Police Search Home Of KISS Star Gene Simmons
The home of KISS star Gene Simmons was searched by the Los Angeles Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force on Thursday, according to local TV station KTLA.
LAPD's Mike Lopez told the media outlet that Simmons and his family cooperated with police and they are not considered suspects in their investigation.
A representative for Simmons told KTLA in a statement that the police task force was at Simmons home on Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Crest "to discuss a crime that may have occurred on their property last year while Simmons was away on tour with KISS."
The representative reiterated: "Neither Mr. Simmons nor any member of his family is a person of interest in the investigation." Watch the station's television news report about the search here.
Dave Grohl Has 'Social Anxiety' About Emmy Awards(Classic Rock)
Dave Grohl has admitted he suffers from social anxiety and that he is nervous ahead of next month's Emmys ceremony. The Foo Fighters frontman is used to performing in front of crowds of thousands, but he is not especially looking forward to the glitzy Los Angeles event, where the Foos TV series Sonic Highways is up for four awards on September 20 - Outstanding Informational Series, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Sound Mixing and Outstanding Sound Editing.
Grohl tells Gold Derby: "I have a little bit of social anxiety. It might seem hard to imagine, but in rooms like that, I kind of clam up. I mean put me at the f***ing Grammys, and I know everybody there, and I've got a bottle of whiskey in my hands the whole time, but we'll see what happens.
"It's just going to be such a crazy night, I just can't imagine. I think I'll feel like that kid who is the new kid at school, the first day at school. I'll probably just sit down, with my back up against the wall, just nervous, and waiting to see who is going to want to talk to me." Watch the full interview here.
Lady Gaga Says She Is The Next Iron Maiden(Classic Rock)
Pop superstar Lady Gaga has spoken of her love for Iron Maiden - and praised the "importance and scope" of heavy metal. The singer features in an upcoming issue of CR Fashion Book wearing a Maiden Number Of The Beast t-shirt. And she tells the publication that she doesn't want to be the next Madonna - she'd rather be the next Maiden.
Gaga says: "They're one of the greatest rock bands in history, in my opinion. Some people really don't know the importance of metal and the scope of it. Those guys were filling stadiums, and they still are.
"And it's because of the culture of the music, the poetry that's so powerful, that whenever the fans come together they unite in the essence of what Iron Maiden is all about. I always used to say to people, when they would say, 'Oh, she's the next Madonna.' No, I'm the next Iron Maiden."
She also tweeted a picture of her wearing the t-shirt. See the photo and read more here.
Metal Allegiance Release 'Dying Song' Video Featuring Phil Anselmo(Classic Rock)
Metal Allegiance have released a video for their track Dying Song. It's lifted from the supergroup's self-titled debut album which is set for release on September 18 - and it features Down and Superjoint vocalist Phil Anselmo.
The project has been formed around the core group of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and Winery Dogs drummer Mike Portnoy.
Anselmo says: "It's always my pleasure to jam with such esteemed musicians and brothers, and my contribution to this project is further proof of that fact."
The metal collective previously released Can't Kill The Devil featuring Testament frontman Chuck Billy and a studio clip of Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe recording Gift Of Pain. Watch the video here.
Trivium Release 'Blind Leading The Blind' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Last week Trivium unveiled new track Blind Leading The Blind, and now they've unveiled the official video for it! The song is taken from Trivium's upcoming seventh album Silence In The Snow, released on October 2 via Roadrunner.
Based in a dirty biker bar, Trivium have seemingly been replaced by older gentleman onstage. But if you're eagle-eyed enough, you can spot the band in the bar (look out for the badass eye patch!)
Trivium mainman Matt Heafy has previously states that the album was inspired by Ronnie James Dio's Heaven & Hell. "When I watched them live, it was something that really spoke to me, especially the song Heaven and Hell. I'd never heard metal summarized so well like that." Watch the video here.
Jimmy Page Wouldn't Change Led Zeppelin's Approach Today(Classic Rock)
Jimmy Page says he wouldn't change a thing about how Led Zeppelin recorded their greatest works. The guitar icon has finished his massive Led Zep back catalogue remastering project and says he's ready to start playing the guitar again.
And while he respects modern studio techniques, he insists the most important thing for him is capturing the performance rather than chasing perfection.
Asked if he'd have done anything differently with Led Zep's recording methods if he'd had today's technology available, Page tells UCR: "My approach would still be to capture the performance of an artist. That's what all of this stuff is - the Led Zeppelin music and the music of the 60s and 70s of other artists - it's capturing the essence of why you're doing that particular track, the character of that track and the collective performance of the musicians and of their overdubs.
"In those days, if you were doing vocal overdubs, you'd go for it and you might maybe make it up with a couple of drop-ins, but that's it. You go for the full performance, not compiling it word by word. So, what it is is that you had to be direct, you had to make your mind up and be positive and deliver."
He continues: "You didn't have the option of having 50 different options of what you could do and take it easy. Don't take for a moment what I'm saying is that I don't really appreciate all of the stuff that goes on with computer mixing, because I think it's brilliant. But as far as performance, it's a different thing altogether." Read more here.
Kurt Cobain's Daughter Pushed For Controversial Scene In Movie(Classic Rock)
Montage Of Heck director Brett Morgen has hailed Kurt Cobain's daughter Frances Bean Cobain for making his job as easy as possible. She was the one that convinced the Nirvana frontman's mother that a controversial scene showing Cobain clearly high on drugs was the right thing to do.
In the scene, Cobain is seen with baby Frances in his arms, barely able to keep his eyes open while under the influence of narcotics. Kurt's mother Wendy was not happy with the picture it painted of her son.
Morgen tells Billboard: "When Kurt's mother voiced some concerns about the way she was depicted, and the way Kurt was seen in the latter stages of his life, it was Frances who called and said, 'Grandma, this is not your film. This is Kurt's film, and how you experience things is quite different than the way Kurt experienced things.'
"I think the point was if we allow our mothers to dictate the content of our biographies they would be pretty nice. Of course the mother doesn't want to show her child in any light that's less than favourable. But it was Frances' desire to not hide the truth, and I think that both Frances and I arrived at the same point, which was we were not trying to tear Kurt down or put Kurt down, nor were we trying to put him on a pedestal.
"We were simply trying to look him in the eye, to empathize, to find a point of entry in which we can understand how he experienced life." Read more here.
Walter Trout Announces Battle Scars Album and Releases New Song(Classic Rock)
Blues icon Walter Trout has announced that he'll release his latest album on October 23. It's titled Battle Scars and will be issued via Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records. It's his first release since the liver transplant that saved his life last year.
Trout, who returned to action in June with a performance at London's Royal Albert Hall, says: "I'm thrilled about this album, about my life and about my music. I feel that I'm reborn as a songwriter, a singer, a guitarist and a human being. I have a new chance at being the best musician and the best man that I can be. And I'm incredibly happy and grateful."
He's released a stream of album opener Almost Gone. Trout says of the track: "It captures the strength I got from my wife, urging me to go on fighting when I was in pain and on the verge of death. I looked into her eyes and she gave me the power to carry on. That experience is reflected in my playing on the song." Stream the song and read more here.
The Spitfires Streaming New Album 'Response' Online(Classic Rock)
The Spitfires have made their debut album available to stream exclusively via TeamRock. The Watford four-piece released the new album, entitled Response, today (August 21).
They will issue 4AM as a single on August 14. Frontman Billy Sullivan says: "4AM was one of the later tracks to be written for the album. It's just about being skint and how it makes general living a struggle.
"Your girlfriend thinks she deserves better than you, the landlord's driving you mad because you haven't paid the rent and in the end you lay awake at night thinking about it. Lyrically I'm not trying to be sophisticated or particularly clever - just painting a picture of mundane life." Stream the album here.
Escape The Fate Announce New Album 'Hate Me'(TeamRock Radio)
Escape The Fate's fifth album will be released in October ahead of a 2016 European tour. The Las Vegas band will issue Hate Me on October 30 and they've released the tracklist and sleeve art. Their European tour kicks off in Manchester on January 28.
Singer Craig Mabbitt says: "Lyrically, a lot of these tracks are based around the hate we've received over the years and just embracing that and using it to our own advantage.
"I've had to step up to the plate lately, for the fans as much as anything else, because they take the name Escape The Fate very seriously and I owe them something for that, for all the support they've shown us over the years.
"It's very humbling for me to be able to listen to this collection of songs and think about where we've come from and what we've been through to get to this point."
Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die 45th Anniversary Special Goes Online(ITS)
Syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 45th anniversary of Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die in this month's installment of their the Medium Rare "online-only" rockumentary series. We were sent these details:
The trinity from which came the legendary first three Traffic albums Mr Fantasy, Traffic, and John Barleycorn Must Die included former Spencer Davis Group teen prodigy singer/organist/guitarist Steve Winwood, reed man Chris Wood, and drummer Jim Capaldi. Guitarist/singer Dave Mason, a former Spencer Davis roadie, shared a talent for melody with the other three on the first two Traffic albums, but little else personality-wise, and was cut loose for the second and final time before the second album hit store shelves.
Meanwhile Winwood, Capaldi, and Wood incorporated such diverse musical influences as Memphis soul, old English folk, light psychedelia, Latin rhythms, and unapologetic jazz. Traffic was delivering World Music decades before the term was coined.
On the topic, reported by some journalists that Traffic's Barleycorn... album actually started as a Steve Winwood solo album, Winwood had this to say to InTheStudio host Redbeard.
"When we were doing John Barleycorn album we never actually cut anything as a solo album... I actually never got around to making that album (a solo album). It wasn't like we kinda went halfway through an album and then suddenly said, well this will be a Traffic album instead of a Steve Winwood album. As soon as we got in and played we quickly realized it was a Traffic album." - Steve Winwood
Jeff Tweedy Already Halfway Done With Next Wilco Album(Classic Rock)
Wilco have material ready for their next record - despite recently releasing their 9th album Star Wars. Its sudden appearance surprised fans when the band made it free for a limited time last month. And now it's been confirmed they've completed 50% of the follow-up.
Frontman Jeff Tweedy tells Rolling Stone: "Usually, by the time the record comes out, I hate it. I hate talking about it. I hate all the people that have weighed in on it. I think it's done a disservice to our records, the way they've been heard in dribs and drabs. A lot of people think they've heard a whole record after just hearing one song.
"That's not the way Wilco records work. I'm thrilled. I got to put it out and basically kind of stay home - and now I'm about halfway done with the next record." Read more here.
Sikth Announce New Mini-Album 'Opacities'(Prog)
Sikth have revealed that their upcoming mini-album will be titled Opacities. The six-track is scheduled for a November release - and they've unveiled the cover art which was designed by Dan Mumford.
Mainman Mikee Goodman says: "I really love what Dan has done here. There is a clear divide under the cityscape between the bright over indulgent lights of the riches and then the squalor underneath.
"The concept of Opacities comes from the layers we see beneath the surface - the undertone of the city. It can relate to anything though whether it be humans or whatever. It's also inspired by the hypocrisy in modern culture." Read more and see the cover art here.
Crippled Black Phoenix Reveal New Lineup and Song(Prog)
Crippled Black Phoenix have unveiled a revamped lineup and made a new track available for free download. Last year, the band's founder Justin Greaves said he was "retiring" the name after a spat with former member Karl Demata. Greaves branded Demata a "thief" for supposedly stealing the group's name from him.
Demata went on to form VLY with Chris Heilmann, also formerly of CBP. Now Greaves has named his new CBP lineup and made their track Childhoods End available to download for free via Dropbox. It can also be streamed via TeamRock below. The band have also announced a winter tour which includes four UK dates.
The band tell TeamRock: "Since December last year, despite a short period of time for some much needed energy recovery, CBP has moved on and become stronger. Now boasting more Swedish blood and heavy psychedelics from new guys Jonas Stallhammar, of Bombs Of Hades, on guitar and Hawkwind's Niall Hone on bass.
"Along with Justin Greaves, Daniel Anghede, Mark Furnevall, Ben Wilsker, Daisy Chapman and Belinda Kordic, the order of vigilantes are looking forward and preparing for the tour this coming November and December." Read more and check out the new song here.
Effa Lente Streaming New Album Online(Prog)
Effa Lente's debut album is available to stream in its entirety. The Effa Lente Configuration: Parts 1-4 is one track, masterminded by Irish multi-instrumentalist and former Graveyard Dirt guitarist David Alfred Reilly.
He says: "There were many times during the writing and recording of this album that I thought that it would never be finished. And even if it was finished, would I know it? That, I think, is the hardest part. But, as they say, it is never finished, you just stop working on it. So I did, and here it is."
The 45-minute record is inspired by a Quentin Tarantino movie. Reilly says he thought to write a piece of music where, much like a movie, the resolution of various parts wouldn't necessarily happen immediately.
He adds: "They could happen somewhere later in the piece. And also, not everything in the music would be about the plot, it would go off at various tangents in between the main events. Again, just like the movie." Stream the album here.
Mastodon's Bill Kelliher Releases Instructional DVD(Prog)
Mastodon's Bill Kelliher has released an instructional DVD detailing his guitar techniques. The release is titled "Bill Kelliher: The Sound And The Story".
The film goes into the highs and lows of his career and shows how he plays a range of Mastodon tracks, including Sleeping Giant, Hand Of Stone, Ember City, Circle Of Cysquatch, Black Tongue and All The Heavy Lifting.
And he reveals that when he decided he wanted to play music for a living, he had to go all in. He says: "You have to sacrifice a lot of things - you just can't be a musician on a weekend. You can't be anything just on a weekend and expect to make money or to be any good at it." Read more here.
Slash Keep It Old School With Upcoming Horror Movie(Classic Rock)
Slash insists he'll avoid CGI effects on his upcoming horror movie The Hell Within. He thinks using computer technology to induce fear in films is an easy way out - and he'll stick to more traditional ways to shock audiences.
He says: "There are a lot of people out there doing it but at the same time, CGI has definitely become the most common that you see. Most horror fans hate CGI - they like to see the artistry of people making that illusion happen, so I'm very proud to stick to the practical effects."
The Hell Within will be directed by Dennison Ramalho and was written by Jeff Buhler. Slash will oversee production under his SlashFiction banner. It's tentatively scheduled to go into pre-production in January 2016. Watch the full interview here.
Mike Flanigin Became Pro Musician By Accident
The Blues Organ player Mike Flanigin has just released his debut album featuring ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons - yet he admits he became a full-time musician by accident.
Flanigin tells the Austin Chronicle: "I still can't believe I ever became a musician. I never aspired to it. I didn't really know it was possible - I just kind of backed into it by accident."
Flanigin joined his first band when he was 24 as a guitarist in 1990. "There were a million gigs in Dallas and they all paid $250, split four ways," he says. "All of a sudden, I'm a musician. Nobody is more surprised than I am."
His switch to his main instrument, the Hammond B-3, also happened by accident when he was playing at an Austin club on steel guitar and spied a little used old Hammond on stage. Read more here.
Goldray Crowdfunding Vinyl Release And Premiere New Video(Prog)
Goldray have launched a crowdfunding campaign to release their self-titled mini-album on vinyl. In addition, they've issued a video for a new edit of their track Outloud.
Reef guitarist Kenwyn House teamed up with Leah Rasmussen, Geoff Laurens and Chris Hardwick for the psych-rock project's debut, which was released last year.
And they've once again turned to PledgeMusic, this time to help them raise cash to fund a limited run of records. The band say: "As well as the vinyl, we'll have limited-edition prints of the redesigned album artwork, handwritten lyric sheets, and even the opportunity to get your name credited on the mini-album."
Goldray plan on releasing their full-length debut early next year. Watch the new video here.
Queen Kwong Release 'Get A Witness' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Queen Kwong have released a video for their track Get A Witness. It's the title track from the band's upcoming debut album, due out on August 28 on CD, vinyl and digital via Dissension Records.
Fronted by Carre Callaway and backed by NIN mainman Trent Reznor, the Los Angeles band features Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland on guitar, former Marilyn Manson bassist Fred Sablan and Awolnation drummer Hayden Scott.
Queen Kwong play at this month's Reading and Leeds festivals and also at London Brixton Academy on August 27 and Old Blue Last, also in the city, on August 31. Watch the video here.
Gentlemans Pistols Streaming New Song 'The Searcher'(TeamRock Radio)
Gentlemans Pistols have released a lyric video for their track The Searcher. It's the first song taken from Carcass man Bill Steer and co's album Hustler's Row which is set for release on October 16 via Nuclear Blast.
The band said of the follow-up to 2011's At Her Majesty's Pleasure: "We tried to make a record that we would want to listen to. One that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers."
The album is available to pre-order, including a limited run on white vinyl. Carcass will share a bill with Obituary, Voivod and Herod on the UK leg of the Deathcrusher Tour in October. Stream the new song here.
Singled Out: The Black Atlas' Black MilkDoom
Rock artist The Black Atlas recently released his new solo EP "Devils" and to celebrate we asked him to tell us the story behin the song "Black Milk". Here is the story:
I was about halfway through a pot of French press coffee, sitting at a bar on Long Island, waiting for the rain to let up. I remember that I hadn't eaten anything since the previous afternoon. That would account for why I began to feel disoriented.
I reached out for a cocktail napkin and asked the bartender for a pen. The words I began to write were not lyrics. They were questions. I was making a list of questions that suddenly appeared in my head. As I listed them, I grew more anxious and frustrated. It seemed like nonsense at first, but I felt I had to get them on paper, in front of me, to understand them.
Then, looking at my cup of coffee, I remembered the poem Death Fugue by Paul Celan. "Black Milk of morning, we drink you at dusk time." In the context of the poem, there seems to be a connection between the drinking of the "Black Milk" and human suffering. I put my pen down for a moment, and finished my coffee.
I might guess that I came in contact with something that day that was very deeply buried in my mind, something very abstract. Or, I had way too much coffee on an empty stomach.
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