Guns N' Roses Expand North American Tour
(hennemusic) More like Chinese water torture than "Chinese Democracy," the dates for Guns N' Roses' fall North American tour continue to trickle out a few at a time.
GNR have confirmed five more shows on the trip, including Albany (Nov 23), Cincinnati (Dec 2), Nashville (Dec 4), Southaven, MS (Dec 5) and Youngstown (Dec 7).
The US tour is expected to hit 30 cities between its October 28 launch in Orlando and New Year's Eve. more on this story
Metallica and Lou Reed Talk Lulu
(hennemusic) "Lulu," the collaborative work between Lou Reed and Metallica, sees its release on Halloween, which somehow seems appropriate: based on the initial reaction of Metallica fans, this album may scare the hell out a lot of them.
The project is definitely going to take Metallica fans out of their comfort zone, as evident by the fan-created version of the first track, "The View" – which sees Reed's vocals removed and the 6-minute piece trimmed to about half its original length.
"Lulu" also took the musicians out of their comfort zone, and both sides knew they'd be stepping out on a creative ledge. There is now some video clips from Reed and Metallica explaining various aspects of the project. Check them out here
Evanescence and Five Finger Death Punch Prove Rock Is Still Very Alive
(Gibson) If there was ever a question about the loyalty of Evanescence fans, that's gone, as the Arkansas-based, goth-inspired rockers' self-titled third studio album is projected to sell between 110,000 and 120,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The numbers are predicted by several industry forecasters and are based on one-day sales reports generated after the album was released on October 11 via Wind-up Records.
Evanescence's new release, if it reaches #1, will denote frontwoman Amy Lee and the collective's second #1 album, succeeding The Open Door in 2006. The Open Door debuted with 447,000 copies sold. The band's debut, 2003's Fallen, pushed a sky-scraping 7.6 million copies total in the U.S.
Heavy hit-makers Five Finger Death Punch are also projected to rake in a high total, as they're projected to move 85,000 to 90,000 copies of their new album, American Capitalist, this week in the U.S. The group's previous release, 2009's War is the Answer, enjoyed a 44,000 launch week. more on this story
Bob Seger Adds More Tour Dates
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band have further expanded their 2011 North American Tour with a series of dates on the west coast including Los Angeles, Oakland, and Phoenix, and topping it all off with a special New Year's show in Las Vegas.
Seger originally conceived his 2011 Tour as a short spring run of 18-20 dates. Due to the overwhelming response from fans, Seger nearly tripled the number of shows. The Vegas performance will be Seger's 50th concert in 2011.
On September 13, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band made digital history of their own by offering fans a Free 6-Track Bonus EP on iTunes to celebrate the release of their digitally remastered multi-platinum Nine Tonight and Live Bullet concert albums. more on this story
Rush Boxset Coming
(hennemusic) In case there are any Rush fans who don't own everything by the band... On November 21st, Universal Music Canada celebrates the legacy of Rush with the release of three separate six-disc box sets which, together, spans their entire Anthem Records recording career.
Each "Sector" contains five of their 15 Anthem albums in chronological order. In addition, each volume includes an exclusive booklet packed with unpublished photos, original album lyrics and credits, and features one album from each set specially remixed on DVD.
Each album is packaged in a replica vinyl mini-jacket of the original album release with all three box sets forming a Rush CD road case. All the details
From Captain Kirk To Metalhead
(Rock News Desk) Star Trek icon William Shatner admits he was never comfortable with heavy metal until he made his new record In Search of Major Tom. In fact, before he started work he'd never even heard of Queen or Bohemian Rhapsody.
Working with Wylde helped Shatner open his mind to the emotional breadth of heavy music as the pair worked on his over of Black Sabbath's Iron Man. "Heavy metal music made me turn away over the years, not understanding heavy metal," the actor says. "In my first attempt to do the lyric I realised the lyric spoke of Hell – it was like Hell to me."
Of Wylde, Shatner says: "I've never seen finger fly on a fretboard so quickly. He spent the whole day laying out his track and laying down another track on top of that. He was intricately working that song like an actor would do with a Shakespeare soliloquy, where every word has a meaning and our try and get the rhythm and the meaning and the sense – and yet throw it away so it doesn't seem obvious that you're working it. This guy blew my mind." more on this story
Radiohead Plan Next Move
(Gibson) The guys in Radiohead are plenty busy these days. After releasing The King of Limbs earlier this year, and a 2-CD remix collection, titled TKOL RMX 1234567, more recently – the band has plans to go back into the studio by year's end, according to Rolling Stone.
"We can get things together quite rapidly at the moment," frontman Thom Yorke said, referencing a song called "Come to Your Senses." "We have this version of it. It's a five-minute rehearsal, but it has the essence of what we need."
That's not the only song that's in pretty good shape at this point. "There are a few of those. It would be fun to have them ready when we go to play next year. I don't know how we would release them," he said. "It would be nice to make it all part of the flow and just enjoy it – not think about it too much." more on this story
Iron Maiden for Tots
(hennemusic) They say music sooths the savage beast, but what about an unhappy 2-year-old? Seems to work, at least for some, and parents are free to help shape their child's musical chops at any time.
Looks like one child is headed on the path to headbanging glory, getting an early start on his rock education during a road trip by insisting on some Iron Maiden to perk up his mood.
"I want some Iron Maiden to make me happy," says the young pup, through a face full of tears….but not for long. Check it out here
Alter Bridge Preview New Release
(Banana 101.5) The upcoming beefed-up version of Alter Bridge's album 'AB III.5' will feature extra tracks and a documentary — which you can now get a look at in the new trailer.
Alter Bridge are officially off-duty. All the members are currently working on other projects — Myles Kennedy has begun recording with Slash for his second solo album while the rest of the band has started writing and recording demos for the next Creed record. Mark Tremonti also finished up his solo record that still has no planned release date as-of-yet.
Fans of Alter Bridge will have to make due with the new tracks included on AB III.5 until the band reconvenes in 2013. The set will include three songs not originally included with the album and a one-hour documentary titled 'One by One' . Check out the trailer here
The Osbournes Open Up
(hennemusic) With a new book, "Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy," to promote, it's no wonder Sharon Osbourne used her connection with fellow America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan to secure a full hour on his CNN show Tuesday night to help Ozzy spread the word, on the day of its release.
Joining Ozzy and Sharon was son Jack, as the three recounted some of their most publicized stories…from Ozzy trying to kill his wife to dealing with addictions, near-death experiences, and the old story about the bat.
In between, there's moments of genuine reflection by all three Osbournes on what they've lived through and those they've lived with, including both Sharon and Ozzy speaking about their late fathers. No spoilers here, though, for anyone who hasn't heard the stories before, or the headlines about the appearance itself – just sit back and check it out.
Lindsey Buckingham Live Releases Coming
Eagle Rock have set a November 1 release date for Lindsey Buckingham's Songs From The Small Machine: Live In L.A. in multiple formats.
The show was filmed in high-definition with DTS Surround-Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1, and Dolby Digital Stereo at The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, California in April 2011.
The two-hour 19-song show will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and as a DVD/CD set. Filled with his most beloved songs, including such Fleetwood Mac classics as "Go Your Own Way," "Second Hand News," "Big Love," "Tusk," "I'm So Afraid" and "Never Going Back Again," blended with material from his new album Seeds We Sow ("In Our Own Time," "Illumination," "Stars Are Crazy," "That's The Way Love Goes") the DVD and Blu-Ray also feature a Buckingham interview. more on this story
Classic Rolling Stones Concert Hitting Theaters
The Rolling Stones "Some Girls Live In Texas '78" will have a special theatrical screening on Tuesday, October 18.
The never-before-seen Rolling Stones concert was filmed live in Fort Worth, Texas on July 18, 1978.
The Rolling Stones' Some Girls Tour is widely believed to be one of the bands' greatest concerts, largely because it was in many ways back to basics both in musical and staging terms. It meant a return to a mixture of classic Stones numbers ("Tumbling Dice," "Honky Tonk Woman", "Brown Sugar", and "Jumpin' Jack Flash") mixed with blues numbers and Chuck Berry covers, as well as including a large number of songs from the newly released Some Girls LP, including "Miss You" and "Beast of Burden". more on this story
The Gaslight Anthem iTunes Session Coming Next Week
(FTW) The Gaslight Anthem have announced their exclusive iTunes Session will be available for download via iTunes NEXT TUESDAY, October 18, 2011.
The iTunes Session was originally set to be released on December 13, 2011, but due to an overzealous writer who misunderstood the meaning of a private stream, SideOneDummy Records and iTunes have elected to move the release date to next Tuesday.
The iTunes Session is comprised of previously unreleased covers and alternate versions of classic Gaslight Anthem songs. more on this story
Alicia Keys To Tribute George Harrison
(Gibson) Late Beatles guitarist George Harrison is the focus of a New York City charity concert next month organized by R&B songstress Alicia Keys. Keys' charity, named Keep a Child Alive, will pay tribute to Harrison at its annual Black Ball event for his various "philanthropic contributions to India," according to a release.
Keys won't be the only A-list performer at the benefit. The charity has announced that a broad array of performers also will make appearances, including Usher, Norah Jones, will.i.am, Mary J. Blige, Gary Clark Jr., Jay Sean and Midival Punditz with Karsh Kale. The show takes place November 3 at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom.
The charity event celebrates the eighth year of Keep a Child Alive, which assists children suffering with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India, and the 40th anniversary of George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. Currently, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF is a joint commission between the Harrison family and the U.S., and the fund provides "lifesaving assistance to children, including health, education, nutrition and emergency relief." more on this story
Ratt Played Dirty?
(Rock News Desk) Former Ratt bassist Juan Croucier insists Carlos Cavazo was only invited to join his old band because his ex-colleagues were trying to get at him – and it worked.
Cavazo accepted an offer from Ratt's Warren DeMartini to become the glam metal outfit's second axeman, leaving Croucier's outfit the Dirty Rats to do so.
Despite that, the bassist says he and Cavazo remain friends – although he can't say the same for DeMartini. more on this story
Tom Petty To Play Radio Benefit Concert
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers will play 88.5 FM KCSN/Los Angeles public radio's first Benefit Concert. Joining Petty on the bill will be Lissie.
The Benefit Concert will be held Saturday, October 29th, at the 500 seat Plaza del Sol Performance Hall on the campus of California State University, Northridge. Tickets will be sold during a membership Pledge Drive from October 14th through October 23rd.
88.5 FM KCSN Program Director Sky Daniels exclaimed, "Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are not only one of the greatest bands of all time, they are true believers in the power of rock n' roll. For them to selflessly want to perform this show speaks volumes for their love of music, and their willingness to support KCSN's effort to build a radio station devoted to breaking new artists, supporting local artists, and respecting great legacy artists." more on this story
Grunge Drove Kelly Hansen To Foreigner
(Rock News Desk) Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen asked Mick Jones for the job of replacing Lou Gramm in Foreigner – even though he knew it would be a difficult role to play.
The vocalist felt a leap of faith was the only thing which could rescue his career from the doldrums after his first big band, Hurricane, were wiped out by the grunge explosion of the early 1990s.
"Grunge music came along and obliterated the metal scene, which was where we were coming from. I had to take a back seat and not do very much singing for the next several years," Hansen tells Mercury News. "I was working a lot harder for a lot less return in the mid 90s, as I think a lot of people were. You start to say to yourself, 'Wait a minute, earlier in my career, everything used to just come to me. I never had to actually pursue things.' more on this story
Gwar To Violate Jimmy Fallon
(Freeman) For the second straight year, Gwar will be violating "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" for Halloween week.
Gwar will appear on the show on Thursday October 27th as part of their humungous "Return of the World Maggot" tour, set to crawl forth from Hell next week.
"We are overjoyed that Jimmy had the good sense to invite us back", declared front-thing Oderus Urungus "as we had planned to return anyway. Now Fallon can do the show with his head still attached to his body." more on this story
Jane's Addiction Never Really Break Up
(Rock News Desk) Jane's Addiction stopped physically fighting with each other twenty years ago, but they still don't hang out together much – and the band say that's what keeps their music fresh.
They're poised to release The Great Escape Artist, just their fourth album in their 26-year history, next week. And with the second, and seemingly final, departure of bassist Eric Avery, the three core members of Jane's – frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins – believe they've achieved a balance that works for them, even if it involves taking regular breaks.
Navarro tells CNN: "I'm not really sure how many times we've parted ways. I wasn't really one of the people who thought we wouldn't be back together, primarily because we've gotten back together so many times over the years.
"We don't break up any more – we just go on five-year hiatuses." more on this story
Judas Priest Will Still Play Live and Record New Music
(Gibson) Please don't fall for the dirty rumor that Judas Priest are packing up their heavy metal suits and calling it quits. While the band's current Epitaph World Tour is being billed as their last showing, the British metal kingpins are merely staying away from any overly ambitious, global tour after Epitaph, but they still plan to make music and play shows.
"This is our last world tour, but that doesn't mean it will be our last live performances, and we'll certainly do more albums," guitarist Glenn Tipton told Noisecreep.
The men of Judas Priest are having a killer last bout on the worldwide front. "It's been incredible," Tipton said. "... We're fortunate across the board, really. We're obviously popular in America and throughout Europe – we've just done a great European tour – and a lot of the Latin countries, Spanish-speaking countries. We go to these far corners of the planet, places like Turkey or Chile, and 15,000 or 20,000 kids show up, so we're very lucky, really." more on this story
Peter Criss of KISS Reflects On Getting Older
(Gibson) Nobody likes getting old – not even rock stars. Just ask Peter Criss, founding drummer of KISS. In fact, Criss doesn't even want to talk about turning 66, which happens this year.
"Ohhhhhh, I hate it!" he jokingly told Ultimate Classic Rock. "We don't even talk about it, ever since I turned 60. But three is my lucky number, and those are double threes, so I'm expecting a really dynamite year. I feel real positive about a bunch of things coming up for me.
"I'm not alone, I look at other rock guys, like the Stones and Zeppelin and The Who, just all these people, we're all the same age. So I'm in good company. All the guys my age were around in the great times, when music was changing, when Vietnam was happening, and the British Invasion." more on this story
Brian Wilson Going Disney Details
(Gibson) While fans wait to see if Brian Wilson will rejoin original Beach Boys Mike Love and Al Jardine for a 50th anniversary reunion, the pop music legend has been working on a new album of Disney favorites. Rolling Stone reports that when the folks at Disney approached Wilson, he responded enthusiastically. "I said I'd love to do it," he said. "I flipped."
Wilson will release In the Key of Disney on October 25. The album features the former Beach Boy taking on tunes made famous in films such as The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Dumbo, The Lion King and Wilson's favorite Disney movie, Pinocchio. You can hear his version of "The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book by clicking here.
"I tried to put the Beach Boys style to it – a combination of Beach Boys and Disney," he said. Wilson said it wasn't easy putting his spin on some classic songs. "When I listen to it I think to myself, 'How in the heck did we pull that off?'" more on this story
Singled Out: Edge Of Paradise's Mask
Today Margarita Martirosyan from Edge Of Paradise tells us about the title track from their brand new album "Mask". Here is the story:
The title of our single "Mask" represents the song's meaning, literally and figuratively speaking. The song was written by Dave Bates and Ryan Jones, while coming to terms with the tragic departure of a former drummer, who took his own life. However, the song depicts different scenarios of desperation and the feeling of hopelessness. I know, Ryan's motivation for "Mask" was his prior battle with his own demons, while Dave's inspiration came from trying to understand how a person, with no noticeable signs of depression, in fact, completely opposite, had such dark thoughts that lead to this tragic ending.
The song was initially called "To Believe", and as I came into the picture, I was figuring out what the song meant to me, drawing from Ryan's lyrics, which really translated his message and emotion. Unfortunately, I never got to meet the drummer, and will never know what drove him to such a dark end, but these events, cause us to reflect inwards and examine our own battles within our minds. At the end, we all try to find something that might free us of this struggle. This is a huge part of the song as the opening lyrics begin with "If you ever find me, could you, untie me. I'm battling my mind, depression, suicide…" And the chorus really takes it further with "…to taste the rain, and have no pain…"
There is a line in the song "…It seems that every time when I wake, I'm always wearing this miserable face…" To us, it means that we all have our own masks, which we hide behind to deal with the cards we were dealt. Especially, living in this day and age, there are very few people who actually open up and reveal their face. So the lyrics "…this miserable face…" changed to "…this miserable mask…". And from this point forward the song kind of evolved into what you hear and see on the video. We even rethought our whole record as it was initially, going to be titled "Back To The Ground", lyrics from the first track on the CD, "Falling Down". It was definitely a choice that felt right. And recording the song was really cool and exciting, as we were solidifying the sound of the band.
We really want listeners to take away from this song, that it is possible to "breath the night, to feel alive". We heard various interpretations of what the song means to different people, and we want them to take something different from it as well! Something that will make them look inside and relate to things in their own way and maybe even give them some sort of a positive outlook!
