All Your Rock n Roll/Entertainment Events That I Find Interesting Enough To Post To My Blog!Read With Great Pleasure!
Monday, April 6, 2015
Today's Day in Rock News!
Today's Day in Rock
Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Member Bob Burns Killed In Car Crash
(hennemusic) Original Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns died Friday in a single-car accident in Cartersville, Georgia. He was 64. The Cartersville Patch reports Georgia State Patrol say the crash occurred close to midnight when Burns was driving and his vehicle left the road while making a right turn before hitting a mailbox and a tree with the front of his car.
Police say Burns was not wearing a seatbelt and was the only occupant in the vehicle; it has not been determined if weather played a role in the accident.
A founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Burns played in the band's pre-Skynyrd groups the Noble Five and One Percent before the members were inspired to name the group after their physical education teacher, Leonard Skinner. Read more here.
Slash Denies Former Guns N' Roses Manager's Claims
Slash has disputed a recent claim made by former Guns N' Roses manager Doug Goldstein that Slash working with Michael Jackson caused a rift between the guitarist and Axl Rose.
The issue was brought up during an interview with Washington, DC radio station DC101, and according to Ultimate Classic Rock, Slash responded, "I've been hearing a lot about this particular interview from a lot of people that he really pissed off. And I've heard that. And I don't think there's any truth to that.
"I mean, obviously, the band stayed together for years after that whole thing. And it wasn't a big deal at the time. And if it did piss anybody off, it was something that went away. So I don't think it had anything to do with the original Guns N' Roses demise [...] I don't wanna read or hear that guy's B.S., so I just avoid it. That way I stay sane."
As previously reported, Goldstein claimed in an interview that Slash performing with Jackson caused problems between the guitarist and Rose. "In 1991, we were on the road, and Slash went to my office and said 'I'll be leaving tomorrow to play with Michael Jackson on a tribute concert,'" Goldstein recalled in the interview with Rolling Stone Brazil. "I told him not to do it because Axl was molested by his father when he was two and he believed the charges against Michael Jackson."
Goldstein went further, "Everyone knew Eddie Van Halen received $1 million to play in 'Beat It.' So I asked Slash, 'how much are you receiving? Can I manage this to you?' and he said, 'I'll just receive a big screen television.'
"When Axl found out Slash was gonna play with Michael Jackson and that the payment was a big screen TV he was devastated. He thought Slash would support him and be against all abuse. From Axl's point of view, that was the only problem. He could ignore the drugs and the alcohol, but never the child abuse."
Richie Sambora Being Investigated By LAPD
(Radio.com) Richie Sambora, who recently split from Bon Jovi, is now dealing with another split: he's currently being investigated by the LAPD over an argument he had with his ex-girlfriend Nikki Lund.
The New York Daily News reports that a phone argument between Sambora and Lund turned threatening, when he told her that he was going to "dig a hole in the desert and bury" her.
"I am confirming we are investigating such an incident," an LAPD sergeant told the Daily News. "Deputies tried to contact Mr. Sambora, but he was not at his residence. A report was taken, and now Malibu Lost Hills detectives are investigating," added the sergeant. Read more here.
Former Skeletonwitch Frontman Learned About Firing From Girlfriend
Former Skeletonwitch frontman Chance Garnette have given Metal Injection his first statement since he learned that he was fired from the band. Here is part of what he had to say:
"Metal Injection has the first exclusive comments from Chance Garnette, the now-former frontman of Skeletonwitch who says he found out he was fired, just like everybody else did… on the internet. His statement starts off:
"Hey everyone, Chance here. So, let me get into this whole thing in regards to what's up between myself and Skeletonwitch right now. To put it simply, I have a drinking problem. I regularly became a drunk a**hole off stage and was fired.
"Did I just up and split in the middle of tour, leaving the band to solider on as heroes instrumentally as indicated by all the reports? No. I was left behind, unsure about anything, with no communication.
"It was my girlfriend who told me they were firing me from the band. Two days later, when I could get someone to take my call, I asked 'Is this it? Am I fired?'. I was told, 'Right now, you're not the singer in Skeletonwitch' and that the band would be finishing the tour instrumentally." Read the full statement here.
Rainbow's Joe Lynn Turner and Ritchie Blackmore Reuniting This Year?
(Classic Rock) Former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner reportedly said during a concert this week that he and bandmate Ritchie Blackmore will be working together again this year - even though recent attempts to cut a deal fell apart.
The vocalist talked up a Rainbow reunion during 2014, saying the time was right, that Blackmore deserved a "blaze of glory" for his rock career, and that crunch talks were to take place in December that year.
On Saturday, after his solo show in London, Turner reportedly said: "He's itching to do some rocking, and we're going to get together in the fall. Ritchie is really, really ready to rock. He still has the chops too."
He continued: "I'm not sure if it's going to be a Rainbow reunion, or a bunch of remakes - which I destest, because you can't improve on perfection. But that's what's happening." Read more here.
Alter Bridge Plan New Album, Tremonti Already Has Another Album Done
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti says the band will most likely regroup this year to begin writing music for their fifth studio album and he also revealed that his solo band Tremonti have another new album already recorded.
"I think we'll probably get together this year and get the ball rolling songwriting-wise," he tells HNGN about the follow-up to 2013's "Fortress", "and 2016 is when we plan to hit the studio. We've got some offers for some shows later this year, but our schedules are so all over the place that I don't know if that's going to happen."
Singer Myles Kennedy is on the road with Slash while the guitarist is currently gearing up to launch a spring US tour later this month with his own band, Tremonti, and the June 9 release of their second record, "Cauterize."
He also reveals that a third album is already in the can. "One thing is that this is a two-album project," he explains. "The first album is coming out and it's what we want everyone to focus on now, but there will be another follow-up record that was recorded at the same time as this album and it's going to be called 'Dust.'" Read more here.
Family of Twisted Sister's AJ Pero Call On Fans For Help
(hennemusic) The family of late Twisted Sister drummer AJ Pero have launched a crowdfunding campaign to ask fans for assistance with some short-term bills following his death on March 20.
The drummer died of a heart attack in his sleep in Poughkeepsie, NY at the age of 55 while on tour with Adrenaline Mob. Pero's longtime girlfriend, Michele Agnello, is now reaching out to fans as she and his 14-year-old daughter, Brianna, need some assistance with their bills during this difficult time.
"Due to his unexpected and untimely passing, we now need a little help getting on our feet, to keep our home, basically start over without him," Agnello writes on GoFundMe. "AJ truly loved and appreciated his worldwide fans so now we are reaching out to you all. For almost 20 years, AJ has been the sole provider for our family as the drummer in the legendary rock band Twisted Sister and had recently joined the band Adrenaline Mob.
"This is very hard for me to ask for help but at the moment we have nowhere else to turn," she continues. "Since we weren't legally married and he had no will, we are left with nothing and the bills are starting to pour in already this month. I have been unemployed for several years now due to an accident that left me disabled with 2 broken elbows and subsequently rods had to be implanted."
"I am asking for your assistance in helping us so I can get my daughter through this incredibly heartbreaking and difficult time in our lives," adds Agnello. "With my head held low and my heart completely shattered, I ask for your help so we can keep our home, I can feed my daughter and buy her clothes until I find a job to support us.
"Anything you can spare would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless you all!" Read more here.
Def Leppard's New Album Their Best Since 'Hysteria' Says Guitarist
(hennemusic) Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen says the band's upcoming album is their best since 1987's "Hysteria." The UK rockers have been in the studio working on the follow-up to 2008's "Songs >From The Sparkle Lounge" after completing some marathon songwriting sessions last year.
"We broke it up into three different parts," Collen tells One On One With Mitch Lafon. "The initial one, we got the 12 songs, and pretty much, we played in the studio and we kind of played live and we got the essence of the songs down. That's something we don't normally do.
"And then we went back in May, just before the tour with KISS. And we went back a third time and just kind of finished stuff off in January. And yeah, it's just amazing. I'm thrilled with how it turned out."
Leppard expanded their approach to making the group's eleventh studio album, which originally began as an idea to record an EP's worth of material.
"We didn't really have anything to lose," Collen explains. "We didn't have a record company or management or anyone breathing down our necks. We got some ideas, and they all worked.
"Normally, we'd go in and we'd always find ten reasons why to not do an idea as opposed to just going with it. And this was the first time we've ever just sat around and every idea got a fair shot, you know. Everyone was, like, 'Oh, that's cool. Let's try that.'
"There was no negative approach to it. So that's something we've never done before and it was so amazing. It blew me away that we got so many things done. And, honestly, I really think this is the best album we've done since 'Hysteria'." Read more here.
Angra Excited With Guitarist Joining Megadeth
Megadeth announced last week that they have recruited Angra's Kiko Loureiro as their new guitarist and now some of Loureiro's bandmates have revealed their excitement over his new gig.
Angra's members each posted their reaction to their Facebook page. Guitarist Bittencourt said, "Oh boy! My spine is still giving me goosebumps! Kiko is in Megadeth! Wow! What a feeling of pride! I have known Kiko for many years and he deserves this great opportunity more than anyone else. I usually say that we have a brotherhood's relationship, so we always wish the best for each other. Kiko has been tracking a very serious and talented career.
"I take to say this is also an amazing achievement for Brazilian metal. The beginning of this new epic stage is something we all should celebrate. It will be great for Angra and for all Brazilian bands, since it draws attention and highlights the talent of Brazilian musicians in general. Regarding the works with Angra, I believe he will comply with all activities that he has already committed to and he will always be part of our family. He will definitively not be able to turn his back for something he helped build with so much effort. I'm sure we will still make a lot together, either in or out of Angra. Brother, lots of luck and success to you!"
Bassist Felipe Andreoli had this to say, "When I received the call from Kiko saying he was going to audition for Megadeth, I was in awe! My friend and partner of 14 years joining a band that was part of my musical formation in a very intense way… it's not the kind of news that you get everyday! Immediately my thought was "wow, Megadeth is in very good hands."
"I really think that the extraordinary talent and the unique professionalism of Kiko Loureiro, with whom I have learned so much over the years, qualify him to enter any band in the world. Like Angra, now Megadeth is lucky to have him. A world class Brazilian talent.
"I am very proud of my friend and wish him nothing but the best! This is the beginning of an amazing journey where he walks with legends, a place he certainly deserves."
The band's manager Paulo Baron added, "We always work to be better than our own idols and so one day we reach the opportunity. Kiko worked hard for it and became a great Latin American pride so I think he deserves to be in this position now. I think Angra made the difference. Without it perhaps he would not be chosen and it could be any other member of our group, because our band is great. If every American or English citizen had to go through what we have spent to build a career; from learning to speak a foreign language till buy a music instrument much more expensive than any American or British citizen would pay for it we can already consider this a great victory to be highlighted.
"Kiko deserves it. He is a great example of nowadays professional musician and he is a successful example to be followed by many other Brazilian and Latin musicians who wish to achieve success in their life."
Frank Zappa's Last Album To Be Finally Released
(Classic Rock) Frank Zappa's final album, Dance Me This, will finally be launched in June, it's been confirmed. Completed soon before he died of cancer in 1993, it will be the icon's 100th official release.
Zappa said of the work before he'd finished it: "What I'm working on right at the moment is a Synclavier album called Dance Me This, which is designed to be used by modern dance groups."
While a handful of tracks have appeared as bootlegs over the years, the full work has never been heard. Titles include Pachuco Gavotte, Goat Polo and five-movement work Wolf Harbour. It's also said to include vocal work by Chinese throat-singers. Read more here.
Everclear Releasing New Album 'Black Is The New Black' This Month
Everclear have announced that they will be releasing their new album "Black Is The New Black" on April 28th under a new deal with The End Records/ADA.
"Hard rock, punk rock, big guitars that swallow me whole - I will never get over that," says frontman Art Alexakis of the new album. "And this is a very honest recording. No gimmicks. Not many bells and whistles. All the riffs on this record are things that really just resonated with me and the band, musically and lyrically - from the get-go."
Art adds, "We are really excited to be on The End Records. There is such a buzz of enthusiasm there for our new album, Black Is The New Black. It's an unapologetic rock record that I feel combines the best of classic Everclear with contemporary production and what I feel is some of my best songwriting in years!"
He also explained the musical direction of the new album, "This is not an upbeat Everclear record. It's pretty dark, lyrically and musically. When I would sit down with the guitar and start coming up with ideas, it was pushing toward a darker place. Which is kind of bizarre because right now things are really good! I feel safe enough to go to the dark places. And trust me, there's plenty of dark places in me. I've never had a shortage of that."
In This Moment Releasing 'Rise of the Blood Legion'
In This Moment have announced that they will be releasing the retrospective "Rise of the Blood Legion - Greatest Hits (Chapter 1)" on May 5, 2015 via Century Media.
Maria Brink had this to say: "Rise of the Blood Legion - Greatest Hits (Chapter 1) is a tribute dedicated to everyone who has risen with us through the blood, the sweat, the thick and the thin. We are honored to have such a beautiful connection with our Blood Legion family, It's amazing that Century Media Records is releasing this compilation so everyone can hear our personal favorites over the last ten years.
"We love you all and the journey has just begun, Stay the course with us 'We are immortal , We rise from the wraith, We are eternal, You are my blood legion My faith.' This is for you"
Chris Howorth adds: "This compilation is for the 'Blood Legion' our die hard fans, We wouldn't be doing any of this without our fans, this album is for them. The songs were hand picked by Maria and myself and we feel they show the growth of our band over the last 10 years, I hope everyone enjoys this. Thanks again for joining us on this incredible journey!" See the track details here.
The Butcher Babies Finish Album Reveal Spring Tour Plans
The Butcher Babies have announced that they have just completed work on their sophomore full-length album and they will be on the road in North America until May and will be playing several European music festivals this summer.
The band recorded their new album with producer Logan Mader (Five Finger Death Punch, Gojira), and the new effort will be released this fall via Century Media Records
They will join up with In This Moment on April 18th in Montclair, NJ for a five week North American tour with Upon A Burning Body and The Nearly Deads, which will be preceded by some dates alongside Upon A Burning Body.
Heidi Shepherd had this to say, "This upcoming tour is really special to us. Not only do we get to see so many of our friends that we have accumulated around the country through our music, but it's also our first chance to play some songs off of the new album. Our fans have been so patient waiting for new music. In true Butcher Babies fashion we never do anything half-assed, so it took a little while. Playing these songs on this tour will be a little treat for our dedicated fan base. Also, to be back out with In This Moment is a huge honor. They have been so supportive of us and they put on an incredible live show.
"To all the Butcher Babies fans old and new, you've inspired us so much throughout the years. After every show, we do a free meet and greet at our merch booth. Be sure to come stop by and say hello. We would be honored to meet you."
Carla Harvey adds, "It is crazy to think that this will be our ninth big national tour since our first big tour in mid 2012. We feel like old road dogs now as we recognize all the truck stop showers and coffee shops all across the states. However, the best thing about touring is seeing all the familiar faces in the crowd. Our fans have become dear friends over the last few years and every night feels like a family reunion at our after show merch booth meet and greets."
Henry Flury says: "Every time we pass through a city we see more and more faces screaming along to the lyrics to our songs. You guys have no idea how that makes us feel. Now we have a few new face melting surprises in store for you guys and we can't wait to see you sweat it out with us in the pit!" See the dates here.
Mike Portnoy Finds OCD A Blessing And A Curse
Former Dream Theater and current Winery Dogs drummer Mike Portnoy discusses his obsessive-compulsive disorder and how it is both a blessing and a curse.
During an interview with Long Island Pulse, Portnoy was asked "You're a self-professed control freak with OCD tendencies. Are you formally diagnosed?"
He responded, "I have discussed it with doctors. But I'm just one of those perfectionists that have to have everything organized. I like to make lists and if I'm into something I just get obsessed with it.
"My house is filled with tens of thousands of DVDs, CDs, Blu-rays, books, magazines and drum sets. I don't need to be professionally diagnosed to know there's something going on there!"
Portnoy was then asked if it is a blessing or a curse and replied that it is both, He said, "It's absolutely a blessing because I've used it to my advantage. I've been able to use that nature to nurture my career.
"It's a curse in the sense that my bandmates have to deal with it, and my wife and family have to deal with it, but the people around me who know me and love me accept it and let me do my thing."
Between The Buried And Me Streaming New Song 'Memory Palace'
Between The Buried And Me are giving fan a taste of their upcoming concept album "Coma Ecliptic," with a new online stream of the song "Memory Palace."
The album is set to be released on July 10th by Metal Blade and the band had this to say about the album's concept, "The story follows the wanderings of an unidentified man, stuck in a coma, as he journeys through his past lives.
"Each song is its own episode in a modern day, sort of The Twilight Zone-esque fashion. The unidentified man enters each world and is offered a choice: stay, or move on to the next in search of something better, something more 'perfect.' The man does find his ideal life, but then is offered the ultimate choice of life or death. He chooses life and wakes up to his own actual reality.
"It's at that moment he realizes that he had been in a coma - everything that happened had been dreams and false memories. After awakening, we find the man outside finally experiencing reality, and he sees what he has been missing: the world is beautiful, the air is fresh, and the people appear to be happy, and then he falls over dead. The take away from this is to make the best of your life. People are constantly searching for something better without taking the time to appreciate the things they have. What we need may already be here, and is hopefully real. We may all be in a coma in another life."
Ringo Starr Discusses Joe Walsh On New Album
(Classic Rock) Ringo Starr discusses working with Joe Walsh on his new solo album in a TeamRock video interview. Eagles man Walsh recorded the solo for Postcards From Paradise, the title track of Starr's 18th solo album, which was co-written with Todd Rundgren.
The ex-Beatle says: "I gave Todd the track and my idea and my words, and he turned it into what it is today. Joe's a brother-in-law now - he can't refuse. It needed some of that feeling Joe has. I gave him a call and he came over on a Sunday afternoon."
The session lasted just two hours - but it could have gone on longer if Walsh had had his way. "I tell Joe, when he's done a solo, 'That's it,'" the drummer, singer and producer says. "He wants to do it and do it and do it. That's how he is; but I've known him long enough to say, 'No - we've got it.'"
Mike Oldfield Hits and Rarities Compilation Set For Release
(Classic Rock) A Mike Oldfield compilation featuring 31 tracks including a disc of rarities and mixes will be launched on April 27th in the UK, it's been confirmed. Amazon in North America lists a May 5th release date.
The Best Of: 1992-2003 will be released by Rhino Records and focuses on his time with Warner Bros, drawing on his eight studio releases from the period between 1992's Tubular Bells II and Tubular Bells 2003.
It's described as "a fascinating snapshot of an exciting period in Oldfield's illustrious career. His tenure at Warner Bros is a constantly surprising, ever-evolving body of work. It's a quiet gift that goes on giving."
A second disc contains rarities, remixes and b-sides and includes electronic outfit the Orb's mix of Oldfield track Sentinel which was released as a single in 1992. Read the track details here.
Behemoth Unsure If They Will Follow-Up The Satanist
(TeamRock Radio) Behemoth frontman Nergal says the band are so blown away by the response to 10th album The Satanist that they're still not sure whether they should try to make a follow-up.
It won Metal Hammer's album of the year in 2014 and continues to be praised by fans and critics alike. Nergal tells Inferno TV, "I mean, I'm overwhelmed, honestly. I know it's suspicious when all the people like the record, and when media praises the record, but that's what's happening in this particular case. I just had this feeling this is definitely our opus magnum. I'm not sure if it should be continued after such a… I'm just being honest here. I'm so happy with the record and the response and everything.
"It's been a year now, and I haven't really done any extreme metal music ever since, because I'm so happy with what's happening now. So we're just gonna give it some time. And let's just talk one or two years down the road and see what happens then. But we're definitely gonna take time." Read more here.
Filligar Release Lyric Video For New Song 'Truth & Anger'
Filligar are giving fans another taste of their upcoming eight studio album. The new effort, entitled "Keepsakes of the Interior" will be released on May 19th.
They have just released a lyric video for their third single "Truth & Anger," which follows the release of the previous single "Motor Shine" and "White Light Rose." Watch the video here.
The group also revealed that they are planning to tour later this summer in support of Keepsakes of the Interior, and are getting ready to film their official video.
Sworn Enemy Singled Out Week: No Mercy
Sworn Enemy kick off their No Mercy No Surrender Tour this week and to celebrate we asked the band to tell us about some of the songs fans may hear on the tour. Today Matt Garzilli (Guitar) tells us about "No Mercy" from their 2014 album "Living on Borrowed Time". Here is the story:
No Mercy was something that just came together. We were writing new material for LIVING ON BORROWED TIME and I remember coming up with the opening riff. It had a much faster pace to it than the other songs we had written up until that point.
The chorus riff is one of my favorites, and that riff is great to play live. I can't help but love the song just for the lead guitar part alone. I took most of the solo from our original demo. Some solos need to be worked, and others just come together. This was definitely one that just came together. There were just a few improvised parts that didn't sound good, so I added some extra things while in the studio, and I love how it came out. Lyrically the song called for a war/violence theme. Cliche or not, its the only thing I felt the vibe of the song could portray.
I came up with some lyrics, and gave them to Sal. It was great, because Sal can take three or four paragraphs and just cut all the fat off of them and add what the lyrics need to make it a SWORN ENEMY song. I had a few horrible rhymes in there and I knew they were bad...hahaha. But Sal reworked them and those changes like adding "war machines keep marching on" took it to a whole new level. I think I had written two lines at the bottom saying NO MERCY NO SURRENDER. I wasn't even sure where they would fit. When I heard his idea for the chorus it felt perfect. The gang vocals of us screaming "NO MERCY" over and over works real well, especially live.
When we were recording it, we knew it was going to be the type of chorus that works with the audience. It had crowd participation written all over it. What you get on the album is what you get live. That's the way we like to do it!
Sammy Hagar and The Circle Release 'When It's Love' Video
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar's latest supergroup, The Circle, is premiering video of a performance of the 1988 Van Halen hit, "When It's Love", as a preview to the May 19 release of their debut/live debut album, "At Your Service."
"When It's Love" was the fifth single from Van Halen's eighth studio album, "OU812." The track reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart, while the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart on its way to selling more than 4 million copies in the States alone.
"At Your Service" captures The Circle - Hagar, Chickenfoot and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, drummer Jason Bonham and longtime Wabos guitarist Vic Johnson - recorded in concert last year performing hits from Hagar's 4 Decades Of Rock show. Watch the video here.
Van Halen's 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' Kimmel Concert Video Released
(hennemusic) Van Halen performed their classic 1978 track, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", on March 30 as part of an 8-song greatest hits set on Hollywood Boulevard for ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The late night program has made video of the tune available as a web exclusive days after the event that saw the group launch their latest album, "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert."
The third single from the band's groundbreaking self-titled debut, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" instantly became a concert staple and fan favorite as the album went on to sell more than 10 million copies in the States alone.
"Tokyo Dome Live In Concert" captures the group at the Japanese venue on June 21, 2013. The package features a 25-song set of material from the band's original, classic era and 2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth", the group's first studio album with David Lee Roth in almost 30 years.
Green Day Announce First Live Performance In Over A Year
(Radio.com) It's been a while since anyone's seen Green Day live, but that's all about to change. The band announced they'll be playing Cleveland's House of Blues on April 16, two days before they'll be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The gig will mark the first live show the band has played in over a year. The last time Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool played together was at last year's South by Southwest under their side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs.
Before that, they had spent much of 2013 touring behind their trio of albums, Uno!, Dos! And Tre! Green Day will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 18. Read more here.
The Melvins' Buzz Osborne Gets New Gig As MLB Correspondent
(FOX Sports Radio) The Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne joined Steve Gorman Sports! on April 2, to discuss his love of baseball and ended up agreeing to be the show's new weekly MLB correspondent. The show sent over the following highlights:
Steve Gorman: "You're playing little league as a kid. How long did you play and when did you realize maybe you weren't cut out to be an athlete full time?"
Osborne: "Well, I always knew I wasn't cut out to be full time, but I liked playing up until I was in junior high school - maybe 8th or 9th grade, and I really started hating the people I was playing with, so I walked away from all of it."
Gorman: "You know what, that will happen. Sometimes the problem with sports is the guys playing them."
Osborne: "Yes, I couldn't stand it and even to this day, I can't stand listening to … I really only like baseball… but if you had tickets to any professional sporting event I would go, you know, but I really only follow baseball. I cannot listen to those guys get interviewed, I shut it off. I cannot stand listening to jocks talk."
Gorman: "But now you're writing a Dodgers preview for Rolling Stone magazine. How did you get roped into that?"
Osborne: "They wanted me to do it, there's a guy over there that likes me and somehow knew I had an interest in baseball, and I have a huge interest, I mean I'm certainly no expert, but I'm a fan, I'm a huge fan and I always feel like I have more to learn."
Gorman: "Well we need a rock major league baseball correspondent to be on the show on a regular basis if you got a little extra time during the season."
Osborne: "Oh, I'm all over it. You wouldn't believe how few people me and Dale find on the road that want to talk about baseball" ***laughs***
Corrupt Leaders Release Grindmother EP CD
(Blackout) Canadian grindcore band Corrupt Leaders have released the new "Grindmother" EP on CD format for only $5 (plus $5 worldwide shipping) via their bandcamp page.
"Grindmother", which features a guest vocal from frontman Rain Forest's 66 year-old Mother, picked up coverage by various media outlet after a video of her recording session went viral. The video passed 175K views and was aired on the nationally syndicated television show Right This Minute.
Mixed by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust) and mastered by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise) at Audiosiege, and featuring artwork by Varises Otak, "Grindmother" has taken Corrupt Leaders to new heights, earning a multitude of positive reviews in the process. A vinyl 5" version of the EP is also scheduled to be released this summer.
The Wyldz Kick Off Spring Tour
(CO5) Austin rockers The Wyldz are gearing up for the release of their new studio album Interstellar Troubadours by hitting the road this past week for their Spring U.S. tour.
Earlier this year, The Wyldz collaborated with legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page) on the upcoming album.
Convening in Albini's famed Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, the trio recorded the entire 12-track album in just six days, completely analog. Additional mixing handled by Grammy-nominated engineer Mark Needham (The Airborne Toxic Event, Scott Weiland).
"We wanted to record Interstellar Troubadours on tape to capture the live experience and the warmth as if you are in the room with us," explains drummer Oliv Porrini. "Whether performing together in the studio or onstage, we share a mutual freedom of musical expression, a very natural and extraordinary alchemy," says guitarist Alex Dhee. See the tour dates here.
More on The Wyldz - The Wyldz Music, DVDs, Books and more - The Wyldz T-shirts and Posters
Feral Conservatives Release Class Reunion Video
(EIPR) Virginia Beach-based folk-punk rockers Feral Conservatives premiered their new music video for "Class Reunion," off of their latest EP, The Feeling Becomes Noise.
Rashie Rosenfarb (vocals, mandolin, bass) partnered up with fellow musician Matt Francis (drums, guitar, pedal noise), and started Feral Conservatives in 2011.
Started as a mandolin/organ focused side project, Rashie and Matt injected garage-rock elements to round out the current Feral Conservatives sound. The band has self-released two EPs and self-booked an East Coast/New England tour in 2013, eventually leading them back to the studio.
In late 2014 Feral Conservatives recorded a series of singles for Egghunt Records, a Richmond, VA indie label.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: This Week's Top Stories In Rock!
Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: This Week's Top Stories In Rock!: This Week's Top Stories Here are the top stories from this past week's Day in Rock report Scott Weiland Tells His Side...
This Week's Top Stories In Rock!
This Week's Top Stories
Here are the top stories from this past week's Day in Rock report
Scott Weiland Tells His Side Of Stone Temple Pilots Breakup
As Scott Weiland released his new album "Blaster" from his new solo band Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts, he revealed his side of his departure from Stone Temple Pilots.
"It's just a shame how it happened," Weiland says about the breakup with Stone Temple Pilots in a new interview with QMI Agency. "I said I needed six months off. I felt we needed six months off in order to do a 20th year anniversary tour and that 20th anniversary tour didn't end up happening and I said, 'Okay, then we need to make a new record because we can't go on just playing the greatest hits set. It's not going to work. We're losing fanbase. Our guarantees are starting to go down.'
"So I assumed we were all on the same page when we left tour and it turned out not so and they got different management and things just soured. (I've known them) since I was a teenager.
"Crazy things happen especially when you end up getting different management. People see things one way and a lot of times how things are portrayed to the band members are through the goggles of the management and filtered through that and that's what you end up hearing."
Weiland also discussed the musical direction of the new Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts album. "I think we fit in somewhere between Queens of the Stone Age and any Jack White sort of project, but with my melodies. Rock 'n' roll, but garage indie rock 'n' roll..."Read more here.
Video of Van Halen's David Lee Roth Stage Injury Goes Online
(hennemusic) Video of Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth injuring himself during the opening number of the band's performance on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday has been posted online.
Hitting the stage to perform their 1984 hit, "Panama", Roth cut his nose with the microphone sometime during the song's first verse. The singer could be seen wiping blood away as the song continued, with Roth eventually going sidestage to grab a towel in an attempt to clean it up and prevent further bleeding.
The singer left the stage during the track before returning to advise the crowd of his injury and apologized as the group took a short break before restarting the performance after Roth was outfitted with a bandage across his nose.
Van Halen then ran through a greatest hits set that included "Panama", "Runnin' With The Devil", "Hot For Teacher", "Eruption", "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", Unchained" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love.." Watch the video here. Led Zeppelin Release Interactive Video
Rolling Stones Including Unreleased Music On Sticky Fingers Reissue
The Rolling Stones long awaited North American tour wasn't the only news that the band revealed this week. They also announced that their classic 1971 album "Sticky Fingers" is being reissued.
The classic album, featuring the hits 'Brown Sugar,' and 'Wild Horses,' will be reissued by Universal Music on May 26th in a variety of formats with a deluxe and box set editions featuring previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings from the time period.
The band is giving fans an early taste of the bonus material with the release of a lyric video for an acoustic version of their classic ballad "Wild Horses". Watch it here.
As we reported yesterday, the band will be hitting the road this summer for the Zip Code tour which will be kicking off on May 24th in San Diego, Ca and concluding on July 15th in Quebec. See the tour dates and details for the various editions of the reissue here.
Marilyn Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins Announce Summer Tour
Marilyn Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they will be hitting the road together this summer for a North American co-headlining tour.
The End Times Tour will be kicking off on July 7th in Concord, CA at the Concord Pavilion and concluding on August 8th in Cincinnati, OH at the Riverbend Music Center.
Manson will be embarking on the tour in support of his latest album "The Pale Emperor" and The Smashing Pumpkins will be supporting their latest "Monuments To An Elegy." See the dates here.
Gov't Mule Streaming 'Dub Side Of The Mule' Album
(The Blues) Gov't Mule have released a stream of their live album Dub Side Of The Mule, featuring Toots Hibbert of Toots And The Maytals. The album is released on April 6 via Mascot Label Group in 3CD+DVD, standard CD and double-vinyl editions.
Mainman Warren Haynes' hopes the release will demonstrate another facet to his band's musical output, after recent title Dark Side Of The Mule and Stoned Side Of The Mule saw them covering Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones respectively.
Haynes said recently: "Each song on our 2013 album Shout! has its own personality - it sounds like Gov't Mule but doesn't sound like anything we'd ever done. These archive releases further that concept. They allow us to highlight some of our influences as well as how far we've come since the first album." Check out the album stream here.
Failure Releasing First Album in 19 Years, Streaming New Song
(Classic Rock) Failure have announced that their first album since 1996's Fantastic Planet will be released in June. They've have also released a stream of the song "Hot Traveler" from the record.
Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards and Kellii Scott split in 1997 amid drug issues, but reformed in 2013. They'll launch fourth record The Heart Is A Monster on June 30 after a successful PledgeMusic campaign.
Frontman Andrews tells Noisey: "One thing Greg and I agreed on early is that we didn't want to reform for nostalgia tours. We wanted to come back as a full-functioning musical force, and creatively pick up where we left off with Fantastic Planet.
"That meant we needed to start experimenting in the studio, which we did in late 2013. The results were definitely Failure - we've been chipping away at a new album this whole time." Read more and stream the new song here.
Iron Maiden and King Crimson Stars Lead Prog Orchestra Album
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and King Crimson's Gavin Harrison are among the big-name musicians who appear on an orchestral prog album released this week.
The guitarist and drummer are joined by ex-Yes and Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz, guitarist Guthrie Govan and late Three Dog Night keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The album, entitled The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Prog Rock Classics, features tracks by Pink Floyd, Crimson, Rush, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and others. Read more and check out a video here.
Neurosis Frontman's Wife Hospitalized With Undiagnosed Illness
(TeamRock Radio) The friends of Neurosis frontman Scott Kelly have launched a donation appeal after his wife Sarah lost the ability to see and move as a result of an undiagnosed illness.
She's been in hospital since March 24 after waking up with the symptoms. While her vision has returned, she's still not able to walk, and tests are continuing.
Over $35,000 have been donated via the Kellys' GoFundMe page to assist with medical bills. Karrie Morton, who's running the campaign, says: "Doctors are still not able to identify an exact diagnosis. She has begun rehabbing in the hospital, but it's slow going." Read more here.
Tesla's Jeff Keith Recovering From Hip Replacement Surgery
(Classic Rock) Tesla mainman Jeff Keith has undergone successful hip replacement surgery and is resting at home, it's been confirmed. And the band say he'll rejoin them for rehearsals for their upcoming live commitments next week.
They say in a statement: "JK has made a full recovery from his hip replacement surgery and is enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation at this time.
"The band will resume rehearsals for the Monsters Of Rock cruise next week and run through a set of songs from their latest album Simplicity." Read more here.
Van Halen Rock Classics On Jimmy Kimmel
(hennemusic) Van Halen delivered a trio of classic tracks - "Hot For Teacher", "Eruption" and their supercharged cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" - on the second of two nights of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday.
The band shut down Hollywood Boulevard on Monday to perform an 8-song greatest hits set for the late night program as they launched their latest album, "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert."
During the band's opening number, "Panama", frontman David Lee Roth injured himself when his martial arts stick/baton cut his nose, forcing the singer to stop the event while he was treated. The injury was originally believed to have been caused when Roth bumped his nose on a microphone.
On Tuesday, Kimmel revealed slo-motion footage of the incident and that Roth received 14 stitches at hospital following the performance. Watch all of the videos here.
Global Record Release Day To Begin In July
(Classic Rock) The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry has confirmed that singles and albums will be released on Fridays across the globe starting from July 10.
Fridays are currently the day when music is issued in countries including Australia and Germany, with Monday being the day in the UK and Tuesday in the US.
It was previously reported that the IFPI were looking to secure a global release day as a result of trade being busier at the start of the weekend. Now Music Week have confirmed an international agreement has been reached.
And while the move has been welcomed by retailers, distributors and digital services, some have expressed their concerns. Read more here.
AJ Pero Was Twisted Sisters' John Bonham Says Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French has described late drummer AJ Pero as the band's John Bonham or Keith Moon. He passed away earlier this month at the age of 55, while on tour with Adrenaline Mob. It's suspected he suffered a heart attack.
In an emotional interview with Eddie Trunk, French says: "What John Bonham was to Zeppelin, what Keith Moon was to The Who, AJ was to us. I just mentioned two legends - and AJ's up there with them."
He continues: "We've been together longer and spent more time together than we do with our own families. I think metal's the only genre where that happens." Read more here.
Billy Joel Celebrates 'Glass Houses' 35th anniversary In The Studio
The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 35th anniversary of Billy Joel's "Glass Houses" album. The show sent over these details:
Billy Joel took a big risk in March 1980 by following blockbusters The Stranger and 52nd Street with the surprisingly stripped down garage rock arrangements of Glass Houses. But lest you get the wrong idea, it was the approach that was lean, not the material. Some of Joel's best songs are here including "You May Be Right", "Sometimes a Fantasy", "Don't Ask Me Why", "Close to the Borderline", the under-appreciated "All for Leyna" and the timeless "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me".
In a rare conversation, Billy opens up to InTheStudio host Redbeard about his musical influences, seeing the Beatles perform on TV's Ed Sullivan Show, the British Invasion bands that followed, garage rock, and the New York City punk scene which inspired his approach to the making of Glass Houses.
"I think what I was doing with the Glass Houses record in the studio when it came time to get together with the band was becoming a garage band all over again. I wanted to have fun ,and I wanted to make music that all the musicians enjoyed playing, as if we were in a bar." - Billy Joel
Vince Neil Sings Anthem at Las Vegas Outlaws First Game
(hennemusic) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil performed the National Anthem at the Las Vegas Outlaws first game on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center as the team hosted the San Jose SaberCats in Arena Football League action.
The SaberCats spoiled the Outlaws debut by winning the game 59-41. Neil and his company, Rockstar Sports Group, were awarded the new AFL franchise last September.
The ownership group includes former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer's quarterback Bob Hewko, aviation businessman Mark Daniels, and technology businessman Sohrob Farudi.
Neil and Motley Crue recently completed a 5-date tour of Japan and announced a series of Australian concert dates in May. Watch Neil's anthem performance here.
Bernie Marsden Wrote Some Shine Songs For Whitesnake Reunion
(Classic Rock) Bernie Marsden has revealed some of the material on solo album Shine was written with a Whitesnake reunion in mind. The co-founding guitarist wrote the band's early material with David Coverdale, and brought his former colleague back to guest on Shine, which was released last year.
Marsden tells UCR: "I'd written a bunch of songs - not everything on the album, but certainly half a dozen. In the back of my mind I thought there might be a Whitesnake reunion or something.
"David and I had reconnected and I'd been playing with Whitesnake in 2011 and 2012. So that's where songs like Walk Away come from, and a couple of other things."
A reunion did take place of a form when Coverdale recorded lead vocals for Marsden's track Trouble. "I thought, 'If you're going to ask people to sing, go for the top of the mountain,' says the guitarist. Read more here.
Tool Play April Fool's Prank On Fans
(Prog) Tool have played an April Fool's joke on fans by pretending that a track from their long-awaited fifth album has leaked online. The band - who are currently working on the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days - claim to be furious in a Facebook post, and link to a YouTube track that's really by Mexican folk-pop outfit Hechizeros Band. Then they suggest that Hechizeros Band actually ripped them off.
Tool say: "This music leak is unsettling on many levels. First off, it truly sucks to have your unfinished music available on the interweb without your consent. And second, to have it immediately picked up by someone and released as their own work is infuriating.
"We don't encourage anyone to listen to this leaked clip because it's far from finished and it will spoil what's to come. But if you absolutely must, then listen to both clips. These are practically identical. It's a clear cut case of copyright infringement and plagiarism." Read more here.
The Tangent Reveal New Song 'San Francisco'
(Prog) The Tangent have released a lyric video for their track San Francisco, taken from eighth album A Spark In The Aether - The Music That Died Alone Volume Two.
The promo, shot in the style of a 1970s TV show credits, follows the launch of the title track earlier this month. The album is released on April 20 via InsideOut and sees mainman Andy Tillison joined by Jonas Reingold, Theo Travis, Luke Machin and Morgan Agren.
Tillison says of San Francisco: "It's part of a long piece about the way we view America from other parts of the world. Inspired by theme tunes shows like Kojak and films such as Shaft and Bullit, the song takes an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek look at the sheer number of times San Francisco has been destroyed on screen."
He adds of the musical style: "Funk and prog are like two estranged sisters. They existed side by side in the early 70s. Both forms relied on precision musicianship and embraced the emerging synthesiser technology. Anyone who's into 70s progressive rock bands must have experienced the funk stuff as part of their musical soundtrack.
"Where there was a Zappa there was a Bootsy. Where there was a Daevid there was a George Clinton. If it had all happened now the forms might have been closer to one another." Check out the video here.
Black Sabbath: Symptoms of the Universe Set For U.S. Release
Music journalist and former Black Sabbath publicist Mick Wall's new book "Black Sabbath: Symptoms of the Universe" is scheduled to be released in North America by St. Martin's Press on April 14th.
Here is the synopsis: Decades before his MTV reality show The Osbournes, Ozzy Osbourne was the dark, subversive lead singer in Black Sabbath, the band often credited with creating heavy metal.
Selling more than 75 million albums worldwide, an induction into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and hitting #1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2013, Black Sabbath has had lasting effect on music, influencing many bands along the way.
But their journey wasn't always easy. BLACK SABBATH takes us through the height of their fame, when the band discovered they'd been so badly ripped off by their managers that they didn't even own their own songs and they looked for salvation from Don Arden-a notorious gangster figure and father of Ozzy's wife Sharon- who resurrected their career but left them indebted to him, financially and personally. And into the 15 year war after the group broke up between the post-Ozzy Sabbath and Ozzy himself, whose solo career overshadowed Sabbath so much that a reunion was entirely on his terms.
Magenta's Christina Booth Releases Video For Solo Album Title Track
(Prog) Magenta vocalist Christina Booth has premiered her video for The Light with Prog. It's taken from her solo album of the same name, which is available now via the band website.
Released under the name Christina, it features guest appearances by Andy Tillison, John Mitchell, Theo Travis, Andy Edwards and Dan Nelson, along with Magenta bandmates Robert Reed and Chris Fry.
Booth tells Prog: "The Light is a song about man's constant search for enlightenment - how we seem to need to know that there is something else after we are gone from this life. The video represents our search for the truth and the idea that we all have a 'guardian angel' leading us through dark times into the light."
She adds that the album explores the concept of coming to terms with mortality and continues: "On a personal level, it's letting out the last few years of frustration, guilt and anger at losing those closest to me.
"But ultimately it represents our capacity to carry on - no matter what life throws at us." Watch the video here.
Slipknot Guest Edit New Issue Of Metal Hammer
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has taken over the new issue of Metal Hammer as Editor and he's enlisted the Walking Dead's Charlie Adlard to help him.
The Slipknot frontman is now in charge and he's brought a load of the Knot with him to help out, including Chris Fehn who reveals why he loves Venom and Mick Thomson who goes through his Discs Of Doom - from Electric Six to Deicide.
But that's not all, Charlie Adlard - acclaimed illustrator from the Walking Dead comics - has designed our special gatefold front cover with EXCLUSIVE artwork of every member of Slipknot. Check it out and more previews and details here.
Lesoir Release 'Single-Eyed' Video
(Prog) Lesoir have premiered their video for Single-Eyed with Prog. It's taken from the Dutch quintet's third album Luctor Et Emergo ("I Struggle And Emerge"), which was released this week.
They say of the promo: "We put all the creativity of a few crazy souls in the blender and shot in a most awesome church in Maastricht. We borrowed some wooden beams, and put five frames together, bought some white sheets, and this is the result."
Lesoir - who cite Anathema, Tool and Karnivool among their influences - tour Europe with Evergrey in May, including three UK shows. See the dates and watch the video here.
Minimation: Ron Wood Recalls Mick Taylor Quitting the Rolling Stones
(Radio.com) On Radio.com's latest Minimation, where they animate classic interviews with legendary artists, they look back at an interview from 1977 where Ron Wood talks about a party that he attended with future bandmate Mick Jagger, and Mick's soon-to-be-ex-Rolling Stones bandmate, Mick Taylor.
One of the highlights of the most recent Rolling Stones tour was the nightly jam with former guitarist Mick Taylor. Taylor, of course, replaced founding member Brian Jones in 1969, and was with the Stones for some of their greatest albums, including Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street.
Taylor decided to leave in 1974, informing Mick Jagger of this en route to a party that they were attending for Eric Clapton at mogul Robert Stigwood's house. Taylor went to the party with Jagger, Marshall Chess (who ran Rolling Stones Records at the time) and Ron Wood. Wood recalls Taylor was acting like something was up on the ride to the party, but it wasn't until later that he found out that Taylor was vacating his pretty sweet gig, and setting up Wood to be a Stone for the next four decades or so.
Elsewhere in this segment, Wood gets distracted and tells the origin of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' "Glimmer Twins" handle. Check out the video here.
Van Halen Wanted To Release Lost Early Recordings
(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen has revealed that the group's newly-released album, "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert", wasn't the band's original plan for the follow-up to 2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth."
"We were trying to figure out what to do since we didn't have time to put a studio record together," the guitarist tells the Washington Times. "My son Wolfgang is working on his own project. Dave is off doing his thing.
"What I originally wanted to do was remix the original 25 song demos. That would have been really cool. But the tapes are lost. They are gone. So that was out the window."
The demos Eddie refers to were recorded for Warner Brothers Records in 1977 - prior to the release of their groundbreaking self-titled debut in February of 1978.
Material from those sessions has been re-recorded for inclusion on a number of Van Halen albums over the years, including the group's reunion record with original frontman David Lee Roth, "A Different Kind Of Truth."
"Then we started digging through bootlegs from the club days," Eddie continues. "We tried our best to make those sound good, but ultimately it wasn't good enough to put out." Read more here.
Megadeth Announce Their New Guitarist
(hennemusic) Megadeth have officially announced the addition of guitarist Kiko Loureiro to the band. Formerly with Brazilian band Angra, Louriero replaces outgoing member Chris Broderick after he left the group last November.
"I first met Kiko around 8 years ago for a cover shoot for Burrn! Magazine," says Dave Mustaine. "I had no idea who he was, other than the fact he was tremendously talented and that the staff from Burrn! held him in high regard.
"Since then I've come to see what a guitar virtuoso he is, and I'm deeply encouraged by his depth and talent. Very few Megadeth alumni have had the same feel and ability as Kiko. As Frank Sinatra says, 'the best is yet to come!'" Read more here.
Rolling Stones May Play Entire 'Sticky Fingers' Album On Tour
(Gibson) Fast on the heels of news that the Rolling Stones are touring this summer comes word that the band is considering performing their classic 1971 album, Sticky Fingers, in its entirety.
"We're floating the idea of playing the whole album," frontman Mick Jagger tells Rolling Stone. "At the very least, we'll play the songs we don't normally play."
A deluxe version of the album hits stores on May 26, which will no doubt figure into the decision. One concern of Jagger's is that the disc contains a preponderance of slow-tempo songs-"Normally we just [perform] one or two ballads," he says-but the band plans to explore the idea in rehearsals nonetheless.
"I'm sure we'll have a go at it," he says. "We play a lot of the tunes and know them pretty well. I think we've played them all at least once. It's not like trying to do [the 1967 psych-rock album] Their Satanic Majesties Request." Read the Gibson report here.
Metallica's New Music Is Unique But Still Heavy
(TeamRock Radio) Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo says in a new interview that the band is "having a blast" as they write their 10th album - but he can't define how the work sounds yet.
There's no completion date for the follow-up to 2008's Death Magnetic, although drummer Lars Ulrich recently said they were aiming to include some of the material in this year's summer shows.
Trujillo tells Rolling Stone: "We're working on these songs, we are being productive and having fun." Asked whether the music feels like an extension of Death Magnetic, he replies: "I can't say that yet. I can't relate it to any album - I think every Metallica album is unique."
He continues: "What we're doing is special and unique, but still heavy. For me as a listener, there's a certain edge that needs to be there." Read more here.
Tom DeLonge Releases 'New World' Video
(Radio.com) Tom DeLonge forges his way solo in his latest music video for "New World." The first song released off his upcoming debut solo album To the Stars ' Demos, Odds and Ends, the Blink-182 founding member shows his aggression in the new video.
The video itself has DeLonge standing alone in a black leather jacket and cuts to clips of him lashing out and breaking everything he sees in sight at the studio, including a TV, computer, drum kit and lamps with his electric guitar.
'My head will ache, I brave the fire/ Yeah, I found a new world/ My heart awaits, the grand design/ I found a new door," he sings. To the Stars ' Demos, Odds and Ends will be available on April 21. The album will include tracks from DeLonge's "personal stash" including new songs written by DeLonge and demos originally intended and written for Blink-182. Watch the video here.
AC/DC Add New North American Tour Date
(hennemusic) AC/DC have expanded the North American leg of their Rock Or Bust world tour with a September 17 show at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
AC/DC will launch their 2015 live dates when they headline the 2015 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on Friday April 10 and Friday April 17; the band will then kick off a European tour May 5 in Arnhem, Netherlands.
The legendary hardrockers will be kicking off the late summer/early fall tour of North America on August 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Read more here.
INXS's Tim Farriss Out Of Action For A Year After Accident
(TeamRock Radio) INXS guitarist Tim Farriss says he'll be out of action for at least a year after severing his finger in a freak accident. His ring finger was ripped off after he caught it on a winch on board his boat in Sydney, Australia in February - leading to fears he might never play again.
Now he tells the Herald Sun about his recovery: "It's going as well as can be expected. I will be strapped for another year. The whole finger came off pretty much, so the recovery was never going to be fast."
Farriss adds he's facing his rehabilitation "one day at a time" after two rounds of surgery and reveals he's been undertaking work at his farm in Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales. Read more here.
David Bowie Co-Writes The Man Who Fell To Earth Inspired Musical
(hennemusic) David Bowie's new stage musical, "Lazarus", will see its world premiere this fall in New York and include new songs written by the singer, according to reports.
Co-written by Bowie and Enda Walsh, the production - directed by Ivo van Hove (Hedda Gabler, More Stately Mansions, Obie Awards) - is inspired by the 1963 novel, "The Man Who Fell To Earth" by Walter Tevis, and centers on the character of Thomas Newton, previously portrayed by Bowie in the 1976 sci-fi screen adaptation directed by Nicolas Roeg.
"Lazarus" will features songs specially composed by Bowie for the stage production as well as new arrangements of previously recorded songs. Read more here.
Chester Bennington Taking New Approach In Stone Temple Pilots
(Classic Rock) Chester Bennington says he's stepping out of his comfort zone for the upcoming Stone Temple Pilots album. And the vocalist, who suffered a serious ankle injury in January which forced the cancellation of a run of Linkin Park shows, says he's getting the chance to express himself in new ways with STP.
He tells Artists Direct: "With Linkin Park, things are pretty literal. Writing for STP, I get to be a lot more poetic - I get to be a lot more clever with my wording. It makes it fun because I get to be more colorful.
"With this new record, the music is pretty insane. With the melodies, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. It's definitely something I enjoy doing because it helps me think differently in terms of how to get a point across." Read more here.
Panic! At the Disco Lose Founding Member
Panic! At the Disco have announced that Spencer Smith has officially left the group. Smith, who was a founding member of the band, went on hiatus from group in 2013 to treat his addictions.
Smith released the following statement to fans via the group's official website: "To our fans…After 10 years of being a part of this unbelievable journey it saddens me to say that I will be leaving Panic. This was not an easy decision to come to, but after a lot of thinking it became clear that this is what's right for me and the band. I love this band with all my heart, and getting to see it grow from 4 kids in my parents garage to what it is now has been incredible. I loved it all. But, at a certain point, I realized that I wasn't able to be there for the band the way I wanted to be, and more importantly, the way they needed me to be.
"I consider myself extremely lucky to have been surrounded by the people I have been all these years. They truly are my best friends. A few years ago, when my addiction grabbed hold, and wouldn't let go, they could have easily kicked me out, and never looked back, but they didn't. Instead, they encouraged me to seek treatment, and gave me the time I needed to get my life back in order. They helped me through those rough times, and now, on the other side, with two years sobriety from prescription medication, and working on a year sobriety from alcohol, I am nothing but grateful for all they have done. It's things like that that always made this band feel more like a family to me than anything else.
"When we were together in the studio or on stage I wasn't with co workers at a job, I felt at home with my brothers. Looking back over the past decade I still have to pinch myself to believe it was all real. I still remember waiting all day to get out of school so we could go write songs, and record demos on a drum machine and a 30 dollar keyboard. I remember being so nervous when Pete came to town to watch us play the only 3 songs we had, and then going to Del Taco where he treated us to a well deserved meal (as any self respecting AnR guy should). I remember pulling all night triple shifts driving around the country in a conversion van with a single axle trailer on our first tour.
"Im going to miss it all. Staying up all night writing songs, and recording them over and over until my hands would bleed. Catching red eye flights to get to a photo shoot or video shoot, and being so delirious on set we never thought we'd stop laughing. Explaining to our manager that I wanted to perform on top of a ten foot tall carousel and have a caged tiger on stage, and being surprised when that didn't seem 'totally reasonable' to everyone else. I'm going to miss the good interviews, the bad interviews, and the interview in Germany when we were asked 'your new album doesn't seem to be as good as your last…why?'. Or being in rural China where I'm almost positive we were served horse, but we ate it anyway so we wouldn't offend the women who spent all day cooking for us, and you know what, it was pretty good. Or the time we were stranded in a Russian airport for 20 hours, and the only thing that kept us sane were the funny pictures or videos of encouragement you would send us. All of those moments that made me want to say, 'I've had enough, this is crazy, I quit!' those are some of my favorite memories now. But what will stick with me the most is showing up in city after city and finding more and more of you who had learned the lyrics to all our songs, or had made home made t-shirts with our faces surrounded in puff paint, or baked us cookies from your grandmas secret recipe and put a single hair in each one (ok, that one was a little creepy…creepy, but delicious). For me, that's what made it all so surreal. Yes, getting to travel around the world with my friends was no doubt some of the best memories of my life, but it was what happened during that hour and a half on stage each night that was truly magic.
"And none of it was possible without you. Whether it was in front of 15 people at Brendon's church social or 15,000 people in a field somewhere in England. What we created, the four of us onstage, and you in the audience, that was something special. It was on those nights I'd say to myself 'If I could be anywhere in the world tonight, with anyone I wanted, it would be right here with you'. It's what I'll miss the most. So, thank you. I truly cannot wait to see what's next for Panic, whatever it is, it's going to be great. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving me the life I only dreamed of 10 short years ago."
Killswitch Engage Frontman Discusses Direction Of New Music
(TeamRock Radio) Killswitch Engage are taking liberties when it comes to writing their next album, frontman Jessie Leach reports. He's gearing up to add vocals to their demos, before recording the follow-up to 2013's 'Disarm The Descent' begins.
Leach tells TeamRock: "They've finished demoing - I'm just getting started myself. It sounds amazing. I'm really stoked." He adds: "Every guy has brought their own style to it and there's some different stuff going on.
"It's definitely a Killswitch record, but I'm excited that some of the guys took a little liberty to go in slightly different directions." But Leach admits he's feeling pressure to deliver top-quality work. Read more here.
Nickelback Frontman Chad Kroger On The Rigors Of The Road
(TeamRock Radio) Nickelback frontman Chad Kroger says life on the road is hard work but it's still something he loves to do. He tells Sweden's Radio Nova: "It's exhausting, but there's nothing like it. People think it's easy and one big luxury event, but it's a lot of hard work.
"It's like camping. You've got a nice tour bus, so it's glamorous camping, but it's hard travelling all the time. It's a lot of work, and you really have to get used to it. You've really got to love it. If you're a homebody and like being in your own bed every night, seeing your dog and having your favorite food, this is not the job for you."
He continues: "I've seen a lot of people who've tried that I knew were going to struggle with it - bands that I've produced, and bands I've signed. You're looking at him, going, 'You're not going to last six months.'" Read more here.
Magnum Recording New Album
(Classic Rock) Magnum's Bob Catley has confirmed the band are in studio sessions for their 18th album. Bassist Al Barrow revealed early work had begun in August last year.
Now the vocalist reports they the band is back at Mad Hat Studios, Staffordshire, to record the follow-up to 2014's Escape From The Shadow Garden.
Catley says on Facebook: "It's sounding pretty good so far. Tony Clarkin is doing some guitar parts and I'll be doing some singing pretty soon when he's got some lyrics for me. I think it's going to be a really strong, rocking album as usual.
"The album will be coming out early next year, maybe February - and then we'll be on tour straight away." Read more here.
Crowbar's Kirk Windstein On Ghosts Of The Road
(TeamRock Radio) Crowbar mainman Kirk Windstein says interacting with fans around the world helps him focus on giving the best performances he can. The singer/guitarist has overcome long-standing problems with alcohol abuse and says he realizes how important it is for fans to see a good show and for it not to be ruined by drunken mistakes.
He says in the latest episode of FreqsTV's Ghosts Of The Road series: "It's important for me - not to sound like Bono from U2 - but it's important to see how excited these people are that we came to their country to play, how long they've been waiting and how crazy they go at the show.
"A kid gave me a postcard from the town he was from, it was 330 kilometres from Sofia in Bulgaria and he had to work the next day. He's like, 'You can read it later, it's kind of a cliche but I wanted to give it to you.' I read it the next morning and I'm like, 'This is great.'
"He was just saying how, even though he had to take a train at 12.30am for a few hours and get up early to go to work, being able to go to the show was what was keeping him going. He had been waiting so long to see the band. That means a lot to me. That the music I make can change somebody from across the world's life in a positive way."
He continues: "I'm just as excited to hit the stage tonight as I was when I was 19-years-old doing Judas Priest cover songs. If you don't still have that same good, nervous, butterfly feeling when you're getting ready to play, then you're just going through the motions.
"It's about the desire to get up and give 110% regardless of what equipment you're working with or how many people are there. None of that sh*t matters." Watch the episode here.
Deicide Leads The Metal Alliance Tour 2015 Lineup
Deicide have been named as the headliner for this year's installment of The Metal Alliance Tour this spring which will be celebrating its 5th anniversary this year.
Organizers have revealed most of the lineup and the initial dates for the trek which will also feature Entombed AD, Hate Eternal, Black Crown Initiate and Svart Crown.
The announced dates will be kicking off on May 26th in Montreal, Canada at the Theatre Corona and so far dates have been announced through June 20th in Charlotte, NC at the Tremont Music Hall. See the announced dates here.
Gallows No Longer Cut and Paste
(TeamRock Radio) Gallows guitarist Laurent Barnard says the band's fourth record marks a major change from their previous "cut and paste" style of songwriting. They'll release Desolation Sounds on April 13 via Play It Again Sam.
And in the third and final part of a documentary series on the making of the album, 'Lags' says more thought has gone into the writing this time. He adds: "We're writing songs now. I feel like throughout Gallows' career there used to be a lot of cut and paste riffs going on.
"On the first album, very little thought went into the songwriting there. I literally just showed the guys the riffs and that was it. We never really thought about which verse fits into which chorus and all that.
"Hopefully it's going to be all worthwhile, but we're pretty happy with what we've got so far." Read more and watch the episode here.
Van Halen Rock Classic Songs For Ellen
(hennemusic) Van Halen performed their 1984 US No. 1 hit, "Jump", on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday. The group also performed their first US top 40 hit, 1979's "Dance The Night Away", as an online exclusive.
The band appeared on the daytime talk show to promote this week's release of "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert", the band's first live album with David Lee Roth.
On Monday, Van Halen shut down Hollywood Boulevard to perform an 8-song greatest hits set for ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live. The group will launch a North American tour in support of the live album in Seattle on July 5. Watch the Ellen videos here.
Supergroup The Rides Complete New Album
(Classic Rock) Blues-rock supergroup The Rides have completed recording, mixing and mastering their second album, guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd has confirmed.
He teamed up with Stephen Stills and Barry Goldberg for 2013 debut Can't Get Enough after a one-off charity appearance proved fruitful. They'd previously said another studio release would take place.
Now Shepherd tells BluesMatters: "We just finished mastering and now we're working on the artwork and release date. The record is great. It's almost all new original songs that we've worked on, and I definitely think it's an improvement on the last record. It defines the sound of the band." Read more here.
Genesis's Anthony Phillips Fears Formal Study Robbed Originality
(Prog) Genesis co-founder Anthony Phillips fears his study of classical music and guitar may have had a negative effect on his natural creativity. He launched himself into an education programme after leaving the band in 1970, following the recording of second album Trespass.
And in a Facebook Q&A session he accepts there might he a downside to his learning. Asked whether he feels more accomplished as an artist, Phillips says: "Very good question. Definitely more accomplished and have more technique - but worry that some of the formal study may have robbed me of my albeit clumsy originality!"
He believes that he and his former bandmates all carried their teenage experiences at Surrey's Charterhouse School into their music. "We were all quite influenced by the English choral tradition. Tony Banks was influenced by his piano teacher but the rest of us were self-taught at that stage."
Phillips says of the establishment's strict rules: "Poor Mike Rutherford had a very difficult sadistic housemaster, which made it worse for him. Our housemaster - Pete, Tony and I - was a kinder man." Read more here.
Eschar Streaming New Album 'Nova' Online
(Prog) Post-rock instrumentalists Eschar are streaming their second album Nova in full with Prog. The nine-track follow-up to 2012 debut Elements was released today April 3.
The Woking-based quartet say: "Nova is about progression - we mean that in every sense of the word. When compared with Elements, we all believe this is a serious step up. It's bigger, more expansive, and has care and attention lavished on it at every point."
Eschar have played alongside 65daysofstatic, Maybeshewill and others. They'll appear at the ArcTanGent festival in Somerst on August 20 after a short run of UK shows, with more to be added. See the dates and stream the album here.
New Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck Preview Goes Online
(hennemusic) A new preview clip from the forthcoming documentary, "Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck", has surfaced. The footage reveals notes from Cobain's diaries that include a selection of possible band names for consideration before the group eventually decided on Nirvana.
"Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck" director Brett Morgen recently announced the new documentary about the late Nirvana frontman will debut in three US cities in advance of its premiere on cable channel HBO on May 4.
"4/24 Montage of Heck will open in Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York City," tweeted Morgen, who oversaw the project with executive producer - and Cobain's daughter - Frances Bean.
Morgen has also announced a series of international cinema debuts, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland (April 9), the UK (April 10), Sweden (April 27), Italy, Australia and New Zealand (April 30). Watch the preview here.
Keith Emerson's Three Fates Project Part Of Moog Event
(Classic Rock) A performance by Keith Emerson's Three Fates Project will bring the curtain down on a celebration of the life of Dr. Robert Moog. The Moog Concordance event - to mark the 10th anniversary of Moog's passing - will be held at London's Barbican Centre from July 8-10 and will also include a performance from The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, featuring Portishead's Adrian Utley and composer Graham Fitkin.
Dr. Moog unveiled the Moog modular synthesizer more than 50 years ago and it had a massive impact on music and instrument design. The Three Fates Project show sees Emerson and his band appear alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. It features Emerson's Moog solos and is billed as more than just a rock-meets-orchestra performance.
The project's title is taken from a track from the 1970 debut album of prog rock ensemble Emerson, Lake & Palmer who were a favourite band of Bob Moog and who brought his synthesiser sound to some of the largest live audiences of the 70s. Read more here.
Mick Jagger Interviewed On WTF Podcast
(Radio.com) Marc Maron is having the best week ever: The man behind the WTF Podcast finally interviewed living legend and his personal hero Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones icon phoned in to the show shared on everything from the band's Sticky Fingers reissue to their upcoming Zip Code stadium tour and his current relationship with Keith Richards.
On the topic of the band's impending tour, Jagger said that he would try to diversify the group's setlist and play some surprises like "Sister Morphine, which the band hasn't performed live in almost 10 years.
Jagger also revealed that they've thought about just playing Sticky Fingers in full. 'It might work, and it might not," Jagger said. 'It's got quite a few slow songs on it. Maybe it'll work; you gotta see." Read more and listen here.
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Confirms Solo Album Plans
(Radio.com) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry Monday night (March 31) and confirmed some major news: Tyler be releasing a solo country album.
According to Rolling Stone Country, during Eric Paslay's set at the famed country music venue, Tyler walked onstage in a floor-length white coat and announced the big news.
Rumors of the Aerosmith star going country have been circulating for months. According to Billboard, Big Machine Label Group is in the process of signing Tyler. This news came shortly after Tyler was featured in an American Idol segment devoted to the label's CEO Scott Borchetta. Read more here.
John Lennon's First Wife Cynthia Lennon Dead at 75
(Radio.com) Cynthia Lennon, the first wife of John Lennon, has died. She was 75. According to a press release, Lennon died after a "short but brave battle with cancer."
The news of her death was shared via a press release mentioning that her son, Julian Lennon, was with her. "Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain following a short but brave battle with cancer," the release reads. "Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time."
Cynthia met the future Beatle while both attended Liverpool College of Art in a calligraphy class. They married in 1962 and had one child, Julian, the next year. Read more here.
Rolling Stones Unplug For Classic Song
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have released an unreleased acoustic version of "Wild Horses" as a preview to the upcoming reissue of their classic 1971 album, "Sticky Fingers."
Due May 25 (May 26 in North America), the remastered album will be available on CD, 2CD, LP, 2LP, a Deluxe Edition Boxet, Super Deluxe Edition Boxset and via digital download.
The acoustic take on "Wild Horses" will be featured on the Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions of the package, which feature previously unreleased material and alternative takes of a selection of album tracks.
Included are an alternative version of "Brown Sugar" featuring Eric Clapton; unreleased versions of "Bitch", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and "Dead Flowers"; and five tracks recorded live at The Roundhouse in 1971 including "Honky Tonk Women" and "Midnight Rambler." Check out the video here.
Lynyrd Skynyrd To Release All-Star Concert On CD and DVD
Lynyrd Skynyrd have revealed their plans to release a live album and DVD of their concert where they celebrated their classic live album "One More For the Road" with a list of all-star special guests.
The band have yet to reveal the release date and track details for the "Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More For The Fans!" which was captured during their special show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA on November 12, 2014. We were sent these details:
The show featured performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with special guests Trace Adkins, Alabama, Gregg Allman, Blackberry Smoke, Cheap Trick, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Randy Houser, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Aaron Lewis, moe., O.A.R., Robert Randolph and Donnie Van Zant.
Twisted Sister To Move Ahead With Live Plans Despite AJ Pero's Death
(hennemusic) Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French has confirmed the group will perform its scheduled concert dates in 2015 with the help of a professional drummer following the March 20 death of bandmate A.J. Pero.
The drummer died of a heart attack in his sleep in Poughkeepsie, NY at the age of 55 while on tour with Adrenaline Mob; he was just days away from meeting with French to discuss Twisted Sister's upcoming summer schedule.
"We will honor AJ during our shows this year," French writes on his blog at inc.com "A professional drummer who is a friend will be filling in shortly. This will allow us to fulfill our touring obligations and, most important, give us some space to make some very hard decisions about our future."
Pero was a member of Twisted Sister from 1982-1986, 1997 and from 2001 forward. The drummer joined Adrenaline Mob in 2013 following a split with Mike Portnoy. Read more here.
Josh Freese and Gavin Harrison Supergroup Exovex Release Album
(Prog) Exovex - the prog ensemble featuring King Crimson and Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison and Josh Freese of Devo, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle - have released their debut album.
Titled Radio Silence, the project is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Dale Simmons and also includes contributions from Keith Carlock (Sting, John Myer, Steely Dan) and Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree).
Simmons says: "The central theme focuses on the downward spiral and ultimate demise of a man due to the psychological and physical effects of a long-term, self-imposed isolation.
"The songs are a sequence of events, which document his thought processes and eventual deterioration. They are snapshots in time that speak to personal circumstances that drive us to make life-changing decisions, both good and bad." Read more here.
Ace Frehley Wants Gene Simmons On All-Star Covers Album
(hennemusic) Ace Frehley is sharing an update on plans for an all-star covers album as the follow-up to his 2014 effort, "Space Invader." Frehley originally revealed last summer that the project was in the works and would include guests like Slash, Lita Ford, and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam.
"The album's going to be about my influences," Frehley tells Billboard. "I'm probably going to do a Rolling Stones song, a Who song, possibly a Led Zeppelin song, maybe a Beatles song. Stuff from bands that I grew up on and greatly influenced me. Those are the songs I'd redo, besides vintage Kiss stuff and a Frehley's Comet track."
The guitarist says he has done some overdubs and intends to track another six to eight songs, then pick the best 12 to focus on. The album's track list isn't solidified, but he says he's "probably going to redo both 'Cold Gin' and 'Parasite.' On Kiss records, I'm not singing lead. So I'm going to sing lead on them like I do live so there's studio tracks out there with me."
"I was actually going to ask Gene Simmons to play bass on a track and sing with me," he adds. "I haven't gotten to that stage yet." Read more here.
Mick Abrahams Reveals New Solo Album Details
(Classic Rock) Mick Abrahams has revealed details on his upcoming solo album titled Revived. The Blodwyn Pig and former Jethro Tull guitarist will release the record and DVD on April 28 - a few weeks after his 72nd birthday.
He's joined on the 17-track blues recording by a host of musicians including Bill Wyman, Martin Barre, Bernie Marsden, Paul Jones, Mark Feltham, Beverley Skeete, Josh Philips, Jim Rodford and Graham Walker.
Abrahams says: "There are some lovely old songs which I've just taken with no rhyme or reason other than the fact that I like them and have always wanted to play them." Read more here.
Bumblefoot Tried To Get All-Star Guests For New Album
(Classic Rock) Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal tried to secure some big-name guests for his latest solo album - but ran out of patience with the process. Instead, he did everything on Little Brother Is Watching himself, except the drums.
The guitarist - whose position in Guns N' Roses remains unclear - tells MusicRadar: "I would have liked to have done the star-studded thing, but I was on such a roll that I didn't want to stop.
"Initially I put out some feelers, but it turned into, 'You've got to talk to the manager, the agent, this person and that.' After a while I just said, 'I don't have time for this. I've got to keep moving.'"
But Bumblefoot says it means that, asides from sticksman Dennis Leeflang's contribution, the album is "the full me." Read more here.
Tommy Bolin 'Teaser' Reissue Preview Video Released
(Classic Rock) A video has been released giving fans a closer look at the upcoming reissue of Tommy Bolin's debut solo album. Teaser is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 1975 release and will be issued as a 3-disc collection on May 18 via UDR.
The one-time Zephyr and James Gang guitarist originally released the work while he was a member of Deep Purple. He died of a drug overdose the following year, at the age of 25.
Teaser 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set includes the album accompanied by two live CDs featuring long-lost outtakes and alternative mixes. The live CDs are made up of performances from Ebbets Field, The Northern Lights, My Father's Place and Albany. Watch the video here.
Robert Plant's Solo Career Special In The Studio
Legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant's solo career is the focus of a new web exclusive episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio. The show sent over these details about the Plant solo career retrospective.
Quite coincidentally, two of Robert Plant's post-Led Zeppelin solo albums, Spring 1985's Shaken'n'Stirred and March 1990's Manic Nirvana, are each marking significant anniversaries, so no better time to examine them via the impressive Nine Lives box set which chronicles Plant's prolific solo output.
It was Robert's second solo album, 1983's The Principle of Moments, which convinced us that Plant could sustain a viable solo career outside of the legendary Led Zeppelin, with whom he fronted for twelve fabled years. Angular extended songs "In the Mood" and the cryptic "Big Log" became rock radio staples in the States, followed by "Little by Little" from Shaken and Stirred in 1985.
Not until 1988's Now and Zen, however, did Plant shed the self-conscious shadow of Zeppelin by exorcising his ghosts with the song "Tall Cool One", brilliantly sampling the "thunder of the gods" iconic Led licks and employing Zeppelin mastermind Jimmy Page on guitar. "Heaven Knows" and "Ship of Fools" made Now and Zen a blockbuster, with "Hurting Kind" in 1990 from Manic Nirvana twenty-five years ago and the tender heartfelt "29 Palms" on Fate of Nations.
Robert shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard how Plant views himself and how he continues to evolve as an artist. "I can't really stand in middle ground and be showered with confetti and compliments. The most important thing to me is to expand what I'm doing and take people with me… or not."
Five Finger Death Punch Star Launching Tattoo Removal Business
(TeamRock Radio) Five Finger Death Punch drummer Jeremy Spencer's own tattoo regret has inspired him to start a laser removal business which will be opening in Las Vegas on April 3 (Friday).
His experience of having cartoon character Yosemite Sam burned off at the age of 26 - a decade after he'd had it done - has motivated him to launch Phase Tattoo Removal.
Spencer recalls his procedure as "tedious and painful" and wants to spare others from going through the same thing. He says: "People sometimes regret having a tattoo with a former lover's name, or one that was poorly executed. Like me, they may want the old one faded enough to have new ink covering it, or have it removed completely." Read more here.
Robert Fripp Inspired Gavin Harrison's New Solo Album
(Prog) Gavin Harrison credits King Crimson bandmate Robert Fripp with lighting the way for the drummer's solo album Cheating The Polygraph. The eight-track title, to be launched via Kscope on April 13, sees Harrison revisiting songs from his Porcupine Tree years in a big band style.
He recently revealed how the concept came about after a 2009 tribute event for late drummer Buddy Rich. Now Harrison tells the Kscope Podcast: "If I've learned anything from Robert Fripp, it's that you need a good big idea."
The drummer, along with arranger Laurence Cottle, came up with the concept of adding to their chosen tracks with material from other Porcupine Tree material.
"It's good practice, especially when you have a great arranger, to bring in themes from other songs," Harrison says. "I had a whole list of really good riffs in other songs that we could steal. Laurence could work in any riff from any other song, in any other key in any other time signature, into any song we were working on." Read more here.
Blind Guardian Recruit Orphaned Land For Upcoming Tour
(Prog) Orphaned Land have revealed that they will be hitting the road with Blind Guardian once again, this time supporting them on their upcoming European tour.
The Israeli outfit opened for the German group last year and will once again join them for the latest run of shows, which sees them take in one UK date at London's Forum on April 12.
Vocalist Kobi Farhi says: "We're super excited to support the amazing Blind Guardian on their European tour. This is a great chance for us to expose our music to many new potential fans and a chance for our fans to see us play at killer venues." Read more here.
Heights Release 'Centrifuge' Video
(Prog) Heights have premiered their live video for Centrifuge with Prog. The track appears on the trio's third album, Phantasia On The High Processions Of Sun, Moon And Countless Stars Above, to be released on April 27.
The video was shot by Small Pond Recordings and its launch comes ahead of the Heights' appearance at The Hope, Brighton, on April 4 (Saturday). Guitarist Al Heslop tells Prog: "Centrifuge has a cyclic riff that re-occurs in various forms.
"It was partially inspired by Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey - it features a space station with a centrifugal design that simulates gravity, shot to mind-bending effect.
"We've had the song in our live set for a few years now, so we were able to have some fun with it." Watch the video here.
Tarja Turunen Releases 'Until My Last Breath' Video
(Prog) Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen has released a music video for her track Until My Last Breath. It comes from her upcoming live album Luna Park Ride.
The new live release was recorded by fans in Buenos Aires in 2011. It'll be released on 2CD, 2LP, DVD, Blu-ray and on digital formats via earMusic on June 1.
The CD, DVD and Blu-ray editions come with over 70 minutes of bonus material taken from her shows between 2010-2014, including her Summer Breeze festival performance last year in Germany. Watch the video here.
Cradle Of Filth Reveal New Album's Inspiration
(TeamRock Radio) Cradle Of Filth have revealed the inspiration behind upcoming album Hammer Of The Witches. It's released on June 26 via Nuclear Blast and will be the follow-up to 2012's The Manticore And Other Horrors.
The band say in a statement: "The album is inspired by the 1486 treatise on the prosecution of witches by Heinrich Kramer and subtitled Goetic Justice, as the theme is one of violent revenge for violent persecution.
"The album - fingers crossed and hopefully not by torture - will be delivered up to the proper authorities on April 20. You have been warned." Read more here.
Paradise Lost Tried New Approach On Forthcoming Album
(TeamRock Radio) Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh has described 14th release The Plague Within as a "marmite album." The follow-up to 2012's Tragic Idol will be released on June 1 via Century Media - and it sees the Yorkshire outfit once again pushing musical boundaries.
Mackintosh tells Total Guitar: "Sometimes it's nice to do albums that are expected, in a way. But for a career like ours it's important to do certain records and songs where you try something else."
The band aimed to "blur lines" between harmonies and rhythms during recording sessions, with the aim of achieving a more blended sound. The guitarist says: "It was an interesting way of working that we hadn't done before - more constructive."
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day in Rock News!
Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Scott Weiland Tells His Side Of Stone Temple Pilots Breakup As Scott Weiland released his new album "...
Today's Day in Rock News!
Today's Day in Rock
Scott Weiland Tells His Side Of Stone Temple Pilots Breakup
As Scott Weiland released his new album "Blaster" from his new solo band Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts, he revealed his side of his departure from Stone Temple Pilots.
"It's just a shame how it happened," Weiland says about the breakup with Stone Temple Pilots in a new interview with QMI Agency. "I said I needed six months off. I felt we needed six months off in order to do a 20th year anniversary tour and that 20th anniversary tour didn't end up happening and I said, 'Okay, then we need to make a new record because we can't go on just playing the greatest hits set. It's not going to work. We're losing fanbase. Our guarantees are starting to go down.'
"So I assumed we were all on the same page when we left tour and it turned out not so and they got different management and things just soured. (I've known them) since I was a teenager.
"Crazy things happen especially when you end up getting different management. People see things one way and a lot of times how things are portrayed to the band members are through the goggles of the management and filtered through that and that's what you end up hearing."
Weiland also discussed the musical direction of the new Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts album. "I think we fit in somewhere between Queens of the Stone Age and any Jack White sort of project, but with my melodies. Rock 'n' roll, but garage indie rock 'n' roll..."Read more here.
Video of Van Halen's David Lee Roth Stage Injury Goes Online
(hennemusic) Video of Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth injuring himself during the opening number of the band's performance on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Monday has been posted online.
Hitting the stage to perform their 1984 hit, "Panama", Roth cut his nose with the microphone sometime during the song's first verse. The singer could be seen wiping blood away as the song continued, with Roth eventually going sidestage to grab a towel in an attempt to clean it up and prevent further bleeding.
The singer left the stage during the track before returning to advise the crowd of his injury and apologized as the group took a short break before restarting the performance after Roth was outfitted with a bandage across his nose.
Van Halen then ran through a greatest hits set that included "Panama", "Runnin' With The Devil", "Hot For Teacher", "Eruption", "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", Unchained" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love.." Watch the video here.
Led Zeppelin Release Interactive Video
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin have released an interactive video for the previously unreleased rough mix of "Trampled Under Foot", as featured on the recent expanded reissue of their 1975 release, "Physical Graffiti."
The band hooked up with media and technology company Interlude for the project, which allows users to click on any of the album cover's 16 windows to unlock footage of events that pay homage to the window illustrations on the original artwork.
Billed as "Brandy & Coke (Trampled Under Foot - Initial Rough Mix)", the track is included on the companion disc of bonus material - which also includes a recently-debuted rough mix of "Houses Of The Holy."
The expanded reissue "Physical Graffiti" debuted at No. 11 on the US Billboard 200 and at No. 6 on the UK charts. Check out the video here.
Rolling Stones Including Unreleased Music On Sticky Fingers Reissue
The Rolling Stones long awaited North American tour wasn't the only news that the band revealed this week. They also announced that their classic 1971 album "Sticky Fingers" is being reissued.
The classic album, featuring the hits 'Brown Sugar,' and 'Wild Horses,' will be reissued by Universal Music on May 26th in a variety of formats with a deluxe and box set editions featuring previously unreleased studio outtakes and live recordings from the time period.
The band is giving fans an early taste of the bonus material with the release of a lyric video for an acoustic version of their classic ballad "Wild Horses". Watch it here.
As we reported yesterday, the band will be hitting the road this summer for the Zip Code tour which will be kicking off on May 24th in San Diego, Ca and concluding on July 15th in Quebec. See the tour dates and details for the various editions of the reissue here.
Marilyn Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins Announce Summer Tour
Marilyn Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that they will be hitting the road together this summer for a North American co-headlining tour.
The End Times Tour will be kicking off on July 7th in Concord, CA at the Concord Pavilion and concluding on August 8th in Cincinnati, OH at the Riverbend Music Center.
Manson will be embarking on the tour in support of his latest album "The Pale Emperor" and The Smashing Pumpkins will be supporting their latest "Monuments To An Elegy." See the dates here.
Gov't Mule Streaming 'Dub Side Of The Mule' Album
(The Blues Gov't Mule have released a stream of their live album Dub Side Of The Mule, featuring Toots Hibbert of Toots And The Maytals. The album is released on April 6 via Mascot Label Group in 3CD+DVD, standard CD and double-vinyl editions.
Mainman Warren Haynes' hopes the release will demonstrate another facet to his band's musical output, after recent title Dark Side Of The Mule and Stoned Side Of The Mule saw them covering Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones respectively.
Haynes said recently: "Each song on our 2013 album Shout! has its own personality - it sounds like Gov't Mule but doesn't sound like anything we'd ever done. These archive releases further that concept. They allow us to highlight some of our influences as well as how far we've come since the first album." Check out the album stream here.
Failure Releasing First Album in 19 Years, Streaming New Song
(Classic Rock) Failure have announced that their first album since 1996's Fantastic Planet will be released in June. They've have also released a stream of the song "Hot Traveler" from the record.
Ken Andrews, Greg Edwards and Kellii Scott split in 1997 amid drug issues, but reformed in 2013. They'll launch fourth record The Heart Is A Monster on June 30 after a successful PledgeMusic campaign.
Frontman Andrews tells Noisey: "One thing Greg and I agreed on early is that we didn't want to reform for nostalgia tours. We wanted to come back as a full-functioning musical force, and creatively pick up where we left off with Fantastic Planet.
"That meant we needed to start experimenting in the studio, which we did in late 2013. The results were definitely Failure - we've been chipping away at a new album this whole time." Read more and stream the new song here.
Iron Maiden and King Crimson Stars Lead Prog Orchestra Album
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith and King Crimson's Gavin Harrison are among the big-name musicians who appear on an orchestral prog album released this week.
The guitarist and drummer are joined by ex-Yes and Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz, guitarist Guthrie Govan and late Three Dog Night keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The album, entitled The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Prog Rock Classics, features tracks by Pink Floyd, Crimson, Rush, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and others. Read more and check out a video here.
Neurosis Frontman's Wife Hospitalized With Undiagnosed Illness
(TeamRock Radio) The friends of Neurosis frontman Scott Kelly have launched a donation appeal after his wife Sarah lost the ability to see and move as a result of an undiagnosed illness.
She's been in hospital since March 24 after waking up with the symptoms. While her vision has returned, she's still not able to walk, and tests are continuing.
Over $35,000 have been donated via the Kellys' GoFundMe page to assist with medical bills. Karrie Morton, who's running the campaign, says: "Doctors are still not able to identify an exact diagnosis. She has begun rehabbing in the hospital, but it's slow going." Read more here.
Tesla's Jeff Keith Recovering From Hip Replacement Surgery
(Classic Rock) Tesla mainman Jeff Keith has undergone successful hip replacement surgery and is resting at home, it's been confirmed. And the band say he'll rejoin them for rehearsals for their upcoming live commitments next week.
They say in a statement: "JK has made a full recovery from his hip replacement surgery and is enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation at this time.
"The band will resume rehearsals for the Monsters Of Rock cruise next week and run through a set of songs from their latest album Simplicity." Read more here.
Global Record Release Day To Begin In July
(Classic Rock) The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry has confirmed that singles and albums will be released on Fridays across the globe starting from July 10.
Fridays are currently the day when music is issued in countries including Australia and Germany, with Monday being the day in the UK and Tuesday in the US.
It was previously reported that the IFPI were looking to secure a global release day as a result of trade being busier at the start of the weekend. Now Music Week have confirmed an international agreement has been reached.
And while the move has been welcomed by retailers, distributors and digital services, some have expressed their concerns. Read more here.
Van Halen Rock Classics On Jimmy Kimmel
(hennemusic) Van Halen delivered a trio of classic tracks - "Hot For Teacher", "Eruption" and their supercharged cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" - on the second of two nights of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday.
The band shut down Hollywood Boulevard on Monday to perform an 8-song greatest hits set for the late night program as they launched their latest album, "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert."
During the band's opening number, "Panama", frontman David Lee Roth injured himself when his martial arts stick/baton cut his nose, forcing the singer to stop the event while he was treated. The injury was originally believed to have been caused when Roth bumped his nose on a microphone.
On Tuesday, Kimmel revealed slo-motion footage of the incident and that Roth received 14 stitches at hospital following the performance. Watch all of the videos here.
AJ Pero Was Twisted Sisters' John Bonham Says Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French has described late drummer AJ Pero as the band's John Bonham or Keith Moon. He passed away earlier this month at the age of 55, while on tour with Adrenaline Mob. It's suspected he suffered a heart attack.
In an emotional interview with Eddie Trunk, French says: "What John Bonham was to Zeppelin, what Keith Moon was to The Who, AJ was to us. I just mentioned two legends - and AJ's up there with them."
He continues: "We've been together longer and spent more time together than we do with our own families. I think metal's the only genre where that happens." Read more here.
Billy Joel Celebrates 'Glass Houses' 35th anniversary In The Studio
The latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 35th anniversary of Billy Joel's "Glass Houses" album. The show sent over these details:
Billy Joel took a big risk in March 1980 by following blockbusters The Stranger and 52nd Street with the surprisingly stripped down garage rock arrangements of Glass Houses. But lest you get the wrong idea, it was the approach that was lean, not the material. Some of Joel's best songs are here including "You May Be Right", "Sometimes a Fantasy", "Don't Ask Me Why", "Close to the Borderline", the under-appreciated "All for Leyna" and the timeless "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me".
In a rare conversation, Billy opens up to InTheStudio host Redbeard about his musical influences, seeing the Beatles perform on TV's Ed Sullivan Show, the British Invasion bands that followed, garage rock, and the New York City punk scene which inspired his approach to the making of Glass Houses.
"I think what I was doing with the Glass Houses record in the studio when it came time to get together with the band was becoming a garage band all over again. I wanted to have fun ,and I wanted to make music that all the musicians enjoyed playing, as if we were in a bar." - Billy Joel
Vince Neil Sings Anthem at Las Vegas Outlaws First Game
(hennemusic) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil performed the National Anthem at the Las Vegas Outlaws first game on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center as the team hosted the San Jose SaberCats in Arena Football League action.
The SaberCats spoiled the Outlaws debut by winning the game 59-41. Neil and his company, Rockstar Sports Group, were awarded the new AFL franchise last September.
The ownership group includes former Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buccaneer's quarterback Bob Hewko, aviation businessman Mark Daniels, and technology businessman Sohrob Farudi.
Neil and Motley Crue recently completed a 5-date tour of Japan and announced a series of Australian concert dates in May. Watch Neil's anthem performance here.
Bernie Marsden Wrote Some Shine Songs For Whitesnake Reunion
(Classic Rock) Bernie Marsden has revealed some of the material on solo album Shine was written with a Whitesnake reunion in mind. The co-founding guitarist wrote the band's early material with David Coverdale, and brought his former colleague back to guest on Shine, which was released last year.
Marsden tells UCR: "I'd written a bunch of songs - not everything on the album, but certainly half a dozen. In the back of my mind I thought there might be a Whitesnake reunion or something.
"David and I had reconnected and I'd been playing with Whitesnake in 2011 and 2012. So that's where songs like Walk Away come from, and a couple of other things."
A reunion did take place of a form when Coverdale recorded lead vocals for Marsden's track Trouble. "I thought, 'If you're going to ask people to sing, go for the top of the mountain,' says the guitarist. Read more here.
Tool Play April Fool's Prank On Fans
(Prog) Tool have played an April Fool's joke on fans by pretending that a track from their long-awaited fifth album has leaked online. The band - who are currently working on the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days - claim to be furious in a Facebook post, and link to a YouTube track that's really by Mexican folk-pop outfit Hechizeros Band. Then they suggest that Hechizeros Band actually ripped them off.
Tool say: "This music leak is unsettling on many levels. First off, it truly sucks to have your unfinished music available on the interweb without your consent. And second, to have it immediately picked up by someone and released as their own work is infuriating.
"We don't encourage anyone to listen to this leaked clip because it's far from finished and it will spoil what's to come. But if you absolutely must, then listen to both clips. These are practically identical. It's a clear cut case of copyright infringement and plagiarism." Read more here.
The Tangent Reveal New Song 'San Francisco'
(Prog) The Tangent have released a lyric video for their track San Francisco, taken from eighth album A Spark In The Aether - The Music That Died Alone Volume Two.
The promo, shot in the style of a 1970s TV show credits, follows the launch of the title track earlier this month. The album is released on April 20 via InsideOut and sees mainman Andy Tillison joined by Jonas Reingold, Theo Travis, Luke Machin and Morgan Agren.
Tillison says of San Francisco: "It's part of a long piece about the way we view America from other parts of the world. Inspired by theme tunes shows like Kojak and films such as Shaft and Bullit, the song takes an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek look at the sheer number of times San Francisco has been destroyed on screen."
He adds of the musical style: "Funk and prog are like two estranged sisters. They existed side by side in the early 70s. Both forms relied on precision musicianship and embraced the emerging synthesiser technology. Anyone who's into 70s progressive rock bands must have experienced the funk stuff as part of their musical soundtrack.
"Where there was a Zappa there was a Bootsy. Where there was a Daevid there was a George Clinton. If it had all happened now the forms might have been closer to one another." Check out the video here.
Black Sabbath: Symptoms of the Universe Set For U.S. Release
Music journalist and former Black Sabbath publicist Mick Wall's new book "Black Sabbath: Symptoms of the Universe" is scheduled to be released in North America by St. Martin's Press on April 14th.
Here is the synopsis: Decades before his MTV reality show The Osbournes, Ozzy Osbourne was the dark, subversive lead singer in Black Sabbath, the band often credited with creating heavy metal.
Selling more than 75 million albums worldwide, an induction into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and hitting #1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2013, Black Sabbath has had lasting effect on music, influencing many bands along the way.
But their journey wasn't always easy. BLACK SABBATH takes us through the height of their fame, when the band discovered they'd been so badly ripped off by their managers that they didn't even own their own songs and they looked for salvation from Don Arden-a notorious gangster figure and father of Ozzy's wife Sharon- who resurrected their career but left them indebted to him, financially and personally. And into the 15 year war after the group broke up between the post-Ozzy Sabbath and Ozzy himself, whose solo career overshadowed Sabbath so much that a reunion was entirely on his terms.
Magenta's Christina Booth Releases Video For Solo Album Title Track
(Prog) Magenta vocalist Christina Booth has premiered her video for The Light with Prog. It's taken from her solo album of the same name, which is available now via the band website.
Released under the name Christina, it features guest appearances by Andy Tillison, John Mitchell, Theo Travis, Andy Edwards and Dan Nelson, along with Magenta bandmates Robert Reed and Chris Fry.
Booth tells Prog: "The Light is a song about man's constant search for enlightenment - how we seem to need to know that there is something else after we are gone from this life. The video represents our search for the truth and the idea that we all have a 'guardian angel' leading us through dark times into the light."
She adds that the album explores the concept of coming to terms with mortality and continues: "On a personal level, it's letting out the last few years of frustration, guilt and anger at losing those closest to me.
"But ultimately it represents our capacity to carry on - no matter what life throws at us." Watch the video here.
Slipknot Guest Edit New Issue Of Metal Hammer
(TeamRock Radio) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has taken over the new issue of Metal Hammer as Editor and he's enlisted the Walking Dead's Charlie Adlard to help him.
The Slipknot frontman is now in charge and he's brought a load of the Knot with him to help out, including Chris Fehn who reveals why he loves Venom and Mick Thomson who goes through his Discs Of Doom - from Electric Six to Deicide.
But that's not all, Charlie Adlard - acclaimed illustrator from the Walking Dead comics - has designed our special gatefold front cover with EXCLUSIVE artwork of every member of Slipknot. Check it out and more previews and details here.
Lesoir Release 'Single-Eyed' Video
(Prog) Lesoir have premiered their video for Single-Eyed with Prog. It's taken from the Dutch quintet's third album Luctor Et Emergo ("I Struggle And Emerge"), which was released this week.
They say of the promo: "We put all the creativity of a few crazy souls in the blender and shot in a most awesome church in Maastricht. We borrowed some wooden beams, and put five frames together, bought some white sheets, and this is the result."
Lesoir - who cite Anathema, Tool and Karnivool among their influences - tour Europe with Evergrey in May, including three UK shows. See the dates and watch the video here.
Minimation: Ron Wood Recalls Mick Taylor Quitting the Rolling Stones
(Radio.com) On Radio.com's latest Minimation, where they animate classic interviews with legendary artists, they look back at an interview from 1977 where Ron Wood talks about a party that he attended with future bandmate Mick Jagger, and Mick's soon-to-be-ex-Rolling Stones bandmate, Mick Taylor.
One of the highlights of the most recent Rolling Stones tour was the nightly jam with former guitarist Mick Taylor. Taylor, of course, replaced founding member Brian Jones in 1969, and was with the Stones for some of their greatest albums, including Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street.
Taylor decided to leave in 1974, informing Mick Jagger of this en route to a party that they were attending for Eric Clapton at mogul Robert Stigwood's house. Taylor went to the party with Jagger, Marshall Chess (who ran Rolling Stones Records at the time) and Ron Wood. Wood recalls Taylor was acting like something was up on the ride to the party, but it wasn't until later that he found out that Taylor was vacating his pretty sweet gig, and setting up Wood to be a Stone for the next four decades or so.
Elsewhere in this segment, Wood gets distracted and tells the origin of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' "Glimmer Twins" handle. Check out the video here.
Singled Out: Gentlemen Rogues' Mocking Love Out Of Nothing At All
Today Gentlemen Rogues' Danny Dunlop (vocals, guitar) tells us about the song "Mocking Love Out Of Nothing At All" from their forthcoming EP "A History So Repeating," which comes out next week. Here is the story:
I like to think of "Mocking Love Out of Nothing At All" as an "anti-love song," coming from the perspective that love only ends in failure, tragedy, and despair, but also with a longing for a different outcome. It's a declaration to wipe your hands clean of any future involvement in romantic endeavors, but deep down, knowing that this hard stance is only temporary. "I can't commence to live with no risk to life and limb, but at present tense, I won't let my heart be stolen again." I like that closing line of the chorus, as it says: For now, I'm done, but I know I won't always feel this way. There's a little bit of hope in there.
The title of the song is a play on the Air Supply power ballad, "Making Love Out of Nothing At All." Air Supply only seemed to write songs that included the word "love" in the title. I wanted our song to be the antithesis to that...high energy, slightly tongue-in-cheek, but not a "joke song."
The music to "Mocking Love Out of Nothing At All" was written right around the time of the release of Gentlemen Rogues' debut EP, but the lyrics weren't finalized until much later. I wrote a few different versions of the lyrics before I really figured out what I wanted the song to say. Initially, the song was called "Thermal Wars." I'd had a conversation with a friend, and he was talking about how he and his wife were always "battling each other" with the thermostat - she liked the apartment warmer, and he liked it cooler. When she got her way, he was sweating his ass off, and when he got his way, she was a Popsicle. This couple got along swimmingly in every other regard, so I thought it was funny how something so trivial (temperature) would make one person legitimately aggravated with the other. The original pre-chorus lyric said, "So, this is what we call war?" Once I figured out what I wanted the song to be about, this lyric was changed to "Didn't your mama say there'd be days like this?" The final lyric is a paraphrased play on The Shirelles 1961 hit, "Mama Said." Lyrically speaking, this Shirelles' tune and "Mocking Love..." share a similar theme...at least that's my interpretation. I just thought it "worked." Still do.
The recording of the track was done very quickly, and with the exception of the vocals, it was done completely live, all in a room together. We recorded it with Kevin Butler, at Orb Studios, on the outskirts of Austin, TX. I think we recorded the song in three takes, if memory serves me correctly? Overall, we are happy with the way it turned out, and are proud of the song. It's fun, a little challenging to play live (in a good way), and is a good representation of what Gentlemen Rogues do as a band.
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