AC/DC and U2 To Rock The Grammy Awards?
A report surfaced on Monday that suggested that AC/DC, U2 and Madonna have all signed on to perform during the 57th annual Grammy Awards on February 8th.
There are several media outlets that report music industry site Hits Double Daily reported in their "rumor mill" section on Monday that the three artists have been booked for the awards show that will be taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS.
However, as of Monday night that report could not be found on the HDD website. The article reportedly said, "Nothing official yet, but the word from sources in inside the Recording Academy is that AC/DC, Madonna and U2 have been booked to perform on the Grammys," according to Trendio.
Another report from Brave Words published this quote from the HDD report, "Each December, executive producer Ken Ehrlich makes an all-out effort to confirm a handful of performers for the show prior to the holiday break, during which it's difficult to get hold of pretty much anyone in a position of authority, and these three perennial draws are precisely the kind of act Ehrlich would typically approach."
Previously Unheard Dimebag Song Streaming Online
Guitar World Magazine has premiered a previously unreleased song from late Pantera and Damage Plan guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott and they are streaming the track online.
The musician's magazine is premiering the track to go along with their February 2015 issue of their print publication (out this week), which they have dubbed the Ultimate Dimebag Darrell Tribute Issue.
Though not known as a singer, Dimebag performed the vocals and all of the instruments on the song, which is entitled "Whiskey Road" and was recorded in 2001. Listen to the song, see the guitar tab and learn more details about the tribute issue here.
Foreigner's Mick Jones Reveals Health Scare
(hennemusic) Foreigner guitarist, producer and founder Mick Jones has revealed to CBS Sunday Morning details of a health scare years ago that left him in a haze and unable to play guitar.
When Jones was forced to take a year off, he publicly blamed it on a heart valve problem, but now admits it was much more than that. "I'd had a virtual nervous breakdown, brought on by a bad prescribing of medication," the guitarist tells CBS Sunday Morning. "It was a very dark time for me. I literally didn't know where I was anymore. I didn't know who I was. I mean, honestly I never thought I'd play on stage again."
The situation left Jones unable to play guitar. "I lost the ability to play chords briefly, only for a couple of months," he reveals. "And my brother brought a guitar over for me and said, 'You play guitar. Play it. You're a guitarist. Play the guitar, you know.'"
"It was terrifying," said Jones. "You just somehow try and hold on." Read more and stream the interview video here.
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Former Guns N' Roses Star Steven Adler Gets Back To Work
(Classic Rock) Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler is recording material, producer Jeff Pilson has reported. The move comes ahead of Adler's scheduled return to work following almost a year of recovering from a relapse.
Adler's self-titled solo band was derailed in 2013 following the launch of debut album Back From The Dead, when the leader fell off the wagon and began drinking again, forcing the cancellation of a US tour.
In November he celebrated 10 months sober, and said he'd wait until he'd reached the 12-month milestone before restarting his career. But Pilson recently told The Double Stop: "Steven started recording. I don't know if we're going to do a whole record - I think we're going to do a couple of songs, because why bother doing a whole record these days?
"But his juices are flowing and that's going to be great." Stream the interview here.
All-Star Tribute Randy Rhoads Tribute Album Set For Release
(Classic Rock) A tribute to iconic guitarist Randy Rhoads is to feature an array of stars from the world of rock. Tish Tone Records have announced they will release Randy Rhoads Remembered Volume 1 on January 23 to coincide with the next in a series of remembrance shows in honour of the late guitarist who made his name as part of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band.
The idea for the CD came about after former Ozzy and Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy put on the first Randy Rhoads Remembered (RRR) show in January of this year to commemorate the contribution of his hero to rock music. The shows attracted a string of stars and, with the blessing of the Rhoads family, the idea for a CD came about.
A total of 22 musicians have contributed to the collection, including former Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo, Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, current Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and LA Guns man Tracii Guns.
Tichy says: "RRR Volume 1 is a great representation of the spirit of the RRR shows. The first show was so successful that five more were held in June 2014 on the East Coast with another amazing cast of players." Read more here.
Fans Convince L7 To Launch A Reunion
(Gibson) The long-awaited reunion of 90s grunge/punk band L7 looks like it's happening soon, and they're looking for help from fans to alert promoters and get the ball rolling on shows.
The band said they were surprised by the outpouring of support and requests for a reunion after they launched an official Facebook page simply as a place to share old photos and memories. "Greetings People! We want you to know that the love and support you have shown us here on Facebook this year has taken us all a bit by surprise," they wrote. "What started as a simple band page for us to post some archival photos we had been sifting through for an upcoming L7 documentary has turned into a wellspring of enthusiasm for the band. For this WE THANK YOU!"
It's been 14 years since the band's last show, and they're calling on fans to use their social media networks to let the world know they're ready to return. They've also launched a new website at http://l7theband.com where fans can sign up for email updates. Read more here.
Devon Allman's Royal Southern Brotherhood Replacement Revealed
(The Blues Devon Allman has confirmed plans to leave Royal Southern Brotherhood, following fellow guitarist Mike Zito out the door. Both want to concentrate on their solo careers. Allman will play his final show with the supergroup in April.
Zito's replacement was previously confirmed as Bart Walker - now Tyrone Vaughan (pictured), son of Jimmie and nephew of Stevie Ray, has been named their latest addition.
The latest arrivals are currently co-writing material for the supergroup's upcoming third album, to be recorded next month. Vaughan says in the introductory video: "It's the best thing in my life right about now - I couldn't ask for a better situation. It's everything I want to be involved in.
"My dad was doing it from way back and my uncle Stevie followed in his footsteps. Those guys left a huge mark on me, my family and Texas." Read more and watch the video here.
Radiohead's Thom Yorke Releases 'Angry' New Solo Track
(Prog) Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has released solo track "You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry" as a pay-what-you-want title via Bandcamp. And he's also offering recent solo album Tomorrow's Modern Boxes to the streaming platform after originally launching it via filesharing service BitTorrent.
Yorke described the initial release as an "experiment," saying: "If it works well it could be an effective way of handing control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work." He notched up over a million downloads in the first week.
Now he says of the Bandcamp move: "It's less technical for some peeps than BitTorrent - and it works on Apple mobile devices, including streaming." Read more here.
The Darkness Announce New Member, Confirm New Album Release
(hennemusic) UK rockers The Darkness have added Emily Dolan Davies as their new drummer while confirming the follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" will be released in the spring.
"She's a hard hitter," frontman Justin Hawkins tells Classic Rock magazine about Dolan, who has previously played with Bryan Ferry and Tricky. "She's got the chops and the attitude that you need to be The Darkness' drummer. She also makes us feel like dirty old men."
Dolan replaces original drummer Ed Graham, with whom the band split this fall. "Ed has had some well-publicized health problems in the past. And for one reason or another, he wasn't capable of doing his job anymore," explains Hawkins. "We're still friends with Ed. But now that we have Emily in the band, the worry is gone." Read more here.
Sebastian Bach Reveals That He Is Engaged
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach got engaged to girlfriend Suzanne Le in West Hollywood on Sunday. The pair have been together since October, following Bach's split with model Minnie Gupta after a 2-year relationship.
"She said yes," Bach told TMZ as the pair were leaving Madeo Restaurant moments after he popped the question. "I love her, man," added the singer. "Why go out for burgers when you got steak in the fridge?"
As for the timing of the wedding, Bach says "We're still figuring that; we're still working on the big night." The engagement came on the heels of a divorce from wife Maria Bierk after an 18-year marriage. Watch the video here.
Joe Bonamassa and Mahalia Barnes Releasing Betty Davis Tribute Album
(Gibson) Joe Bonamassa has teamed up with Australian vocalist Mahalia Barnes for a new album of Betty Davis covers, and fans can get a free track from Bonamassa's website right now.
Betty married Miles Davis in the late '60s and introduced him to Jimi Hendrix. She later released three albums: a self-titled debut in 1973,They Say I'm Different in 1974 and Nasty Gal in 1975. Davis left the music biz in 1979, but a fourth album recorded in 1976, Is It Love or Desire? was finally released in 2009.
The project with Bonamassa came about when Mahalia was in the studio with producer Kevin Shirley and her dad, vocalist Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel, Living Loud - known as Barnsey to we Aussies): she popped on a few Betty Davis tracks as reference and soon the idea for the album sprung into being. So Bonamassa visited Australia earlier this year to track the album, titled Ooh Yeah - The Betty Davis Song Book, over three days at Freight Train Studios in Sydney. Read more here.
Ex-Skid Row Star Phil Varone Pulling No Punches In New Book
(Classic Rock) Former Skid Row drummer Phil Varone says he plans to release a book which will expose what he calls the "morons" who pissed him off in 2014. Varone, who now drums with Saigon Kick, will issue A To Zanax next year and he says he will pull no punches when it comes to targeting "useless people that have nothing better to do than bother smart people under the assumption there is no consequence."
He adds: "I'm currently writing my new book titled A to Zanax, just to purge the senseless garbage I had to endure because humans do not know how to behave.
"If you tell me that Zanax isn't spelled with a Z, you will be the first idiot purged. I know how to spell Xanax, it's called a clever play on letters and that's why I'm the one with the publishing deal. Get it?" Read more here.
Pretenders Releasing New Box Set Early Next Year
(Classic Rock) A box set featuring all eight albums released by Pretenders on the Warner label will be released next year. Pretenders: 1979-1999 is issued on February 16 in various countries across the globe including the UK, Europe (the band's official store does not list a North American release.)
In addition to the box set, all eight albums will also be available separately in digipaks that include b-sides, demos, live tracks, songs recorded for soundtracks and other rarities.
The boxset is made up of six 2CD+DVD sets and two CD+DVD sets in a slipcase box. The DVDs include promo videos and TV appearances. In total, 14 CDs and eight DVDs are included in the package. Read more here.
Napalm Death Frontman Denies Mitch Harris Rumors
(TeamRock Radio) Napalm Death frontman Mark 'Barney' Greenway has slammed rumours that Mitch Harris is no longer a member of the band. But he's also suggested they're concerned that he may not be able to return.
The guitarist began an indefinite hiatus last month as a result of "illness within his family." Since then a number of stories have circulated about him, along with the suggestion that it's already known he won't be back.
Greenway tells Decibel: "People think Mitch is terminally ill - and he isn't. They think he's left the band for some shady reason, and he hasn't. There is no weirdness.
"You have to cut people some slack. We did that from Shane Embury when he had some problems." Read more here.
John Sykes Previews Long Awaited New Album
Former Whitesnake and Blue Murder star John Sykes gave his fans a special gift on Christmas day with the posting of a preview of his forthcoming studio album.
The preview, which Sykes calls an "Audio Sampler," runs for just under two and half minutes and SleezeRoxx.com notes that the album was originally planned for release in 2013.
Sykes told fans via a Facebook posting two years ago, "new album is going well, some great musicians on board." That was the last update until this summer when it was revealed that Sykes was working on the artwork for the album cover with a designer in New York.
Take a listen to the album preview here.
Of Mice & Men Release Identity Disorder Video
(TeamRock Radio) Of Mice & Men have released a new video for their track Identity Disorder. The song is taken from the California-based band's latest album Restoring Force, which was released in January of this year.
Of Mice & Men will release a deluxe edition of third album Restoring Force in February, with three new tracks and an acoustic version of their single Feels Like Forever.
Of Mice & Men will also hit the UK next year for an eight-date headlining tour. You can check out those upcoming dates and also watch the new "Identity Disorder" video here.
KISS and Japanese Idol Band Collaboration Preview Video Surfaces
(hennemusic) A video preview of the upcoming collaboration between KISS and Japanese idol pop band Momoiro Clover Z has surfaced. The pair have teamed up for the single, "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saitemina", which will be released on January 28.
Each group will issue their own versions of the tune. The KISS edition will present three newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version in a package totaling six tunes.
The Momoiro Clover Z edition will feature two newly recorded tracks including a lead track and each off vocal version, plus a music video of the lead track.
The pop band will open for KISS on March 3 at the Tokyo Dome, the final show of the band's 5-date Japanese tour. Watch the preview video here.
Dave Grohl Reveals Inspiration For Foo Fighter's I Am A River
(hennemusic) Foo Fighters mainman Dave Grohl revealed the inspiration behind "I Am A River", the closing track on the band's new album, "Sonic Highways," during an appearance on the Tonight Show.
Written and recorded in New York - one of 8 cities the group would visit to make the album - the song includes several local references. Grohl tells The Tonight Show that the song's opening line, 'I found a secret behind a Soho door', "is referring to the Magic Shop Studio and how it's just this one tiny door on the street… you would never know it's a studio."
"'I found a reason' - that's a Lou Reed reference", he continues. "'Beneath the subway floor' - that's talking about Minetta Creek, which is a river that runs under New York City - this song is mostly about that."
"I thought it was a beautiful idea that there's something natural and prehistoric that runs underneath something as monolithic and futuristic as New York City," says Grohl, "and maybe we're all connected by something like that."
Watch the interview and the Tonight Show performance of the song here.
Zakk Wylde Leads All-Star Black Sabbath Tribute Zakk Sabbath
(Radio.com) The McDonalds Black Sabbath tribute made headlines last week, but if you like your Sabbath covers straightforward, with an actual connection to the band, turn to Zakk Sabbath, which is led by Zakk Wylde, who has done multiple stints in Ozzy Osbourne's band since first signing on in 1987.
Wylde handles vocals and guitar, with Blasko (from Ozzy's current backing band) on bass and John Tempesta (formerly of White Zombie and Helmet, and currently with the Cult) on drums.
Of course, nothing compares to the real thing. However, for a genuine Black Sabbath experience, you will probably have to wait a little longer: Ozzy has said that the band are planning a final album and tour, but hasn't given any dates for either.
Watch Zakk Sabbath's take on "Fairies Wear Boots" here.
Nightwish Release New Studio Video For Forthcoming Album
(Prog) Nightwish have released another studio video documenting their progress on eighth album Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Tumoas Holopainen and co last week confirmed the follow-up to 2011's Imaginaerum would be released on March 30 via Nuclear Blast - and lead single Elan will appear on February 13.
It's their first with vocalist Floor Jansen, and their first with piper and whistler Troy Donockley as a full-time member of the band. Drummer Jukka Nevalainen was replaced by Kai Hahto in the studio as a result of ongoing health issues.
In the clip, Holopainen says: "I guess mixing an album could be compared to editing a movie - we have to arrange the clips into a dramatic arc, and find a balance."
Watch the video here.
The Aristocrats Preview Upcoming Live Release
(Prog) The Aristocrats, the supergroup featuring Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann, have released a preview clip of their upcoming Culture Clash Live CD/DVD set.
It was recorded at multiple locations during their recent Culture Clash world tour. The title is released on January 20. A second title, Secret Show: Live In Osaka, will also be launched next month.
Govan recently said: "Every time we play a song live, it seems to evolve slightly. However hard we try to capture definitive versions in the studio, the true nature of any composition reveals itself during the subsequent touring process."
The trio are preparing to record their third album, which will follow a run of shows in which they'll trial the music to be tracked, next month. Watch the preview video here.
Singled Out: amandla's Talking Sweet (Ween)
Long-time Ween drummer Claude Coleman Jr.'s solo project amandla have just released the single "Talking Sweet" from their forthcoming album, "Laughing Hearts" and today Claude tells us about the track. Here is the story:
I'm a big Lindsey Buckingham fan, and fingerpicky, gangly Buckingham guitar bits have ended up in all my songs since about forever. I had been playing the front end of the chorus on guitar for a while before any other part of the song was written. It was nice to play; the energy of it was sweet but kind beat up and sad.
Originally, the tempo was twice as fast and I cut the track live with a band at this faster tempo. I experimented and brought it way back and found the pace there. It felt more stumbling to me, like the person in the tune and better matched the anger of the verses. It was less sun - more grease and dirt. Also, it fattened up Peter Kaufmann's drums.
"Friends will laugh like lovers, then war like gangs in the heat" is something everyone can probably relate to. "So duck or run for covers, before he's talking sweet" is all about when someone acting nice becomes a signal for you to run for the hills. And it must be noted that I say "run for 'covers' not "cover" because it felt really ridiculous to sing that and mean the blankets, like "run for covers!"
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