KISS and Nirvana Lead 2014 Rock Hall Inductees
(hennemusic) KISS and Nirvana lead the list of inductees into the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The two rock acts are joined by Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt as the Class of 2014.
"The spirit of rock and roll for me has always meant following the paths I choose regardless of what my critics or my peers think," says Paul Stanley. "For 40 years KISS has built an army that apologizes to no one and I'm honored to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame knowing we have remained true to ourselves and our fans."
"To the KISS Army, Ace, Peter, Eric Carr, Vinny, Mark, Bruce, Tommy and Eric Singer, Bill Aucoin, Doc McGhee and to my partner of 40 years, the ever youthful Paul Stanley...and all the members of the KISS Family," added Gene Simmons. "This honor is for you. 40 years of Rockin' and still going strong." - more on this story
Dave Matthews and Jakob Dylan Form Supergroup
(Radio.com) The Nauts is a new band that brings together folk-rock hero Dave Matthews with rock & roll progeny Jakob Dylan, best known for his work with band the Wallflowers and the fact that his dad is revered music icon Bob Dylan.
News of new band was released by Mix (via Rolling Stone), which reported that The Nauts grew out of a casual jam session with the two artists alongside guitarist Charlie Sexton, his brother Will Sexton and drummer Brady Blade At Blade's Shreveport, LA, studio. The Mix article also serves as the band's bio on the Shreveport music website UNSCENE! (rumors have the band making its live debut in Shreveport as part of the UNSCENE! concert series).
Charlie Sexton, who had a solo career as a teenager in the '80s with singles like "Beat's So Lonely," already has ties with the Dylan family, having played lead guitar in Bob Dylan's tour band back in the late '90s/early 2000s as well as sporadically from 2009 through the elder Dylan's 2013 tour. - more on this story
Slipknot Can't Explain Jordison's Departure
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has admitted to frustration over the departure of drummer Joey Jordison. He's upset at not being able to explain the situation to the band's fans, but he's not allowed to discuss it.
And he's vowed they'll record an album in 2014 as planned – although the songs Jordison wrote for it won't appear. The sticksman's move, made for "personal reasons," was confirmed in a shock statement last week.
Now Taylor tells 93X: "I can't really talk about it right now. It's still so fresh, and there's a lot of things going on behind the scenes that people don't know about. So, legally and respectfully, I can't say a lot about it.
"It's difficult. But if people can bear with us we'll cross that bridge when we can." But he did have a more positive outlook on the band's new album. Check out what he had to say - here.
Avenged Sevenfold Release Animated Series
(TeamRock Radio) Avenged Sevenfold have launched their animated series based on recent album Hail To The King. Fans can now view all six episodes online: Wager Of The Gods, Rise of Andronikos, The Crown Awaits, Traitor Amongst Us, A God Usurps and The Deathbat Awakes.
It's intended to set the scene for upcoming video game Hail To The King: Deathbat, due early next year. Last week frontman M Shadows said: "The animated series is funny stuff – we hope it gives you something entertaining to watch over your holiday break. We felt this was the best way to tell the story and give you an idea about the type of game we're creating."
The game is set to include new A7X music, although Shadows said: "These aren't metal songs – they're done in an old-school video game fashion." Watch the animated series - here.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Plan Super Bowl-Sized Pregame Party
(Radio.com) Get ready for a Super Bowl-sized pregame party with one killer soundtrack. The night before Super Bowl XLVIII kicks off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will headline WFAN's "Big Hello to Brooklyn" show at the Barclays Center on Saturday, February 1, 2014.
New Politics, MS MR, J Roddy Walston & the Business and Basic Vacation will also play the concert hosted by New York's pioneering sports radio station (a Radio.com station).
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith joined WFAN morning show hosts Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton to announce the concert today (December 16), the band's first show in New York in almost ten years.
"We're not on tour right now," Smith told the hosts. "We've taken a little time off, but this is a big event, it's a very exciting weekend for New York." - Ticket details and more.
Queen Planning Unreleased Freddie Mercury Music Project
(hennemusic) Queen guitarist Brian May recently revealed that the band have discovered more unreleased Freddie Mercury material in their vaults, and now he's sharing an update on the planned project.
"Well, there's something coming. I'm not really quite sure what it is yet," May tells Rolling Stone. "I don't know if there's a whole album. There's a piece of an album. We were looking at putting together a compilation of the more unusual and yet memorable Queen tracks. Things that weren't singles that have become or stayed popular through the years. That's the way it started and then we unearthed a few tapes of Freddie singing and us in the studio that we never finished off. We thought we got to the end of it with [1995's] 'Made in Heaven'. But there are a few other things which have turned up. So the album may turn out to be a mixture of some unusual things from the past and some very unusual things which no one has heard at all."
May and drummer Roger Taylor are recording new backing tracks to the Mercury material, just as they did for the "Made In Heaven" album. "Roger and I have both been working on tracks in our spare time," he says. "A couple of them have Michael Jackson on as well, which adds another layer of interest. Freddie and Michael singing together and experimenting in the Eighties."
"Michael used to come see us a lot," began May, explaining how the two camps connected. "He was a big big fan, especially of Freddie, and Freddie and Michael got on real real well. Michael was very impressed with our lighting rig, I remember. I can't remember which tour it was. We had pods of lights that moved above the stage that had pilots in them. He said, 'I'm stealing that,' and sure enough on the 'Victory' tour they had something very similar. But Michael really was very fond of Freddie and sort've idolized him. Michael really felt he wanted to be a rock star." - more on this story
Def Leppard Pour Some Sugar On The Voice
(hennemusic) Def Leppard members Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell and Rick Allen performed the band's 1987 smash, "Pour Some Sugar On Me", on The Voice Monday night, and video of the appearance is available.
The band were joined by Voice coaches Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton for the song, which kicked off Monday's show, the first of a two-part season five finale.
The 2-hour program was the final night of fan voting for Voice finalists Jacquie Lee (Team Christina) and Team Adam's Tessanne Chin and Will Champlin; a winner will be crowned Tuesday on the season's final broadcast. - Watch the video here.
Alter Bridge Announce New North American Concerts
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge have announced a pair of new dates to their 2014 US tour schedule. The band will play Chicago's House Of Blues on April 28, and The Arvest Bank Theatre in Kansas City on May 2.
The dates follow last week's news of the initial 2014 US tour schedule, which starts April 14 in Dallas. In addition, Alter Bridge have also announced their first shows in Japan. The group will play Tokyo's Liquid Room on February 18 and Osaka's Umeda Club Quattro on February 19.
The Japanese dates mark the band's first live shows of 2014. Alter Bridge recently wrapped up a headlining tour of Europe in support of their new album, "Fortress." - more on this story
U2 Reveal New Version of Ordinary Love
(hennemusic) U2 have posted a Paul Epworth-produced version of "Ordinary Love", a new song written for the movie "Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom." The British music producer, musician, and songwriter is primarily known for his work with Adele ("21"), but he has also collaborated with the like of Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, Cee Lo Green and others.
Bono was in South Africa this past week to join those paying tribute to Nelson Mandela at Tuesday's memorial service. "In Ireland," he says, "A wake is never without humor, but it's fair to say we lean heavily on the melancholy... one thing I love about Africa is they accompany the departed with dancing, lots of it, and music full of joy."
On Thursday, "Ordinary Love" was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the band wanted to share Epworth's new version. "We think Paul Epworth's mix is a very soulful, uplifting one and we hope our audience will agree," says Bono. "Nelson Mandela's life and times meant more to me than I can ever tell you, I would need a hundred songs to do that... but this complicated little love song to Winnie and South Africa is the one that landed on our lap. I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for believing in us and the film. This is truly a great honor." - Listen to the song here.
Halestorm Bringing Influences To Next Album
(TeamRock Radio) Halestorm are gearing up to start writing what will be their third studio album and drummer Arejay Hale says it's going to be influenced by the material on their recent covers EP.
They laid down their own versions of Judas Priest's Dissident Aggressor, AC/DC's Shoot To Thrill, Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman and Marilyn Manson's 1996 for the six-track ReAnimate 2.0.
"It's really a challenge: we have to take these songs and turn them into Halestorm songs – which is almost like training for us," Hale tells Billboard. "On the first covers EP we did Slave to the Grind by Skid Row, and that inspired us to write Love Bites: 'Let's write our own song with this kind of energy.'
"So it's inspiring for us to learn other people's songs. It's great training for any band – it starts the creative juices for your own stuff." Find out when they plan to begin work on the album - here.
Geoff Tate To Rock Vaudeville Style
(Gibson) Geoff Tate will perform Rock And Vaudeville at five shows across three nights at The Triple Door in Seattle on May 1, 2 and 3. The show promises to tell the history of rock, done Vaudeville style.
"See the rock songs you love from the ones you grew up to what's paying today sung by rock legend Geoff Tate from the internationally famous band Queensryche, all while watching aerialists, burlesque dancers, go go dancers, drag queens and circus performers show their stuff."
Tate's version of Queensryche (featuring former Quiet Riot/Ozzy Osbourne bass player Rudy Sarzo) have announced a new run of dates in January for the 25th anniversary of the album Operation: Mindcrime. - more on this story
Katatonia Unplugging For Upcoming Tour
(Prog) Katatonia have confirmed they'll take Dethroned And Uncrowned, their reinterpretation of 2012 album Dead End Kings, on tour next year. Their Unplugged & Reworked trek will include two UK dates in May.
Dethroned And Uncrowned was funded by a Pledge campaign and saw the band stripping the songs from Dead End Kings back to their roots then rebuilding them to maximum prog effect. And the album, released in September, has proved so popular that the Swedish outfit are taking it on the road, playing a set which will also include new versions of tracks from throughout their career.
Guitarist Anders Nystrom says: "Many people appreciated how we dethroned and uncrowned Dead End Kings. They have been hoping – and insisting – the same should be done to our older albums." - Find out their response that fan desire here.
Beatles U.S. Debut 50th Anniversary Event Planned
(Gibson) New York City will host a four-day event this February in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' famed first trip to the U.S. The event, dubbed NYC Beatles 50, is set for Feb. 6 through 9 and will feature a collection of Beatles-friendly tribute shows at different venues around New York City.
A few of the planned shows include a star-studded concert, called "America Celebrates The Beatles, All-Star Concert," on Feb. 7 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and a two-day event, named the "Across the Universe" Beatles Music Festival, on Feb. 8 and 9 that will feature an all-day series of performances by a variety of artists.
The folks behind the event have invited 50 bands from 50 different countries to be a part of the festivities. Admission to most events is $50 or less. Proceeds raised during the four days will go towards the Food Bank for New York City. - more on this story
Kings of Leon Rock SNL
(Radio.com) Kings of Leon took to the SNL stage for the third time in their career to perform two tracks from their latest album Mechanical Bull. The Brothers Followill rolled out the rock stomper "Temple," before slowing things down with the power ballad "Wait for Me."
The pre-holiday holiday episode featured host John Goodman, which marked his 13th time hosting the show. His first was in 1989 with musical guests The Reclines, a Patsy Cline tribute band fronted by k.d. lang.
The term "full circle" doesn't really apply, but Kings of Leon have worked more toward adding a country tinge to their sound. Just check the latest video for "Beautiful War" and see how country they've come.
Check out the replays of the SNL performances - here.
Lou Reed Remembered by Velvet Underground Bandmate
(Radio.com) It has been two months since Lou Reed lost his battle with liver disease, and his former bandmates and musicians continue to mourn. While both Patti Smith and Bono eloquently eulogized Reed back in November, Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker shared her memories of the frontman and songwriter with The Guardian.
Having met Reed through her brother, Tucker said she got together with Reed and Sterling Morrison by accident when their original drummer left before a gig in New York in 1965.
"Sterling said, 'Oh, Tucker's sister plays drums.' I lived way out on Long Island and they came out there from the city to see if I could keep a beat. That's how it happened," she recalled.
Tucker said the band never formally discussed their direction, instead they just made music no one else was making.
"Lou had a reputation, for sure. He was tough and he could be grumpy and b***chy, but I've come to realize that his b**chiness came out when there was incompetence about. Didn't matter if it was a waiter or a record producer, he'd rip someone apart if things weren't up to scratch."
But as tough as he was, Tucker also remembered him being encouraging and generous. "He was a good friend through everything. We had this brother-sister type relationship in the group, and it lasted long after the group split," she explained. "It was one of those friendships where it didn't matter if you didn't see each other a lot. We'd meet up after two years or five years and it would be like we'd seen each other last week. As you get older, you come to realise that that kind of friendship is rare, so I miss him a hell of a lot. It's just dawning on me that he's not out there any more." - more on this story
Transatlantic Release Yes Cover
(Prog) Transatlantic have released their cover of Yes track And You And I as a sneak preview of what to expect on the Progressive Nation At Sea cruise next year.
The event, which stars Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian, Adian Belew's Power Trio, Devin Townsend Project, Kings' X, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings and many others, is headlined by Transatlantic and former Yes frontman Jon Anderson.
They're planning to team up for a grand finale at the end of the cruise that takes place from February 18 to 22. Mastermind Mike Portnoy says: "One of the highlights is certainly going to be Transatlantic and Jon Anderson joining forces for a set of Yes classics." - more on this story
Last Of The Bihari Brothers Dead At 88
(The Blues) Modern Records co-founder and producer Joe Bihari, one of the men who discovered B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and many others, has died at the age of 88, it's been confirmed. He was the last surviving Bihari brother.
He created Modern in 1945 alongside his siblings Lester, Jules and Saul as a side-project of an already-successful jukebox business. Over the coming decade he was instrumental in recruiting stars of the future through his regular journeys through the American South.
The Biharis also discovered Etta James, Elmore James and Ike Turner and their labels expanded to include Meteor, Crown, Flair and RPM. The Washington Post notes Joe once saying: "Sometimes I travelled with Ike – I bought him a Buick Roadmaster, gave him some of my custom-made suits, a salary of a hundred dollars a week and an expense account." - more on this story
Heart Expand North American Tour Plans
(hennemusic) Heart have announced six more dates for their 2014 US Tour. The new concerts are scattered throughout the band's previously-revealed schedule, which starts January 31 in Shawnee, OK.
Heart just wrapped up their 2013 live shows with a Vancouver date and a special hometown holiday concert at Seattle's Benaroya Hall that was recorded by AXS TV.
"Heart and Friends: Home For The Holidays" featured performances by Sammy Hagar, Shawn Colvin, Richard Marx and Train's Pat Monahan. The Seattle concert will air on AXS TV on Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas) at 8 p.m ET (5 p.m. PT.) - See the tour dates.
Journey Guitarist Neal Schon Weds On Pay Per View
(hennemusic) Journey guitarist Neal Schon's wedding to Real Houseviwes Of D.C.'s Michaele Salahi happened in San Francisco on Sunday, and the event was available live via pay per view.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports the televised "Winter Wonderland Wedding and Music Event" at the Palace of Fine Arts featured performances by Journey and Tower of Power.
Among the 356 guests in attendance were Journey bandmates Arnel Pineda and Jonathan Cain, Sammy Hagar, the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, and R&B singer Brian McKnight. - more on this story
Jake E. Lee Returns to the Stage and Planning More Concerts
(Gibson) Jake E. Lee has returned to the live stage with the debut performance of his new band Red Dragon Cartel at Hollywood's Whiskey A Go Go last week and the band are planning for more live shows.
"Based on a huge buzz created by the band's very first show, our agency's phone rings all the time and we will have tons if gigs in the USA before and after the MOR cruise," the band says. "Our European tour will start in Italy on May 3rd and end at a major festival in the U.K. on June 15. After that some more USA and then Japan and Asia in middle of July, then USA again and then Europe again. RDC will be busy!"
The core band consists of Lee, Smith, bassist Ronnie Mancuso and drummer Jonas Fairley, while the album (which is due on January 27 via Frontiers Records) also includes appearances from Paul Di'Anno (ex Iron Maiden), Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, ex Pantera), Todd Kearns and Brent Fitz (Slash), Scott Reeder (ex Kyuss), Maria Brink (In This Moment), Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch), Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick) and Sass Jordan (SUN). - more on this story
Cadillac Three Announce UK Tour
(The Blues) Southern rock upstarts Cadillac Three have announced that they will tour the UK starting in February, following their debut London appearance earlier this month.
They'll continue to support the release of debut album Tennessee Mojo with five dates on which they'll open for Eric Church. Frontman Jaren Johnston says:
"We had an absolute blast when we were in the UK. We had no idea how we would be received, but to sell out our first headline show was really something. Then to hear the crowd singing back our lyrics in accents we'd never heard before – that just gave us chills." - more on this story
Tinsley Ellis Offers Up Free Song Download
(The Blues) Tinsley Ellis is offering fans a free download of his new track "Peace And Love", which comes from upcoming album Midnight Blue, ahead of the album's release next month.
The blues rocker's 10-track record is officially released on January 13th in the UK and was recorded with the assistance of keyboardist Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton, Brian Setzer), bassist Ted Pecchio (Tedeschi Trucks Band) and drummer Lynn Williams (Delbert McClinton).
Midnight Blue is the second release on Ellis' own label Heartfixer Music, and follows his well-received all-instrumental album Get It! Check out the tracklisting and the free download details - here.
Apocalyptica Release 'Stormy Wagner' Video
(Classic Rock) Apocalyptica have released a video for their track Stormy Wagner. It's taken from their album Wagner Reloaded, recorded in Germany last year when the band were joined by the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, ballet dancers, actors and theatrical performers in a spectacular live show celebrating the work of composer Richard Wagner.
Cellist Eicca Toppinen says: "It's complex to record a live album with an orchestra, because there are so many lines, microphones – and there's one stupid drummer who beats the shit out of the drums and creates so much noise that everything is spoiled afterwards…
"But we prepared well in advance, and Sven Helbig, the orchestrator, did a great job in making it run together. It works." Wagner Reloaded is on sale now in CD, vinyl and digital formats. Watch the new video - here.
KISS Win Rock Hall Fan Vote
(hennemusic) KISS have topped the fan voting for the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. When the public ballot closed last week, KISS led the nominees with 239,417 votes, or 17.22% of the more than 1.39 million votes cast.
Nirvana came in second (218,155 votes / 15.69%), with Deep Purple at No. 3 (165,828 votes / 11.93%), Yes at No. 4 (151,238 votes / 10.88%) and Daryl Hall & John Oates at No. 5 (112,673 votes / 8.10%).
The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a "fans' ballot" that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2014 inductees. - more on this story
AC/DC No. 1 For Christmas?
(hennemusic) An online campaign to get AC/DC to the top of the UK Christmas charts kicked off this weekend and a spokesman for the band has publicly endorsed the fan initiative.
A Facebook campaign urges fans to download AC/DC's 1979 single, "Highway To Hell", from December 15 – 21 in an effort to have the song appear as the No. 1 on the UK Christmas chart, according to The Courier.
A spokesman for the group said: "AC/DC are celebrating their 40th anniversary as we speak. They formed in late 1973 and we are a few fans who thought it would be cool to see them at the top of the Christmas tree to celebrate their milestone." - more on this story
Richie Sambora Explains Why He Left Bon Jovi Tour
(Classic Rock) Richie Sambora has gone into detail about the personal issues that saw him leave Bon Jovi's world tour earlier this year, and it seems to kill off rumors of a feud with his frontman.
The guitarist insists there was "no malice" in his sudden decision to leave the band. Instead, he says he needed time away from the constant grind after 30 years.
And he says he's considering rejoining next year – although it's not a certainty. Sambora tells the Hollywood Reporter: "We were the hardest-working band in the world. You're talking 24-7 and you don't get to come home.
"I missed so much of my child's life, and you get to that place where you realise: 'Oh my god, this is so important.'"
He's spent his downtime with teenage daughter Eva and with his mum, who recently broke her hip. He says: "Everything has its time. I had some time to grow up – rock'n'roll will make you a virtual 17-year-old.
"I needed to be with the kid, go to the parent-teacher conference, take out the garbage, pick up the dog sh*t, watch her play and put on her sweet-sixteen party."
Find out how he feels about returning to Bon Jovi - here.
Ace Frehley's Home Damaged In Fire
(hennemusic) A New York home owned by original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was damaged in a fire on Saturday. No one was harmed and the blazed was ruled accidental.
Yorktown (located 35 miles from New York City) fire officials received a call about the blaze at about 11 a.m. and firefighters were still on the scene at 3:30 p.m, The Journal News.
They report that the fire burned through the roof of Frehley's stone house, which was reportedly occupied by a caretaker but no one was in the house when the fire broke out. - more on this story
Jake E Lee's Singer Apologizes For Bad First Show
(Classic Rock) The singer in Jake E Lee's new band Red Dragon Cartel has apologized to fans and colleagues after admitting he "f**ked up" their first-ever live show.
The band, whose debut track was unveiled last month, made their initial stage appearance at Hollywood's Whiskey A Go Go last week. But after a spate of negative reviews, mainly concentrating on Darren James Smith's vocal performance, he's taken the blame for their poor showing.
Smith says: "No excuses: I f**ked up. I can't believe the band is sticking with me. The most sincere apologies to the band and all the Jake fans. You deserved better and you're going to get it."
A band spokesman defended Smith via the Red Dragon Cartel website. Read that - here.
59-Track Beatles Rarities Collection Being Released
(Gibson) A generous collection of rare Beatles material is slated for release exclusively on iTunes this week. As reported by NME.com, the 59-track album will be comprised of 15 studio outtakes and 44 live BBC tracks that were not included on 1994's Live at the BBC, or on On Air: Live at the BBC Volume 2.
Various sources have reported the new album will be titled The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963, but that information is not confirmed. News of the rarities album comes fast on the heels of the announcement that the band's 13 American-version albums will be released as part of a box set called, simply, The U.S. Albums.
Slated to hit stores in North America on January 21, the box set begins with 1964's Meet the Beatles! and concludes with 1970's Hey Jude. Many of the Fab Four's American albums featured songs, mixes and album art that were different from their U.K. counterparts. - more on this story
Christine McVie Explains Why She Wants Fleetwood Mac Reunion
(Classic Rock) Christine McVie has gone into detail about some of the things that make her want to rejoin Fleetwood Mac. And she says her guest appearance with the band in London in September felt like getting back on a bike she'd fallen off.
McVie still doesn't know if the reunion will actually take place. But she tells the Guardian of her 1998 retirement: "At the time, they tried to persuade me to stay so hard, but back then I'd made my mind up that I'd done enough touring. I just couldn't live out of a suitcase any more. Whereas now I would really rather like to again."
She's attended therapy and cured her fear of flying, another issue that made it tough to remain part of Mac's hectic touring schedule. In addition, McVie has been re-energised by seeing a new generation of fans discover the band's music. "I have friends with grandchildren in their teens and they've got Rumours, Tusk, all the live stuff," she says. "And they dig it, man, they really like it!" - She had a lot more to say.
Rolling Stones Historic Site To Memorialized
(Classic Rock) The railway platform where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met by accident is to be marked with a blue plaque. The future Rolling Stones members ran into each other at Dartford Station on October 17, 1961, a year before the band was formed.
The pair recognised each other because they'd both attended primary school in the town some years previously. The encounter led to the formation of the Stones. And Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite says his town are proud of the link, telling the BBC: "Fate was sealed; they started talking about playing music together. They went off and recruited Brian Jones, and the rest is history."
Meanwhile, guitarist Richards admits he's never played one of the Stones' classic tracks exactly the way he thinks it should be done – and he enjoys the ever-present challenge. - more on this story
The Dead Weather Release New Song
(Radio.com) Jack White and Alison Mossheart's bluesy riff-rock are back. The Dead Weather just released into the digital sphere the new single "Open Up (That's Enough)", which will possibly appear on their new album which is slated for release in, literally wait for it, the year 2015.
As previously reported, "Open Up (That's Enough)" b/w "Rough Detective" was first released on 7-inch as part of the latest installment of Third Man's Vault subscription series. This is reportedly part of a long-term (presumably years-long) rollout campaign for the band's new album.
According to Consequence of Sound, Third Man Records states that"It's a unique long-term plan for new music from this incendiary group… The goal is that physical copies are out there first."
In an earlier press release, the label stated that these new songs "are unlike anything else the band has ever done and are both ample reminders of the ferocity of this motley collection of low-lifes, grifters and ne'er-do-wells." - Listen to the new song here.
Linkin Park and The Offspring to Headline Typhoon Haiyan Benefit Show
(Radio.com) While California rock outfit Linkin Park has evolved into one of the world's biggest bands, Chester Bennington and the gang have also become quite the philanthropists, creating Music for Relief to lead charity efforts around the world.
The group announced this week that they're again putting Music for Relief into action by hosting a benefit show in L.A. with The Offspring to raise money for those affected by the catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the central Philippines last month, leaving more than 6,000 dead and 1,800 still missing.
The show is scheduled for January 11 at the Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. Music for Relief is working with the International Medical Corps on the initiative, with the latter handling much of the on the ground efforts to deliver food, water, medical assistance and more to those affected by the typhoon. - more on this story
Pearl Jam Announce Summer Tour Leg
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam have announced a summer 2014 European tour in support of their latest album, "Lightning Bolt." The month-long trek begins June 16 in Amsterdam and runs to July 11 at Milton Keynes, UK.
The tour includes two festival appearances: Poland's Open'er Festival on July 3 and Belgium's Rock Werchter on July 5. A ticket pre-sale for members of Pearl Jam's fan club is underway at PearlJam.com.
Having recently wrapped up a fall North American tour, Pearl Jam head to Australia next month for a series of dates on the country's annual Big Day Out festival; the travelling 6-show event runs January 17 to February 2. - more on this story
Van Halen Engineer Discusses Recording The Band's Debut Album
(hennemusic) Van Halen redefined hard rock with their 1978 self-titled debut, and engineer Donn Landee talks about recording the project in a new, and rare, interview.
Working alongside producer Ted Templeman, Landee describes the demo session for the album. "They cut 28 songs in about two hours," he tells Songwriter 101. "That's when we knew we had a band that could play."
On the first week of January 1978, Van Halen convened inside Sunset Sound's Studio 1. In order to capture the raw energy of the group's club work, Landee and Templeman decided on a no-overdubs approach.
"They'd barely had any studio experience," remembers Landee. "It was obvious that in time they would become proficient at making records, but at that point, we really wanted to get them before they really knew what they were doing - just have them come in and play and then get them out."
"So we spent very little time in pre-production; in fact, we treated the entire first album almost like it was a demo," Landee continues. "There are only a couple of spots where we added anything afterwards - on 'Runnin' With The Devil' and 'Jamie's Cryin' - and those were done in one take. And we didn't use very many tracks at all. Alex's drums were probably cut using only four mics total. Even when we moved over to Ed's 5150 studio, we still did the entire band on 16-track and had room left over at the end. You just don't need a lot of tracks to get a great sound." - more on this story
Paul Rodgers Streaming Otis Redding Cover Online
(hennemusic) Paul Rodgers is sharing his cover of the Otis Redding classic, "I've Been Loving You Too Long", as a preview of "The Royal Sessions", a collection of classic R&B and soul songs redone by the Bad Company singer due in early 2014.
"I had been playing in groups since I was 13 or 14, and suddenly Otis' band became my ideal band," Rodgers tells Rolling Stone. "They played from a deeper place. The one thing I loved about blues and soul was the way they taught the world how to express such deep feelings. I was brought up in a fairly emotionally repressed kind of society in Northeast England where one didn't express emotions and was expected to keep a stiff upper lip. But I felt that the part of me that was born to be a singer needed to share these kinds of emotions, and through Otis, I found a much-yearned-for outlet for this."
Recorded at Memphis' Royal Studios, historic home of Willie Mitchell and Hi Records, "The Royal Sessions" features Rodgers' interpretations of songs by Otis Redding, Albert King and Ann Peebles, among others. - Listen to the Otis Redding cover here.
Unreleased Jon Lord Song Streaming Online
(The Blues) A previously-unheard track by the Jon Lord Blues Project has been released by the late Deep Purple keyboardist's estate and is now streaming online.
The track, "As Tears Go Passing By" was recorded during a brief German tour in 2011 but wasn't included on the band's live album.
The track features Maggie Bell, Zoot Money, Miller Anderson, Colin Hodgkinson and Pete York. You can check out a stream of the song - here.
Phish's Mike Gordon Going Solo
(Gibson) Phish's Mike Gordon has posted a stream of the upcoming album's opening song, "Ether," on his official website, and the tune offers a taste of what to expect from Gordon's latest solo endeavor.
Gordon also has plans to head out on a North American tour in support of Overstep next year. The tour will kick off Feb. 28 at the Westcott Theatre in Syracuse, N.Y., and close out April 6 at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vt.
In Phish news, the jammers are slated to celebrate 2014 in New York City with back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden. Check out Gordon's solo dates - here.
Robert Johnson and B.B. King Songs Added To Grammy Hall of Fame
(The Blues) Robert Johnson's original recording of Sweet Home Chicago and B.B. King's 3 O'Clock Blues have been added to the Grammy Hall Of Fame ahead of the 56th annual award ceremony next month.
Johnson's composition, made up from a number of other songs, was released in 1937 with the B side Walking Blues, just a year before his death. It's become one of the most frequently-covered tracks in music history.
B.B. King released his take of Lowell Fulson's 3 O'Clock Blues in 1952. It became his first hit single and also one of the top-selling singles of that year.
The Grammy Hall Of Fame has now inducted 960 recordings, which must be at least 25 years old and demonstrate considerable influence on American culture to qualify for inclusion. See who else made the list - here.
Black Sabbath Post Handwritten Lyrics Online
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have posted handwritten lyrics online to their Grammy-nominated song, "God Is Dead?", which comes from the band's latest album, "13".
The tune is a contender for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Metal Performance" at the 2014 Grammy Awards, while "13" earned a nomination for "Best Rock Album."
Sabbath's last Grammy win was for "Best Metal Performance" in 2000 for "Iron Man" from the band's "Reunion" live album. The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
See the handwritten lyrics photo - here.
Volbeat and Red Dragon Cartel Added To Download Lineup
(Classic Rock) Volbeat and Jake E Lee's new band Red Dragon Cartel top the list of bands added to the bill for the 2014 Download festival. They're among the acts who'll perform at Donington Park on the weekend of June 13-15 under festival headliners Aerosmith, Linkin Park and Avenged Sevenfold.
The full list includes SikTH, Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicide Silence, Memphis May Fire, Battlecross, Arcane Roots, Thy Art Is Murder, The Amity Affliction, Avatar, Lonely The Brave and Feed The Rhino.
Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen says: "2013 has been an amazing year – we had an absolutely fantastic UK tour with some of the most passionate crowds ever. We can't wait to tear up Download." - more on this story
Black Star Riders Announce Japanese Tour
(hennemusic) Thin Lizzy offshoot Black Star Riders have announced that they will be launching a Japanese tour that will include three concerts that will be taking place next spring.
In support of their debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose", the band will play three shows in May – one in Osaka and two in Tokyo. Tickets will go on sale February 7, 2014.
Black Star Riders are currently playing dates on a UK tour scheduled to wrap December 15 in Belfast. Last month, the group released a video for their latest single, "Kingdom Of The Lost." - more on this story
Soundgarden Announces Show in Peru
(hennemusic) Soundgarden have announced a March 27 concert date at Explanada del Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru. Tickets go on sale today, December 16th.
The Peru concert, in support of their latest album, "King Animal", marks the first live show of 2014 for the Seattle rockers, and falls two days before the band begins a series of Lollapalooza dates in South America.
Soundgarden play Lollapalooza in Santiago, Chile on March 29, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on April 1, and Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 5. The band's 2014 concerts will not feature drummer Matt Cameron, who will be touring throughout the year with Pearl Jam; Soundgarden have yet to announce a replacement for Cameron. - more on this story
Ashley Hutchings Honored With Folk Award
(Prog) Last Thursday Albion Band founder and ex-Fairport Convention bass man Ashley Hutchings was honoured with The Gold Badge Award by the English Folk Dance And Song Society (EFDSS) in recognition of his work with traditional English folk music.
A presentation was made at King's Place in north London midway through a show by Hutchings' four-piece group The Albion Christmas Band, featuring Fairport's Simon Nicol, Kellie While and Simon Care.
It's the 15th year of the Albion Band spin-off and yet another chapter in the remarkable career of the Southgate-born bandleader, now joining the ranks of artists such as composer Vaughn Williams, Norfolk farmhand Harry Cox and US activist folksinger Peggy Seeger as part of the 115-year-old EFDSS Gold Badge roll-call.
EFDSS Chairman Alan James began with a short introduction explaining that the accolade was "one of the most amazing awards that we can give, and we are proud to give it to people who help keep the traditions of England and take them forward into centuries beyond" before handing over to iconic promoter/producer and author Joe Boyd to give a citation. - more on this story
David Lee Roth Updates Commentary for Dave TV
(hennemusic) David Lee Roth has updated his commentary track on "Dave TV", his collection of videos and interviews released in 1986. Fan site the Van Halen News Desk reports the commentary was not included on his new "Greatest Hits/The Deluxe Edition" (CD+DVD) set, released last month. The Rhino collection has the full, original "Dave TV" special as part of the DVD, but without the commentary.
Roth had reportedly wanted the release to have an alternate audio track with his commentary, but for some reason, Rhino said "No" to that because of explicit language.
"Dave TV" features Roth's hugely-successful series of solo videos, including "California Girls', "Just A Gigolo/Ain't Got Nobody", "Yankee Rose" and "Crazy From The Heat." - more on this story
Black Sabbath To Play Abu Dhabi
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have announced a May 29th concert that will take place in Abu Dhabi as part of the 2014 world tour in support of their latest album, "13."
The band will play du Arena on Yas Island, with tickets going on sale Wednesday, December 18 at 1 PM local time. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.ae, selected Virgin Megastores across the UAE
Black Sabbath are currently playing a European tour, which is set to wrap up in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England on December 22. - more on this story
Marillion Release 'Carol Of The Bells' Video
(Prog) Last week Prog revealed Marillion were gearing up to release a Christmas single. Their version of Carol Of The Bells is on sale now, and, as promised, the video is available to view online.
The band weren't originally planning to put the track on general release. They explained: "Every Christmas we give our fan club members a free DVD or CD. This year's offering included Carol Of The Bells – with a very amusing video to accompany it.
"The fans demanded an MP3 download so we decided to release it as a single. All the profits from the single will go to charity. We just thought it would be a bit of fun." -
The Harrowing Story Behind Wings' Band on the Run
(Gibson) Making an album – even a classic album – sometimes can be an exercise in overcoming adversity. Still, the monumental troubles that Paul McCartney and Wings had to surmount to record Band on the Run, easily McCartney's best post-Beatles album, easily could have served as fodder for an epic Hollywood film.
It all began with McCartney's desire to work in a locale that was off the beaten path. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately, as it turned out), his record company, EMI, had an international presence, with recording facilities based in Bombay, Rio de Janeiro, Peking and … aha! … Lagos. Enchanted by visions of sunning on the beach by day, and recording by night, McCartney decided to gather his Wings bandmates and head for the Nigerian city, nestled on the west coast of Africa. Nevermind the fact that pre-trip inoculations to prevent cholera, typhoid, polio and a host of other potential diseases were required.
One week prior to heading for Africa, McCartney corralled his fellow Wings members to rehearse some new songs. Disputes ensued, and guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell left the band. All of a sudden, Wings was a trio consisting of McCartney, wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine. Off the three went, upbeat and confident despite the unforeseen defection of their drummer and lead guitarist.
The studio in Lagos was decidedly ramshackle. Microphones were discovered tucked away in a cupboard, the control desk was faulty and acoustic baffles used for sound separation were nowhere to be found. Heroically, however, engineer Geoff Emerick pulled together the equipment necessary to forge onwards.
A regular daily pattern ensued. Weekday mornings were spent swimming at a local country club. In mid-afternoon, the band would make the hour-long drive to the studio, where the work sometimes went on until 4 or 5 a.m. Weekends were reserved for rest and recreation, in keeping with McCartney's reasons for choosing Lagos in the first place.
As regards the sessions, McCartney, Linda and Laine were galvanized and motivated by the defections of Seiwell and McCullough. As he had often done on his solo albums, Macca himself handled most of the lead guitar and drumming duties. Notwithstanding the technical difficulties, recording was going relatively smoothly, until one evening the McCartneys decided to take a leisurely stroll. Out of nowhere, a car pulled up, five men jumped out, and, at knifepoint, McCartney was forced to relinquish all the valuables in his possession. Among the items taken were cassettes of demos of potential Wings material.
Such was the first of a series of travails that dogged the sessions. On one occasion, McCartney collapsed in the studio, unable to catch his breath. A heart attack was initially suspected, but after a period of rest, McCartney gathered himself. The episode was later diagnosed as a bronchial spasm triggered by excessive smoking. On another occasion, a local Afro-beat star and political activist went on radio and accused McCartney of coming to Lagos to "exploit and steal" African music. To placate the accuser, McCartney agreed not to enlist help from local musicians. He also steered clear of giving any songs an "African" sound.
By the end of September of 1973, six weeks into their stay in Lagos, the Wings entourage was relieved to be headed back to London. Overdubs were added at Air Studios, including terrific orchestral arrangements by Tony Visconti, best known for his production work on albums by Marc Bolan and David Bowie. On October 28, the iconic cover photo (which featured actors Christopher Lee and James Coburn, among other celebrities) was shot. Incredibly, despite the harrowing incidents that occurred in Lagos, the album brimmed with a buoyant spirit, and was rife with such classics as "Jet" (which found McCartney paying tribute to the family's Lab puppy) and "Helen Wheels" (which did the same for McCartney's Land Rover). -
Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#EjCwQWDFOHm2BhYP.99
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