Today's Day In Rock

Guns N' Roses Main Priority Is Making New Album
(Gibson) Now that Guns N' Roses have completed their North American tour, Guitarist DJ Ashba says that releasing a new album is the band's "main priority."
"I can't give anybody a definite date, because I'm not gonna give anybody false hope. But what I can say is [making a new album] absolutely is our main priority," Ashba told Mama's Fallen Angels (via Blabbermouth). "And I cannot wait to get [working on the album]."

He went on to reveal that GN'R frontman Axl Rose already has loads of tracks recorded for the new LP. "I mean, Axl has tons and tons of stuff recorded as it is. I mean, he sits there in his hotel room and he'll play me hours of stuff. And I've written over 10 songs – I think 12 songs now – for him that he really likes," he said. "And I think now that we're off tour, we're gonna kind of start talking about, 'Hey, let's start piecing together what we feel would be the next best Guns N' Roses record.' It's absolutely everybody's goal to get out an album within a reasonable amount of time. That is everybody's focus." more on this story



Duff McKagan Clarifies Reunion Tweet
(Rock News Desk) Duff McKagan wishes he'd thought twice before sending a tweet which landed him in hot water with both Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver fans.

The bassist was so delighted when he heard Swedish hardcore punks Refused were reforming for this year's Coachella festival he sent a microblog update – and it was misinterpreted by his followers. When he sent the line "Refused reunion? Now we are talking!" people assumed he was either discussing GnR's potential regathering for their induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or last night's three-track charity show with sacked VR singer Scott Weiland.

"I found out one of my favorite all-time bands were getting back together this year. Refused, after 14 years apart, are seemingly playing a handful of American and European festivals this spring," McKagan says in his Seattle Weekly column. "In my enthusiasm regarding this news I tweeted 'Refused reunion? Now we are talking!' Think before you tweet." more on this story

Quiet Riot Singer Fired While Awaiting Brain Surgery
(Rock News Desk) Sacked Quiet Riot singer Mark Huff has lashed out at his former bandmates from his hospital bed, saying the first he knew of his dismissal was when he read a public announcement.

The frontman says he's disgusted at the band's actions in replacing him with former Montrose singer Keith St John. But drummer Frankie Banali says it wouldn't be in Huff's interests to publicise the reason for his sacking.

Soon after Quiet Riot announced their move Huff took to his Facebook page and said: "As I sit in hospital and wait for my brain surgery, I have been let go. And nobody's had balls to tell it to my face. I have to read the news in a post that's not even directed to me. WTF?" More from Huff and a response from a QR member here.

Black Sabbath's Iommi Overwhelmed By Fan Support in Cancer Fight
(Rock News Desk) Tony Iommi says he can't wait to start his fightback against cancer. And even though lymphoma is the worst Christmas present he's ever had, he's glad to keep working on the Black Sabbath reunion album.

The band confirmed on Monday the guitarist was suffering from the disease which affects the immune system. It's thought he was diagnosed early and although he'll have to endure extreme treatment, his chances of recovery are good.

"I just wanted to say how overwhelmed I am with all your messages of support. Thank you so much," Iommi says. "It's not what I wanted for Christmas – that's for sure – but now I can't wait for the test results to come in and get going with the treatment." more on this story


Former Danzig Star Restrains Woman Who Restrained Him
(TMZ) Ex-Danzig bassist Jerry Montano is getting one massive security upgrade on his Facebook account ... thanks to an L.A. judge -- who just blocked an ex-hookup from contacting him on the social networking site for the next 3 years.

TMZ broke the story ... Montano obtained a temporary restraining order against Priscilla Caputo last month, claiming he met the girl on Facebook ... but she flew off the handle when he tried to stop seeing her ... and trashed his apartment.

The restraining order -- extended on Wednesday -- also requires Caputo to stay 100 yards away from Montano at all times.

Here's the twist -- Caputo also filed her own request for a restraining order against Montano, claiming he assaulted her ... and a judge granted that one too.

Nothing says love like reciprocal restraining orders. more on this story

Foo Fighters To Rock The Grammy Awards
(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters are among the first list of performers announced for the 54th Grammy Awards in February.

The Foos are nominated for six (6) Grammys, including Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album for "Wasting Light"; Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for "Walk"; Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for "White Limo"; and Best Long Form Music Video for "Foo Fighters: Back And Forth."

Joining the rockers in the first batch of performer confirmations are Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. more on this story

Clutch Working On New Album
(Banana 101.5) Clutch frontman Neil Fallon recently revealed that the band is at work on the follow-up to 2009′s 'Strange Cousins from the West,' but also said they're not in a hurry to finish it.

As Antiquiet reports, Clutch may be returning with their tenth studio album this year but as vocalist Neil Fallon recently told Horns Up Rock — the stoner-rock quartet "are slowly taking our time with it, there's no rush."

Fallon further said that while the recording process has begun, they prefer to road-test new material and have already debuted a couple of new songs which currently have the working titles 'Newt' and 'Puerto Vallarta.' Video of one of the new songs and the interview.

Seether TV Special This Weekend
(Banana 101.5) Seether are the featured artist on the next installment of 'Guitar Center Sessions' and have offered up a preview in the form of an extended take on their 2005 hit 'Remedy.'

The band will next appear on 'Guitar Center Sessions,' a program which simply features a band playing their hits in a Guitar Center. Seether will be performing song from their recent album 'Holding on to Strings Better Left to Fray' as well as select hits from their back-catalog.

The full performance will air on Direct TV's Audience Network January 14th at 9pm. Check out the preview here.

Paul McCartney Wants To Launch His Own Magical Mystery Tours
(Gibson) Paul McCartney is looking to stretch out his creative Wings and get into the tourism business.

The Beatles singer says he "wants to give something back to the locals" of his hometown of Liverpool, North West England, in the form of a special sightseeing production.

"I would really love to start a sightseeing business. I have my own magical mystery tours of the city, my own special route I go on and I think other people would love it, too," he said, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. "I want to give something back to the locals."

The "Let It Be" singer certainly has the funds to start up his own tourism business. It was recently released that he pulled in $45 million in 2011, nearly doubling his earnings of $25.7 million in 2010. His company also took in a pre-tax profit of $19.7 million, which was up over 2010. more on this story



Dave Grohl Predicts Rock Resurgence
(Gibson) Foo Fighters Dave Grohl says that today's musical climate reminds him of 1991, the year grunge broke.

"The late '80s was full of over-produced pop that kids had nothing to grab hold of," Grohl said. "They had no way of connecting to a hair metal band singing about strippers in a limousine on Sunset Boulevard. Who can relate to that?

"Then you had a bunch of formulaic pop songstress [stuff], and music was boring. And then a bunch of bands with dirty kids got on MTV and rock and roll became huge again. And I feel like that's about to happen." more on this story



Led Zeppelin 2 Tour Starts Tonight
Led Zeppelin 2 will kick off their 2012 touring season tonight with the first of two special shows in Chicago.

The short run will commence with two consecutive (and SOLD OUT) nights at Chicago's House Of Blues where the band will play a 1971 and 1975 Led Zeppelin sets.

As an extra treat for fans, the band recorded a cover of the Yardbirds' "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" from 1966. It's one of the few Yardbirds tunes to feature both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on twin lead guitars as well John Paul Jones on bass. Led Zeppelin never played this song live thus Lamont and his cohorts reworked the track LZ2 style with session bassist Scott Lucas from Local H. more on this story

John Stamos To Join Beach Boys Reunion Tour?
(TMZ) John Stamos wasn't even born when the Beach Boys first got together ... but the actor tells TMZ ... he's been invited to play with the band on their upcoming 50th Anniversary Reunion tour.

Seems he was celebrating last night ... 'cause a boozy Stamos (but not boozy in a bad way) was hangin' at the Comedy Store on Sunset Blvd. when he revealed, "[The Beach Boys] asked me to be a part of the show ... I feel very honored."

The former "Full House" star performed with the band on a pretty regular basis during the '90s ... and participated in a few gigs in the past couple of years.

The band is reportedly set to kick things off at the Grammys next month ... followed by a 50-date tour.

So, how do good things keep happening to Stamos? Jesus loves the guy ... seriously, watch the clip here.

MxPx Set New Album Release
MxPx have set an April 3rd North American release date for their new album, Plans Within Plans.

It's been over four years since the release of their last album, Secret Weapon. Since then, the band has released a covers album On The Covers II (Tooth & Nail Records) in 2009 and also re-vamped their record label, Rock City Recording Company, in the same year.

The band also had time to release their Left Coast Punk EP and a holiday album Punk Rock Christmas both in 2009 as well. Two years later, the band released a music documentary, Both Ends Burning (December 1, 2011) that features footage from the band's 2008 world tour all the way to the band's sold-out Seattle show in March 2011. more on this story

Top Unsigned Band in America No Longer Unsigned
The Las Vegas band that Fox News declared the top "Unsigned Act in America" will have to give up that title as they have landed a record deal.

Century Media Records announced that they have signed Otherwise to a deal and sent over these details: The band's song "Soldiers" became the first track by an unsigned artist to occupy the No. 1 spot on Sirius Radio's Octane channel (where it currently maintains the peak position) and has sold more than 10,000 singles on iTunes in the past month alone.

"We're so stoked to have signed with Century Media," says vocalist Adrian Patrick. "We have a very unique history with the label, so it feels like a natural fit for us. They were the first company to present us with a huge opportunity back in 2010, so it's extremely synchronistic for us to be given the chance to make a mark with our own music now, on this label. It's been a long, dark road to get to this point... it feels damn good to finally start seeing the light." more on this story

James Durbin Plays Conan
(hennemusic) James Durbin performed on Conan O'Brien's TBS late night talk show on Thursday night.

Durbin and his band performed "Love Me Bad," the current single from his "Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster" album.

The newly-married rocker wed longtime girlfriend Heidi Lowe on New Year's Eve. Check out video of the performance here.

Rival Sons Kick Off Evanescence Tour Tonight
Rival Sons are hitting the road tonight for the kick off of another round of touring with Evanescence.

Having already joined Evanescence on the road in October last year, Rival Sons are pleased to be teaming up with the band once again for the 2012 tour, which also features Electric Touch.

Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday comments: "Our friends in Evanescence have graciously invited us to come back out on the road with them again. This time it's a quick run through the south. Not only are we happy to be joining back up with them, we are really stoked to be finally returning to the south after such a long time. more on this story

The Decemberists Releasing Double Live Album
The Decemberists have set a March 13 release date for We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11).

The release is a 20-track live double-album (and triple-vinyl set) culled from the band's 2011 tour supporting their album The King Is Dead.

With songs spanning their entire first decade as a band—from their debut EP 5 Songs through each of their six LP's—We All Raise Our Voices To The Air is the first-ever live album from the band. more on this story

Ween's Gene Ween Going Solo With Rod McKuen Album
Aaron Freeman, better known as Gene Ween of Ween, has set a April 10th release date for his solo debut, 'Marvelous Clouds'.

The album features 13 heartfelt interpretations of songs written by 20th century poet/songwriter, Rod McKuen.

'Marvelous Clouds' reunites Freeman with Ben Vaughn, who produced Ween's classic '12 Golden Country Greats.' more on this story

Sons Of Bill Giving Away Song From New Album
Sons Of Bill have set a March 27th release date for their new album Sirens and are offering a free song download from the effort.

The album was produced by long-time fan, and fellow Virginian, David Lowery (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven).

To get fans excited, Sons Of Bill has released new song "Santa Ana Winds," a haunting tale set to a fury of piano and power chords, for free download here.

Lamb Of God Set For Album Release Week In-Store Appearances
Lamb Of God will be holding in-store signings in New Jersey, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Toronto.

The events are to celebrate the January 24th release of their brand new studio album, Resolution.

The in-stores will last 90 minutes on a first come first served basis and will take place during the album's release week. more on this story

Lita Ford To Deliver Living Like A Runaway This Spring
Lita Ford's new album "Living Like A Runaway" is tentatively set for a May 2012 release under her new record deal with SPV/Steamhammer.

Lita spoke about her work with Gary Hoey on the album and the meaning of the album's title: "Gary Hoey and I wanted to approach this record by getting back to basics. We want to strip away all the electronics and plug-ins and keep it to vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. Going back to basics is going back to what punk, metal and The Runways was for me.

"Living Like A Runaway" means freedom and empowerment. To do what I want and to pursue my dreams while answering to no one." more on this story

The Day Johnny Cash Rocked Folsom Prison
(Gibson) On this day in 1968, Johnny Cash played a show, which was recorded for his forthcoming live album, at Folsom Prison, near Sacramento, California in front of 2,000 inmates. Gibson takes a look back:

Johnny Cash had his share of troubles and vices in his lifetime, but he never did prison time. Despite this, nobody in music history is more associated with the clink than the Man in Black. It's interesting that Cash is much more tied to the struggles and frustrations of prison life than the legions of pop, rock and country music stars who have actually had to serve a sentence.

The legendary country singer first learned of prison life – particularly, life in Folsom State Prison – through the movies. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force Security Service in 1953, when his unit watched the film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. It was that movie that inspired Cash to write one of his early songs, "Folsom Prison Blues," in which he imagined what a prisoner felt like. After signing with Sun Records, "Folsom Prison Blues" became Cash's second single – a #1 country hit and a Top 40 pop hit in 1955.

Although Cash had never been in prison, he apparently captured the feeling of being incarcerated perfectly. The song became very popular with those doing time, who wrote letters to the country star thanking him for writing the tune and sometimes asking him to come perform at their prisons. By 1957, he obliged some inmates, by performing at Huntsville State Prison. The event went over so well that Cash continued this practice, playing concerts at prisons around the U.S. He had the idea for recording a live album at one such show, although the proposal was rejected by the country executives at Columbia Records

Favorite David Bowie Songs List Is Flawed!

Life On Mars has topped a list of David Bowie’s most-loved songs. The poll was created by UK website Digital Spy to celebrate the singer’s 65th birthday this week. The top ten and their percentage of the votes are as follows:

1. Life on Mars? (21.4%)
2. Heroes (12.5%)
3. Ashes to Ashes (7.3%)
4. Let’s Dance (6.1%)
5. Starman (5.9%)
6. Space Oddity (4.6%)
7. Changes (3.3%)
8. Ziggy Stardust (3.3%)
9. The Man Who Sold the World (3.2%)
10. Magic Dance (2.5%)

VAN HALEN - US RETAILERS GET PREVIEW & JAPANESE RELEASE:

Van Halen's A Different Kind Of Truth album has appeared for pre-sale around the world in the past few days. Australia will get the first taste of the album officially, with the February 3 release. In Japan the date is February 8 - the only bonus Japanese fans will get is a SHM-CD format disc plus a free poster with each CD or CD/DVD ordered. If interested, pre-order via CD Japan.

In related news, I heard from one retailer in the US that was invited to a playback of the album. He commented to me: "Overall, heavier than I expected. Highlights were China Town, Stay Frosty (think Ice Cream Man), Big River, Beats Workin' (reminds you of DOA in the verse). She's The Woman is a great track, we all thought it was a better track than the single."
Security for the presentation was super tight though - with the exec from Interscope flying in especially with a coded CD and then taking it back with him when he left. Seems the powers that be are doing everything possible to prevent a leak of the album.

Today's Day In Rock

Dave Grohl Explains What Is Killing Music
(Banana 101.5) Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently addressed what he believes to be "the problem with the music industry," calling it more a lack of quality than a lack of interest.
Recently Grohl spoke with Billboard and was asked about the problems plaguing the industry, to which he responded: "Someone asked me recently, 'What do you think the problem with the music industry is?' I said, 'take the Adele record, for example. It's an amazing record and everybody's so shocked that it's such a phenomenon. I'm not. You know why that record's huge? Because it's f—ing good and it's real. Now imagine if all records were that good. Do you think only one of them would sell? F— no! All of them would. If all records were that good the music business would be on fire, but they're not.'"

Grohl was also quick to dismiss the journalistic cliche that his beloved rock & roll is dead: "There's always gonna be rock'n'roll bands, there's always gonna be kids that love rock'n'roll records, and there will always be rock'n'roll. I travel all over the world and play music, and it's easy to think rock'n'roll has gone away when you're in a country like America. We just got back from a trip Down Under, we did a tour of Australia and New Zealand where we were pulling 40,000-50,000 people a night, selling out stadiums. To me, that means rock'n'roll is alive and well." He's not done!



Red Hot Chili Peppers Tour Postponed By Injury
We have bad news for Red Hot Chili Peppers fans. The group have been forced to postpone their North American tour due to multiple foot injuries sustained by lead singer Anthony Kiedis.

Kiedis recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery.

Tickets for the postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled dates. The band is touring in support of most recent album I'm With You. more on this story

Velvet Revolver One-Off Reunion Opens Door To More?
(Rock News Desk) Velvet Revolver's reunion with sacked singer Scott Weiland is a deliberate attempt at grabbing headlines, admits guitarist Dave Kushner. But now they've confirmed a one-off show together in Los Angeles this week, there's the possibility to working together again in the future.

Kushner understood a reunion with Weiland would generate headlines, and admits that was his prime motive in calling the singer up. "If you're gonna do this, you want to raise some serious money, then put all caution aside. Because we hadn't played with Scott in a long time, I said 'look, let's just do three songs.' It's not too much of a commitment."

But the guitarist accepts the show will put thoughts of a more permanent arrangement into many people's heads, especially since VR have tried without success to replace the singer since he returned to Stone Temple Pilots. "As for more shows, everyone's got other commitments," Kushner says. "But I think everyone's like, 'Let's get this thing done and get through this'. Then we'll see." more on this story



Steven Tyler Talks New Aerosmith Album
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler provided an update on the new Aerosmith album during an American Idol press conference for the Television Critics Association on the weekend.

"All of it's been written but I've got to lay lyrics on it and I haven't had a lot of time," said Tyler, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

"What I've listened to so far knocked me out. I know a good song and I know what gets played on the radio. I'm not that pretentious to say we've got hits, but we've got something and that's all that matters." more on this story



Experience Hendrix Tour Adds Dates and Taj Mahal and The Doors Krieger
The Experience Hendrix Tour has been expanded not only with new dates but with some extra star power from Taj Mahal, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and Eric Gales.

Here is the official word with more details: These unique concerts bring together an all-star line-up of musical greats playing homage to the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.

In addition to the performances initially announced concerts will now take place in Denver, Wichita, Tulsa, Colorado City, Springfield, MO, and Orlando, Florida. Demand for tickets has now created unprecedented second show on March 25 in Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. more on this story

Biohazard Giving Away New Album
Biohazard will be giving away their new album "Reborn In Defiance" as a free download starting next week. We were provided these details:

The first such promotion ever launched, the record will be available for free download off of Revolver Magazine's website revolvermag.com starting January 20th 2012 as well as through the technology offered by Repudo.com.

Fans can check into Biohazard "Containment Zones" (record stores, venues, and more) across the United States using the Repudo app on their smart phones and download the new record directly to their phones or send it to their email inbox. more on this story


Nickelback, Seether, My Darkest Days and Bush Tour
Nickelback have announced a massive North American tour which will also feature Bush, Seether and My Darkest Days.

The trek kicks off on April 10th in Moline, Illinois at the i wireless Center and dates are confirmed through June 26th at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.

Nickelback will perform songs from the recently released seventh studio album, Here And Now, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 following its November 21, 2011. more on this story



Refused Reunite
(Rock News Desk) Legendary hardcore band Refused have plans to reunite at this year's Coachella Festival in April.

It will be the hardcore veterans' first show since splitting in 1998. The band say: "In the fourteen years since our band came apart, there have been offers, but a reunion has just seemed irrelevant to us. Too much other sh*t to do. Finally, after a decade and a half hiatus, the four of us suddenly started making new music in assorted constellations.

"Coachella got in touch and one of us basically said 'let's just do it one last time.' We wanna do it over, do it right, for the people who have kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes. More rock news



Cotton Mather's Lost Album To Be Released
Cotton Mather fans who have wanting to get their hands on the group's hard to find 1997 album Kontiki will be getting a Valentine's Day gift from the band as they have announced plans to finally give the album a proper release.

"People have certain assumptions when they hear 're-release,'" says Harrison. "But, if our US label at the time only printed two thousand copies and sent it to rarified writers and overseas, was it ever released in the US at all?"

Truly, it seems that most everyone that got to hear Kontiki, an album that has since gone on to be considered an influential, albeit hard-to-acquire classic, were those it actually influenced. In the US, early supporter Britt Daniel of Spoon talked about Kontiki as an inspiration and Little Steven Van Zandt of the E-Street Band gave it generous play on his nationally syndicated radio show. While the record never had a chance commercially in America, in the UK the album was an instant smash in the press, earning raves from Mojo, Uncut and The Guardian upon its European release. When Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis discovered the record, they talked about it in interviews, and ultimately invited Cotton Mather on tour. more on this story



Deftones and Far Supergroup Crosses Set New Release and Live Dates
(Banana 101.5) Crosses, the side project featuring Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, Far's Shaun Lopez, and Scott Chuck, will be following up their debut EP with yet another short form release later this month and will be playing some live shows.

Last August Crosses quietly surfaced with a free download of their debut EP '†††.' The debut was just the first chunk of 16 completed songs the band plans to release via EP, they also contributed the track 'The Years' to the soundtrack for the popular 'Batman: Arkham City' video game.

Now Crosses have dropped the unusual trailer for the next EP release '††' — which will be available January 24th. It has also been reported that Deftones have a new album planned for 2012, as does Moreno's other side project Team Sleep. Crosses also have some live dates



Alice In Chains Working On New Album
(hennemusic) As previously reported, Alice In Chains are hitting the studio this year to record a new album.

Rolling Stone now reports guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell confirms the band will be working on the follow-up to 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue," which was their first album featuring new singer William Duvall.

"We started writing last year," Cantrell told the magazine at the recent Dimebash tribute in L.A., the annual show in honor late guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. More from Jerry here.



Dream Theater Deep Purple Supergroup Flying Colors Set Debut
Flying Colors, the new supergroup headed up by Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and Steve Morse (Deep Purple) will release their self-titled debut album in the UK on Monday March 26th, followed by a US release on Tuesday March 27th.

The group also features Dave LaRue, Neal Morse and Casey McPherson and began with a simple idea: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way.

Portnoy shares, "This album has bits and pieces of what you'd expect from each of us. However, the sum of all its parts led to brand new, unchartered territory for all involved." more on this story


Neil Peart Gives New Rush Album Update
(hennemusic) In a new essay by Rush's Neil Peart entitled "At The Gate Of The Year," the drummer reflects on his life as he enters his 60th year, recounting some of his stories from 2011 during a time of reflection over the recent holiday season.

Along the way, Neil provides some enthusiastic insight into the recording process for the forthcoming Rush record, "Clockwork Angels." Here's a sample of Neil's Rush news update: Most recently, I had been recording in Toronto with my bandmates, from mid-October until early December. We completed the songwriting and arranging for the album, Clockwork Angels, we started back in late 2009—before going "on hiatus" for the Time Machine tour, and playing 81 shows in North America, South America, and Europe. (Some hiatus.)

While Alex and Geddy were finishing the writing and arranging in one smaller room of the studio, over in the big room I was working with The Mighty Booujzhe, recording my drum parts. As we prepare to start mixing in the New Year, it is too early to say anything about the results. (I once described mixing as "the end of waiting," while Geddy calls it, "the death of hope.") More here.


Alter Bridge Fan Left Empty Handed
(Rock News Desk) A young Alter Bridge fan says his first-ever rock concert experience has been ruined after he bought a live recording of the show after the event, but got home to find the memory stick was blank.

When his dad complained to the company behind the sale, they claimed they'd mailed a replacement FIVE DAYS before the show they attended.

Eddie Trainer of Glasgow, Scotland, took his son Elliot to see the band on November 27 last year. Elliot, who was 16 at the time, purchased a £20 live recording on USB stick in the venue from Aderra Media Technologies. When they arrived home Elliot discovered the stick was blank. Find out what happened next.


Pelican To Release New Music This Spring
Pelican have set an April 10th released date for a new four song EP called Ataraxia/Taraxis. We were sent this background on the release:

With members now residing in separate cities, the EP represents a new chapter in the band's evolution with a reenergized focus on composition and the utilization of the recording studio as a creative tool in the songwriting process, yielding one of the most diverse efforts in the band's prolific discography.

The four new songs highlight the manifold sonic strengths of the band by delving into moments of triumphant melodic rock, smokey doom, ambient soundscape, acoustic desert-folk, and minimalist electronics. In contrast to the EP's origin as the product of four different recording studios, including stints with engineers Sanford Parker (Twilight, Circle of Animals, Nachtmystium) and Aaron Harris (ISIS), the carefully crafted track listing boasts a cohesive narrative flow, lending the release an epic feel worthy of a full album. more on this story



Tigertailz Lose A Member
(Rock News Desk) Tigertailz have announced that they have parted ways with bassist Sarah Firebrand. The band has this to say about the split:

"The last thing the band needed right now was another line-up change, but unfortunately as a band we're not functioning and a change was needed to move forward. We would like to thank Sarah for all she's done and wish her all the best for the future. Our priority is the longevity of Tigertailz and to raise as much money as possible for the Amser Justin Time charity which helps people suffering from pancreatic cancer."

Firebrand says: "I am very disappointed at the decision, but I would like to thank the band for giving me this opportunity. I'm especially delighted to have been part of the 20th anniversary Bezerk live album. I look forward to my next exciting musical adventure." More rock news



John Fogerty Says Other Members Killed Creedence Clearwater Revival Reunion
(Rock News Desk) John Fogerty was prepared to open the door for a reunion of Creedence Clearwater Revival, but says it was his former bandmates, and not him, who prevented it happening. And now there's no chance of the much-vaunted gathering taking place.

CCR split in acrimony in 1972 and rhythm guitarist Tom, John's brother, died in 1990 without having made peace with his sibling. The last time all four members played together was at Tom's wedding in 1980, but in the following decade relations worsened through a series of legal actions.

While survivors Stu Cook and Doug Clifford had campaigned for a reunion in the past, they appeared to go off the idea. So when Fogerty started sending positive signals, the pair seemed not to believe there was no ulterior motive. It all plays out here.


Joe Bonamassa and Slash Receive Guitar International Awards
(Gibson) Guitar International feted Gibson heroes Joe Bonamassa and Slash last week with major awards. Joe Bonamassa was voted Guitarist of the Year in honor of his new album Dustbowl and Black Country Communion's world tour and live DVD.

"Though still a young 34 years of age, this guitar slinger has accomplished more than most players could imagine to achieve in a lifetime, and 2011 was a testament to the hard work, dedication and hours spent in the practice room and on the bandstand by this guitar great," Guitar International said in a statement.

And our man Slash was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. "A guitarist who has revived his career (twice, with his recent solo albums after Velvet Revolver's demise), played with Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and many more music icons, and held his commitment to rock over his entire career certainly deserves Guitar International's Lifetime Achievement Award. And with his impeccable track record, one can only assume Slash has much more rock 'n' roll in the tank." more on this story




Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Announce American Dates
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds have announced plans to return to the North American this Spring for select tour dates.

The new dates will kick off in Washington, DC on March 28th and will include performances on April 14th and 21st at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The festival takes place over two weekends in Indio, California. Other acts confirmed for the 14th and 21st include Radiohead and The Shins. more on this story



Twin Atlantic Spring Tour
Twin Atlantic will follow their North American tour with The Swellers and You Me At Six with a UK headlining tour.

They are hitting the road in support of their debut album, "Free" which was the biggest selling record by a UK rock band in 2011 according to the tour announcement.

"Our tour at the end of 2011 was incredible but we feel like we still have room to grow. It's been a slow and steady race for us over the last few years and this tour will mark our 5 year anniversary as a band! The fans that we have gathered over that time is something we are really proud of and we can't wait to have you all, along with new intrigued human beings, in the same room again so we can experience the feeling that makes being in this band so damn exciting. Perhaps new music? Perhaps a bigger show? Perhaps exploding planetsand flying cats dressed like babies? It's all a work in progress to make this our best tour yet! Ridiculous tour name to follow." - Twin Atlantic.

STEVE PERRY LENDS A HAND AGAIN:

Steve Perry is involved in another EBay charity auction - part of the proceeds this time around are going toward awareness of Parkinson's Disease. Here is the link: www.ebay.com/itm/330667616954.

Today's Day In Rock

Black Sabbath Cancel Festival Appearance Due To Iommi's Cancer?
(hennemusic) Billboard reports multiple music industry sources have told them that Black Sabbath was one of the planned headliners for this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, but was forced to pull out just before Monday's official lineup announcement due to guitarist Tony Iommi's recent lymphoma diagnosis.
Had Sabbath participated in the event, it would have been the first – or one of the first – shows for the reunited original lineup, whose 2012 tour is currently set to launch May 18 in Moscow.

Iommi, 63, is working with his doctors to determine the best course of treatment. It is unknown if further live dates will be affected by his diagnosis, including a previously announced headlining slot at the Download Festival in England in early June. more on this story


Wanna Sing for Killswitch Engage?
(Banana 101.5) Killswitch Engage are looking to continue work on their next album without vocalist Howard Jones. The band just announced that they will accept audition tapes via their website in hopes that they will find a suitable replacement.

KSE have begun the ever-daunting task of replacing a beloved vocalist. The band had started to work on new material with Jones when they realized his "heart wasn't in it," and then decided to move forward without their singer of 10 years. The singer-less metal group addressed the many questions regarding the vacant slot in a message posted to their official website:

"We've been getting a lot of inquiries about the singer position. If you are interested, please send an MP3 or a song link, a photo and a brief description of yourself to the management email address provided in the contact section of KillswitchEngage.com." more on this story



Paul McCartney New Album Details
Paul McCartney has released details about his forthcoming album, which has been dubbed titled 'Kisses On The Bottom' and is set for North American release on February 7, 2012.

We were provided the tracklisting and these details: The album is a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with a tribute to his personal favourites- plus two new McCartney compositions.

Paul has apparently had some fun with his choice of album title—while causing some confusion amongst those who have historically subjected his every move to microscopic scrutiny (with many fixating on an anatomical interpretation!). The phrase 'Kisses On The Bottom,' however, actually comes from the album's opener 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter'. Originally made a big hit by Fats Waller in 1935, the song opens with the lines 'I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter and make believe it came from you. I'm gonna write words oh so sweet. They're gonna knock me off of my feet. A lot of kisses on the bottom, I'll be glad I got 'em'. more on this story



Eddie Van Halen Donates 75 Of His Guitars To Public Schools
(HPM) Eddie Van Halen has donated 75 electric guitars from his personal collection to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports music education in public schools across the country.

Per Van Halen's request, the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation will distribute the guitars to music programs in public schools throughout the Los Angeles area where there are not enough instruments to meet the demand of students enrolled.

"Music is the universal language. It has the ability to transcend and convey every human emotion that exists without saying a word. Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me. Music education and families are dealing with the economic times, and I wanted to help them. If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that's a wonderful thing. Music has provided a good life for me and hopefully it can help make life better for others with this donation." Said Van Halen. more on this story



The Polyphonic Spree Announce North American Tour Plans
The Polyphonic Spree have announced their first North American tour dates in more than four years.

The "You + Me" tour will see the band, whose membership currently numbers 21 musicians and choir members, return to the intimate venues that they started out on a decade ago.

The tour begins February 6 in Tulsa, followed by dates across the Southeast before returning home to Texas for shows in Houston, Austin and Dallas. See below for a list of confirmed dates; East and West Coast dates will follow in late winter and spring. more on this story



Mars Volta, Animals As Leaders and Suicidal Tendencies Supergroup
Mars Volta, Animals As Leaders and Suicidal Tendencies supergroup T.R.A.M. will release their debut album, Lingua Franca on February 28th.

We received the following background: It's extremely rare to come across a new band that just flips the script of conventionality throwing caution to the wind, but the debut effort from T.R.A.M. does just that while blazing a trail of creativity that will quickly turn heads across the world. This unit will be referred to by many as a "supergroup," however the members of this dynamic unit aren't in this for any reason but to use it as a platform to further express their art without limitations or any preconceived notions.

T.R.A.M. is comprised of such renowned musically proficient artists as Adrian Terrazas (The Mars Volta) on saxophone, flute, bass clarinet and percussion, Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders) on guitars, Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders) on guitars and Eric Moore (Suicidal Tendencies) on drums. This is a group of likeminded individuals that are naturally gifted and the collaboration of their unique talents results in something truly amazing. more on this story



KISS Destroyer 35th Anniversary Edition Coming
(hennemusic) KISS are marking the 35th Anniversary of their 1976 classic, "Destroyer," next month. Universal Music in Denmark has set a February 27 European release date (Feb 28 in North America) for the Deluxe Edition of the album.

The 2CD set will feature remixes of the original LP by producer Bob Ezrin, outtakes from the original sessions, and include the record's original cover art.

The legendary cover was painted by Ken Kelly; his original version of the album cover was rejected by the record company because they felt the scene was too violent looking with the rubble and flames. In addition, the original version had the band members wearing their "Alive!"-era costumes, which were updated for the album and tour. more on this story



Angels & Airwaves For KROQ Radio and Web Special
Angels & Airwaves have added an additional date to their upcoming Southern California tour and announced a radio/web broadcast for later this month.

Serving as a launch pad for their upcoming world tour beginning in Brisbane, Australia on February 25, AVA's SoCal dates include shows at House of Blues in Anaheim on Sunday, January 22; Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara on January 25; Los Angeles on Thursday, January 26 (venue TBA); Belly Up in Solana Beach on February 1. A fifth show has just been announced for the Glass House in Pomona on February 2

AVA will perform at the "Sound Space at KROQ," fusing together an on-air broadcast with a live USTREAM webcast. At 3:00 pm PST on Tuesday, January 24, fans are invited to take a front row seat at this new "global" venue here.

"Five years of hard work are finally being realized in 2012. While it has been quite a rollercoaster ride, we are happy to have succeeded in making this a band of true 'dreamers/modernists,'" said Tom DeLonge, frontman for Angels & Airwaves. "This month, we launch our much anticipated year with a few intimate shows in Southern California, but we plan to return soon with a full not-so-secret 'LOVE' experience."



Jane's Addiction Set For Theatre of the Escapists Tour
Jane's Addiction have announced cities for their upcoming North American tour, dubbed "Theatre of the Escapists," in support of their latest album The Great Escape Artist.

The trek will feature support from Black Box Revelation and will bring the band to intimate venues, most of which are classic theatres.

"We chose to play as many of the great theatres that we could find because we wanted to immerse the audience in a unique experience unlike any they have ever seen at a rock show," says Farrell. "Expect an orgy of musical and visual delights. We like orgies, and hope you do too." more on this story



Radiohead Expand Tour Plans
(Gibson) Radiohead have added a batch of West Coast dates to their upcoming tour. The announced concert will precede the band's two-show stint at Coachella on April 14 and 21, according to Spinner.

Before then, Radiohead will bring music from last year's The King of Limbs to Seattle on April 9, San Jose, California, on April 11 and Santa Barbara, California, on April 12. The band have already announced 10 U.S. shows, beginning in February in Miami.

In addition, Thom Yoke and pals have added another date to their summer international schedule – July 25 in Taipei, Taiwan. Radiohead are already scheduled to play in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. more on this story





Sevendust Members Form New Band
(Banana 101.5) Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery and drummer Morgan Rose have put together a new band called Call Me No One and plan to hit the studio very soon.

Sevendust fans will have plenty of side projects to keep them occupied until the Atlanta hard rockers release the follow-up to 2010′s 'Cold Day Memory' — which they plan to begin writing soon with the goal of a 2013 release.

Guitarist Clint Lowery's side band Dark New Day will finally release 'New Tradition' — an album recorded in 2007 that was never released — on February 28th, right around the time he plans to enter the studio with yet another side project. more on this story



Chickenfoot Deliver Different Devil
(hennemusic) Chickenfoot have just released the third single from their "Chickenfoot III" album.

"Different Devil" surfaces just prior to the band's week-long Road Test tour dates across Europe, which begin January 12 in Manchester.

"Different Devil" represents a mid-tempo track from the band, following the first two rockers from the record – "Big Foot" and "Three And A Half Letters." more on this story



God Is An Astronaut Catalog Remastered For Their 10th Anniversary
God Is An Astronaut have remastered and repackaged their entire catalog to mark their 10th anniversary.

Digital downloads are available now, CD's will ship on January 20 and vinyl copies are expected later this year. Fans can purchase the remastered albums here.

Hailing from Glen of the Downs, Ireland, GIAA is comprised of Torsten Kinsella (guitar), Niels Kinsella (bass, visuals), Lloyd Hanney (drums) and Jamie Dean (piano/synths), who collectively have become one of the most widely celebrated underground post-rock, instrumental bands in the world, amassing a cult following of millions through word of mouth since their epic 2002 debut The End of the Beginning. more on this story



Baltic Guitar Quartet Does Metallica Classics
(hennemusic) Metallica at the Philharmonic. It happened last month at The Berliner Philharmonie, a concert hall in Berlin, Germany.

The Baltic Guitar Quartet presented an original programme at the famed German venue, where a part of the concert was performed together with double bass virtuoso Guy David Tuneh.

The unique ensemble collaborated on versions of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven." Check out video here.



AC/DC's Debut Single eBayed
(Gibson) "Can I Sit Next to You Girl?" the debut single from AC/DC, has been sold to a fan for $1,225 on eBay.

The song was only released in Australia and features vocals from the band's original singer Dave Evans.

The single was released in May of 1975 and climbed to #19 on the Australian chart. The band re-recorded the track for their TNT album. Listen to the song here.



Muddy Waters Son Releasing Debut Album
Severn Records has announced a March 20 release date for Son of the Seventh Son, the label debut from Larry "Mud" Morganfield, son of the legendary Muddy Waters. Severn Records is distributed nationally by City Hall Records.

Recorded in Chicago and produced by Bob Corritore, Son of the Seventh Son features Mud Morganfield's earthy, soulful vocals backed by a cadre of blues all-stars, including Kenny Smith on drums, Rick Kreher and Billy Flynn on guitar, Barrelhouse Chuck on keyboards, E.G. McDaniel on bass, and Harmonica Hines and Bob Corritore on harp.

"I just couldn't have done this without those cats, man," Morganfield told writer Terry Mullins in an interview published in Blues Blast Magazine. "They brought something to the studio that will forever live in my heart. It brought out the best in me. It's a great CD, some of the best work I've done so far. It's got one great song after another on it." more on this story



God Forbid Finish Album and Announce Shows
God Forbid will celebrate the completion of their forthcoming album with two northeast area headlining shows.

Guitarist Doc Coyle says of the band's desire to play shows, "With only one show in 2011 and 2 months spent in the recording studio, we have been itching to get out and play. We thought it would be a great idea to get into an intimate setting in our area for the real GF fans. Expect to hear some new songs and some old cuts that haven't played in awhile. 2012 will be a great year!"

God Forbid Headlining Shows will take place on Feb 18th - Brooklyn, NY @ St. Vitus (Support TBA) and on Feb 24th - Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz w/ Bound Alive, Lesson in Violence & More TBA


Mayday Parade and We The Kings Tour
Mayday Parade will hit the road next month for a North American co-headlining tour with We The Kings.

The trek will be kicking off February 2 in Louisville, Kentucky. This 4-week trek comes on the heels of a recent sold out headlining tour, and takes the band to both coasts. Downtown Fiction and Anarbor will support.

Co-produced by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, Mayday Parade marks a return to their songwriting roots; the entire album was self-written in a collaborative effort by the five band mates. more on this story



Mike Patton Scoring New Movie
(Sub) Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Mr. Bungle) is set to provide the score for The Place Beyond The Pines.

Patton was selected by writer/director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) to score the film which stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes.

Patton is also currently working on a new Tomahawk album with a projected late summer release date. more on this story


Omar & the Howlers Announce Special Record Release Show
Ruf Records will release Omar & the Howlers' Essential Collection, a special 2-CD set, on February 14 and have announced a special appearance that evening.

The twin-disc pack is comprised of one CD titled "The Best of," while the second one is called "Omar's Picks," which are songs that "represent a snapshot of influences and heroes throughout my career and are special to me for one reason or another," says Omar.

Omar & the Howlers will celebrate the release of the new album with a special in-store performance at Waterloo Records in Austin on February 14 at 5PM Central Time. more on this story



Former Motograter Members Return With Riven
Former Motograter members, lead by vocalist Michael "Angel" Woodruff, have announced their new project, Riven.

Riven is an ambient hard rock/metal ensemble featuring Angel and Harris on vocals, Nosler on guitar, Hole on bass and Twitch on drums. "We're really excited about the new sound and the energy that is surrounding the band right now", says Angel, "We're able to express ourselves in ways we may not have been able to in the past".

Tour announcements will be made in the near future. Meanwhile, the band is working hard in the studio, recording with Ahrue Luster of Ill Nino, as well as promoting their arrival with FM and Internet radio interviews all over the world. Check em out here.



Prototype Catalyst Details
Prototype have released the tracklisting for their third full length album, "Catalyst," which is set for release in the coming months via Nightmare Records.

Nearly 2 years in the making, "Catalyst" is a science fiction themed concept album featuring 12 tracks and over 60 minutes of all new music.

The effort was produced by Prototype and is currently being mixed by Neil Kernon. "Catalyst" will be mastered by Alan Douches and artwork will once again be created by Travis Smith. The release date for the album will be announced soon. more on this story



Recap of First Cory Smoot Tribute Show
(Freeman) On Saturday night, January 7th, 2012, the metal community took another step in dealing with the tragic death of long-time GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot by holding the first of two events in a three-show schedule of shows designed to support the Smoot Family Foundation and honor the life of this prolific artist, who died of a heart attack this past November at the age of only 34.

Cory had played the role of Flattus Maximus in the world's most infamous band for eleven years, as well as participated in many side projects, while at the same time producing and engineering tons of records at his always busy Karma Studios. In doing so he had become a treasured part of the local and national metal scene, and they turned out in force to both events, opening their hearts to Cory's family in a completely selfless display of solidarity, respect, and generosity.

Cory's widow, Jaime, who is pregnant with Cory's child, had this message for the fans- "I want to sincerely thank ALL the friends and fans for their amazing donations and support!! Thanks to Eve and Brent for organizing the events, to the businesses that contributed raffle prizes, and to the venues and bands for making the shows awesome!! You guys made Cory, the baby and me very proud!" more on this story


Nothnegal Delay American Album Release
Nothnegal have delayed the North American release of their new album Decadence to February 28th, 2012. It will be released internationally on January 20th.

Decadence is mixed by Greg Reely (Fear Factory, Machine Head, DevilDriver) and Ahti Kortelainen (Sentenced, Sonarta Arctica). Decadence marks the first official full-length release from Nothnegal.

Nothnegal will be performing select dates in India this winter. See all currently booked dates here



J Geils Band Freeze Frame InTheStudio This Week
(Sub) The latest installment InTheStudio: The Stories Behind Historyʼs Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 30th anniversary of The J Geils Band's No. 1 selling album Freeze Frame.

Hailing from Boston, The J Geils Band went from regionally successful club act to one of the most popular live bands of the ʻ70s. After 14 years on the road and 11 albums the # 1 Billboard single "Centerfold" gave the band its just reward, a HIT album.

Peter Wolf reminisces to In the Studio host Redbeard about what fueled The J Geils Band for all those years and how it felt to finally be on top. "One of the things about the Geils Band, we really werenʼt that ambitious about having a zillion seller or something. We never really went into rockʼnʼroll to make money, we went into rockʼnʼroll so maybe we didnʼt have to work 9 to 5.

"It was probably the happiest time in my life, because we were doing tours where every place was sold out and thatʼs a performers dream... All the touring, all the one nighters and all the driving in station wagons and sleeping in funky hotels and funky dressing rooms, finally, there was a certain sense of respect coming back to the band."

J Geils Band/ InTheStudio show will air this week. Stream it here.


Say Anything Set New Album Release
Equal Vision Records have set a March 13th, 2012 release date for Say Anything's fourth studio album.

The new album, Anarchy, My Dear, was produced by Tim O'Heir (Say Anything, Sebadoh, Superdrag).

Say Anything is currently planning an extensive North American tour. Details are forthcoming but for now they have released the tracklisting for the new album. more on this story



Dying Fetus Kick Off Tour Tonight
Dying Fetus are kicking off their South American headlining tour tonight in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Asbury Bar.

The tour runs through January 18th where it will wrap up in Armenia, Columbia at Boston Avenue Bar.

Dying Fetus are currently working on their new album, entitled "Reign Supreme" which is set to be released in mid 2012 through Relapse Records. more on this story



Prong Update On New Album
(Freeman) Prong check in as they put the final touches on Carved Into Stone, their forthcoming studio album with producer Steve Evetts.

Says guitarist, vocalist and Prong founder Tommy Victor of the making of the album: "It was hardest I've ever worked in the studio on any record I've ever been involved with."

Prong (whose lineup includes bassist Tony Campos and drummer Alexei Rodriguez) has taken a major step forward in their constantly evolving brand of sonic schematics. more on this story



Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze
(Gibson) On this day in 1967, The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded "Purple Haze." Jimi also signed to the new record label Track Records on this day. Gibson takes a look back:

Before it became part of the soundtrack to the Summer of Love, before it became the musical representation of an acid trip, before it became one of the greatest rock songs of all time, before it became Jimi Hendrix's signature tune… "Purple Haze" was recorded by Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding on this day in 1967.

The song that was to become The Jimi Hendrix Experience's second single was reportedly written in late 1966. According to Hendrix's manager, Chas Chandler, Hendrix was playing the riff backstage at a gig and Chandler encouraged him to put lyrics to the music. But there is plenty of debate as to when that happened or what the original lyrics contained. It's been reported that Jimi penned the words while in the dressing room of the Upper Cut Club on Boxing Day in '66. Hendrix later said that the lyrics were shortened later, but Chandler claimed that the words were recorded as written.

As far as Hendrix's inspiration for the song goes, "Purple Haze" had nothing to do with drug use. In 1969, he told NME that the song "was all about a dream I had that I was walking under the sea." The guitar legend claimed that the phrase, "Purple Haze," came from a science-fiction story. He also said that the tune was really a love song, pointing to the key lyric: "Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me."

Van Halen Delivers Big Nostalgia on a Small Stage

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
January 6, 2012

When the band Van Halen played in a cramped basement club in Greenwich Village on Thursday, a couple dozen fans clustered around the back door, listening to the slightly muffled strains of hard-rock songs like “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher” like children eavesdropping on an adult conversation in the next room.

One of them, George D’Anna, 50, had a plastic shopping bag containing a program from one of the band’s early tours in the late 1970s and several Van Halen albums — the old-fashioned kind, on vinyl. On the paper sleeve covering “Women and Children First” he had written all the Van Halen concerts he had attended as a young man when he first got hooked on the group, beginning with a show at a Manhattan nightclub in May 1979.

Eddie Van Halen’s dazzling guitar solos bewitched him — the superfast runs, bell-tone harmonics and almost animal-like sounds.

“I snuck in with a friend to see them at the Palladium,” Mr. D’Anna recalled. “They were different than any band. Eddie’s guitar was different.”

There was no way to sneak in to see Van Halen on Thursday. Metal barriers had been set up around the front door of Cafe Wha? on Macdougal Street, and a team of bouncers and promoters was checking the driver’s license of everyone in line to make sure they were on a carefully selected list of guests. Several police officers had been assigned by the local precinct to control whatever crowds developed.

The guest list included seemingly every music writer in the city; scores of people from the music industry with miscellaneous friends in tow; and a handful of celebrities, among them Jimmy Fallon and John McEnroe.

Van Halen is a heavy-metal quartet that can still fill arenas and stadiums with ease. Ostensibly the reason the band did a concert in a club that holds perhaps 250 was to announce a new tour of 45 cities and to promote the release of a fresh studio album in February, the first they have recorded with the band’s original frontman, David Lee Roth, since 1984.

Although Mr. Roth’s rambling monologues onstage Thursday covered many topics, including Lady Gaga and his working as a medic in the Bronx in recent years, he never actually made the announcement about the tour. Instead it was posted on the band’s Web site.

The new album, “A Different Kind of Truth,” will be released on Feb. 7 by Interscope Records, and the tour begins in Louisville, Ky., the following week. Van Halen will play Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28 and March 1.

But Mr. Roth did expound on his motive for wanting to rock out at Cafe Wha?, a club where many famous rockers and folk musicians, including Bob Dylan, played in the 1960s and ’70s. His uncle Manny Roth, 92, owned the club in the 1960s and laid the marble floor himself.

After the band had delivered a tight and joyous rendition of “Hot for Teacher,” David Lee Roth recounted how he had been brought to the club when he was only 7 and saw his uncle appeal to the audience to help a young folk singer then known as Bobby Zimmerman find a place to stay. Manny Roth beamed at his nephew from a booth near the stage.

“This is a temple,” David Lee Roth said. “This is a very special place, and I am more nervous about this gig than I would ever be at the Garden. There is no hiding up here. There are no fake vocals. There is no fake anything.”

There was some truth to those words. Removed from their stadium-size pedestal and placed on the foot-high stage, Van Halen seemed to be reduced to its elements: the blues-rock power trio; the unwavering drum lines of Alex Van Halen, Eddie’s brother; the soaring virtuosity of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work; and Mr. Roth’s endearing and gutsy vocals. (The band’s former bass player, Michael Anthony, has been replaced in this incarnation of the band by Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie’s son.)

And what they did pleased many in the crowd. That was no small feat, since their die-hard fans were outside in the cold, and some of the most discerning critics in the music business were listening.

Van Halen started with a roaring version of “You Really Got Me,” the Kinks cover that was one of Van Halen’s early successes, then played with gusto through several of their biggest hits: “Dance the Night Away,” “Panama,” “Hot for Teacher” and “Jump.” They also unveiled a previously unreleased song, “She’s the Woman,” that is on the recently recorded album but that dates back to the late ’70s.

For some in the audience the songs triggered a nostalgic response. Jonathan Cohen, who books bands for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” could not stop dancing and singing along with the lyrics. He said that “1984” was the first album he bought for himself and he recalled leaving the dinner table early to watch the debut of the video for “Hot for Teacher” on television.

“It was the first time rock ‘n’ roll was really connecting with me in a major way,” he said. “There really aren’t new bands that sound like this.”

Seated nearby, Kirk Douglas, the guitarist with the hip-hop and neo-soul group the Roots, said he felt overcome with emotion during the set. Eddie Van Halen had been one of his guitar idols when he was learning to play, he said.

“I can’t believe I just saw that,” he added. “He got me started on guitar. The way he made it sound like an organ.”

Outside, some fans grumbled that it would have been nice if the band had done a second date in the club and let hoi polloi buy tickets. “Even a lottery would have been better than this,” said one fan, who gave his name only as Tony.

Others said they had called everyone they knew to get on the list, to no avail. Still, they lingered outside in the chill, hoping the band would let a few extra people in, then hung around the back door to hear what they could.

“That’s what we do,” said Kimberly Barnhill, 21, an aspiring singer. “We wait in the cold weather for our band.”

There were some consolations for the patient. As he left the club, David Lee Roth signed Mr. D’Anna’s copy of “Women and Children First” with a silver marker.

Mr. D’Anna had spotted Mr. Roth earlier in the evening and memorized the license number of his hired car, so he knew which one to stake out after the show.

“Always memorize the license plate,” he said, smiling as he showed off his prize autograph.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: January 6, 2012

An earlier version of this article misstated the title of one of the songs Van Halen played. It is not “Dancing the Night Away.”



Above article courtesy of NEW YORK TIMES

STYX SET TO TAKE OVER TV AIRWAVES ALL THIS MONTH AS U.S. TOUR CONTINUES:

January 9, 2012

-- Legendary rockers Styx--Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Chuck Panozzo, Lawrence Gowan, Ricky Phillips and Todd Sucherman­ will be invading the TV airwaves throughout the month of January, perfectly timed with the upcoming DVD release, Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live, coming January 31.
It all starts Wednesday, January 11 with a performance on "The Rosie Show," which will air at 7pm ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. For the performance of "Come Sail Away," host Rosie O'Donnell accompanied the band on her own drum kit. The band's classic episode of VH1's "Behind The Music" has been updated­now called "Behind The Music Remastered"--and will be airing on Saturday, January 14 at 9pm ET/PT on VH1 Classic. Next up: NBC will air "Improve-Ice Starring STYX" on Sunday, January 15 at 4pm ET/PT, which was filmed in Greenville, SC at the Bi-Lo Center and features champion figure skaters Johnny Weir, Michael Weiss, Nancy Kerrigan, Jeremy Abbott, Ryan Bradley, Sasha Cohen, Nicole Bobek and Mirai Nagasu performing to various Styx classics. All of their routines were choreographed the day of the show. The HDNet channel will re-broadcast the 2006 concert special, "One with Everything - Styx & The Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland," on Sunday, January 22 at 9pm ET/PT. Styx joined forces with Cleveland's Contemporary Youth Orchestra--a 171-piece orchestra and choir composed of students aged 13-19--to perform various Styx classics. Fans should also check local listings for all of the programs.
On the DVD front, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live on DVD, Blu-Ray, and DVD/2CD on January 31. This show was recorded November 9, 2010 at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, on the tour that saw them perform both these albums in their entirety for the first time. The 20-song, two-hour and 11-minute presentation features stunning high-definition visuals accenting the complex musical arrangements recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM Stereo. The staging of these two multi-platinum albums and the fevered response makes this concert a must for all STYX fans. Styx: The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight Live also includes the bonus feature "Putting On The Show," an inside look at the people and equipment needed to stage such a massive spectacle.

Meanwhile, Styx's entire career has recently been encapsulated within the 16 tracks of Regeneration, Volume I & II, which was released October 4 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. In addition to 13 Styx classics and the new song, "Difference In The World," the collection also includes interpretations of "High Enough" and "Coming Of Age," originally recorded by Damn Yankees, which featured Tommy Shaw, along with Night Ranger's Jack Blades, Ted Nugent and drummer Michael Cartellone.
Spawned from a Chicago basement in the early '70s, Styx would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late '70s and early '80s, due to a fondness for big rockers and soaring power ballads. Over the course of their 38-year career they've released 15 studio albums, 6 best-of compilations and 4 live albums, garnering 8 Top Ten singles. Styx has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Throughout their illustrious career, they've performed more live shows since 1999 than all of the previous years of its career combined. Two Super-Bowl appearances, Pollstar box office chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon and Bad Company (to name only a few), two more studio albums and no end in sight, STYX continues to conquer the planet, one venue at a time.
In touring news, the band's schedule hasn't slowed down since their summer tour with Yes last year. Check out Styx at any of the following stops, with more to be added in the coming weeks:

Fri 1/13 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Sat 1/14 Ft. Worth, TX Billy Bob's
Wed 1/25 Anaheim, CA The Grove
Thu 1/26 Santa Ynez, CA Chumash Casino
Fri 1/27 Temecula, CA Pechanga Casino
Sat 1/28 Reno, NV Silver Legacy Casino
Wed 2/1 Wenatchee, WA Town Toyota Center
Fri 2/3 Tacoma, WA Emerald Queen Casino
Sat 2/4 Coquitlam, BC. Red Robinson Show Theatre
Fri 2/10 Las Vegas, NV Green Valley Ranch/Grand Events Center
Sat 2/11 Wendover, NV Peppermill Concert Hall
Fri 3/2 Mt. Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Fri 3/9 Miami, FL Magic City Casino Amphitheater
Sat 3/10 Silver Springs, FL Twin Oaks Amphitheatre
WebLinks: www.styxworld.com / www.facebook.com/styxtheband / www.twitter.com/styxtheband

VAN HALEN LAUNCH TATTOO SINGLE - THE VERDICT: FROM MELODICROCK.COM

VAN HALEN LAUNCH TATTOO SINGLE - THE VERDICT:
Van Halen's first new single in 8 years and their first prelude to an album with David Lee Roth since 1984 has been released today. Tattoo seems to be receiving a mostly favourable review from fans, eager to get their first glimpse at new Roth vocals since The Best Of Volume 1 and first new Eddie riffs in way too long.

Here is my MelodicRock.com single review: "Tattoo is a real groove orientated track, with that immediate Van Halen sound bursting out. David Lee Roth sounds well in control in his typical half spoken/half sung vocal style. Lyrically Dave continues being Dave - tongue in cheek and never too serious. The track has a monster bass groove and some impressive lead guitar riffs, many of which are a little buried underneath the high-in-the-mix vocals and some subtle accompanying keyboards. Alex's drum sound continues on where he left off with Balance, as does Eddie's guitar sound. That for me is a good thing as I liked that slightly darker tone. The solo also reminds me of that era - a little Humans Being in there as well as some Me Wise Magic/Can't Get This Stuff No More.
It is an interesting choice as a lead track for the upcoming album. A little laid back perhaps, but maybe the guys are going for a Poundcake/Judgement Day kind of 1-2 punch as She's The Woman (set to follow Tattoo on the album) sounds like a fired up classic VH rocker.
Overall I think the song is very catchy and a solid track - without being a knockout classic. I like the verse and bridge better overall than the actual chorus. It is a little understated as far as EVH's presence within the song goes, however the production and mix give reason to be enthusiastic about the sound of the upcoming album. I think the song is a good statement of intent from the band and mixes a little classic VH with some current/new VH - and that's at least what I was hoping for."

I'm told Van Halen dress rehearsals set to begin January 20 in Los Angeles. My birthday on the 21st...c'mon guys....invite me over :)

Interestingly, the A Different Kind Of Truth album has a February 3 release date for Australia - typically big albums drop on the Friday here, but will this happen with a US release not until their regular Tuesday release day - February 7?

B-Sides Today

Van Halen's New Video Arrives
(hennemusic) Van Halen have released "Tattoo," the first single and video from their forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth."
The disc marks the first VH album in 13 years, and the first with David Lee Roth since 1984.

"Tattoo" has its roots in the band's unreleased mid-1970's song, "Down in Flames," as the two share the chugging riff and verse parts, with fresh lyrics added by Roth. Check out the video here.

The Doors New Song Now Online
(hennemusic) The Doors have debuted a new, 40-year-old song. "She Smells So Nice" was recently discovered while reviewing the session tapes for the band's upcoming 40th Anniversary reissue of "L.A. Woman."

Keyboardist Ray Manzarek says he had forgotten all about the bluesy track from the 1971 sessions.

"I didn't even know it existed," Ray tells Complex. "It was a surprise to all of us. Our producer/engineer Bruce Botnick was digging through all the out-takes and said 'Hey! There's a new song here.' [Laughs.] 'She Smells So Nice.' And you know which part that is." Have a listen here.

Filesharing Recognized As A Religion
(Rock News Desk) Filesharing has been recognized as a religion by the government of Sweden – as the followers of 'Kopimism' say copy and paste commands should be seen as sacred symbols.

The church officially became part of Swedish culture last month after its third attempt. But while its supporters say it's a major change in the way filesharing is viewed, others insist it won't change the illegal status of stealing copyrighted material.

Isak Gerson, 19, who formed the church, tells the BBC: "Information is holy and copying is a sacrament. Information holds a value in itself and in what it contains, and the value multiplies through copying. Therefore copying is central for the organisation and its members." more on this story



Led Zeppelin Studio Secrets Revealed
(Gibson) Jimmy Page stands among the heaviest of six-string heavyweights, and most often with one of his iconic Gibson Les Pauls slung around his shoulders. But Page's sonic genius extends well beyond the fretboard and composition, and into the studio.

Page was one of the greatest record producers of the 1960s and '70s – a sonic innovator and perfectionist whose vision made Led Zeppelin albums vivid listening experiences, rather than simple recordings. Compare the six discs Led Zeppelin made from 1969 through 1975 with other classic titles from the period: King Crimson's initial releases, the Jeff Beck Group's LPs, Blind Faith, The Rolling Stones, pre-Dark Side Pink Floyd. Sonically, Page's work with Led Zeppelin put his band's studio albums on an entirely higher sonic plane.

Initially, it was a matter of observation. During his pre-Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin years, Page was a session musician and had the opportunity to watch many producers and engineers in close quarters. As a guitarist, miking technique caught his interest early on. Later he would apply ambient miking to the small amps that were essential to his sound in Led Zeppelin. But he was especially interested in the drum sounds that came out of '60s studios. Drummers were often put in small booths at the time, to isolate them from the band while basics were being cut, or out of sheer habit. Either way, the results were tinny and dismal. So when Page took the helm of Led Zeppelin in the studio, he made sure John Bonham's kit and its peripherals were always given plenty of space in a large, bright, live-sounding room.

Page based his ambient miking of guitar amps on what he'd learned listening to classic recordings of blues and emerging rock on the Sun and Chess labels, where one microphone often sufficed to cut an entire band live – but the guitar sounds nonetheless killed. A lot more here.



Paul Stanley On Nightline
(hennemusic) KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley underwent surgery in October to address "recurring vocal cord issues."

"I hold myself to a higher standard than others do," Stanley said at the time. "With that in mind, I wanted to remedy a few minor issues that come with 40 years of preaching rock 'n' roll."

On Monday (January 9), Paul sat down to discuss the throat procedure, and other things, with ABC's Nightline. Nightline correspondent Chris Connelly interviewed Paul in L.A. in early December about the surgery, his highly-acclaimed artwork, and the year ahead for KISS with the release of a Paul Stanley-produced album and subsequent world tour. more on this story


Bob Dylan App Preview
We were sent a preview video link for This Day in Music's new This Day in Bob Dylan App. Before we get to that, here is a little more info.

The core of the App is the Dylan daily diary, documenting his gigs, recording sessions, single and album releases, awards and much more.
As befits a man who's released so many classic albums, his set lists are ever-changing, constantly being adapted to suit his current view.

The App also contains a section with over 250 Bob Dylan trivia facts, and separately a very addictive quiz where you can test your knowledge on everything Dylanesque.

The quiz gives you a running score out of ten, so you can track your score, then play against yourself or challenge friends. Check out the preview here



Machine Head Lyrics Strike A Chord With Fans
(Rock News Desk) Machine Head's Dave McClain believes the band's lyrics to be what inspires such devotion in their fans.

The drummer says: "I think the stuff that Robb sings about strikes a chord in a lot of people. They're very emotionally-charged lyrics, and I think people hear that in his voice. They hear music on the radio and have no emotional attachment to it, but we've built ourselves on our interaction with fans.

"During our concerts, whether you're by the soundboard or on the balcony, Robb, as a frontman, can make you feel like part of the show." more rock news


Steven Tyler Promotes New American Idol Season
(popmusiclife) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler returns to prime time television next week as American Idol returns with a two-night premiere to kick off Season 11.

Tyler joins fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson for another round of the series, and he recently told Oprah how impressed he was with the level of talent they review.

"Half these kids that we send home," Steven told Oprah, "are twice as good as Janis Joplin was when she she sang her first note. Or I was. I look at these kids and I go, 'Oh, my God, I really sucked.' I would have gotten thrown off the show. All these kids need is 2 to 3 years of clubs and they could be as good as anyone out there." Check out a new promo for AI here.



Anniversary of Howlin' Wolf's Death
(Gibson) On this day in 1976, blues artist Howlin' Wolf (a.k.a. Chester Burnett) died of cancer, aged 66. The guitarist, singer and harmonica player's songs included "Smoke Stack Lightning," "Little Red Rooster" and "Spoonful." Gibson takes a look back:

Howlin' Wolf was, quite possibly, the most intimidating artist ever to take the stage. Standing 6'6" tall and tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, the Wolf was a massive presence, made even more fearsome by a thunderous, broken-glass voice. As bluesman John Shines once observed, "I was afraid of the Wolf, like you would be of some wild animal." And yet this giant of a man came from the most humble beginnings.

Chester Arthur Burnett (named after the president) was born on June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi. He was the son of a farmer, Leon "Dock" Burnett, and a stern, religious mother, Gertrude Jones. Gertrude's father gave young Chester the nickname "Howlin' Wolf," telling him stories about how the wolves would get him if he misbehaved. His parents split when he was young and Chester lived with his mother until she left him with a cruel, abusive uncle. At the age of 13, he ran away from his uncle to find his father on a plantation near Ruleville, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

Chester spent the rest of his youth in the stable and loving home of his father's new family. He brought with him, besides a king-sized appetite, a love of music. He had sung in the choir at the church where his uncle preached. His mother sang gospel music, as well, for pennies on street corners. Growing up in the Delta, Chester listened to and got to know many of the men who are now blues legends. After his father bought him a guitar when he was 17, Wolf convinced Charlie Patton to give him lessons. He learned the harmonica from Sonny Boy Williamson II, who had a thing for Chester's stepsister. When he wasn't working on his father's farm, he travelled with the likes of Williamson, Patton, Robert Johnson, Son House and Willie Brown.

Today's Day In Rock

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Fighting Cancer
(Rock News Desk) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with cancer, his bandmates have confirmed. He's receiving treatment after doctors identified lymphoma, an infection of the cells which form part of the human immune system.
The news comes months after Sabbath announced a reunion of their original lineup, and 19 months after former singer Ronnie James Dio died of stomach cancer. In a statement the band say: "With the news that Tony has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, his bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time.

"Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan. The Iron Man of rock and roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery." more on this story

At the Drive-In Reunite
At the Drive-In surprised fans yesterday with a Twitter message which hints that the group is regrouping.

On Monday morning ATDI fans received the following tweet, "¡ ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence THIS STATION IS …NOW…OPERATIONAL."

AntiQuiet dug a little deeper and report: Reliable inside sources have led us to confidently believe that At The Drive-In will in fact be reuniting at Coachella 2012, with all Relationship Of Command-era members, including super famous martians Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López. But wait there is more!

Woman Blames Marilyn Manson For Arson
(Rock News Desk) A 29-year-old woman accused of arson has become the latest person to claim rock music made her do it. Christina Paz of Cileo Vista, Texas, says Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails inspired her to try to burn down her parents' house.

After she became convinced they were trying to kill her on Christmas Day, she's believed to have set fire to a bed covered in flammable glue then attempted to light a set of curtains in another room.

Court papers say Paz "was angry at her parents for trying to kill her, that they had planned to sodomise her and chop her up with the help of a neighbour."

Asked how she became aware of the alleged plot, she replied: "Through the music of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails." more on this story

Metallica Aim For Black Album Sounds On New Album
(Gibson) The next Metallica studio album will feature concise, groove-oriented songs akin to their breakthrough 1991 self-titled chart topper.

In the January 19 edition of Rolling Stone, guitarist Kirk Hammett says the album will be the logical successor to "the black album" in the same way that Death Magnetic carried on the progressive song structures of 1988's …And Justice For All.

Hammett said, "This stuff we're coming up with is more groove-oriented, a heavier version of what we were doing in the early '90s."

Drummer Lars Ulrich says the shorter, more to-the-point material is not likely to be completed this year. "If I said 2012, I'd be lying," Ulrich said. "I hope it's not later than 2013." more on this story



Charlie Watts Comments on Possible Rolling Stones 50th Anniversary Plans
(Gibson) With rumors buzzing that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been warming to the idea of a 2012 Rolling Stones tour to mark the band's 50th anniversary, drummer Charlie Watts has chipped in with his thoughts.

Watts told BBC 6Music: "It would be lovely next year to do some shows because it will be 50 years. Ronnie plays, I still play, Mick sings, he can do it anyway, I think Keith is doing some records."

Watts, however, also explained that such a tour is a vast undertaking, saying: "It would be great if we did, we are just getting to an age where it's getting a bit difficult to get it together and it's such a bloody performance getting us together." more on this story



Jack White To Unearth Unreleased White Stripes Tracks
(Gibson) Jack White will release alternate versions of the White Stripes tracks "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" and "Let's Build a Home" as part of the Vault series by his record label, Third Man Records. The two tracks were originally recorded for the duo's 1999 self-titled debut, but those versions weren't used.

The songs were eventually rerecorded for White Blood Cells and De Stijl. The 1999 versions will be presented on White Stripes Outtakes, a 7-inch record in Vault Package #11, a set which will also include the third and final triple-album volume of the White Stripes' Singles Compilation on black, white and yellow vinyl, as well as a fold-out poster integrating with the previous albums and a solar-reactive color-changing Third Man Records T-shirt. Pre-orders for the set are open until January 31.

Meanwhile, White will appear on an episode of American Pickers on The History Channel tonight, welcoming the show to the Third Man Records base in Nashville to offload personal artifacts such as the actual photo booth used for the Dead Weather's "Hang You from the Heavens" video. more on this story



Rob Halford, Ian Gillan, Alice Cooper, Lemmy and More To Tribute Dio
Some of the biggest names in hard rock and metal are reportedly signed on to appear on the forthcoming tribute album to Ronnie James Dio.

Blabbermouth.net reports that the project will include Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, Deep Purple's Ian Gillan, Alice Cooper, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row), Chris Jericho (Fozzy) and Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters).

"I'm letting them pick what songs they wanna do in the way they wanna do it," Wendy told Artisan News at last month's Dimebash event in Hollywood, California. Some more details here.

Godsmack's Erna Recovering From Surgery
Godsmack announced last week that their frontman Sully Erna is at home resting and recovering from knee surgery.

Loudwire reports that: The injury to Erna's left knee isn't new or recent. He actually sustained a sports injury a while back and only recently had the surgery to repair the problem.

According to a post on Godsmack's official site, the singer is hardly interested in rest for the wounded. more on this story

Evans Blue Releasing New Album This Spring
(Banana 101.5) Evans Blue have finally announced the name and release date for their upcoming album — it's called 'Graveyard of Empires' and will be in stores this April.

'Graveyard of Empires' is the fourth full-length studio release, the second with vocalist Dan Chandler, and the first with new drummer Mike McClure.

Their latest effort was recorded mostly in Traverse City, Michigan with producer Trevor Kutsiak and will be available at digital outlets and stores everywhere on April 17th via Sights + Sounds Entertainment. more on this story

Engineer Talks Up New Van Halen Album
(hennemusic) Van Halen entered the studio twelve months ago with producer John Shanks and engineer Ross Hogarth to work on the first VH album with David Lee Roth in almost three decades.

Now that fans are only a few weeks away from having the new record in their (digital) hands, Hogarth is sharing his post-production thoughts.

In a new post on his website, entitled "Here they come 2012," Ross says: "I can finally say that for the last 18 months on and off I have been working on the new record coming out for Van Halen. A Different Kind of Truth is being released Feb 7 and it ROCKS !!!!. You will not be disappointed. We made a rock record and it kicks ass. Trust me." more on this story

Jesse Leach Has Fun With Killswitch Engage Reunion Speculation
With Howard Jones leaving Killswitch Engage this has naturally sparked hopes that Jesse Leach will return to the helm of the group and Jesse is having fun with the speculation on his Facebook page.

Jesse has posted some cryptic messages on his Facebook over the past couple of days, which have led some fans to assume that he is hinting at a reunion with Killswitch Engage.

On Sunday he wrote, "I go where the spirit leads me." Then on Monday he wrote, "No matter insignificant it may seem in the moment, the smallest change can spark a revolution!" That got some juices flowing but he then posted, "stop trying to read Inbetween the lines of my posts. If I have something to say, I WILL say it. For the moment I have no comments on KSE." And a couple hours wrote "You know what reunion I excited for? At The Drive In !!!"

What will he post next? Find out here!

Iron Maiden SikTh Rebellion
(Rock News Desk) Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has collaborated with former SikTh frontman Mikee Goodman on a project called Primal Rock Rebellion.

Smith says: "It was interesting doing this album, not least because we have quite different influences. It has a really fresh feel to it."

Goodman adds: "This album takes you on a really deep journey, lyrically and musically. We were both very open to experimenting with each others' musical styles and influences, which we feel created something new and exciting." more rock news

The Yardbirds Announce North American Tour Dates
(Kayos) The Yardbirds will land in North America next month for a series of tour dates in the Northeast (including several coheadlining dates with Vanilla Fudge) starting February 1 in Buffalo, New York.

The lineup includes critically-acclaimed original drummer/composer Jim McCarty, guitarist Ben King, who has garnered a reputation as one of hottest, most tasteful young guitar players around, bassist David Smale (a much-respected and admired UK-based musician) and vocalist Andy Mitchell, whose sound is straight out of the mid-'50s Chicago school of blues. Chris Dreja, guitarist and co-founder, is recuperating at home after a recent illness and regrets that he won't be able to be a part of this short tour. He thanks all his fans for their good wishes and looks forward to seeing them again when he re-joins the band later in the year for a more extensive tour.

The Yardbirds spearheaded the British Blues Boom of the 1960s and brought the world Eric Clapton in 1963, Jeff Beck in 1965 and Jimmy Page in 1966 (who played in the band with Beck for four months), the band that continues to inspire artists worldwide. more on this story

Fear Factory Sideband City of Fire Returning With New Album
(Gibson) City of Fire, the heavy rock band featuring Fear Factory's Burton C. Bell and Byron Stroud, have released the first track from their forthcoming sophomore album, Trial Through Fire.

The song, "Bad Motivator," was unveiled on the band's Facebook page over the weekend, after earlier being sent out to fans who helped fund the album's recording costs. A video for the track will debut shortly on Metal Hammer UK.

City of Fire consists of Bell, Stroud, guitarist Terry Murray and drummer Bob Wagner. When the band toured Australia and New Zealand in 2010, Stroud's former Strapping Young Lad bandmate Jed Simon filled in on second guitar. The band has its roots in Caustic Thought, a classic late '80s/early '90s thrash band from Vancouver, Canada, who at one time counted a young Devin Townsend among its ranks. more on this story



Duff McKagen, Billy Sheehan and Warren DeMartini Making Namm Appearances
Rotosound announced that Duff McKagen, Billy Sheehan and RATT will be making appearances at Winter NAMM 2012: Rotosound are at the Winter NAMM 2012 with a select group of endorsees making an appearance on their booth on Saturday 21st January.

Joining them fresh from his European tour with Loaded is the legendary metal bass player Duff McKagan at 1pm. Famed for his roles in Guns 'n' Roses and Velvet Revolver, Duff has had a busy year what with the tour, new album and a book.

Next is the virtuoso veteran bass player, Billy Sheehan will be signing at 3pm. He is responsible for shaping a whole new generation of bassists with his fret board pyrotechnics. Again he has had a busy year with a USA tour and new album with Mr. Big.

Then back at the Rotosound booth for another year will be Ratt's Warren DeMartini at 4pm.

For further information and to see the latest new products visit Rotosound Booth ♯5596, Hall B http://www.rotosound.com/

American Idol A Major Boost for Aerosmith
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler and his fellow American Idol judges – Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson – are doing major press interviews these days to promote the return of the popular talent series.

In a new session with Access Hollywood, Tyler talked about the transition he made from rock star to TV star during Season 10 of Idol.

"[Last season] it wasn't really accepted up front [with the rock community], mostly from my own bandmates because they didn't know what was going on with the Aerosmith thing at the end. But it's brought younger kids to our music anyway," said Steven, noting Aerosmith sales last year were up 260 percent. more on this story

Mindless Self Indulgence Spring Tour
Mindless Self Indulgence have announced a North American tour in support of their latest release Tighter.

The acclaimed group will hit the road on March 3rd in Worcester, MA and will wrap up the trek on April 1st in Tempe, AZ.

In 1999, Mindless Self Indulgence burst onto the NYC scene, f**king up jaded audiences at smoke-filled clubs like CBGBs, Coney Island High, Brownies, and The Knitting Factory. That same year, they put out their debut album for their fans, which they recorded over the course of 48 hours. The result was a 15-track release called Tight, which became so sought-after that it quickly sold out and remains out-of-print to this day. The only available circulating copies of Tight still sell today for as much as $300 on EBay. more on this story

Puscifer Add New Tour Dates
Puscifer have added two dates to their upcoming Conditions of My Parole tour which kicks off next month.

The tour is now set to include the following additional stops: Mar. 16 at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and Mar. 17 at Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, Ca.

The tour is support of the group's sophomore album Conditions of My Parole and the touring band members are Maynard James Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Josh Eustis, Carina Round, Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl. more on this story

Rise Against Add New North American Tour Leg
Rise Against have mapped out the second leg of their 2012 spring tour which will also feature A Day To Remember and Title Fight.

The first leg gets underway on January 17th in Austin, TX and features A Day To Remember and The Menzingers.

The second leg kicks off on April 15th in San Diego, CA and will wrap on May 10th in Toronto. more on this story

Alter Bridge Feel Free After Leaving Universal
(Rock News Desk) Alter Bridge drummer Scott Phillips says their new record deal means the band are now free to write the material they want rather than constantly trying to create hit singles.

He says: "We were signed to Universal Records, but a company that big are always looking for the next radio smash. As soon as a new thing came along and caught their attention, we fell by the wayside. Roadrunner understand us for who we are and who we want to be."

He is also grateful to Slash for taking on their singer Myles Kennedy for his solo album. "There were people who took notice of us when they saw Myles with Slash. It was nothing but a positive force." more rock news

RIP NRBQ Drummer Tom Ardolino
(Gibson) Longtime NRBQ drummer Tom Ardolino passed away on Friday at age 56 after a long battle with an unidentified illness.

In a posting on their Facebook page, the band wrote, "Friends, we regret to inform you that Tom Ardolino passed away today. Tom will be missed but his spirit lives on through those who were touched by him."

Ardolino appeared on 15 albums with the band between 1974 and their hiatus in 2004, which was necessitated by keyboardist Terry Adams' treatment for throat cancer. The band reformed in 2011 but Ardolino was too ill to participate due to his health issues. more on this story



Axel Rudi Pell Sets New Album Release
Axel Rudi Pell's new album "Circle Of The Oath" will be released through SPV/Steamhammer on March 23rd in Germany, March 26th in Europe and on March 27th in the USA/Canada.

Singer Johnny Gioeli, drummer Mike Terrana , keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg , bass player Volker Krawczak and guitarist Axel Rudi Pell entered the studio in late November 2011 with Engineer and Co-Producer Charlie Bauerfeind, to record the album.

Recordings are finished now and the final touches regarding mixing and mastering will be made this week. more on this story

The Melismatics Release New Album and Launch Tour This Week
The Melismatics are their latest album, "Mania!" today (January 10th) which features collaborations with Dan Wilson (Adele, Semisonic) and Jon Auer who lends vocals to several tracks.

The band will kick off a national tour on January 12th at the Zoo Bar in Lincoln before heading to the West coast.

"Mania!" was produced by Jon Auer of The Posies and Big Star, along with Ed Ackerson (Motion City Soundtrack, Golden Smog, The Replacements) and was mixed by John Fields. more on this story

100 Club Denied Government Help
(Gibson) London's 100 Club, a venue making the news recently as a host or rock stars rallied to try and stop its closure, has been dealt another blow.

According to the Daily Express, the guardians of England's past, English Heritage, submitted a request to the government to have the club listed as a historic building. Their application describes the club as "the oldest continuously running (and surviving) live music venue in the capital."

The British government declined the bid, however, with a spokesperson for John Penrose, the minister responsible, telling the Sunday Telegraph: "There's no denying the club's place in British pop music history but in the end it's only the stage and the signage that mark it out as being any different from any other basement club. I can't help but feel that giving the cradle of punk rock listed building status would not be quite in tune with that movement's driving spirit." more on this story



Singled Out: Wazu's Murder 1
Today Matt from Wazu tells us the incredible story behind "Murder 1," the hit single from their brand new self-titled EP which hit stores today. Here is the story:

There is a story about the inception of this song that proves it's really a small, strange world.

While we were in Los Angeles in 2009-10, during the end of our previous band, we were struggling and trying to find whatever work we could to get by while writing new music, rediscovering ourselves and figuring out what to do next. I ended up finding a job with an ex-attorney who had become a part time magician. His stage name is Fantastic Fig and he was 75 years old at the time, and he still maintained a small law office and would perform magic at as many parties as he could in the hope of finally achieving his lifelong dream of being a magician. His father had pushed him into law, he had become incredibly rich and successful during the 60s and 70s, lost it all in the 80s, recovered during the 90s and then realized being a magician was what he really wanted to do all along. He was good at it too…now he was scraping by on law while trying to chase the dream of magic. Anyway I digress...

While working at his office, I got a call from a man named Jack Hollywood. He told me his son had been incarcerated for murder but he insisted his son was innocent. He went on for around 10 minutes about the injustice of the situation, how he could not afford proper legal representation (my boss was struggling, therefore would work for very little or for media exposure), and assured me that this case would be a big deal in the media, his son would be vindicated and if my boss took on this case it would be a once in a lifetime win-win.

His son's name was Jesse James Hollywood.

Anyway, we pressed on for another few months, did some shows in LA, Vegas and Texas with some temporary Australian band members, but still playing our old songs under our old band name. Our mini tour came to an end, and we decided it was time to head home to regroup. It was around this time Rizz and I decided to become a duo. One night in Sydney we were watching a movie called 'Alpha Dog.' This movie was basically a true story about a small time LA drug dealer who - long story short - kidnaps a rival's younger brother. The dealer and his friends have no real intention of hurting him, and they even strike up some unlikely pseudo-friendships, but the longer they hold on to his young man, the more jail time they face if they let him go. Eventually, even though the young man pleads for his life, they make an ill-fated decision to kill him.

I found out after watching this movie, the drug dealer's name in real life is Jesse James Hollywood. It was the son of the man I had spoken to in Fantastic Fig's office.

This was too much of a twist of fate to ignore. We were inspired by the story, and the wider themes it generated…

Musically, Murder1 feels very much about LA. We were pretty fascinated by its heavy contradictions – glittering promise vs broken dreams, sunshine, beaches and palm trees vs poverty and inequality. It's a place where dreams and promises are often very different to reality. But we were also influenced by the beauty of old cinema, which was born in LA – hence the cinematic feel of the track.

Lyrically, the song also touches on a few themes…the first verse is all about promise – and how it can be deceptive. What you sign up for is not always what you get. It also ties into the dynamics of a dependent relationship, especially one in which you look up to the other person or people. This happens a lot in 'the biz' in LA, it happened in Alpha Dog, but obviously it just happens in life too. The person you need provides the promise, their promises may be true, they may not. Sometimes that kind of intensity can be a beautiful thing….but it's a multi-faceted contradiction in the end, and it's always unclear.

From there, the song wrote itself. I've often found the song to be a bit of a strange contradiction, which maybe suits…but that's just my view…I can never tell!!

Beau Hill: 'Your Only Constraint Is Your Own Imagination'

"I Was Not The Producer Of Choice That The Guys From RATT Wanted." Beau Hill
Friday, 06 January 2012
"I Was Not The Producer Of Choice That The Guys From RATT Wanted." Beau Hill
Beua Hill spills some beans on Warrant, Ratt & Alice Cooper



Interview by Joe Matera
Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2012



Ultimate-Guitar.com recently caught up with producer/engineer BEAU HILL, known for his work with ALICE COOPER, WARRANT, EUROPE, RATT and many more. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

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UG: You were very much part of Ratt’s success since you produced those first few albums of theirs. What do you remember most about working with the band from a production and engineering perspective?

Hill: "First off, for the record, I was not the producer of choice that the guys from Ratt wanted to work with, I don’t even think I was in their top ten. But none the less I got forced upon them, the rest is sort of history now. From an engineering point of view, we did the first record at The Village in L.A where we had access to pretty much anything that we needed so there wasn’t any gigantic engineering challenges.

The biggest challenge for me was trying to get the arrangements where the songs were really going to hold up. And at the time, I was a completely unknown hack producer and they were an unknown broke band from San Diego. So at a certain point I would say, ‘Hey guys, how about this?’ And rightfully so they’d say, ‘Who the hell are you to tell us what to do?’ So we wrestled with that for a little bit.

Luckily they were open enough to make a few changes so we wound up with the arrangement on ‘Round And Round’ which as you know, kick started the whole thing for them."


UG: Would it be fair to say you and the band are largely responsible for the development of the LA glam-metal scene?

Hill: "We were certainly a part of it, but don’t forget GUNS N' ROSES was beginning to happen, and Van Halen… Ratt was one of the early contributors to that scene certainly. But it wouldn’t be fair to say we were the impetus for that particular style. It was already under way, but we happen to kind of be there in the early days."



UG: Over the years much has been said about you hiring Mike Slamer to play some of the guitar solos on Warrant’s first two albums. Much to the point of it being disputed and debated, so what’s the truth?

Hill: "When we were in pre-production I called a band meeting and I said, ‘Listen guys, we’re competing with the greatest guitar players in the world, everybody from STEVE VAI to WARREN DIMARTINI to EDDIE VAN HALEN and I have to be honest with you, I think the songs are really great, but I think And as much as every band in the world never wants to hear that from their producer, I have to give these guys full credit, they listened to me and they agreed to do it and they were real gentlemen about it. We also credited Mike on the record, and yet this has always been presented to me as some sort of behind the scenes, subterfuge, kind of secret, but everybody in the band signed off on it and everything was done above ground and everybody participated."


UG: What’s your opinion on the current state of the industry and where it is heading?

Hill: I think that unless they change the business model significantly, the major labels are going to continue their decline. I was lucky enough to be in the industry when there were three components that I think really drove the industry and helped all of us from that time period, to be successful. One of them was the record labels, the other was terrestrial radio and the third was MTV. The existence of all of those, in a sort of hand in glove way in which they interfaced with each other, really kind of drove it. Since MTV has become largely silly game shows for children and the majors have decided to lower their risk profile so unless it’s something that’s been on Star Search or one of those TV talent shows, they’re not going to get involved, it’s only going to get worse. All of those things have contributed slowing down the explosive growth of the industry significantly. Now with all the DIY bands that are trying to promote themselves on the internet etc, we have the market place flooded with hundreds and thousands of bands who are all at the same kind at the same tipping point.


We give a shout out to Ultimate Guitar .com & for more with Beau Hill