Today's Day In Rock!

MC5's Michael Davis Dead at 68
Michael Davis of influential Detroit rockers MC5 died on Friday (February 17) of liver failure, after a month-long hospitalization for liver disease, said his wife Angela Davis, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 68.
Davis joined MC5 in 1964 and played on all three of the group's studio records, including their famous debut album, 'Kick Out the Jams.' He reunited with guitarist Wayne Kramer and drummer Dennis Thompson in 2003 for a show at the 100 Club in London, and they later went on a world tour under the name of DKT/MC5. You can read an extensive timeline for the band here.

Apart from his career in music, Davis was an advocate for music education in schools and founded The Michael H Davis Music Is Revolution Foundation, according to the organization's website.

Anniversary of the Great White Club Fire Tragedy
(Gibson) On this day in 2003, 100 people died after pyrotechnics ignited a club during a gig by Great White in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Great White singer Ty Longley was also killed in the accident. Two brothers who owned the club, along with the former tour manager, were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Foam soundproofing material at the edge of the stage set alight and the blaze spread quickly in the one-story wooden building as fans all tried to escape through the same exit. Great White began a tour in July 2003 to raise money for the survivors and families of victims. Gibson looks back:

It was one of the worst nights on rock and roll history. A reunited '80s rock band, eager to make a mark, played to a room of hundreds of excited rock fans. The gig started like most rock gigs – loud, raw and powerful – but the pyrotechnics that accompanied the show would prove deadly.

Great White had started out in Los Angeles in the early '80s, achieved decent early success and plenty of MTV airplay and scored a successful album, Twice Shy, in 1989. But in the wake of grunge, the '90s were tough on Great White and by 2001, two founding members (Mark Kendall and lead singer Jack Russell) had quit. But life in the solo lane was even tougher and a reunion was set for the early part of 2003.

On February 20, Great White were booked to play The Station nightclub in Rhode Island. The small club was jam-packed when the band took the stage around 11 p.m. that night. As the band launched into their opening song "Desert Moon," the pyrotechnics behind them unexpectedly caught the soundproofing foam on fire. "Wow... that's not good," said Jack Russell. In less than a minute, the whole stage was alight.

Russell later told CNN, "All of sudden, I felt a lot of heat, and I turned around, and I see the foam is on fire… So, I started trying to douse it with a water bottle thinking I'm going to put it out. And the next thing you know, the whole place is in flames. All of the lights went out, no security lights. And I'm trying to get back in to pull people out, and people are grabbing me, and I'm yelling, 'Anybody in there, anybody in there?' And they wouldn't let me get back in. I'm hearing voices, but I couldn't [get] back in because it was so dark."

Brian Butler, TV station WPRI photographer, was there that night, ironically filming a piece on safety in music venues. "It was that fast. As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling," he said. "And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off." more on this story



Van Halen Kick Off Tour
(hennemusic) Van Halen launched their 2012 tour Saturday in Louisville, Kentucy to rave reviews.

The 24-song set featured four tracks from the band's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," as well as a couple of songs they haven't played live since the early 80s.

Out in support of the band's new album Van Halen put in a "vintage performance," according to Jeffrey Lee Puckett of the Louisville Courier-Journal. You can read more and check out video here.


Bill Ward Updates Fans on Black Sabbath Reunion
(hennemusic) The Black Sabbath reunion remains in limbo, as drummer Bill Ward continues his negotiations with band management to secure a contract that he can live with while also respecting his role as one of the founders of the legendary metal pioneers.

On Friday (before Black Sabbath announced they were canceling their reunion tour due to Tony Iommi's cancer treatment) Ward updated fans: I wanted to let you know where things are at, from my point of view, as of today, February 17, 2012.

As my statement of February 2, 2012 indicated, I have not declined to participate in the Sabbath album and tour. At the earliest opportunity, I am prepared to go to the U.K. and record, and later tour with the band.

Last week, we sent further communication to the attorney handling the negotiations to try to reach an agreement. At this time we are waiting to hear back. I remain hopeful for a "signable" contract and a positive outcome. more on this story


Boston Plan End Of The World Tour
(hennemusic) Boston have announced the first series of dates for their 2012 summer tour and band leader Tom Scholz has some fun with the belief that the end of the Mayan calendar this year may signal the end of the world.

Scholz writes, "Just 10 months till the end … at least till the end of the Mayan calendar, anyway. I wonder, did they mean to prophesize the end of the world, or was the December 21st planetary alignment just a convenient place to stop chiseling stone tablets on a really long calendar project? Some people think it is the same thing, so why take a chance? If I was making a bucket list, it would definitely include going out one more time to play some Boston shows — before time runs out!"

"I don't really think the world is going to end this year," Scholz continued, "but on the off chance the Mayans were on to something, let me take a moment to thank all of you for helping make the Boston experience an awesome ride. One of the best things about Boston to me is its fans; they are some of the nicest people I've ever met, and collectively the best crowds anyone could wish to play for." more on this story


Another Lost Stone Temple Pilots Clip
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots shot two videos for the single, "Cinnamon," from their 2010 self-titled release.

The first clip was done by directors Aggressive (Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro), and then a second version was put together with director Dennis Roberts.

Neither video was ever officially released by the band. Last week, one of the clips was posted online – the second version, as it turns out. Now, the first version has surfaced, check it out here.


Benoit David Addresses Departure From Yes
Benoit David has reportedly issued a statement explaining his departure from Yes and that he learned he was out of the group indirectly. Richard Lanthier posted the "official press release from Benoit David" on the Closer To The Edge Facebook page. That was the band whom Yes recruited David from in 2008. Here is the statement:

As you all know, the final three shows of last year's European tour were cancelled due to my ill health. On my return to Canada, I was advised to cease touring, for the foreseeable future, in order to avoid further damage to my voice. Following this extremely disappointing diagnosis, I had no alternative but to inform my fellow band members that I was unable to confirm my availability for, at least, the forthcoming concerts in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Although there was no alternative, I did so with a heavy heart as I felt that I was letting everyone down especially those who have supported me since I had the privilege of becoming the band's vocalist in 2008. The band members were all very understanding and asked if I would mind being replaced for the April shows – I immediately agreed that this would be the best way forward and gave them my blessing. I was then pleased to learn that Jon Davison would be my replacement as he is an accomplished musician with a fine voice.

I subsequently learnt, from a band member's interview, that I had officially left Yes and that my departure was permanent. more on this story


Jack White To Play Saturday Night Live
(hennemusic) Jack White will be making the rounds to promote his April 24 release, "Blunderbuss."

White will kick things off with a March 3 appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he'll perform two tracks from the forthcoming album; the episode will be hosted by Lindsey Lohan.

A week later – on March 10 – Jack begins his first solo headline shows with a date in Chattanooga, TN. more on this story


Puscifer Telling Ghosts on Kimmel
(hennemusic) Puscifer, the side project of Tool/A Perfect Circle singer Maynard James Keenan, are headed back on the road for dates, starting February 23 in Austin, Texas.

The tour is in support of the project's latest release, "Conditions Of My Parole."

Puscifer stopped by Jimmy Kimmel's show last Thursday to perform a couple of tracks: "Toma," and the current single, "Telling Ghosts." Check it out here.


Slash's New Album Is A Band Effort Not A Solo One
(Gibson) Although Slash's new album, Apocalyptic Love, is being billed as his second solo disc, the guitar great doesn't necessarily view it that way. As far as he's concerned, the new record (due May 22) was created by a full-on band.

"I'm a band guy. Everything I touch I turn into a f---ing band," the former Guns N' Roses axeman told Rolling Stone. "I still have my name on the marquee and everything, but I'm just not a dictator, I don't want to rule anything. I like to hear what other people's ideas are and so on and so forth."

On the new album (and forthcoming tour), Slash worked with singer-guitarist Myles Kennedy, drummer Brent Fitz and bassist Todd Kerns. He wrote the new songs with Kennedy and everyone is welcome to offer creative ideas, he said. "I realized I was a band guy when I was 15 when I only knew like four licks and two chords and I started a band," Slash said. "I like working in a band atmosphere, I think something about that camaraderie. I do not want to do it all by myself. I'm like that with everything else, I don't want to do that with music. more on this story




Mars Attacks Iced Earth's John Schaffer and White Wizzard
The latest episode of the Mars Attacks podcast contains interviews with John Schaffer of Iced Earth, Jon Leon and Giovanni Durst of White Wizzard and Chris Appleton of Fury UK.

John Schaffer discusses Iced Earth's latest album Dystopia, how Stu Block has reinvigorated the band, what Jim Morris means to the band, and how he decides what ends up being Iced Earth, Sons of Liberty or Demons And Wizards, among other things. We also talk a little bit about politics and provide John with a bit of Civil War trivia that he surprisingly was not aware of!

With Jon Leon and Giovanni Durst we discuss the current state of White Wizzard, some of the issues they ran into after Flying Tigers was released, the touring line up with included Michael Gremio, C.J. Cussell and Jake Dreyer, and the possible future of the band as a studio, and touring band.

Chris gives us a brief rundown of the tour, and explains what it's like to be a supporting act for Iced Earth.

The podcast portion can be streamed or downloaded from here.


Black Sabbath Call Off Reunion Tour
(Rock News Desk) For those that missed the late breaking news on Friday: Rock News Desk reports: Black Sabbath have called off their reunion tour as a result of guitarist Tony Iommi's ongoing battle with cancer.

They'll play just one show from the planned dates, at the UK's Download Festival in June. The previously announced shows will be performed by singer Ozzy Osbourne and bassist Geezer Butler with guest artists including Zakk Wylde and Slash.

The metal giants announced they'd started work on the first album featuring their original lineup last year – but almost immediately ran into trouble, with Iommi revealing he'd been diagnosed with lymphoma, then drummer Bill Ward saying he hadn't been offered a contract he found "signable". more on this story


Flower Kings Frontman Releasing New Musical Companion Album
(Glass Onyon) Flower Kings vocalist Hasse Froberg and his group Musical Companion are releasing a new album 'Powerplay' on April 23rd.

About a year after the release of their critically highly acclaimed debut 'Futurepast' (Sept. 2010), the band entered the studio to cut the backing tracks for 'Powerplay' (April 2012).

The debut CD generated gigs in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Germany, Holland and Belgium. With the release of 'Powerplay', the band is now confirmed for festivals ("RoSfest", Gettysburg in USA and "Night of the prog", Loreley in Germany) as well as gigs on both sides of the Atlantic. more on this story


Jane's Addiction Already Thinking About Music For Next Album
(Gibson) Fans of Jane's Addiction can expect a faster turnaround than the eight-year wait that preceded the band's latest album, The Great Escape Artist. Speaking to Billboard.com, drummer Stephen Perkins said the group has begun thinking about new music for their next disc.

"We had a discussion on the flight home from the Super Bowl about, 'Okay, new music – do we visit it while we're touring? Do some stuff on the bus and in sound check and go that route, or do we wait 'til the tour's over and take a break and then go head-first?' We are talking about music, so that's important."

Perkins went on to say the band has song ideas left over from The Great Escape Artist, but he prefers to start fresh. "I think it's always a wrong idea to do [use old ideas]," Perkins said. "Hopefully you're different musicians and the world has changed. It's always good to do something new to see what you've been through the last year and reflect that. But a great melody and a great guitar riff stand forever. They're timeless. It's like Van Halen; if you can't find anything, go to the old days." more on this story




Warren Haynes Taking A Different Direction
(Gibson) Warren Haynes offered up a bevy of fiery electric blues on Man in Motion, the Grammy-nominated album he released last year. But for his next solo disc, the guitar great will likely to in a quieter direction.

"The next album would be coming more from a singer-songwriter direction, maybe starting with a lot of acoustic instruments," he told M – Music & Musicians. "I listen to so many different types of music, at some point I'd like to make a lot of different records."

Haynes first has his eyes on making a new Gov't Mule album, and talk is afoot of a new Allman Brothers Band studio effort as well. He went on to say his love of improvisation fueled the making of Man in Motion. "We're just playing moment by moment," he said. "Nobody knew what they were going to play until they heard what somebody else was playing. There's more jamming on that album than on the average soul record or blues record, but it's all based on call-and-response and communication." more on this story




Beatles Remasters Brought Respect To Ringo
(Gibson) One might expect Ringo Starr to be secure in the knowledge that nearly every rock drummer who has come in his wake cites him as an influence. Fact is, however, it took the remastering of The Beatles' catalog to present him in what he feels was a proper light.

"I love the remasters," he told M – Music & Musicians, in a just-published interview. "And you know why? You can hear the drums! Suddenly people [were saying], 'Oh, we better look again at his playing.' Sometimes that's been in doubt in a lot of people's minds. Of course, with Lennon and McCartney in the group, what do you expect? The first clue was when we remixed Yellow Submarine. Paul and I went to Abbey Road to listen to it, and we both said, 'Who the hell played that?' So yeah, suddenly people were saying, 'Oh, maybe he could play.' The one thing I can always look at is that The Beatles' music is great. What we did, the four of us, is incredible."

Starr's new album, Ringo 2012, was released January 31. His 13th All Starr Band tour will launch June 14 at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario. more on this story




Trixter Releasing First Album in 20 Years
Trixter have set an April 24th North American release date for their first new album in 20 years, New Audio Machine.

eaturing the band's original line-up, New Audio Machine is produced and engineered by Chuck Alzakian (Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Tesla) and includes songwriting contributions by Skid Row's Snake Sabo and Rachel Bolan and Styx's Glen Burtnik.

Trixter frontman Pete Loran commented, "After all these years playing and recording with this band, I would say I am most proud of this record!" Lead guitarist Steve Brown added, "NEW AUDIO MACHINE is everything Trixter was and everything we are now. I can't wait for the world to hear it!" more on this story


Tenacious D Bad Religion Jam
Tenacious D performed with Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion drummer) at the "Guitar Center Drum Off" competition.

We were sent some video for you to get your rock on to. They performed "The Metal" watch that here and the classic "Pinball Wizard" watch that here.

Jack Black is back in the game as Tenacious D brings us their third album and first effort in six years, "Rize of the Fenix," set to be released in May.


Rock's Leading Women Focus of New Exhibition
(Gibson) Rock's most iconic female artists are featured in a new photography exhibition opening in London next month.

She-Bop-A-Lula will be at the The Strand Gallery in London from Wednesday, March 7 to Sunday, April 1. The exhibition will feature Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Janis Joplin, Suzi Quatro and Patti Smith.

All prints will be available to purchase at £200, with proceeds going to charity. Admission to the exhibition will be free. more on this story




Green Day's Day 1 In The Studio
(hennemusic) Green Day hit the recording studio last Tuesday to begin work on their new album.

"Happy Valentine's day! Officially started recording the new record today." tweeted Billie Joe Armstrong.

The project is the follow-up to 2009's "21st Century Breakdown." Green Day are sharing a brief video montage of Day 1 in a clip entitled "February 14th – Oakland." Check it out here.


Singled Out: Vintage Blue's Speak
Today Ben Bassett of Vintage Blue tells us about the song "Speak" from their brand new album "Strike the Mics," which just hit stores. Here is the story:

I was actually on a trip to St. Louis for an old job. I decided to bring along my guitar. As an artist, sometimes you just get a feeling. It turns out that my meeting for the next day was cancelled and I was stuck in my hotel room. I started playing around with a few different ideas and recording them on my computer. I came up with three tunes, but only one made our most recent record. That song was "Speak."

"Speak" was written about a girl I once fell for. Gorgeous and sweet with that one-of-a-kind of spark. In fact, the song used to have her name in the title! Thing was, she was engaged. The song expresses the feelings of love, mixed with the frustration of not being able to have that love. In the song I even plead "that diamond ring don't mean a thing, when you know it should be you and me."

In the studio, our producer Jamie Candiloro, who has worked with REM, Ryan Adams and Luscious Jackson, took the song to another level from the original guitar riff. By suggesting the addition of synth and some little funky guitar tricks, he helped us make it into the funky tune that has ended up being our first single.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

Today's Day In Rock!

Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers Lollapalooza Fake
(Banana 101.5) Perry Farrell is firing back at "an anonymous Lollapalooza insider" that has been leaking the annual music festival's lineup via Twitter. The rumored lineup features Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beyonce, and more.
A Twitter account under the handle @lollaleaks began posting what it claimed would be the lineup for this year's festival earlier this month. Some of the acts "leaked" include headliners Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Beyonce along with KornGarbage, AWOLNATION, the Gaslight Anthem, The Killers, Beck, YACHT, the Big Pink, Wild Flag, Ben Folds Five, and a final performance from Sonic Youth.

Festival creator and Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell has been engaged in a Twitter war with the self proclaimed "insider," calling the leaker a "red tick," "a fraud," and more.


Blink-182 Mini Tour
Blink-182 have put together a mini tour for this May around their co-headline appearance at the Bamboozle Festival 2012 (with Bon Jovi and Foo Fighters).

In addition to Blink-182's Bamboozle performance on Saturday, May 19 at the North Beach boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ, the band has scheduled major arena shows in upstate New York as well as New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Quebec City .

Hoppus, guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker reunited in 2009 after a tumultuous four-year hiatus. Their new album, Neighborhoods, marks Blink-182's sixth studio effort. more on this story


Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour Dates
The recently reunited Beach Boys have most of the dates for their upcoming 40+ city 50th anniversary tour of North America, and also plan to release a new studio album.

The upcoming tour, the majority of which is booked into outdoor venues, gets underway April 24 in Tucson, AZ, and dates are currently scheduled through mid-July.

The band has recorded new songs for a studio album that will be released later this year. Brian Wilson is producing the set, and Mike Love is the executive producer. more on this story


Megadeth, Slash, Chickenfoot, Creed, Chevelle for Rocklahoma
Rocklahoma 2012's initial lineup has announced and the festival will feature sets from Megadeth, Slash, Chickenfoot, Creed, Chevelle and more.

The three day event will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, at the "Catch the Fever" Festival Grounds in Pryor, OK.

The initial Rocklahoma lineup includes: Rob Zombie, Chickenfoot featuring Joe Satriani, Kenny Aronoff (sitting in for Chad Smith), Michael Anthony & Sammy Hagar, Creed, Megadeth, Slash, Queensrÿche, Chevelle, Theory of a Deadman, Jackyl, Puddle Of Mudd, Hellyeah, P.O.D., Volbeat, 10 Years, Cavo, Adelitas Way, Black Stone Cherry, Pop Evil, Red, The Darkness, Art of Dying, Trivium, Aranda, Redlight King, James Durbin, Janus, New Medicine, Rival Sons, Anti Mortem, Gypsy Pistoleros, Wildstreet, Firstryke, Black Tora, Sunset Riot, The Glitter Boys, Fist of Rage, Switchblade Scarlett, Krank and more. Bands will perform on the Main Stage, Second Stage and the Retrospect Records Stage.

Rocklahomais located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, in Pryor, OK and The "Catch the Fever" Festival Grounds. More info here.


Foo Fighters Plan Out Of This World New Album
(Banana 101.5) We're assuming Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl spent some time with Muse recently because now he says that their next album will be recorded in space.

Foo Fighters had a lengthy conversation with MTV on the red carpet at The 54th Annual Grammy Awards, where the Foo Fighters nearly swept all categories they were nominated in. The band took home five Grammys losing only to Adele — who did sweep all her categories — for "Album of the Year." "If we win them all, we'll look like dicks," joked Grohl prior to the telecast.

The interviewer also asked about the rumor — which Grohl started himself in a recent blog post — that Foo Fighters had already begun working on a new album. "We have an idea. It's kind of a really big idea," said Grohl. "[We're going to record it] in space. To tape. An analog moonshot." more on this story


Less Than Jake Release Surprise EP
Less Than Jake unexpectedly released a five-song EP called Season's Greetings From Less Than Jake.

An accompaniment to last summer's Greetings From Less Than Jake, the new EP was produced by Less Than Jake bassist Roger Lima at his studio, The Moathouse, in Gainesville and was mixed by Stephen Egerton of The Descendents, is available only from Less Than Jake's online webstore here and will also be sold at shows.

Last night the band kicked off their northeast run of tour dates with Samiam, Flatfoot 56 and Plow United. Listen to a stream of one of the tracks here.


Slash To Deliver Apocalyptic Love in May
Velvet Revolver/former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash will release his second solo album, Apocalyptic Love, on May 22nd.

The new album features Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators and will be released on Slash's own label Dik Hayd International and distributed through EMI.

Slash is currently in a Los Angeles studio putting the final touches on Apocalyptic Love and earlier this week he announced his headlining U.S. tour will begin May 3 in Baltimore. more on this story


Van Halen Family And Friends Show Footage Goes Online
(hennemusic) Last week, Van Halen continued their tradition of performing a final dress rehearsal concert at the L.A. Forum for family and friends.

The 70-minute set featured classic VH tracks and four songs from the new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," including "She's The Woman" and the first single, "Tattoo."

New, multi-cam video footage of both of the tracks have been shared online and we have them for you here.


Jay Gordon Resurrects Orgy
Jay Gordon has put together a new Orgy lineup and is hitting the road tomorrow for the first Orgy tour since 2005 and they are working on a comeback album.

The Bad Blood Tour 2012 kicks off this Saturday, February 18 in Point Richmond, CA. The six-week trek will feature support from Faultline, One-Eyed Doll, The Attitude and various local bands.

The trek will include stops in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee, among many cities, before hitting New York City on Tuesday, March 6 at Irving Plaza. The band will then head south as they make their way back home for a show at The Key Club on the Sunset Strip Wednesday, March 21 before wrapping the tour in Tempe, AZ on Monday, April 2. more on this story


Switchfoot Plan American, Australian Tours, Special Release and More
Switchfoot have a lot of activities coming up this spring including a North American headline tour, leading this year's Soundwave Festival, a special Record Store Day release, a special Evening with Swithfoot and more.

The band will kick off the North American headlining tour on March 22 in Kahului, HI and next week Switchfoot heads to Australia and New Zealand, where they will headline the traveling Soundwave Festival. They'll also be capturing footage for Fading West, the San Diego-based band's upcoming surf film, which will feature numerous other incredible surfing locations Switchfoot has visited on its world tour.

On March 20, "An Evening with Switchfoot at La Jolla Playhouse." Switchfoot and producer Neal Avron (Sara Bareilles, Weezer) will discuss the making of their latest album, Vice Verses (Atlantic Records). The evening will also feature a Q&A and meet-and-greet session. a lot more here


Clutch and Hellyeah Launching Spring Tour
Clutch and Hellyeah are joining forces this Spring for a North American Co-Headlining Tour with both bands will play full headlining sets.

The tour kicks off April 13th in Providence, RI and runs through May 11th in Joliet, IL.

Throughout the tour there will also be dates that feature Clutch only and Hellyeah only as well as radio festivals and shows. more on this story


Twin Atlantic Set American Album Release and Tour
America will soon find out what rock fans in the UK have been raving about as Twin Atlantic will release their debut album, Free, in North American on March 13 via Red Bull Records.

Free was recorded in Santa Monica and produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo And The Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World).

The album was released in the 2011 in the UK and resulted in iTunes UK naming them Best New Rock Artist of the Year. Free was the UK's best selling independent British rock album of 2011, hitting #1 on iTunes Rock albums charts and #4 on Scottish albums. more on this story


Twisted Sister's Dee Snider Talks Celebrity Apprentice
(hennemusic) Season 12 of The Celebrity Apprentice kicks off this Sunday featuring a couple of musicians, including Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider.

The contestants, as usual, will play for charity, and Snider has one that's close to his heart.

"As the national spokesperson for the March Of Dimes Bikers For Babies," says Dee, "I am inspired to get the message out and to help this charity though the Celebrity Apprentice. Two of my four children were born prematurely and, although they were both born healthy, I know firsthand from being in those neo-natal units the problems so many families have with unhealthy babies. The March Of Dimes' work is the reason there are NICU's [Neonatal Intensive Care Units] in pretty much every hospital in America." Check out the video interview here.


Alice Cooper Discusses Plans for Iron Maiden Tour
(hennemusic) Alice Cooper will be joining Iron Maiden for the band's "Maiden England" tour this summer. Alice will team up with Maiden for the first month of shows –from June 21 to July 21 – before Coheed & Cambria step in to open for the UK metal masters.

"Those guys [Maiden] are really good friends of ours," Alice tells Rolling Stone. "When you've been out for five decades on the road, there's a whole section of the audience out there that have heard of Alice Cooper but never saw Alice Cooper. So an Iron Maiden audience is a great opportunity for us to show them what Alice is all about. We do more theatrics now than we did back then."

As for his plans for the Maiden tour, Cooper says "You have to do the hits. The audience would kill you if you don't do 'Eighteen' and 'School's Out.' But then we've got to do stuff from the new album. And then you have to get what I call the underground hits – the real Alice aficionados want to hear those songs. Once in a while you throw a cover in there. We do a pretty mean 'Brown Sugar.'" Following the Maiden tour, Alice has plans of his own.


Sixx:A.M Making Live Return at Golden God Awarrds
Motley Crue mastermind Nikki Sixx's side group Sixx:A.M will perform live for the first time in four years at Revolver's Golden Gods Awards on April 11th.

As each band member has been kept busy with their other careers - Nikki Sixx is also the bassist for Mötley Crüe and a syndicated radio host; Dj Ashba is currently touring with Guns N'Roses; James Michael is a rock producer who is currently working on new records for Papa Roach, Halestorm and others.

The appearance marks the band's first chance to perform in support of their current album, This Is Gonna Hurt.


Breathe Carolina, The Ready Set and Matt Toka Tour
Warner Bros sent over word that their new artist Matt Toka will be touring this spring with Breathe Carolina and The Ready Set.

The tour kicks off on March 21st in Columbia, MO, and wraps up on April 27th in Bloomington, IN.

WBR had this to say about Toka: Inspired by the storytelling of Bob Dylan, Noel Gallagher, and Billie Joe Armstrong, Toka locked himself in his one-room studio apartment to write the songs on his upcoming debut album, which he is currently recording with his idol, producer Rob Cavallo. more on this story


Art Garfunkel 2-Disc Retrospect Coming in April
Art Garfunkel has hand-picked 40 songs for a new career spanning retrospect called The Singer which is being release on April 10th.

The two-CD collection will cover the years from the first Simon & Garfunkel album of 1964 (Wednesday Morning, 3AM) up through 2007's Great American Songbook album (Some Enchanted Evening.

In addition to curating The Singer, Garfunkel provides his own personal track-by-track annotations, which appear in the booklet in his handwritten form. The notes are as unique as Garfunkel himself. He writes of "Cecilia," the S&G hit single from 1970: "'Car!' we called in Queens. Then we stopped the game and stepped aside. I grew up where the brick houses were semi-attached with driveways in between. Punchball was king. Somehow the yelling we did as street kids found its way to 'Cecilia.' We shouted the song over a track we made from a tape loop of rhythmic hand clapping onto our blue jeans." more on this story


Dandy Warhols Releasing New Album This Spring
The End Records will release Dandy Warhols new album This Machine on April 24th.

The album was mixed Tchad Blake who also mixed The Dandy Warhols Odditorium or Warlords of Mars and Come Down. Tchad is well known for his recent work with The Black Keys, Blitzen Trapper and Pearl Jam. The album cover for This Machine was painted by local Portland, Oregon painter Hickory Mertsching.

Stand out track, "Autumn Carnival" was co authored by Courtney Taylor and David J of Love and Rockets. About the album, Courtney says, "We've been told that its our gothiest. I thought it was our grungiest so I'm really hoping its a hit with goths who are...um, really outdoorsy?" more on this story


Van Halen Top Billboard Rock Chart
(hennemusic) Van Halen's "A Different Kind Of Truth," debuts this week at #1 on Billboard's Rock Albums chart.

The first Van Halen album with David Lee Roth in 28 years sold 187,000 copies to be the week's top-selling album across all rock genres, ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.

Debuting behind the veteran rockers at #2 was "Scars & Stories" by The Fray. more on this story


The Story Of Rock 'n' Roll Comics DVD Coming
MVD have set an April 24th release date for "The Story Of Rock 'n' Roll Comics" on DVD.

This documentary tells the unbelievable story of Todd Loren, San Diego-based owner of Revolutionary Comics, famous for publishing the wildly popular "Rock 'N' Roll Comics" series.

The unauthorized and often controversial comics featured biographies of music groups such as KISS, the Sex Pistols and Metallica. Loved by some (Gene Simmons, Alice Cooper, Lemmy, Metallica) and threatened by others (Axl Rose, Skid Row, New Kids on the Block), over 300 issues of Rock 'N' Roll comics were printed, embracing all music genres: Rock, Alternative, Hip-Hop, Punk and Pop and they quickly became instant collector's items. In a strange twist, Loren is found murdered in his condo in 1992, making people speculate that he may have the first victim of 'serial' killer Andrew Cunanan, leading to an absorbing mystery that still remains, UNSOLVED today. more on this story


Axe Release Axeology
Earlier this week Deadline Music released Axeology 1979-2001, a 2-CD collection memorializes more than 20 years of the classic hard rock band, Axe.

Formed in Florida in 1979, the original Axe lineup included keyboardist Edgar Riley, guitarists Bobby Barth and Michael Osborne, bassist Mike Turpin, and drummer Teddy Mueller.

The band's self-titled debut on MCA Records quickly earned attention in the rock community, but it wasn't until the third album Offering (on Atco) in 1982 that Axe hit the big time with the anthemic "Rock 'n' Roll Party In The Streets." New bassist Wayne Haner was added to the band for the album and subsequent tours with Motley Crue, The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden. Sadly, while supporting a fourth album on tour with KISS, Michael Osborne was killed in a car crash which seriously injured Bobby Barth, and the band soon dissolved. more on this story


Elvis Presley's Model Teeth Up For Grabs
(Gibson) First, John Lennon's tooth went up for auction in a high-profile sale, and now it's Elvis Presley's turn.

According to ABC News, a one-of-a-kind a model of Elvis Presley's teeth together with a crown made for the star by the musician's former Memphis dentist, Henry J. Weiss, will be up for auction beginning February 25. The model – which will be auctioned via Omega Auctions in Stockport, Greater Manchester – is estimated to score a sky-high $15,000 or more.

Weiss, Presley's dentist until 1971, did all of the "Hound Dog" rocker's dental work, including the groundwork of a porcelain crown for his front tooth. As the story goes, Weiss was called upon in February of 1971 when Presley cracked his crown on a microphone while playing a gig at the International Hotel, now known as the Hilton Hotel, in Las Vegas. He affectionately called the crown the "King's Crown." more on this story




Quick Licks Gary Moore Volume 2 DVD Released
Lick Library have released the new Quick Licks Gary Moore Volume 2 DVD. Here are the details they provided:

Professional player and teacher Jamie Humphries presents the easy to follow guitar lessons, which will help you build your repertoire and technique.

The DVD takes you through over 30 Gary Moore style licks from two distinct periods in his career; 80's style hard rock and the blues. The guitar lessons illustrate techniques such as fast alternate picking, scale sequences, tremolo picking and fast pentatonic phrases and lines, a guitar jam track is also included. more on this story


The Day Bob Dylan Walked the Line with Johnny Cash
(Gibson) As mutual admirers of each other's work, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan began covering each other's songs in the mid- to late '60s. Cash appropriated "It Ain't Me, Babe" for 1965's Orange Blossom Special, and Dylan and The Band laid down quite a few versions of Cash tunes during The Basement Tapes sessions, although their versions of "Big River" and "Folsom Prison Blues" didn't end up on the official release.

When their paths crossed, the two would often engage in backstage duets – even though their voices weren't the most perfect of matches. A couple of these moments were caught on film. Their version of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" can be seen in Martin Scorsese's No Direction Home, and their take on "I Still Miss Someone" is featured in Dylan's unreleased Eat the Document.

But the two wouldn't sit down to formally record a duet until this day in 1969. Following his mid-'60s rock records, his motorcycle accident and the rustic roots inspirations of John Wesley Harding, Dylan had come to Nashville to make a full-blown country record in February of '69. Dylan and some A-list session guys had laid down the bulk of the album's tracks over a couple of days in Columbia Studios. Toward the end of the sessions, on February 17, Cash stopped by to say hello, and to take a break from recording his own album.

"I had microphones set up and stools and tapes and everything" producer Bob Johnston later remembered. "They looked at each other... got their guitars and started playing."

Cash and Dylan ended up recording together for the next two days. more on this story




Keith Moody Singled Out Week: Already Home
Keith Moody released his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "Already Home". Here is the story:

To me this song means you can't find what you really need. What you need is something that's always inside you. The person in the song is going everywhere searching for something (which most people can relate to) only to realize that maybe he is already has it (home). I went through this realization after touring, then returning to Nashville but never feeling completely at home and realized that home is where your heart is…I should have just read those little signs they sell in truck stops I guess.

Today's Day In Rock!

Aerosmith Recording A Concept Album
Joe Bosso from MusicRadar caught up with producer Jack Douglas, engineer Warren Huart to discuss Aerosmith's forthcoming album. Here is a portion where Jack Douglas discusses the sound of the new album and we learn that it's actually a concept album:
"We're going back to the rawness. There's something special about the vintage Aerosmith vibe, and that's what we have here. It's got that '70s feel and sense of humor. It's a bit of a concept album – there's a theme running through it, but I can't really talk about that right now. But to get that edge and spirit, it made sense to capture tracks live with the band playing all out.

"The way Pandora's Box is set up, we can get that. It's a gorgeous room that was designed by John Storyk, and the board was designed by Jay Messina and myself. It's 24 tracks of Neve broadcast modules, eight tracks of API, eight tracks of old Focusrite, and then PAD built a custom eight-buss for us. So they all speak to one another. It's just like having one board – we call it 'Frankenstein.' I had a lot of my gear and my mics sent over to the place.

"Pandora's Box really allowed me to record the band like I did in the '70s. We'd sit in the production office and start with the germ of a song – just acoustic guitars and some basic ideas – and then we'd take that and go into a rehearsal room. In that room, we have small amps and keyboards, and we'll record everything we do there into my laptop. After that, once it's right, we'll take it into the big room and record it. If we need to make changes, we'll make them later."

Read the full interview and find out who Steven is working with on lyrics for the album here.

Van Halen Kept From The Top
(hennemusic) Van Halen's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," has debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The rockers were expected to battle for top spot with UK singing sensation Adele, and that's exactly how things played out.

Van Halen's album sold 187,000 copies in its debut week, while Adele enjoyed a massive sales bump due to her increased profile around Sunday's Grammy Awards, where she swept her 6 categories, including Album Of The Year for "21." Adele sold 242,000 copies during Grammy week, virtually doubling the 122,000 she sold a week earlier. more on this story

Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper North American Tour
Iron Maiden are returning to North America this year for another "history of Iron Maiden" tour, this time recapturing the set from the Maiden England concert movie filmed during the 1988 Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour.

The tour kicks off on June 21st in Charlotte, NC and the first month of the trek will feature Alice Cooper as a special guest (until July 21st) and Coheed and Cambria taking over after that.

Here is the official word with the initial dates: This opening section of the World Tour is the band's most extensive visit to North America for many years and includes a number of cities the band have not played in a very long time, such as Charlotte, Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis and Salt Lake City. more on this story

Pantera Reunion Rejected
The Metal Den says an unnamed source told them that Vinnie Paul has rejected a lucrative offer to take part in a one-time Pantera reunion to pay tribute to his brother Dimebag Darrell Abbott who was murdered in 2004.

Vinnie Paul had previously discounted an online campaign for the tribute show reunion by telling www.darkside.ru, "Dime was such a huge part of it that it would be just completely asinine to even consider that. He left an amazing legacy and it's going to be left untouched, it's beautiful, it's pristine and I want to leave it that way."

Now The Metal Den reports that they "learned from a source close to the camp of legendary ex-Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott that indeed a 'large sum of money' has been put on the table to reunite him with surviving Pantera members, vocalist Philip H. Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown for a one-off reunion/tribute event (with special fill-in guitarists).... This source says Vinnie Paul basically laughed the offer right off the table. " more

Green Day Start Recording New Album
(Gibson) Billie Joe Armstrong has Tweeted about Green Day, and reveals the band have officially begun studio sessions on their new album. Armstrong posted: "Happy Valentine's day! Officially started recording the new record today."

The band have previously said that their forthcoming ninth studio album will move away from the concepts of their last two records, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown,and be more straightforward.

In November 2011, Green Day debuted a new song, "Carpe Diem," during a live show in San Francisco. The band have previously played new material at live shows, with a more aggressive sound than the pop-rock of recent albums. Working titles reportedly include "Wow, That's Loud" and "Make Out Party." The trio have been demoing material since May 2011. more on this story



Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour
The Dave Matthews Band have announced thier first North American Summer Tour since 2010.

This summer's trek will kick off on on May 18 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX.

The tour will feature numerous two-night stands, including visits at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY (June 8 & 9) and the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL (July 20 & 21). The group will begin a West Coast run over Labor Day weekend with three nights (August 31, September 1 & 2) at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, where Dave Matthews Band has headlined 40 shows since 1997. more on this story

Coheed and Cambria Giving Away New Song
Earlier this week Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez leaked an acoustic version of the brand new song, "Sentry the Defiant," to their fans online.

He wrote on the youtube posting "Instead of making you wait until the album is released, I thought I'd share my excitement for this song with you now. I decided with this piece to video document it's creation."

He added, "This is literally the first time I played the song through in its entirety. His name is Sentry The Defiant."

The video has received 65,000 plays in less than 24 hours and seems to be spreading. The band is also giving away a free download to the audio of the song on their website here.

Corey Taylor Talks Possible Slipknot, Mushroomhead, GWAR, Mudvayne Tour
(Banana 101.5) It may be hard to believe but vocalist Corey Taylor says that not only is a Slipknot/Mushroomhead tour possible, he'd also like to get Mudvayne and GWAR on board.

There's always been animosity between the fans of Slipknot and Mushroomhead. During one of the Q&As on Corey Taylor's recent tour he was asked about the possibility of touring with Mushroomhead.

"I would welcome it. I'd love to do something like that, you know. Especially now. I think it'd beautiful to put something like that together and just see what f—ing happens – Slipknot, Mushroomhead, GWAR and f—ing Mudvayne. Because if it's one thing I've learned, you don't hold on to stupid s—, you let it go." But what about the rivalry?

Gregg Allman Autobiography Coming
(hennemusic) Gregg Allman's autobiography, "My Cross To Bear," will be published May 1. For the first time, the founding member of the Allman Brothers Band tells the story of his life, including the music, the band, the tragedies, and the triumphs.

One of the most entertaining live bands ever to take the stage, the Allman Brothers Band defined the meaning of live rock and roll. But despite nearly a half-century of massive success, no one has ever told the inside story of the band and the brothers behind it.

"When I got out of high school, I thought, I'll take a year or two off and play the clubs, get this out of my system, and then go to med school," Gregg said last year. "More than forty years later, I figure it's finally time to write about this crazy journey that's taken me around the world and back." more on this story

Paul McCartney Wants To Keep Touring Into His 80s
(Gibson) Paul McCartney will turn 70 this year, but the former Beatle tells Rolling Stone that he doesn't think he'll be retiring anytime soon. Macca said he'd like to keep touring into his 80s.

"I can imagine it," he said. "As to whether my imagination will come true, I don't know. The last couple of years, I've gotten into guitar – so there's all sorts of little things that crop up that entice you forward, and you go, 'Hmm, I'd like that.'"

Elsewhere in the interview, McCartney said he's in a bit of denial about his age. "I'm never going to believe I'm 70, I don't care what you say," he said. "There's a little cell in my brain that's never going to believe that… You get the argument, 'Make way for the young kids.' And you think, 'F--k that, let them make way for themselves. If they're better than me, they'll beat me.' Foo Fighters don't have a problem, they're good. They'll do their thing." more on this story



Public Image Ltd Releasing First Album in 20 Years
(Gibson) Public Image Ltd will release their first album in 20 years in 2012. John Lydon says the new album is due in May/June, with a taster EP to be released in April.

"The album's done," Lydon told BBC 6 radio. "We finished it late last summer, mastered it in September." Lydon insists this is no cash-in. He reunited PiL in 2009, and says: "Everybody thinks I made such a fortune with the Sex Pistols. Unfortunately, that is not true. To make this record we had to tour extensively for two years."

The working title for the album is apparently This Is PiL. The band will whet fans' appetites with "One Drop," a four-song EP to be released on International Record Store Day, April 21. The group's new material is "folk music," Lydon told NME. "Irish folkies … think I'm mocking tradition, but for God's sake, that's been the story of my life. It's not mockery; it's called advancement. We can't all be stuck in 17th-century ditties. more on this story



Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood Rock Aerosmith Classics
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler recently teamed up with country superstar Carrie Underwood for CMT's Crossroad series and video is now online.

The episode was broadcast live from Indianapolis during Super Bowl weekend.

Tyler and Underwood rocked out on each other's tunes: Aerosmith fans heard tracks like "Sweet Emotion," "Love In An Elevator," Cryin'" and "Walk This Way." Check out video from the special

Slash's Valentine
(hennemusic) Slash has issued the third webisode in his series of behind the scenes looks at the recording of his new solo album. This time out, the focus is on producer Eric Valentine.

"When I was doing the last solo record," begins Slash, "I was looking for a producer and I found a handful of records that Eric Valentine had done…and I loved how diverse his tastes were. I hooked up with Eric and played him some demos and, somehow, he just managed to catch on [to] exactly what was going on in my head. So…we just clicked right away."

Slash's as-yet-untitled album is due May 22, and he begins a mini-US tour on May 3 in Baltimore, with dates booked throughout the month of May. Check out the video here.

Mars Attacks Charred Walls Of The Damned
(MAR) The latest episode of the Mars Attacks podcast contains interviews with Charred Walls Of The Damned drummer Richard Christy and John Arch of Arch – Matheos.

Richard discusses the band's latest album Cold Winds On Timeless Days, what it was like to leave Iced Earth for the Howard Stern Show, his gear, and the late Chuck Shuldiner among other things.

John Arch discusses the album Sympathetic Resonance, his past in Fates Warning, his expectations for Arch – Matheos along with a slew of other things. Check it out here.

Volbeat Go No 1 in America
Volbeat has scored their first American no 1 on the Active Rock charts with their single "A Warrior's Call."

Singer Michael Poulson shares, "I'm really honored that "A Warriors Call" has reached #1 on America's Active Rock Radio chart! We're the first Danish band to achieve that, and with a song written for boxing champ Mikkel Kessler. Going #1 and topping acts like Foo Fighters and Nickelback, we never dared to believe! Volbeat would like to thank Universal Republic, all the radio stations, listeners and fans for their support!" Universal Republic Chairman Monte Lipman offers, "Volbeat never stop working, and their tireless efforts are paying off. This is a landmark for what I consider to be one of the most daring bands in hard rock."

Beyond Hell / Above Heaven debuted at number one on the sales charts in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and Top 10 in a half dozen additional countries. In the U.S., it continues to see strong sales on a weekly basis. Since the Danish metal quartet's formation in October, 2001, VOLBEAT has steadily risen to become one of the major attractions in the European scene. This success has followed as a headliner in the U.S., with the band selling out venues across the country including New York and Los Angeles. more on this story

Derelict Album Release Set
Derelict have announced the release date for their new album, Perpetuation, and a record release show.

"We're releasing the album on April 20th, 2012!", states Derelict vocalist Eric Burnet.

"The date coincides with our Montreal CD release show, which will kick off a run of similar events around Quebec and Ontario, followed by some tours in the Summer and Fall". more on this story

Wishbone Ash Member Releases Music Software
(Glass Onyon) Wishbone Ash drummer Joe Crabtree has developed new software for the drummer and musician.

Crabtree, who has been creating music software for a number of years, is excited to introduce the RhythMachine, OctopuSequencer, Pyramid and PolyNome.

RhythMachine is a tool for generating rhythms and melodies and orchestrating them on the drum kit or pitched instruments. It can be used for ear training, creating vamps to solo over or generating grooves and fills. "I began work on my first piece of software, the RhythMachine, back in 2008," Joe explains. "It was inspired by some lessons I took in New York with Robby Ameen. In my lesson with Robby we were playing double drums – both playing a songo groove with a left foot clave. We'd play 3 bars of groove, then Robby would keep the clave going and play a 1 bar melodic fill on the toms. We'd go around the 4 bars again and my challenge was to mimic what he had played. It was challenging and I wanted to develop some software that would replicate that scenario. I wrote RhythMachine to do exactly this." more on this story

Exhumed Tour Dates Aborted
Exhumed have been forced to cancel their dates in Brazil this week with Aborted due to visa issues.

Vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey explains "We are totally weakened to have to cancel our Brazilian dates. Due to our visa applications getting rejected, we cannot legally enter the country at this time -- in fact, they threatened to ban us from being there for a decade.

"We are doing everything we can to reschedule these dates as soon as possible. Due to the bulls*** policies of U.S. immigration/customs and Brazilian customs' policy of reciprocity, our visas were refused by the Brazilian consulate before even being processed. more on this story

Prong with Crowbar and Witchburn Tour
Prong are hitting the road in April for a North American tour with Crowbar and Witchburn.

The tour will kick off on April 5th in Dallas, TX and runs through April 21st in Detroit, MI. T

Prong will be touring in support of their new album Carved Into Stone, which is due out April 24th in North America on Long Branch Records. more on this story

Cheap Girls Album and Tour Coming
Cheap Girls have added dates to their upcoming Spring headline tour of North America in support of their forthcoming album, Giant Orange, which hits stores next week.

The tour kicks off on Thursday, March 1, in Cleveland, OH, at the Grog Shop, the tour, which will also feature The Sidekicks on the entire run as well as The Menzingers after March 24, will take in nights at notable venues across the U.S. such as Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, NJ, on Sunday, March 4, Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, NY, on Tuesday, March 6, and the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, CA, on Monday, April 2.

The tour will also include a stop at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, during March and culminate in a performance at The Atlantic in Gainesville, FL, on Friday, April 13. more on this story

Remembering Doris Troy
(Gibson) On this day in 2004, Singer Doris Troy died. She had been a session singer with Dionne Warwick, sang on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and released an album on The Beatles' Apple label. She also had a 1964 U.K. #37 single with "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" and a 1963 U.S. #10 hit, "Just One Look." Gibson looks back:

Bronx-born, she broke though in the U.S. as a backup singer and hitmaker/songwriter but found her greatest success in England, signing with The Beatles' own label, Apple, at Harrison's urging.

Harrison was a fan of her 1963 hit "Just One Look." The song was covered in England by The Hollies and Troy started visiting Britain, where her profile began to grow. She played several London gigs with a young Reg Dwight (later Elton John) on piano.

She would go on to sing on The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," and was both a writer and singer on Billy Preston's Apple album.

It was while recording with Preston that Doris first met Harrison. In an interview from 1970, George recalled, "I first met Doris on this Billy Preston session. Doris had come over to England with a few demo tapes, because she'd decided that she wanted to live in England and try and do it from here like, I suppose, the thing that Jimi Hendrix did. She came on a session, and she's been there ever since!" more on this story



Keith Moody Singled Out Week: Lay It Down Easy
Keith Moody released his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "Lay It Down Easy". Here is the story:

This tune is simply about having courage, and not letting anyone tell you what your direction or destiny may be. The myth that Columbus was told the world was flat is a good personification of this theme, especially after writing the first verse as if it were a conversation or friendly advice. I know when I give or receive advice I like to hear a little story to help drive the point home. The tune has a good hit the road vibe to it too, which I thought was important. I wanted this song to be a personal sound track or anthem for taking the first steps to start new journeys

VAN HALEN DEBUT AT #2 IN USA:

A David Lee Roth fronted Van Halen have once again had world domination plans foiled by a long standing current #1 record. Back in 1984, the band's album of the same name just missed out on reaching number one due to the phenomenal success of Michael Jackson's Thriller opus (going on to be the #1 selling album of all-time).
Now in 2012, the band's new album A Different Kind Of Truth has been held out at #1 by the continuing stellar run by Adele with her album 21. Adele posted a 102% jump on previous weeks sales due to advance-Grammy publicity and sold another 241,000 units.
Van Halen will instead debut at #2, with 187,333 units reported sold - a little short of their label Interscope's original hopes (200-250k), but in line with revised expectations of 180k+. Nevertheless, it's the best result for a classic rock band in quite a while and something for the band to be proud of.

Today's Day In Rock!

Original Guns N' Roses Lineup For Rock Hall Induction
(Banana 101.5) There is now confirmation that the Guns N' Roses members from the Appetite for Destruction-era will all be on hand for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
While singer Axl Rose has made it pretty clear that he is happy with the current GN'R roster and doesn't want to offend them, it appears that the one-off reunion performance may actually go down at the Rock Hall ceremony this April. Dizzy Reed, current GN'R keyboard player and longest active member besides Axl, recently told Billboard:

"I know that all the original band is going to be there. I don't know exactly what's going to go down. It's one of those things I'm sure will all come together and be really cool. I'm just going to go in with a good attitude and a clear head and a grateful heart."

The original GN'R lineup — consisting of Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, and Steven Adler — have not shared a stage together since April 7th, 1990. more on this story

Lost Joy Division and New Order Tapes Discovered
(Gibson) Food star, restaurateur and "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver recently made a startling discovery. Oliver and company were excavating an old bank in Manchester, England, when they found master tapes to tracks by Joy Division and New Order, according to NME.

Oliver and his cohorts were working on the bank to transform it into a new restaurant. The tapes come from many sessions of the legendary, Manchester-based bands. In addition to that amazing find, Oliver also found guns, gold and jewelry buried with the tapes.

So what does the celebrity chef have planned for his newfound loot? Well, nothing. Oliver turned over everything (valued at $1.7 million) to the British Treasury. more on this story



Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beach Boys Bonnaroo
(Gibson) Tennessee's annual music festival, Bonnaroo, has announced this year's lineup.

The festival takes place June 7-10 near Manchester, Tennessee, with rock and roll heavyweights Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beach Boys all set to appear.

Other acts lined up for the festival include The Avett Brothers, The Shins, The Roots, Alice Cooper, Ludacris, Ben Folds Five, The Civil Wars, Two Door Cinema Club, Gary Clark Jr. and many, many more. more on this story



Van Halen Classic Lands Student in Hot Water
(hennemusic) An Oakland University student in Rochester, Michigan has been suspended after writing about his attraction to one of his professors in an essay titled "Hot For Teacher" that was based on a song by Van Halen.

WXYX reports aspiring writer Joseph Corlett says he was never warned that writing about his attraction to his professors who are women crossed the line in his Advanced Critical Writing class.

Corlett says the same professor who was offended had previously praised him for his written work that detailed his attraction to women. More including a video news report

Marilyn Manson Album and Tour Coming
Press Here sent over word that Marilyn Manson will be hitting the road this spring for the first North America tour since 2009.

The tour will kick off on April 27th and the first set of confirmed dates run until May 20th.

Marilyn Manson will be touring in support of the upcoming release of "Born Villian" this spring. An official announcement about the album release will be made soon. more on this story


Halestorm Release Anti Love Song Video
(Banana 101.5) Halestorm gave fans the official music video for their anti-love song 'Love Bites (So Do I)' for Valentine's Day.

Halestorm release their sophomore effort 'The Strange Case of…" on April 10th and hit the road with Staind and Godsmack as part of the Mass Chaos tour three days later. Frontwoman Lzzy Hale recently described the band's new single 'Love Bites (So Do I)' to Noisecreep:

"The song is my little stab against the media's portrayal of love. Your heart cannot be measured or judged by the quizzes in magazines and scenes in movies. So for both boys and girls I tell you this, love who and how you want, and for god's sake when love bites, bite back! That bitch can eat her heart out!" Read more and check out the video here.


Evans Blue Want You For New Video
(Banana 101.5) Evans Blue vocalist Dan Chandler posted a video detailing how you can be a part of their upcoming video for the single 'This Time It's Different' from their upcoming release 'Graveyard of Empires.'

Evans Blue release their second album with singer Dan Chandler (fourth overall) on April 17th. Their new single 'This Time It's Different' is currently climbing the rock charts and the band is looking to make a music video featuring you. "It was so awesome how the 'Say It' fan video came together on our last album that we wanted to do it again for 'This Time It's Different,'" says Chandler of their previous fan video. "There's nothing better than seeing our fans rock out to our songs!"

A new message posted to their Facebook page invites fans to break out their cameras and rock as hard as they can. Submissions are due Monday, March 19th and further details can be found on the Evans Blue Facebook page and in the video here.


Ozzy Expels Eddie Trunk from The Boneyard
(Gibson) That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk has shifted his SiriusXM radio show Eddie Trunk Live from The Boneyard to Hair Nation from Monday, after control of The Boneyard was handed over to Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.

Hair Nation is on Channel 39 on both Sirius and XM. The new program will run from from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Trunk says his show will remain exactly as it was on the new channel.

"The show will be identical mix of music, guests, calls, requests of hard rock and metal, just a new channel," Trunk says. more on this story



Hellyeah Tour and Album Coming
Hellyeah's third album, Band of Brothers, is set for worldwide release in early June and the band will be announcing North American tour plans soon. They are confirmed to tour Australia and Japan in the coming months.

The album was recorded in Dallas at drummer Vinnie Paul's home studio, VP's Upstairs Studio, and was produced by the band and Jeremy Parker (Godsmack, Evanessence), who also served as engineer.

Frontman Chad Gray comments, "I'm really excited about what we've done on this new album. I've always separated Mudvayne and Hellyeah as much as I could, even though it was my voice. Melodies, lyrics and just the overall style of writing were different. With Band of Brothers, I just quit being afraid of who I am in relation to this band. I think we've all really gotten back to the original roots of what we've done individually and brought it together on this album. As an artist, as long as you're painting with your own brush, no one can compare or challenge you. I just painted with a bigger, heavier brush than I had with Hellyeah in the past. I think this is what fans have always expected to hear from us, and now were giving it to them." more on this story


Journey Release Video Featuring Michaele Salahi
(hennemusic) Journey have released their new video for "Resonate," a track from the band's 2011 album, "Eclipse."

Filmed in San Francisco and Los Angeles, the video captures some of the band's favorite live moments during the Eclipse Tour.

The clip also features guitarist Neal Schon romping with girlfriend Michaele Salahi, wife of Tareq Salahi and star of the canceled "Real Housewives of D.C." Watch the video here.



On Stage Birthday Surprise for Motley Crue's Vince Neil
(hennemusic) Motley Crue continue their Las Vegas residency at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. Last week, Crue frontman Vince Neil turned 51 (February 8) and celebrated with bandmates and fans at the group's February 9 concert.

The Crue surprised Vince with a 3-foot-tall, guitar-shaped birthday cake. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the cake featured some of the group's album covers and a replica of Vince's 1932 Ford Coupe hot rod, which is on display in the front Hard Rock lobby.

Tommy Lee brought Vince on board his drum kit for a birthday roller coaster ride, a trip normally reserved for fans at each show. Check out the birthday video here.


Jack White Releases New Solo Video
(hennemusic) Jack White is gearing up for the release of his debut album, "Blunderbuss." A "Jack" of all trades, White directed the video for the first single, "Love Interruption."

As on the single, the clip features back-up vocalist Ruby Amanfu, clarinet/bass clarinet player Emily Bowland and Brooke Waggoner on wurlitzer electric piano.

Due April 24, "Blunderbuss" was produced by White and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville. Check out the video here.


Joe Bonamassa Releasing New DVD in March
(Gibson) Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre Live From New York DVD will be released on Monday, March 26.

This is a follow- up to 2009's Live from the Royal Albert Hall, and includes contributions from special guests Beth Hart, John Hiatt and Paul Rodgers.

Hart joins Bonamassa for "I'll Take Care of You" and "Sinner's Prayer," from the recently released Don't Explain album. John Hiatt, a legendary singer-songwriter, joins Bonamassa for "Down Around My Place" and "I Know a Place." Paul Rodgers (Bad Company and Free) performs "Fire And Water" and "Walk in My Shadows" with Bonamassa.

The Beacon Theatre release coincides with Joe Bonamassa's U.K. Arena tour. Dates include Brighton Centre (March 23), Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (March 24), Newcastle Metro Arena (March 25), Edinburgh Usher Hall (March 27), Liverpool Echo Arena (March 28), Bournemouth BIC (March 30), Birmingham NIA (March 31), Capital FM Arena Nottingham (April 2), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (April 4), and Blackpool Opera House (April 5). more on this story




Dark New Day Trading Fans A Bonus Track For A Photo
(ABCPR) Dark New Day which features Clint Lowery (guitarist from Sevendust), Will Hunt (drummer from Evanescence), Troy McLawhorn (guitarist from Evanescence), Brett Hestla (lead singer/guitarist from Virgos Merlot) and Corey Lowery (bassist from Stereomud and Eye Empire), will release their sophomore album, New Tradition, February 28 on Goomba Music (distributed by eOne Music).

To make the release extra special, the band is offering a bonus track to fans who buy the full album and send in a photo of themselves holding the CD or a digital photo of their purchase online. A MP3 of "Rising Sun" will be available for a limited time only (February 28 through March 6).

Photos can be e-mailed to DND@goombamusic.com or mailed to Goomba Music, 6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 301, Chicago, IL 60646 (must be postmarked by March 6). Goomba Music will then e-mail the song to the fans directly.

"'Rising Sun' is a cool tune in the history of DND," explains drummer Will Hunt. "We actually said before writing it, in not so many words, let's write as basic a rock song as we can for the sake of doing it because we can. It's kinda getting back to our formidable 'roots.' It's really just about getting in your car, crankin' up some jams, and headin' out to get rowdy with your friends. Very different for us lyrically and stylistically."

New Tradition is the follow-up to 2005's debut album, Twelve Year Silence, which was released on Warner Bros. Records. more on this story



311 Have Big Plans
(Gibson) 311 have big plans for the next couple of months. First, the band will celebrate "311 Day" over the course of two shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on March 10 and 11. The concerts will each feature extended, 3-hour-long setlists and "state-of-the-art production."

Later this year, 311 will again take part in the 311 Caribbean Cruise. The trek sets sail on May 10 from Miami and will travel to Half Moon Cay through May 14. 311 will play four shows during the cruise, including one concert on the beach.

Other acts performing on the cruise include The Dirty Heads, Shwayze & Cisco, Ballyhoo, 2 Skinnee J's, Shootyz Groove, Passafire, Full Service, Outlaw Nation, DJ Soulman, DJ Trichrome, Trailer Park Ninjas, Exes of Evil and Moral Defect. more on this story




Hoodoo Gurus Release New Video
(hennemusic) The Hoodoo Gurus are celebrating 30 years of recorded history with the March 16 release of "Gold Watch: 20 Golden Greats."

30 years on from the release of the debut Hoodoo Gurus single, "Leilani" [1982] and the Aussie rockers offer an all-new, career-spanning greatest hits album.

"Gold Watch" opens with the new single, "Use-By Date," and features 19 of the band's biggest hits such as "My Girl," "Bittersweet," "What's My Scene?," "Come Anytime" and more.

The band has released the video for the new single, "Use-By Date." Watch the video here.


Kasabian Rock Letterman
(hennemusic) Kasabian did some pre-promotion on Monday night for their upcoming North American tour, which starts March 12 in Dallas.

The band performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, delivering the track "Days Are Forgotten" from their new "Velociraptor!" album

Stars in their native UK, Kasabian have yet to break through in the States but, as singer Tom Meighan told CraveOnline a few months ago, "The theory is we haven't toured America for 4 years, and our record label wouldn't back us and we've parted company with them," explained Tom. "We're going to go to a new record label, we're fresh, we've got new ideas, and we've got a new team backing us now. Basically we had no backing, that's why we haven't been to America for a long time (since 2006)."

Read more and watch the Letterman performance here.


The Polyphonic Spree Expand Tour Plans
The Polyphonic Spree are continuing their "You + Me" tour and have announced dates for the West Coast leg.

New Fumes, the project of former Spree member and Flaming Lips collaborator Daniel Huffman, will support all dates.

The 21-member Spree wrap up the southern leg of the tour this week with shows in Houston (Feb 14), Austin (Feb 15) and their hometown of Dallas (Feb 16). more on this story



Steel Panther Will Dump Your Girl or Boyfriend For You
(hennemusic) To celebrate Valentine's Day, Steel Panther recorded a
public service announcement where they dump your girl/boyfriend for you.

The clip could come in handy if you want to end your relationship but don't have the nerve to do it yourself.

The video is in the spirit of the title of the band's new album, "Balls Out." Steel Panther are currently touring the States before heading down under for a series of shows in Australia that kick in at the end of the month; from there, it's off through Europe and the UK before returning home in April.



Lamb Of God Change Up Tour Plans
(Adrenaline) Lamb Of God has been asked to appear June 26th at the Hove festival in Norway.

Their appearance at the festival will necessitate the rescheduling of the June 26th Zagreb, Croatia show at the Boogaloo and the June 27th Ljubljana, Slovenia show at Kino Siska.

Both shows will be rescheduled to be part of Lamb Of God's planned European/UK tour for February/March 2013 in support of their new album 's Resolution.


Taproot Look Back
Taproot are preparing to release a new album and are celebrating their 15th anniversary as a band this year.

In honor of the occasion, the band has released a video that spans their career and includes live footage from their first tour with Papa Roach to Ozzfest and more.

Taproot will release their new album, The Episodes, on April 10th, 2012, via Victory Records. Check out the retrospective video here.


Sons Of Aeon Ready To Record New Album
Lifeforce Records sent over word that Sons Of Aeon (featuring members of Ghost Brigade, Swallow The Sun, Code For Silence and Endstand) have pretty much finished the writing process for their debut album with the label, which is set to be released later this year.

Guitarist Tapio Vartiainen updates fans with this message: "It's an odd case, this Sons Of Aeon. Here I sit and try to write news about our debut album and to start with, I don't really even know how to describe our sound to strangers.

"There's so much different things going on...it's tricky to find the right words that'd make the songs justice. It's very intense and it's very musical, that's for sure. more on this story


Imminent Sonic Destruction Giving Away Song
Imminent Sonic Destruction are celebrating next week's release of their debut album, Recurring Themes, with a free song.

The band is give away a free non-album bonus track to fans who "like" them on Facebook. The instrumental "Swamp", which has been a staple of ISD's live set for years and showcases their musical ability, can be downloaded for free from their Facebook page after clicking the "like" button.

Imminent Sonic Destruction, Detroit's Premiere Progressive Metal Band will be releasing Recurring Themes on February 24th 2012. The album was produced by Roy Z (Halford, Bruce Dickinson), and features nine original tracks that showcase the band's vocal harmonies soaring over original progressive-metal riffing, melodic compositions and the rhythms of ex-Tiles drummer, Pat DeLeon. Facebook link.



Attaloss Set New Album Release
(RRM) Attaloss are set to release their new self-titled album on April 10, 2012, via Rock Ridge Music

Their new record showcases two sides of the band, the high energy blown out rock side and the stripped down acoustic side. Although the band name is a play on a common phrase many of us hear every day, there is an underlying message of optimism: "Even in these tough times, we must have hope for a better tomorrow," states singer Danny Aguiluz.

Danny, Chris, Lorenzo, and Dakota all left their respective hometowns and moved to Los Angeles to chase their rock and roll dream. Once they decided to join forces together they began the arduous task of trying to come up with a band name. After kicking around hundreds of potential names, they got news that their rehearsal studio was broken into and all their music gear was stolen. "Getting news like that was such a kick in the gut that we literally were at a loss for words. We realized in that moment that we had our band name," said guitarist Chris Johansen who immediately began tracking down the thief. With Chris' help police apprehended the suspect a few months later and the band's gear was recovered mostly intact. Instruments in hand, they recorded the first five songs on the album in early 2011 and set out on tour around the country playing shows with such acts as Neon Trees, Smashing Pumpkins, and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. Realizing they weren't quite capturing their recorded sound live, they added guitarist/vocalist Matt Geronimo and headed back into the studio to record the acoustic half of the record as a five piece. more on this story



Black Tusk Map Out Tour Plans
(Freeman) Black Tusk have expanded their upcoming tour plans including an appearance at this year's Roadburn Festival on Thursday April 12th in Tilburg, Holland.

Coinciding with this special appearance, Black Tusk will be providing direct support to label mates Red Fang. The tour will kick off April 5th in Segrate, Italy and wraps up on May 5th in Essen, Germany.

Also in support of their latest release Set the Dial, Black Tusk have lined up a slew of North American tour dates. This run will feature headlining tour dates with support coming from East of the Wall, label-mates Royal Thunder and Hull, plus a string of dates supporting Prong and select shows with Intronaut and Skeletonwitch in March. more on this story


Lionheart Undisputed Tour Coming
Lionheart will kick off a headlining tour in Texas on March 18th in support of their forthcoming album.

The band will have different groups supporting them at various stops on the tour including Volumes, No Bragging Rights, Naysayer and King Conquer.

Lionheart will be touring in support of their new record, "Undisputed", which will be release this spring via Mediaskare Records. The effort was recorded and produced by Matt Hyde (Hatebreed, Slayer) and Nick Jett (Terror). more on this story



Remembering Little Walter
(Gibson) The greatest harmonica man to ever blow the blues, Little Walter died in his sleep on this day in 1968. He was only 37 years old, but Walter looked much older, his body and soul battered and bruised from hard loving and too many defeats.

Just exactly how he died is another of rock and roll's great mysteries. And the rumors were always going to spring up surrounding Little Walter, one of the more colorful characters in the tough world of Chicago blues.

Well-known for his quick temper, Little Walter was a fighter and a brawler who took more beatings over the years then he ever delivered. Some say the final straw was a head-blow from the brother of one of Walter's many lady friends. Others say he was smacked over the head with a lead pipe over a bad gambling debt.

Muddy Waters, whose common sense and level headedness rivaled his prodigious musical talent once said, "He's real tough, Little Walter, and he's had it hard. Got a slug in his leg right now!" more on this story




Keith Moody Singled Out Week: New Distraction
Keith Moody released his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud" , this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "New Distraction". Here is the story:

This song is about dealing with memories. This is one of my favorite subjects to write about. I feel everybody has those people or things that stick with them. Passion has that way of affecting people. But still you know you have to move on. Everyone deals with these situations differently, but eventually you need a "New Distraction" whether it is a new project, a new friend, whatever it takes to get past the memory. It would be different for each individual and it could be healthy or not so healthy depending on the personality.

Today's Day In Rock!

Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Sabbath, KISS, Def Leppard, Motley Crue Supergroup Tour
(Gibson) An all-star squadron of hard rock stars including members of Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, KISS and Metallica will take part in an unprecedented South American tour called Titans of Rock.
Artists participating in the tour include – get this – Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Gilby Clarke (Guns N' Roses, Rockstar Supernova), Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Gene Simmons (KISS), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Black Country Communion), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Jason Newsted (Metallica, Voivod, Rockstar Supernova), Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Vince Neil (Motley Crue).

The news was broken by Steve Stevens on his Facebook page. Stevens didn't mention Gene Simmons initially, but confirmed the KISS demon's involvement in a reply to his original posting.

The tour will take in dates in Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala and Costa Rica. There is no word yet on whether the tour will expand to dates in North America, but one thing's for certain: it's going to generate more YouTube traffic than "Charlie Bit My Finger" and Rebecca Black's "Friday" combined. more on this story



Axl Rose Had Stage Fright Says Former Guns N' Roses Manager
(Gibson) Manager and producer Alan Niven is currently telling his side of the Guns N' Roses story in a three-part interview with Metal Sludge.

In Part 2 of the interview, published over the weekend, Niven talked about the band's big breakthrough, which came on the back of a strong live reputation and a few late night MTV plays. "MTV put the band on overnight, when you had to use an alarm clock to see the videos," Niven said. "But even in overnight, 'Welcome to the Jungle' got a reaction, so MTV started moving it up. By March of '88, it had gone gold. Then on April 7, 1988, it went platinum."

Niven also opened up about talking Axl Rose through his stage fright, which threatened to cripple the crucial tour with Aerosmith that proved to be a key turning point for the band. "He's a singer, and singers who have to go out there three, four or five times a week, they invest their spirit in what they're singing," Niven said. "The guitar players have something in their hands. They're not naked. The singer is out there naked, and sometimes that's hard to do. Obviously, Axl still has problems with it because he's still late." more on this story



Metallica, Slayer, Motorhead, Mastodon Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica have announced their final 2012 summer vaction tour date. Here's the news, as posted by the band: "This is it, our final addition to the summer vacation in Europe with a Sonisphere date at Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland on May 30, 2012.

"You guessed it, the 'Black Album' will be performed in its entirety (yeah, yeah, that 20th Anniversary thing) and the line-up for the day is out of this world as Slayer, Motorhead, Mastodon, Gojira, and Eluveitie will all be joining us!"

The Metallica European tour kicks off May 7 in Prague and wraps June 10 in Nickelsdorf, Austria…..following that, the band headline their own Orion Music + More Festival for two dates in Atlantic City June 23 and 24. more on this story

Van Halen Go Top 10
(hennemusic) Van Halen's new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," entered the UK charts with a No 6 debut this week.

All eyes are on the Billboard charts as Van Halen wait to see if they secure a US #1 debut.

Industry sources suggest that "A Different Kind of Truth" could be a #1 album for the band, with speculation that it may sell about 180,000 to 200,000 copies in its first week, lining up a battle with Adele. more on this story

Fear Factory Recruit Chimaira and Six Feet Under Member
Fear Factory have replaced departed bass player Byron Stroud with former Chimaira and Six Feet Under bassist Matt DeVries.

DeVries says of joining the group: "I have been asked by Dino and Burton to join one of my favorite bands. I have been a fan of Fear Factory since 1992 and I could not be more excited to be part of this incredible band. We have shared the stage many times together and now I'm beyond stoked to be on the same stage playing together. Thank you to all my fans worldwide for sticking by me and I will be seeing you all on the road very soon."

Guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell note: "We are very excited to have Matt playing bass for Fear Factory. We feel he is a great addition to our touring lineup. He has been a friend for a very long time and he's a great musician who will be a perfect instrument in the FF machine." more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Set New Tour Dates
Avenged Sevenfold will hit the road for new tour dates this spring including a spot at Metallica's music festival and a tour of the Far and Middle East.

The tour begins April 16th in Tokyo, Japan, for a tour that will culminate in a special show in Dubai, UAE on May 4th. "We are excited to go back to the Far and Middle East," said Avenged Sevenfold front man M. Shadows. "We played to some of the most amazing crowds when we toured the album there, and we can't wait to bring our live show back to our friends in those regions."

Metallica have asked Avenged Sevenfold to perform at the first ever Orion Music + More at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ, on June 24th. M. Shadows had this to say: "We really hadn't planned to play the United States in 2012. But after Lars called to describe their plans for Orion and asked us to join them, we decided there's no way we would miss it." The band toured with Metallica in 2006 as part of Metallica's "Escape From The Studio Tour" and that year M. Shadows and Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were featured together on the cover of Revolver Magazine. 3 years later, Avenged Sevenfold toured with Metallica on their "World Magnetic" tour. more on this story

Slash Issues Studio Update
(hennemusic) Slash's as-yet-untitled album is due May 22 and the Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist issued a new video update from the studio.

"The way everything started with this record," explains Slash, "was when the tour ended and Myles [Kennedy, Alter Bridge singer] took off on the road, I got [drummer] Brent [Fitz] and [bassist] Todd [Kerns] together and took them to Mates rehearsal studio…which is a studio in the valley that I've been using since the late 80s. That's, basically, where we did pre pre-roduction, where you just rehearse the s**t out of the songs until you can perform them live, which is how I wanted to record the record."

Slash updated fans on the record's progress this week, saying "The rough mixes sound great. It's a really solid record. [I] can't wait to get it out there!" Full mixing starts Monday, February 13. Check out the video here.

Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Matt Sorum, Warren Haynes Going To Rock Camp
Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne), Steve Vai (guitar legend), Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Lita Ford (The Runaways), and more are headed to Rock Camp this week.

The next installment of the Rock Camp is taking place in Hollywood, CA on February 16th-20th. We were sent these details:

Campers will record an original song at world class recording studio with Led Zeppelin's and the Beatle's producer, Eddie Kramer, and take home a professionally produced DVD and mp3 of their final performance. They'll also cruise through the sunset strip jamming with rockstars and performing live at major venues in Hollywood including the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills and the legendary Whisky-A-Go-Go.

Now in their 15th year, Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™ was created by veteran music producer David Fishof to be the ultimate music-making experience. Providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for musicians of all skill levels, campers get the life changing experience of jamming with legendary rock stars, write and record an original song and play live on stage at a major concert venue in front of family and friends. http://www.rockcamp.com/

Paradise Lost Giving Away New Song for Valentine's Day
Paradise Lost's new album, Tragic Idol, is a couple months away from release but you can hear a new song today!

As a special Valentine's gift, the band is giving fans a free download their new song, "Crucify", today (February 14th). Grab it here.

The album was recorded at The Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, England. Vocals were recorded at the Fascination Street Studios in Orebro, Sweden by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Devin Townsend Project), who also produced, mixed, and mastered the album. Tragic Idol is scheduled for a worldwide release through Century Media Records on April 23rd, 2012 in Europe and April 24th, 2012 in North America. more on this story

God Forbid Return With New Album Next Month
God Forbid have set a March 26th release date for their sixth full-length album, Equilibrium.

The forthcoming effort is their first for Victory Records and was produced by Mark Lewis (The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel), Jason Suecof (Bury Your Dead, Chimaira) and mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth).

"With the new album, we focused on writing tight, hook-y metal songs," commented guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle on the creative process for Equilibrium, "There are some really fast, super heavy, groovy songs – some of the catchiest, most melodic songs we've ever written. We wanted a modern, but organic-sounding album that was tight but still captured the intensity of the band. The album sounds huge!" more on this story

Peter Frampton's Comes Alive Les Paul Making Comeback This Week
Peter Frampton will play his restored 1954 Gibson Les Paul for the first time in 32 years at the Beacon Theater in New York on February 18th.

Sacks &Co sent over these details: His long-lost guitar was recently discovered on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao after its disappearance in a plane crash 32 years ago. Frampton was reunited with the guitar in an emotional meeting in Nashville this past December.

Now, with the help of the Gibson Guitar's Custom Shop, Frampton will debut the recovered guitar during his NYC stop on his world tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of multi-platinum selling live album Frampton Comes Alive!. more on this story

Walter Trout Going Back To His Roots
(Gibson) Blues rock guitarist Walter Trout will release a new studio album, Blues for the Modern Daze, which represents a return to his hardcore blues roots.

The album is Trout's first fully fledged blues album in 23 years as a bandleader, drawing on his experiences playing with legends such as John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Finis Tasby, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulsom, Percy Mayfield and Joe Tex when he first arrived in Los Angeles in 1973. By 1981 Trout had joined Canned Heat, and soon went on to play with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, joining a lineage that includes Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor.

"My main inspiration for this album was the country bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, an early blues innovator who recorded such timeless gospel informed blues numbers as 'Soul of a Man' and 'Nobody's Fault But Mine,'" Trout says. "His music is beautiful, primal, direct and deeply spiritual. The album explores a side of my music that's rooted in my first musical love, and it reveals something about me, too. It sums up the thoughts and attitudes of somebody who is getting a little older and is feeling like he's a part of another era, with different values and a different perspective on life that's prevalent today."

Blues For The Modern Daze is released by Provogue Records (a division of Mascot Label Group), in the U.K. on Monday, April 23, followed by U.S. release on April 24. more on this story



Queen Classic with a Twist For TV Ad
(hennemusic) A new television advertisement for a Las Vegas hotel features a Queen classic.

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas premiered their new commercial during The Grammy Awards on Sunday.

The "Just the Right Amount of Wrong" campaign ad features Queen's classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the song is delivered with a twist. Watch it here.

StoneRider Releasing Double LP This Month
(FP) StoneRider have set a February 28th release date for their sophomore album Fountains Left To Wake.

In keeping with the band's fondness for 70's era double-LP's Fountains Left To Wake will mainly be issued as an audiophile double-LP.

The band, comprised of Matt Tanner on guitar and vocals, Neil Warren on bass and Jason Krutzky on drums and vocals, takes a very direct musical approach on the album and the result is a genuine document of Georgia rock and roll. Fountains Left To Wake contains moments of homage to the state's rich musical heritage with boogie-woogie piano nods to Little Richard and the soulful influence of Otis Redding. more on this story

Journey Flashback for State Farm
(hennemusic) A Journey classic is being featured in a new tv campaign for State Farm insurance.

A customer calls up his SF rep to discuss plans and the two end up talking about the band. "We just had ourselves a little Journey moment there," says the caller. "Saw 'em in '83 in Fresno…place was crawling with chicks."

"Any Way You Want It" originally appeared on Journey's 1980 release, "Departure." Written by frontman Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, the single peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Watch it here.

Big Up Festival On Hold
We were sent this news: The Big Up Music and Arts Festival will be taking a one-year hiatus.

The festival organizers have stated that unforeseen circumstances have driven the need to take the summer of 2012 off, and insist that plans are underway for a large scale festival event for 2013.

The Big Up Music & Arts festival held on July 28, 29 and 30, 2011, at Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, New York, attracted some 5,000 festival-goers from all over the country, featured a revolutionary mix of live entertainment, arts and activities. Over 70 musical acts from all over the world performed throughout the three-day event including Big Gigantic, EOTO (featuring String Cheese Incident players Michael Travis and Jason Hann), Tipper, Abakus, Digital Tape Machine (featuring Joel Cummins and Kris Myers of Umphrey's McGee), RAQ, Ott and Marco Benevento. more on this story

The Day The Who Went Live at Leeds
(Gibson) On this day in 1970, The Who appeared at Leeds University, England. The show was recorded for the band's forthcoming Live at Leeds album. Gibson looks back: Leeds University, Leeds, England. It was Valentine's Day, 1970 and The Who were about to enter the '70s with one of the greatest live performances in rock and roll history. Fortunately, the band had already decided to record the gig. It was one of the best decisions Pete Townshend ever made.

The Who were back in England after an impressive U.S. tour, a climactic appearance at Woodstock and the universally lauded and pioneering Tommy album. As musical contemporary Rick Wakeman recalls, "The Who were at the time the loudest band in the world. They had just conquered America, played at Woodstock and Tommy was being hailed as a work of genius. And what did they do? Arrived at Leeds Uni and recorded what I reckon to be the best live album ever."

The Who had more than 80 hours of tapes from assorted U.S. shows that they'd recorded but Townshend and Co. couldn't face the chore going through all those tapes and, fearful of bootleggers, destroyed all the American recordings.

A live album would come from two new shows. Using the same engineers who worked with Ginger Baker and Cream they would record two gigs. One in Leeds on Valentine's Day, the other at Hull the following night. Both were recorded but, as Roger Daltrey explains, only the first was usable.

"We recorded the next night's gig too – at Hull. To be honest, that was a great gig too – but when we listened back to the tape we hadn't recorded the bass!" more on this story



Keith Moody Singled Out Week: Long Way Up
Keith Moody releases his new album, "Dreaming Out Loud", this week. To celebrate we asked him to tell us about some of the songs from the album. Today he tells us about, "Long Way Up". Here is the story:

Long Way Up is realizing you are at point of no return. And while it may be tough sledding ahead; you have already gotten through things of equal difficulty in the past. With this realization, you gain a "vulnerable strength". There is also an undercurrent of the cynicism that comes with getting older and wiser. I think everyone has that period in their life, where you have to look at yourself and say "Why did I believe that? And you make a resolution to try and avoid it in the future." It 's that Art of War kind of epiphany "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger sort of thing" My initial inspiration was my career and the climb all musicians are on, but I also drew from the angst surrounding the supposed decline of Western Society and the bleak outlook for the American Dream and ideal. I guess on both fronts you have to just say hey it's been a long way up just to come back down, and things may frustrate me, but I must keep climbing and moving forward, why go back?