Today's Day In Rock

Velvet Revolver Auditioning New Singer
Loudwire has big news for Velvet Revolver fans. They report that Matt Sorum said the group plan to audition Ours frontman Jimmy Gnecco. Here is what they had to say:
Gnecco sang lead vocals on three tunes during the Road Recovery benefit concert in New York City back in September: 'Slither' by Velvet Revolver, 'It's So Easy' by Guns N' Roses and 'Hey Joe' by Jimi Hendrix.

"So we'll see how that goes," Sorum told the Vine of the auditioning of Gnecco. "Then we've got a couple of other ideas. It looks like Slash is going to make another album, but I'm not sure about his touring and stuff yet. So we'll see how that goes. But we're all open to it and interested in trying to do something together."

Matt also discussed a possible GNR Roll Hall reunion and his side projects, read about those here.

Etta James Terminally Ill
(Gibson) 73-year-old singer Etta James has a terminal illness. Doctors diagnosed the rock legend with leukemia earlier in the year but have now announced that her illness is incurable, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.

A court battle is in full swing between her husband Artis Mills and her son Donto James for control of her estate, estimated at over $1 million.

The blues and soul singer, who fought heroin addiction in the '70s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and was played by Beyoncé in the 2008 movie Cadillac Records.

Watch Etta James in action with Keith Richards and Chuck Berry here.



Wild Thing Singer Hospitalized
(Gibson) Reg Presley, singer with '60s British band The Troggs ("Wild Thing," "With a Girl Like You," "Love is All Around"), is in the hospital in England suffering from pneumonia and a possible stroke.

Music-News.com reports that 70-year-old Presley is in poor condition. His wife told the Daily Mirror that it "started that weekend [December 3] but he was contracted to do [a show] so thought he had better go ahead.

"He came back and got steadily worse. In the last couple of weeks he has gradually deteriorated. It is like he has hit a brick wall all of a sudden." more on this story



Beach Boys Reuniting for Album and 50th Anniversary Tour
(Gibson) The Beach Boys have announced plans to reform for their 50th anniversary. Founding members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, plus David Marks and Bruce Johnston, plan a new studio album and a 50-date international tour beginning in April.

No touring dates have yet been confirmed, but the band will appear as headliners at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 27 to May 6, 2012). New commemorative releases are also planned for 2012, including a new Beach Boys hits collection and a career-spanning box set.

Frontman Brian Wilson said of the reunion: "This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again."

Mike Love added: "We got together at Capitol Records and re-recorded 'Do It Again.' Brian and I wrote that song which went to #1 in Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere some 44 years ago. Brian paid me a compliment saying, 'How can a guy sound that great so many years later?' Later on, while working out some harmonies on a new song Brian had written, I got a chance to return the compliment. more on this story



Guns N' Roses and Duff McKagan Reunion Jam
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses fans had a double-shot of nostalgia over the weekend, as Duff McKagan opened two shows for his former band.

Friday's gig in Seattle was followed by a Saturday concert in Vancouver, and Duff joined GNR on stage both nights.

In Vancouver, McKagan was on board with GNR for "You Could Be Mine" (same as in Seattle) and "Civil War." Check out video here.

Crue, KISS, Dokken, Megadeth Members To Tribute Ozzy
(Gibson) Ozzy Osbourne is set to great the tribute album treatment with a new release due next year. No More Tears: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne will be released on May 8 and feature some major artists.

Although the tracklist has yet to be revealed, Versailles Records announced that both Black Sabbath and Ozzy's solo work would be up for grabs.

Among the contributors: Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), Eric Singer (KISS), Mark Slaughter (Slaughter), Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper, Ratt), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai) and Derrick LeFevre (Lillian Axe). more on this story



Metallica Offering Up Recording of First 30th Anniversary Gig
(hennemusic) Metallica recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a series of fan club shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

MetClub members could see individual shows at the legendary venue (capacity 1,200) for $6, or all four for $19.81, in honor of the 30 year mark. Metallica are now making Night 1 of the series available to fans.

The December 5 show kicked off the first of four nights with a bunch of special guests, including former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, John Marshall (Metal Church), Sean Harris and Brian Tatler (Diamond Head), Biff Byford (Saxon) and Apocalyptica. more on this story

Joe Satriani Becomes A Comic Book Hero
(Gibson) Joe Satriani is going to debut as a comic book hero. He will be part of the second volume of the comic book Eternal Descent, appearing as a "cryptic entity" with supreme powers.

The storyline involves music. Upon making the ultimate sacrifice, the character Sirian finds himself caught lost in time and space as strange beautiful music (Strange Beautiful Music is a Satriani album title) resonates throughout the cosmos, heralding the arrival of Joe Satriani. He saves the day, of course. Eternal Descent is a "virtual band" in the comic book, and Static X and God Forbid have previously appeared.

"I reached out to Joe directly with a taster of previous Eternal Descent collaborations and some ideas for incorporating his musical heritage into the world of comics," says writer Llexi Leon. "I was blown away when he responded a few days later, all the paperwork signed and his own ideas noted down along with the answers to some questions I had raised." more on this story



Two New Scorpions Releases Coming Next Month
Legacy Recordings have set a January 24, 2012 North American release date for two new titles from the Scorpions.

Scorpions: Comeblack: Comeblack, a new album of classic rock covers and fresh performances of signature repertoire recorded earlier this year, and Get Your Sting and Blackout - Live in 3D, available on Blu-ray disc, an 11-camera 3-D concert film recorded in Saarbrucken, Germany on April 15, 2011 during Scorpions current farewell tour.

Launched by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in 1965, Scorpions forged metal, rock and pop into a sound that's come to signify an entire genre through hard rock anthems like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and hits like "Send Me An Angel," "Wind of Change" and "Still Loving You," selling more than 100 million records in the process. more on this story

Behind The Lost Chickenfoot Record
(hennemusic) When Chickenfoot released their sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III," in September, the title puzzled fans a bit, since it was only their second album.How did they end up with "III", and was there ever a "II"?

In a new video spoofing the situation in a Behind The Music-style presentation, the members of Chickenfoot have some fun explaining the "lost record."

Chickenfoot recently snagged a Grammy nomination for the "Best Recording Package," for the creative 3D design of the new album ("III," that is). Check out the spoof video here.

Journey's Neal Schon Plugs Nude Picture Leak
(TMZ) Journey guitarist Neal Schon went on a legal campaign this week to decontaminate the Internet -- demanding a gossip website remove a XXX picture of his private parts ... or else.

Schon's attorney fired off a blistering letter to TheDirty.com on Thursday -- claiming the site published a self-taken pic of Neal ... flashing his junk in the bathroom.

According to Schon's lawyer, the pic was stolen from an old cell phone -- and publishing it constituted a gross violation of the musician's privacy rights ... that, and it's just plain humiliating.

The site must have bought the argument, too ... because the photo has since been removed. more on this story

Black Stone Cherry Plan North American Tour
Black Stone Cherry will start the New Year by hitting the road for a series of North American headline dates with support from Cavo.

Black Stone Cherry who will be hitting the road in support of their 2011 release, Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea.

Produced by Howard Benson (Theory of a Deadman, Daughtry, Three Days Grace), Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea has spawned three Rock radio hits to date.
more on this story

Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice & Men frontman's New Group Lands Deal
Former Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice & Men frontman Jerry Roush's new group Glass Cloud has inked a deal with Equal Vision Records.

The complete lineup features Roush, 8-string guitarist Joshua Travis [ex-The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza], bassist Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty.

The group is currently in San Diego, CA recording their debut album at Lambesis Studios, with Joshua Travis producing the record. more on this story

Tank Plan Live DVD
(MMP) Tank will record their show on March, 9th 2012 in Stodola Club in Warsaw (Poland) for their first live DVD release.

Cliff Evans: "We're really looking forward to making our first ever Official Tank Live DVD. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time and gives us the chance to show our fans around the world what a Tank show is all about.

"The DVD will include old favourites such as 'This Means War', 'Echoes of a Distant Battle' and 'Power of the Hunter' plus future classics such as 'Judgement Day' and 'Phoenix Rising' plus many more. Get ready for 'War Machine Live!' DVD." more on this story

F*** All Your Friends Tour With Dr. Acula, The Devastated and More
The Devastated will team up with Dr. Acula, Design The Skyline for the "F***! All Your Friends Tour"

In Dying Arms will also appear on select dates for the trek that kicks off on February 1st in Barrington, IL and wrapping up on March 7th in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Century Media says that fans can expect to hear new material taken from the band's upcoming release, Devil's Messenger. more on this story

Guitar Hero Concerto
(Gibson) The Guitar Hero video game may have recently suffered a sales slump, but Freddie Wong and Shiva Feshareki think it still has genuine musical potential.

Wong, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and musician, whose YouTube channels boast nearly half a billion viewers and more than two million subscribers, has now helped create a Guitar Hero 2 "concerto." Wong is not new to this: he was named the #1 player at the World Series of Video Games in Dallas in 2007.

But it is Shiva Feshareki who has composed this first-ever Guitar Hero Concerto. She says, "I've written it with Freddie's personality in mind, but it's also about showing off the instrument as well. What I love about Guitar Hero is it's so accessible. It doesn't cost very much, and the notation is so easy to follow. There are millions of people out there who practise on their Guitar Heroes for hours." more on this story



Tall Ships EP Preview Now Online
Tall Ships' new EP, There is Nothing But Chemistry Here, will be released on February 21st but you can get a taste today.

The EP will be available in the U.S. digitally and on vinyl for the first time ever.

Tall Ships are expected to return to the States for more shows this spring. and Filter is now premiering "Hit The Floor (Dark Dark Horse Remix)", a track off the EP here.

Lacuna Coil Streaming New Song Online
Lacuna Coil are streaming their new song "Kill The Light" from their forthcoming album Dark Adrenaline, on their Facebook page.

Dark Adrenaline will be released in North America on January 24th, 2012 via Century Media Records.

The album was produced by the acclaimed Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine) and you can listen to the new track here.

Man That Signed Oasis Predicts Reunion
(Gibson) The record company exec who signed Oasis and helped launch Britpop on the world says he thinks the band will reform in the future.

According to NME.com , Alan McGee, one-time head of Creation Records, told BBC 6 Music: "Even if it's not the Morning Glory tour, I think you will see Oasis play again, not as a band like [Primal] Scream but I can see them doing a huge gig for charity in a few years but they've just got to stop insulting each other."

The colorful music biz impresario is currently working on a stage production with Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, telling NME it has "nothing to do with Creation or Britpop in that respect." more on this story



Anniversary of Elton John's First Hit
(Gibson) On this day 1970, Elton John's first U.S. hit, "Your Song," entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it went on to reach #8. The Hollies had been offered the song and Three Dog Night had already recorded a version which was included on their It Ain't Easy album. Gibson takes a look back:

When Bernie Taupin and Elton John first began working together, the piano man was still going by his birthname – Reginald Dwight. Friends and musicians knew him as Reggie, a pub piano player and a musician with the group Bluesology, who often backed American R&B and soul acts when they played England. Bernie and "Reggie" were first linked up in 1966, through Liberty Records A&R man Ray Williams, when each of them added an ad in the NME.

Williams gave a bunch of Taupin's lyrics to the young singer, who began to set music to them and then mail the finished compositions back to Bernie. By the time the two met in person for the first time, in 1967, Reggie had taken the name Elton John (after Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). Little did they know, their partnership would continue for decades and decades.

Although John and Taupin struck up a fast friendship and a productive working relationship, the pair's songs didn't achieve instant success. In the late '60s, they mostly wrote easy-listening schmaltz for other pop singers. Elton also did some session work, including playing piano on The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother."

GIVE IT TO ME GOOD! TRIXTER ARE FIRING UP THE ENGINES FOR THEIR COMEBACK ALBUM:

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing of Trixter for the worldwide release of the band's reunion album in the spring of 2012!
Formed in Paramus, New Jersey during 1983, Trixter would learn their chops playing live in the club circuit around their hometown with the likes of Skid Row and Kix, before eventually getting signed by Mechanic/MCA for their self-titled debut album in 1990, which spawned the Billboard Hits & # 1 MTV Videos Give It To me Good, One in a Million and Surrender and went on to become gold. The band toured nationally during 1990-91 sold out arena tours with Poison, Scorpions and Warrant. Trixter's second album, Hear!, was released in October 1992, touring in support of Kiss. Unfortunately the change of musical climate made it impossible for the band to keep going so, after the release of an independent covers album, the band called it quits in 1995.
Trixter finally announced the reunion of the original lineup in 2007. Since then the band played several shows, including a successful appearance at the Rocklahoma festival in 2008. "The band has been playing together for the last 4 years, so making a new record is the next logical step," tells guitarist Steve Brown. "We are all very excited: the new cd will be entitled New Audio Machine and is a classic style Melodic Hard Rock album. All the sounds people have loved about Trixter will be there... Great songs, big guitar riffs, catchy vocals and a huge bottom end. A total big rock production!"
Trixter are now formed by Pete Loran on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Brown on lead guitar, P.J. Farley on bass and Gus Scott on drums. "We take pride in the fact that we are one of the few bands of our genre that have all original members," says Brown. With an arsenal of great new songs and a catalogue of two successful releases Trixter are looking forward to bring their songs on stage, "We are hoping to land a support slot on one of the major summer tours," concludes Brown. "And we finally hope to play our first European tour as well." Get ready for the return of Trixter!
Weblinks: www.frontiers.it / www.trixterrocks.com.

Today's Day In Pop

Today's Full Report


Rodney Atkins Denies Trying To Smother His Wife
(TMZ) Country superstar Rodney Atkins was arrested last month in Tennessee for domestic assault after allegedly trying to smother his wife with a pillow -- but TMZ has learned Rodney has since filed for divorce, and insists his wife made up the whole thing.
According to court docs filed in Williamson County, Rodney's wife Tammy Atkins called 911 at 7:47 AM on November 21 -- claiming the two had been arguing throughout the night in their home ... when Rodney turned violent.

Tammy told police Rodney tried to smother her with a pillow ... and later grabbed her by the face and threw her down the hallway.

According to cops, Tammy insisted the platinum-selling singer "had been drinking alcohol all night and was intoxicated."

What's worse -- Tammy claims the entire assault took place in front of the couple's 10-year-old son.

Rodney was hauled to a nearby jail -- where he was booked and released on $2,500 bail.

But Rodney says his wife is straight up lying -- and his lawyer is calling the incident nothing more than an "unfortunate verbal dispute."

In a statement released to TMZ ... Rodney's lawyer says, "When Mr. Atkins realized their child was in hearing range of the argument his first priority became getting out of the earshot of the child."

The statement continues, "Mr. Atkins realized he would have no recourse but to file a complaint for divorce. He has exercised substantial parenting time with the parties son and he will continue to do so while the divorce is pending."

"Mr. Atkins wants to thank his fans for standing by him as he is confident the truth will prevail." more on this story

Cops Raid Girls Gone Wild Photo Shoot
(TMZ) LAPD officers just busted into a "Girls Gone Wild" photo shoot in a Hollywood Hills home -- and TMZ has learned it's all because the models might be getting wild on camera ... without a permit.

According to law enforcement sources ... police went to the home to conduct a "film permit investigation" because there's been an ongoing issue of people -- not only GGW -- shooting there without proper permits.

A GGW rep says they have about a dozen staffers -- including requisite girls in bikinis -- at the home shooting their "Search for the Hottest Girl in America."

The rep claims LAPD entered the private residence without a proper warrant or probable cause.

Our law enforcement sources say the investigation is not targeting GGW -- and instead the cops want the person leasing the house and allowing people to shoot there. We're told police have been to the location multiple times over the last year. more on this story

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes List
(popmusiclife) Financial magazine Forbes has issued their list of the Top-Earning Women In Music for 2011, and Lady Gaga beats 'em all by a mile.

Gaga pulled in $90 million dollars, more than the combined earnings of No. 2 Taylor Swift ($45 million) and No. 3 Katy Perry ($44 million).

The Queen Monster grossed $170 million on 137 shows in 22 countries over the past 12 months. Though high production costs significantly reduced that sum, Gaga rakes in additional cash for heavy radio play, recorded music sales and endorsement deals. more on this story

Security Firm Vs Britney Spears
(TMZ) It costs $303,900 to provide Britney Spears with a full-time 365-day security detail ... this according to her former protectors who claim the pop star's people screwed them out of half-a-year's pay.

The people who run Britney's estate are being sued by Advanced Security Concepts Corporation -- claiming Team Spears never paid them more than $140k in fees ... after they kicked the bodyguard company to the curb back in 2010.

ASCC claims Team Spears has been unfairly holding a grudge against it ever since one of their former bodyguards, Fernando Flores, filed a lawsuit against Britney last year ... accusing her of multiple instances of genital-exposing sexual harassment. Britney has denied the allegations.

But in the lawsuit, ASCC claims Team Spears demanded the company cover Britney's legal expenses in the case -- even though they weren't obligated to put up the cash.

ASCC claims Britney's people not only fired them after the stand-off -- but they refused to fork over a check for $141,625.00 ... the remainder of a 1-year contract which Brit's camp had previously agreed to pay out whether or not they actually used the security service.

We reached out to Brit's camp for comment -- so far, no response. more on this story

Adele Scores MTV's Best Song of 2011
(popmusiclife) Adele has already topped best-of 2011 lists by Billboard, Rolling Stone, Time magazine and iTunes, and now she has another list to add to her list of lists.

MTV has named "Rolling In The Deep" as the Best Song Of 2011, ahead of tracks by Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and LMFAO.

"Was there any doubt?," writes MTV. "The megahit so dominated 2011 that calling it the Song of the Year is putting it mildly. And we're not just talking commercially — though it was the year's best-selling track — or critically, mostly because focusing on those details fails to tell the whole story. Consider it the anthem to end all anthems, the feel-bad song of our time, the antidote for the Auto-Tuned masses." more on this story

Walter Rose Duets With Lucinda Williams
Walter Rose has debuted his duet with Lucinda Williams, "Driving South," at the My Old Kentucky Blog.

"It's not every day you open a door and see someone like Lucinda Williams on the other side," exclaims Carmel, California-based Walter Rose about the final day of recording for his debut album Cast Your Stone, to be released on January 17th, 2012.

Williams duets with Rose on "Driving South," the latest track taken from the album, now streaming at My Old Kentucky Blog here. "This one just flowed out of me," Rose says of the song. "Every word just fell from the sky. I wish it happened more often!" more on this story

Foster The People Plan North American Tour
(popmusiclife) Foster The People are bringing their music to the people next year. The band has announced a 6-week North American tour, starting May 29 in New York and running into July.

Joining FTP will be three different opening acts covering various portions of the tour – including The Kooks, Tokyo Police Club and Mayer Hawthorne.

Prior to the North American shows, FTP will play a series of dates in Japan, Australia and Europe. more on this story

Clint Eastwood Gets His Own Reality Show
(TMZ) Clint Eastwood is going the way of the Kardashians ... TMZ has learned his wife and two of his daughters are currently shooting a family reality show intended to air on the E! network.

Sources connected to the production tell TMZ ... the show will explore what it's like to live in a family of "Hollywood royalty." It will focus on the relationship between Clint's wife Dina Eastwood, their daughter Morgan and Clint's 18-year-old daughter Francesca ... an aspiring actress.

We're told 81-year-old Clint has agreed to make a couple of cameos -- but will not be a main character on the show.

The show is being produced by reality powerhouse Bunim/Murray -- the same people who produce all of the Kardashian reality shows ... along with "The Real World" and "Bad Girls Club."

Sources tell us producers are hoping to get the show on the air in the next few months. more on this story

Gary Numan On World Cafe Today
(MSO) Gary Numan is set to be today's featured special guest on National Public Radio's "World Café" with host David Dye

The appearance is set to be broadcast today, Thursday, December 15 from 2:00-4:00pm ET. Tune in to hear NUMAN discuss his musical influences and history as well as what 2012 holds for the iconic electro rocker.

The two-hour daily program can be heard on over 200 stations nationwide; listeners can find their local station here. Online and worldwide fans can hear the broadcast live directly on WXPN here. The show will be archived online on NPR later in the day here.

Numan is celebrating the release of Dead Son Rising, which was released last week, on December 6.

Anya Marina Releases Christmas Song
(Filter) Anya Marina is giving fans a little Christmas cheer with the release of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." The track is now streaming online.

Originally performed by then-child star Gayla Peevey in 1953, the playful song is sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest of grinches faces.

Anaya Marina will be releasing her forthcoming album, Felony Flats, February 14 via Chop Shop/Atlantic Records. Her latest EP, Spirit School, is available via all major digital retailers. Listen to the Christmas song here.

Abercrombie & Fitch Claim The Situation Can't Take A Joke?
(TMZ) Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to end their ongoing feud with The Situation once and for all -- asking a judge to dismiss the "Jersey Shore" star's lawsuit against the clothing company ... on grounds dude can't take a joke.

The war between Sitch and A&F began back in August -- when A&F publicly offered to pay The Situation NOT to wear its clothing. A month later, Sitch sued the company, claiming it ripped off his "GTL" and "Situation" trademarks on a line of guido-mocking t-shirts.

But now, A&F is trying to put an end to the back-and-forth -- claiming Sitch had no right to sue them in the first place ... because he doesn't technically own the trademarks in question ... he only applied for them.

What's more -- A&F claims Situation's application for "Gym Tan Laundry" has actually been suspended ... because MTV already owns "Gym Tanning Laundry," and the US Patent & Trademark Office thinks they're too similar.

But trademarks aside -- A&F insists its shirts are still protected under a law that allows parody as part of free speech ... in other words, the shirts were obviously a harmless joke ... albeit at the Situation's expense.

Bottom line, A&F is hoping to avoid further litigation by citing an often incontrovertible fact ... The Situation is full of crap. So far, no word back from Sitch's camp. more on this story

Kim Kardashian Wins Bids for Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry
(TMZ) Kim Kardashian just dropped $65k to outbid a gang of serious jewelry nuts for 3 unbelievable jade and diamond bracelets that used to belong to Elizabeth Taylor ... TMZ has learned.

Taylor's entire collection of rare and expensive jewelry was auctioned off in NYC this week for a whopping $116 MILLION ... and Kim was one of the bidders.

Sources close to KK tell TMZ ... Kim idolized Taylor -- especially after Kim did a magazine interview with Liz for a project shortly before her death. So when Kim saw LT's 3 jade and diamond Lorraine Schwartz bangle bracelets on the auction block, she snatched 'em up for a cool $64,900.

We're told Kim believes jade harnesses energy ... and now that she owns the bracelets, KK feels she will share a deeper connection to the Hollywood icon.

Kim is not in possession of the jewelry yet ... but she's expected to get 'em sometime in the next few days. more on this story

Dodgers Star Defends Ryan Braun Over Performance Enhancing Drug Test Results
(TMZ) Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp has Ryan Braun's back -- claiming the reigning National League MVP shouldn't be branded as a cheater ... despite reports he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Kemp -- who finished 2nd to Braun in the MVP voting this year -- was at The Grove in L.A. this week when we asked about the allegations surrounding Braun.

Kemp told us, "Nobody's proven anything man ... we don't know anything." He added, "That's a good dude. That's my homie."

Braun's rep has adamantly denied the accusations -- and according to reports, the Milwaukee Brewers player plans to file an appeal with Major League Baseball in an effort to avoid a 50 game suspension. more on this story

Ex-Manager Vs Basketball Wives Star
(TMZ) "Basketball Wives" star Tami Roman is being sued by her ex-manager ... who claims he helped make Tami rich and famous -- but she refuses to pay him for a job well done.

Jerry Silverhardt filed the lawsuit Monday in L.A. County Superior Court -- claiming he was instrumental in securing Tami's "Basketball Wives" gig ... but instead of being grateful, she fired his ass.

Jerry claims Tami paid him for Season Two -- but then left him out to dry after she ended their relationship in February ... refusing to pay for work she did on the recently completed Season 3.

According to Jerry, Tami's oral contract with him is crystal clear ... she owes him 10% no matter what on all "Wives" paychecks for seasons 3 through 6 -- and she better pay up, stat. Calls to Tami were not returned. more on this story

The 17th Annual Inspirational Country Music Association Awards Air This Weekend
(Webster) The 17th Annual Inspirational Country Music Association's Faith, Family & Country Awards will air this Saturday, December 17 at 4:30 P.M. (CST) on TCT Network and will re-air on Sunday, December 18 at 7:30 P.M. (CST)**.

In case you miss it, you can catch it again on Saturday, January 14 at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on the NRB Network. Hosted by Inside Edition's national correspondent anchor Megan Alexander and GAC's popular entertainment news anchor, Storme Warren, the annual award show honors and showcases the biggest names and emerging talent among artists who perform Inspirational Country music.

A few of this year's honorees include Ricky Skaggs, Lady Antebellum, Justin Moore, Jeff Bates, The Fox Brothers, Joey + Rory, The Roys and the movie "Soul Surfer." more on this story

Wolf Gang Coming To America
Elektra Records is bringing UK hitmaker Wolf Gang to American audiences with the domestic digital release of Wolf Gang's debut album Suego Faults.

They sent over these details: The album – which features the hit single, "The King And All Of His Men" – will be available at all U.S.-based digital retailers on December 20th

Recently named one of the "100 Best Things In The World Right Now," by GQ UK, Wolf Gang has proven a proper sensation in his native United Kingdom. more on this story

SL Jones Releases Free Mixtape
Audible Treats sent over word that SL Jones has released his latest mixtape, Flight Risk. The project is being released to fans as a free download, available through the Little Rock rapper's Bandcamp.

With previous mixtapes, the list of guests – Clipse, Waka Flocka, Trae Tha Truth, Killer Mike, Pill, Chamillionaire– served as a testament to networking and mutual artistic respect. But with Flight Risk, Jonesy largely goes it alone; the 10-song mixtape features no big names. Flight Risk does, however, find SL continuing to work with a collection of top-grade producers, names that include Lex Luger, Shawty Redd, Young L, Sonny Digital, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Metro, Smiff & Cash, and more.

Flight Risk, clocking in at 10-tracks and playing just over 40 minutes, is also SL's most cohesive, concise project to date — as well as his most aggressive. "I had a lot of pent up aggression – from my legal situation, from the restrictions it's put on my life – and the music reflects that," explains SL. "I wanted listeners to get below the surface, and give them a glimpse of what makes me who I am. I don't want my audience to just listen to my music; I want them to connect."

In addition to brash emotion, Flight Risk, SL's third release over the past six months, is a project that shows continued growth."The Number 23 was about showing off talent and range, while Pandamonium was reckless emotion, driven by fear, uncertainty, desperation, and confusion," he explains. " I'm learning to embrace the chaos and steer my emotions in any creative direction, and Flight Risk is the next step in that progression: embracing the bad and hoping for the best, all while fully expecting it to get worse." Download SL Jones' Flight Risk mixtape

Download Free Blonds
(BH) Blonds release their debut EP Dark Roots for free on their Bandcamp this week.

The dating duo wrote and recorded the entire EP during the recent Thanksgiving weekend, never having previously played music together. In that short time, Stereogum has named the West Palm Beach band a "Band To Watch" and featured the tracks "Kite" and "Treasure Coast", which was quickly followed by the premiere of "K.O." on Consequence of Sound.

Blonds intend to keep the frenetic pace up, already at work on their debut LP, and are planning to embark on their first tour in 2012. Grab the download here.

Angelina Lavo Delivers Circus Act
(SBI) Sultry Russian beauty Angelina Lavo has released her latest, Circus Act, on iTunes.

Produced by Grammy-award winner and hip-hop phenomenon Omen (Lil Wayne, Drake, Fabolous) and Audio BLK for Electrik Music Orchestra. Circus Act's edgy beat will seduce club-goers onto the dance floor internationally.

Angelina hopes that it will inspire men and women to put their troubles away and step out as strong, sexy, and empowered individuals. more on this story

Robert Davi Release Christmas Charity Single
(Jonaspr.com) Robert Davi has released his re-imagined version of the Christmas classic song, "Mistletoe and Holly," to help The Salvation Army provide assistance to people in need this Christmas season.

100% of the proceeds of the single's sales will be donated to The Salvation Army's 120th annual Red Kettle Campaign, which kicks off nationally on Thanksgiving Day. "Mistletoe and Holly" will be available to purchase from iTunes and Amazon for 99 cents.

"'Mistletoe and Holly' is a Christmas classic, and I'm excited to release it in support of a classic charity during the Christmas season," said Robert Davi, who recently released his first studio album, Davi Sings Sinatra - On The Road To Romance. "This is a great opportunity to help make more Christmas dreams come true for children, teens and seniors in need."

Today's Day In Rock

Lars Upset Metallica Missed Justin Bieber Opportunity
(Rock News Desk) Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich got upset when Metallica missed a chance to screw with their fans.
They'd hoped to pose for a photo with teen pop star Justin Bieber and Lulu collaborator Lou Reed. But when plans fell through Ulrich couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Can you imaging that picture? Metallica, Lou Reed and Justin Bieber? We could have put it out that this is our next project. The fans would go f**king crazy," He said. "People already accuse us of betraying metal by working with Lou. Wait till they hear what we can do with Bieber…" more on this story

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose Gets Keys To Utah City
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose hooked up with the Mayor of West Valley City at the band's Tuesday night concert in the Utah city.

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports about one hour into the show at the Maverik Center, Mayor Mike Winder stepped onstage and greeted Axl.

Winder congratulated the band on this past week's announcement that GNR had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and presented Rose with a key to the city. more on this story

New Foo Fighters in 2012?
(Gibson) Dave Grohl has posted a lengthy message on the Foo Fighters' website expressing his gratitude to fans for helping make 2011 "an amazing year."

"Where do I begin?" he writes. "Thank you all for making Wasting Light the most incredible album experience of our band's 17 year history. For real. The fact that a rock and roll record, made in a garage, completely analog to tape with no help from computers, could be a #1 album around the world, AND get a Grammy nomination for 'Album of the Year' ...well...these days that's no small feat. It's truly inspiring, and it makes us feel like the luckiest band in the world."

Grohl went on to give details about the experience of making Wasting Light, which he called "the album of a lifetime." He also hinted that fans could expect a new Foo Fighters album in 2012. "If you would have told me 17 years ago that in 2012 I would be writing songs for our 8th studio album...well...," he writes. Read his full post here. more on this story



Dave Mustaine Talks Metallica Reunion Jam
(hennemusic) Beyond the Big 4 events, it's been many years since Megadeth's Dave Mustaine stood on stage with his old bandmates in Metallica.

Mustaine joined the band last weekend for the final night of their 30th Anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, rocking out tracks he first recorded with Metallica three decades ago.

In a new interview with Powerline, Mustaine shares his thoughts on the evening and revisiting some of his classic Metallica songs. "You know, it felt fun to play them," Dave explains. "I wish I would have had a little bit more opportunity to get prepared with the band. You know, because I'm a perfectionist. I would have liked to have had my sound just so and make sure when I did the solos they would jump up the volume and stuff like that that I'm used to, but we were at a club and playing at a club and playing like a club band. It was fun to take off all the rules and regulations and stuff and kind of shoot from the hip." A little about the song choice

Shinedown Working On Different New Album
(Banana 101.5) Shinedown band began recording the follow up to their massive hit record 'The Sound of Madness' in August so it is likely that the new material will surface sometime in 2012 — but not definite.

The Sound of Madness' brought all kinds of new ears to Shinedown thanks to the crossover success of mega-hits 'Second Chance' and 'If You Only Knew.' Now the question is will they return to more rock-oriented fare — like Theory of a Deadman did after dabbling with success at Top 40 radio — or will they walk the line between both genres like Nickelback? Vocalist Brent Smith said this this of the new record speaking to Artisan News last May:

"We can't compare any of the other records to this one — just like we can't compare the first one to the second one or the third one to the first one. We pride ourselves on being a band that each record sounds completely different than the last. The beautiful thing is the journey and finding out where you are in your life, not only as a person, but where you are as an artist and as a musician and how far you've come and how far you've grown. So, for us, we tour a lot — our last record, we toured for almost three years — so it's very, very crucial and very, very important for us for this fourth record [to be as strong as possible], so we take our time." more on this story

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Plan North American Tour Dates
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will warm up for their first tour of Europe in 20 years with a number of North American tour dates next Spring.

The North American tour includes the band's first ever show at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where they will headline the first weekend of the annual event on Saturday, April 28.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will also perform in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the first time. The band will play in St. John's, NL on June 3 and in Halifax, NS on a date to be announced shortly. more on this story

Seether Score No 1 Active Rock Song of 2011
Loadwire has some big Seether news: Seether have had much success with their latest album 'Holding Onto Things Better Left to Fray.'

Now the disc's debut single 'Country Song' has been named Billboard's Active Rock Song of the Year and Mediabase's No. 1 active rock song of 2011 in terms of airplay.

Seether also took Billboard's No. 1 spot for Artist of the Year in both Active Rock and Heritage Rock. more on this story

The Shins Set New Album Release
(Gibson) The Shins have announced that their new album, Port of Morrow, will be released in March, according to NME.

The album from the indie stars will be the first since 2007's Wincing the Night Away.

Port of Morrow, The Shins' fourth album, will be released on frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label (and not Sub Pop, which the band split from in 2008). The band, which also includes Yuuki Matthews, Jessica Dobson, Richard Swift and Joe Plummer, will tour next year. more on this story



Eagles, Foo Fighters and Tom Petty For Jazz Fest
(Gibson) The Foo Fighters, the Eagles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are among the headliners for next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Associated Press has reported.

The outdoor event, which emphasizes Louisiana-based artists from a wide variety of genres, will feature hundreds of acts on approximately a dozen stages. The 2012 festival extends through two weekends, from April 27 through May 6.

Other nationally renowned acts who will accent the event include the Zac Brown Band, Al Green, Bonnie Raitt and My Morning Jacket. Still, roughly 85 percent of the lineup hails from Louisiana. "This festival really offers the best of both worlds," said Quint Davis, the festival's producer. "The heart and soul of the festival is all the Louisiana artists, but added to that is the very best of all these other genres." more on this story



Jimi Jamison Returns To Survivor
Jimi Jamison has returned as the frontman of Survivor, after leaving the band in 2006 to focus on his solo career.

Survivor – Jimi Jamison (vocals), Frankie Sullivan (guitar), Marc Droubay (drums), Billy Ozzello (bass) and Walter Tolentino (keyboards/guitar) – will begin working on a new album, expected for release in 2012.

"It feels great to be back with Frankie and the band, singing the songs that the fans love," says Jamison.

Frankie Sullivan adds, "I'm excited to have Jimi back up front singing the hits, and giving the fans what they want."

http://www.survivormusic.com/

Yngwie Gets His Own Sharpies
(Gibson) Guitar wiz Yngwie Malmsteen has been given a special gift from Sharpie. According toClassic Rock magazine, the world famous pen manufacturers have made the guitarist his own personalized set of pens.

Sharpie president Ben J. Gadbois is a huge Yngwie fan, telling Blabbermouth: "It was fantastic to meet one of the greatest guitar players of all time and talk about music and several of our common interests. It was also an honor to present Yngwie with his own personalized Sharpies.

"It means a lot that he chooses our markers to sign autographs. He's definitely made an indelible mark on music, and in some small way, we hope Sharpie has helped him make a lasting impressions with his fans." more on this story



Gibson Repairs and Restores Cheap Trick Guitarist's Classic Les Paul
(Gibson) Last summer, the members of Cheap Trick narrowly escaped a terrible stage collapse. As you might recall, the power pop legends were playing the Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in July when the stage collapsed, leaving a few people injured – although the band members came out OK.

Of course, a fair amount of Cheap Trick's gear took a beating, including some of guitarist Rick Nielsen's most prized instruments. Gibson Repair and Restoration has been working their magic on Nielsen's guitars, a few at a time.

The latest guitar to get the Repair and Restoration treatment is Rick's 1968 Les Paul Standard, which was converted to 1959 LP specs. Check out some images detailing the process



X Factor Contestant Rocks Beatles Classic
(hennemusic) It's semi-finals week on the American version of X Factor, as the show is down to the final four contestants. On Wednesday, the singers performed two songs each to help fill out the 90-minute program.

We've already seen Josh Krajcik cover tracks by the Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles for the contest, and this week fans voted for the songs in the first round; in Krajcik's case, it was the Beatles' "Come Together."

The song's traditional drum beat was stripped down to more simplified arrangement, as the production tried to highlight Krajcik's Joe Cocker-esque vocal style. Check it out here.

Kid Rock Gives Back
Kid Rock is once again giving back to those less fortunate in Detroit. This year he has purchased 1,200 $25 Meijer gift cards that he plans to distribute throughout the city as a Christmas present to people in need in his hometown.

The gift cards, which will be distributed through local radio stations in the area, will be good for redemption at any local Meijer store. The gift cards will become available starting today, Dec. 14th. This is becoming an annual tradition for Kid Rock.

Last year around Thanksgiving, Kid Rock donated 1,000 meals in the same way, and since the reaction was so great he has upped the amount to 1,200 this year. more on this story

Eisley Delivering New Music Next Year
Equal Vision has set a February 14th, 2012 release date for Eisley's new five-track EP, "Deep Space".

The Deep Space EP was recorded in Eisley's hometown of Tyler, TX with engineer/mixer Andy Freeman.

In support of the new EP, Eisley will venture out on a US tour in March 2012 supported by Christie DuPree and Tampa, FL-based band Marksmen. more on this story

Sebastian Bach Delivers Tunnel Vision Video
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach has issued the second video from his 2011 release, "Kicking & Screaming."

The "Tunnel Vision" video mixes rehearsal studio/soundstage with live footage.

A longtime pal of Axl Rose's, Bach recently opened a couple of shows for Guns N' Roses – a third one in Albany was canceled due to production issues. watch it here.

Tom Petty Holding Online Chat Today
(hennemusic) Tom Petty will be hosting a Twitter chat with fans today – Thursday, December 15.

Petty will be live on Twitter for a 1-hour chat session with fans starting at 5:30pm EST.

Use the hashtag #TompettyTCS to join the session with Tom Petty live on Twitter from 5:30pm - 6:30pm EST. more on this story

L.A. Guns Pick New Singer
(Gibson) Tracii Guns' version of L.A. Guns is fast overtaking Van Halen in the "Oh what have they done this week?" stakes. Now, a mere 71 days after announcing that Dilana Robichaux was the last singer that L.A. Guns would ever have, Robichaux is out and serial TV talk show guest Tony West is in.

The band has not yet given any indication whether West's appointment is permanent. West, the 40th member of L.A. Guns and their 11th singer, has appeared as a guest on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show, Jerry Springer Show, Maury Povich, Geraldo Rivera, the Ricki Lake Show and the Richard Bey Show, with some clips even making their way onto the E! program Talk Soup.

For her part, Robichaux says on Facebook that she never quit the band. "Tracii walked out saying 'Thank you, it was fun while it lasted,'" she said, before calling the band a [expletive] joke and hinting that she was planning to write a book on her two-and-a-bit months as singer for one version of the classic '80s band. "I have all the notes written n some recorded about this very [expletive] up L.A. Guns tour," she wrote. "One day, you will understand!" more on this story



Stray From The Path Debut New Video Online
Stray From The Path have posted their new music video for the song "Bring It Back To The Streets" on their Facebook page.

The clip features Andrew Neufeld from Comeback Kid and was shot by renowned director Scott Hansen (After The Burial, As Blood Runs Black). You can check it out here.

The band will be joining Everytime I Die, Terror and Former Theives from Feb. 17th to March 8th. You can also catch them on their own headlining run in Jan. alongside Cruel Hand / Structures / Counterparts / Betrayal January 24-February 11. more on this story

Poison Idea Classics To Be Reissued
(Earsplit) Southern Lord Recordings have announced plans for a reissue campaign next year for hardcore punkers Poison Idea.

Southern Lord will be releasing CD versions of several Poison Idea reissues that TKO Records are currently re-releasing on vinyl. All of the material is being re-mastered by Jack Control (World Burns to Death) and each release includes new, extensive liner notes as well as never before seen photos and previously unreleased bonus material.

This Poison Idea reissue series kicks off January 31st, with the re-release of Darby Crash Rides Again: The Early Years. Boasting twenty-nine tracks from the band's earliest days, the album includes the 100% previously unreleased Boner's Kitchen demo from 1981, the complete Darby Crash Rides Again demo from 1982, the complete uncut live-on-the-air set from the 1983 KBOO radio benefit, and outtakes from the Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes recording session. Much of this material has either been out-of-print or never before officially released! more on this story

My Ticket Home Tease
(ESM) Rise Records are providing fans with a teaser video of the song "A New Breed" from My Ticket Home's upcoming album.

The album, To Create A Cure, will be out January 31st and the single for "A New Breed" will be available Dec. 20th but you can watch the video tease here.

The follow-up to the Columbus, OH band's 2010 The Opportunity To Be EP, To Create A Cure was produced by Caleb Shomo of Attack Attack! My Ticket Home is currently out on tour. more on this story

Red Hot Chili Peppers Add Another Date
Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced a second Los Angeles show will be added to their I'm With You World Tour.

The 2012 arena tour will be the band's first full-scale tour of the U.S. since 2007 when they hit the road in support of 2006's Stadium Arcadium.

Joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be Janelle Monáe. Red Hot Chili Peppers received a Grammy nomination for "Rock Album of the Year" and were just announced to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. more on this story

Godseed CD and DVD Details
Godseed have announced the tracklisting for their "Live at Wacken" CD/DVD combo.

The combo set will be released on January 27th in Europe and January 31st in North America.

The CD will include footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, where they headlined the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans. The concert featured sheep heads on stakes, "crucified" nude models, satanic symbols, and gallons of sheep's blood. more on this story

Scale The Summit Announce Headline Tour
Scale The Summit will embark on their first ever headline tour, "Their Strings Are Voices" in January with support from Elitist.

Scale The Summit are currently on the road with Protest the Hero and label mates, Last Chance to Reason, and are supporting their most recent release, "The Collective."

Guitarist Chris Letchford commented on "Their Strings Are Voices:" I am very excited to announce our first ever headlining tour! We decided to go with only one support band for this tour so that we are able to ensure our fans that they'll be getting a full set from us each night. Since it's our first headliner, we'll be playing tracks from all three full lengths: Monument", "Carving Desert Canyons" and our most recent release, "The Collective". Support for this tour is Elitist, a young band from California; all very talented and proficient players and a great addition to the bill. We will also be having a few locals open the show each night. Make sure to not miss this tour and come out early to support your local music scene! See you guys on the road! If you guys are interested in choosing the songs that we play, please go and check out the poll, now! more on this story

O'Brother and Junius Team Up For Tour
O'Brother will be hitting the road early next year with Junius for a co-headlining tour of North America.

The trek will kick off at DC9 in Washington, DC on February 16th and wrapping up at Warehouse Live Studio in Houston, TX on March 11th.

The band will be hitting the road in support of the January 10th CD release of their debut album Garden Window (Triple Crown Records/Favorite Gentlemen) and before heading out with Junius, O'Brother is set to headline a hometown release show at the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on January 6th. more on this story

Ribozyme New Album Release Set
Indie Recordings will release Ribozyme's new album on February the 10th in Europe and February the 14th in North America.

They had this to say about it: For over a decade Ribozyme has been a connoisseur's choice and a front-runner for the diversity and integrity of Norwegian rock & metal. Ribozyme's solid approach to their work has been evident from day one. Ribozyme has been compared to numerous giants of their genre: from Tool to Filter, from Nine Inch Nails to Sigur Rôs, although the distance to the above has never been greater.

With their new album, Ribozyme once again continue to push boundaries and redefine the trio format, through a horizontal vision on songwriting and, in the words of lead singer and guitarist Kjartan Ericsson; "combining power, precision and melody in an unpretentious way.

Vampires Everywhere! Get Warped
Vampires Everywhere! is one of the five new artists that have been announced for the Warped Tour 2012.

"We are excited to announce that we are playing the 2012 Vans Warped Tour! We feel honored to be a part of this amazing tour that has spawned so many incredible artists. We plan on bringing our brand of Shock Rock to the Advent Stage along with an intense stage show!" Says vocalist Michael Vampire. "We have many amazing surprises coming in 2012 and we are very excited to share them with you all this summer!"

Vampires Everywhere! will join Bayside, Chelsea Grin, Memphis May Fire, Sleeping With Sirens and a number of other artists that will be released shortly.


Evile To Headline Next Big Thing Music Festival Event
Evile are set to headline the February 11th, 2012 HMV's third annual Next Big Thing music festival tour event.

HMV's Next Big Thing tour takes place at nine venues across the UK and celebrates the very best in new and emerging talent, drawn from all genres of music, with performances from bands and artists who are tipped to make it big in the coming year.

Evile are set to perform at the HMV Ritz in Manchester, UK on February 11th, 2012. Joining them will be Cerebral Bore, Savage Messiah and Woods Of Ypres. more on this story

Historic KISS Mannequins Up For Grabs
High River Entertainment sent over the following big news for KISS rarity collectors: Avid KISS collectors Jae Connor and Johnny McLaughin of Electric Lotus Tattoo have decided to unearth this full set of very rare KISS mannequins.

These one of a kind mannequins originally came from Fat Vinnie Gonzales, who at one time had the largest collection of KISS memorabilia in the world. The mannequins were made in 1976 and came directly from the Aucoin Management warehouse.

One recalls that not only was these from the Aucoin warehouse, but that the band members themselves actually worked on these mannequins, assembling and hand painting their own faces. more on this story

The Kooks Announce Dates With Foster The People
The Kooks will return to North America in 2012 as special guests of Foster The People on their upcoming tour.

They will be touring in support of their latest Astralwerks release, Junk of the Heart was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Belle & Sebastian), and recorded in The Sound Factory (Los Angeles) and Sarm Studios (London).

The band's third album sees The Kooks solidifying their position as a bona fide album band with trademark hooks from their first single "Junk Of The Heart (Happy)" to the electro dub of "Runaway" and the infectious new radio single "How'd You Like That."

GREAT WHITE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT:

Great White have responded to yesterday's statement from original vocalist Jack Russell. It reads as follows:

"First and foremost, our main concern is our fans. We have spent 30 years trying to be the best we can be and bring our fans the top quality of music they have become accustomed to and deserve. It saddens us today to have to respond to Jack Russell's announcement.
Jack Russell announced on Facebook on Saturday, December 10, 2011 that he was returning to Great White with a new lineup. This was a complete shock to the entire Great White family.
This couldn't be further from the truth. As we all know, Jack Russell has been fighting drug and alcohol abuse for many years. He has had numerous stints in and out of treatment facilities and hospitals. In 2010 Jack's physical condition deteriorated to the point that he routinely fell on and off stage, forgot lyrics and we had to cancel shows due to his inability to perform. In the past two years, Jack has had five major surgeries and has almost died three times. His drug abuse was so bad that his body began to shut down and ultimately resulted in colostomy surgery from a perforated bowel (he nearly died during this procedure). The colostomy surgery saved his life, but vanquished him with a colostomy bag for a year.
We stood by Jack; we supported his sobriety and eagerly awaited his return. Jack was first slated to return to Great White this past summer. Unfortunately, his frail body and his drug abuse prohibited this event. In the following months, Jack had three more surgeries that delayed his return. Finally, he chose February 2012 as his target return date.
We had five clear conditions for Jack's return:
1. Jack had to be drug free. Off all opiates, methadone, Valium or Xanax.
2. Jack had to be off prednisone (a steroid that ate away at Jack's internal organs that caused the perforated bowl).
3. Jack had to be sober and off crack cocaine and all alcohol.
4. Jack had to agree to weekly drug tests.
5. Jack must attend weekly meetings for AA and NA.

Last week Jack notified management he would not make it back by February 2012. Jack referred to his doctor's opinion that he would not be ready. He had just started physical rehabilitation again and his legs and back needed more rehab to handle the rigors of touring. Jack thought he would be ready by May to start the summer touring season. However, he wasn't sure if he could be off the methadone by then or ever. Management reiterated that he had to be completely drug-free for his return. He owed it to the fans. He owed it to us. He owed it to himself.
Out of nowhere, we all received an email on Saturday, December 10, 2011 stating that he was coming back now and that he was starting his own (a different lineup) Great White. As you can imagine, this was shocking, to say the least. We were saddened and hurt from this shocking announcement.

We only want to do right by our fans. We aim to give the best possible show and have every fan leave the show feeling they got their money's worth. This band is sober and music is our passion. With Jack Russell not being drug-free and unable to physically perform on stage, it will only let down our fans. Time and again, Jack Russell has let down his band and fans. His addictions have ruined his life the past eight years. We will not sit by and enable our brother to abuse alcohol and drugs to kill himself. We have lost too many loved ones to this madness. After the passing of our dear friend, the talented Jani Lane, it has become more evident that this has to stop. It must end.
Since Jack's departure in August 2010, Great White has performed almost 100 concerts. We've had no shortened sets, cancelations or song choice limitations due to vocal issues. In this struggling economy, fans need and deserve more — not less. We owe it to our fans and the promoters to not to allow Jack Russell and some garage band to hurt Great White's classic rock legacy and bright future. Jack Russell does not have the right to start his own Great White or use the name without our names in the lineup.
We will litigate any promoter that books 'Jack Russell's Great White' or uses any logo featuring the name Great White. We give you our word, we will continue through 2012 and beyond to provide you with the top-quality musical performances you have been accustomed and deserve.
We hope and pray that Jack gets healthy, happy and sober. His health and well being is the only thing that matters."

And Jack Russell responds further with a brand new Metal Sludge interview: www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2638&Itemid=38.

Today's Day In Pop

Today's Full Report


Alleged Stalker Talked To God About Killing Selena Gomez?
(TMZ) How's this for bizarre ...The man who says he's had conversations with God about killing Selena Gomez is saying Selena needs protection from him.
Thomas Brodnicki -- who was charged with felony stalking but had the charges dismissed last month -- is now siding with Selena in her bid for a permanent restraining order against him.

The judge in the case has refused to issue the restraining order until Brodnicki could appear in court and defend himself. But now Brodnicki -- who was picked up on a psychiatric hold last month -- filed a sworn declaration telling the judge that he didn't want to attend the next court hearing on January 6, adding, "I believe that a restraining order should be issued against me to prevent me from trying to contact Selena Gomez."

Brodnicki goes on ... "I do not wish to object to the restraining order against me because I know it is the only thing that will make me stay away from Selena."

In another declaration that was just filed, LAPD Detective Jose Viramontes said when he picked Brodnicki up on the psych hold, "He told me that he had over fifty conversations with God a day, about killing Ms. Gomez." more on this story

Kelly Clarkson Sets New Release
RCA sent over word that American Idol season one champ Kelly Clarkson will be releasing an exclusive 9 track iTunes Sessions on December 27th.

The 9 track live iTunes Sessions will include 3 songs off of Kelly's latest release, Stronger, as well as a few classics and a bonus recording of "I'll Be Home For Christmas."

All the tracks were recorded live exclusively for iTunes. Kelly is currently gearing up to kick off her Stronger World Tour 2012 on January 13th. more on this story

Christina Perri Fights Off Carjacker
(TMZ) "Jar of Hearts" singer Christina Perri had to fight off a wannabe car intruder in the middle of the night last week ... after the guy allegedly tried to force his way into Perri's ride ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Perri called police early Friday morning claiming she was behind the wheel of her car, waiting to pull into a L.A. building around 2 AM ... when an unknown male approached her vehicle and opened the driver's side door.

Perri claims the man instructed her to "move over" and tried to shove himself into the car -- but she wouldn't budge ... and a struggle ensued.

Perri told cops she fought the man off ... and began honking the horn to attract attention.

The suspect eventually ran away ... but not before allegedly striking Perri in the head and body a few times during the altercation. Perri said she did not need immediate medical attention

Cops responded -- and are now investigating the situation. So far, cops have not identified a suspect.

A rep for Perri had no comment. more on this story

Flo Rida Going To School, Not Jail For DUI Bust
(TMZ) Flo Rida just scored big in his DUI case -- TMZ has learned, the rapper struck a sweet deal with prosecutors that will land him in a classroom ... rather than a jail cell.

As TMZ first reported ... Flo -- real name Tramar Dillard -- was busted in Miami Beach back in June on suspicion of DUI inside his million-dollar Bugatti. At the time, cops said Flo's blood alcohol level was .185 ... more than twice the legal limit.

But an attorney for Mr. Rida was in court -- and got the judge to send Flo to a first-time offenders program instead of the slammer ... a thing called "Back on Track," which entails a bunch of stuff like substance abuse classes, counseling, community service, and drug testing.

Under the deal ... if Flo completes all the program requirements, prosecutors will knock the DUI charge down to a lesser charge -- reckless driving. Not bad. more on this story

Drake Announce North American Club Paradise Tour
(popmusiclife) Drake has announced his 2012 Club Paradise tour of North America in support of his new album, "Take Care."

MTV reports the 17-city headlining tour kicks off on Valentine's Day in Miami and runs through March 11, and will be followed by a series of European dates.

Drake will be joined on the road by Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. "I spent a lot of time out there [in Toronto]; that's what this album is about," Drake recently explained to MTV. "That's what I'm gonna showcase. It's the same thing with the tour: I wanna bring Kendrick, I wanna bring A$AP, those are guys that I love. It has nothing to do with people on my label," he added." More including the dates.

Celtic Woman Announce Extensive North American Tour
Celtic Woman has announced plans to hit the road early next year for a massive North American tour in support of their new CD/DVD release, Believe.

The tour kicks off February 3rd in Nashville, TN with performances lined up in nearly 60 cities through April 29th in Las Vegas, before heading to Europe.

Celtic Woman's newest studio CD and companion DVD, Believe, will be available in stores January 24 through Manhattan Records. more on this story

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Sets Billion Dollar Record
Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has earned more that $1 billion dollars in sales since its release on November 8, 2011, according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information. We were sent these details:

Highlighting the trend of interactive entertainment gaining a greater hold of audiences worldwide, the game achieved this milestone in just 16 days, eclipsing the record set in 2009 by the feature film "Avatar," which reached the $1 billion milestone in 17 days.

While 2011 box office revenue is on the decline - down 4 percent this year at $9.4 billion, compared with $9.8 billion in 2010 -- the number of people purchasing and participating in gaming is on the rise, with no sign of slowing.* With more than 30 million gamers, the Call of Duty community now exceeds the combined populations of the cities of New York, London, Tokyo, Paris and Madrid. more on this story

Rihanna is Facebook's Most Liked Musician of 2011
(popmusiclife) Rihanna has topped the list of most "liked" musicians on Facebook for the year 2011.

Facebook Memology lists Rihanna as the #1 fastest growing page on the social network in the past year, ahead of reggae icon Bob Marley (#2), Avril Lavigne (#3) and David Guetta (#4).

With almost 48 million followers on her FB page, Rihanna also snagged #1 on the Top 10 Most-Listened-To Songs on the site with her #1 smash, "We Found Love" ft. Calvin Harris. more on this story

will.i.am Releases Video For Mick Jagger and J.Lo Collaboration
(popmusiclife) will.i.am has dropped his new video. "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" features will.i.am along with Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez.

Lopez joins the Black Eyed Peas singer on the choruses, while Jagger jumps in towards the end of the track.

The futuristic video shows will.i.am doing all kinds of cool, crazy things – from driving a car through a wall to jumping out of a plane and landing on top of a train…all before he heads to outer space. Check it out here.

Kesha Gets Sleazier for iTunes
(popmusiclife) Kesha is getting sleazier on her brand new release. The pop star teamed up with iTunes to exclusively release "Sleazy Remix 2.0 Get Sleazier" (feat. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, T.I. & André 3000) yesterday.

"Get ready to get even $leazier with this sick collaboration I did with four of my favorite MCs of all time: Weezy, Andre 3000, Wiz Khalifa, and T.I.," says Kesha.

"I opened the 'Get $leazy' tour with this song every night and it always got the party started...Get ready, this is the SICKEST and SLEAZIEST version YET.$."

Kesha is currently in the studio working on her sophomore album. more on this story

Katy Perry Spoofs Florence and The Machine
(popmusiclife) Katy Perry was in the comedy spirit while hosting Saturday Night Live on the weekend. Perry appeared in several sketches, playing light-hearted characters, and even herself in one.

Katy offered up a few imitations of others, including Pippa Middleton, Christina Aguilera and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine.

In a spoof commercial for a film called "Doggie Duty," many SNL cast members appeared in character as other celebrities, and Perry joined in, doing a spot-on imitation of Florence as part of the film's soundtrack. Check it out

Uncle Sam Vs MC Hammer
(TMZ) The U.S. government isn't letting MC Hammer off the hook for the $779,585 it claims the rapper owes in back taxes -- and has now filed a lawsuit against the rapper and his wife ... to recoup its losses.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the back taxes are from Hammer's most financially troubled years -- 1996 and 1997 -- and Uncle Sam wants the money back stat, demanding any concert earnings Hammer makes be automatically redirected into the government's pocket.

Hammer -- real name Stanley Burrell -- filed for bankruptcy in 1996, after burying himself in $13 million of debt.

Calls to Hammer's reps weren't returned. more on this story

Lindsay Lohan Freaks Out Over Missing Bag
(TMZ) Lindsay Lohan completely wigged after someone stole her purse in Hawaii last weekend-- telling friends, she was terrified the ordeal would land her in jail ... and TMZ has obtained audio of her expletive-filled freak out.

Take a listen ... moments after Lindsay discovered her bag was missing ... she says, "I will f**king kill someone if I even have to get questioned [inaudible] jail for a year."

Lindsay was petrified she'd be stranded in Hawaii without her ID -- forcing her to miss her court date in L.A. Wednesday morning ... a misstep that could have potentially gotten her probation revoked, and landed her butt behind bars.

Lindsay can relax -- TMZ broke the story -- her passport and court documents permitting travel were eventually returned along with Lindsay's $5,000 Chanel purse. However, she's still short $10,000 cash.

On tape Lindsay adds, "My dad will kill me" -- interesting considering her on-again-off-again relationship with Michael Lohan ... and his own in-and-out-of-jail (currently, out) status. more on this story

Great American Country's Sarah Trahern Honored
(Gibson) Cable TV leader Sarah Trahern was honored at the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Monday (December 12).

Made possible by the Gibson Foundation, the forum was established in 2007 to explore issues related to the business side of the music industry and annually recognizes an individual who represents the legacy of pioneering agent-manager Louise Scruggs, wife and business partner of Country Music Hall of Fame legend Earl Scruggs.

Forum honorees are chosen by representatives of both the Gibson Foundation and the museum and receive final approval from the Scruggs family. "We are very pleased to recognize Sarah Trahern on the fifth anniversary of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "As was the case with Louise, Sarah's great affection for the music, collaborative nature and visionary work have nurtured a deeper national understanding and appreciation for the music and the values it reflects. Her efforts and success are in keeping with the educational missions of both the Museum and the Gibson Foundation, and we are delighted to recognize her important contributions to the growth of America's music and the development of Nashville as Music City." more on this story



Brooke Mueller Goes To Rehab
(TMZ) Brooke Mueller has had a change of heart ... and has checked herself in to a full-time rehab center ... TMZ has learned.

Mueller's rep, Steve Honig, tells TMZ, "After further reflection and consideration, Brooke has decided to remove herself from the media spotlight and has entered a long-term in-patient treatment center where she can focus on her recovery without distraction."

"She has already arrived at the facility and, out of respect for her privacy, no further information will be released about her treatment. Brooke's goal is to maintain her sobriety and she believes this is the best option to reach that goal."

"Brooke will retain custody of the children, who will remain in their home and familiar surroundings and be under the care of their longtime nanny. Charlie and Brooke's parents fully support her decision and everyone recognizes the importance of maintaining the children's normal routine." more on this story

Ring Belonging To Manson Family Victim Sharon Tate Auctioned
(TMZ) An engagement ring Roman Polanski gave to Sharon Tate before she was murdered by the Manson family in 1969 has been auctioned off ... and TMZ has learned it raked in more than $21k.

The ring was surrounded in controversy -- with Tate's sister insisting it wasn't Sharon's "official" engagement ring -- but rather an "unofficial symbol of her relationship" with Polanski.

The auction house later produced a letter signed by Polanski, contradicting Tate's sister.

The controversy didn't seem to matter when the ring hit the block at the GottaHaveRockandRoll.com auction -- because the item sold for $21,260 ... well over the $10,000 starting bid.

So far, the identity of the big winner has not been revealed. more on this story

Beyonce At A Big Loss
(TMZ) Beyonce Knowles sold off her swanky beachfront Miami property for 75% LESS than she bought it for ... TMZ has learned.

According to public records, Beyonce dropped $465,000 on a tiny cabana in a glitzy Miami condo complex back in 2002 -- it only measured 190 square feet ... and contained one 1/2 bathroom.

The place is basically a small little beachfront room, from which Beyonce could walk to and from the sand and the pool.

It's highly likely Beyonce owned a bigger condo in the complex ... and used the cabana so she could change and use her own private restroom without having to schlep all the way back through the building.

But that was BEFORE November 9th ... when B sold the cabana for $110,000 ... a tad below her $135,000 asking price ... and $355,000 LESS than she paid for it.

Tough loss ... but we're guessing she'll be able to get by somehow.

We called Beyonce for comment -- so far, no response. more on this story

Jermaine Dupri Owes For Repossessed Lamborghini?
(TMZ) Not only was Jermaine Dupri's mega-expensive Lamborghini repossessed recently -- now, the people who fronted him the cash to pay for it are out for blood ... claiming the producer still owes them $80,000 for the car.

Premier Financial Services filed new legal docs in Georgia Superior Court, claiming Jermaine financed the white 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago in 2006 -- worth $330,000 -- and agreed to make 58 monthly payments of $4,323.

According to the docs, Jermaine dropped $70,000 up front for the car and successfully made the majority of payments -- but for some reason ... he dropped the ball in 2009, and failed to pay the remaining handful.

As a result, PFS repossessed the car and sold it off for $115,000 -- and now they're out for the difference ... insisting they hemorrhaged $79,095 in the deal-gone-wrong, and they're suing Jermaine for their losses.

Calls to Jermaine's rep were not returned.

Today's Day In Rock

Metallica Release New EP
Metallica celebrated their 30th birthday last week with a star-studded celebration in San Francisco but they have now given their fans a birthday present with the release of a new EP.
The band's official site had these details: Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary together with Fan Club members from around the world by playing four nights at the historic Fillmore in San Francisco . . . it was quite the bash each and every night! If you were able to join us at any or all of the parties, thanks for coming out to hang with us. And whether or not you were there, you may have heard that we added some unreleased tracks from the Death Magnetic sessions to the set list – one "new" song each night as part of the shenanigans on stage.

This week, we're releasing those four tracks through iTunes exclusively in North America and on iTunes and additional digital retailers in other parts of the world as the Beyond Magnetic EP. All four studio versions of these songs were sent to Met Club members for free immediately following their live debut on stage at the Fillmore and [they are now] available to everyone via the magic of digital downloading. They are the rough mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March of 2008, and those of you with very keen senses of sound might recognize bits and pieces from the 'Mission Metallica' videos posted in the summer of 2008. more on this story

X Rated Christmas Song
(hennemusic) Steel Panther are feeling the holiday spirit these days, and they have recorded their own unique version of the 12 Days Of Christmas, which they bill as their X Rated Christmas song.

Steel Panther are currently rocking a UK tour with Def Leppard and Motley Crue in support of their new album, "Balls Out."

On December 16, Panther return to play shows across North America through the remainder of the month and into 2012.

Check out the "X Rated" Xmas Song here.

Suspected Gene Simmons Hacker Busted
(hennemusic) A computer hacker who allegedly attempted to shut down KISS bassist Gene Simmons website last fall has been arrested.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the alleged hacker Kevin Poe, of Manchester, CT, was arrested by FBI agents at the federal courthouse in Hartford.

The FBI alleges that during a five-day period in October 2010, Poe and others linked to the hacking group Anonymous allegedly conducted a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack against Simmons' computer systems, sending tens of thousands of electronic requests designed to overload the computer server and render the website useless. more on this story

Duff N' Roses Shows This Weekend
(hennemusic) Duff McKagan is opening two shows for his former group, Guns N' Roses, this weekend. McKagan's band, Loaded, will open for GNR at the Key Arena in Seattle on Friday and at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum on Saturday.

These shows mark the first time that founding GNR bassist McKagan will open for the current version of the group, fronted by Axl Rose, the sole remaining member of the band's classic lineup.

Duff actually joined GNR last fall in London for four songs: "You Could Be Mine," "Nice Boys, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Patience." more on this story

Pearl Jam Announce 2012 Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam are looking ahead to the New Year and have announced dates for their 2012 UK and European tour.

The band will headline three European festivals and six of their own shows between June 20th and July 10th, 2012.

Los Angeles punk rockers X will serve as the support act for all Pearl Jam's own headlining shows. more on this story

Tool 2012 Tour Plans Confirmed
(Audio Ink Radio) Audio Ink Radio dug a little into the recent disappearing Tool tour dates mystery and confirmed the band's plans to rock next year. AIR report: Last week, Ticketmaster posted two mysterious Tool shows for 2012, without a peep from the band.

Fans flocked to check out the Arizona and New Mexico event details, but a few hours after appearing, the dates vanished from Ticketmaster's site, leaving the band's fans heartbroken. But, there is a happy ending to this story.

Today (Dec. 12), the tour dates reappeared on Ticketmaster's site, and just to make sure, Audio Ink Radio has confirmed with Tool's management that, yes, the 2012 dates are correct. Grab the dates here!

Lost David Bowie Footage Discovered
(hennemusic) Some lost David Bowie footage has been found. The BBC reports a retired cameraman has unearthed footage of Bowie performing "Jean Genie" on Top Of The Pops in January of 1973.

John Henshall unveiled the video on Sunday at the annual "Missing Believed Wiped" event held by the British Film Institute, marking the first time it had been seen since originally broadcast almost 40 years ago.

The footage had been "wiped," or erased, by the BBC and presumed lost forever. After the original recording, Henshall asked producers for a personal copy on 2in (5cm) broadcast videotape because he wanted it for his show reel. more on this story

Radiohead Releasing New Music Next Week
(Audio Ink Radio) Radiohead fans should set their alarm clocks to get up early this coming Monday (Dec. 19), as the band have announced they will release two fresh songs that morning: "The Daily Mail" and "Staircase."

As reported by At Ease , the tracks, which were taped during studio sessions for the group's latest album, The King of Limbs, will be available via the music streaming service Deezer starting next Monday. Let the countdown begin.

"The Daily Mail" and "Staircase" aren't completely new to fans' ears, in that both of the unreleased songs were played on the band's From the Basement live session with longstanding producer and collaborator Nigel Godrich. A lot more details here.

Tracii Guns Speaks Out on Dilana Leaving L.A. Guns
(superLOUD) A little over 2 months ago, Tracii Guns of L.A. Guns announced a new lead singer to replace Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate, ex-Ratt), who had recently quit. Tracii's interesting choice of a replacement was the female singer Dilana, most well known as the runner-up contestant from the Rockstar: Supernova T.V. show.

Rumors of Dilana being out of the band started to surface this weekend on the superLOUD message boards. Today, Tracii has addressed these rumors with the following message on our forums:

"I think it's pretty clear why she is gone. It speaks for itself. I don't dislike her or hate her , although she did piss me off to the point where I did tell her I hate her guts and I probably really did at that moment. I also asked her if she wanted to finish out the tour and the reply from here manager was " She wants to do Atlanta and New Years eve" I said its all or nothing, and she said no. I think it's safe to say she quit lol!. Btw her manager is still working with us to get the tour finished out so, it's also safe to say that no one is freaking out except one person. I will say this though, what a bitchen band it was for a few minutes! Smile new year comin, time for a change. "


Queens of the Stone Age Top Secret Album Coming
(Banana 101.5) Not much is known about the current status of Queens of the Stone Age's first new album since 2007′s 'Era Vulgaris,' but there have been a few mentions of the currently in-the-works project. While the band initially said the album would be further in the direction of 'Era Vulgaris,' Homme later told The Guardian that rehearsing the debut album had influenced the writing process:

"Doing the rehearsals for the first record is really defining the new one. It's been turning the new record into something else. What we were doing was kind of bluesy, and now it's turned into this trancey, broken thing. The robots are back!"

Outside of that there has not been much said of the album that was believed to be out by the end of 2011. According to frequent collaborator Alain Johannes, the band is keeping a pretty tight lid on the "super top secret" album — which he is involved with in at least a production capacity. more on this story

Mumford and Sons Aim For Black Sabbath Meets Nick Drake
(Gibson) Although Mumford and Sons are busy touring the West Coast, the band's primary focus is working on their new album. The record will be the follow-up to 2010's Sigh No More.

"We're trying to stay as not stress-y and hectic as we can to write the best record we can," keyboardist Ben Lovett told Rolling Stone. Bassist Ted Dwane said that the album is almost done.

"[It's] certainly more mature, I'd say," Dwane said. "The second record is just a reflection of our mindsets, where we're all at. It's doom folk, kind of like Black Sabbath meets Nick Drake." more on this story



Sublime with Rome Address Drummer Drama
(Banana 101.5) Saying that Sublime with Rome's recent onstage drama and abrupt announcement of drummer Bud Gaugh's departure sent some mixed signals would be an understatement. After the media ran the news of Gaugh being replaced by Josh Freese — the band released a statement to properly address the situation.

Sublime with Rome were apparently not happy with the picture that the media and the band themselves had painted regarding their current status — so they sent out an official statement to let their fans know exactly what is going on. Not a bad idea considering their recent string of misleading and contradicting statements and actions.

"Hey Everyone – it's definitely been a crazy weekend. There have been some misunderstandings and miscommunication on what exactly is going down with us so we wanted to set the record straight. First off, rest assured that Sublime with Rome is NOT breaking up. Our brother Bud is about to have a baby and, understandingly, taking some time off to be with his family. We couldn't be happier for him and welcome him back out on the road with us as soon as he needs a break from the diapers and baby bottles. We already have some major touring plans for 2012 that we'll be announcing very soon so we've started talking to a few drummer friends." Read the rest of their statement here.

Megadeth Release Guitar App
Megadeth have released the "Dave Mustaine: Guitar Prodigy," an iPad application where Mustaine teaches fans to play hits like Tornado of Souls or Public Enemy No. 1 from the band's new album, TH1RT3EN.

Guitar Prodigy shows you how to play a real guitar just like Mustaine. The app uses his master tracks and listens to the notes you play, giving you instant feedback on your performance.

Mustaine digs into rhythm, technique and theory. It's the next best thing to taking private lessons with Dave. more on this story

Ultra Rare Sex Pistols Up For Grabs
(Gibson) The Sex Pistols' incredibly rare "God Save the Queen" single is up for sale for £10,000 ($15,000).

According to the Daily Express, the single is valuable because the Sex Pistols were dropped by their label, A&M, before it could be released and most copies were destroyed.

The record can be purchased at www.991.com, which describes it as a "mint, unplayed copy... obtained from an ex-industry source with impeccable credentials." The description states, "This is not only one of the rarest records in existence but is certainly the most sought after and no serious record collection is complete without it." more on this story



Rod Stewart Over The Moon About Faces Rock Hall Induction
(hennemusic) Rod Stewart is headed back to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for a second time and is over the moon about it.

In 1994, Stewart was inducted as a solo artist, and will now re-enter the Hall in 2012 as a member of The Faces, who are being inducted alongside the band's original version, The Small Faces.

Rolling Stone caught up with Rod to get his reaction to the news. "I was absolutely over the moon, as one should be," says Stewart. "I never thought that would happen. I was a little disappointed with Ian McLagan's remarks about how the two bands shouldn't be lumped in together. I think that was a little out of order. I think Mac should think himself lucky that he's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I know that Woody [Ronnie Wood] and I talked about it and we're over the moon. I'm in as a solo artist and now as a group member, and he being a Stone and a Face. I'll knock him into shape when I see him, McLagan. It's great. It's wonderful. Hopefully the band is going to get together. I said that I'd do it if we can get the rest of the band together. I was with Ronnie a couple of weeks ago. He came up to Las Vegas with me and he said, 'I'd love to do it.'" more on this story

Red Hot Chili Peppers Expand Tour Plans
Red Hot Chili Peppers have mapped out even more dates for the North American leg of their I'm With You World tour.

The 2012 arena tour is the band's first full-scale tour of the U.S. since 2007 when they hit the road in support of 2006's Stadium Arcadium.

Red Hot Chili Peppers were also recently announced as 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. more on this story

Guns N' Roses Second Longest Serving Member Talks Axl
(hennemusic) It's hard to believe, but keyboardist Dizzy Reed has spent the most time in Guns N' Roses, besides Axl Rose, that is. As the Journal And Courier points out, Reed has been on board GNR since 1990 – that's 21 years of service.

Dizzy knew Axl before he joined GNR, and the paper asked him what his impression of the singer is after all these years. "We've always got along pretty well," says Reed. "I remember the first time I ever met him: He walked into this studio that they were moving into. My band at the time was moving into the studio next door. I was sort of entertaining this young lady on this mattress on the floor of the studio. There was garbage everywhere because we just moved out. He walked in and saw us and he said, 'I like that dude.' That was the first thing I remember him saying. And I was like 'All right, well ... .' Then I saw them play for the first time and I thought, 'I have to join that band. Those guys are amazing.'"

It wasn't long before the band and band offer was extended to Reed by Rose. "He heard me play and he said, 'You're going to be the guy. When we add a keyboard player, it's going to be you.' That all kind of worked out in a weird way," admits Dizzy. "I'm just happy I'm still here, man, and being able to make music has always been awesome. He's one of a kind, man. Always has been, always will be." more on this story

Celestial Season and The Howling Void Reissues Coming
Metalhit.com have announced Valentine's Day reissues from Celestial Season and The Howling Void. Here is the official word:

Long out-of-print, hard-to-find, and a classic...Metalhit.com will reissue Celestial Season's debut 1993 album, "Forever Scarlet Passion," on Digipak CD, under license from France's Adipocere Records.

Though hailing from The Netherlands, Celestial Season was often considered the perennial "fourth wheel" of the early UK tricycle of doom, ala My Dying Bride, Anathema and Paradise Lost. Prior to the band's departure into psychedelic stoner doom, "Forever Scarlet Passion," remains a solid work of early 90's doom as the genre began taking its grip on the hearts of metal audiences worldwide. more on this story

After The Burial and Whitechapel Recorruptour
After The Burial will be hitting the road with Whitechapel for the "Recorruptour," which kicks off on March 10th.

The trek will also feature Miss May I and The Plot In You with Structures and Within The Ruins on certain dates.

Justin Lowe (guitars) states: "We're all super happy to announce that we are going to quit drinking for a couple days and write a new album. There is no telling what it is going to sound like, because it is hasn't been recorded yet. However, one thing we can say, is that it will be an After The Burial album because we will be the ones performing on the record, and that is the name of our band. Ok, now seriously! We are really excited to have the opportunity to get back into the studio to complete a new album by early next spring. It will be just in time for us to hit the road with our friends in Whitechapel. more on this story

Singled Out: Jonny Lives! - Parking Lot
Today Jonny Dubowsky from Jonny Lives! tells us about " Parking Lot " from their new album "Revolution For Free". Here is the story:

The most interesting factoid about "Parking Lot", the new single off the album "Revolution For Free" is that the recording uses an unheard of technique of data transfer that is probably a one-of-a-kind technique for how to get a super analog sound when mixing a track.

We recorded "Parking Lot" as part of a two song session at Dangerous Music in NYC. The A room at Dangerous has been home to recordings for The Rolling Stones, Queen Latifah, Afrika Bambatta, Don Was and many other incredible bands. The equipment, A 19th century Steinway , a mint original AKG C12 next to a Neumann U47 fet, ELUX251, KM86s and the latest Royer stereo ribbons, create am environment of pure audio bliss. So it's pretty funny when you end up forgetting to calibrate the right tape speed when you move the session from one Studer tape machine to another for mastering.

It's even funnier when this mistake winds up making the song 1/2 pitch lower and slower then it's supposed to be!

This is what happened during the production of Parking Lot and fortunately for us, it was only after pressing 300 cd's that we figured this out.

We had a really great vibe going on in the studio during the tracking of this song, and I remember finishing a guitar part and walking into the control room to find Jon Weber, who plays drums on this song, with an electric guitar, playing along with the track and auditioning a part for Albert Hammond Jr. who had stopped in to check out the mixes. Jon has a tendency to get what he wants musically and he is also usually right in the end, if ever there's a difference of opinion. He had been lobbying to play guitar on this song and I was pretty against it, as I thought I had all the parts worked out on my own.
While I was tracking my parts he was in the control room playing along and convincing everyone to let him play on the record.

I walked in and saw everyone rocking out to his part and I gave in, proclaiming, "ok Jon, you can record the guitar part". Then everyone started laughing because it turns out that the entire last playback of the song when I thought we were just listening back, they were actually recording Jon already and just left it out of my headphones. It's the guitar part that sounds like Cheap Trick's Rick Nielson, and it comes in after the 2nd chorus and then it really wails over the end.

It was actually Jon Weber who saved this song in many ways. It was ultimately him who discovered that we had mixed the song down with an incorrect sample rate, which wound up slowing down the pitch. We had just received back the 300 cd's that we were planning on selling as singles, and giving away to radio, and we were listening at Jons apartment and he grabbed a guitar to play along with his now epic guitar part and it was out of tune. He had just tuned his guitar, so we were extremely puzzled. Then it hit us! We realized it was a 1/2 step lower then it should be. To fix this, we sped up the tape machine to adjust the track to its correct speed and then bounced the track back to digital for the manufacturing of the C.d. We got to run this mix through the famous Dangerous 2 Bus to add in even more warmth and the ultimate end product was much warmer sounding then it would've been without the mistake. In hindsight it is pretty noticeable with my voice sounding like Al Green on the mistake c.d, and by the way, I still have 300 of those lying around if anyone wants a "collectors item"...

'100 Greatest Living Rock Stars' Spotlighted In New Issue Of REVOLVER Magazine

Dec. 13, 2011

Revolver magazine is celebrating the release of its "Mega 100th Issue" by spotlighting the "100 Greatest Living Rock Stars." From Ozzy to Axl to Lemmy, the issue features those who have rocked the hardest and lived to tell about it. On newsstands now and available online right here, the issue also features Revolver's Top 20 albums of 2011, which crowns KORN's controversial dubstep-infused record, "The Path Of Totality", with top honors.

The "100 Greatest Living Rock Stars" list takes a no-holds-barred look at the rock arena and highlights those artists who embody rock and roll's rebel attitude. Whether it's the well-chronicled debauched exploits OF MÖTLEY CRÜE or newcomer James Durbin bringing metal to pop's biggest forum, "American Idol", these artists have what it takes to stand out from the pack. Included in the feature are rock star tips and tales from Gene Simmons, Chris Cornell, Bret Michaels and Dave Navarro, among others.

"Some would say the era of the rock star is dead," says Revolver editor-in-chief Brandon Geist. "And those are probably the same disbelievers who have told us many times that rock is dead, that metal is dead, that print is dead. And yet, here Revolver is at 100 issues —100 real, tangible, bathroom-ready printed issues — celebrating 100 rock stars who are very much alive and kicking ass. Needlessly to say, reports of all these deaths are greatly exaggerated."

The cover of Revolver's "Mega 100th Issue" features 22 notable rockers partying hard in celebration of the milestone in a special illustration created by famed horror-artist Jason Edmiston. These rock stars include: GUNS N' ROSES' Axl Rose, Ozzy Osbourne, METALLICA's James Hetfield, KISS' Gene Simmons, KORN's Jonathan Davis, Marilyn Manson, Slash, MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX: A.M.'s Nikki Sixx, SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR's Corey Taylor, MOTÖRHEAD's Lemmy Kilmister, FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, SLAYER's Kerry King, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's Zakk Wylde, LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows, JANE'S ADDICTION's Dave Navarro, Sebastian Bach, BLACK VEIL BRIDES' Andy Biersack, and FALLING IN REVERSE's Ronnie Radke.

The cover of Revolver was recently named by Billboard to be the #1 place to get maximum exposure as a hard-rock artist; Revolver expands its reign as the leading hard-rock and heavy-metal destination with its 100th issue, which is its first issue ever to be sold at Walmart. Kicking off the relationship, 775 of the retailer's top locations will feature custom Revolver displays in their music sections to make the issue easily accessible for music fans around the country. The celebratory issue is also the first to feature a redesign to both the up-front and back-of-book sections.

Also included in the "Mega 100th Issue" is Revolver's highly anticipated list of the Top 20 albums of 2011. "Album Of The Year" honors go to KORN for their album "The Path Of Totality", which sees the pioneering metal band collaborating with such dubstep producers as Skrillex, Excision, Kill the Noise and Nosia. Other albums making the cut include MACHINE HEAD's "Unto the Locust", MEGADETH's "TH1RT3EN", the FOO FIGHTERS' "Wasting Light" and EVANESCENCE's self-titled release.

In addition, the issue features a commemorative fold-out poster of late, great PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott; a download code for 15 free songs, including tracks by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HATEBREED, HIGH ON FIRE; articles on BLACK SABBATH, SHINEDOWN, GWAR, SKELETONWITCH, CLUTCH, and many others; as well as the "Top 10 Presents to Kick 2012 Up to 11," Revolver's holiday gift guide with the perfect items for the rockers on your list.