moment. I think it was on KNAC. I freaked out when they played it. I had a smile on my face for days."
Davis' elation was triggered by the now Internet-only hard rock station playing "Blind," the band's first breakout hit from their 1994 self-titled debut.
Who did Davis call first? Dad. "He was happy. He was so stoked. But he was in the music business for a while when I was really young and he was really concerned about me getting in a band. He wanted me to get a normal job with stability and all that fun stuff but I just went for it. When I heard it I called him, he was really proud and he's been really proud ever since." - more on this story
Sleeping With Sirens Have Some Fun With Pop
(TeamRock Radio) Sleeping With Sirens get into party mode before they hit the stage with a playlist packed with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion.
The American post-hardcore group also reveal they had to scrap a track of their last album which veered into Justin Bieber territory. In an interview with District MTV lead guitarist Jack Fowler says: "We listen to Lady Gaga 'Applause', Katy Perry 'Roar', Miley Cyrus 'Wrecking Ball' – twice – Greenday 'Know Your Enemy', Juicy J, and Celine Dion 'My Heart Will Go On',"
Bass guitarist Justin Hills then confirms Sleeping With Sirens scrapped a Bieber-esque track from their last album – although he says he is a fan of Bieber style pop as he laughs: "I'll probably like it. I like sh***y music." - more on this story
A Look At the Strokes' Room on Fire 10 Years Later
(Radio.com) In the latest Not Fade Away feature, Radio.com takes a look back at the Strokes' sophomore album, Room on Fire, and how its' fiercest competition came from the band's own catalog as the album celebrates its 10th anniversary.
It was late October of 2003 when the Strokes released the band's second album, Room on Fire. The album was recorded over the summer of that year, after two solid years on the road supporting their wildly received debut, Is This It.
With that 2001 debut, the Strokes had vaulted to the front of the indie rock nation, the band's denim and leather swagger all but personifying New York City cool at the dawn of the new millennium. The quintet's road-honed chops from the Is This It tour were not lost on the band's producer, Gordon Raphael.
"What was really awesome about [the Room on Fire sessions] was when they came in that first day, this was a band that had been on tour for two years straight, playing concert after concert," Raphael recalled during an interview from a Seattle studio during a break while recording the band Red Martian. "The level of ability, tightness and power that they gained from that tour was unbelievably noticeable when they came back. They were not this fun, basement-y band anymore. They sounded more like Led Zeppelin than the Velvet Underground. It was so huge sounding. They still had the attitude and having fun, but they sounded like incredibly powerful and accomplished musicians."
Raphael had a bird's eye view of the Strokes' rapid rise to indie rock notoriety, having produced the band's initial rush of releases, from their debut 3-song The Modern Age EP through the first two studio albums, Is This It and the follow-up, Room on Fire. His relationship with the band is enduring, as emerging outfits consistently enlist his services hoping for just a touch of what he brought to those hallowed recordings.
"The day I arrived in the studio, they played me Room on Fire in its entirety, like, 'here's what we're gonna do,' and just ran through every song live right there," the producer recalled. "So it wasn't like three months of wondering what the parts were going to be or developing ideas. The songs were done, the parts were done, and Julian [Casablancas, the band's singer] just wanted three months of making every tone and every performance perfect."
The recording got off to something of a rough start, with Raphael coming in to reprise his role manning the boards only after the band found itself unhappy with early sessions overseen by producer Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame.
"There was no weirdness from anybody. I took over Is This It from another producer, too," Raphael laughed. "They started both records with different producers. We dealt with it in the moment, moved on and never thought about it again."
After recording Is This It in Raphael's modest personal studio, the album's success found them in TMF Studios for Room on Fire, a facility the producer had discovered working with Regina Spektor on her 2005 full-length, Soviet Kitsch. "They wanted to keep a lot of the identity they'd created on the first album in the small studio, but here we were in a very big room with a lot of gear at our disposal, and more time."
With a larger room, "The mood and they lyrics were considerably heavier [on Room on Fire]," Raphael mused. "Whatever caused that I can only speculate. There were personal things and romantic things going on with certain band members. The sheer joyous, party, happy, cut loose kind of thing that might have been on the first record was gone."
Led by first single, "12:51" (with a synthesized guitar melody that would've sounded right at home on the Cars' 1979 classic, Candy-O), Room on Fire did indeed come with denser and more muscular arrangements. Songs like "Reptilia" and "The End Has No End" brought new dynamics to the band's early catalog. - more on this story
Steel Panther Release NSFW 'Party' Video
(hennemusic) Steel Panther have released an NSFW version of the video for their new single, "Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World", the lead track from the band's third album, "All You Can Eat", which is due early next year.
The new album was recorded in part in Sherman Oaks, California with producer Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour). "All You Can Eat" is the follow-up to 2011's "Balls Out" release, which debuted at #40 on the Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 12,000 copies.
Steel Panther will tour Australia in December with Buckcherry on the Spreading The Disease Tour, before playing a series of dates across North America. The band will launch a European tour on February 4 in Groningen, Holland. - Watch the new video here.
Megadeth's David Ellefson Releases Autobiography Unboxing Video
(hennemusic) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson is sharing video clip of the unboxing of his new autobiography, "My Life With Deth", which will be published today.
The memoir chronicles the story of Ellefson's fall into addiction during the band's early years, followed by his subsequent recovery and the return to faith which championed the band's rise to fame over the past several decades.
Megadeth just completed a month-long Latin American tour with Black Sabbath. The group will now play two concerts in the southwestern US this week before launching a full Super Collider US tour on November 23 in St. Paul, MN.
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