Today's Day In Rock!

Black Sabbath To Play North American Concert
(hennemusic) To say that the Black Sabbath reunion album and tour have hit more than a few snags since their announcement last November would be a serious understatement.
Guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma), drummer Bill Ward remains an unconfirmed participant after going public over a contract dispute, and then the tour was cancelled and replaced with an "Ozzy & Friends" series of shows due to Iommi's illness and treatment schedule. The lone confirmed Sabbath gig on the schedule remains a June 10 headlining slot at the UK's Download festival.

FOX23 reports Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, has revealed the band is set to headline one show in America. She tells VH1 Radio Network, "They're gonna be doing one show in America this summer, but I can't say yet (where and when it is) because we can't announce it, the promoters have to. But they are doing one show in August." And what about Bill Ward?


Van Halen Rock Past Tour Difficulties
Van Halen ran into some technical difficulties during their tour stop at the United Center in Chicago on Friday night but didn't let the problems stop them from delivering.

antiMusic's Anthony Kuzminski was at the show and in his review of the concert, Tony includes details about the difficulties the band were forced to overcome. He writes:

The only snag to the concert was that portions were plagued with sound problems. I mention this only because several other reviews have pointed out David Lee Roth's antics as a result of the issues. Roth had performed the first three shows of the tour with a head-microphone which proved to be unusable after three songs in Chicago. He went to get a wireless microphone only to have it handed to him without any sound. He surged to the front of the stage, picked up a wired microphone at the tip of the stage and made sure the show proceeded without missing a beat. As someone who had a front row seat to the side of the stage, Roth was upset because there appeared to be virtually no urgency to fix the issue. As a result, Roth's performance was impaired by the old school wired microphone he had to carry with him for the remainder of the evening which often tripped up Eddie in the process. If I were in Roth's shoes, I would have had the same reaction, especially the incapability of the crew to fix the issue for nineteen songs. Roth soldiered on in typical "Diamond Dave" fashion proving to be the ultimate showman with a rock solid voice. Roth never receives the credit he deserves as many in the audience long to see the voracious comic book hero from their youth enshrined in YouTube videos, but he's a legendary front man for many reasons, but is rarely given the props for his commanding voice and how well it solidifies with Van Halen. In Chicago, despite the handicaps placed in front of him, he largely went above and beyond attempting to give the crowd everything he had.




Aerosmith's Joe Perry Writing Autobiography
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is the latest rocker and member of the band to write an autobiography.

"Officially started writing my biography this week. More info. to come soon re: publisher, tentative release date, etc…" tweeted Aerosmith guitar hero Joe Perry.

Perry follows two other members of the Aerosmith family with his book: Steven Tyler published "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?" last year, while drummer Joey Kramer put his book out in 2009, under the title of "Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top." What about Tom?


Cream, Living Colour, Santana Supergroup
(Gibson) Cream's Jack Bruce and Living Colour's Vernon Reid have formed a new band. Spectrum Road is something of a "supergroup," as it features members from Cream, Living Colour, Santana and Medeski, Martin and Wood.

In summer 2012, Spectrum Road will perform at the Bonnaroo festival on June 9. The band's self-titled debut album will be out on June 5 on Palmetto Records.

The group is: Jack Bruce on bass and vocals, Vernon Reid on guitar, John Medeski on keyboards and Cindy Blackman-Santana on drums. "To be able to play and record in this band alongside three of the most creative and stellar musicians in the world is a longtime dream come true," Vernon Reid said in a release. "The idea for Spectrum Road first came about in 2001, and it was the ongoing belief in the kind of record we knew we could make together that made it come to fruition."

The group has played live already as Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute. Bruce spent much of the '70s as a member of Lifetime, Williams's jazz-fusion ensemble, joining after Cream broke up. Williams died in 1997 and in the years following, Bruce discovered a fellow fan in guitarist Reid. Joined by pianist John Medeski and drummer Blackman-Santana, Carlos's wife, they have now recorded a debut album together. more on this story




Bruce Springsteen Week for Jimmy Fallon
(hennemusic) It's Bruceapalooza next week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. To mark the March 6 release of Bruce Springsteen's new album, "Wrecking Ball," Fallon is dedicating a week of programs to the New Jersey rocker.

Bruce & The E Street Band will perform on Monday and Friday, and the week will be filled out with music guests like Kenny Chesney (Tue) and Elvis Costello (Thu); the Wednesday night music artist has not been announced yet.

Bruce will be the lone guest on Friday's program, which also marks the show's 3rd anniversary. more on this story


Motley Crue Recording New Music
(hennemusic) Having completed their Las Vegas residency, Motley Crue are in the studio this weekend recording a new song.

"Writing lyrics right now for new Motley Crue," posted bassist Nikki Sixx on Wednesday. "We are cutting drums ,bass and guitars this weekend at Tommy's Studio. This one is a panty dropper for sure......I was just thinking, I've been writing music for most of my life and it still feels fresh every time I pick up the pen, guitar or bass....."

On Sunday, Sixx updated fans on the group's progress. "Been in the recording studio cutting new Motley Crue with the guys," writes Nikki. "We are recording at Tommy's studio ( which is insane ) and James Micheal is producing." More details from Nikki here.


Eric Clapton and Rolling Stones Keith Richards Jam For Hubert Sumlin
(hennemusic) Music fans were in for a rare treat Friday night at New York's Apollo Theater. Eric Clapton was joined by Keith Richards at Howlin For Hubert: A Concert to Benefit the Jazz Foundation of America.

Rolling Stone reports the event was a tribute to guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who played in Howlin' Wolf's band for decades and passed away on December 4th due to heart failure.

The entire show, which featured all-stars including Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Jimmie Vaughan, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall II and Elvis Costello – plus overlooked legends like Wolf's former bandmates, harmonica player James Cotton, guitarist Jody Williams and saxophonist Eddie Shaw – was one for the history books. Check out video of the jam and read more here.


Unreleased Pantera Song Coming On Deluxe Vulgar Release
Rhino have set a May 15th release date for the 20th anniversary deluxe edition of Pantera's 'Vulgar Display of Power'.

The two-disc CD/DVD deluxe edition will featurethe previously lost studio recording "Piss" and unreleased live video from the 1992 Monsters Of Rock concert in Italy.

They sent out these details: The collection features the debut of "Piss," an incendiary blast of vintage Pantera from the original recording sessions. It remained lost until Vinnie Paul rediscovered the track while going through the band's vault. more on this story


Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks To Tour Together Again
Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks are teaming up once again for a North American tour.

The two joined forced last spring for the Heart & Soul Tour and they will reunite for another Heart & Soul Tour this summer.

Nicks announced the initial dates and at press time it looks like the trek will kick off on July 20th in Cleveland, OH. more on this story


See Behind Pink Floyd's The Wall
(hennemusic) Next week, Pink Floyd release the Immersion and Experience editions of their 1979 classic, "The Wall." The project marks the final installment of the recent Why Pink Floyd? reissues and extended releases and a three part Behind the Wall video has been posted online to give you a taste.

"The Wall" remains Pink Floyd's biggest-selling release after 1973's legendary "The Dark Side Of The Moon." "The Wall" Immersion 7-disc edition includes a DVD featuring a film clip from the 1980 tour and a Behind The Wall documentary, plus, for the first time, CDs of excerpts from Roger Waters' original demos and work-in-progress versions of songs on the final album. Among these previously unheard versions are David Gilmour's original demos of "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell." The Immersion set also includes The Wall Live, compiled from the 1980-1981 original tour.

Both "The Wall" Immersion box set and Experience edition include a rare recording of "Another Brick In The Wall Part 1." A highlight for fans, this demo showcases the evolution of the final track. Check out the behind the wall videos here.


Steven Tyler's Jimmy Kimmel Live Appearance Bumped Back
(hennemusic) There's been a date change for the upcoming Steven Tyler appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Originally set for this coming Monday, February 27, the Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge will now appear on Tuesday night's/Wednesday morning's (February 28) program.

Idol have now whittled their contestants down to 24, and have manufactured a twist for next week's live shows – they'll be adding at least 1 more to the group of 12 men and 12 women. more on this story


Meat Loaf Dubs Slipknot The Metal Beethoven
(Gibson) Meat Loaf stopped by the offices of Metal Hammer magazine this week "and caused chaos upon his arrival." The magazine got the man himself to shoot a few videos, and one of those clips involves him talking about Slipknot.

Said Meat Loaf: "Slipknot has amazing arrangements, and musically, they're like a metal Beethoven." The 'Loaf has never shied away from the bombastic, of course, so that is praise indeed. But is he being serious?

Slipknot's Shawn Crahan seems to agree. "We give you everything," he told The Age this week. "We're the greatest band in the world as far as I'm concerned. I always laugh when bands say, 'You know, without the masks they'd be nothing.' OK, try playing one of our songs, try playing my drummer's parts, try playing my guitar player's parts. more on this story




Faces' Lane Stopped Ronnie Wood From Joining the Rolling Stones
(Gibson) Talking to the Independent newspaper, while puffing on an electronic cigarette, Ronnie Wood let slip that he could have been a Rolling Stone long before he joined the biggest band in the world.

Last year's Sony Radio Personality of the Year said: "They rang up once when I was rehearsing with the Faces in Bermondsey, and Ronnie Lane picked up the phone and said, 'No, Ronnie's quite happy where he is.'"

With hindsight, Wood thinks that Lane may have done him a favor. "Five years later I found out... I wasn't ready for it though, I'd have been a junkie or OD-ed or something." more on this story




Redlight King Deliver Bull In My Hand For Leno
(Banana 101.5) If you missed Redlight King's performance of 'Bullet in My Hand' on 'The Tonight Show' last week, don't worry. You can watch it online.

Redlight King are currently on the rise with their new single 'Bullet in My Hand,' which just cracked the top ten at active rock stations.

The band hit the set of 'The Tonight Show' last night (2/23) to perform their latest single, which fromtman Kaz described to Loudwire as "a song about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel." Check out the performance here.


What The Hell Is Goin' On For Paul Thorn
Paul Thorn takes a look at the music that inspired him on his forthcoming album, What The Hell Is Goin' On?, which will be released on May 8th. Here is the official word:

Paul Thorn took an unexpected detour on the road to recording a follow-up to his most successful release, 2010's Pimps and Preachers. After writing many discs of semi-autobiographical tunes that have drawn comparisons to John Hiatt and John Prine, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter — hailed as the "Mark Twain of Americana" — decided to do an album of covers. "I wanted to take a break from myself," he reveals, "do something different, and just have fun."

The collection, entitled What The Hell Is Goin' On? (due May 8, on Perpetual Obscurity/Thirty Tigers), finds Thorn putting his own gritty rock stamp on some of his favorite songs. There are some names familiar to Americana fans (Buddy Miller, Ray Wylie Hubbard), some lesser-known (Foy Vance, Wild Bill Emerson) and some surprises. The Buckingham and Nicks tune "Don't Let Me Down Again" originated on that duo's debut, not during the Fleetwood Mac era, while the Paul Rogers/Free song that Thorn chose to cover is an obscure one, "Walk In My Shadow." more on this story


Today's Music Is Rubbish According to Britpop Mogul
(Gibson) The record company man who played a key role in the Britpop movement of the '90s has spoken out about the resurgence of '90s bands like The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays.

According to The Sun, Alan McGee, who signed Oasis to his hugely influential Creation Records contemporary music is "rubbish."

McGee said: "The only reason Britpop is back is because all modern music is rubbish. I've lost all interest in it. It is amazing that The Stone Roses are coming back. They are right up there – one of the greatest bands of all time." more on this story




Green Day Explain New Album Approach
(hennemusic) More video has surfaced from Green Day's current recording sessions for their new album.

The band hit the studio on Valentine's Day and are now into their second week on the project.

The latest video shows the band members discussing their approach to capturing the new music. "I'm just trying to think of how we can make people feel more attached/as attached to this record as we feel," begins bassist Mike Dirnt. Check out the video here.


The Day Janis Joplin's Swan Song Hit The Top
(Gibson) On this day in 1971, nearly five months after her death, Janis Joplin started a nine-week run at no. 1 on the U.S. album chart with Pearl. Gibson takes a look back:

On this day in 1971, Janis Joplin's swan song, Pearl, hit the top of the charts — nearly five months to the day after she passed away in a lonely Los Angeles motel room. It would stay at #1 for nine weeks, but the record's success only served to underscore the cruel irony of her death. Had she lived, Joplin would have been free. Free from her label. Free from the nagging feeling that she shouldn't have abandoned Big Brother and the Holding Company. Free to tell all those doubters — all the way back to Port Arthur, Texas — where to go. Free to do whatever the hell she wanted. Instead, she found a different kind of freedom.

To trace the origins of Pearl, you have to go back to the other great album of Joplin's all-too-brief career, Cheap Thrills. This sophomore effort by Joplin and the group, Big Brother and the Holding Company, gave the band their breakthrough single, "Piece of My Heart." The heart-rending, soul-bearing Erma Franklin cover went to #12 on the U.S. charts and sent the album soaring to #1 for eight weeks. But somewhere inside the pressure-cooker of success, Joplin decided she had to drop Big Brother and form her own band, having been convinced by management that this was the right move for her career. Big Brother had existed before she ever arrived. They had a sound. They had a direction. Janis needed her own band.

Joplin's first crack at her own group was the Kozmic Blues Band. Modeled on the Stax-Volt R&B bands of the day, Kozmic had a horn section and was decidedly funkier than Big Brother. But things just didn't come together. To start with, the Kozmic Blues Band was hardly Janis' own band. They were a collection of session players put together by her record company, Columbia. And many of them were a little too straight-laced for Janis, whose own relapse into heroin addiction didn't help things. She fired and replaced half the band by the time an album, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, was released in September 1969. The album itself found moderate success, but in no way matched the accolades of Cheap Thrills. By the end of the year, Joplin dropped the band completely.

Today's Day In Rock!

Slash's New Song Preview
(hennemusic) While the mixing stage of Slash's sophomore solo album, "Apocalyptic Love," continues, the guitar icon has unveiled a teaser clip to one of his new songs.
Slash has shared a preview of his first single, "You're A Lie," with Australia's Triple M radio; the station reports they will premiere the full song on Monday. "Mixing for the new record is going extraordinarily well, sounds really great. Will be posting a clip of 1 of the songs next week," posted Slash on Thursday.

"Apocalyptic Love" is due May 22; Slash begins a brief US tour on May 3 in Baltimore, with dates booked throughout the month. Have a listen here.


Big Four- Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax- A Failing Answer On Test
(Banana 101.5) It's not easy being a metal head - just ask whoever took this test that asked for the name of "Four Heavy Metals and Their Symbols."

The metal-loving student gave the most correct answers possible and all four answers were marked incorrect. Sorry teach, but that's gonna get you a 'Rock Fail.'

Everyone knows there are none more metal than The Big 4 — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax — well, everyone but this teacher. Check out the test here.


Fallon Updates Pearl Jam's Jeremy for Jeremy Lin
(hennemusic) The latest overnight pop culture sensation is New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.

Lin's last-minute, game-winning heroics have helped the injury-ridden Knicks turn their season around since he joined the lineup early this month.

Now, Jimmy Fallon has stepped up to deliver a tribute to the new basketball star: Fallon becomes Eddie Vedder as Pearl Jam sings "Jeremy (Lin)."

Here's a sample of the updated lyrics:

"The Knicks were 8 and 15
Oh and before that, no one really cared
Now Jeremy is winning
And the Knicks don't suck




Motorhead's Lemmy Taps Dave Grohl, Horton Heat, Damned for Solo Album
(Gibson) Sure, Motorhead leader Lemmy Kilmister has collaborated with a long list of rock stars, from Dave Grohl to Billy Gibbons. But, ask Mr. Kilmister, and he'll tell you there are still a slew of peeps with whom he's itching to lay down tracks.

"Janet Jackson," Kilmister told SF Weekly, laughing, when asked whom he'd like to work with down the road. "I don't know. There are a lot of people out there who are great players. It's just whether the spark arrives. Whether somebody wants to do it and I've got some free time…"

Kilmister then dropped a bombshell: He's working on a solo album! The set, thus far, totes tracks with Grohl, Reverend Horton Heat and others. "I'm three quarters of the way though a solo album right now," he said. "I've got two tracks with the Damned, two tracks with [German hard-rock band] Skew Siskin, one with Joan Jett, one with Grohl and two with the Reverend Horton Heat. So I've got quite a mixed bag on there. I'm trying to get one with Skin from Skunk Anansie." more on this story




Motley Crue Star Settles Dispute
(hennemusic) Motley Crue's Tommy Lee has settled a lawsuit brought by one of his former assistants.

13WHAM-TV reports Michael Sullivan launched legal action against the Lee in December, claiming he was regularly asked to be "on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week" during his six-year employment with the drummer, but did not receive full payment for the extra hours worked.

According to Sullivan, Lee was in the habit of making improper deductions from Sullivan's pay. When the rocker had Sullivan move into his home to better serve him and his family, the suit says, Lee began deducting $1,000 a month for rent - even during the last six months of his employment with Lee, when he was no longer living at the house. Find out how much he settled for.


Metallica's Lars Says Lou Reed Took Lulu Criticism Hard
(Gibson) Lars Ulrich is standing behind Metallica's recent collaboration with Lou Reed, Lulu. When asked for his thoughts on fan response – which wasn't exactly stellar – to Lulu, Lars told Washington, D.C. radio station DC101 that he takes it all with "just a little bit of distance."

"Obviously, it's fantastic in 2012 that the Internet gives everybody access to voicing their opinions, and I think it's an incredible medium to communicate and to bring the world closer," he said. "But, obviously, as an artist, or somebody who is creating something, you've gotta be careful how deep you dive into what everybody's talking about, because it could really screw with your mind. I've always been in a place where I'm pretty thick-skinned, so it doesn't bug me that much… "

Ulrich added that Reed didn't take the negative criticism so well. "It was difficult for Lou Reed because he takes everything very personally," Ulrich said. "And I think he was very surprised. We told him all along: 'Listen, there are some very, very, very hardcore metal fans out there that like everything pre-packaged in a particular little box that looks like this, and the minute that you slightly veer outside of that, then they have a hernia.' And that's fine – I'm fine with that…" more on this story




Ozzy Osbourne Loses Family Member
(Gibson) First, Kelly Osbourne tweeted a sad note about her family losing their beloved Chihuahua, Martin, on Christmas. Now, America's favorite metal clan are saying "goodbye" to their much-loved bulldog, Lola.

Jack Osbourne let out the news on his official Twitter page this week, announcing that the family's cherished pet passed away on Tuesday (February 21). "Lola, you were the best friend anyone could ever have. I will love you and miss you always. RIP," he tweeted. Jack went on to thank his Twitter followers for their support: "Thank you for all the kind words about [the dog, Lola]. It's nice to know she was loved by so many people."

Lola was more than a pet to Ozzy Osbourne and company. She was a full-fledged member of the Osbourne family. The doggie even had her own Twitter profile! "Lola" Tweeted a "thank you" to followers for their support over the years, too: "Thank you all for your kind words. I'm in a better place now. Heaven needs a new princess." more on this story




The All-American Rejects The Kids In The Street Tour
The All-American Rejects are hitting the road this spring for their six week North American The Kids In The Street Tour.

The tour, featuring support from A Rocket To The Moon, kicks off on March 31 in Flagstaff, AZ and will visit major cities in the U.S. and Canada before wrapping on May 13th in Cincinnati.

The All-American Rejects are also scheduled to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday, March 27th. more on this story


Godsmack's Sully Erna Plans Box Set
(Banana 101.5) Details have been revealed for Godsmack frontman Sully Erna's upcoming live DVD, which features Erna performing songs from his debut solo effort 'Avalon' and will be part of a box set loaded with extras like a documentary, posters, incense and more.

A few months ago Sully Erna told That Metal Show that Godsmack has a "special kind of retail piece" planned for 2012. If the upcoming limited edition 'Avalon Live' box set doesn't also fit that description — we don't know what does.

Erna filmed last year's Dec. 16 concert in his native Boston, where he performed songs from his 2010 solo album 'Avalon,' with plans of releasing it as a DVD. Now the Godsmack frontman has revealed that 'Avalon Live' will be released as a box set and has a tentative late April release date. more on this story


Black Stone Cherry Honor Military Families Hardships in New Video
(Banana 101.5) Black Stone Cherry pay tribute to the hardships facing American military families in the music video for their soulful ballad 'In My Blood'.

Black Stone Cherry recently wrapped up a headlining tour with Cavo and are currently taking a week off after performing with Pop Evil in Tulsa, Oklahoma last night. After that the band heads overseas to play 21 shows in March before returning to the U.S. to begin a rigorous touring schedule that will carry them well into mid-June.

Just one look at their itinerary adds some weight to their latest single from 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,' which is a love ballad about the agony of long-distance relationships. If there's one thing the band knows, it's being apart from their loved ones. That is the central theme of the new music video for their current single 'In My Blood,' as seen through they eyes of 20-year old PFC Randy Hirneisen. Watch the video here.


Carlos Santana Plans Two Year Intimate Residency
Carlos Santana is going Vegas for a two-year run of "An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" -- in the specially re-configured House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas beginning in May 2012.

"I am deeply honored that our new home in Las Vegas is The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay," Carlos Santana said. "I have long admired their love of "the Blues" and that it is a world-class entertainment venue. We hope to honor and celebrate the diversity and brotherhood of world culture that the House of Blues promotes."

The two-year residency kicks off on May 2 with a series of shows taking place throughout the months of May & June. The residency will then resume in September and play through 2013. more on this story


Fear Factory and Shadows Fall Tour
Fear Factory, Shadows Fall, The Browning, The Devastated, and Legacy Of Disorder are hitting the road together for a North American tour this spring.

Set to begin in San Antonio on May 1, the tour's initial dates include stops in Dallas, Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, and Denver among others.

The tour will precede the release of Fear Factory's new album titled The Industrialist and the band recently announced the addition of bass player Matt DeVries. The Ohio native previously noted, "I have been asked to join one of my favorite bands. I have been a fan of FEAR FACTORY since 1992 and I could not be more excited to be part of this incredible band." Guitarist Dino Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell noted, "we are very excited to have Matt playing bass for FEAR FACTORY. We feel he is a great addition to our touring line-up. He has been a friend for a very long time and he is a great musician who will be a perfect instrument in the FF machine." more on this story


Unreleased Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Van Morrison For Chris Barber Anthology
Proper Records have set a May 8th North American release date for a new two-CD Anthology for British bandleader Chris Barber.

The Anthology features music from Barber's 60-year career including previously unreleased collaborations with Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Jools Holland, Dr. John and Rory Gallagher.

We were sent these details: To followers of 20th century British music, Chris Barber needs no introduction: The trombonist and bass player is the pre-eminent name in British trad jazz. A fixture on the British music scene since the early 1950s, he has led a number of excellent bands and can be heard alongside countless world-class players, a title he can surely also claim for himself. The octogenarian, who in 2012 approaches the 60-year mark as a pro bandleader, contributed greatly to the evolution of the British blues and rock scene as a founding director of the legendary Marquee club, linked to the rise of bands such as the Who, Rolling Stones and Sex Pistols. more on this story


Anthrax's Dan Lilker Releasing Autobiography This Summer
There is another heavy metal memoir set to hit stores this summer: Perpetual Conversion: 30 Years & Counting in the Life of Metal Veteran Dan Lilker, which follows Lilker's career from his pre-Anthrax band, White Heat in 1980, through Brutal Truth's latest 2011 release, End Time.

We were sent these details: Perpetual Conversion traces Lilker's time spent in seminal metal bands Nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth, Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.) and Hemlock, and also includes his lesser-known projects The Ravenous, Crab Society, Crab Society North, Exit-13, Extra Hot Sauce, Crucifist, Nokturnal Hellstorm, Nunf**kritual, Last Satanic Dance, Overlord Exterminator and more.

The life-spanning biography was written by Dave Hofer, a Chicago-based music fan, record store employee and sporadic freelance writer. Although not classically trained in long-form writing, Hofer spent years interviewing Lilker, his friends and his family to present what Hofer calls "the most comprehensive interview Lilker has ever done." more on this story


Joe Satriani's View of Van Halen
(hennemusic) While doing interviews to promote his upcoming concert film, "Satchurated," guitarist Joe Satriani was asked for his thoughts on the new Van Halen album, "A Different Kind Of Truth."

Classic Rock Revisited says they wanted to get Joe's opinion because of Chickenfoot's ties to the band, with singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony sharing a history between the two acts.

"I kind of like it," begins Satriani. "I was talking to Sammy about it the other day. I said, 'You know Sam, I have to congratulate you on the enduring success of Van Halen. It is something that Mike and you should be proud of.' Mike and Sam were at least as successful, if not more so, than when Dave was in the band. If you turn on any classic rock radio station then you hear just as much Sammy era Van Halen as you do David Lee Roth era Van Halen. As uncomfortable as it might be for those guys to try to sort out business between them, from my perspective, I'm just a guy and I like it all. If I hear Eddie and Alex playing together then I'm pretty much all the way there, immediately."



Coldplay To Play GMA and Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar Special
Coldplay have lined up two special television appearances next week including Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar special. Here are the details:

Coldplay will perform on the seventh annual "Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Academy Awards" special, televised live on ABC from Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre on Sunday, February 26, immediately following the Oscar telecast and late local news.

Other guests will include Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, Charlize Theron, Don Cheadle plus many more. Coldplay's block party performance on the JKL outdoor stage will wrap up the special and include a performance of the band's latest single, "Charlie Brown."

"Charlie Brown" will also be part of Coldplay's three-song set when the band makes its debut on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday, March 2, performing in the show's Times Square studio. Check out the video for the song here.


Rob Zombie's John 5 Sets Solo Release
Rob Zombie's guitarist John 5 has set a new release date for his upcoming full-length solo CD/DVD, God Told Me To. The CD/DVD will now be released on May 8th, 2012

God Told Me To was recorded and produced by John 5, Chris Baseford (Rob Zombie, Tommy Lee) and Bob Marlette (Sebastian Bach, Black Sabbath) in 2011. The cover art for the album is illustrated by none other than Rob Zombie, who is also tapping John 5 to score the entirety of his upcoming film, 'The Lords of Salem'.

"I'm so proud of this record, I've put more time into this release than any other! It's half acoustic and the other half electric with a tribute to Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen with 'Beat It'," states John 5. "The DVD shows me actually recording the songs as well as behind the scenes of a "day in the life" of JOHN 5! This album will take you on a musical journey designed to show more diversity in my playing than in the past. Enjoy!" more on this story


Cavo New Album and Tour Coming in April
Cavo have set an April 10th release date for their new album, Thick as Thieves, and will be hitting the road for a North American tour to support the effort.

Cavo will be headlining new dates with Janus as support. The tour, which starts on April 7th in Battlecreek, MI, will hit clubs in the country's heartland, and wraps up with a return performance at the famed Rocklahoma Festival on 5/25.

"We are extremely excited to be hitting the road in support of our new CD hitting stores April 10th as well as our new track 'Celebrity.' We will be touring with our good friends in Janus and The Veer Union so this will be an amazing tour that you won't want to miss! See you all soon!" - Brian "Pookie" Smith more on this story


Peter Frampton Reunites on Stage With His Comes Alive Les Paul
(hennemusic) Last Saturday night at New York's Beacon Theatre was a magical one for Peter Frampton.

The guitarist was reunited on stage - for the first time in more than three decades – with his prized Gibson Les Paul guitar, originally lost in a cargo plane crash in 1980.

It's a remarkable story to behold: Peter rode his favorite guitar to the heights of solo stardom in the mid-70s with "Frampton Comes Alive," the biggest selling album in music to that point. Some dicey career moves brought the guitarist back down to earth, and he was forced to rebuild his profile one step at a time.

Along the way, a 1980 cargo plane crash in Caracas, Venezuela took his beloved guitar away, and Frampton pressed on. Read more and watch video here.


Noel Gallagher Changes Gig So He Won't Miss Stone Roses Reunion
(Gibson) Discovering that he was booked to play a festival at the same time as the reformed Stone Roses are due to take the stage for their first reunion show, Noel Gallagher insisted on moving his time slot.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the former Oasis singer told promoters to change the running order. "I was billed at these festivals to headline another stage and I said, 'Well I'm not going on while the Roses are on,' do you know what I mean? They've not done a gig for 100 years, what am I going to do? Play to two [expletive] dogs and a cat and two stewards? ... So I said, 'It's either that or I won't do it.' 'Cos I want to see them, do you know what I mean? I don't want to be the only person in England who hasn't seen them."

Gallagher also explained why the so-called "Madchester" bands mean so much to him. "I think those bands, the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, are quite heroic bands and they have quite heroic figures in those bands: Shaun and Bez, Ian and Mani. They're heroes to people and they're working class heroes… People in bands seem middle class to me, which is not a bad thing, it's just an observation. But in the case of the Roses and the Mondays, their music is great; to my generation, they're why I started in music, and to 40-somethings they just want to relive it a little bit. But to people who are 16, 17, they are heroic figures and good luck to everybody that's at Heaton Park that night, I hope the weather stays fine." more on this story




Switchfoot, Disciple, Jason Crabb Among Dove Award Nominees
(Gibson) The nominees for the 43rd Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards dropped Wednesday (February 22), and Southern gospel singer Jason Crabb leads the pack with eight nominations at the annual gospel and Christian music event.

Other big names nominated at this year's awards ceremony – which is scheduled to take place April 19 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta – include Casting Crowns, NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, RED and Newsboys.

In the rock category, Christian heavy music-makers RED, Switchfoot, Blindeside, Ashes Remain and Abandon all scored nominations for Rock Album of the Year for their respective releases. Rock / Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year nominees include Switchfoot for "Dark Horses," RED's "Faceless," Disciple with "Invisible," Skillet's "One Day Too Late" and "Lucy," Hawk Nelson for "Your Love is a Mystery" and "Crazy Love," Newsboys with "Born Again," Plumb with Dan Haseltine for "Drifting" and NEEDTOBREATHE with "Slumber." more on this story




BangTower Previewing Forthcoming Tour With Videos
(Glass Onyon) Progressive rock/fusion ensemble BangTower are releasing several new music video's over the next four weeks to get fans ready for their 2012 BangTower tour.

In addition to celebrated bassist Percy Jones, who is also known for his work with Brand X a band he formed along with Genesis legend Phil Collins, BangTower also features Grammy Award winning guitarist, engineer and producer Neil Citron.

Completing this trio of master musicians is drum virtuoso Walter Garces, who also performs with '60s psychedelic marvels The Electric Prunes and is celebrating a partnership of 25 years with Premier Percussion, Paiste Cymbals and Gongs, and Calato/Regal-Tip sticks as an endorsing artist. more on this story


Singled Out: Imminent Sonic Destruction's Sick
Imminent Sonic Destruction are releasing their new album "Recurring Themes" today and are playing a special release show tonight at The Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI. To celebrate we asked Pete Hopersberger to tell us about the song "Sick". Here is the story:

There we were. Autumn in Detroit, in a recording studio located in a sparsely populated area of the city. Graffiti. Barbed wire. A lonely barbecue in the parking lot, waiting to be pressed into service. Roy Z had flown in from LA, and was staying with us. We had been recording, barbecuing, laughing, and playing beer pong for the better part of a week. Most importantly, we were basking in the glow of our first experience with a big name producer. Who happened to be the coolest guy any of us had ever met. Life was good. The end.

Just kidding. So. Recording "Sick." Roy had us record together, in the big room of the studio, catching the energy and dynamics of the songs. After a few run-throughs of "Sick," we had a good take going until someone made a mistake. So we stopped. Roy ran into the room saying "Why did you stop? That was great!" Apparently, he was feeling a magic vibe in that take. Thus started our epic journey...

We played that song for hours, back to back, looking for that spark that Roy had glimpsed and wanted to capture. Pat, our drummer, has the most physically demanding part in this song, and I kept waiting for his shins to break off and fly across the room. It only happened once, but we had a doctor on hand, so it was taken care of quickly and we got back to work. It was interesting, playing the song over and over, looking through the window to see if Roy was "feeling it." That sounds dirty, but you know what I mean. Shut up. We would finish a take, and think it was the one, only to hear Roy on the talkback: "That's cool, that's evil. Do it again."

Needless to say, eventually we hit a take where EVERYONE was feeling what Roy was looking for. It was a transcendent moment. At least, I think it was. I'm not sure what that word means, but it sounds awesome. And this was awesome. Roy and the engineers in the control room were rocking out, and we were just ENERGIZED while we played, after we thought we wouldn't be able to recapture that elusive vibe. Pat summoned some inner power that I've only read about, and at one point our guitarist/vocalist Tony let out a yell that was kept in the final mix. It serves as a reminder of the work we put in, and of the feeling that Roy heard, and we finally attained. It also serves as a warning. Something about the end of the world, and the soundtrack to it. Or something like that. Whatever.

Then we adjourned to the parking lot, barbecued some ribs, had a few drinks and enjoyed the rest of that beautiful, Detroit fall evening.

JACK BLADES' BRAND NEW VIDEO HAS EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE PREMIERE ON HANNITY.COM: ACK BLADES' BRAND NEW VIDEO HAS EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE PREMIERE ON HANNITY.COM:

(New York, NY) – Jack Blades fans worldwide can log on to www.hannity.com right now to witness the worldwide premiere of the video for Back In The Game. The song is the first single from Jack Blades' forthcoming album Rock N' Roll Ride. The video imparts a strong patriotic message of the debt of gratitude owed to the military of this nation. Blades, a longtime fan of talk show host Sean Hannity, recently appeared on the “Hannity” television show and an instant bond was established melding the political world with the rock music world. Jack Blades commented, “Sean's a great guy but he needs work on his onstage rock moves...I'm just the guy to teach him!”
Rock N' Roll Ride is due out on March 27 in North America via Frontiers Records and features contributions from Blades' Night Ranger bandmates Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra and Eric Levy, as well as a special guest appearance by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. Click here to pre-order the physical album on Amazon and here to pre-order the digital album on iTunes.

Jack Blades is a frontman, lead singer, bassist, songwriter, and producer as well as a founding member of the highly-successful arena rock band, Night Ranger and supergroup Damn Yankees (along with Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw from Styx) and the highly-regarded Shaw/Blades. Throughout his remarkable career Blades has sold over 25 million albums, performed in front of millions of fans worldwide and collaborated with some of rock's most legendary artists. With a career spanning three decades, Blades has recorded with, penned songs and produced albums for some of the music industry's biggest names including Aerosmith, Cher, Ringo Star, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne, Styx, Ted Nugent, Motley Crue and Vince Neil. His music has been featured in movies such as Armageddon, Boogie Nights, Tommy Boy, television shows such as “South Park” and “American Dad,” the hit Broadway musical (and soon-to-be released major motion picture) Rock of Ages and the wildly successful videogame series "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero". With Blades' songwriting, driving guitars, stage antics and on the strength of Night Ranger's songs “Don't Tell Me You Love Me,” “Rock in America,” “Sister Christian,” “When You Close Your Eyes,” and “Sentimental Street”, along with the Damn Yankees hits "High Enough" and "Coming of Age", Blades' legacy continues to inspire generations while still being written.
For more information please visit: www.jackblades.net / www.frontiers.it.

Today's Day In Rock!

Journey Star Sentenced For Assault Charge
(hennemusic) Journey drummer Deen Castronovo has been sentenced in connection with an assault last month.
KPTV.com reports Castronovo was arrested in Salem, Oregon on January 20 and charged with several crimes, including fourth-degree assault, resisting arrest, interfering with a police report and coercion.

The drummer received a sentence of 80 hours of community service and he must attend anger-management classes. more on this story


Thrice Launching Farewell Tour
Thrice have decided to go on indefinite hiatus after thirteen years together but they plan to hit the road one last time and have announced the dates for their farewell tour.

The band will begin their final tour together on May 4 in San Diego, California. The tour spans major cities in North America and is set to wrap with a hometown two-night stand at House of Blues in Anaheim followed by the final show in Los Angeles at Club Nokia.

Supporting Thrice on all dates will be Animals As Leaders with more information including the announcement of additional support bands and details of commemorative merchandise available at the shows will be announced in the coming weeks. more on this story


Hagar Says Eddie Van Halen Didn't Get It?
(hennemusic) In a new interview with Goldmine, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony discuss the Chickenfoot's strategy to beef up its vocal sound even before they recorded "Chickenfoot III" and the conversation turned to their former band Van Halen.

"Singing with him, he's the only guy that I know that could just go above [me]," adds Hagar. "I don't care if I'm at the peak of my range; he can get up above me, just squeeze his nuts and get on up there – and right on key, he can mimic my phrasing. He's just … he's so fast. That's the thing that people don't understand about Mike. He learns faster than anyone I've ever met in my life. Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen … guys come up with riffs, and come on, I can't f**king play them. I'm sitting here with an acoustic guitar around the house still trying to learn these riffs on this record, and I ain't got 'em down yet … And he's playing his ass off in this band."

"He never played like this in Van Halen," Sammy continues. "Eddie [Van Halen] doesn't even realize what a great bass player he had. I think he never realized it, and that is his complete loss. I remember recording in Van Halen, Eddie was always saying, 'Just play eighth notes.' And he would play all this stuff, and Mike's just going, 'boom, boom, boom, boom.' Boy, Mike's really capable of playing more than that, and he never found out. So Mike and I, one time, we're in Cabo San Lucas when we were in Van Halen — say probably around '89, '88 or '89, when we were still loving each other, and having a good time — and Mike was in Cabo jamming and doing a live broadcast from the Cabo Wabo for some album network that I think used to be around that would do live broadcasts. And Ed is listening to it on the radio, and we get back and he asked me who was playing bass? He went, 'Yeah, yeah, you guys did 'Crossroads' by Cream,' and he goes, 'Who was playing f**king bass on that?' I'm saying, 'That's your brother right over here.' That was Michael Anthony on the bass. And Ed goes, 'Yeah? Yeah? Yeah? Yeah?' And then he'd smoke a cigarette, take a hit off a beer and go, 'Hmmm.' But, he didn't get it, you know? But Michael has been tearing it up on this record." more on this story


Kid Rock Artist Den Sneak Peak
(Banana 101.5) The episode of 'Live from the Artists Den' featuring Kid Rock is set to air this weekend but you can watch his performance of 'Rock and Roll Jesus' and a cover of Elvis Presley's 'Burning Love' from the show now.

Kid Rock has almost released an official live concert DVD several times but has yet to do so. Fans of Rock will get the next best thing when his appearance on the fourth season of 'Live from the Artists Den' premieres on public television and Hulu this Friday.

The episode was filmed at Elvis Presley's 'Automobile Museum' in Graceland and to pay tribute to "The King," Kid Rock breaks into a cover of 'Burning Love' while performing his own song 'Rock and Roll Jesus.' Check out the video here.


Rolling Stones On the Verge of Doing 50th Anniversary Tour
(Gibson) Ron Wood has become the latest member of the Rolling Stones to hint that a 50th anniversary tour will indeed take place this year. In an interview with Radio Times, the guitarist was asked if the legendary rockers would be hitting the road.

"[It would] be lovely, wouldn't it?" Wood responded. "That's what we're on the verge of. I don't know what the hell is going to happen yet, but we all feel we owe it to ourselves and to the people to do something." Wood later added, "Basically, [we need to] get the boys feeling comfortable with each other, because we're all ready to go individually. It's just a matter of tying up loose ends and coming together as a unit."

Last month, drummer Charlie Watts offered up a similarly hopeful view, regarding the possibility of a 50th anniversary tour. The Rolling Stones staged their debut performance on July 12, 1962, at the Marquee Club in London. more on this story




The Devil Wears Prada Lose A Member
The Devil Wears Prada have announced via Facebook that they have parted ways with keyboardist James Baney.

The band had this to say: With great deliberation and difficulty, we have decided to part ways with our keyboardist James Baney. James will always be family to TDWP, being one of the most well-intentioned people we know.

Our prayers to James in beginning a new chapter with his wife back home, and our endless gratitude to TDWP fans for understanding. We'll see you at a show soon. -The Devil Wears Prada

Facebook posting


REO Speedwagon, STYX and Ted Nugent Tour Coming
REO Speedwagon, STYX and Ted Nugent are teaming up for The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express" tour.

The 30-date North American tour will kick off on May 1st in Hidalgo, TX and will conclude on July 7th in Gilford, NY.

"Forget all those TV shows with glee clubs singing Rock songs," exclaims STYX guitarist/singer James "JY" Young. "It's time for mega-Platinum Illinois bands STYX and REO Speedwagon in a battle to the end of the Mayan Calendar with the Motor City Madman!" more on this story


Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller For Teenage Cancer Trust
(Gibson) Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller and Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones have been added to the lineup for this year's Concert for Teenage Cancer Trust shows, set to take place from March 28 through April 3 at London's Royal Albert Hall. The three singers will join other confirmed acts that include Paul McCartney, Pulp and Jessie J, among others.

Daltrey, Weller and Jones will kick off the charity event on March 28, with McCartney appearing the following night. Proceeds from the concerts, which are now in their 12th year, go toward improving the lives of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

In a prepared statement, Royal Albert Hall Chief Executive Chris Cotton said: "We are honored to have supported Teenage Cancer Trust's concerts since they started here 12 years ago and the electric atmosphere they bring to the Hall. Teenage Cancer Trust consistently bring a world class line up of talent to help raise funds in support of young people who are affected by cancer and this year, to my mind, is their strongest yet. During the week, we run music education and art workshops in collaboration with the charity to offer teenagers, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to work with some of their favorite artists." more on this story




Van Halen Play Another Rarity On Tour
(hennemusic) Van Halen continues to mix things up on the road. Wednesday night, the rockers pulled out the "Fair Warning" classic, "Hear About It Later," at the Banker's Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The rarely played gem replaced another track from the 1981 album in the set: "Mean Street."

VH threw in "Girl Gone Bad" on Monday in Michigan, and kept that song in the Indianapolis show for the third date of the band's tour in support of "A Different Kind Of Truth." Check out video here.


Train Set for Intimate San Francisco 2012 Tour
Train are hitting the road for their San Francisco 2012 Tour, a special hometown series of club shows, in expectation of the upcoming album California 37, out April 17 on Columbia Records.

The band kicks off six intimate performances in San Francisco starting April 10 at Cafe Du Nord and finishing up April 15 at the Fillmore.

A portion of the ticket sales proceeds will go to the San Francisco charity Family House, which provides temporary housing to families of seriously ill children. more on this story


12 Stones Releasing New Album This Spring
12 Stones have set a May 22nd release date for their fourth album, Beneath The Scars, on the Executive Music Group label via Fontana/Universal.

The band joined forces, once again, with producer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Skillet, Saliva), who had previously worked with 12 Stones on 2007's Anthem For The Underdog.

The first single, "Infected," mixed by Johnny K (3 Doors Down, Disturbed, Staind), is currently being serviced to Rock radio and will be available for download on iTunes and Amazon on February 28. more on this story


Toadies Set For EP Release and Social Distortion Tour
Toadies fans have reason to rejoice as the band has announced release the first of two new EPs and a North American tour with Social Distortion starting in April.

The EP, entitled Play.Rock.Music. to be released May 8th was recorded at The Bubble in Austin and produced by Chris "Frenchie" Smith.

The writing of the EP was hot off the heels of last year's Dia De Los Toadies (The 4th annual!) The festival last year was the most successful yet - two days and the strongest Texas line up they've ever had including The Sword, Black Angels and Ume. The 5th Dia De Los Toadies is slated for Labor Day Weekend later this year. more on this story


Mike Inez Updates Alice in Chains Fan On New Album
(Banana 101.5) Alice in Chains follow-up to 2009′s 'Black Gives Way to Blue' is currently in the works and bassist Mike Inez recently gave and update on how the project is coming along thus far.

Reports of their upcoming album first surfaced last summer when Ann Wilson of Heart reported that their new material is "amazing." Jerry Cantrell's recent shoulder surgery may have impeded the new album plans for a bit but in a recent interview at NAMM, bassist Mike Inez revealed that things are "all good" in the world of Alice in Chains.

In the interview with Mz. Hollywood, Inez said "We're holed up, we're writing the new record. We're waiting to go in the studio pretty soon — so, looking forward to it." The in-depth interview then shifted to the question everyone has been dying to know the answer to — how does Mike keep his hair so perfect? Find the answer as you watch the interview here.


Brad Set New Album Release
Razor & Tie have set an April 24th 2012 release date for Brad's new studio album, United We Stand, in North America.

Brad features core members Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) on guitar, vocalist/pianist Shawn Smith (Pigeonhed and Satchel), drummer Regan Hagar (Satchel and Malfunkshun), and bass player Keith Lowe (Fiona Apple and David Sylvian).

Comprised of 10 tracks, longtime fans of the band will find much to love on United We Stand as BRAD's reflective, unique song writing approach is intact with Shawn Smith's soaring vocals cascading over songs like "A Reason To Be In My Skin," "Needle And Thread" and "Bound In Time." more on this story


Thousand Foot Krutch Go It Alone For New Album
(Banana 101.5) Thousand Foot Krutch will release their sixth studio album, 'The End is Where We Begin', without the help of a label on April 22nd.

The band's new found independence may have affected the tone of the new album, as frontman Travis McNevan explained the new songs are more aggressive in nature:

"Without trying, this record has a very militant theme to it, with songs like 'War Of Change' and 'Courtesy Call' painting more of a visual for that. There's an urgency to it and I think the timing feels right. This record's heart can be summed up by 'Be The Change,' the album's lyric and phrase seen throughout the album artwork." More info and a preview here.


Beatles No 1s Now Ringtones
Yesterday Apple Corps and EMI debuted very first Beatles ringtones for the band's 27 UK and US no. 1 hits, exclusively on iTunes.

The 27 chart-toppers include Love Me Do, Can't Buy Me Love, Ticket To Ride, Help!, Yesterday, Day Tripper, We Can Work It Out, Hey Jude, Penny Lane, Let It Be and More.

For fans who want to the full length songs, they can find them on The Beatles 1. The album made its digital debut in September 2011, exclusively on the iTunes Store, bowing at #1 on several iTunes top albums charts around the world, including the US, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, Sweden, Spain, New Zealand, and Greece. more on this story


Sarah Darling Takes On Beatles Blackbird
Sarah Darling has released her rendition of the Paul McCartney Beatles White Album classic "Blackbird" on iTunes.

As heard in heavy rotation on SiriusXM's The Highway, Darling made the song her own with the help of legendary producer, and lead guitar player on the track, Dann Huff.

Proceeds from the charity-based compilation album, "Let Us In" Nashville - A Tribute To Linda McCartney, released in Nov. 2011 on Reviver Music, are benefiting The Women and Cancer Fund, a not-for-profit charity established in the memory of Linda McCartney. more on this story


Very Limited Edition Say Anything Reissue
Doghouse Records are reissuing Say Anything's sophomore album ...Is A Real Boy as a limited edition vinyl and a very limited edition version.

The genre-defining album will be getting a deluxe reissue treatment, will it being available for a limited time only.

There are two options for the ...Is A Real Boy reissue. The first includes a gatefold double LP on opaque white and olive green splattered vinyl. This edition is limited to 240 copies and costs $25.

The second option includes the 2 x LP with a test pressing. Only 10 copies will be available for this option and it costs $60. Grab em here.


Dark Tranquillity Premiere In My Absence Video
Dark Tranquillity have released a new music video for the song, "In My Absence," from their latest album, We Are The Void.

"In My Absence" is the band's fifth promo clip for the album, and it was filmed by the band themselves on the road, with guitarist Niklas Sundin taking care of the editing/post production duties.

Additional live footage was provided by Anders Björler (The Haunted, At The Gates) and Nikolas Pegler.

In regards to this video, Niklas Sundin comments: "I wanted to create a live video that would capture the energy of our show both from the audience's perspective as well as from the stage. To accomplish this, we headed out on our recent Europe/Russia tours equipped with a GoPro HD camera, which was mounted on various objects (guitar necks, vocal microphone, member's bodies etc.) on most of the shows. Despite probably looking pretty weird for those in the crowd that noticed the little device, we arrived home with a lot of interesting footage, and after a lot of editing we're happy to present the final result: A clip for 'In My Absence', filled with an energy and closeness out of the ordinary. Enjoy!" Watch the video here.


Coldplay Gave Song To Garden State
(Gibson) Coldplay didn't bother with the usual payment for the use of one of their songs in a movie when it came to helping out Chris Martin's pal Zach Braff.

According to Britain's Daily Express,Martin and Braff are old pals and Martin waived the usual fee for the comedian to use "Don't Panic" in the 2004 movie Garden State. Braff told Time Out magazine in London, "Chris Martin and the guys in Coldplay put their song on my soundtrack.

"Garden State was, you know, this little movie, and they just said yes because they liked the movie and not for, at the time, any dough, because we couldn't offer them any." more on this story




Gorefest Double Gold Disc Limited Edition Reissue Coming
Metal Mind Productions have set a spring release of exclusive double re-release of two Gorefest albums, "False" and "Erase".

The double digipak edition of "False" and "Erase" is limited to 2000 copies. Remastered using tube technology, digitally edited on golden discs.

The release date is scheduled for March, 27th in Europe and June, 6th in USA (via MVD)

Today's Day In Rock!

Slash Has No Idea About Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Plans
(hennemusic) April 14 is approaching and no one – including members of the band – knows what will happen with the original Guns N' Roses lineup at their Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland.
There's been speculation from every corner of the globe on this one, as hopes are high that GNR will put aside their differences for a few hours – hell, a few minutes, really – and pull things together to accept their induction gracefully.

Slash is the latest to be asked about the Rock Hall plans, and he tells Mike Jones of Washington D.C. station DC101 that he's in the dark as much as anyone else. "I know that there's a lot of rumor about it, as always when it comes to GNR, out there on the Internet and stuff," said the guitarist. "But as it stands right this second, I have no idea what's going on." Listen to the interview here.


Lemmy Says Don't Buy Motorhead Box Set
(Gibson) Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister has spoken out against the price of his band's new box set. The new box set in question, Complete Early Years Box Set, has been priced at around $600.

According to CNN.com, Lemmy blames record company greed on the pricing: "Unfortunately greed once again rears its yapping head," he said. "I would advise against it even for the most rabid completists!"

The set focuses on the band's early recordings, which they don't own the rights to. "Motörhead have no control over what's done with these early songs, and don't want fans to think that the band is involved in putting out such a costly box set," the band said in a statement. more on this story




Rob Zombie and Megadeth Team Up For Tour
Rob Zombie and Megadeth are teaming up for a co-headlining tour and have announced the initial dates.

The tour will mark the first time the two bands have toured together and will kick off on Friday, May 11 in Holmdel, NJ and will feature stops at several rock festivals, including Rock On The Range and Rocklahoma.

Rob Zombie will headline Rocklahoma, co-line (with Incubus) Rock On The Range, and will close all shows on the Megadeth dates. The tour wraps Saturday, March 26 at Rocklahoma. more on this story


Van Halen Switching Up Rarities on Tour
It was only night 2 of the new Van Halen tour, and the band has already tweaked their setlist.

At Monday's gig in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Van Halen played a virtually identical set to Saturday's opening show in Louisville, with one change: the group switched out the rarely-performed 1979 track "Outta Love Again" and replaced it with the "1984" classic, "Girl Gone Bad."

A minor change, for sure, but interesting to see the group has some extra songs in their back pocket. Most bands rehearse a regular set and some additional material so that they can switch things up – especially if they're playing multiple nights in a city – and a change this early in a tour may just be to try a song out, adjust the flow of the show, or deal with a production issue. Check out video of the Girl Gone Bad performance.


Guns N' Roses Private Concert Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses played a private show during Fashion Week in New York last week and video of the show has gone online.

The band continue their Up Close And Personal Tour across the States. The band scheduled a series of 7 intimate theatre shows this month, and added a special, private show during Fashion Week.

GNR rocked the Hiro Ballroom last Thursday to close out the event, playing before a capacity crowd of 180. Watch video from the show here.


Chickenfoot Set For The Different Devil Tour
Chickenfoot are heading out on the road this May and June for a North American tour.

The Different Devil Tour 2012 is set to kick off with a two night stand on May 4th and 5th in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and will hit major cities across North America before concluding on June 10th at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.

While the tour is named after their latest single, the tour is support of the band's latest album "Chickenfoot III." more on this story


Blur To Close The Summer Olympics
(Gibson) Blur have been announced as headliners for this summer's London Olympics' BT London Live Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert in Hyde Park.

According to the BT London Live website, Blur will be joined by The Specials and New Order, with a special guest to be announced soon.

The outdoor concert will take place in Hyde Park in London on Sunday, August 12, the day of the Closing Ceremony. more on this story




Bamboozle Add Brand New and 24 Additional Bands
Brand New have been announced as a new headliner for The Bamboozle Festival which announced 24 additional bands to this year's lineup including Volbeat and Less Than Jake.

The 10th Anniversary festival is scheduled for May 18, 19 and 20 at North Beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Brand New joins previously announced headliners Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters and Skrillex along with Blink-182, and Incubus. more on this story


Hawthorne Heights Stripped Down To The Bone Acoustic Tour
Hawthorne Heights are hitting the road on April 1st for their Second Annual Stripped Down To The Bone Acoustic Tour which will feature special guests Mark Rose and Sandlot Heroes.

The band had this message for fans: Last February we embarked on our first ever full band, all acoustic tour...just for fun. The idea was to hear our songs in a different way for our own sanity, and to give our die hard fans a different type of show. We only booked it for two weeks, because we had no idea how it would go for us, or our fans. What happened in those two weeks turned out to be more than we could have ever imagined. It was an experience that was so special and powerful that we wanted to stay on the road for once. We actually didn't want to come home, which is hard to imagine when you tour so often. So this year, we decided we had to do it again. We were even able to find the time to extend it an extra week and take it one step further. Elaborating on the theme "Stripped Down to the Bone", we have also decided to choose some venues that are very bare bones as well. We wanted to take this tour to some cities that don't get shows very often, as well as try to convert some smaller places into ALL AGES concert halls, at least just for a night. We also had the idea of trying to get some dates at tiny coffee shops, so we can help turn people on to the local brew of that area. We hope that our fans will respond to this tour again, and realize that we have kept ticket prices very low because we would like to support them as well. Sometimes everyday life can get you down...and a night of music can help you forget about it just for a few hours. Keep the scene positive...help music grow. –Hawthorne Heights

We will be selling Limited Edition (and hand-numbered) Acoustic CDs exclusively on this tour. This release includes alternate versions of some of your favorite HH songs. more on this story


Bob Seger, Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Steinman For Songwriters Hall of Fame
Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman are set to be inducted this year into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

The 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will take place on Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.

"Each of our 2012 inductees has created a unique range of extraordinary contributions, a body of work that has resonated with audiences around the world, and greatly enriched our global culture," said SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb. "We are looking forward to celebrating their craft and careers at our Annual Awards Gala." more on this story


Scorpions Don't Know Where Farewell Tour Will End
Justin Tedaldi of the Examiner.com recently spoke with Scorpions legend Rudolf Schenker about their 3D concert movie and farewell tour. Here are a couple excerpts:

When and where is the tour expected to end? I'll tell you one thing: We know a lot of things about where we play in 2012. The only thing that we don't know yet—we have a few options which I can't tell you yet—but the options are looking like it will be the end of 2012 or January 2013. Where it will be, it will be announced in, I guess, one month.

Are you going to return to the United States for one more jaunt? From our record company and also from our agency, the people badly want us back. The response of ours in 2012, I was surprised to listen to the news and read in the magazines how the American critics were talking about the Scorpions this time, it was unbelievable. They're writing something like, "Why are the Scorpions still looking so great and our bands are looking terrible? Maybe they've taken too many drugs," and all these kinds of things. I was laughing on the floor.

But anyway, the convinced us to go back to the United States and Canada. On the other hand, they didn't have to convince us so much; we always like to play America. And if you look back at our career, you can see that it's the home country, the homeland of rock and roll. It's really feeling like you are the cowboy going on the road, fantastic! In the tour bus, cruising the country and really enjoying the great scenery and the great atmosphere playing in the United States. Read the rest of the interview here.


Beck, Alberta Cross, Cage the Elephant and Passion Pit For Governors Ball
Beck, Alberta Cross, Cage the Elephant and Passion Pit (playing their first NYC show in 2 years) are all set to take part in this year's Governors Ball Music Festival.

Expanding to two days in its second year, the festival will take place on June 23rd and 24th and has moved to Randall's Island Park, on the East River, nestled between East Harlem, the South Bronx, and Astoria, Queens.

Building upon the inaugural year line-up that focused on Dance, Hip Hop, and Electronica, Governors Ball 2012 will also incorporate Indie Rock, Americana, and Pop acts. There will be a distinct vibe to each day, with Saturday mirroring the lineup featured at Governors Ball 2011, and Sunday's bill focusing primarily on the expanded genres. more on this story


Anubis Gate To Headline ProgPower Festival
Anubis Gate are set to play ProgPower Europe Festival, which is a return to the scene of their very first public gig in 2005.

This return visit to ProgPower Europe Festival, on Friday October 5th is a special occasion for the band as they return as one of the headlining bands of the festival.
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In 2005 the festival invited Anubis Gate to play what turned out to be their very first gig. "It's with much excitement that we can announce this festival date. We hope to see a lot of you in Barlo (Netherlands) this October. And we are of course especially thrilled to be back on the stage where the live side of the band started."


Red Sparowes' Marriages Premiere Debut Song
The Red Sparowes offshoot Marriages has premiered the first song from their forthcoming debut.

The track "Ten Tiny Fingers" comes from their forthcoming album, Kitsune and is available to download/stream here. The new release will hit stores and online on May 1st.

Marriages also take to the road in March with dates supporting SF black metal faves Deafheaven. The trio -- comprised of Red Sparowes members Emma Ruth Rundle (vocals, guitar), Greg Burns (bass, synthesizer) and David Clifford (drums) -- will perform at the Sargent House official SXSW showcase in Austin, TX on March 16th. more on this story


Todd Rundgren's Musical Revival Camp 2012
Todd Rundgren's Musical Revival Camp will take place July 23-27, 2012 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY.

Special guests at Todd Rundgren's Musical Revival Camp include Mark Volman (The Turtles/Flo & Eddie), Peter Buck (REM) and a third guest to be announced soon. Some evenings at Todd Rundgren's Musical Revival Camp will highlighted by jam sessions with Todd, bassist Kasim Sulton (Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Meatloaf), guitarist Jesse Gress (Todd Rundgren, Tony Levin Band, Guitar Player Consulting Editor) and drummer Gregg Bendian (Interzone, The Mahavishnu Project, The Musical Box), along with the guest celebrity of the day.

Todd explains how this year's retreat will differ from the last: "We are amending our concept this year to focus on the pleasures of the season. We shall take that hike which we were rained out of last summer. We shall party at the pool as we neglected to do. There will be the laying on of hands (by professionals), the volleying of the ball, the tubing of the Esopus [Creek] and perhaps even the dancing of the square."

Musical Revival Camp special guest Mark Volman of The Turtles and Flo & Eddie offers his thoughts on the upcoming experience: "There are very few artists with whom I look forward to working, in fun and in business. Todd Rundgren is one of those artists. And after touring and making records with Todd over the years, I am thrilled to have another chance to work alongside him and his fans at Full Moon Resort. I can't think of a better way to spend a few summer days." More info here.


Roadie Coming to Blu-Ray and DVD
The movie Roadie is set for home release on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on March 20 from Magnolia Home Entertainment.

A film about lost dreams and coming home, Ron Eldard plays Jimmy, a longtime roadie for the legendary Blue Oyster Cult. After touring with the band for over 20 years, he is unceremoniously fired. Broke and desperate, he has no other choice than to move back in with his mother (Smith) in Forest Hills, Queens. Soon he meets up with some of his hard-partying high school friends (Cannavale and Hennessy) who show him how little things can change.

From writer/director Michael Cuesta (L.I.E, Twelve And Holding), Roadie features music by Blue Oyster Cult, Jethro Tull, Robin Trower, The Ramones, LA Guns, and The Counting Crows (who recorded Jackson Browne's "The Load Out" specifically for the film). The ROADIE Blu-ray Disc and DVD, including bonus features such as a special behind-the-scenes look at the film and commentary, will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively. more on this story



Tyketto Releasing First New Album In 18 Years
Frontiers Records will release Tyketto's first new album in 18 years on April 24th in North America.

The new album, Dig In Deep, features the original line-up of Danny Vaughn (lead vocals), Brooke St. James (lead guitar/backing vocals), Jimi Kennedy (bass/backing vocals) and Michael Clayton (drums/backing vocals).

Formed in New Jersey in 1990, Tyketto released their major label debut Don't Come Easy in 1991. The album contained the hit AOR songs "Forever Young" and "Seasons" as well as "Wings" and "End Of The Summer Days," whose respective videos, along with "Forever Young," were in heavy rotation on MTV. more on this story


Chappo Set New Album Release As They Hit The Road
(PH) Chappo will release their debut album Moonwater on May 15th and will be taking their live show on the road this week for a four-stop East Coast tour, plus performances at this year's SXSW in Austin, TX.

For the 11-song LP, the four escaped New York City for Sunhouse Studios in the serene landscape of Vermont. Moonwater was mixed by Hector Castillo (Beck, Bjork) and Steve Wall, and produced by Chappo's own drummer and of Montreal's touring musician, Zac Colwell.

A deluxe version of the LP will include four additional bonus tracks that will be available exclusively on iTunes and Vinyl. more on this story


Experience Hendrix's Bob F. Hendrix Died This Week
(EH) Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. announced the sudden passing of Robert ("Bob") F. Hendrix, the company's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. March 17, 1946 - February 19, 2012.

As first cousin to legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix, Bob Hendrix came to the support of Jimi's father, James "Al" Hendrix and his daughter, Janie L. Hendrix in 1995 to help form Seattle-based Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Authentic Hendrix, LLC; the companies entrusted to manage the late guitarist's music legacy. Since that time, Bob has been actively involved in day-to-day business operations recently holding the positions as the company's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Prior to joining the Hendrix family companies full-time in 1996, Mr. Hendrix was Vice President and General Merchandise Manager at Price Costco. more on this story


Singled Out: Galen Hartley's You and Your Mother and Father
Today indie folk rocker Galen Hartley tells us about the song "You and Your Mother and Father" from his brand new album "Good Dreams". Here is the story:

Families are a crazy. I used to say that I wrote about three things: revenge, my family, and fulfilling my personal destiny. Even when I write about other subjects, the resulting songs still seem to fall into one of those categories. Anyway, this is a family song.

Straightforward narratives aren't my strength, but what I'm trying to get across in this song is a sense of history - the stories we tell within our families, the roles we play, the way the past continues to affect the present, and all the ways things can change when the folks near to us die.

My mother and her parents all died within a few years of each other, and it was a little surreal to witness the summing up of their lives into one "way" that they would be remembered. You know? And it was tough to work against mom's new reputation as a saint while I was sorting through some of the craziness I had clearly inherited from her. And THEN I got to thinking about these seeds of craziness that just keep getting passed down the family line, and how we're lucky if we can just do a little bit better than our parents did. Sigh.

So, yeah... families are a strange and plentiful source of inspiration.

Today's Day In Rock!

Queen Team Up With American Idol's Adam Lambert
The worst kept secret in rock and roll has been confirmed: Queen have tapped American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert to front the group. They along with KISS and Faith No More are all set to headline the 2012 Sonisphere Festival in England this summer.
The English Sonisphere festival will take place on July 6, 7, and 8th at Knebworth Park. Organizers put out the following information:

Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor have confirmed the band will headline the second day of Sonisphere appearing on the Apollo stage on Saturday July 7. Knebworth was the setting for Queen's final concert with Freddie Mercury in August 1986. more on this story


Guns N' Roses Add More Intimate Shows
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses have added more shows to their current "Up Close And Personal" tour.

Dates have been added in Philadelphia (Feb 27), Miami (Feb 29) and Lake Buena Vista (Mar 3).

The three new shows make it 9 dates on the current trip – 10 if you include the private club show that wrapped up New York's Fashion Week recently. more on this story


Ryan Adams Unplugs for Dio Classic
(hennemusic) Ryan Adams has wrapped up his spring US dates in support of his latest effort, "Ashes & Fire."

Friday night, Adams played in Los Angeles, and he threw in another of his favorite metal songs in the set.

Ryan performed an acoustic version of Dio's "Holy Diver." Adams is a big fan of early 80s metal, and he also hosts a black metal talk show on youtube called "Night Sweats."

Check out his Holy Diver performance here.


After Party Van Crash
(ESM) The After Party sent out word that they were involved in a van accident after their Boston show on Saturday night with Allstar Weekend.

While traveling through Roxbury, CT en route to Staten Island, NY, the band's van veered off the road and over a guard rail. The van was totaled, but luckily no one was injured.

As guitarist Andy Bell explains, "We were pulling an all night drive after our show in Boston to Staten Island, NY. I was driving at the time, and already really low on sleep. We were only five miles away from where we were staying, and I was starting to get really drowsy, but since we were so close I wanted to just finish the drive. I fell asleep for a split second as we came up to a curve, and we ran off the road over a guard rail. We still made it to the show in Staten Island last night. We had to cram into three different cars and literally walked on stage 20 minutes after arriving at the venue, but we made it happen." more on this story


Slash and Lenny Kravitz Rock For Muhammad Ali's 70th Birthday
(hennemusic) Slash joined Lenny Kravitz to rock the 70th birthday celebration for boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

The pair were just two of the stars that came out for the 16th annual Power Of Love Gala in honor of Ali; others on hand included Stevie Wonder, Chris Cornell, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg and more.

"Muhammad Ali is and always has been a role model & a hero to me," said Slash. "It's a huge privilege to be able to perform in his honor. He is one of the great icons of American culture and history." See video of the jam here.


DragonForce Deliver The 'Fastest Song Ever Recorded'
(Gibson) British shred metal heroes DragonForce have given fans a glimpse of their forthcoming album, The Power Within, in the form of what the band promises is the fastest song they've ever recorded.

The track, "Fallen World," is the first official release featuring the band's new vocalist, Marc Hudson, who stepped in after ZP Theart left the band in 2010. Guitarist Herman Li says the sessions for The Power Within have been the most fun the band has ever had in the studio. "Through writing, jamming and touring together, we have built this incredible energy and it has been fully captured on the new album," Li says. "This time around we've really brought our metal side to the surface and made some of the best music of our career. From the fastest song we've ever recorded to the slower songs, and some things you would never expect from us, this is by far the most diverse DragonForce album yet."

The Power Within will be released by Roadrunner Records on April 17 in the U.S. It will hit the U.K. two days earlier via the band's own label, Electric Generation Recordings, which is distributed by Essential Music. "This is an exciting new era for DragonForce with Marc joining the band, so we figured this was an ideal time to take full control of our own destiny and establish our own record label for Europe," Li said. "It's all hands on deck running it, but a great buzz!" more on this story




Metalocalype Creator Going Solo
(Gibson) Metalocalype creator Brendon Small has revealed the cover art for Brendon Small's Galaktikon, his forthcoming solo album which is due for release in April.

The album is produced by Ulrich Wild with cover art by Antonio Canobbio. In addition to producing Dethklok, the fictional-yet-real death metal band from the Metalocalypse series, Wild also has manned the desk for White Zombie, Static-X, Seether, Deftones, Pantera, Breaking Benjamin and many more.

When he last spoke with Gibson.com to introduce the Gibson Dethklok Thunderhose Explorer, Small described the album like this: "I wanted to be able to do things I couldn't do with Dethklok: make a rock album with melodic vocals. And it also has elements of metal and one big song where I can show off on guitar. I got Gene Hoglan from Dethklok to do all the drums, and I brought my old friend Bryan Beller to play bass. I'm really excited by it. It's a totally different record that blends all my different influences, from black metal to Queen to ELO to Foo Fighters. It's a rock album and it takes itself desperately seriously, in a really fun way!" more on this story




Corrosion Of Conformity Streaming New Album
Corrosion Of Conformity's new self-titled album is streaming online in its entirety a week ahead of it's release.

Set for North American release on February 28, 2012 via Candlelight Records, Corrosion Of Conformity was recorded at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles, the 11-track offering was produced by the band in cooperation with long-time collaborator John Custer, mixed by John Lousteau (Foo Fighters) and features artwork by Seldon Hunt (Melvins, High On Fire).

Featuring the Animosity line-up of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, the album's release closes a six year recording gap and completes over a year of concentrated writing and recording for the band. Listen here

In conjunction with the record release, the Raleigh, North Carolina legends will embark on a full U.S. headlining tour this March. more on this story


Dire Straits Members Touring As The Straits
(Noble) The Straits, comprised of former Dire Straits members Alan Clark (keyboards) and Chris White (sax, vocals), plus world-class musicians Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty's drummer), Terence Reis (lead vocals, guitar), Mike Feat (bass), Adam Phillips (guitar) and Jamie Squire (keyboards, vocals), will be heading out on an 18-date European tour during March 2012.

Dubbed as The Sound of Dire Straits, The Straits kick off the European tour at Belfast's Ulster Hall on 5th March, with concerts in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, and The Netherlands, wrapping up with two UK dates at London's indigO2 on 29th March and Guernsey's Sir John Loveridge Hall on 1st April.

The Straits will perform songs from the classic albums Dire Straits (1978), Communiqué (1979), Making Movies (1980), Love Over Gold (1982), Brothers In Arms (1985) and On Every Street (1991). Expect to hear all the classics including Money For Nothing, Sultans of Swing, Walk of Life, Romeo and Juliet, Brothers in Arms, Private Investigations, Solid Rock, Tunnel of Love, and many more. more on this story


Santana and Journey's Gregg Rolie Plans Story Tellers Acoustic Shows
(Glass Onyon) Gregg Rolie, co-founder of Santana and Journey, will make two unique solo appearances on March 2 & 3, 2012 at the famed Iridium in NYC.

The Iridium has a dual history as both a jazz institution and the home of Les Paul, who performed at the venue regularly from 1996-2009. Les Paul Mondays were always an event with such iconic guitarists as Jeff Beck, Steve Miller, Todd Rundgren and Ted Nugent sitting in with the Les Paul Trio. Gregg Rolie's two-day performances at the Iridium come on the heals of his new solo EP, "Five Days".

Gregg, along with his special guest, blues guitarist Alan Haynes, will be playing selections from the new EP along with many old favorites. He'll share stories from his 40-plus year career and answer questions from the audience during the show. After his performance, there will be a meet and greet with the audience and Gregg will be on hand for pictures and autographs. more on this story


TV's House Hugh Laurie To Rock Fans On Tour
(Gibson) Hit TV show House will be airing its last new episode this spring and now the actor that plays the show's title character Hugh Laurie has announced a U.K. tour this summer, beginning at the end of June.

Laurie and his Copper Bottom Band will play the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on June 29, the Lowry in Salford on July 1 and the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London on July 2.

Hugh Laurie's album, Let Them Talk, which was recorded in New Orleans, picked up good reviews last summer. The bluesy album debuted at #2 on the U.K. album chart and made the Top 20 on the U.S. Billboard album chart. more on this story




Phil Collen Unplugs Def Leppard Classic
(hennemusic) With some down time in the Def Leppard camp, guitarist Phil Collen continues to work on promoting his side band, Manraze.

Manraze is a rock trio made up of Collen, the Sex Pistols' drummer Paul Cook, and Collen's former Girl band bassist Simon Laffy.

Collen spoke about Manraze and Leppard while in New York for a radio interview with Q104.3. The guitarist also pulled out the acoustic for live performances of the Manraze track "All I Wanna Do," and the Leppard classic, "Hysteria." Check it out here.


Steven Tyler To Appear on Jimmy Kimmel
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is keeping busy these days juggling his work with the band and his American Idol duties.

Tyler will be out promoting Idol as he appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Monday, February 27 (which will actually air the morning of Tuesday, February 28).

Idol is still in the audition process as it whittles down its numbers to the top 12 for the upcoming live broadcast portions of the series. more on this story


Dave Alvin's Eleven Eleven Expanded To Nearly Three Hours
Yep Roc Records have set an April 17th release date for an expanded edition of Americana star Dave Alvin's album Eleven Eleven.

The expanded edition of Eleven Eleven boasts nearly three hours of music and will include three previously unreleased bonus tracks, "Signal Hill," "Never Trust A Woman," and "Beautiful City 'Cross the River," a live performance DVD, a live recording of Eleven Eleven, and a repackaging of the original full-length album.

Alvin will also be hitting the road this spring for tours in both North America and the U.K.


The Sheds and Trey The Ruler Hard As Puck Tour
The Sheds are hitting the road with Trey The Ruler for the 'The Hard As Puck Tour', which is set to kick off on March 4th in Canoga Park, CA.

The tour will lead the band into their run with I Call Fives, which is set to begin on March 25th.

The Sheds' new EP 'Self/Doubt' is currently available as a free download from Alternative Press, here. A physical verson of the EP will be available on CD and vinyl beginning April 10th from Rite of Passage Records. more on this story


Warped Tour Kick-Off Party Announced
The Warped Tour annual kick-off party will take place Thursday, March 29 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

The show willfeature live performances from an eclectic array of artists including rockers Falling In Reverse and Matt Toka, as well as a special record release celebration and performance by Dead Sara, followed by two iconic surprise guests, to be revealed the night of the show.

Kick-off party attendees will also be treated to a special screening of the documentary film titled No Room For Rockstars (from Stacy Peralta and the producers of Dogtown & Z-boys) before the party and concert begins. The live music will be kicked off by a set from Forever Came Calling, the group featured in the documentary, which will be available on iTunes April 2 and on DVD May 15. more on this story


Heart Set New Album Release
(Gibson) Heart will release a new studio album titled Fanatic in October. Guitarist Nancy Wilson revealed the news during an interview on The Eighties Experience radio show with JJ Buchanan on FM 88.5 KSBR in Southern California on Sunday, February 19.

It looks like 2012 will be a big year for the band. A box set and biography are in the works, and the band is booking live dates well into the year.

The box set is expected to contain classic songs as well as tracks that weren't represented on the band's major label albums. more on this story




Rise To Fall Defying The Gods in April
Rise To Fall have set a April 9, 2012 release date for their new album "Defying The Gods".

You can listen to a preview of "Whispers Of Hope" included in the forthcoming "Defying The Gods" here

The album, which includes 11 tracks, was produced, mixed and mastered by Ettore Rigotti at The Metal House Studio (Disarmonia Mundi, Destrage, Blood Stain Child, Slowmotion Apocalypse, etc...). more on this story


Green Day Go Behind The Scenes Of Their New Album
(hennemusic) Green Day hit the studio last week to start recording their next album. The band recently shared video of their first day and have now offered up two more clips featuring behind the scenes footage.

In between sessions, we see the guys at play, riding motorcycles and hanging out.

The project marks the follow-up to 2009's "21st Century Breakdown," a record that achieved Green Day's best chart performance to date by reaching number one on the album charts of various countries, including the United States Billboard 200, the European Top 100 Albums, and the United Kingdom Albums Chart. Check out the new footage here.


Downspirit Plan Next Album
(Freeman) Downspirit will enter the studios in mid-march to record their second album.

A release is expected for late summer via Metalville Records, followed by a tour in fall/winter.

The band states on their official facebook site: "We can't wait to let you hear what our second album will sound like. Being on the road a lot and having so much fun together as a band certainly made it's inspiration to the songwriting process. We're gonna have a lot of killer tunes on that album, that's for sure!! We're looking forward to get to the studio in mid-march!" more on this story


Descendents' Milo Releasing New Limited Edition Throbblehead
(Sub) The Descendents frontman Milo is once again available in Throbblehead form.

Milo V2 is limited to 2000 numbered units, stands at 7 inches tall, and is made of a lightweight polyresin. Accurately sculpted right down to the signature glasses, and new Descendents tee with bitchin' pant-grabbin' stage stance, Milo V2 is no joke.

"You can blame me for the V1 selling out," said Milo. "I told Aggronautix to only make 1000, and that they'd be lucky to unload a few hundred." See it here.


The Day Simon and Garfunkel Took The Bridge Over Troubled Water To The Top
(Gibson) On this day in 1970, Simon and Garfunkel went to no. 1 on the U.K. chart with Bridge Over Troubled Water. The album went on to stay on the chart for over 300 weeks, returning to the top of the charts on eight separate occasions and spending a total of 41 weeks at no. 1. Gibson take a look back: Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel grew up just a few blocks from each other in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, and they met in 1953 when they both had roles in their elementary school's production of Alice in Wonderland (Paul portrayed the White Rabbit, Art the Cheshire Cat). The good friends then matriculated to Parsons Junior High followed by Forest Hills High School. It was during their junior year of high school that they began performing together, under the name Tom and Jerry (Paul was "Jerry Landis", the last name coming from a girl he'd been dating at the time, while Art was "Tom Graph" – one of Art's hobbies at the time was "graphing" or charting song rankings on the music charts.)

The duo began writing their own material in 1955, and just two years later they went into the studio to record their song, "Hey, Schoolgirl," on Big Records. The song did well, selling over 100,000 copies and climbing to #49 in the U.S. Both were huge fans of the Everly Brothers, it's easy to hear that influence in "Hey, Schoolgirl." The success of the song led to Tom and Jerry appearing on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, and though they didn't have the most enviable of slots on the show – following Jerry Lee Lewis and his incendiary performance of "Great Balls of Fire" – they performed well.

Tom and Jerry's success, however, proved short-lived as follow-up efforts failed to match the success of "Hey, Schoolgirl." After high school, Simon attended Queens College, while Garfunkel went to Columbia University. A few years later, in 1963, the pair were making quite a name for themselves in the Greenwich Village folk music scene. Simon was proving quite a talented and prodigious songwriter, penning such early Simon & Garfunkel classics as "Sparrow," "Bleecker Street" and "He Was My Brother" (a song dedicated to a mutual friend and classmate of the duo, Andrew Goodman, who became a civil rights leader and was killed in Neshoba County, Mississippi, in 1964). Those songs would appear on the duo's 1964 debut album for Columbia Records, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

The album initially tanked, and Simon and Garfunkel went their separate ways. But a funny thing happened in the summer of '65 when a number of Florida radio stations began playing a song from Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. – "The Sound of Silence." Their producer, Tom Wilson, dubbed – without permission – electric guitar, bass and drums into the original mix of the song, thereby transforming it from folk into folk-rock, and released it. "The Sound of Silence" (part deux) shot into the Top 40 in the U.S. and eventually climbed to #1 by New Year's Day of 1966. more on this story




Singled Out: Twin Berlin (Travis Barker)
Today Twin Berlin's Matt Lopez tells us about their new single "Can't Take, Take, Take," from their new EP, " There Goes My Virtue," which was produced by Blink-182's Travis Barker. Here is the story:

Unfortunately, I think I write the best when life is the worst. Around the time I wrote "Can't Take, Take, Take", I was feeling stuck in a rut. I was going to college just to keep everyone off my case, since most of the people around me thought that the only way to any manner of success or happiness was through school. During that time, I isolated myself, going straight from work to home. I'd work on songs for a few hours, drive myself to a low-key bar named Snapper Magee's, drink by myself, then go home again and continue to work on songs until I was tired enough to sleep. I was totally fed up with the way things were going.

One night, I came home from the bar and started playing the opening riff to "Can't Take, Take, Take". I recorded it on my 8-track, plugged in my mic, and started singing over it. After three vocal takes, I had the majority of the melody pieced together along with a handful of lines. In hindsight, it was probably awful to listen to, since when I sit down to write a song, I don't have a specific idea in mind - it's mostly limited to me mumbling over guitar parts, trying to establish a melody. But, inevitably, a few lyrics stick and I can expand on those. Once I'm done it comes together into a representation of my life at that moment in time.

A major theme in this song is isolation from girlfriends and friends, stemming from my attitude that things normally don't work out, so why even bother? My living situation definitely played a role in shaping that belief. I was unhappy with my situation, hated a lot of people around me, and just wanted to get out. Since I couldn't, the next best option, as I saw it, was to avoid everyone, drink, and write songs alone in my room. This sentiment eventually evolved into "Can't Take, Take, Take", and I hope people are pleased with the result, and can identify with it, despite its somewhat lonely origins.

BILLBOARD TALKS BLACK SABBATH:

An update on the unfortunate demise of the Black Sabbath tour plans: www.billboard.com/events/black-sabbath-reunion-tour-becomes-ozzy-1006224752.story.

"Three months after announcing a 2012 tour and album, Black Sabbath has reshuffled its reunion plans in light of guitarist Tony Iommi's battle with lymphoma. The hard rock legends have confirmed that they plan to play only one show on their planned European tour -- Download Festival, which takes place June 10 in Donnington, U.K. In between the lone performance, Ozzy Osbourne will head out on a 15-date tour as part of "Ozzy & Friends," which will feature special guests like Slash, Zakk Wylde and Sabbath's own Geezer Butler on select dates.
The news follows Black Sabbath's announcement in November that it would embark on a massive tour and record its first album with Osbourne since 1978. Last month, the 63-year-old Iommi, who helped form the original lineup of Sabbath in 1968, announced that he was battling lymphoma and was "determined to make a full and successful recovery." Fortunately, a press release states that Iommi "continues to make excellent progress," and that the planned, Rick Rubin-produced new Black Sabbath album is still in the works.
Meanwhile, Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, who issued a lengthy statement on his website threatening to pull out of the reunion without a "signable" contract, has sent out a new message on his website clarifying that he hopes to participate in the group's upcoming reunion. "I have not declined to participate in the Sabbath album and tour," he wrote on Friday. "At the earliest opportunity, I am prepared to go to the U.K. and record, and later tour with the band. Last week, we sent further communication to the attorney handling the negotiations to try to reach an agreement. At this time we are waiting to hear back. I remain hopeful for a 'singable' contract and a positive outcome."