Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Travis Barker Skipping Blink-182 Tour Over Fear Of Flying
(Classic Rock) Blink 182′s Travis Barker has given his bandmates permission to tour Australia without him after failing to overcome his fear of flying.
They'll now play nine shows Down Under, kicking off on Wednesday, with Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion and Tenacious D fame behind the drumkit.

Barker was nearly killed in a 2008 plane crash that took the lives of four people including his friends Chris Baker and Che Still. Fellow passenger Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, was the only other survivor, but died of a drugs overdose the following year.

"I still haven't gotten over the horrific events that took place the last time I flew when my plane crashed and four people were killed, two being my best friends." he said. "I gave the band my blessing to take another drummer if they still wanted to do the tour without me." more on this story




Original Heart Lineup Reuniting For Rock Hall?
Original Heart guitarist Roger Fisher told fans via his Facebook page that the original lineup of Heart will be reuniting for the upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

While there has been no official word out of the Heart camp (e.g. Ann and Nancy Wilson), Examiner reports that Fisher told fans on Facebook on Saturday, "I haven't seen anyone announce it yet: THE ORIGINAL HEART LINEUP WILL PLAY AT THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY."

It appears that the posting has since been removed from the page. The Rock Hall induction ceremony is set to take place on April 18 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden inducting Heart. Read the Examiner report here.



Fleetwood Mac Will Be Releasing New Music
Fleetwood Mac will not only be playing new music on their upcoming North American tour, they plan to release new music as well.

Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks spoke with Fox News about plans to record a new album and they say that it is up to the fans reactions to the new songs they already have done.

"We're gonna go out and put a few of these things out on stage… and we'll make them available online, and we'll see if it takes on a life," Lindsay said.

Stevie said, "Lindsey and I spent four days together at his house working on three songs and it was great," she said, "We had the best time." Ultimately, she says reaction to the new material may influence a decision about further recording.

"If the public loves this — if they love these three songs and we get back from them that they want more — then maybe we'll do more," Nicks said.

"If they just sort of like it and enjoy it, and it's not a big deal, then we'll have had a great time doing these three songs and maybe we'll just make music for ourselves." Watch the interview here.




Rush Announce Summer Tour
(hennemusic) Rush have announced a series of summer tour dates for North America as a second leg to their Clockwork Angels Tour.

The tour will visit an additional 15 cities from June to August; the second leg will begin in Hershey on June 21st and wraps up on August 4th in Kansas City.

Rush will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame on April 18 in Los Angeles. Following the Induction ceremony, Rush kick off their Clockwork Angels North American Tour 2013 on April 23rd in Austin, TX and will visit Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Nashville, Raleigh, Virginia Beach, Baltimore, Uncasville, and Atlantic City this spring. more on this story




Dave Matthews Band Reveal Summer Tour Details
The news that Dave Matthews Band fans have been waiting for has arrived, the band has announce the details for their 2013 summer tour.

The tour is set to kick off on May 17th in Woodlands, TX and will conclude on September 8th in Mountain View, CA.

Prior to the tour, the Dave Matthews Band will play a trio of dates in the South that includes a headlining performance at the 2013 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 28.

The band will be touring in support of their latest album, Away From The World. more on this story




David Bowie Releasing New Song Next Week?
(Gibson) He hasn't come out and said it, exactly, but it looks very, very likely that David Bowie's next single will be "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" and that it will be released on February 26.

The official David Bowie Facebook page updated over the weekend to show an image of a vaguely Bowie-like character (that also looks like something out of a Tool video), with '02:26:13' posted above it. You don't have to be a World War II codebreaker to put two and 26 and 13 together and come out with 'next week.'

The track will be the second to be released from Bowie's forthcoming surprise album, The Next Day, which is due in March. It's Bowie's first album of new material in over a decade, and by all accounts it appears it will feature many of Bowie's more recent band members, including Earl Slick, Gail Ann Dorsey and Gerry Leonard. more on this story






Overkill Tour Plans Sidelined By Frontman's Pneumonia
Overkill have been forced to cancel tour dates after frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth was diagnosed with walking pneumonia.

The band had this to say, "We are terribly sorry that we had to cancel our performance last night, but let's put the rumors to rest, before speculation runs rampant.

"Blitz was diagnosed with what is called 'walking pneumonia', and was medically advised to not perform due to it potentially getting worse if he did. When the health risk is no longer an issue, he'll be ready to kick ass once again."





Voivod Cancel Live Dates For Medical Reasons
Voivod have been forced to postpone their upcoming live plans so frontman Snake (Denis Belanger) can recover from a medical procedure.

Snake has undergone a procedure to treat Diverticulitis, which the U.S. National Library of Medicine lists as "small, bulging sacs or pouches of the inner lining of the intestine (diverticulosis) that become inflamed or infected. Most often, these pouches are in the large intestine (colon)."

The band had this to say, "Voivod has had to postpone any shows for the immediate future as Snake needs four-six weeks rest due to a procedure for diverticulitis, a common digestive disease.

"This affects the MS Benefit in Ottawa and the SXSW shows, this should not affect the Santiago, Chile MetalFest appearance in April More tour news to be announced shortly."




Dillinger Escape Plan Releasing New Album in May
The Dillinger Escape Plan announced on Monday that they plan to release their new studio album, "One of Us is the Killer" in May.

"One of Us is the Killer" was recorded in Southern California with longtime producer Steve Evetts (Glassjaw, The Cure, Suicide Silence), with additional production at guitarist/co-founder Ben Weinman's studio.

The album is set to be mastered by Tom Baker (Deftones, Nine Inch Nails, Beastie Boys).

The band has also announced a series of live appearances including an appearance at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival and the - Golden Gods Awards w/ Metallica, Anthrax, etc more on this story





Scorpions Explain Download Festival Offer Rejection
(Classic Rock) The Scorpions rejected an offer to play the Download festival this summer. Talking to Classic Rock, guitarist Rudolf Schenker explained the band's decision as being down to two reasons.

"We were asked to play on the first day (June 14), when Slipknot will headline. The problem was that we would have been on the second stage, not the main one. This would have meant us not having the chance to bring over a full stage set, and that isn't something we were prepared to consider. We'd be cheating the fans, and feel we are worth a bit more than being anywhere other the main stage.

"There was also a financial problem, because what we would have been paid wasn't very good at all. So we reluctantly turned it down."

The band recently finished their final world tour. It lasted three years, but didn't include a single UK show. And nobody it appears is more disappointed than the band. more on this story





KISS, Motley Crue and Korn Lead Rock Fest Lineup
KISS, Motley Crue and Korn have been announced as the headliners of this year's Chippewa Valley Rock Fest in Wisconsin.

The 20th annual music festival is set to take place on July 18,19,20,21st at the Festival Grounds in Cadott, WI.

The headliner for the opening night has yet to be announced but the lineup also includes Seether, Halestorm, The Offspring, All That Remains, Megadeth, Stone Sour, Hellyeah, Whitesnake, Skillet and more. See the lineup details here.




Enslaved Trapped By Blizzard
Enslaved had some bad news for fans planning to see them tonight (February 19th) in Toronto, the band have been trapped by a blizzard and had to pull the plug on the show.

Guitarist Ivar Bjørnson told fans yesterday "simply can't believe it; we're trapped in a blizzard at the US/CAN border near Winnipeg. We've been here for a full day now - meaning there is no chance of making tomorrow's show at The Opera House in Toronto; even if the weather should turn around dramatically during the next few hours.

"We're completely devastated as we sit on the bus waiting it out. We can't believe we'll miss what was for sure going to be one of the very highlights of this tour."

No word at press time if they will have to cancel any of the other three remaining dates of their Winter Rite tour with Pallbearer, Royal Thunder and Ancient Vvisdom more on this story





Ba Ba Booey and Jon Hein's New Vh1 Classic Show Premieres This Week
VH1 Classic sent over the details for one of their new shows, For What It's Worth, which is set to premiere on Thursday (February 21) at 10pm.

The show is co-hosted by Gary Dell'Abate, also known as "Ba Ba Booey" of the Howard Stern Show, and Jon Hein (who famously coined the phrase "Jump the Shark"). The network sent over the following:

Armed with an insanely impressive knowledge of music and television history, Gary and Jon attempt to put a price on what many consider the most invaluable memorabilia in pop culture, including Jack White's personal vinyl collection and a celebrity hair lock vault (seriously).

Blow the dust off your old vinyl because VH1 Classic is digging through pop culture collectibles with hosts Gary Dell'Abate and Jon Hein, to find out what they're really worth in the new series, "For What It's Worth." Premiering Thursday, February 21st at 10 PM on VH1 Classic, "For What It's Worth" will explore the intricate world of music and pop culture memorabilia, and the mind of "The Collector." more on this story




Cult Of Luna Plan Limited Edition Vinyl Release
Cult Of Luna have set a March 26, 2013 US release date for a limited edition vinyl version of their album, Vertikal.

The U.S. version gatefold LP will be limited to only 1,000 copies and will be foil-numbered and priced significantly lower than the currently available import vinyl.

Vertikal was originally released digitally and on CD through Density Records on January 29, 2012.

The band have a number of European tour dates coming that include dates later this month and in March, April and May more on this story





Journey Celebrate 35th Anniversary of Infinity In The Studio
(hennemusic) Journey mark the 35th Anniversary of their 1978 release, "Infinity," on the latest edition of In The Studio.

The band's fourth album introduced new vocalist Steve Perry to the Journey lineup, who shared vocal duties with former lead singer and keyboardist Gregg Rolie on songs like "Feeling That Way" and "Anytime."

"Journey already had a lead singer," emphasizes Perry. "I wasn't brought in to replace anyone."

"Infinity" is generally viewed as the album that helped propel Journey towards the mainstream, with Perry ready to take the reigns as the band's frontman. more on this story




Joe Bonamassa Launches Blues Masters
Joe Bonamassa has officially launching the Guitar Center's Blues Masters contest for aspiring blues artists.

Bonamassa will choose 10 musicians from the online submissions to fly to Los Angeles and perform with his band.

Based on these performances, one winner will be named, earning a Grand Prize package including an opening slot at Joe Bonamassa's headlining show in Los Angeles this fall, $10,000 cash, tons of gear and more.

Hear what Joe Bonamassa has to say about the program here.





Almost 50 Bands Added To Download Festival
(Classic Rock) Download festival organisers have added 49 bands to the bill for the 2013 event at Donington Park on June 14-16.

Along with Papa Roach, who leaked the news of their appearance last month, the stack of new names includes Europe, Skin, Uriah Heep and Newsted.

Europe will return to make up for their cancelled set last year after heavy rain meant their gear arrived on time but the band didn't. Frontman Joey Tempest said at the time: "The flight was two-hour delayed from Sweden so the guys were very late. Then we hit traffic on the way here. It was very close but in the end we had to postpone. We didn't want to go on and play one or two songs – we wanted to play a good set."

They'll join headliners Iron Maiden, Rammstein and Slipknot at the hallowed Leicestershire location for the 11th edition of the event that replaced Monsters Of Rock in 2003. Check out the lineup





Trail of Dead Go Around The World In Lost Songs Video
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have released a new music video for the title track to their latest album, Lost Songs.

The video collage shows the band's 2012 tour around the world-- in 125 seconds, there's footage of the band in three continents and nearly 20 countries. Watch it here.

If you prefer to see the band in person and live in the UK or Europe, you are in luck as the band are currently touring across the UK with The Cribs and will he launching their own UK and European tour in March with support from Ribozyme. more on this story




Rare TV Interview With Deep Purple's John Lord Streaming Online
BraveWords are streaming a video from a rare 1969 Canadian TV interview with the late Deep Purple legend Jon Lord.

The interview aired in April 1969 and features Lord discussing music and culture in Britain versus North America.

Deep Purple was touring in support of the The Book Of Taliesyn (released October 1968) on some dates supporting CREAM.

Deep Purple had already achieved moderate success on their 1968 debut album Shades of Deep Purple. Watch it here.





Iron Maiden's Eddie Appears At Rio Carnival
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden mascot Eddie attended Carnival last week, the world-famous festival held in Rio De Janeiro before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets.

Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, it has also a benchmark against which every other carnival is compared and one of the most interesting artistic events on the Globe.

Rio Carnival is a wild four-day celebration, 40 days before Easter. It officially starts on Saturday and finishes on Fat Tuesday with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday after which one is supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures. Carnival with all its excesses, celebrated as a profane event, can be considered an act of farewell to the pleasures of the flesh. It usually happens in February, the hottest month in the Southern Hemisphere, when the Rio summer is at its peak.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Robert Plant Open To Led Zeppelin Reunion Next Year?
(hennemusic) Robert Plant was featured on Sunday night's episode of Australia's "60 Minutes" and was grilled about Led Zeppelin doing more reunion shows and Plant had a surprising answer.
Plant sat down with reporter Tara Brown to discuss a variety of topics, including his roots, Led Zeppelin's formation and legendary history, including the 2007 reunion show that was released as "Celebration Day."

"We just wanted to play and see what it was like and be good once," said Plant. "Because we'd been bad so many times in the interim since John passed away; it was time to be good … and we were."

Fans continue to clamor for more Zeppelin live shows, with Plant taking most of the heat for the lack of forward movement on the project.

"You know, the two other guys (Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones) are both Capricorns and they keep schtum (quiet); they don't say a word," maintains Robert. "But they are quite contained in their own worlds and they just leave it to me to do this (interviews)."

Brown: "…to be the bad guy"

Plant: "I'm not the bad guy."

Brown: "Well you are for all those Led Zeppelin fans who'd love you to say 'yes, we're reforming.'"

Plant: "Well, then you need to speak to the Capricorns ... 'cause I've got nothing to do in 2014." Watch the segment here.




2012 Guns N' Roses Concert To Be Broadcast on TV
(hennemusic) A June 2012 performance at London, England's O2 Arena by Guns N' Roses will be broadcast on VH1 Classic on March 9 as part of a 5-hour GNR special on the station.

The night will kick off at 8:00 p.m. with a one-hour, all-GNR video block hosted by "That Metal Show"'s Eddie Trunk, followed by the London concert and a rebroadcast of the Axl Rose "That Metal Show" episode.

The big-screen premiere of GNR's 2012 performance at O2 Arena was scheduled for last October at select theaters in Europe but was "postponed" by the band's management. A trailer of the concert can be viewed here.




Beatles Collaborator Tony Sheridan Dies
(Classic Rock) Tony Sheridan, early Beatles collaborator and said to be the first person to play electric guitar on TV, has died aged 72.

The fledgling Fab Four played their first recording sessions as Sheridan's backing band and their appearance on his 1961 single My Bonnie – billed as the Beat Brothers – led to Brian Epstein's offer to manage them.

Original Beatles drummer Pete Best has paid tribute, saying: "My friend Tony passed away this morning. Great guy and great memories. I will miss you." More rock news.




Van Halen and Billy Joel To Co-headline Music Festival
(hennemusic) Van Halen and Billy Joel will co-headline the inaugural Stone Music Festival at Sydney's ANZ Stadium over the April 20 and 21 weekend.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the festival will see co-headliners Billy Joel and VH joined by Kings Of Chaos, Richie Ramone, Lifehouse and Illumination Road also confirmed for the bill.

Major Australian rock acts, including some reunited 90s chart-toppers, are also expected to be named on the bill in the lead-up to tickets going on sale on Thursday, February 21. more on this story




Iron Maiden Inspired Metal Literature University Course
(Classic Rock) A US university is running a course in heavy metal literature after an experiment with Iron Maiden track Out Of The Silent Planet was a massive success.

Linguistics expert Martin Jacobsen used the song from 2000 album Brave New World to teach sentence structure. The lesson included displaying visual diagrams of how the lyrics had been constructed while the music played.

Jacobsen, of West Texas A&M University, tells Amarillo.com: "The students were mad for it – they thought it was crazy and they loved it. I threw it out as an offhand comment one day: 'What we ought to do is have a class in heavy metal.' There was universal agreement from the students in the class: 'Yes, we should actually do that.'"

He argues that many metal lyrics have been inspired by the works of history's greatest writers. "You constantly see these nods to the intellectual tradition that the lyricists come from," he explains. "Therefore it's reasonable to conclude that it's a form of literature as well as a form of music – in much the same way you might say country music is a species of folklore." More.




Zakk Wylde Reveals Black Label Society's Unblackened DVD Plans
(Gibson) Black Label Society's long-talked-about Unblackened DVD will now be filmed March 6 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The set is planned to contain intimate versions of some of BLS's most popular songs, as well as songs from mainman Zakk Wylde's solo album Book of Shadows and his short-lived Southern rock band Pride & Glory.

The show will feature Wylde on guitar and piano, alongside the members of BLS, as well as a four-piece string section, pedal steel, and special guests. The concert will be broadcast live exclusively on AXS TV. A CD/DVD will be released later in 2013.

Wylde told California radio station 107.7 The Bone and AXS TV, "This is something we haven't done yet, and we wanted to give our fans something new. You can take a song that you've played thousands of times and rearrange it, and all of a sudden it's something totally fresh. The attitude of the songs doesn't change when we play them acoustically — the tunes are gritty regardless."

Wylde adds, "We're gonna do the whole thing with a four-piece string section, a pedal steel guy, and I'm gonna have some of my musician buddies sit in on some of the songs and stuff like that. We're gonna have two solid weeks of rehearsal and then we're gonna knock this thing out. [It will be an] acoustic/electric type of thing… almost kinda like if Pink Floyd was doing an unplugged thing and they did "Comfortably Numb" but Dave [Gilmour] will be sitting down but he'll still rip that solo out. It'll still be electric and then we'll have the string section behind it and the whole band and it'll be killer." more on this story






Yes Guitarist Steve Howe Hosting Music Retreat
(Gibson) Renowned Yes guitarist Steve Howe will host the first Cross Styles Music Retreat, an event taking place August 19-23 2013 at Full Moon Resort in the Catskill Mountains near Woodstock, New York.

Howe says, "This year I'm getting back to doing some solo dates, and the Cross Styles Music Retreat is an extension of that. I'll be enjoying the different things the event will demand of me, as opposed to just doing shows. It's a wider breadth of 'guitarness,' and it indulges me in my singular fascination - the guitar. Hopefully, my team and the audience can do a little mingling and learn more about each other."

Guitar players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to join Howe and other guest instructors for this music camp. It represents a first for Howe.

"As I'm self-taught and don't read music, I come at doing workshops from a different perspective than many who teach," Howe says. "I'll be bringing my experience to the fore through performances, interactions with campers, and daily master classes." more on this story






Rush Expand North American Tour Plans
(hennemusic) Rush have announced the addition of two Canadian concert dates as part of their Clockwork Angels world tour.

After 26 years, Rush are returning to Halifax, Nova Scotia to perform at the Halifax Metro Centre on Friday, July 12.

The band will also play Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday, July 6. more on this story




Black Sabbath Aim For Raw Sound On New Album
(Classic Rock) Black Sabbath have released another teaser clip for upcoming album 13, their first with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978′s Never Say Die.

In the video guitarist Tony Iommi discusses the band's new material, produced by Rick Rubin and featuring Rage Against The Machine's Brad Wilk on drums.

Iommi says: "It's different altogether now. We've got much more of a thing going than what it was in them days. The new material's really good – we've got some good stuff going.

"Rick's looking for a raw Sabbath and that's what we're looking for. We like what we're doing." Watch the teaser here.




Def Leppard Going To Rock Camp
(hennemusic) Def Leppard have signed on to headline a special edition of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

Set for April 4th - 7th in Las Vegas, the event falls in the midst of the band's 11-show residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel for their "VIVA Hysteria!" series.

At the Camp, the group will serve as mentors and instructors, guiding campers through their songs as well as general playing and performing techniques. more on this story




Cheap Trick Guitarist Rick Nielsen Gets Picked By American Pickers
(hennemusic) Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen will be featured in an upcoming episode of History Television's American Pickers, premiering March 11.

"What happened was pretty special," said the show's Mike Wolfe. "We're birds of a feather, Frank and Rick and me. Collecting, picking brothers in arms. We were all three bitten by the same crazy bug early on in life and it's amazing how quickly it brought us together when we went to Rick's exhibit in Rockford. That's when the picks really started flying."

"Seeing Rick's exhibit was truly mind-boggling," said Frank Fritz. "For me, as a nearly lifelong Cheap Trick fan, I was in heaven. And, then, to dig even deeper with Rick himself – well, we can't wait for the nation to see what we picked out of Rick's storage lockers. Mike and I drove away from Rockford very, very happy." more on this story




Black Star Riders Mixing Their New Album
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders, featuring former members of Thin Lizzy, have posted an update on the status of their forthcoming debut album. "The album is currently being mixed as we speak," writes the band.

"We will announce 2nd week of March full album details (title, release dates per territory, track listing etc). At the end of March there will be the first 'single' release that will have an exclusive airing via certain media outlets - to be announced - prior to public release. Around the same time more tour dates for the autumn will be announced."

"The album will be released at the end of May. The first Black Star Riders live appearances will be around the same time." more on this story




Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Megadeth Label Sold
(Classic Rock) Sanctuary Records, once home to Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Megadeth and many others, has been sold by Universal to BMG.

The deal is part of an agreement with competition regulators after Universal bought EMI, and it's thought to have been worth $62m.

BMG boss Hartwig Masuch says: "We have made no secret of our ambition to create a new force in the music industry focused on delivering service and revenue to artists. We believe this deal will be good news for those artists, good news for our partners particularly in the independent sector and good news for the music industry as a whole." More rock news.





Dave Grohl and Stevie Nicks Rock Letterman
(hennemusic) Dave Grohl stopped by The Late Show With David Letterman last Thursday to promote his directorial debut, Sound City.

The film, which premiered last month at Sundance, chronicles the story of the Van Nuys, California studio of the same name, where music legends recorded major projects throughout the years – including Nirvana's 1991 smash, "Nevermind."

Grohl joined Letterman for a chat about the project, after which he was joined by the Sound City Players – Foo Fighters plus guests, including Stevie Nicks – for a live performance of "You Can't Fix This" from the flm's soundtrack album. Watch the appearance here.




Alice In Chains Go Behind The Scenes of the Hollow Video
(hennemusic) Alice In Chains recently released "Hollow" as the lead single from their forthcoming album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here."

The band is now sharing behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the video for the track.

The stunning sci-fi-themed clip was shot by award-winning director Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober; Metallica, Mastodon) and is already nearing the one-million-views mark.

Scheduled for release in May, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones). Check it out here.



Leslie West Shares Story Behind Mississippi Queen
(Gibson) Had Leslie West done nothing more than record "Mississippi Queen" – one of rock guitar's finest moments -- his place in music history would be assured. Fact is, however, that classic, which West recorded with the legendary trio Mountain, is just one chapter in a vast body of work that attests to his monumental skills.

In the summer of 2011, West underwent an amputation of his lower leg due to complications from Type 2 diabetes. Just three months later, he released Unusual Suspects, a guitarist's dream album featuring an A-list of fellow six-string greats. Such is the fortitude of the man.

In the quotes below, he talks about playing with Jimi Hendrix, how he gets his unique tone and the "coolest rock star" with whom he's ever jammed.

On how "Mississippi Queen" was written, as told to Gibson.com: [Mountain drummer] Corky Laing came up with the lyric when he was in his previous band, Energy. He was playing the drums at some club, and the power went out. He saw a girl dancing, and he wanted to keep her dancing, so he started shouting out this stuff. When we got together, he showed me the lyric. I already had the music, and we constructed the song in about 20 minutes.

On playing with Pete Townshend during the Who's Next sessions, as told to Gibson.com: I got a call from The Who's manager, asking if I wanted to play on the album. I was like, "Well, they have a guitar player." But he said Pete didn't want to play lead guitar, that he wanted me to play. It was really funny, those sessions. [Producer] Kit Lambert ran around holding up signs, whenever we would be getting good take. He did that during "Won't Get Fooled Again," holding a sign up that said, "GOOD JOB. KEEP IT UP." Later, of course, they re-did the album with Glyn Johns producing. But Pete did release the original sessions, many years later. I gave him a Les Paul Junior, at those sessions.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


David Lee Roth Hopes For Full Van Halen Reunion
(hennemusic) David Lee Roth has delivered a state of the Van Halen reunion address in a new interview with Rolling Stone, and among the items presented is Roth's wish for bassist Michael Anthony's return to the band.
"Ed has his own vision [for the band's future], I'm assuming," begins Roth. "We haven't really been able to speak about it and it's a disappointment, just as not having a chance for a reunion of the original band. Clearly, vocals are every bit as much a component of success as a rhythm section or a guitar solo, and there's an old expression saying, 'They don't go home singing the lighting show, they don't go home singing the production.' You're right, they sing my words and my melodies. And what we have at our fingertips is arguably one of the greatest high tenor voices ever – that was in Michael Anthony. In our tiny little corner of the universe, that voice is as identifiable as the high voice in Earth, Wind & Fire, as identifiable as the high voice in the Beach Boys. Van Halen is an indelicate house blend of both – that's intentionally. So I would always look forward to that reunion, and I would always look forward to writing a whole variety of material."

"I would certainly look forward to working with Ed on some new material, but we have yet to do that," Dave continued. "Almost all of the music that you hear on our most recent album [2012's 'A Different Kind Of Truth'] was written and demoed before the first album. And I would certainly look forward to writing a whole list of songs with Ed, but we haven't found the time to do that [laughs]. You hear the tone. I'm not sure what's in Ed's mind at this point. I'm gonna guess that his plans are to write with his son [Wolfgang], and I'm not sure where that actually leads. But truth be told, Edward and I haven't written a new song in 20 years … Wait, what am I saying? 'Stay Frosty' is brand new, and I wrote that whole song myself. I wrote the chord structure, played the guitar, the vocals, etc."

Currently living in Tokyo, Roth rambles at length about his frustration with Van Halen's failure to tour internationally, including playing festival shows around the globe. Read about that here.



Demon Hunter Address Osama Bin Laden Shooter Story
The metal band Demon Hunter made headlines recently when the Navy SEAL who reportedly shot and killed Osama bin Laden said he was wearing the band's patch when he shot the infamous terror leader.

The SEAL spoke in an Esquire article about how heavy metal was used in interrogating prisoners and how the band supported members of the military by sending them patches and CDs, as well how the band were supportive after Metallica asked that their music stopped being used.

The SEAL told Esquire, "I wore my Demon Hunter patch on every mission. I wore it when I blasted Bin Laden."

Now the band has issued a statement after the barrage of media inquires following the publication of the article. Here is what they had to say: As you can imagine, our inboxes and phones (and those of our representatives) have been flooded with messages asking us how we feel about the Esquire article on the raid that brought Osama Bin Laden to justice that began circulating yesterday. Specifically, the person identified in the story as "The Shooter" said that Seal Team 6 wore the Demon Hunter emblem on their uniforms and "I wore it when I blasted Bin Laden."

Over the years, we have been overwhelmed by the personal (and unofficial) emails and letters we've received from members of the US military. We have been humbled and honored by the troops who've told us our music has offered them some comfort while overseas, while missing loved ones, while doing what they do best in order to keep America safe and protect the freedoms we enjoy. We've met many servicemen and women at our shows and they've shared their stories with us in person, as well. We wrote "The Soldier's Song" back in 2005 to pay tribute to these folks who've reached out to us. We included one such veteran among the Demon Hunter fans we profiled in our documentary film, 45 Days.

We have seen our symbol, a demon skull with a bullet hole in its forehead, tattooed on fans around the world. We've seen it made into sculptures, painted onto motorcycles, even spray-painted onto tanks and military planes. We often post these pictures on our Facebook page when we receive them. One such email, a few years ago, came from a special operations team who had crafted homemade Demon Hunter patches and put them on their uniforms. They asked us if it was OK if they did this and we of course told them "YES" because we are unapologetic supporters of our troops. In the last 24 hours, we have come to believe this team who contacted us a few years ago must have been Seal Team 6.

As for the talk about enhanced interrogation techniques that has sprung up in the media in the last 24 hours surrounding this story, we feel that it is an unnecessary distraction. It's been widely reported for years that heavy metal music has sometimes been used in these situations. We have no specific knowledge of our music being used for this, nor have we ever volunteered it to be used as such, nor are we commenting on it beyond that. The debate about enhanced interrogation techniques is for politicians, military intelligence, pundits and others of the like to have.

The members of Seal Team 6 and The Shooter are American heroes who deserve our support. We were among the Americans and people around the world abroad who supported the bringing to justice of one of the biggest mass murderers in history, who planned and executed some of the most horrific acts imaginable. All of the military who risk their lives to protect our freedoms earn our respect each and every single day. We are honored, humbled and blessed that Demon Hunter was of any support or comfort to Seal Team 6 or anyone in the US military at any time.

– DEMON HUNTER




Ozzy Says New Black Sabbath Album The Most Important of His Career
(hennemusic) While Black Sabbath continue working on their new album, "13", the band is sharing a preview of some behind-the-scenes video on the project.

The group will issue a full video on Wednesday and, in advance, they've offered up a 30-second preview clip of what fans can expect.

"The last time we were in the studio, all together, was 1978," says guitarist Tony Iommi, referring to the band's "Never Say Die" album.

"If you try to live up to the expectations of the past album, then you just fail dismally," explains bassist Geezer Butler.

"I want it to sound current but yet still have that Sabbath vibe, ya know," adds Ozzy Osbourne. "This Black Sabbath album is quite possibly the most important album of my career." more on this story




Dave Clark Five's Rick Huxley Dead at 72
(Classic Rock) Dave Clark Five bassist Rick Huxley has died at the age of 72. Frontman Clark, one of only two surviving band members, says he's "devastated" after confirming his heavy-smoking bandmate had recently been given the all-clear from emphysema.

"I spoke to Rick on Friday," the drummer and vocalist tells the BBC. "He was in great spirits. He was very kind and had an amazing sense of humour. He was the funny one in the group and a very talented musician."

Huxley joined the British Invasion outfit in 1958 and remained until they split 12 years later. He enjoyed success with 12 UK and 17 US top 40 hits including Glad All Over and Bits And Pieces. more on this story



Muse Set New Chart Record With Madness
Alternative rockers Muse have broken a record set by the Foo Fighters for the most weeks at the top of a Billboard chart.

The band's latest single, "Madness," has now spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Chart.

This breaks the previous record set in 2007 by the Foo Fighters for their hit single "The Pretender."

"Madness," is the latest single from Muse's album, "2nd Law".



Queens of the Stone Age Drop Another Cryptic Clue
Queens of the Stone Age obviously like to have fun. We do know that the band is working on their new album but the details are few and far between. However, the band has been dropping clues via cryptic messages to media outlets.

The band have previous sent two handwritten letters to music media outlets Uncut and Mojo with some clues about the forthcoming album.

Now the band has sent a new handwritten letter to Kerrang! that contained a drawn hand with several wristwatches and the following text: DEAR KERRANG,

…SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T FIX SO…

ON THIS RECORD WE CAME TO A REALIZATION: THE BEST TRICK OF ALL, IS NO TRICK AT ALL

THE SONGS ARE A REAL TIME DOCUMENT OF THE MANIC UPS AND DOWNS OF THE LAST YEAR. IT CAN'T ALWAYS RUN LIKE CLOCKWORK.

SO RATHER THAN CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE RECORDINGS, WE DECIDED TO RIDE SHOTGUN ON OUR EMOTIONAL BANDWAGON. WE EMBRACED OUR EVIL, HELD THE HORRIBLE, LICKED THE LUNACY AND BLEW THE BEAUTIFUL. AS A RESULT, WE'RE ON CLOUD 9.

I CAN'T WRITE ANYMORE CAUSE MY PHONE'S DYING,

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE more on this story




Def Leppard Delivering Digital Valentine
(hennemusic) Def Leppard's single, "When Love & Hate Collide", which originally appeared on the band's 1995 greatest-hits collection "Vault", will be released digitally for the first time on Valentine's Day (Thursday, February 14).

Written by vocalist Joe Elliott and bassist Rick Savage, the tune was originally demoed for 1992's "Adrenalize" album, but surfaced a few years later.

Upon its original release, "When Love & Hate Collide" reached #2 on the UK singles charts and #58 on the Billboard 100. more on this story




Megadeth Name New Album And Reveal Release Plans
(hennemusic) Megadeth have revealed details of their forthcoming new album. "Super Collider" will be released in June via Dave Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal.

"It was a real thrill for us to learn there was an opportunity to join Universal," said Mustaine. "It seems like every time you see a great band or music video, it comes from a Universal label. Being with Universal is by far the most exciting and prestigious home for Megadeth ever! We are electrified with what the future holds and the possibilities such a powerhouse like Universal will bring for us all. We have worked with some great people over the years, and it is amazing to see so many of them on the Universal team for our new record, 'Super Collider'. If Megadeth being here isn't satiating enough, having Tradecraft as my own label is going to be really amazing for metal bands around the world."

"Super Collider" is being recorded at Mustaine's Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California and is Megadeth's first release its recent split with Roadrunner Records. more on this story



Down Launching Spring Tour
Down will be hitting the road to perform a handful of headline tour dates this May.

The band will launch the seven-date mini tour on May 23 in Birmingham, AL and will make stops at the Maryland Deathfest, Raleigh, NC, Augusta, GA, Nashville, Broussard, LA and finish in New Orleans on May 31st.

Down will be touring in support of their latest release, Down IV Part I. The 6-song EP will be released on vinyl on February 26th. more on this story




Dave Grohl Taking Sound City Players Across The Pond
(Gibson) Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl has announced that he will be bringing his Sound City Players to London for a one-off show. On February 19 the all-star band will take the stage at The Forum. It will be their first concert outside the United States.

Sound City Players are made up of, among others, Grohl, members of Foo Fighters, Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, and Stevie Nicks.

During the band's set in Hollywood on January 31, they played for a stunning three and a half hours, where each performer would do original compositions as well as their contributions to the Sound City documentary soundtrack.

Tickets for the London gig have already gone on sale, and the day before the show the Sound City documentary will be shown on selected screens across the UK. The screening at Vue Leicester Square in London will be followed by a Q&A with Dave Grohl. more on this story






Jon Bon Jovi Worries That This Generation Lacks Interest In Music
(Gibson) Jon Bon Jovi gave his views on the current state of modern music in an interview with British magazine Star.

The 50-year old rocker is concerned that young people aren't "paying attention" to music in the same way that teenagers used to when Jon himself got his start in the industry. He also points out that with shows like American Idol and X Factor, young talent don't get the chance to mature on their own: "It's hard because they're thrust into a huge spotlight and they're expected to have a record on a par with the greats six weeks later."

On the question of whether Bon Jovi would have made it under such circumstances, Jon answered, "No, I had 21 years to write my first record." In fact, Bon Jovi did not hit the big time until their third album, Slippery When Wet, went multi-platinum. The first two albums, while moderately successful, allowed the band to mature in peace.

Jon does realize that there are plenty of talented musicians around today, no matter what genre they might belong to, saying "But you can't compare One Direction to the likes of Adele or Mumford & Sons. Their talent is invigorating. I'm glad to see talent continuing because I worry this generation isn't paying that much attention to music." more on this story






Joe Bonamassa Releasing An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House
Joe Bonamassa has set a March 26th North American and March 25th UK release date for "An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House."

The package will be released in various formats including 2-CD, 2-LP, 2-DVD and Blu-ray.

The release features a show captured during a stop at the Vienna Opera House during a special unplugged tour in July 2012.

Bonamassa explains, "Originally, when I had the idea of doing an all-acoustic concert, I imagined doing it solo. I'd surround myself with a bunch of guitars, tell the background story of each song, and then play it. Kevin believed the show would be more exciting with a band and he got to work. All of a sudden, we had a five-piece group, and 72 hours to rehearse 20 or so songs. It was amazing, different than anything I'd ever done before."

"An Acoustic Evening" will feature 22 songs include Woke Up Dreaming, Around The Bend, Driving Towards The Daylight, and Sloe Gin. more on this story




Terror To Join Hatebreed, Every Time I Die Tour
Hatebreed are about to wrap up their Divinity Of Purpose North American tour and already prepared to launch a new leg of the trek.

Terror announced on Tuesday that they will be joining Hatebreed, and Every Time I Die for the Divinity Of Purpose 2 Tour 2013, which will also feature Job For A Cowboy and This Is Hell.

The new trek will be kicking off on April 9th in Millvale, Pa and will conclude with a stop at the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival on April 20th.

Fans can expect Terror to perform music from their new album, Live By The Code, which is set to be released on April 9th.

Terror are currently on a North American tour with H20, Backtrack and Code Orange Kids which is set to conclude on March 3rd. more on this story




Green Day Expand North American Tour
Green Day have added two additional dates to their upcoming North American spring tour.

The new tour dates will take place in Berkeley, CA on April 16th and in Los Angeles, CA on April 18th.

The tour is set to kick off on March 28th in Rosemont, IL and is currently scheduled to conclude with the new Los Angeles show on April 18th.

The band will then head to Europe in May to kick off a three month long European and UK tour.

The band will be hitting the road in support of its recently released album trilogy Green Day ¡Uno!, Green Day ¡Dos!, and Green Day ¡Tré! more on this story




Phoenix Releasing New Album in April
Phoenix have set an April 23rd North American and April 22nd UK and European release date for their new album, Bankrupt!

The album was co-produced by the members of the band and producer Philippe Zdar.

The band will also be launching a North American tour that will kick off on March 28th in Vancouver, BC and includes their headlining set at the Coachella Festival.
more on this story




August Burns Red To Begin Recording New Album Next Week
August Burns Red will be entering the recording studio next week to begin recording their new studio album, which they expect to release this year.

"2012 turned out to be quite intense for us from a touring standpoint," says guitarist JB Brubaker. "We did more traveling than we had ever previously done in our career and after three straight months on the road to end the year I think we were all ready to come home and shift into writing/recording mode. Now that the writing is complete we are all itching to get started with the actual tracking."

"This new record will push the boundaries of our genre more than we ever have before," Brubaker continues excitedly. "We set out to write a record where every song stands out from the last. There is a lot of ground covered here and a ton of meat to this album. It's full of odd metered rhythms and breakdowns, unexpected twists and turns, and some of our most technical riffing to date. Each of us have parts that make our heads spin and we have had to practice like crazy to get some of this stuff together. I know we always say this, but this will be our most ambitious album yet." more on this story




Alice In Chains & Friends Launch Charity Auction
(hennemusic) The Alice In Chains & Friends Fantasy Football League launched its fourth annual charity auction on eBay this week.

The ten-day-long auction includes collectible items donated by league participants, such as a double-platinum plaque for Pantera's record, "Vulgar Display Of Power", autographed by Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul.

It also includes 2012 World Series memorabilia autographed by MLB pitcher Brian Wilson, G&L Tribute Series Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature Model Electric Guitar autographed by Jerry and more. more on this story




I Am Empire Releasing Sophomore Album Next Month
Tooth & Nail have set a March 26th release date for I Am Empire's new studio album, Anchors.

"We're always writing, and even when Kings was just finished, we got right back to writing and continued throughout the next year-and-a-half," says frontman Austin Lyons. "As we approached Anchors, we went into the studio with 30 songs and jammed our way through them all, but then recorded the best eight or nine and then finished up the rest in the studio."

"There are a couple of different themes throughout the record, starting with a lot of progression in my life and the idea of moving forward and rebuilding," reveals Lyons, also asserting the band's support of The Mentoring Project (which helps kids growing up without father figures). "Kings was my therapy from my upbringing, but things are getting better, which even plays out in why we named the album Anchors. It's about throwing away and getting rid of the weight that holds you down, which is something we also experienced collectively as a band. We've gone through seasons of getting burnt out from the road, difficult times financially and just going through rough stuff behind the scenes, but we came out of all that wanting to make a record that's 100% our art and not what anyone else wants us to be. Tooth & Nail said 'you guys just do your thing' and they've been completely supportive."

"If listeners can take away one thing from Anchors, it's the idea of just throwing away all your worries and casting them aside so you can be free mentally and spiritually in your life," sums up Lyons, who credits his high school sweetheart turned new bride in helping shift his perspective towards the positive. "You can't progress if there's a giant anchor tied to your ankle. You'll be stuck in the same spot as long as you want it there. As far as my Anchors go, I'm done with them. Just move forward and progress." more on this story




Foals, Surfer Blood and Blondfire Tour
Foals will be hitting the road in April to launch a spring headline tour of North America with support from Surfer Blood and Blondfire for most of the trek.

The tour is set to kick off on April 10th in Reno, NV, and will feature two performances at Coachella, and is scheduled to conclude on June 12th in Asheville, NC.

Foals are hitting the road in support of their third full-length album, Holy Fire, which was produced by Flood & Moulder (PJ Harvey, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins) at Assault & Battery studios in London. more on this story




Surfer Blood Releasing New Album in June
Warner Bros have set a June 11th release date for Surfer Blood's new studio album, Pythons.

The album was produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo and the Bunnymen) in Los Angeles and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Guided By Voices).

The band will be hitting the road later this month for a series of headline shows before they head to this year's SXSW, which will be followed by a North American run with Foals. more on this story





Singled Out: Psychothermia
Today Psychothermia singer Johan Maldonado tells us about the title track of their brand new album "Fall To The Rising Sun". Here is the story:

We're all very proud of our latest release "Fall To The Rising Sun". The title track clearly was a front runner for being our single as soon as it came together. We work well (definitely wouldn't say a well-oiled machine) under pressure and only had a few months to finish our debut album. FTTRS was a bubbling little track that we had been putting together for an advertising side project at the time. But the track blew me away the first time I heard it! I knew we had something more than just a good track, we had our SINGLE! As a little tidbit, Jon (guitar) had pulled the verse guitar part from a B-Side called "Fallen Tree". It fit perfectly and complimented his very unique whammy pedal intro and chorus parts.

Inspired, I felt the subject matter needed to be vocally epic and emotionally moving as well. We had been through a lot in the past couple of years. We've made every possible move to stay not only afloat, but ahead of ourselves. Lyrics in hand, I got myself in the recording booth and belted out what I feel was my strongest vocal performance on the album. It also helped that Mikey (drums) and Chenzo (bass) lit a fire under my ass for showing up a half hour late. "Stay one step ahead of yourself; stay one step ahead of the competition; always strive to better yourself… and if you don't, you fall to the rising sun. Fate will catch up with you," is the basic meaning behind the song and the new found mentality of the band. It's true… don't believe me!?!? Come see for yourself this March on our "FALL TO THE RISING SUN" southwest tour 2013. For details hit us up at all the usual social mobbing pages and www.psychothermia.com. Grassy ass amigos!!

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




Tommy Thayer of KISS Talking Metal and Guitars
Tommy Thayer of KISS is the featured guest on the latest episode of the Talking Metal podcast.

During the podcast Thayer talks with host Mark Strigl about his limited edition Epiphone signature model Les Paul guitar.

They also discusses Black N Blue, Hunter S Thompson, Vinnie Vincent, Judas Priest, Stars, Angel, the first Metal Massacre album and various Kiss albums including Monster, Sonic Boom, Hot In the Shade and Revenge. Check it out here.

More on KISS - KISS Music - KISS Tour Dates/Tickets - KISS CDs, vinyl and rarities
What You May Not Know About Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi
(Gibson) Tony Iommi turns 65 on February 19. The Black Sabbath rifflord is a legend of rock guitar, having a huge influence on heavy metal and all riff-rock for over four decades. The title of his autobiography, Iron Man – My Journey Through Heaven and Hell, is also well-named: Iommi recently had to undergo cancer treatment to finish recording the new Black Sabbath album due summer 2013.

You'll know the numerous classic riffs Tony Iommi has written. But what about the man himself? Gibson have collected 10 things you may not know about Tony Iommi.

He grew a mustache because of spiders and fireworks As a child, Iommi was scared of spiders. A boy neighbor – "Bobby Nuisance, which is the right name for him," recalled Iommi in 2011's book Iron Man – collected large spiders, and once chased Iommi down the street with them. "I was s**tting myself and running down this gravel road when I tripped, so all the gravel went into my face and along my lip. The scar is still there now. The kids even started calling my Scarface, so I got a terrible complex about that." Later, Iommi even had a "sparkler" firework go off in his face. "As soon as I could, I grew a mustache."

Led Zeppelin's John Bonham was one of his best friends: "John was a good friend, best man at my first wedding, and he liked us," says Iommi. "Sabbath jammed through "Supernaut" [from 1972 Sabbath album Vol. 4] with John on drums once. John loved that track. Though we ended up just jamming 12-bar blues at the end. "Supernaut" got too complicated for John! He was going all over the place."

Iommi "Invented" Ultra-Light Gauge Strings: After Iommi lost his fingertips he had to apply thimbles to extend his two damaged fingers. Originally, he self-made the thimbles with the plastic bottle caps of Fairy dishwashing liquid (think Dawn, in the U.S.) His thimbles are now leather. But regular strings were still too painful too play. He bought banjo strings and used the lightest for B and high E. "This way, I managed to get rid of the low E string, using an A string instead." Iommi tried to persuade string manufacturers to make such a "complete" set but most told him, "Nobody's ever going to buy them." He wasn't successful until the U.K's Picato company agreed in 1970.

Iommi's strings had a .008" gauge for the top E. Jimmy Page, Brian May and Billy Gibbons have all since used .008" top E strings. Compare that with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pete Townshend and Malcolm Young from AC/DC who all use (or used) .012″ or heavier.

Iommi says he's been told by producers that he needed a set of thick strings to get a big sound. "I've never used a set of thick strings and I do have a big sound."

For D# (root) tuning, his gauges are .008, .008, .011 (unwound), .018 .024, and .032. For C# tuning, he uses .009, .010, .012 (unwound), .020, .032 and .042.

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Guns N' Roses Leader Axl Rose Loses $20 Million Legal Battle
(Classic Rock) Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has lost his court case against video game maker Activision.
Rose had been battling the corporation since 2010, claiming they'd breached an agreement over his appearance in 2007′s Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock.

He said they'd been allowed to use classic track Welcome To The Jungle as long as former colleague Slash and his then-active band Velvet Revolver didn't appear in the game. But when it was released Slash was the main image on the cover artwork, leading Rose to call his lawyers in.

He'd had demanded $20m in compensation, arguing that the song's appearance helped the firm generate over $1bn in sales.

On Friday Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charles Palmer threw out the last of the singer's arguments, after having previously ruled out his claims of fraud and misrepresentation. more on this story



Bon Jovi Tour Opener Sidelined By Blizzard But Band Plays Free Show
Bon Jovi was forced to postpone the first concert of their North American tour after a blizzard hit New England.

The band was set to kick off the tour on Saturday night in Connecticut but after the governor declared a state of emergency and issued a mandatory statewide travel ban, the group was forced to postpone the show.

But fans and employees who were at the Mohegan Sun Arena were treated to a free impromptu concert on Saturday night, according to the band's website.

They said of the surprise set, "Bon Jovi recognizes how much preparation it takes for fans to attend a concert and they wanted to honor that the best way that they know how."

The band has already announced that the make up date for the show will take place on October 25th and tickets from the original concert will be honored on the new date.




Former Korn Star Strikes Plea Deal
Former Korn drummer David Silveria has struck a plea deal for his DUI arrest last March in Orange County, Ca.

Silveria was charged with driving under the influence after he admitted to police that he had taken a sleeping pill the night before.

He was questioned after he rear-ended another vehicle while on the way to breakfast and then allegedly left the scene of the accident on March 25th in Huntington Beach, Ca.

Silveria said that he suffered from insomnia and had taken a sleeping pill, but didn't realize that he was still too exhausted to drive the next morning when the accident occurred.

The drummer originally entered a not guilty plea to the DUI as well as a hit and run charge. more on this story



Rick Rubin Wanted Ginger Baker For Black Sabbath
(Classic Rock) Always-controversial producer Rick Rubin wanted Cream drummer Ginger Baker to replace Bill Ward in Black Sabbath, guitarist Tony Iommi has revealed.

The band's plans for 13, their first album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978′s Never Say Die were thrown into turmoil after Ward refused to participate saying he hadn't been offered a contact that was "signable."

But Iommi, who faced his own challenges with a cancer battle, rejected Rubin's suggestion of calling Baker, who was recently named rock's craziest drummer.

The guitarist tells Rolling Stone: "I thought, 'Bloody hell!' I just couldn't see that." more on this story



Bret Michaels Previews Loretta Lynn 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn' Duet
(hennemusic) Bret Michaels is offering up previews of tracks from his forthcoming new solo album, "Good Songs & Great Friends," which is due March 26.

The latest is Bret's duet with country music legend Loretta Lynn on a remake of Poison's smash hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."

"Good Songs & Great Friends" also includes a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from Lynyrd Skynyrd playing on the track.

The album also features guest appearances from Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Michael Anthony of Van Halen/Chickenfoot, Leslie West of Mountain, Ace Frehley of Kiss/Frehley's Comet, and others. Check out the preview here.



KISS Frontman Paul Stanley Appearing on Alice Cooper's Radio Show
(hennemusic) KISS frontman Paul Stanley will appear on Alice Cooper's syndicated radio program, "Nights with Alice Cooper," on Wednesday, February 13 and Thursday, February 21.

According to the producer, Paul's interview was "so great" they had to make it a two-part feature.

"Nights with Alice Cooper" is broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the U.S., six in Canada, and is also available in the U.K. and Australia. more on this story




Johnny Marr Launching North American Solo Tour
(Gibson) Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has announced an 18-date North American tour in support of his new solo album, The Messenger.

Kicking off in Las Vegas on April 11, the three-week trek will follow several U.K. dates slated for March.

The North American tour includes two shows with New Order and performances both weekends of the Coachella Festival. Set for release on February 26, The Messenger is said by Details magazine to "hark back to the '80s with chiming, effects-laden guitars and dreamy vocals."

The album was written and produced by Marr, who recorded in Manchester and in Berlin. Engineer Frank Arkwright mastered the disc at Abbey Road Studios. more on this story





Thin Lizzy Cancel Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Due to circumstances "way beyond the band's control," Thin Lizzy have announced the cancellation of most of their headline appearances on the forthcoming Australia tour.

All Thin Lizzy shows announced with KISS and Motley Crue will take place along with the headline show at Melbourne's Billboard on March 4th.

Thin Lizzy have recently morphed into the new band, Black Star Riders. The group completed recording their debut album last week, after less than a month in the studio with producer Kevin Shirley; release date is to be announced. more on this story




David Bowie and Iggy Pop's Berlin Years Inspires New Film
(Radio.com) David Bowie's time spent in Berlin, Germany in the late 1970s, during which time his roommate was Iggy Pop, is the stuff of sex, drugs and rock & roll myths.

Now it seems these tales will come to life in a new biopic about Bowie and the Stooges frontman, tentatively titled (after the latter's heroin-inspired hit) Lust for Life.

Bowie relocated to Germany in late 1976 for the avant garde art scene and the collaboration of Pop, Brian Eno and more. Bowie would go on to make albums that comprise his Berlin triology: 1977′s Low, 1977′s Heroes 1979′s Lodger, while simultaneously working with Pop on his first two solo albums, The Idiot and Lust for Life (both in 1977).

"[Lust for Life] is not a traditional rock biopic, for no one dies at the end," producer Egoli Tossell said in a statement.

It's an unconventional biopic in more ways than that, however. The central character of the film will be rather obtuse. more.



3 Inches Of Blood and Goatwhore Plan Spring Tour
3 Inches Of Blood will be teaming up with Goatwhore this spring to launch a North American coheadlining tour.

The tour is set to kick off on April 11th in Kelowna, BC and will conclude on May 4th in Cleveland, OH.

The bands will also be making a stop along the tour to take part in the infamous New England Metal & Hardcore Festival on April 20th.

3 Inches Of Blood will be touring to support their latest album, Long Live Heavy Metal. more on this story




Fleetwood Mac Star Can't Ask Christine McVie To Rejoin The Band
(Classic Rock) Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood admits he's not allowed to ask Christine McVie to rejoin the band again.

She retired in 1998 and has only attended a handful of shows since then – but she's made it clear she has no interest in making a comeback. Fleetwood tells the Telegraph: "I've had to agree to stop asking her."

The band were able to regain guitarist Lindsey Buckingham in 2003, although Fleetwood admits that reopened some of the four-piece's infamous emotional wounds.

"To see Stevie Nicks, just a week ago, saying to Lindsey that she understood he left because he couldn't stand to see her destroy herself – it was a heavy, good moment. I'm moved even talking about this." more on this story




Dio Members Making Tour Plans
(Classic Rock) The original surviving members of Dio are aiming to tour the UK in July as part of a wider European tour.

Last In Line consists of guitarist Vivian Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain, keyboardist Claude Schnell and drummer Vinny Appice.

They're joined by former Lynch Mob and Hurricane vocalist Andy Freeman, who'll fill the gap left by the late Ronnie James Dio.

Campbell – who left Dio in 1987 to join Whitesnake and has been with Def Leppard since 1992 – tells BackstageAxxess: "We're calling it Last In LIne after the second album." more on this story




The Melvins Recruit Friends For Covers Album
The Melvins have set an April 30th release date for their new covers album, "Everybody Loves Sausages." Their camp sent over these details:

"This record will give people a peak into the kind of things that influence us musically," explains Buzz Osborne. "We REALLY like all of these songs along with the bands who actually wrote this stuff because first and foremost we are HUGE music fans."

In a decidedly Melvins approach to a covers album, the band not only selected a unique assortment of songs to cover, ranging from Roxy Music's "In Every Dream Home A Heartache" to Queen's "Best Friend," they also enlisted several friends to take part including Mudhoney's Mark Arm joining them for The Scientists' "Set It On Fire" and Neurosis' Scott Kelly pitching in on a cover of Venom's "Warhead."

While the release is billed as a proper Melvins' album (featuring the line-up of Osborne, Dale Crover, Jared Warren and Coady Willis), there are a handful of songs recorded as the Melvins Lite incarnation of the band (Osborne, Crover and Trevor Dunn): "Female Trouble" (Divine a.k.a. John Waters), "Timothy Leary Lives" (Pop-O-Pies) and "Romance By Tales of Terror" (Tales of Terror). more on this story




The Toadies Announce 2013 Dia De Los Toadies
The Toadies are taking their annual music festival, Dia De Los Toadies, home this year to Fort Worth, Texas.

The festival, their sixth, will take place on September 13th and 14th at the Panther Island Pavilion.

Toadies will be kicking it off with acoustic fireside performance on Friday along with not-yet-announced special guests.

The next day the band will headline the festival which will feature a "full day of bands," with only the Toadies announced so far.

"It's been great moving the Dia festival around Texas, but at a certain point, we realized that we need to share it with our hometown, Fort Worth, where the band is still based. Â We played Billy Bob's last year and it reminded us what a hometown crowd is like, so moving the festival made perfect sense," says Toadies guitarist, Clark Vogeler. more on this story




Halestorm Win Hard Rock/Metal Grammy Award
(Classic Rock) Halestorm won the 2013 Hard Rock/Metal Grammy for their track Love Bites (So Do I) on Sunday Night, beating Iron Maiden, Megadeth Anthrax, Marilyn Manson and Lamb of God for the award.

Lzzy Hale's outfit thanked their parents and fellow nominees after being named winners for their track from 2012 album The Strange Case Of… She said: "The song wouldn't have been possible without these people."

The revamped single award for rock and metal was handed out ahead of the televised ceremony featuring what are regarded as the mainstream Grammys. more on this story



Slade's Noddy Holder Hopes Exhibition Will Gain Glam Era More Respect
(Classic Rock) Former Slade frontman Noddy Holder hopes a new art exhibition will make people take the glam era more seriously.

His Wolverhampton outfit were among the leaders of the early 1970s movement, spearheading experimentation with glitter makeup, high heels and outrageous costumes.

The trend was taken in different directions by artists including David Bowie, T Rex, Roxy Music and The Sweet. Their fashion statements later influenced American rock outfits including Motley Crue, WASP and Twisted Sister.

Now the Tate Liverpool gallery is hosting Glam! The Performance Of Style until May 12, featuring over 100 artworks from big names including Andy Warhol, David Hockney and many others. more on this story



Dunlop Releases Eddie Van Halen Signature Effects Anniversary Series
(hennemusic) Dunlop is celebrating 35 years since the debut of Eddie Van Halen with the Limited Edition 35th Anniversary Series of EVH signature effects.

The gear features finishes based on Eddie's legendary black and white and Frankenstein guitars. With premium quality high-gloss paints, the result is a collection of richly finished pedals that are as ready for the showroom floor as they are for the road.

The 35th Anniversary series include the MXR EVH-117 Flanger, the MXR EVH Phase 90, and the Dunlop EVH Wah Guitar Effects Pedal. more on this story




Neil Young, Elton John, Sting Tribute Bruce Springsteen
(Classic Rock) Bruce Springsteen helped raise more than $250,000 for MusiCares at the weekend, during a gala night in which he was named Person Of The Year by the charity.

The evening included a tribute concert featuring Neil Young, Elton John, Sting and many others, before the Boss himself hit the stage.

Gala host Jon Stewart hailed Springsteen's music, saying how it inspired him as a young hopeful to think, "I am not a loser – I am a character in an epic poem about losers." more on this story





Singled Out: Cartel
Today Cartel frontman Will Pugh tells us about the song "Uninspired," the first track released from their new album 'Collider,' which will be released on March 26th. Here is the story:

I've had the lyric "I'm a bit overwhelmed. Some may call it uninspired..." in my head for at least 4 years at this point. As a songwriter, little "nuggets" of songs come like an epiphany and then you spend the rest of your time trying to figure out how to make the rest of the song live up to how good you think that "nugget" or "embryo" is. It's truly a painstaking task. That's what writing Uninspired was like. I had the riff and a demo to sing the melody to but I had no clear direction other than what the initial lyric laid out. It was only when we came down to recording that I finally grasped a clear picture of what I wanted to convey lyrically.

The song is about coming to the end of the road creatively. That is to say, at some point, every artists feels like they've drained the well or the resource for the creative juices that lead to uninhibited expression. I had sort of hit a brick wall in knowing what to write about when it came to Cartel. So, I decided to write the most honest song I could about what it's like being in a band that has seen and done it all. The vulnerability that is exhibited in this song is unparalleled in the rest of Cartel's body of work. Thus, once I wrote "...so what is there left to do when someone's so young and admired?", I had found the appropriate way forward.

This has turned into one of our favorite songs we've ever done and I think that's evident when listening to the track. We put our all into this entire record and we're happy to have released Uninspired to the world and see them enjoy it as much as we do.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!




Bret Michaels Previews New TV Series
(hennemusic) Fans can watch a preview of Poison singer Bret Michaels hosting the all-new series "Rock My RV" which will air on Travel Channel beginning in May.

Fans of Michaels know him as a long-time RV devotee, and now Travel Channel is revealing, for the first time, just how deep his RV passions run. Michaels, a hands-on enthusiast, leads a team of skilled, custom RV designers and fabricators who transform travelers' ordinary RVs into the most outrageous, badass, hooked-up mobile mansions on the road.

"For the past 25 years, Bret Michaels has spent at least 9 months out of the year in a tour bus that he personally designs from top to bottom," said Andy Singer, Travel Channel GM. "We couldn't think of a better frontman than Bret for the series. He lives and breathes life on the road, and undoubtedly, holds the record for the most hours logged in a custom coach. Bret jumped at the chance to share his passion for travel and the RV experience through the fascinating, obsessive world of customizing RVs."

"Between touring and traveling, I spend a lot of time on the road, and my tricked-out, custom coach is my home away from home," says Michaels. "I crisscross the country and live in my tour bus, and I know how to take an RV from ordinary to extraordinary. I can't wait to put my expertise to use and show people how to make their RVs rock." Check out the preview here.




Jack White Performs At The Grammys
(hennemusic) Jack White performed at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, live from Los Angeles.

White was nominated for three awards from "Blunderbuss", including Album of the Year, Best Rock Album, and "Freedom At 21" for Best Rock Song.

Jack went zero-for-three on the evening, but did rock the show with a performance of "Love Interruption" and "Freedom At 21."

"Blunderbuss" was named the biggest selling vinyl album of 2012, with sales of more than 33,000 copies. Watch the Grammy performance here.



Gemini Syndrome Release New Video and Offer Free Song Download
Gemini Syndrome recently signed to Warner Bros. Records and hit the road with Mushroomhead on Friday.

The celebrate the new tour, the band have release a music video for their first single and are also offering fans a free download of the song.

You can check out the video for "Pleasure & Pain" here and if you like what you hear, you can download the track

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Black Sabbath Plan North American Summer Tour
It looks like it will be Sabbath Summer Sabbath for North American Black Sabbath fans as Geezer Butler laid out the band's upcoming tour plans in a recent interview.
The legendary metal band will be releasing, 13, their first album since reuniting with Ozzy Osbourne in June and we now learn they do intend to tour behind the effort despite guitarist Tony Iommi's battle with cancer.

Geezer Butler was interviewed at the NAMM show last month and said the album was currently being mixed and laid out the band's touring plans for this year to support the effort.

"We start at the end of April in New Zealand, then we go to Australia, then Japan. June, we'll be promoting the album, then July and August [is] USA. Then October is South America and Europe in November and December."

He was also asked who would be playing drums on the tour, Brad Wilk who recorded the album with them or Ozzy's solo band drummer Tommy Clufetos who has been playing with them live and Geezer said that detail has not yet been worked out. You can watch the video interview here.



Randy Blythe's Manslaughter Trial Delayed
(Classic Rock) Randy Blythe's manslaughter trial will be delayed until next month after the Lamb of God singer's lawyers asked for a postponement.

Blythe will return to the United States until proceedings begin again in Prague on March 4.

The delay was agreed after an essential witness was too ill to attend the court. Blythe said earlier this week via his Instagram account: "I have heard of some people talking smack about the Czech Republic. This not how it should be." read more.




Van Halen Classic Albums Remastered For Box Set
Van Halen have set a March 26th release date for a new limited edition box set entitled "Van Halen: The Studio Albums 1978-1984."

The 6-CD set features all the remastered albums from the original lineup of the group from their self-titled debut through "1984."

It appears that the set will not feature bonus tracks of extras, the CDs will be in mini-jackets and the housed in a clamshell box.

Van Halen: Runnin' With The Devil • Eruption • You Really Got Me • Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love • I'm The One • Jamie's Cryin' • Atomic Punk • Feel Your Love Tonight • Little Dreamer • Ice Cream Man • On Fire

Van Halen II: You're No Good • Dance The Night Away • Somebody Get Me A Doctor • Bottoms Up! • Outta Love Again • Light Up The Sky • Spanish Fly • D.O.A. • Women In Love... • Beautiful Girls.
more.




Motley Crue Not Far From Retirement
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue are at work on another album, says Nikki Sixx, despite Vince Neil's suggestion that they wouldn't make another long-player.

But the bassist also confirms the band are thinking about ending their career, with a farewell tour in the "near future," because they want to bow out while they're enjoying a high point in their history.

The veteran outfit know they can't go on for ever, Sixx says. "We haven't been shy that Motley Crue has been talking about somewhere in the near future doing a farewell tour," he reports.

"It's not that we hate each other, or we don't work together well. I think it's just, at some point we want to leave it with some sort of a legacy. I see some bands that keep beating a dead horse and I'm like, 'Get off the horse, dude.'" more on this story





Baroness Tour Bus Driver Facing Criminal Charges
(Classic Rock) Baroness' tour bus driver is to face criminal charges as a result of the crash that left the band seriously injured.

Norman Markus, a 39-year-old German, will appear in Bath Magistrates' Court on April 5.

He will face charges of dangerous driving, using a vehicle with defective brakes, breaching a weight limit, taking insufficient rest periods and using a vehicle in a condition likely to cause injury. More rock news.




Elton John To Guest On New Queens Of The Stone Age Album
(Classic Rock) Queens Of The Stone Age have recruited Elton John to guest on their upcoming album.

John confirmed the news while speaking to Dave Ghrohl, who's recorded drums for the record, on US TV.

Josh Homme's guest list on the follow-up to 2007′s Era Vulgaris features Mark Lanegan, Nick Oliveri, Trent Reznor, Brody Dalle and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. More rock news.




Muse For March Madness
(Radio.com) The NCAA unveiled Muse's Grammy-nominated hit "Madness" as the official soundtrack to the 2013 March Madness Men's Basketball Tournament.

"Muse: Madness" features the UK band's hit single with a montage of highlight footage from NCAA basketball games mixed with live shots of the band on their current tour for The 2nd Law.

"I kind of felt like that would be a good direction to go in for us, because everything we normally do is quite overblown and theatrical and all that stuff," Muse frontman Matt Bellamy told Radio.com about the creation of "Madness" during an exclusive interview.

"I was quite into the minimalism of it. So it was written in that way. It was just me alone in a room, jaded, basically. That's how the song emerged." Check it out.




KISS Hacker Pleads Guilty
(Classic Rock) A 25-year-old man has pled guilty to being part of an Anonymous attack on Kiss star Gene Simmons' websites.

The attack took place in 2010 after Simmons argued the music industry should react strongly to online piracy, saying: "Sue everybody. Take their houses, their cars."

Kevin George Poe faces up to a year's probation including as much as six months of house arrest. more rock news.




Dave Grohl Guests on RDGLDGRN Song
(Gibson) Ever eager to find new collaborations, Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl have once again found himself behind the drums of another band.

Grohl, who grew up in northern Virginia is playing drums on the song "I Love Lamp" by Washington D.C. based rockers RDGLDGRN.

The title of the song alludes to a line by Steve Carell in the now classic comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The track itself has some great guitar lines backed by Grohl's heavy drum sound.

"I Love Lamp" is taken from RDGLDGRN's self-titled debut EP, to be released on February 12. It is quite a feat to score a drummer of Grohl's caliber for your debut. The trio apparently met Grohl last summer at LA's Sound City Studios while he was working on his documentary about the studio. more on this story






Rihanna Sidelines Extreme's Tour Plans
(hennemusic) Extreme have postponed a series of Australian dates in April due to Rihanna's world tour scheduling.

"Due to an unforeseen conflict in scheduling, Extreme regret that they will be postponing their previously announced 2013 April Australian tour," posted the group.

"The band are looking forward to returning to Australia and reconnecting with their loyal fans and are working with Lennard Promotions on rescheduling the tour. All tickets purchased will be fully refunded and revised dates for the tour will be announced at a later time. Extreme and Lennard Promotions regret any inconvenience that this rescheduling may cause for those who have already purchased tickets and look forward to announcing revised dates as soon as possible."

Extreme's plans have changed due to Nuno Bettencourt's commitments as touring guitarist for Rihanna. more on this story





Iron Maiden's Steve Harris Kicking Off Solo Tour With Charity Show
(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden mainman Steve Harris will kick off his first-ever solo tour with a charity show in Portugal.

The event takes place at the Moto Clube de Faro on February 20. Tickets cost €10 with all profits going to the Red Cross.

Harris and the club have a long-standing relationship through mutual friend Manu DaSilva, who died in 2006, leading to Maiden's appearance in Portugal to pay tribute in 2011.

The bassist says: "We're really looking forward to starting off the tour at the Moto Clube de Faro. They have a brand-new 600-capacity clubhouse which makes an ideal venue for our first-ever live show. We're very pleased to be donating to the Red Cross." more on this story




Anthrax Drummer Now Sees Caggiano's Departure As A Bit Sketchy
(Classic Rock) Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante describes Rob Caggiano's departure from the band, followed by his decision to join Volbeat, as seeming "a bit sketchy."

The guitarist surprised his bandmates and fans alike by announcing he'd quit last month, saying he wanted to concentrate on production in the near future, and later adding his time with the thrash giants hadn't been creative.

His first desk job was with Volbeat – but earlier this week he confirmed that, as a result of the studio work, he'd joined the band full-time.

Benante tells Metal Insider, "I know a lot of our fans were sad to see him go, but were like, 'If you want to go produce, we understand that.' But when you read that he went to go join another band, that makes it seem a bit sketchy." Read the rest of what he had to say here.




Chris Squire Reacts To Rush Being Inducted Into Rock Hall Before Yes
(hennemusic) In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Yes bassist Chris Squire discusses, among other topics, how he feels about being snubbed by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for another year, and comments on Rush's upcoming induction.

Q: Rush are getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Are you at all miffed they got it before you?

A: (Laughs) "No, I can't object to that. Logistically, it's probably difficult for whoever the committee is to bring in Yes. Rush is fairly simple. It's the same three guys and always has been. They deserve to be there, no doubt about that.

But there still seems to be a certain bias towards early-Seventies prog rock bands like Yes and King Crimson. I still think it's weird that Chicago isn't in. That to me is odd. In our case, we're on our 18th member. If we ever do get inducted, it would be only fair to have all the members, old and new. So that may be a problem for the committee. I don't know." more on this story




Dislike of Rush Led To Coheed & Cambria?
(Radio.com) It may be the similarity between that Coheed & Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez voice to Geddy Lee's that so many fans draw comparisons between the bands.

But Claudio Sanchez would like to clear up the misconception that Coheed & Cambria are big Rush fans. Moreover, if it hadn't been for his initial dislike of the band, Sanchez may never have picked up a guitar. Confused?

In a tale told to Radio.com, Sanchez explains when he began playing music, his first choice was the drums. Despite the fact that he didn't even own a drum set, he teamed with his best friend and went on the hunt for a guitar player.

The guitarist they found who considered joining had one stipulation; "We have to play Rush covers." Smiling, Sanchez admits he had no idea who Rush was at the time but acquiesced and said, "Sure, why not…" But later that night, the would-be guitarist decided not to join the band, telling Sanchez through a friend, "You guys are just a bunch of dreamers. Nothing's ever gonna happen for you."

Wanting nothing more than to make him eat his words, Sanchez decided to learn to play the guitar. "And that's why I had no interest in Rush," recalls Sanchez. "It's so funny that it became the one band that everyone compares us to." How does he feel about Rush now?




Soundgarden Recording Final Tour Stop For TV
(hennemusic) The final date of Soundgarden's current North American tour, in support of "King Animal," will be filmed by the television series "Live From The Artist's Den."

The three-time New York Emmy-Nominated music television series features popular recording artists performing in non-traditional settings throughout North America.

The program is giving away round-trip airfare & tickets for one fan & a guest to attend the February 17th show at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. more on this story




Troggs' Cliff Britton Tributes Reg Presley
(Classic Rock) Troggs guitarist Cliff Britton has paid tribute to singer Reg Presley, who died on Monday after a cancer battle.

Britton says: "He was a very positive character who had a weird and wonderful sense of humour. A good and very reliable bloke to work with."

Presley retired in 2012 after being diagnosed with the disease but remained close to his bandmates, who continue to play with guest vocalist Chris Allen. more on this story




Van Halen Streams Japanese Radio Show Debut
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth is sharing audio of his first radio broadcast in Japan.

Entitled "David Lee Roth's Tokyo Hi-Power Style Radio Show", the word is that Roth has been renting recording studio space in Japan and recently put together a program.

Dave is joined by a female translator for the show, which features a variety of music styles and, naturally, Roth rambling, laughing and singing along with the tunes. more on this story





Planet Rock Sold To Kerrang Radio Owner
(Classic Rock) Struggling digital radio channel Planet Rock has been bought by Bauer Media for around £1.3m (approx $2.04m) but the move could put Kerrang Radio's future in doubt because the German firm now owns both.

Planet Rock – which features on-air hosts Alice Cooper, Joe Elliott and Joe Bonamassa, amongst others – had been on the market for some time as former owner Malcolm Bluemel tried to stem losses of approximately £300,000 a year. Much of the cost came from broadcasting charges of around £1m per annum.

Bluemel says: "Planet Rock is going to a great home. Bauer is a business that really cares about building brands and music radio in particular. The station is in safe hands with the new owners and I'm looking forward to following its success."

The channel has around 877,000 regular listeners, fewer than Kerrang's 1.3m – but Bauer appear to be committed to digital national radio, meaning Kerrang's FM regional base may be worth less to the firm. more on this story




Singled Out: JL Stiles
Today JL Stiles tells us about the song "Movin'" from his brand new album "JL Stiles Presents The House of Murmurs". Here is the story:

Movin' is about a high school student I had named Seth Koeller, who I tutored in Mathematics and guitar. Seth and I had quite a few run-ins on doing his Mathematics, which he resisted and made a big deal out of doing, but he could fingerpick damn well and had lots of talent and passion as well as angst galore. Seth's greatest strength was honesty and he loved his dog Pico, a very sweet Golden. In the house there was a picture of Seth surfing when he was just a little kid. Apparently he was quite good, naturally very athletic and beautiful. The girls loved him, obviously, even though we never talked about that stuff. I mostly fought with him or tried to outsmart him, uncuccessfully, into doing his math and keeping his mom and dad, Mary and Paul, happy. Seth did say he would like to be an astronaut and I told him he would definitely need to learn some math for that. I became close with the family, really loved them; sometimes patched up friction as the outside ear.

Well, one night I got a call from another mother whose son I was tutoring telling me Seth was dead, that he had been hit by a car after curfew late at night while walking along the narrow and treacherous route 1 out by Montara. Mary was too old to have another. I woke up one night really late and started singing the opening chorus and then the verses came out quickly. The marimba part stuck in my head for a long time until I found that marimba waiting for me at the Bakery Studios in Athens, GA. I didn't know they had one and such a thing is not common to come by.

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




Hellogoodbye Release Finding Something To Do Video
Hellogoodbye have released a new music video for their song "Finding Something To Do".

The band decided to take a camera crew with them on a mini-tour, with the end result of creating a tour video for their classic track, "Finding Something To Do".

The video was shot at their NYC holiday show this past November, and in it fans will also see combinations of concert scenes along with pieces of the band members hanging out backstage, being themselves. Watch the video here





Classic Rock Preview Jimi Hendrix Fanpack
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock's Jim Hendrix People, Hell & Angels Fanpack goes on sale next month but they have released an exclusive 'page turner' preview online.

Our Fanpack features the brand new studio recorded album by Jimi Hendrix in full, a 116-page magazine that forms the ultimate sleevenotes to the new album, plus two exclusive collectible A4 artcards.

The album consists of 12 previously unreleased tracks recorded by Jimi Hendrix whilst starring in the 'Jimi Hendrix Experience'.

This special album showcases the legendary guitarist working outside of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience trio. Beginning in 1968, Hendrix grew restless, eager to develop new material with old friends and new ensembles. Outside the view of a massive audience that had established the Experience as rock's largest grossing concert act and simultaneously placed two of his albums together in the US Top 10 sales chart, Jimi was busy working behind the scenes to craft his next musical statement.

These 12 recordings encompass a variety of unique sounds and styles incorporating many of the elements – horns, keyboards, percussion and second guitar – Jimi wanted to incorporate within his new music. People, Hell & Angels presents some of the finest Jimi Hendrix guitar work ever issued and provides a compelling window into his growth as a songwriter, musician and producer. Check out the page turner preview here.




Eric Clapton Talks Up and Demonstrates Lucy Les Paul
(Gibson) Eric Clapton recently was filmed at his London home talking with Guitar Center representatives about, well, guitars.

The chat was conducted in part to promote the Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Collection, a limited-edition series that features five Clapton tribute, replica and signature guitars.

In the video, Clapton talks about the George Harrison-Eric Clapton "Lucy" Les Paul, and offers up a few licks on the instrument as well.

Clapton played the beautiful, cherry red guitar on The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Harrison can be seen playing the guitar in the 1968 promo film for "Revolution."