Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Aerosmith Planning To Launch New Tour
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry reveals in a recent interview that the band are planning to hit the road this summer, but the group's plans for future music remain up in the air.

When asked by Guitar International if he is planning a new solo album or an Aerosmith album next, Perry responded, "I'm really not sure, I feel that we just finished the last Aerosmith CD and I learned a lot about making that record as well as what our hard core fans are looking for.

"I have about six songs for a solo project, as I'm always writing and working on new stuff. Whether it's a solo thing or an Aerosmith thing I'm not sure as we haven't talked about specifics.

"The industry and audience have changed so much, plus Steven is doing a solo CD this spring. Sometimes I wonder if it worth doing an album any more or go more in the direction of this EP. We put it together in two and a half weeks; put it up online for people to buy the songs they like or all four. I was thinking why not put out a song at a time and when you get a bunch together, release them as a package.

"We've certainly talked about the different options. From talking with the fans at the book signings, they were handing me vinyl instead of CDs to sign. Maybe going back and do vinyl and also release the songs online. We are wide open now and we'll decide when we start thinking about putting out new music. I know we are going back on the road this summer, so I'm not sure when we will have the time or be able to make time to get back into the studio. I know we plan on it, I just don't know when."




The Black Keys Star Injured In Accident
(Classic Rock) Drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys dislocated his shoulder when a wave slammed him to the ocean floor on the island of Saint-Barthelemy. Carney and guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach wrapped up an autumn US tour in support of their eighth album, Turn Blue, prior to the Christmas holidays.

TMZ reports the drummer was rushed to an emergency room so doctors could reset his shoulder after the holiday accident on Saturday. He is reportedly out of the hospital and recovering from the incident.

Carney posted photos of his injury on Instagram while joking: "Tune into my new Lifetime movie, Dislocated Shoulder, airing right now," a reference to the American TV and satellite channel. Read more here.




KISS Vs Motley Crue In Football Matchup
(hennemusic) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil's Arena Football League team, the Las Vegas Outlaws, will make their debut on March 30 when they host their inaugural match against the L.A. KISS, the team owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS.

The Las Vegas Sun reports Neil will be on hand to perform the national anthem and that plans are being discussed for a possible rival Motley Crue and KISS mini-concert before game time and at halftime.

Neil - who was awarded the new AFL franchise in September - will begin audtions this week for the team's Posse cheerleader squad. "We are going to have the 10 hottest, sexiest girls in Las Vegas leading the team, the best beauties in the league," claims Neil. "The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who once made headlines around the world, will pale by comparison to what we assemble."

The singer also reveals the Posse will be a part of regular promotions at the games. Read more here.



Megadeth's Mustaine Promises 'Great News' Coming
(Classic Rock) Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine says Megadeth fans can look forward to great news in 2015. Mustaine recently suggested supporters would be "very happy" with what's going on behind the scenes as he rebuilds the band's lineup following the November departures of guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover.

The duo's exit led bassist David Ellefson to confirm Megadeth's plans to move forward and begin work this month on their 15th album while expecting to be off the road for most of the year.

Mustaine had cheerful thoughts and news to share as part of his holiday message. He writes: "Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. 2015 will bring great news for Megadeth fans around the world, from the East to the West." Read more here.




Country Music Legend Little Jimmy Dickens Dead at 94
(Radio.com) After being hospitalized for a stroke earlier in the week, country music legend and longtime Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens died Friday afternoon (Jan. 2) at a Nashville hospital. He was 94.

A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1983, Dickens is survived by his wife Mona (whom he married in 1971) and his two daughters, Pamela Detert and Lisa King.

Dickens is best known for goofy but well-written and -recorded novelty songs such as "Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait)," "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed," and "Out Behind The Barn."

Though these often silly songs became the foundation of his repertoire, Dickens actually recorded a wide range of material over his long career, including rockabilly numbers ("I've Got a Hole in My Pocket"), sacred songs (such as "Old Rugged Cross" and the curious period piece "They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain") and a surprising number of ballads like "The Violet and the Rose" and "Life Turned Her That Way"), which showed he was plenty capable of reaching emotional places far beyond the funny bone.

Born in West Virginia in 1920, James Cecil Dickens was one of 13 children. He first performed on local radio programs around the Midwest (including under his earlier stage name Jimmy the Kid) before Roy Acuff heard him and helped earn him a spot on the Opry and win a recording contract with Columbia. Read more here.




U2's Bono Says Injury May Impair His Playing
(Classic Rock) U2 frontman Bono says that he's unsure if he will ever play guitar again as he continues to mend from injuries that he sustained in a November cycle crash in New York.

Under doctor's orders not to move for several months following a five-hour surgery to repair multiple injuries, the singer hopes to heal in time for the May launch of U2's 2015 world tour in Vancouver, a trek that will see the band play six UK shows in October.

Bono has not been able to physically move around much lately, and is realizing that he may have some long-term limitations as a result of his injuries.

He says: "Recovery has been more difficult than I thought... As I write this, it is not clear that I will ever play guitar again. The band have reminded me that neither they nor Western civilization are depending on this."

"I personally would very much miss fingering the frets of my green Irish falcon or my (RED) Gretsch. Just for the pleasure, aside from writing tunes. But then does the Edge, or Jimmy Page, or any guitarist you know have a titanium elbow, as I do now? I'm all elbows, I am." Read more here.



Duff McKagan Releasing New Book This Spring
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bass player Duff McKagan has revealed that he will publish a new book, "How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)", on May 12.

The project sees the bassist share the wisdom he gained on the path to superstardom-from his time with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver to getting sober after a life of hard living to achieving his personal American Dream of marrying a supermodel, raising a family, and experiencing what it's like to be winked at by Prince.

McKagan shared some insight into the book's development last year, telling TotalRock Radio: "I had a column for the Seattle Weekly for five years, and there was one column that was called 'How To Be A Man', and it was kind of tongue in cheek; it was really tongue in cheek. And I got a book deal from that column."

"It's a how-to guide of things I've learned about life - being a dad, being a husband and being in a rock band. And it's, like, a city guide in it, but a very tongue-in-cheek city guide; like, how I see cities. It's got all kinds of stuff. And other stories. And hopefully it's gonna be a funny book." Read more here.




Marty Friedman Hasn't Ruled Out Megadeth Reunion
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman has refused to rule out a possible return to the band. Friedman left Megadeth in 2000 after recording five albums with the band, including Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction.

He later moved to Japan where he has lived since 2003 and has built a successful career as a TV personality.Asked whether he would go back to Megadeth, Friedman tells Myglobalmind:

"I know that people would want to know. Honestly, I don't have an answer. I have never said never to anything in my life, so who knows? I really don't know." Read more here.




Every Band Wants To Be Pantera?
(Classic Rock) Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown insists every band wants to be Panetra. And he says the impact he, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, drummer Vinnie Paul and frontman Phil Anselmo had only happens once in a lifetime.

He tells Songfacts: "Every band out there wants to be Pantera. I'm not patting myself on the back when I say that, it's just fact. They're trying to get the riffs and they'll never have it. They'll never get it. It takes the four of us.

"You can't just throw three of the original guys out of Slayer and expect to sound like Slayer, it's just not going to work. Just one of those things. You run across that once in a lifetime and you just fight for it, and that's what we did with the band."

The Kill Devil Hill bassist, who reflects on the death of Dimebag in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, also reveals Pantera found it difficult finishing the writing and recording process as they wanted everything to be perfect before laying down material. He continues: "We were such perfectionists in what we did. Really a lot of the time the thought process was thrown through the door, and it just came out naturally - it didn't feel contrived. That was the beauty of it. Read more here.




AC/DC Release Rock Or Bust Launch Party Video
(hennemusic) AC/DC are sharing video footage from the November 29 launch party for their latest studio album "Rock Or Bust" that took place at the Cartoon's Café in Antwerp.

The band's first album in 6 years was recorded this past spring at Vancouver's Warehouse Studio with producer Brendan O'Brien (Aerosmith, Pearl Jam) and engineer Mike Fraser.

AC/DC recently announced the first series of dates for a 2015 world tour, with a European trek to launch May 5 in Arnhem, Netherlands, followed by a mix of arena and stadium shows scheduled into late July.

The concerts will feature new addition Stevie Young, nephew of guitarist Angus Young and retired AC/DC founder Malcolm Young. The status of drummer Phil Rudd for the tour remains in question following his recent arrest by New Zealand police on drug possession and threatening to kill charges.





Aerosmith's Joe Perry Explains Johnny Depp Collaboration
(Classic Rock) Johnny Depp played rhythm guitar on the Aerosmith axeman's four-song EP, Joe Perry's Merry Christmas. The set features versions of seasonal favorites White Christmas, Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Back In Town and Run Run Rudolph.

Already writing songs for an upcoming solo album, Perry found time to record the festive project after the autumn release of his memoir, Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith.

The guitarist explains how Depp's musicality first appeared on his radar. Perry tells Guitar international: "I've been a fan of his acting for a long time. I remember seeing him in the movie Chocolat, where he plays the gypsy guitar player. I was really impressed. You could tell that he was really playing guitar versus cutting back and forth to a musician."

"In the movie he plays a lot of Django Reinhardt stuff. I didn't know him at the time, but remember telling myself that someday I have to get a guitar lesson off him if I meet him since I don't know any of that type of stuff."

He continues: "As it turned out, about four years later he dropped by the studio when Aerosmith recorded our last studio record with Jack Douglas. Jack knew him and asked him to come down. We started talking music and guitars and that's where our friendship started."





Stevie Nicks and Deer Tick Rhiannon Jam Goes Online
(hennemusic) Stevie Nicks joined indie rockers Deer Tick on New Year's Eve in New York for a live performance of her 1975 Fleetwood Mac classic, "Rhiannon" and video of the jam has surfaced online.

The Brooklyn Bowl date was Deer Tick's 6th straight night at the venue as they celebrated their 10th anniversary and closed out 2014 while welcoming in the New Year.

Nicks and the band share a history as friends, including the singer officiating the 2013 wedding of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley and singer Vanessa Carlton.

"Rhiannon" originally appeared on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, which marked the debut of Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham with the group following the 1974 departure of guitarist Bob Welch. Watch the video here.




John Corabi Performing Entire Motley Crue Album Live
(Classic Rock) Former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi is performing his former group's 1994 album in its entirety. Corabi launched the trek in sync with Motley Crue's farewell tour, which will see the group release a new song before playing their final show in Los Angeles early next year.

The ex-Union and Scream vocalist joined the Crue in 1992 following their split with Vince Neil and recorded the band's self-titled project, which presented an updated sound - a sonic mix of grunge and alternative metal - in the wake of Nirvana's breakthrough into the mainstream with 1991's Nevermind.

While the album debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard 200, fan reaction to the lineup change was not favourable and the record achieved US gold status - a tough pill for the band to swallow as the follow-up to their best-selling album, 1989's Dr. Feelgood.

Corabi explains that history has been kind to the Motley Crue album. "A lot of fans, once Vince came back, saw it, picked it up and ended up really enjoying it. It's still trudging along and selling and doing its thing. The best thing to me is that it still sounds as relevant now as it did when it came out."

The singer has launched the Motley '94 Tour, which sees him performing the album in full, including the lead single Hooligan's Holiday. Read more here.



Beatles' Let It Be Album Was Garbage Says Glyn Johns
(Classic Rock) Producer Glyn Johns has described The Beatles album Let It Be as a "bunch of garbage." Johns worked on the band's 12th and final album but says it was ruined by Phil Spector who, he says, "puked all over it."

The band recorded the tracks before setting it aside. It was only issued after John Lennon handed the tapes to Spector to remix and add overdubs ahead of a 1970 release.

In his memoir Sound Man, Johns says (via Ultimate Classic Rock): "I was disappointed that Lennon got away with giving it to Spector, and even more disappointed with what Spector did to it.

"It has nothing to do with the Beatles at all. Let It Be is a bunch of garbage. As I say in the book, he puked all over it. I've never listened to the whole thing, I've only listened to the first few bars of some things and said, 'Oh, forget it.' It was ridiculously, disgustingly syrupy." Read more here.



Tony Harnell Quits TNT Again
(Classic Rock) Tony Harnell has announced his third departure from the veteran Norwegian outfit. Harnell brought his 4 octave vocal range to TNT in 1984, replacing original singer Dag Ingebrigtsen and appearing on their sophomore album, Knights Of The New Thunder.

He was on board for another three records before the band went on hiatus in 1992; they regrouped in 1996 and, after four more releases, Harnell left in April 2006 for both personal and professional reasons.

Harnell says: "This was an amazing year for me and for all the TNT fans who were lucky enough to be at the concerts. Many of the shows were the best TNT shows ever in my opinion.

"Sadly it's not possible for me to continue with the band. I won't bore you with all the details...it's nothing mind blowing and it's certainly nothing new and it's also best to respect the privacy of the band and keep our issues between us. At least that's my goal." Read more here.




Veil Of Maya Reveal Their New Singer
(TeamRock Radio) American deathcore outfit Veil Of Maya have revealed Arms Of Empire singer Lukas Magyar has joined their lineup. Magyar steps in following a split with longtime vocalist Brandon Butler, who left the group in September over musical differences after seven years with the Chicago-based band.

Magyar appears on Veil Of Maya's upcoming fifth album, Phoenix, via Sumerian Records. The group posted on Facebook: "Our brand new, and debut track with new vocalist Lukas Magyar, is available now. Check it out and tell us what you think."

The singer will perform double-duty with both acts moving forward, confirmed Arms Of Empire in a Facebook update of their own, writing: "Yes, Lukas is in Veil Of Maya, but no he's not leaving Arms Of Empire."


38 Special In The Studio For Rockin' Into The Night 35th Anniversary
The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands features 38 Special's Jeff Carlisi and Donnie Van Zant as they celebrate the 35th anniversary of their album Rockin' Into The Night. The show sent over these details:

Hailing from the Southern Rock capital of the world, Jacksonville, Florida, and with the connection to Ronnie Van Zant of Southern Rock royalty Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special found themselves in an advantageous position. But after two albums, not much had materialized until the release of 1980's breakthrough Rockin' Into The Night and the platinum follow-ups, 1981's Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and 1982's Special Forces.

Jeff Carlisi shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard how 38 Special drew a bead on the musical bullseye and came into their own with hits including "Rockin' Into the Night","Hold On Loosely","Fantasy Girl", and "Caught Up in You".

Carlisi says, "38 Special found a bit of a focus with the third album Rockin' Into The Night and then Wild-Eyed Southern Boys , which was the first platinum record for the band. We had finally developed a style of music that was not typically Southern in the sense of three chord shuffles or those type of things, but it was the attitude, the way Southern musicians approached there music."




Halestorm Tease New Album Announcement
(Classic Rock) Halestorm have launched an online countdown to the announcement of their 3rd album. The project comes on the heels of last month's vinyl release of Reanimate: The Covers Collection (2011-2014), which combines their two cover EPs - 2011's Reanimate and 2013's Reanimate 2.0 - into one package. The set features tracks originally recorded by artists including Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest, AC/DC and Marilyn Manson.

A clock on halestormrocks.com is actively ticking way until January 13, while the band are simultaneously revealing individual letters in the album's title via their social media outlets - a total of 15 will be unveiled by the launch date. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale has taken to Twitter to spread the word, tweeting "Countdown has begun" and "Prepare yourself!!! #11315".

The band's sophomore album, 2012's The Strange Case Of…, which delivered Halestorm a US Top 20 album and a Grammy Award in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category for the track Love Bites (So Do I).






Blind Guardian Reveal Song From Forthcoming Album
(TeamRock Radio) Blind Guardian have issued a lyric video for Twilight Of The Gods as a preview to their 10th album Beyond The Red Mirror. Due January 30 via Nuclear Blast, the follow-up to 2010's At The Edge Of Time continues a story the band introduced almost 20 years ago.

Frontman Hansi Kursch explains: "A story between science fiction and fantasy, it begins with our 1995 album Imaginations From The Other Side. The two worlds described have changed dramatically for the worse since then. While there used to be several passages between the worlds, there is only one gate left now: The Red Mirror. It has to be found at any cost."

Blind Guardian began working on Beyond The Red Mirror with producer Charlie Bauerfeind at Twilight Hall Studios in Grefrath, Germany in 2012, mapping out a mix of their sound with classical orchestrations.

The project sees the group joined by three different classical choirs - from Prague, Budapest and Boston - plus two grand orchestras featuring 90 musicians each. Read more and watch the video here.




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Covers 1965 Classic
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has issued a montage of his 2014 in pictures and video set to his cover of Mack Rice's 1965 classic, "Mustang Sally."

"My name is Dave Roth, and what a long great trip 2014 was ..." explains the singer as a setup to the video, billed as a Happy New Year's messsage from his online series The Roth Show.

It's the second new clip in a month from Roth, who released "Talkin' Christmas Blues" in December. In the spring of 2014, Roth revealed that he had been working on a secret Van Halen project.

"Doing some catching up here, a little bit of a scrapbook," he explained. "We've been doing a lot of travelling. [I've been] working on a great Van Halen project - can't announce anything … or I'd have to come find you and swear you to secrecy."






Steve Miller Band Classic Used In Taco Bell Commercial
(hennemusic) A new cover version of the Steve Miller Band's 1976 classic, "Take The Money And Run", is featured in a new commercial for the fast-food chain Taco Bell.

The soundtrack to the new commercial was recorded by synth-rock duo Priory as part of the fast food company's marketing campaign for the Crunchwrap Slider.

"Take The Money And Run" was originally released as the lead single from Miller's 9th album, "Fly Like An Eagle." The tune peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 single chart, while the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 on its way to selling more than 4 million copies in the States alone.






Tesla's Frank Hannon Releases Electric Chair Video
(Classic Rock) Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon has released a new music video for "Electric Chair" which is a track taken from his recently released solo album "World Peace".

The "Electric Chair" music video was directed by Hannon's solo bandmate Kelly Smith and features Hannon and his band playing in front of various kaleidoscopic scenes.

Hannon released the new "World Peace" album last month and the video for "Electric Chair" is described by the guitarist as "groundbreaking." You can watch the video here.


In Flames Not Changed By Jesper's Exit
(TeamRock Radio) In Flames miss former guitarist Jesper Stromblad as a friend but not as a musician, according to singer Anders Friden. Stromblad left the band in 2010, saying he needed to deal with his alcohol addiction. This year he expanded on that, insisting booze wasn't entirely to blame and that the band's musical direction was an issue.

Now Friden says not much has changed when it comes to writing new material since Stromblad's departure, but he admits he does miss the guitarist's friendship.

He tells Rock Total TV: "Musically, it's not that different, to be honest. We have the same approach as we always had. We're trying to write good melodies, and that's what we've done since the first album.

"So, for us, it wasn't a big departure in that sense. I mean, we miss the guy as a friend, but we just couldn't really work together anymore. And I don't think he wanted to be in the band anymore, to be honest." Read more here.




Haken Release Tour Highlight Video
(Prog) Haken have released a behind-the-scenes video from their recent UK and Ireland tour with Leprous and Maschine. Haken released new EP Restoration last October. It features three reworked songs from their 2008 demo.

The first part of what is expected to be a series of online video clips shows the British prog outfit rehearsing for the tour which saw them play nine dates.

Before the tour, the band confirmed stand-in bassist Conner Green as the permanent replacement for Tom MacLean. Check out the new tour video clip here.




Beartooth Release Body Bag Video
(TeamRock Radio) Beartooth have released a new music video for their track Body Bag. The song is taken from the Ohio metalcore outfit's debut album Disgusting, issued last year.

The video, which features live footage, was posted alongside a message which reads: "Thank you all for a great beginning. Here's to sticking with us until the end. Love, Beartooth"

Beartooth return to the UK next month alongside Bury Tomorrow, Don Broco and We Are The In Crowd. Check out the upcoming tour dates and watch the new video here.




Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell Plan Another Lindisfarne Tour
(Prog) Following a successful 2014 tour, Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell will be telling the story of Tyneside's favorite band again across the UK and Ireland in 2015.

In a two-man acoustic show, the pair perform classic Lindisfarne songs illustrated with tales, personal archive photographs and rare video. Founding member and original drummer Laidlaw and Mitchell, frontman for the final eight years of the veteran group, share the inside story of the group's rise to fame - from Whitley Bay to San Francisco Bay, from Rothbury to Glastonbury.

Lindisfarne burst onto the UK music scene in 1970 with a string of classic tunes, including Lady Eleanor, Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne and Run For Home, which quickly established the band as one of the leading figures in acoustic-based rock.

Laidlaw says: "In 1971, we took the music business by storm, and for the next thirty years we shared Lindisfarne's unique brand of Geordie rock and roll with the world." Read more here.




Help Find The Future Of The Blues
(Classic Rock) The Blues magazine have joined forces with the Mascot Label Group and The Big Easy restaurant group to announce a competition that offers any unsigned guitar-slinging, harp-blowing or blues-singing artist or band a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a record deal with the Mascot Label Group; home to blues heroes like Joe Bonamassa, Gov't Mule, Walter Trout, Robert Cray, Beth Hart, Matt Scofield, Jonny Lang and many more.

The Future Of The Blues competition, organised by The Blues Magazine in partnership with the Mascot Label Group and Big Easy restaurant group, will uncover the unsigned blues talent to carry the flag for the scene.

As part of the package, as well as winning a record deal the winner will perform at the opening of the new Big Easy in Canary Wharf, London, and receive exposure within the pages of The Blues.

Five finalists will be chosen to perform live at The Big Easy in London's Covent Garden in front of a prestigious industry panel and one winner will walk away with a deal that night, to show you need to chops to turn it on, the performances will be filmed in front of a live crowd. Read more details here.



Singled Out: Dave Kilminster (Roger Waters)
Today Roger Waters guitarist Dave Kilminster tells us about the song "Stardust" from his brand new solo album "...and THE TRUTH will set you free..." Here is the story:

I've been asked several times whether playing Pink Floyd music with Roger Waters for the last eight years has affected my song writing... to which my reply has always been 'no'... But it would be difficult to deny a certain Floydian influence on this final track of my new CD "...and THE TRUTH will set you free..."

My Mother passed away last year, and so I wanted to write a very special piece of music for her... a kind of modern day Requiem... and a slow, atmospheric Floydian vibe seemed perfect to convey those sorts of feelings and emotions... Hopefully she would have liked it.