Ozzy Sets Home On Fire
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne had a song called "Fire in the Sky" on his 1988 album "No Rest For The Wicked" but the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness had fire in his home this week as well.
Firefighters were called to Osbourne's Los Angeles home on Tuesday after Ozzy started a fire while attempting to make himself a bacon sandwich, according to his wife Sharon.
Sharon's unattended candle was blamed with a fire in the Osbourne home back in January but she assured fans that she had nothing to do with this blaze. She tweeted fans, "I'm in London, @OfficialOzzy is in LA making a bacon sandwich last night and the fire brigade ended up at our house!!"
Ozzy was injured in the previous fire, no word if he suffered any injury in this week's fire. You can read the report about the previous fire - here.
Santana, Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie Reunite at Journey Show
It has been over 40 years since Santana band veterans Carlos Santana, Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie had shared the stage together, but that all changed at the end of Journey's concert at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
Local newspaper The Las Vegas Sun reports that Santana and Rolie took the stage at the end of Journey's encore without introduction and began jamming for five minutes.
Then Santana and Rolie joined the band in a performance of the instrumental "Soul Sacrifice" which was immortalized on the Woodstock soundtrack and concert film.
The Sun reports "Schon, Rolie and Santana were frequently set apart, having a good mini-jam amid the roar of the band." Some footage of the reunion jam has made its way online. You can watch it here and get more details and check out photos - here.
Ted Nugent's Wife Arrested
Shemane Nugent, wife of legendary rocker Ted Nugent, was arrested at the Dallas-Ft. Worth international airport on Thursday after she allegedly tried to go through airport security while carrying a firearm in her bag.
The story originally broke on online tabloid sites with very few details, but ABC News Radio followed up and uncovered additional information and confirmed with authorities at the airport that a woman named Shemane Ann Nugent was arrested.
Security agents at the airport discovered a gun in Nugent's carry-on bag when it was X-rayed. She was arrested and 'processed through the airport's holding facility before being released during the afternoon,' according to the - report.
Iron Maiden Tops Billboard's Hot Tours Chart
Iron Maiden has once again topped Billboard's Hot Tours chart. The publication reports that the veteran metal band earned this week's top ranking on the strength of the final dates of their European summer tour.
The band launched their Maiden England tour in 2012 in celebration of the anniversary of their acclaimed Maiden England home video which was filmed during their 1988 Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour world wide trek in support of their "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" album.
The band kicked off this chart topping leg in May and the final six shows of the trek earned $8.5 million from 121,280 tickets sold, giving the band the top spot on the Hot Tours chart.
Iron Maiden closed out the tour with a sold out two night stand at the O2 Arena in London on August 3rd and 4th and the band will next embark on a short run of dates in North and South America that will bring the epic world tour to a close on October 2nd. - See who else made the chart here.
Pop Star Fergie Names Son After Guns N' Roses Frontman Axl Rose
Black Eyed Peas star Fergie gave birth to her first child yesterday (August 29th) and she and her husband, actor Josh Duhamel, named their baby boy Axl after famed Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.
Fergie does have a history with Guns N' Roses, so the baby's name isn't a complete surprise to fans. Fergie has emulated Axl in the past and worked with one of his former bandmates.
The pop singer was one of the special guests on former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash's 2010 solo album and Slash joined her during the 2011 Super Bowl halftime show for a performance of the Guns N' Roses classic "Sweet Child of Mine."
Fergie also famously imitated Axl Rose's trademark serpentine dance moves when she performed on the Today show in 2008. Watch video of the Today show performance - here.
Jack White Recording New Songs With The Dead Weather
(Radio.com) As if Jack White wasn't busy enough working with Jay Z, getting divorced and saving historical landmarks, it seems he's added another project to his already full plate.
Yesterday morning (August 29), White's Third Man Records tweeted a photo of The Dead Weather with the message, "Working on new songs in the studio yesterday… (and searching for bodies)."
An accompanying photo features the band–White, The Kills' Alison Mosshart, bassist Jack Lawrence and guitarist Dean Fertita, who is also in Queens of the Stone Age–just posing in front of a backhoe like it's no big deal.
While the tweet surprised some, White was already hinting that there was another record in the works earlier this year telling Rolling Stone that band had recorded "some things," but a new album was dependent on when the members of the band could find some time away from their other respective projects.
"Our things pick their place for us. We don't really sit down and pick them… Like, the Kills make a record or Queens of the Stone Age makes a record, I make a record, and it all falls into place, you know?," he said. - more on this story
Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington Reveal EP Details
Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington have followed up the breaking news that they will be releasing their debut EP in October by revealing the tracklisting for the effort.
The band is now officially billed as Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington, after the Linkin Park frontman took over vocal duties following the firing of former singer Scott Weiland.
The new EP will be entitled "High Rise" and the band will be releasing the effort on their very own record label, Play Pen (distributed through ADA), on October 8th.
As we previously reported, the EP will include the group's debut single "Out of Time", which has topped both the mainstream and active rock radio charts.
Additional song titles include "Black Heart," "Same on the Inside," "Cry Cry," and "Tomorrow". The band will be kicking off their North American tour next week. - more on this story
The Who Releasing Massive Super Deluxe Edition of Tommy
Fans of The Who will be receiving an early Christmas present from the legendary rock group on November 11th in the UK and November 12th in North America when they release massive Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions of their famed album "Tommy."
The reissues of the classic 1969 album will include 20 unreleased demos, a never before released full live performance of Tommy and the super deluxe box set version will feature 5.1 surround sound mix in the new Hi Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray format, according to the band.
The unreleased demos come from Pete Townshend's personal music archive and the live Tommy performance was captured when Townshend asked the band's sound engineer to record the band live back in 1969.
Eighteen of the twenty-one tracks were recording during The Who's October 15th 1969 performance at the Capital Theatre, in Ottawa, Canada. According to the announcement, the performances of the other three songs, "I'm Free," "Tommy's Holiday Camp" and "We're Not Gonna Take It" were not captured at that show due to changes of the reel to reel tape. The versions on the new release come from later shows that took place during the same "era."
The live recordings stand out because they are not supposed to exist. Townshend covered the tapes in his autobiography and explained that the tapes were supposed to have been destroyed, but luckily for fans, the band's long time soundman Bob Pridden disobeyed the orders and kept the tapes.
The original album has been remastered for these reissues and the super deluxe box set version will also include an 80 page full-color hard cover book with rare photos and more.
Amazon is already taking preorders for both editions. You can get the Super Deluxe Edition here and the Deluxe Edition here. Check out the full track and bonus details - here.
Paul McCartney Talks New Song and His Plans Never To Retire
(Radio.com) Mere hours after releasing his new single, "New," Sir Paul McCartney called into WXRT Chicago (a Radio.com station) Thursday morning to discuss his new album, also titled New. "Everything's new, baby!" Macca told WXRT's Terri Hemmert.
As has been previously reported, McCartney worked on the album with four decidedly modern producers: Mark Ronson, Adele hitmaker Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns (son of legendary producer Glyn), and Giles Martin, son of "fifth Beatle" and producer George Martin. McCartney said that he originally planned to spend time with each of them in the studio and then decide who he wanted to hire for the album. But as he said, "I got along with them all! I couldn't choose, I had so much fun with each one!"
Calling from a "holiday" with his family (including his children and grandchildren), McCartney noted that his next stop is tour rehearsals with his long-time backing band, to learn his New songs. "I'm excited to hear how they sound live. There's a few that I've got my eye on that are made to go live!"
Of course, it's hard to discuss Macca without discussing the Beatles, and their ever-present influence on younger generations of music fans and musicians alike. "I get so many people coming up to me on the street saying, 'Your music changed my life.' And I get a lot of cool musicians saying it, like Tom Petty and Dave Grohl. For me, the main thing is I love making music so much. If I retired, I'd still do exactly what I do. So I may as well not retire." - Read the full article for more and grab the stream for the full interview here.
August Burns Red Announce Special Screening of Documentary
August Burns Red have announced a special screening event for their forthcoming DVD "Foreign & Familiar" that will be taking place as part of their upcoming Endless Chicago Weekend in November.
The Endless Chicago Weekend event will be taking place November 22nd and 23rd and will include a show each night at the House of Blues in Chicago.
Fans that purchase a weekend pass for the event will be invited to a special screening of the new DVD documentary that will be taking place before the show on Saturday and will also include a Q&A session as well as a meet-and-greet with the band. The band also told Facebook fans that the "party" will include pizza.
The band has not announced a release date for the DVD yet, but did reveal that the film chronicles the band's 18-month world tour in support of their 2011 album "Leveler."
"Foreign & Familiar has literally been three years in the making," says guitarist JB Brubaker. "It's no small task to try and squeeze 18 months of touring into a two hour package, but that's exactly what we have here.
"I am grateful that we were able to pull this DVD together, as this is something we'll all be able to look back on as old men and remember the good ol' days. I think anyone who cares about this band will find Foreign & Familiar to be an entertaining and insightful behind the scenes look at ABR on the road." -
The National Curating Grateful Dead Tribute Album
(Radio.com) The National is curating a Grateful Dead tribute album for charity with a cadre of bands you'd never expect. Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, Kurt Vile and the War on Drugs all signed up to take part in the tribute album, which is expected to be released sometime in 2014. It turns out that if you run a tie-dyed flag up the pole, several unusual suspects will salute it.
The tireless Brooklyn band, who released their sixth studio album Trouble Will Find Me earlier this year and recently played their their song "Sorrow" for six hours straight at MoMA, will press on into the fall keeping busy, as usual. Their summer tour is in full swing, and as soon as they finish, guitarist Bryce Dessner will be working with the famous Kronos Quartet, while singer Matt Berninger's brother will continue to shop his documentary about the band Mistaken For Strangers to potential buyers.
Dessner and Berninger recently sat down with Radio.com to talk about their myriad projects, out some closeted Deadheads, and explain their entirely fabricated beef with Jay Z.
Radio.com: So who's the Deadhead in the band?
Matt Berninger: Everybody in the band. I'm the least, but probably Scott [Devendorf, bassist] and Bryan [Devendorf, drums] are the biggest Deadheads.
Bryce Dessner: Scott is our resident DJ and he has really diverse music taste, but for some reason now it is 110% Dead only. That's what we listen to on the bus and back stage. Which is awesome, but sometimes you're like, 'Come on Scott, give us some New Order or something.'
Do you feel like that's a natural transition? Do you think you will eventually get into The Dead?
Berninger: It actually does happen. Growing up in college I was like a, whatever, 'alternative rock snob,' for me it was the Smiths and R.E.M. and all that other stuff. I defined myself by being into College rock bands. But now, eventually you start to lose your snobbery and I've learned to love The Dead, which I didn't think I would back then. - more on this story
KISS' Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons Announce Book Signings
(hennemusic) KISS have announced a series of book signings next month to promote "Nothin' To Lose: The Making Of KISS (1972 - 1975)", a new book written by Gene Simmons and author Ken Sharp.
The 544-page book chronicles the early years of KISS up until the release of their 1975 album, "Alive!", and hit single "Rock and Roll All Nite" and is presented as an oral history of the band, based on material from over 200 interviews.
KISS guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons will be signing copies of "Nothin' To Lose" at Bookends in Ridgewood, NJ at 1PM on September 10th, Barnes & Noble in Staten Island, NY at 7 PM on September 10th and at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles, CA at 7 PM on September 12th. - more on this story
Saxon's Biff Byford Explains Evil Look Was Down To Illness
(Classic Rock) Saxon frontman Biff Byford managed to look evil in the video for their recent track Sacrifice because he was ill during the shoot. But he enjoyed the experience, and he's revealed how the band hired a professional crew without having to pay them.
Byford – who's recovering well after sustaining a back injury that forced them to cancel a festival appearance this month –tells Legendary Rock Interviews: "I filmed it with an actor-director friend of mine who's a big fan. I party with him quite a bit, and I asked him to shoot our video, so he did it with his film crew.
The stunt guy had worked on Harry Potter and the pyro guy had worked on a James Bond film. There was a huge crew and it was a lot of fun – they just did it for some booze and to hang out with the band."
Bassist Nibbs' performance in the promo is notable, Byford says. "He was positively drunk – he was a bit out of his box so he just went for it and we just let him go. It was cool." - Read more and watch the video here.
Mike Portnoy Reveals Full Progressive Nation At Sea Lineup
(Prog) The full lineup of Mike Portnoy's Progressive Nation At Sea cruising festival has been confirmed. A total of 23 bands – including Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Jon Anderson and King's X – will deliver more than 40 shows over the four-day voyage, which sets sail from Miami to the Bahamas on February 18 next year.
Proceedings will be rounded out with a series of Q&A sessions, workshops, panel conversations and other activities. Former Dream Theater drummer Portnoy recently explained: "In 2008 and 2009, I created a touring package called Progressive Nation, and with Dream Theater headlining, we did three full tours showcasing bands who embraced the spirit and musicality of progressive music.
"After a five-year hiatus, I decided to resurrect Progressive Nation – but rather than a four-band bill we have expanded the bill to over twenty of today's greatest progressive bands, musicians and artists." - Check out the full lineup here.
Astrid Kirchherr's Early Beatles Photos To Be Exhibited Next Month
Astrid Kirchherr captured the early Beatles during their days in Hamburg, Germany in her famous photos and some of these photos will be part of a special exhibit that is opening in Los Angeles next month.
"The Early Beatles" exhibition will be taking place at The Leica Gallery Los Angeles which is located in West Hollywood and will run from September 7th until October 26, 2013.
Organizer sent us the following details about the exhibition and the special opening reception: The Early Beatles is being staged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles debut album.
The exhibition will be the first time that these pictures have ever been exhibited to the public and most of the photos were taken with a Leica camera.
An opening reception will be open to the public on Saturday, September 7, 2013 from 6pm to 8pm. -
Gene Simmons and Engelbert Humperdinck Footage Goes Online
(hennemusic) KISS bassist Gene Simmons recorded a duet on Wednesday with Engelbert Humperdinck for an upcoming duets album by the crooner, and video of the pair has surfaced.
"What an absolute pleasure to meet and record with this giant of a Rock God!," Humperdinck posted. "A fantastic day with Gene Simmons and his gorgeous wife Shannon."
Humperdinck's duets album, due in October, already has an impressive line-up of stars who wanted to be part of the project. "There's Elton, there's Smokey Robinson, there's Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Neil Sedaka and it goes on and on and on," he says.
"It is very exciting names on this particular album. I'm so thrilled that everyone has responded and wanted to work on the album with me and I think it has been a very exciting project." - Watch the video here.
Red Fang Streaming New Song ' Blood Like Cream' Online
(Classic Rock) Red Fang have released their track Blood Like Cream from upcoming album Whales And Leeches. The Portland, Oregon rock outfit will launch their third full-length record on October 14.
Classic Rock Magazine has previously described the band as "somewhere between stoner and axe murderer" and noted: "There's an old-school sensibility to what they do."
Frontman Bryan Giles, bassist Aaron Beam, guitarist David Sullivan and drummer John Sherman are gearing up for a US tour after having trekked across Europe during the summer. - Check out the song here.
Sammy Hagar Compares Les Paul Guitars To Muscle Cars
(Gibson) Aside from being a successful solo artist, Sammy Hagar, aka the Red Rocker, has surrounded himself with some of the world's best guitar players as a member of Montrose, Van Halen, and Chickenfoot. But Hagar himself is no slouch when it comes to playing killer riffs and soloing. Sammy says that he is self-taught, and that he's picked up quite a few tips and tricks along the way from guys like Ronnie Montrose, and Eddie Van Halen. Gibson guitars have always been a part of Hagar's guitar collection, and he is often seen playing Les Pauls and Explorers on stage. Hagar even has his own signature Explorer, and a signature Les Paul - the Sammy Hagar Red Rocker Les Paul . Here's a few quotes from Sammy on what he likes about Gibson guitars, his influences, his guitar playing style, and some advice for wannabe guitar players.
In a video interview with Gibson, Sammy talked about what he likes about the Les Paul: "I've always been a Les Paul, Gibson player. For some reason, the necks, the way they sound, the weight of a Les Paul is important when you're throwing that big rock pose, and the guitar is hanging down hard. You got a light guitar and you throw the pose you feel the guitar bouncing around, Les Paul's like - bam! So it's got a really macho thing. It makes you just feel rough and tough playing. It's like driving a muscle car for me. The Les Paul's like a muscle car."
In that same interview, Sammy spoke about using a Gibson Explorer on his early albums: "I love an Explorer because on my 1979 Danger Zone front album cover, I had this Explorer on the cover. I played an Explorer half my pre-Van Halen years - I was an Explorer player. I had this wonderful Explorer. It was one of the first remakes I think - it was the first remake of the Explorer. I still have that guitar, and I used it on all those albums, on Danger Zone, 'Love or Money' - the song 'Trans Am' [which is actually from the album Street Machine.] That album was done with that Explorer."
Hagar also imparted some advice to up-and-coming guitarists: "Because I sing and play guitar, I never, except in the early days, did what you're suppose to do to become the hottest guitar slinger. Like with Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen - those guys sat in a room and practiced scales all day. [...] If you wanna be a slinger, you got to go in and put in the time. There's no other gateway to get around it, you cannot cheat." - more on this story
What Do Crocheting And Rock 'N' Roll Have In Common? Deap Vally
(Radio.com) What do crocheting and rock 'n' roll have in common? A lot more than one might imagine, according to Deap Vally's Julie Edwards. "Crocheting is very rhythmic when you get into it, " the drummer explained. "It's very, very tactile. It requires coordination, creativity and muscle memory." They're also the two things that brought Edwards and her bandmate, guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Troy, together.
The two met in 2011 at a crochet class taught by Edwards and after bonding over basic stitches, they discovered a mutual love of the blues. Neither of the women were actually playing blues music at the time—Edwards was making weird experimental rock with her band Pity Party, while Troy was playing "morose folk" on her own—but both said it was in their blood.
Troy grew up listening to a lot of '90s rock and "really bad '90s folk music," but thanks to her parents she was exposed to a slew of really talented blues musicians. "My parents would sometimes put up bands. Great blues vocalists and guitarists would stay with us," she said. "I'm sure that had an impact on me at a young age."
When Edwards was younger she lived and died for musical theater, spending a lot of time with the West Side Story soundtrack. But thanks to her cool older brother–who currently plays guitar in the band Autolux—she started listening to classic rock and thinking about making music of her own.
Edwards had been singing and dancing since she was a kid, but she didn't start playing drums until she was 25. The late bloomer says it was Carla Azar–the drummer for Autolux, who also tours with Jack White as part of his female-only band–who inspired her to finally get behind the kit. "I wouldn't have known how high the bar was set if I didn't know Carla," Edwards admitted.
Being two women in a band, they're used to the sexism that goes with it. But it's not something that brings them down. "I feel like we kind of flaunt our femininity," Troy said. "It's not something we're trying to hide or downplay. For us it's empowering."
Edwards agreed: "I think we like to play off what people expect. People see us walk out and they think whatever they're going to think, but they're never prepared for what we actually play in front of them and I think that's pretty awesome."
The band likes to tackle female taboos in their music, like on the song "Walk of Shame. They turn the tables and make the dreaded morning after walk home into an empowering strut.
"We just want to break this concept open, 'What is this a walk of shame?'" Edwards said. "It's this stupid concept, 'Look at her, she's on a walk of shame.' Why? Is a guy ever on a walk of shame? Not as much, because guys don't usually wear makeup and I think part of what contributes to the shame is like the smeary makeup and the heels, like the clear thing that you didn't go home last night." - more
Classic Rock Going Country
(Classic Rock) Johnny Cash, LeAnn Rimes, Tony Joe White and many more big names are featured in the debut edition of Classic Rock Presents Country Music Magazine, which will be published next month.
The latest in the Classic Rock Presents series offers country fans the magazine they've been waiting for, celebrating 100 years of musical history across 132 pages, packaged with a free 15-track CD.
The cover feature marks the tenth anniversary of Cash's death by looking at how the Man In Black fought back from depression, drug addiction and suicidal thoughts to record his two greatest albums At Folsom Prison and At San Quentin, which made him an icon and even outsold the Beatles at the time.
Rimes discusses the lurid tabloid headlines surrounding her life under the media spotlight, her honesty in songwriting and her new album, Spitfire. - More details, the cover photo and preorder info here.
Stone Temple Pilots and Chester Bennington Releasing EP
Stone Temple Pilots and their new frontman Chester Bennington of Linkin Park have announced the release of their new EP, so when the group hits the road early next month for their North American tour they will have more than one new song available to perform.
The new group will be following up the release of their debut single "Out of Time" with the release of a new five song EP on October 8th and it will be released under the band name of "Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington".
STP's Dean DeLeo reveals in a new interview that the new EP will feature the group's debut song "Out of Time," as well as four brand new songs. Various reports state that one of the new tracks will be called "Tomorrow".
Dean DeLeo also spoke about what it is like to work with Bennington. When asked about Bennington being an avowed STP fans he responded, "It's funny. When we first spoke, he was shocked at how long it took to get the call. I discovered this later after we decided to do this together.
"...Chester's bursting with ideas. He brought in so much. It's almost like he was bringing in a song every day. It's like, 'Hey man, let's just stick to these four!' [Laughs] There's actually a song on here that Chester wrote musically, lyrically, and melodically."
As we previously reported, the band will be launching a North American tour next week. The trek will feature support from Filter and will be kicking off on September 4th in Bethlehem, Pa. - more on this story
Beatles Fan Discovers Unreleased Recordings Plans
(Classic Rock) A Beatles fan has unearthed plans for the release of unreleased recordings made by the Fab Four at the BBC. Roger Stormo, who runs a webpage called WogBlog, came across an announcement on the Facebook page of a Philippines record label affiliated to Universal, who own the rights.
He discovered the collection is to be called On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2 and is due for release in November. Stormo says: "In an internal list Universal Music recently revealed plans to re-release The Beatles' Live At The BBC along with a new release.
"The BBC had a habit of reusing their tapes, which means that most of the Beatles' radio shows from the 60s were wiped. Quite a few have later been rescued, courtesy of listeners taping the shows at home, and BBC transcription records which were sent to radio stations abroad." - more on this story
Eyehategod Reveal Joey LaCaze's Cause of Death
Eyehategod frontman Mike Williams has confirmed that the band's drummer Joey LaCaze died last Friday and also revealed that LaCaze, an asthma sufferer, died from respiratory failure.
Here is what Williams had to say, "Joseph M. LaCaze, New Orleans native and drummer for EyeHateGod, Mystick Krewe of Clearlight and Outlaw Order passed away on Aug. 23rd in New Orleans after a very successful five week UK and European tour w/ EHG.
"He also performed ceremonial voodoo drumming and in numerous solo experimental electronic projects. Doctors confirmed to family members the cause as respiratory failure. He also suffered from severe long term asthma.
"An account is set up for the benefit of his daughter Lilith LaCaze. Checks can be made payable to the Lilith LaCaze or Joseph LaCaze donation fund at any Capital One Bank in any city." -
Paul McCartney Releases 'New' Song
(Radio.com) Following his 2012 album spent revisiting pop and jazz standards, Paul McCartney is embracing the "out with the old, in with the new" philosophy. So much so that he named the first single from his forthcoming album, "New." Listen to the Mark Ronson-produced song online (it's also set for release on iTunes).
Touches of brass and Ronson's modern production brighten up McCartney's signature melody-driven sound on "New." The jangly pop gem also puts an extra emphasis on the 71-year-old legend's vocals, featuring a nice bit of harmonizing and ending with an a cappella section.
By the looks of a press release that utilizes the word "new" no less than 10 times, McCartney's upcoming release is also dubbed New. His first album of original material since 2007′s Memory Almost Full, New will be released October 15 by Hear Music/Concord/MPL.
Rolling Stone reported a few weeks back that the 12-track album would be out this fall, and that McCartney worked with a bevy of new producers. This included the aforementioned Ronson, Adele hitmaker Paul Epworth, Ethan Johns (son of Glyn), and Giles Martin, son of "fifth Beatle" and producer George Martin.
Up until recently, McCartney had been traversing the U.S. on his Out There Tour, which resumes this November in Japan. - Check out the song here.
Nazareth Singer Dan McCafferty Retires Due To Health Issues
(Classic Rock) Nazareth singer Dan McCafferty has retired from the band as a result of the health issues which forced them to cancel two sets of live dates. The veteran vocalist collapsed on stage in Switzerland at the weekend, resulting in rumours that he'd had a stroke. Last month he collapsed in Canada. Both incidents caused the band to call off further appearances.
Now he's shouted down the stroke story – but admits a lung disease has brought an end to his 45-year live career. McCafferty tells Classic Rock: "I've not had a stroke. That's completely untrue – thank goodness and touch wood. I'm not in hospital in Switzerland at all. I don't know how these things get started.
"I've got Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and it's been getting worse over the years. You don't know when it's going to come on, but suddenly you can't breathe." - He had a lot more to say.
David Draiman Forced To Cancel Device Tour Dates
(TeamRock Radio) Disturbed frontman David Draiman has cancelled a series of shows by his other band Device after his wife suffered complications with her pregnancy.
Draiman and Lena Yada announced in May that they were expecting a baby boy, to be called Samuel Bear Draiman. They've been married for two years.
Device say in a brief statement: "Due to complications with his wife's pregnancy, David has chosen to stay close to home until the baby is born." - more on this story
Ill Nino Honoring Military on Upcoming Tour
Ill Nino will be honoring the members of U.S. Military services in a big way on their upcoming American Epidemia Tour across North America this fall in the best way possible; free admission.
The band announced the new tour, in support of their album Epidemia, which will kick off on September 28th. but also announced that they will be offering members of the armed services free admission and 2-for-1 tickets for those that present a Military ID at each event.
The military is close to bass player bassist Laz Pina's heart as his father is a U.S. Army war veteran. He explained why the band decided to give military members these special deals, "I am especially proud to be honoring our troops. Our military service men and women don't choose war, but rather choose defending our freedom. For this we must be grateful."
Ill Nino frontman adds, "As we celebrate the return of our brave soldiers and wounded veterans, we will never forget those who gave their lives. A celebration for those who have served without fear and prejudice is in order." - more on this story
New Deep Purple Box Set To Feature Mark II, III and IV Albums
Rhino Records have announced the release of a new Deep Purple box set which celebrates the band's output in the 1970s, which produced some of their most celebrated lineups and albums.
The new 10-CD box set, 'Deep Purple: The Complete Albums 1970 - 1976," will be released on October 8th. It appears that this is just a collection of the albums and they will not be remastered or include bonus tracks, but does include essential albums from one hard rock's most influential bands.
The collection spans the Mark II, III and IV incarnations of the band and includes the landmark albums "Machine Head," "Burn," "Made in Japan" and more.
Deep Purple Mark II featured Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Roger Glover. Mark III featured Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, Blackmore, Lord, Paice and Mark IV featured Lord, Paice, Hughes, Coverdale and Blackmore's replacement Tommy Bolin.
Albums, release year and band lineup:
'Deep Purple With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Concerto for Group and Orchestra' (1969 - M2)
'In Rock' (1970 - M2)
'Fireball' (1971 - M2)
'Machine Head' (1972 - M2)
'Made in Japan' (1972 - M2)
'Who Do We Think We Are?' (1973 - M2)
'Burn' (1974 - M3)
'Stormbringer' (1974 - M3)
'Come Taste the Band' (1975 - M4)
'Made in Europe' (1975 - M3)
Amazon is taking pre-orders here. -
Caspian's Chris Friedrich Dies
Caspian announced that their bass player Chris Friedrich died on Sunday. They did not disclose the cause of death, but did announce that they will be holding a tribute and benefit show this weekend.
Here is what the band had to say, "Dear friends, we write to you today with heavy hearts and indescribable sadness to tell you that our bass player, Chris Friedrich, died unexpectedly Sunday afternoon.
"We have lost a close friend, a true brother, and a presence that can never be replaced in any of our lives. Chris epitomized the heart and soul of Caspian, and in our own ways -- both individually and collectively -- dedicate ourselves to honoring his memory. We ask for privacy. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
"We will be paying tribute this Saturday (8/31) to Chris by performing at The Engine Room in Manchester, NH. This is a benefit show for a friend of Chris's who is seeking funding for a lung transplant.
"Chris was instrumental in putting this show together, and is the only way we know how to honor his memory at this time. You can find more information in our events section for this performance. We love you all so very much." -
Raven and Diamond Head Expand North American Tour
Metal veterans Raven announced that they have expanded their upcoming North American co-headlining tour with Diamond Head that will be taking place in October.
Raven will embark on their own headlining tour prior to the trek with Diamond Head. The headline tour will kick off on September 11th in Lake Worth, Fl and will feature support from Mpire of Evil, which features former Venom members Tony Dolan (Demolition Man) and Jeff Dunn (Mantas).
The co-headlining tour with Diamond Head will be launching on October 8th in Vancouver, BC at the Rickshaw Theater and is scheduled to conclude on October 25th in Dallas, TX at The Boiler Room.
Raven will be touring in support of their recently released documentary DVD "Rock Until You Drop - A Long Day's Journey," which documents the band's almost 40 year career. - more on this story
Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt To Curate Roadburn Festival
(Prog) Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt says he's honoured to accept an invitation to curate next year's Roadburn Festival at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Netherlands, on April 10-13.
He'll be in charge of proceedings on Friday 11, and he's already confirmed his own band Opeth will appear, alongside Locrian, True Widow, and artist-in-residence The Heads, featuring John McBain. They join the reunited Loop as star attractions.
Akerfeldt reports: "It's with great honour that I accept the invitation. I'm pretty damn far from being a professional booker or promoter, and I've never been part in choosing bands for an event, apart from those that Opeth has toured with. So this is a first for me – but I have to say I'm very excited."
He says he's already made contact with some of his personal favourite outfits, although he's still brainstorming over the full bill. "It will be an amazing musical event," he vows. - more.
Pearl Jam's McCready Hails Iron Maiden
(TeamRock Radio) Pearl Jam's Mike McCready used be such a big fan of Iron Maiden that he singled them out for special treatment in his record collection, he has revealed.
The guitarist is gearing up for touring duties with PJ as they launch their new album, Lightning Bolt. But he recently reactivated his first-ever band, Shadow, and that's got him thinking about the past.
McCready says: "We were very influenced by NWOBHM bands like Maiden. I was a big Paul Di'Anno fan – it was Killers and the Maiden Japan EP we all listened to in Seattle."
When Di'Anno was replaced by Bruce Dickinson, McCready stayed on board, and saw Maiden supporting the Scorpions on their Number Of The Beast tour. - Beast made quite an impression on him.
Andrew W.K., Rocket From the Crypt and More For Riot Fest After Shows
Organizers for the Riot Fest have announced a series of after shows for the upcoming Chicago music festival as well as the additional of a Sunday matinee brunch.
Chicago's Riot Fest is scheduled to take place on September 13th, 14th and 15th and the newly announced after shows will be taking place at various venues across the area during the run of the event.
The after shows will include shows from Sublime with Rome, The Lawrence Arms, Against Me!, Quicksand, Andrew W.K., Rocket From the Crypt and Peter Hook and the Light. On the final day of the festival, the Lillingtons will be performing a special all-ages brunch show at Beat Kitchen.
Here is the lineup for this year's Riot Fest in Chicago: Replacements, Fall Out Boy, Blink 182, Pixies, Violent Femmes, Rancid, Blondie, Danzig 25th Anniversary, AFI, Sublime with Rome, Public Enemy, Brand New, Flag, Guided by Voices, Taking Back Sunday, Rocket from the Crypt, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Bad Religion, Atmosphere, All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, The Dismemberment Plan, Dinosaur, Jr, X, Devotchka, Yellowcard, Screeching Weasel, Pennywise, The Broadways, Andrew W.K., Against Me, Bob Mould, Gwar, The Lillingtons, Suicidal Tendencies, Best Coast, The Lawrence Arms, Glassjaw, Quicksand, Hatebreed, The Selector, T.S.O.L., Mission of Burma, The Devil Wears Prada, Saves the Day, Bad Books, Bayside, Stars, Say Anything, Peter Hook & the Light (Joy Division set), Smoking Popes, Reggie and the Full Effect, The Wonder Years, The Dear Hunter, Maps and Atlases, Surfer Blood, Chuck Ragan, Dessa, Saul Williams, Empires, Mephiskapheles, Memphis May Fire, Kitten, Peelander-Z, Touche Amore, Masked Intruder, Deal's Gone Bad, Twin Peaks, Flatfoot 56, White Mystery, Direct Hit!, The Flatliners, Nativ, Hostage Calm, Off With Their Heads, Radkey, The Interrupters, New Beat Fund, Pet Symmetry.
- Find the after shows schedule here.
Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill Discusses New Album
(Gibson) Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill spoke with Rolling Stone magazine about the band's new album, explaining the musical variety on the album and how the band viewed their recent hiatus.
"We'd go in every day and play stuff we were into, and it was interesting hearing what people were into. There are a couple songs that could be considered country ballads, even though they're not country songs. One song has more of a Queens of the Stone Age feel. Another one sounds more like Sly and The Family Stone. It's all across the board."
Followill went on to address the strife the band experienced in 2011, when the Followill clan temporarily went their separate ways. Asked if he ever felt the split might become permanent, he said, "No. People ask us that, and if you ask any one of us, we'd say, 'No Way'. Being a family band, we were bound to have that awkward first time hangout at a show or at Christmas or Thanksgiving. There's no avoiding it.
"If the band even stopped, we're still a family and would see each other. So that wasn't a thought in any of our minds. We all knew we needed a break, but we knew it wasn't over." - more on this story
Sebastian Bach Collaborating With John 5 Again
(hennemusic) In his latest update from the recording studio, Sebastian Bach says he is working on a new track with guitarist John 5 of Marilyn Manson, David Lee Roth Band and Rob Zombie fame.
"Many of you dig the song 'TunnelVision' w @john5official from 'Kicking & Screaming'. Well I am happy to say I have collaborated again w John 5 & the new jam we have come up with is sounding excellent!," writes Bach. "Lyrics & melodies are really coming together now."
"Every day I am writing & laying down ideas," continued the singer. "Thanks to Johnny Chromatic for helping me out w some cool vocal melody lines that I would not have thought of. We start tracking the album for reals within the next couple of weeks when Bobby Jarzombek gets into town." - more.
Arcane Roots Release New Video And Announce Tour
(Prog) Arcane Roots will return to the UK in November for their biggest-ever headline tour to date, which is set to feature support from Empire and Verses.
It's interspersed with their own opening slots under Coheed And Cambria. And they've released a video for their track Belief, which is to be launched as a single on September 2.
The band released debut album Blood And Chemistry in May and are currently gearing up for a series of European shows which precede their UK activity. - Check out the video and the tour dates here.
Limp Bizkit, Crossfaith and Nekrogoblikon Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Limp Bizkit will be returning to the UK in February 2014 and they're bringing Crossfaith and Nekrogoblikon with them to support them on the tour.
The tour will be kicking off on February 08th in Cardiff at University and will feature a total of eleven shows. The tour will wrap up on February 21st in London at the O2 Academy Brixton.
If you want a taster of what to expect, check out Ready To Go, release last month by Fred Durst and go, featuring rap star Li'L Wayne. Check it out and the dates - here.
Michael Monroe Launching Fall Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Former Hanoi Rocks Frontman Michael Monroe has revealed an eight-date UK tour surrounding his previously-announced appearance at Hard Rock Hell in November.
He will be launching the tour in support of his latest album Horns & Halos, which has recently been released. You can hear the single "Eighteen Angels" here.
"Now the album is out we can finally play the songs live and create a whole new setlist," he says. "That's why I'm especially excited about the upcoming tour dates. See you all soon down the road!" - Grab the dates here.
Metallica Release Fade To Black Video From First China Show
(hennemusic) Metallica's recent Asian tour featured the band's first-ever shows in China, and now the band is sharing video footage from the August 13 date in Shanghai.
The video footage features bassist Robert Trujillo in the meet-and-greet session, Tuning Room, and a performance of "Fade To Black" from the concert.
Up next, Metallica will play the Rock In Rio festival on September 19. The Rio show comes a week before the launch of Metallica's 3D film, "Through The Never." - Check out the new footage here.
Alice In Chains Streaming Controversial Song
(Classic Rock) Alice In Chains have launched a stream of their latest album's title track The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, ahead of the controversial song's release as a single.
It's due for release as a UK-only single – and the band admit they're unlikely to receive much mainstream airplay, due to the controversial nature of the lyrics, which include "The devil put dinosaurs here / Jesus don't like a queer."
The single is due next month, while the album – their second with DuVall in place of the late Layne Staley – was released in May. Check out the song and their upcoming UK tour dates - here.
Deaf Havana Release Mildred (Lost A Friend) Video
(TeamRock Radio) Deaf Havana have released a new music video for their track Mildred (Lost A Friend). It's taken from upcoming album Old Souls, due out on November 16.
The band delivered two triumphant performances at the Reading and Leeds festival over the weekend, and they're gearing up for a UK tour in October.
Frontman James Veck-Golodi recently said of Old Souls: "I knew what I didn't want this album to sound like – an underground rock record. My aim was to write timeless songs. I thought about my actual influences – Springsteen in particular, and the sort of classic rock that doesn't date." - Check out the video here.
Clutch Release 'Crucial Velocity' Video
(Classic Rock) Clutch have released a video for their track Crucial Velocity. It's taken from the band's tenth album Earth Rocker, which was released in March via their own label, Weathermaker.
Frontman Neil Fallon recently said of Crucial Velocity: "There are some tips of the hat to rock and roll history in the lyrics that I enjoy singing because they reference the album in a bigger picture.
Rocket 88 is considered the first rock and roll song that used distortion. That lyrical reference kind of fuels Earth Rocker as a whole with that back story. "It's American myth – even though it really happened." - Check out the video here.
Von Hertzen Brothers Release 'Coming Home' Video
(Prog) Prog Magazine have proudly premiered the Von Hertzen Brothers new music video for the song "Coming Home" which comes from their forthcoming EP.
It's a remastered version of a track from acclaimed recent album Nine Lives, and it heads up a five-track digital EP also called Coming Home, which will be released on September 2 via Spinefarm Records.
VHB are nominated for two Prog Awards at next week's gala event in London. They'll tour the UK in October, kicking off on the 18th in Glasgow. Watch the new video and grab the tour dates and EP tracklisting - here.
Nine Inch Nails Streaming New Album and Plan Release Show
Nine Inch Nails fans will not have to wait until the band's new album, "Hesitation Marks," is released next week to hear the effort as a full album stream has been launched online and the band has announced a special album release show.
The band teamed up with the iTunes Store in the U.S. to provide fans with an advance stream of "Hesitation Marks," ahead of its official release next Tuesday, September 3rd. You can listen to it here.
The online music retailer is also taking preorders for the album and they will be offering a deluxe edition that will feature the three bonus tracks: "Find My Way (Oneohtrix Point Never Remix)," "All Time Low (Todd Rundgren remix)" and "While I'm Still Here (Breyer P-Orridge 'Howler' Remix)".
The album features guest appearances from Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, Adrian Belew of King Crimson, Eugene Goreshter of Autolux, bass legend Pino Palladino, and NIN regulars Alessandro Cortini, Ilan Rubin and Joshua Eustis.
Next Tuesday, Nine Inch Nails will be celebrating the album's release with a special intimate show at the famed Troubadour club in Los Angeles. The group will kick off their North American tour on September 28th. - more on this story
Chickenfoot Committed To Making New Album
(Classic Rock) Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani admits the supergroup just can't find time in their schedules to record their next album but he vows they'll manage it eventually. He believes there are at least two more records to follow their 2009 self-titled debut and 2011 follow-up Chickenfoot III.
They toured that album with drummer Kenny Aronoff in place of Chad Smith, who was tied up with his Red Hot Chili Peppers duties. But the four-piece, which also includes former Van Halen men Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, intend to stick to the original lineup when it comes to studio work.
"We had a pretty tasty dinner the other night, Chad, Sammy and myself," Satriani tells Guitar World. "We came to the realisation that it would be really hard to find some time in the next nine months to do a record. But we're committed to figuring it out." - more on this story
Avenged Sevenfold Defend The Direction of New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Avenged Sevenfold defend the direction of their latest album "Hail To The King" in the fourth exclusive video in their interview series with TeamRock.
In this latest video the band go on to explain exactly who they consider to be sell-outs and why they went in the direction they did for their latest album.
You can also watch parts one to three of the series where the band talk about creating the album, what the writing process was like without The Rev and how Hail to the King stacks up against their previous albums (in their opinion). Check out the interviews - here.
Kings Of Leon Never Gave Up
(Classic Rock) Kings Of Leon never doubted for a moment they'd return from their year of hell in 2011. The band faced serious personal issues, with brothers Caleb and Nathan Followill coming to blows, frontman Caleb walking off stage after an incomprehensible rant, and bassist Jared Followill's admission they were suffering from "internal sickness."
Two years later KOL return with sixth album Mechanical Bull, due out next month. And drummer Nathan insists a permanent split was never on the cards.
He tells Rolling Stone: "People ask us that, and if you ask any of us we'd say, 'No way.' Being a family band, we were bound to have that awkward first-time hangout at a show, or at Christmas or Thanksgiving. There's no avoiding it.
"If the band stopped, we're still a family and we'd see each other. So that wasn't a thought on our minds – we all knew we needed a break, but we knew it wasn't over." - more on this story
Bob Seger Joins Kid Rock for Record Performance
(Gibson) In 1977 Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band sold out the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit for 8 consecutive nights. It would take 36 years for an artist to match that, when Motor City native Kid Rock managed the same feet earlier this month.
As a surprise to his fans, Rock brought up Seger as a special guest for the encore. Rock and Seeger did "Old Time Rock And Roll," and "All Summer Long" to the cheers of an ecstatic crowd.
Rock and Seger have shared the stage on a couple of occasions earlier in the year, and they've made guest appearances on each other's albums. Speaking to Classic Rock after the show Kid Rock said he's open to future collaborations with Seger: "I'm sure there's more for us to do. Those shows went so great. It was beyond mind-blowing. There's definitely something there."
Bob Seger is getting ready to head back in the studio to work on a follow-up to 2006's Face The Promise. Although no release date has been set, Seger has been playing the song "All of the Roads" during his latest tour, which is supposed to be included on the new album. - more on this story
Alice Cooper Answers His Critics
(TeamRock Radio) Alice Cooper says that anyone who thinks he's past his prime should catch one of his shows – because they won't see a higher-energy performance all year.
The veteran shock-rocker may be 65, but he insists his onstage character is more evil than ever, and fans of all ages will get what they want. Cooper says: "I think people come in with the pre-thinking of, 'He must be 65, so this must be Alice walking through this and kinda doing his hits and talking to us.' They get just the opposite.
"It's the highest-energy show they're gonna see all year. Alice is more of a villain now than he's ever been. He's more pronounced than he's ever been.
"Then they're wondering, 'How did I get confetti in my hair? Why do I have stage blood on me? Look – I caught a necklace, a cane, a riding crop.' Everyone goes home with souvenirs that get thrown from the stage to the audience." - more on this story
Why Black Sabbath Rejected Ginger Baker Idea
(Classic Rock) Tony Iommi has offered a little more insight into how Black Sabbath went about replacing Bill Ward for the making of 13 – their first album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978.
They chose Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk to take the stool for recording sessions after Iommi's concerns over time, dictated by his cancer treatment, prevented him from continuing talks with Ward over his contract.
Before Wilk was chosen, producer Rick Rubin put Cream icon Ginger Baker forward for the role. But Iommi tells WWeek.com: "We put a stop on. We didn't think Ginger would have been… we didn't want to go into the studio and have, um, problems.
"We did try some big name drummers – some very big name drummers. They were great, but Rick particularly suggested Brad. He did work hard; he was thrown into the deep end and he was very nervous. He got used to us, our jokes, the way we prank around." - more on this story
Iron Maiden Release Behind The Scenes Video
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden have filed their latest European road report online video, which features a behind the scenes look at the band's Maiden England world tour.
Last month, the metal icons topped music industry magazine Billboard's Hot Tours list, ahead of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, with $19 million (US$) in box office revenue reported from the European trek.
Currently on a break from their "Maiden England" tour, the band will return to the road for a series of US dates starting September 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina, before playing Latin American stadiums and the Rock In Rio festival in September. - Check out the video here.
Scorpions Crazy World Deluxe Reissue Delayed
(hennemusic) The release of deluxe reissue of The Scorpions 1990 album, "Crazy World", has been delayed to October 7. The band's 11th studio album, "Crazy World" featured the international hit, "Wind Of Change."
The two-disc set will feature the original album plus a disc of 12 live tracks from their Live Crazy world tour, along with the album's four promotional videos.
On January 24, 2010, after 45 years of performing, The Scorpions announced that they would be retiring after touring in support of their new album at the time, "Sting In The Tail", although this decision was eventually retracted and the band will continue. - more on this story
Fish Teases New Album 'A Feast Of Consequences'
(Prog) Former Marillion frontman Fish has released a teaser video containing clips from his upcoming album A Feast Of Consequences. His first record in five years will be available only via his website, and the deluxe edition comes with a bonus DVD, hardback book and download token. Pre-orders placed before August 31 will come with a limited-edition print signed by Fish and artist Mark Wilkinson.
Fish reports: "The units will be here in the studio 'on or as close to 2 September.' My friend's son and two of his friends have been sticking address labels, customs labels and airfreight labels in preparation for filling with deluxe editions.
"They haven't complained once – apart from asking for biscuits and I have been entertained by their jukebox selection, which has taken in early Genesis, Springsteen, Yes, Floyd, Billy Joel, the Beatles, Jethro Tull, Tenacious D and the Police, to name a few. - Check out the tease here.
Chi Cheng Will Always Be A Part of the Deftones
(TeamRock Radio) Deftones keyboardist and DJ Frank Delgano believes late bassist Chi Cheng will always be a part of the band, because of their approach to songwriting.
Cheng died in April after having been in a coma since a car crash in 2008. And he's very much in the band's thoughts as they continue touring 2012's Koi No Yokan and consider a follow-up album.
Delgano says: "We all know Chi would have wanted us to keep on going. We all overtly feel he's part of everything we do anyway – his legacy lives on. For us, the creative process and our music are organic. When we get into the studio we do what we do best." - more on this story
Biffy Clyro Blow Up Big At Reading Festival
(Gibson) Scottish trio Biffy Clyro had the honor of headlining the last night of this year's Reading Festival on August 25. It was the first time the band appeared at the festival as headliners on the Main Stage, and they seemed very excited by the honor, thanking the crowd throughout the set.
The band certainly didn't spare any expenses, putting on a show that was full of pyrotechnics from start to finish. The 21 song set, which is a lot for a festival gig, contained songs from all of the band's 6 albums, starting with "Different People" from this year's Opposites album, and wrapping up with the song "Mountains" from 2009's Only Revolutions.
The set slowed down for a bit with Clyro singer Simon Neil playing "Machines" with just an acoustic guitar. The main set ended in true Jimi Hendrix fashion, with Neil setting fire to his guitar at the end of the song using a flare. - more on this story
Magenta, Touchstone and The Reasoning Team Up For Tour
(Prog) Magenta, Touchstone and The Reasoning will team up for a touring festival entitled Trinity (sponsored by Prog Magazine) with the first shows confirmed for May next year.
Each band will deliver an entire album from their back catalogues. Magenta are to perform Seven, Touchstone will play Discordant Dreams and The Reasoning revive Awakening. But that's just the start.
The bands explain: "The initial shows will take place in London and the Midlands. For an affordable price of just £20, these fantastic larger-scale venues will enable each band to perform more spectacular shows.
"The festival is part of a long-term project that's intended to develop in subsequent months, including different artists but always based on the three-bands-three-albums model." - Check out the dates and ticket info.
Coney Hatch Return With First New Album In Over Two Decades
(hennemusic) Reunited Toronto rockers Coney Hatch have announced the forthcoming release of a new album, "Four", and have issued the project's lead single, "Blown Away."
Once dubbed "The Loudest Band In Toronto", Coney Hatch returns with their first record of new material in over two decades. "Four" will be released on September 24th in North America and September 27th in Europe.
Formed in the early '80s, original members Andy Curran, Carl Dixon, Dave Ketchum and Steve Shelski released three records on Anthem Records in Canada and Polygram for the rest of the world.
The band played support slots on tour with the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept, Ted Nugent and Cheap Trick, to name a few. - more on this story
Thirty Seconds To Mars Release 'City Of Angels' Lyric Video
(TeamRock Radio) Thirty Seconds To Mars have released a new lyric video for their track "City Of Angels" and the group's frontman Jared Leto admits they only just made it in time.
The clip shows Leto himself, in silhouette for most of the track, in the Hollywood Hills near his native Los Angeles. He explains: "So there we were: deadline city once again. A lyric video was needed, without any real options in sight. We were getting desperate.
"So I said, 'F**k it,' grabbed my camera, went up to the hills and shot. We came back with this. Very simple, and sometimes that's for the best." Leto adds he was accompanied by an owl for most of the shooting session, and he left it in one scene. - Check it out here.
Alice In Chains Preview The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here Video
(hennemusic) Alice In Chains have released an online preview of the forthcoming music video for the title track to their latest album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here."
Alice In Chains' fifth studio album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones).
The record sold 62,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. You can check out the new video preview - here.
Spin Doctors Premiere 'If The River Was Whiskey' Video
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock have proudly premiered the latest music video from the Spin Doctors. The new music video is for the track "If The River Was Whiskey."
It's taken from the blues-tinged album of the same name, which was released in April – and it's the record they almost made before exploding into the big time with 1991′s Pocket Full Of Kryptonite.
Singer Chris Barron says: "Every note feels dangerous. It's like this ramshackle, broken carried running down a cobblestone hill with pots and pans – and a screaming baby…"
The Spin Doctors return to the UK for a show in London's Garage on Wednesday, September 25, with special guests Dodgy. Until then, check out the new video - here.
How Nightwish and Revamp's Floor Jansen Discovered Metal
(TeamRock Radio) Revamp's Floor Jansen, who's currently singing for Nightwish, reveals how she discovered female-fronted metal in the exclusive video with TeamRock Radio.
The former After Forever vocalist explains it's down to Dutch band The Gathering and their 1995 album Mandylion, their first to feature then-singer Anneke Van Giersbergen.
Jansen says: "Her crystal-clear voice, her power, combined with those heavy guitars made me want to do that as well." Check out the interview video with Floor - here.
Don Broco Release 'You Wanna Know' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Don Broco have released a new music video for the new track You Wanna Know, which is their first new music in almost two years and will be released as a single in the UK on October 2nd.
Frontman Rob Damiani says: "It's the first music we've written since finishing off our debut album almost two years ago now, so we're very excited about getting it out and playing it at our shows.
"It's about telling someone something they don't want to hear. They think they might want to know – but it turns out they don't.
Omb Release New Song These Walls
(Prog) Prog Magazine is proud to premiere "These Walls" by Israeli prog metal outfit Omb. It's taken from their debut album SwineSong, due out on September 1 on their own label Word7 via Prog Sphere Promotions.
Omb was formed by members of Amaseffer, Reign Of The Architect and Dark Serpent: drummer Yuval Tamir, vocalist Davidavi Dolev, bassist Or Rozenfeld and guitarist Yuval Kramer. The album was recorded with assistance from 10 other musicians.
They say: "Long gone promises, frustration, sex, ADHD and personality disorders, low self-esteem versus delusions of grandeur, love, failures, and the constant need for self-expression – these are the things dreams are really made of." - Check out the song here.
A Look at Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon 40 Years Later
(Gibson) Yes, the album does synch astonishingly well with The Wizard of Oz, but that's just one of the remarkable things about Pink Floyd's historic Dark Side of the Moon, which was released 40 years ago. The disc also pushed the envelope on multi-tracking and tape looping, as well as mixing, making Dark Side as much an accomplishment of engineering as musicianship and ushering in the era of the studio engineer as star.
In the case of Dark Side engineer Alan Parsons — who was also responsible for inviting powerhouse singer Clare Torry to wail on the LP's "The Great Gig In the Sky" — that was literal. He became a cult artist and then a hit-maker with the studio group he led between 1975 and 1990 under the name the Alan Parsons Project.
But in the long run what's even more remarkable than the sonic beauty and innovation of Dark Side of the Moon is that it froze one of the greatest rock bands at their creative peak in a confluence of imagination, virtuosity and poetic lyricism that is now forever trapped in amber — becoming a permanent benchmark of excellence and humanity for future generations of listeners and musicians.
Of course, the concept album was well-established by the time Dark Side of the Moon reached record shops, but the recording's perfect weave of storytelling and sound still make it a truly exceptional member of that camp. Bassist-singer Roger Waters' lyrics achieved a poetic high in experimental rock, comparable to Dylan and to Hendrix's most emotionally rich lyrics, like "Drifting" and "Castles Made of Sand." Also contributing to the disc's humanity is a variety of voices — recordings of the band's road crew, the studio doorman and even Wings' guitarist Henry McCullough ("I don't know. I was really drunk at the time.") — responding to questions Waters had written on flash cards. The cards were lost partway in the recording process, leading to interesting ad libs like "When was the last time you were violent?"
Ultimately, the disc's sides tell an open-ended story about the trials and joys experienced over the arc of a lifetime, with the surging tides of the music sustaining the tales of yearning, fear, satisfaction, doubt, vision and transcendence.
Dark Side of the Moon was embraced by both listeners and the music industry upon its release, climbing quickly to number one. The album continues to sell thousands of copies a week and has reached a total of more than 34-million sold around the world. Staring with its March 1973 release, Dark Side spent more than 11 consecutive years on the Billboard album charts. - more on this story
Perry Farrell Looks Back at Jane's Addiction's 'Nothing's Shocking'
(Radio.com) Radio.com and Perry Farrell look back at the Jane's Addiction album that introduced them to radio and MTV, and tore down the walls between what was then called "alternative" music and heavy metal. The record turned 25 this past week.
Decades after its release, it routinely pops up on "Best Albums Of All Time" charts. But if anyone ever puts together a "Most Deceptively Titled Albums Of All Time," Nothing's Shocking may top that one.
First off, there's the obvious: that album cover. We can't show it here, but you know it: the black and white sculpture of two nude women conjoined at the shoulder and hips sitting on a chair with their hair on fire.
And speaking of sex and violence, there was the song whose lyrics gave the album its name, "Ted, Just Admit It," which featured a sample of an interview clip with murderer Ted Bundy. The lyrics "Showed me everybody naked and disfigured/ Nothing's shocking/ Now sister's not a virgin anymore/ er sex is violent…" led to a chanting of "Sex! Is! Violent!" Yes, Jane's was a quintessentially L.A. band, but this wasn't what Sunset Strippers Mötley Crüe, Ratt and Poison were singing about.
And the frontman, Perry Farrell: a white, dreadlocked banshee who didn't sing, at least in the conventional sense. He was like Jim Morrison, David Bowie, David Johansen, Iggy Pop and Michael Stipe rolled into one wild-eyed, bursting-with-energy, surfer-dude. He was a hippie, he was a punk, he was a shaman and he was a huckster.
Also shocking: no one seemed to be able to put a label on the band in an era where most bands were fairly easy to categorize. They had the power of Led Zeppelin, but Farrell hardly resembled Robert Plant. Everyone he wrote about seemed like a real person darker side of L.A, not some cloudy, Tolkien fantasy. Similarly, Navarro's playing was dynamic like Jimmy Page's, but unlike many other L.A. players, he didn't sound like Jimmy Page. While much of L.A. was aping Zeppelin's style, Jane's came off as more of the heir apparent to that band's throne by not cloning the original.
And like Zeppelin, they had great acoustic songs as well. Case in point: "Jane Says," which at first listen is a bit Zeppelin III, but Page/Plant never wrote lyrics that cut like these. Propelled by acoustic guitar and steel drums, it was a moving tribute to Farrell and Avery's one-time housemate Jane Bainter, who's "gonna kick tomorrow" when she "gets her money saved." She doesn't know what love is like "I only know they want me." There's no judging, just an observation of a tragic figure.
That song got played on "alternative rock" radio alongside the likes of Depeche Mode and the Cure, but Jane's pulled a metal audience, and appealed to punks as well. This was in the days before Farrell invented the Lollapalooza tour, and those clans didn't often meet at concerts, or really anywhere else.
The album changed a lot of things in the music business and could be pointed to as the record that led to alternative's rushing of the mainstream. But Perry Farrell told Radio.com how it changed his life.
"Prior to that, I was a kid in Los Angeles, I guess you could call me a street urchin, I was hanging out with a lot of other musicians in the city, it was a very different scene back then. It was built around music. Today, there's a lot of other things for young people to do. We didn't have computer games and social media."
Conversations with Farrell tend to be wide-ranging and protracted; the pithy soundbite answer is not for him. "When Nothing's Shocking came out, I became much more of a worldly human being. That took me a while, thirty years. Now, I am able to relate to the man standing next to me in the elevator. Back then, he might be scared of me. Today, he might find me to be a refreshing conversationalist. I was always a good person, but back then, I just didn't look like it. Now, after all this time, and having children and aging, but aging–like a wine would–I enjoy my life more than ever. I meet people who are tremendous and valuable, valuable to the world, they invite me to places. Back then, I was f***ed up, I don't think they were able to relate to me."
