Priest fans don’t miss KK

Ian Hill says no one’s asking about departed axeman – and believes Downing didn’t enjoy being in band any longer


Out of sight, out of mind: KK Downing

The last remaining founding member of Judas Priest says former bandmate KK Downing isn’t missed by their fans.

Bassist Ian Hill reports that no one’s been asking him about the guitarist now he’s been replaced by former Lauren Harris axeman Richie Faulkner.

And while he’s in the dark about why Downing decided to quit ahead of Priest’s final world tour, he suspects he just didn’t like being in the band as much as he used to.

Hill tells the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner: “Richie is an altogether great talent. He does what Ken did plus his own little traits. He’s a great performer and character.

“The crowd is taking to him well, and with all due respect to Ken, no one’s missing him. No one’s asking about Ken. You’ll know why when you see Richie perform.”

Like other members of the metal pioneers, Hill says he was surprised when his schoolboy friend made the decision to leave. He reveals Faulkner knew for about a month he’d been given the role before it was announced.

“God bless him, he kept his mouth shut,” says the bassist. “We said, ‘Richie, if he doesn’t come back, you’ve got the job.’ He must have been waiting to tell somebody.”

Asked precisely why Downing quit Hill responds: “Anything I say would be speculation. Personally, I think he had enough. Out of all of us, maybe he’s the one who enjoyed it the least. If you ever get the opportunity that’s something you’d have to ask him.”

Meanwhile, Hill says the band are flattered by the number of big-name acts lining up to appear on tribute album The Chosen Few.

Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Joe Elliott, James Hetfield, Slash, Lemmy, Kerry King and Corey Taylor have all chosen their favourite Priest tracks to appear on the compilation.

Hill says: “There’s no high attribute when you get Lemmy and Ozzy on there. It seems like a fantastic list.”

Tracklisting:

Diamonds And Rust chosen by Joe Elliott
Dissident Aggressor chosen by Steve Vai
Exciter chosen by Accept
Beyond The Realms Of Death chosen by Lars Ulrich
Delivering The Goods chosen by Kerry King
The Green Manalishi with the Two Pronged Crown chosen by David Coverdale
The Ripper chosen by Ozzy Osbourne
Victim Of Changes chosen by James Hetfield
Breaking The Law chosen by Lemmy
Rapid Fire chosen by Vinnie Paul
Grinder chosen by Zakk Wylde
Living After Midnight chosen by Alice Cooper and Geezer Butler
Screaming For Vengeance chosen by Slash
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming chosen by Klaus Meine and Corey Taylor
The Sentinel chosen by Chris Jericho
Turbo Lover chosen by Jonathan Davis
Painkiller chosen by Joe Satriani

W.A.S.P. "30 Years of Thunder" World Tour starts 2012.

W.A.S.P. – “30 Years of Thunder”

Twenty Nine years ago today, on September 21st 1982, W.A.S.P. played their first show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

On September 21st 2012 W.A.S.P. will begin the “30 Years of Thunder” anniversary Tour starting in the United Kingdom and continue Worldwide!!

This World Tour will be the biggest spectacle W.A.S.P. have ever created. The two hour show will consist of three parts. A one hour set contain songs from the first four albums. The second set will be a 25 minute shortened version of “The Crimson Idol” complete with the movie accompaniment. A third set will consist of material from the New Studio Album, older material and everything in between. This show will see multiple video screens, pyrotechnics, and elements from the early W.A.S.P. shows (maybe even an exploding cod piece) and Blackie’s moving microphone stand “Elvis”!

The “30 Years of Thunder” World Tour - This promises to be the Greatest W.A.S.P. Show Ever !!!

http://www.waspnation.com/waspnation30.html

W.A.S.P. "30 Years Of Thunder - Part One

This is the first monthly installment of fifteen in total to chronicle the real events of this Band and give you all a little better insight to the last thirty years in our history. A lot has been written over the years, some true, some not. These monthly installments will give you a snapshot of what really happened.

The First W.A.S.P. Show

It was early June 1982 when I met with Chris Holmes to discuss working together again. It had been over 4 years since the two of us had played together in the band Sister. Sister was the group where we both learned the type of Rock-Theatre that we would later do in this new band. Originally we had no intention of playing live shows. I had written about 10 songs that we were only going to record and then shop them around trying to get a record deal. Many of those early recordings were songs that would be re-recorded for the first album. The problem was, we got no offers from any of the major labels. They all turned us down. So after impatiently waiting around for 2
months for a response (that never came), we decided to go out and try these new songs live. We didn’t know if they would be accepted by a very jaded L. A. audience but we thought they were pretty good. Love Machine, Hellion, Sleeping in the Fire, On Your Knees, these were songs that NO RECORD COMPANY wanted. Seems funny now!

Anyway, in our haste to make something happen we decided to go out and play live, something we said we would not do. First we needed a direction. The four of us were, Chris, Tony Richards (drums), Don Costa (bass) and myself. Don was the last to join. If we were going to do this, we did not want to just stand still and play songs. We wanted to entertain ourselves. This is where the idea of the “show” really came from.

For the record, the first show was played in August of 82’ but I was still playing guitar. Don Costa was playing bass. Don was a fantastic player and performer and was a real star. He used to do a routine where he nailed a metal cheese greater to the back of his bass. In the middle of the show he turned the bass over and started grating his knuckles on it. Blood was streaming down his arms – it was quite a spectacle! Chris had a major problem with this. Not that the visual of it bothered him. It was the idea that Don stopped playing the bass to do it. There were actually a number of times during the show that he stopped playing for one thing or another. The next day Chris gave me an ultimatum, either he or Don was leaving the band. I tried for an hour to get Chris to reconsider but he didn’t want to know about it. I would not leave Chris so I was elected to break the news to Don. This was tough, as I had actively courted both Don and Tony to leave the band they were in at the time. That band was called Dante Fox. They would later change their name to Great White.

Now we have no bass player! I had known Randy Piper from a couple of bands that he and I had played in before. An early incarnation that had Tony, Randy and myself could never get off the ground. The missing ingredient was Holmes and I knew it. So I called Randy and asked him to come down. I felt the chemistry was there but there was only one problem – no bass player. Randy could sing and I needed another voice to do all those harmonies with. I had sent copies of the demo tape to both Ace Frehley and former Kiss manager, the late Bill Aucoin. They had agreed to come out to L. A. to see our first show at the Troubadour that was quickly approaching. Now we have one of two options, find a bass player and rehearse him in 3 weeks and I just sing lead, OR I play bass. The other two would not even discuss the idea of them doing it. Holmes said, “we’ve already got 4 very volatile personalities, we don’t need a fifth guy to make it even worse”. So it’s off to Guitar Center (there was only one back then and this was the original on Sunset Blvd.) to buy myself what I would eventually refer to as “the tool of ignorance”. That description was unfair but it described my anxiety and frustration toward that instrument at the time.

There were two shows that were booked for us to play the Troubadour. The first was September 21st and the next week on the 28th. Both were Tuesday nights at 8 PM. Considering the Troubadour was closed on Monday, these were the worst time slots in the week. There were 63 people in attendance at that first show. Humble beginnings !!

More Next Month!!
B. L.

VAN HALEN - COLUMBIA RUMORS FIRM UP - AND EUROPE IN MAY/JUNE:

A couple of small Van Halen updates for you today. First., the following article from The Hollywood Reporter (link):
"After 35 years at Warner Bros., the band has reportedly left for Sony. An insider tells THR that Columbia A&R executive Stephen Ferrera has been tasked with overseeing a new Van Halen album, its first with David Lee Roth since 1984.
The rumor mill is abuzz with talk of a new Van Halen album -- their first with original singer David Lee Roth since he left the band in 1985, the band's first since 1998's Van Halen III and the first to be released on a label other than Warner Bros. Records, where they spent the better part of 35 years.
Several reports cite that Sony-owned Columbia Records will be Van Halen's new label home, with new music due out in 2012. Indeed, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter, “Nothing has been signed yet, but Columbia has been in the lead for some time,” adding that A&R executive Stephen Ferrera has been tasked with overseeing the album.
Ferrera came to Columbia in June after spending three years at EVP of A&R at Island Def Jam, where he worked with such acts as Bon Jovi and Ne-Yo. Before that, he held a senior A&R role at RCA, where he worked with the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.
Producer-songwriter John Shanks (Michelle Branch, Melissa Etheridge) tweeted early this year that he was in the studio with the band and THR hears Ross Hogarth (Sick Puppies, John Mellencamp) recently finished mixing the album.
Van Halen's current line-up includes Roth, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, his son and bassist Wolfgang Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen.
A Columbia Records rep could not be reached for comment."

I can add the following information. Tour dates for USA continue to be booked, starting in February 2012. The tour could be split into two legs, to allow the band to take in some festival and select solo dates in Europe over the northern summer.

A trusted source in Europe tells me that there are 3 German shows being looked at (Stuttgart, Dortmund and Berlin) around the week of June 13.
I've heard from two sources now that Download UK want Van Halen to headline one of the nights there - the event runs June 6-11, 2012 and lastly, expect the band to figure in Sweden Rock Festival calculations - that festival runs June 6-9.
A Paris date is also rumoured for late May.

Today's Day in Pop

50 Cent Sued for Alleged Violent Attack He Didn't Commit- Snoop Dogg Family Sitcom- Jonas Brother Reality Show- Ne-Yo Engaged- more
(Billboard) 50 Cent is being sued for an alleged violent attack on a woman at his home, TMZ is reporting. The case is peculiar because the famous rapper was not present when the alleged crime took place more

Charlie Sheen's screen funeral on sitcom Two and a Half Men was watched by 28.7m in the US - the highest ratings for the show since it began in 2003. more

(FMQB) Ne-Yo is engaged to longtime girlfriend Monyetta Shaw, and the couple is expecting their second child together. more

(FMQB) Snoop Dogg is working on a family sitcom for Warner Bros., playing the head of a household loosely based on his own more

(BBC) X Factor boyband One Direction go straight to number one on the UK chart with their debut single, while Amy Winehouse's last recording enters the chart at number 40. more

(Jam!) Pop star Kevin Jonas is set to star in his own reality TV show about life with his wife Danielle Deleasa. The oldest of the Jonas Brothers has reportedly invited cameras into the couple's home to document its day-to-day activities. more

More on 50 Cent - 50 Cent CDs, vinyl and rarities - 50 Cent Tour Dates/Tickets

John Mayer Suffering From Throat Condition
(rock nyc) According to Rolling Stones, John Mayer has been diagnosed with granuloma, a throat condition that may compromise his singing career and has already effected it.

He was forced to cancel his future appearances at the iheartradio Music Festival in Las Vegas and with Tony Bennett in Los Angeles.

The release of his future album will also be seriously delayed as he explained on his blog. Read what he had to say here

More on John Mayer - John Mayer CDs, vinyl and rarities - John Mayer Tour Dates/Tickets

Unlock Rihanna's New Album
(Rocnation) Rihanna is giving fans a chance to UNLOCK exclusives from her new album, which is expected to be released this fall.

The more fans that opt in, the more exclusives are unlocked from the new album.

You never know what the missions will be so make sure to check out the RIHANNA UNLOCKED FACEBOOK tab to accept your first mission here.

More on Rihanna - Rihanna CDs, vinyl and rarities - Rihanna Tour Dates/Tickets

Matt Hardy Arrested After Drug Raid
(TMZ) A week after he was arrested for DUI, Matt Hardy was thrown back in the slammer -- his third time in jail in a month -- and the search warrant makes it clear ... Matt has a major drug problem.

According to search warrant docs obtained by TMZ, It all started with a 911 call last Wednesday -- placed by Matt's model girlfriend, Reby Sky, who was worried Matt "was strung out on pills and needed help."

Police came and Matt's GF led them to a secret safe containing several prescription painkillers.

Police then obtained a search warrant -- and according to cops, when they raided his house they found 20 vials of anabolic steroids and some ecstasy.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Matt wasn't home at the time of the search so they couldn't arrest him on the spot ... he turned himself in yesterday.

Hardy -- who bailed out soon after his arrest -- posted an emotional YouTube video last night (below), saying he's enrolling in a 3-month rehab program paid for by the WWE, as part of its former talent rehabilitation assistance program. more on this story

More on Matt Hardy

Luke Bryan Takes On Lady Gaga's Bad Romance
(Taste of Country) Luke Bryan gave Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' a southern-fried makeover in concert recently.

We always say it's a testament to the songwriting quality of a pop song when it can be reinvented in different genres and by totally different artists, and Bryan certainly took the song and made it his own, replacing the "rah rah" and "Gaga / ooh la la" parts with monster riffs.

Bryan even let the crowd sing that part when it reprised at the end of the song! It would have been comedic, though, to hear Bryan singing those silly, diva-esque lyrics. Could you imagine? Check it out here

More on Luke Bryan - Luke Bryan CDs, vinyl and rarities - Luke Bryan Tour Dates/Tickets

Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton to Play CMA Awards
(Gibson) The five nominees for CMA Entertainer of the Year have been announced as performers at the upcoming 45th Annual CMA Awards in November.

Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, the awards show will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, November 9 (8-11 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Jason Aldean received first-time nominations in five categories in 2011 including Entertainer; Male Vocalist; Album for My Kinda Party; and Single and Musical Event of the Year for "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Kelly Clarkson. more on this story

More on CMA - CMA CDs, vinyl and rarities - CMA Tour Dates/Tickets

Dr. Conrad Murray Lawyers Claim Video Shows Michael Jackson Was A Wreck
(TMZ) Lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray want to show jurors just how worn down Michael Jackson was in the weeks leading up to his death -- and their proof ... MJ's blowout announcement for the "This Is It" concerts.

MJ held the news conference on March 5, 2009 ... announcing he would perform his last 10 concerts ever in London that summer ... insisting, "When I say this is it, it really means this is it."

Murray's defense team filed legal docs, claiming the video shows Jackson was rapidly deteriorating, both mentally and physically, when he made the announcement. They're asking the judge for permission to show jurors the video, to prove Michael was literally on his last leg ... several months before his death. more on this story

More on Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson CDs, vinyl and rarities - Michael Jackson Tour Dates/Tickets

Mary J. Blige Alter Ego Returns To Rap On New Album
(PopCrush) If you have been waiting patiently for Mary J. Blige to release her new album, well, wait no more.

The Grammy-winning songbird has penciled in Nov. 21 as the release date for her tenth album 'My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act I),' reports Rolling Stone magazine (via Rap-Up).

One of the surprises that awaits fans on the collection is the return of Blige's rap alter ego Brook Lynn, who is going to spit bars on the Rico Love-produced and written song, 'Midnight Drive.' More details here

More on Mary J. Blige - Mary J. Blige CDs, vinyl and rarities - Mary J. Blige Tour Dates/Tickets

50 Cent Ringleader of Ray J and Fabolous Brawl?
(TMZ) TMZ has obtained footage of the Vegas nightclub brawl between Ray J and Fabolous -- and the wildest part ... sources tell us, 50 Cent stirred up the whole thing.

We're told Fiddy had been encouraging Ray to confront Fabolous about their recent Twitter feud -- and Ray finally decided to get in Fab's face at Moon nightclub inside The Palms casino.

In the clip, you can see 50 standing between Ray and Fabolous ... with a big ass grin.

But we're told Fiddy actually jumped in to break things up when Ray J and Fab started scrapping.

As we previously reported, Ray J was booted from the club after the fight -- but he was not arrested. more on this story

More on 50 Cent - 50 Cent CDs, vinyl and rarities - 50 Cent Tour Dates/Tickets

B.o.B Refused To Pay Over $1K Bar Tab
(PopCrush) Few kinds of celebrity-entitlement stories are as maddening as when a famous person walks out on an expensive bar tab.

Which means B.o.B has some explaining to do, because a bar in Ithaca, N.Y., says the rapper refused to pay a more than $1,000 tab that he and his entourage rang up after their concert on Saturday at Cornell University.

Brad Weiss, owner of Level B, said that B.o.B. and a dozen friends ordered three bottles of $300 Grey Goose vodka and received a free bottle of champagne and bottle service in a reserved section. Including tip, the bill ran $1,060, and the group walked out without paying.
Many will scratch their heads at what B.o.B's manager reportedly said in response

More on B.o.B - B.o.B CDs, vinyl and rarities - B.o.B Tour Dates/Tickets

Ellie Goulding Announces Dates With Katy Perry
(FTW) Ellie Goulding plans to follow up her sold-out summer US headlining tour with some special shows this fall.

Ellie Goulding will be returning stateside this November to join Katy Perry on select dates of her California Dreams Tour.

Earlier this year, Ellie's debut album Lights earned her appearances on 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Live with Regis and Kelly' as well as a personal invitation by Prince William and Kate Middleton to sing at the Royal Wedding. more on this story

More on Ellie Goulding - Ellie Goulding CDs, vinyl and rarities - Ellie Goulding Tour Dates/Tickets

Jason Aldean Has Over 20 Songs To Pick From For Next Album
(Taste of Country) Jason Aldean has enough songs set aside to make two new albums, but the 'Dirt Road Anthem' singer will soon begin whittling down a "pile of 20, 25 songs" to the one's that work best for his fifth studio album.

Aldean — who, as previously reported, will begin recording in October — says he waits to hear the songs before deciding which direction to take with a new project.

"We've never gone in and said, 'Hey, we're going to make a really country record,' or a country-rock record or whatever," Aldean tells Billboard. "I think you just wait on the songs to come in and then you go in the studio and the album takes shape. Whatever it sounds like when you're done is what it sounds like." A lot more here

More on Jason Aldean - Jason Aldean CDs, vinyl and rarities - Jason Aldean Tour Dates/Tickets

LeBron James Wins Victory Against Alleged Father
(TMZ) LeBron James' alleged father is full of it -- legally speaking -- which is why a judge just shot down the man's lawsuit against 'Bron ... according to new court documents.

TMZ broke the story ... Leicester Bryce Stovell sued LBJ and his mother Gloria last year ... claiming they defamed him, blocked him from making money -- and tampered with paternity test results that showed he was NOT LeBron's father.

Now, a Washington, DC judge has dismissed all 8 claims in Stovell's lawsuit. In the docs, the court said Stovell had insufficient facts to support his claims, and -- among other things, "had not identified any damages."

As for Stovell's belief he could have earned big money -- the court said, "Apparently Stovell believes that companies are willing to pay him for being the father of LeBron James." Not shockingly ... the court once again said Stovell has no proof to back that claim.

Stovell -- a lawyer who claims he knocked up Gloria after a one-night stand -- tells TMZ he still thinks there is "a likelihood" he's LeBron's biological pop ... and he wants to retake a DNA test.

He also says he might appeal the dismissal. more on this story

More on LeBron James

Howard Jones To Play His Classic Albums Live
Howard Jones upcoming North American tour will feature two of his classic albums, Human's Lib and Dream Into Action, performed in their entirety.

Kicking off on October 12th at San Diego's 4th & B, fans will get to experience not only Jones' greatest hits such as "New Song," "What Is Love?," "Things Can Only Get Better" and his US #1 "No One Is To Blame," but also songs from these two albums that have never before been performed live. Please see below for the full tour itinerary.

Howard Jones commented, ""The idea of doing the first two albums came from the fans constantly asking me to do this. When I was finally able to get the multi-tracks from Warners in 2010 it was then possible to do these shows in an authentic way. The technology was not available in the mid 80's to do justice to the songs and so many of them I am performing for the first time live. It seemed a great opportunity to add video to the show and I commissioned visual pieces for all 24 tracks." more on this story

More on Howard Jones - Howard Jones CDs, vinyl and rarities - Howard Jones Tour Dates/Tickets

The Eli Young Band Hitting The Road With Dierks Bentley
(Taste of Country) The Eli Young Band are looking forward to their fall on the road, as they will be linking up once again with Dierks Bentley on his Country and Cold Cans Tour.

The trek launches October 6 in Lacrosse, Wisc., and will run through November 19 after hitting a total of 22 cities.

For the Eli Young Band, sharing time on the road with the likes of an artist like Bentley is refreshing on many levels. Find out how here.

More on Eli Young Band - Eli Young Band CDs, vinyl and rarities - Eli Young Band Tour Dates/Tickets

Keller Williams Maps Out Busy Tour Plans
(MH) Keller Williams will be on tour through the end of the year in several of his various incarnations, including his newest collaboration – The Travelin' McCourys Featuring Keller Williams – debuting this fall at Magnolia Fest, Voodoo Music Festival, and others.

Also announced today, a New Year's run: beginning December 28 at The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina. Then on December 29 and 30 the show rolls to The National in Richmond, VA and Norfolk's NorVa respectively, with Keller Williams on stage for one set solo and one set with his project Kdubalicious, plus very special guests The Pimps of Joytime. For New Year's Eve, Keller & The Keels ring in 2012 at Brooklyn Performing Arts Center in Wilmington North Carolina. All four venues will also host a Keller Plays for Kids matinee performance earlier that day.

Also in December, Keller Williams releases his 17th recording, Bass, which is also Keller's first-ever release playing only bass guitar. The lineup – dubbed Kdubalicious for live shows – features Keller on bass, Jay Starling on keyboards, and Mark D on drums. Additional details on the release of this reggae/ dub/ funk delight will be announced soon. more on this story

More on Keller Williams - Keller Williams CDs, vinyl and rarities - Keller Williams Tour Dates/Tickets

Tom Sizemore Arrested
(TMZ) Tom Sizemore was back in a familiar spot yesterday morning -- a jail cell ... after getting busted for a battery warrant.

Law enforcement sources tell us Sizemore was arrested by LAPD officers last night while they were conducting a narcotics investigation at an apartment. It was not Sizemore's apartment.

We're told Sizemore did not have any drugs on him, but police did discover he had an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor battery ... and arrested him. more on this story

More on Tom Sizemore

Dwight Twilley To Deliver His Soundtrack Next Month
(VSR) Dwight Twilley will release of his new studio album, entitled Soundtrack, on October 4th.

Dwight Twilley's new studio album Soundtrack is unique and perhaps the most powerful recording of Twilley's career. Mr. Twilley signed on to write and produce the disc to accompany a film documentary about his life, which is now in production. "Creating this album was a real challenge for me. Something I've never attempted. It's completely autobiographical. For me these songs are like musical photographs of the people, places and events that tell my story."

The new album marks a bittersweet milestone of the end of a more than 30-year collaboration between Twilley and legendary guitarist Bill Pitcock IV, who made a significant contribution to the album. Pitcock passed away near the completion of the recording. more on this story

More on Dwight Twilley - Dwight Twilley CDs, vinyl and rarities - Dwight Twilley Tour Dates/Tickets

Witness Says Mel Gibson Didn't Try To Run Man Over
(TMZ) Mel Gibson allegedly tried to run over a man outside a Costa Rican bakery ... but at least one eyewitness tells TMZ the man's a liar.

Quick backstory -- Nader Sharif sued Mel, claiming the actor swindled him out of $200,000 by cajoling him into investing in a recyclable rubber company.

Sharif filed a lawsuit in June, but he's filing new documents today, in which he claims Mel tried to mow him down in July, after the two ran into each other at a Costa Rican bakery.

Sharif says Mel got violent, calling him "vile and offensive names" and threatening him with physical harm if he didn't skip town.

Sharif alleges Mel stormed out of the bakery and got into his car. Sharif says he left the premises moments later, and Mel "accelerated the car to a high rate of speed" and drove the car directly at him while multitasking by giving him the finger! Sharif says he jumped out of the way... narrowly escaping his fate as Costa Rican roadkill.

But a witness tells TMZ it's all hogwash. He says Mel was trying to enjoy a "sweet pastry" and a cup of coffee, when Sharif walked in the bakery and tried to confront him. He claims Mel asked Sharif to leave, to no avail. The witness says Mel left ... Sharif followed. The witness says at no time did Mel drive toward Sharif. And he says there are at least 7 other witnesses who will tell the same story.

If only Oksana was there to record the incident. more on this story

More on Mel Gibson

New Robert Randolph & the Family Band Coming Next Week
(TFS) Dare Records will release Robert Randolph & the Family Band Live In Concert next Tuesday, September 27th.

This definitive, career spanning album was recorded on Robert Randolph & the Family Band's recent U.S. tour and marks the group's first live collection since their 2002 debut album, Live at the Wetlands.

It will include such Robert Randolph & the Family Band classics as "Squeeze" and "If I Had My Way." The latter features Blind Boys Of Alabama's Joey Williams, who also guests on Prince's "Walk Don't Walk." Susan Tedeschi, Ryan Shaw, Chuck Campbell and Nigel Hall join in on the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" while Shaw, Tommy Sims, Ryan Scott and The Monophonic Horns guest on Earth, Wind & Fire's classic "Shining Star." The collection also includes a tour de force version of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." more on this story

More on Robert Randolph - Robert Randolph CDs, vinyl and rarities - Robert Randolph Tour Dates/Tickets

Richard Smith and Francesco Buzzurro Fall Tour
(JPV) Jazz guitarist Richard Smith and classical guitarist Francesco Buzzurro will embark on their first West Coast tour to support their new recording, Un Mondo, Due Chitarre.

In addition to the concert performances, the duo will be visiting university campuses along the way to conduct master class sessions with aspiring musicians.

Since their initial meeting in 2005, the two have strived to create a presentation that combines their unique musical backgrounds into an anthology of tunes enjoyable and appreciated by the masses. Un Mondo, Due Chitarre takes its audience on a musical journey outside each respective player's genres to explore new dimensions in the sound of two guitars. The opening piece, an original composition from Buzzurro, "Paisaje" sets the tone as the music weaves through arrangements of Chick Corea's "Spain", Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely", Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" and ends in a finale of The Who's "Pinball Wizard". more on this story

Today's Day in Rock

Hear Mastodon's New Album- Bloc Party Drop Kele?- Dream Theater Idol- Nightwish and Jane's Addiction Set Dates- Pop Punk's Not Dead- Breathe Carolina Blackout- more
(Loudwire) Mastodon are making fans very happy by offering a free stream of their entire new album 'The Hunter' a week before its release on Sept. 27. The full album premiere is backed by an interesting montage of psychedelic images that complement the songs of the album. Check it out here

(Jam!) Kele Okereke fears he has been dropped as the frontman of Bloc Party after his bandmates held a session without him. "I hope I haven't been fired. I don't really know what's going on, because we haven't really spoken recently and I'm a bit too scared to ask." more

(superLOUD) Do you have singing talent but don't have a way to get to a major city? If you have a webcam, you can now audition for a vocal competition in the comfort of your own home. "Last Voice Standing" auditions will begin on October 1st. One of the judges will be Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess. more

(The 1st Five) New Found Glory are all over the place these days, first with a new song on KROQ and now with the Pop Punk's Not Dead 2k11 tour. The band will be joining Set Your Goals, The Wonder Years, Man Overboard and This Time Next Year as the newly announced headliners of this year's tour. more

(BW&BK) Nightwish, who recently announced their anxiously-awaited new album, Imaginaerum, will be released on November 30th in Finland and December 2nd in Europe, have confirmed January 10th, 2012 as the US release date. more

(FMQB) After a few slight delays, Jane's Addiction now will release their new album, The Great Escape Artist, on October 18. more

(Noisecreep) Move over, KISS coffins and condoms and cremation urns. Kiss [will once again] be immortalized as comic book heroes. The branding geniuses have partnered up with Archie Comics to launch a new, four-part, Kiss-centric series dubbed 'Archie Meets Kiss.' Forget the 'Phantom of the Park!' It's all about Archie, Archie, Archie! more

(FMQB) The video for up-and-coming electro-rock-pop duo Breathe Carolina's new single "Blackout" debuted on VEVO. The pair will release a new EP, Blackout: The Remixes, digitally next Tuesday, September 27. Watch the video here

(LG) Arsis will be touring as part of the "Frets of Fury Tour" this October with Firewind, White Wizzard, and Nightrage. And although the band will be performing some brand new material on the tour, guitarist/vocalist (and primary songwriter) Jim Malone will not be there. Find out why here

(superLOUD) Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump has premiered the music video of the lead single to his upcoming Soul Punk album. Called "This City," the tune also features a guest appearance by hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco. more

(BW&BK) Thin Lizzy's Bad Reputation will be reissued in the US on September 20th via Universal Music Enterprises. The reissue was previously released in the UK on June 27th along with other Thin Lizzy classics: Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979) and Chinatown (1980). more

(superLOUD) Tracii's version of L.A. Guns has seen some line-up changes since its introduction in 2006. It began with original singer Paul Black, continued with Marty Casey (of Rockstar: INXS fame), and finally seemed to stabilize with the return of singer Jizzy Pearl in 2009. However, Pearl has announced today that he's left the band again. more

Lambgoat is reporting that Hatebreed has announced new dates admist the Five Finger Death Punch tour that kicks off later this month. Many of the new dates also feature All That Remains. more

(LG) PMtoday has confirmed their rumored break-up, issuing the terse pronouncement via their Facebook more

(Jam!) Crash Test Dummies have cancelled their fall tour dates due to frontman Brad Roberts' ongoing back problems. more

(PNO) Plow United will be releasing a retrospective entitled Sleepwalk: A Retrospective this weekend via Paper and Plastick in conjunction with their reunion performance at Riot Fest East more

(superLOUD) Sleaze Roxx reports that the early 90's rockers Bang Tango have a new album set to arrive on September 27th. Pistol Whipped In The Bible Belt will be the first album of new material from the guys since 2006 more

(SRX) David Coverdale Celebrates His 60th Birthday On September 22nd "I've retired more times than Frank Sinatra but luckily I didnt tell many people," he laughs. more


More on Mastodon - Mastodon CDs, vinyl and rarities - Mastodon Tour Dates/Tickets

Metallica and Lou Reed Ban
(hennemusic) There's no freedom of expression on the London Underground…or, at least when it comes to what ads the subway system will display.

The NME reports the London Underground have banned promo posters for Lou Reed & Metallica's forthcoming album, "Lulu," from being displayed in stations.

The site reports Transport For London bosses made the decision not to allow the image on tubes, or in stations, after an unnamed "spokesperson" claimed it looked too much like graffiti. The album cover features a photo of a limbless mannequin with a realistic expression, and the album name written across it. See it here

More on Metallica - Metallica CDs, vinyl and rarities - Metallica Tour Dates/Tickets

Tori Amos Issues Metal Band Challenge
(Gibson) In her own words, Tori Amos just laid the gauntlet down. In an interview with Spinner, the singing, songwriting piano player has challenged the world's metal bands to a throwdown.

"I don't think that just because I talk about emotional stuff that it's not motherf---er stuff. I'll stand next to the hardest f---ing heavy metal band on any stage in the world and take them down, alone, by myself," she said. "Gauntlet laid down, see who steps up. See who steps up!

"I'll take them down at 48. And they know I will. Because emotion has power that the metal guys know is just you can't touch it. Insanity can't touch the soul. It's going to win every f---ing time." more on this story

More on Tori Amos - Tori Amos CDs, vinyl and rarities - Tori Amos Tour Dates/Tickets

Avenged Sevenfold Buried Alive Tour
Avenged Sevenfold will return to the road this fall for their own headlining "Buried Alive" tour, which launches in Ft. Meyers, FL, on November 23rd.

Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Veil Brides are also on the bill, offering fans an incredible value with four of the hottest bands in rock today. Ticket prices range from $35-45 including special family four pack offers in particular markets.

The tour takes its name from "Buried Alive," the fourth single from the band's album Nightmare. more on this story

More on Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold CDs, vinyl and rarities - Avenged Sevenfold Tour Dates/Tickets


Arcade Fire Win 2011 Polaris Music Prize
(SC) Last night Arcade Fire's acclaim album, The Suburbs, was crowned winner of the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.

Arcade Fire took home the $30,000.00 prizeThe other nine short list nominees were awarded $2000.00.

The gala ceremony included performances by short list nominees Austra, Braids, Galaxie, Hey Rosetta!, Ron Sexsmith and Timber Timbre, with members of Arcade Fire (Win Butler, Jeremy Gara, Richard Reed Parry) on hand as well. more on this story

More on Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire CDs, vinyl and rarities - Arcade Fire Tour Dates/Tickets

Two New Rush Releases Coming
Some big news for Rush fans, there are two new releases on the horizon. Here is the official word with all of the details:

Rush have announced details for the first offerings through their recently announced partnership with Roadrunner Records. On November 8, Anthem/Roadrunner will simultaneously release a two disc live album entitled "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" as well as "Moving Pictures: Live 2011" on vinyl and digital formats.

Captured in April at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena during the renowned trio's extensive Time Machine World Tour, "Time Machine 2011: Live In Cleveland" marks the band's first live album recorded at a U.S show, a deliberate nod of gratitude to the first city to support Rush on its radio airwaves. more on this story

More on Rush - Rush CDs, vinyl and rarities - Rush Tour Dates/Tickets

Megadeth's Mustaine Discusses Prospect Of Losing Ellefson To Metallica
(Rock News Desk) Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine has revealed his relief that bassist David Ellefson wasn't invited to join Metallica after the tragic death of Cliff Burton. But it's added to his determination that members of both bands should come together to record an album.

Burton died on tour in 1986 in a tour bus crash, three years after Mustaine had been kicked out of the band. He'd gone on to form Megadeth, and as his former colleagues looked for a new bassist their thoughts settled on Ellefson.

"When Cliff died there was a moment where Dave's name had come up and I was a little concerned," Mustaine tells CBS/ "I didn't want to lose my bassist and I certainly didn't want to have another reason to be upset. God knows I had my reasons, even though they weren't all real. A lot of them were caused by myself." more on this story

More on Megadeth - Megadeth CDs, vinyl and rarities - Megadeth Tour Dates/Tickets

Mike Portnoy V Dream Theater Denied
(Rock News Desk) The most recent chapter in Mike Portnoy's split with Dream Theater is a non-event, says a lawyer representing the band.

Sources yesterday said the drummer had launched a lawsuit against his former bandmates after his surprise decision to quit the prog metal outfit in 2010.

Now Ronald Beinstock, representing Dream Theater, tells Blabbermouth: "On or around April 27, 2011, Mr Portnoy filed a 'Notice With Summons'. This document is not a formal complaint. Further, the document was never served on any of the named defendants, rendering it moot.

"There is no pending litigation between Dream Theater and Mr Portnoy." more on this story

More on Dream Theater - Dream Theater CDs, vinyl and rarities - Dream Theater Tour Dates/Tickets

Slipknot Clown's Maggot Bible Dreams
(RockAAA) Slipknot's Clown, Shawn Crahan, is collating artwork submitted by fans to create The Maggot Bible.

Crahan who coined the phrase 'maggots' for the band's fans because of the way that he saw them feed from the band's energy now wants them to connect with him through art and poetry :

"Okay, I am going to do the very best I can to describe this crazy dream I had about a book called the Maggot Bible," he begins in a two-page introduction on Maggotbible.com, "My connection with you on the Internet or in person has always been surrounded by these ideas of art and how art can help ease the pain of life." more on this story

More on Slipknot - Slipknot CDs, vinyl and rarities - Slipknot Tour Dates/Tickets

Queen Star Auditioning Members for Queen Tribute Band
(Gibson) Aside from thinking about a one-off Queen show for next summer's Olympics, Queen drummer Roger Taylor is auditioning young musicians and singers for an official Queen tribute band, Queen Extravaganza.

According to the Guardian, the show will tour internationally with the band performing Queen hits along with archive footage and celebrity appearances.

Taylor told Rolling Stone magazine: "I'm quite convinced that there are tens of thousands of kids, of really talented people, in their bedrooms around the world playing drums, guitar, and singing. And I want to find some of those people." more on this story

More on Queen - Queen CDs, vinyl and rarities - Queen Tour Dates/Tickets

Double Concept Album For Stone Sour?
(Banana 101.5) Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor says that the band's next project is not only starting to look like a concept album, but that it may be a double album as well. A concept double album?

Stone Sour looks to join the ranks of bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Coheed and Cambria as they gear up to release a two-disc concept album.

In a recent interview Corey Taylor told Artisan News about Stone Sour's upcoming record. Read what he has to say here

More on Stone Sour - Stone Sour CDs, vinyl and rarities - Stone Sour Tour Dates/Tickets

Lacuna Coil Set Dark Adrenaline Release Date
Century Media Records have set a January 24th, 2012 North American release date for Lacuna Coil's sixth studio album Dark Adrenaline.

Dark Adrenaline was produced by the acclaimed Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Bullet For My Valentine)

The first single from the new album, "Trip The Darkness" will impact at Active Rock radio next month on October 10th. Lacuna Coil will tour in North America in support of Dark Adrenaline around the album's release; look for a big tour announcement in the coming weeks. more on this story

More on Lacuna Coil - Lacuna Coil CDs, vinyl and rarities - Lacuna Coil Tour Dates/Tickets

Cream Blu-Ray Coming Next Month
(Kayos) Eagle Rock Entertainment has set an October 11th release date for Cream: Royal Albert Hall London 2005 on Blu-Ray.

These songs, recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS-HD Master Audio, taken from four nights' worth, prove Cream's unerring sense of timing and drama remained intact. It was so good, in fact, they did what nobody ever thought they'd do: reunite for a stateside tour. And it all started here.

This epic 19-song high-definition reunion concert of guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker—who hadn't played together in nearly 40 years—comes complete with an additional three bonus tracks: alternate versions of "Sleepy Time Time," "We're Going Wrong" and "Sunshine Of Your Love." Interviews with all three legends make up the remainder of this historic two-hour and 47-minute classic. more on this story

More on Cream - Cream CDs, vinyl and rarities - Cream Tour Dates/Tickets

Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson Announces North American Tour For New Album
Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson has announced his first ever solo tour which hits North America in November.

Porcupine Tree and Blackfield star will be touring in support of his new solo album, Grace For Drowning, which will be released next Tuesday, September 27th via Kscope.

Grace For Drowning is the second album released under Wilson's own name, and builds on the artistic inroads he forged with 2009's exceptionally well-received Insurgentes. A double album ('two 40-45 minute albums in the same package') Wilson has described it as "my biggest project to date". more on this story

More on Steven Wilson - Steven Wilson CDs, vinyl and rarities - Steven Wilson Tour Dates/Tickets

Skillet Have 20 Songs for Next Album
(Banana 101.5) Skillet's story isn't one of overnight success, in fact, their last album 'Awake' was the band's eighth full-length release in their 15-year long career. Despite their long trip to commercial success, frontman John Cooper says they're just getting started.

Skillet made the difficult jump from Christian rock to mainstream success with their 2009 album 'Awake' — selling over 800,000 copies. The band's current single, 'It's Not Me It's You', is the album's sixth and is currently sitting at #12 on the active rock charts.

Though 'Awake' is still doing well, it is a two-year old album. Artist Direct recently asked vocalist John Cooper if the band had begun writing for the follow-up yet: "I have. I've got a good handful of songs—probably 20 or so for the next project. We're starting to do demos for that. I'm moving towards that way. I'm assuming we'll enter the studio early next year sometime between January and May." More from John here

More on Skillet - Skillet CDs, vinyl and rarities - Skillet Tour Dates/Tickets

Winds Of Plague Announce Thrash & Burn Tour Details
Winds Of Plague have announced dates for this fall's North American Thrash & Burn Tour and they'll be bringing along a heavy lineup.

Winds Of Plague will be joined on the trek by Chelsea Grin, As Blood Runs Black, For The Fallen Dreams, Upon A Burning Body, In The Midst Of Lions, Like Moths To Flames, and Volumes.

In regards to this upcoming trek, Winds Of Plague's Johnny Plague (vocals) comments: "We are very excited that our first US headlining tour in support of our new record 'Against The World' will carry the Thrash & Burn brand. more on this story

More on Winds Of Plague - Winds Of Plague CDs, vinyl and rarities - Winds Of Plague Tour Dates/Tickets

Mastodon Says They Aren't Cashing In On Fans
(Rock News Desk) Mastodon's Troy Sanders says his band aren't trying to cash in on fans' faith by releasing limited-edition versions of their albums.

He explains: "We always to a limited deluxe because we do have a handful of people who want to have everything. A lot of people think the deluxe stuff is only a cash-grab, but in our opinion that's not the case. I only buy the $50 version of things from bands that I truly love and I really want to own.

"That's why we only make a small run of those things, for those who wish to have that. If you just want to hear the fourteenth song you can simply buy that digitally for a dollar." more on this story

More on Mastodon - Mastodon CDs, vinyl and rarities - Mastodon Tour Dates/Tickets

Iwrestledabearonce Announce Film Premiere
(AMM) Iwrestledabearonce will premiere their feature film A Beary Scary Movie at the Rock And Shock Film Festival at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA on October 16.

A Beary Scary Movie will be featured as the headlining film of the day at this convention that exhibits the best independent horror films from around the world and boasts New England's largest gathering of horror and heavy metal fans.

The edgy horror film stars IWABO's Steven Bradley, Krysta Cameron, Mikey Montgomery, Michael "Rickshaw" Martin and John Ganey, along with actors Larry Parks, John Dillion, Phillip Wright, Jim Babel, Charlie Huffman and Kelly Keodara, with a special appearance by Jake Busey. more on this story

More on Iwrestledabearonce - Iwrestledabearonce CDs, vinyl and rarities - Iwrestledabearonce Tour Dates/Tickets

Placebo DVD and Blu-Ray Set For Release
(Kayos) Eagle Rock Entertainment has set a November 1 release date for the Placebo DVD and Blu-Ray, We Come In Pieces.

This concert was filmed at London's Brixton Academy in September 2010 at the culmination of their world tour in support of the Battle For The Sun album released the previous year. The band played 143 shows to over 2.5 million fans in 44 countries.

A Deluxe DVD will also be available, as a limited edition import and includes a second disc containing the hour-long documentary "Coming Up For Air" which follows Placebo around the world on their "Battle For The Sun" tour, and also includes the short film "Trigger Happy Hands." We Come In Pieces comes off the back of their hit album Battle For The Sun which reached #1 in 10 countries and was Top 10 in England. The live concert "Battle For Brixton" features many of their hit tracks including "The Bitter End," "Nancy Boy," "Every You Every Me," "For What It's Worth," "Infra-Red," "Taste In Men" and many more. more on this story

More on Placebo - Placebo CDs, vinyl and rarities - Placebo Tour Dates/Tickets

Neil Young Plans Autobiography
(Gibson) Following the recent successes of memoirs by Keith Richards and Sammy Hagar (both #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list), rock legend Neil Young has announced he's writing an autobiography.

The book is titled Waging Heavy Peace and is due out in the fall of 2012, according to Rolling Stone.

"I felt like writing books fit me like a glove," Young said in a statement. "I started and I just kept going. That's the way my Daddy used to do it on his old Underwood up in the attic. He said, 'Just keep writing, you never know what will turn up.'" more on this story

More on Neil Young - Neil Young CDs, vinyl and rarities - Neil Young Tour Dates/Tickets

Covers Helped Puddle of Mudd Find A New Dynamic
(Banana 101.5) Puddle of Mudd guitarist Paul Phillips says that recording their latest album, a collection of classic rock covers titled 'Re:(disc)overed', helped the band find a new groove.

Puddle of Mudd initially began the path to their latest album with the intentions of it being a Puddle of Mudd album. As guitarist Paul Phillips told Billboard previously, it didn't quite work out like that.

Now that the experience is behind them and the album is in stores, Puddle of Mudd is hitting the road for the next few months. Phillips recently told Artist Direct that treading through the material of others helped the band find a new dynamic within themselves. Read what he had to say here

More on Puddle of Mudd - Puddle of Mudd CDs, vinyl and rarities - Puddle of Mudd Tour Dates/Tickets

Aborted Finish New Album
Aborted have just finished work on their upcoming seventh studio album, Global Flatline! which will hit stores next year.

The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the renowned Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Pestilence, Hatesphere) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark, and the artwork was once again created by the grotesquely-talented Justin Osbourn from Slasher Design.

Century Media will release a digital single of the title track, "Global Flatline", on October 15th. more on this story

More on Aborted - Aborted CDs, vinyl and rarities - Aborted Tour Dates/Tickets

Black Cobra Added To Kyuss Lives! Tour
Black Cobra have announced that they will be hitting the road this fall supporting Kyuss Lives! on their North American Tour.

The second leg of Kyuss Lives! dates will kick off mid-November, and in addition to Black Cobra, will feature The Sword as direct support.

YOB will also join in the festivities on the Portland and Seattle dates of the excursion. At press time there are 14 shows confirmed, but several more are being added to the routing and will be disbursed to the public in the days ahead. more on this story

More on Black Cobra - Black Cobra CDs, vinyl and rarities - Black Cobra Tour Dates/Tickets

Toxic Holocaust Split For Relief
Toxic Holocaust are releasing a split 7" with Midnight which will benefit the victims of the Japanese tsunami disaster.

The 7" is limited to a one-time pressing of 1,000 copies on Japanese-flag colored heavy-weight vinyl, and features tracks from both bands ("A.T.O.M.I.C." by Toxic Holocaust, "Destroy Tsunami's Power" by Midnight) exclusive to this release.

The split also features exclusive artwork by Daniel "Sawblade" Shaw (Toxic Holocaust, Insect Warfare, Coffins). All proceeds will go to the Red Cross relief efforts for victims of the tsunami disaster. The 7" can be ordered here.

Additionally, Toxic Holocaust heads to Europe for a five-week winter tour alongside Kvelertak, Trap Them and Wolves Like Us more on this story

More on Toxic Holocaust - Toxic Holocaust CDs, vinyl and rarities - Toxic Holocaust Tour Dates/Tickets

Kaura Unleash That Which Defines Us
(Sub) Kaura released their new album, That Which Defines Us, digitally at iTunes and physically at IndieMerchStore.com.

Produced by singer Malcolm Guess, That Which Defines Us is a testament of dedication, taking over two years to record with the assistance of rock luminaries such as Sylvia Massey (Tool, System of a Down, Danzig), Ken Andrews (Failure, A Perfect Circle) and Michael Romanowski (Dredg).

Central to the album's sound were instruments that the band collected on their travels to India, Thailand, Bali, Cambodia, Laos, and Nepal. more on this story

More on Kaura - Kaura CDs, vinyl and rarities - Kaura Tour Dates/Tickets

Black Tusk Announce Fall Tour Plans
(Sub) Black Tusk has announced an Eastern US headlining tour in support of their forthcoming new record "Set the Dial".

The tour starts Nov. 2nd in Charlotte, and runs through mid-November, and includes a stop as part of the Metal Suckfest. Support on this run comes from Thou and Monstro on select dates.

Additionally, Black Tusk has confirmed a string of regional record release shows. Among them Savannah and Atlanta stops as well as two Texas dates supporting Mastodon. more on this story

More on Black Tusk - Black Tusk CDs, vinyl and rarities - Black Tusk Tour Dates/Tickets

JD Malone & The Experts Encourage Fans To Do What You Can Do
(Glass Onyon) JD Malone has a plan unlike anything else ever attempted by a relatively unknown artist - an innovative way to address the fallen spirit of average Americans who just don't feel connected and don't think their voices can ever be heard.

The Do What You Can Do Project, inspired by a song of the same name from his acclaimed new CD/DVD 'Avalon' (ItsAboutMusic.com), is the Philadelphia roots rocker's great attempt to resolve this problem, by delivering a potent message allowing anyone to change his or her life by "doing what they can do" to make a difference in their lives and those of others.

Malone and his band, the Experts, are delivering the message through a groundbreaking touring concept – the 'Do What You Can Do' U.S. Tour launching this fall. more on this story

More on JD Malone - JD Malone CDs, vinyl and rarities - JD Malone Tour Dates/Tickets

Anberlin Singled Out Week: Depraved
Anberlin kick off a coheadlining tour with Switchfoot this week and to celebrate we asked frontman Stephen Christian to tell us about some of the songs from their latest album "Dark Is A Way Light Is A Place". Today he tells us about "Depraved" :

I once heard that Eddie Vedder went into a vocal booth drunk and recorded what would become one of the biggest single on their record Vs. He just sang whatever came to mind.

When Nathan, our drummer, sent me a song he had been working on to see what I thought. Just for fun, I thought I would write a few melody lines and lyrics for him and basically adopted the same Vedder style. I just sang whatever came to mind. When I sent it back, Nathan was so excited he sent it to the rest of the guys. It was never supposed to go on the record because it was just something Nate and I were doing for fun. Turned out everyone was way into it and the label wanted us to put it on the record!

JOURNEY'S GREATEST HITS VOL. 2 SPANS HIT SINGLES, ALBUM TRACKS AND RARITIES FROM 1978 TO 1996:

Journey's Enduring Appeal Is Affirmed Everywhere From Rock Band To The Sopranos, from Broadway's Rock Of Ages to Television's Glee --CD and gatefold double 180-gram virgin vinyl edition of Greatest Hits Vol. 2 -- AND gatefold double 180-gram virgin vinyl edition of original Greatest Hits -- available everywhere starting November 1, 2011

New York, Sept. 19, 2011 / Greatest Hits Vol. 2, a brand-new collection of original recordings by the mega-platinum band Journey will be available as a single CD, digital download, and special gatefold double-vinyl edition (which includes a code for a free digital download of the vinyl remastered album), available starting November 1, 2011. This new package from Columbia/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, spans singles and album tracks recorded between 1978 and 1996.
Journey's original Greatest Hits collection is one of the top-selling American rock albums of all time with worldwide sales in excess of 25 million. In conjunction with the double-LP version of Greatest Hits Vol. 2, the original Greatest Hits will also be issued as a gatefold double-vinyl edition on the same date, November 1 (which also includes a code for a free digital download of the vinyl remastered album).
Journey, founded by guitar virtuoso Neal Schon in 1973, has achieved iconic pop culture status that has earned the band cumulative sales of more than 62 million albums, singles, and digital tracks in the U.S. alone. Their enduring appeal is affirmed everywhere from Rock Band to Tony Soprano's musical daydreams on HBO's The Sopranos, from Broadway's Rock Of Ages to FOX's Family Guy. Most notably, the cast of Glee celebrated Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" on the series premiere episode of 2009. The kids later paid homage with three songs on 2010's Journey to Regionals ("Faithfully," the medley of "Any Way You Want It / Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'," and the new Regionals version of "Don't Stop Believin'").

When asked about his experience in the remastering back to vinyl of the original recordings of the Journey Greatest Hits and the new Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Steve Perry replied, "I truly forgot how sonically exciting and just plain better these Journey tracks sound back where they originally lived...on Vinyl. The stereo separation, the center imaging and the sonic depth of the tracks themselves is more true to what we all loved about these original final mixes. All the instruments and voices, to me personally, sound so damn good that all I want to do is reach for the volume and turn it up!"
"I'm very excited to be releasing this compilation," said Neal Schon. "Many of these songs were written in our earlier days by Steve Perry and myself, and hearing them again brings back great memories. 'Little Girl' has an extra special meaning for me because it's one of the songs my father, who worked with us for many years, worked on with us. All our songs have stood the test of time, and I hope our fans will enjoy this collection."
Jonathan Cain added, "Escape was my first album with Journey in 1981 and I never looked back. A lot of the songs in those days were in pieces -- like a puzzle to figure out. The connection we had was magic -- and like a Super Bowl team -- we always found a way to get it right."

Covering 18 central years in the Journey saga, Greatest Hits Vol. 2 includes tracks from the band's fourth album, Infinity (1978), produced by Roy Thomas Baker, which marked the entry of Steve Perry's distinctive lead vocals into the lineup ("Feeling That Way," "Anytime," "Patiently").
Their next album, Evolution (1979) was also produced by Baker and features "Just The Same Way". Departure (1980) was the first of seven consecutive studio albums by Journey to reach the Top 10, and platinum or multi-platinum, over the next 16 years ("Walks Like A Lady," "Good Morning Girl," "Stay Awhile").
One of the cornerstone bands in radio's new Album Rock format, Journey's popularity was so overwhelming that they were able to release a single from their double-LP concert set, Captured (1981). "The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)" broke inside the Top 40, and was the #2 song on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

Journey's hold on the charts continued with Escape (1981), the band's first #1 album. Escape spent nearly three years on Billboard's Top 200 chart and produced four hit singles -- "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms" (all on Greatest Hits) and "Still They Ride" along with the rock staples, "Stone In Love," "Mother, Father" and the title track "Escape" (all on Greatest Hits Vol. 2).
Escape was produced by Mike Stone (Queen, Kiss, America and others) and Kevin Elson, who went on to produce the next album, Frontiers (1983). Frontiers ("After The Fall," "Chain Reaction") debuted the week before Michael Jackson's Thriller hit #1 -- thus the LP had the distinction of being one of many albums to occupy the #2 spot (for nine weeks) during Thriller's reign at the top.
Raised On Radio was released in 1986, featuring an assortment of top studio musicians including noted jazz-funk-R&B bassist Randy Jackson (of American Idol) who went on to tour with Journey through 1987. Raised On Radio was another double-platinum album for Journey, spending 67 weeks on the album chart, and spinning off the Top 20 hit "Suzanne."

In 1992, Journey became one of the first American rock bands to release a deluxe multi-CD box set, Time(3). Comprised mostly of hit singles and key album tracks from the band's first dozen albums, Time(3) also contained a number of previously unreleased tracks and rarities. Among these was "Little Girl," from the original motion picture soundtrack of Dream After Dream, an obscure foreign film whose entire score was performed by Journey, issued by Columbia in 1980.
A Journey reunion took place in the '90s, and the recording of Trial By Fire (1996) was the result, with Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory, and Steve Smith all on-board for their first album together since Frontiers. Featuring "When I Think Of You," Trial By Fire rose to #3 and continued Journey's platinum streak.

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 wraps up with a live concert version of "Mother, Father" -- a highlight of Live In Houston 1981 - Escape Tour, a Columbia/Legacy archive release in 2005 which featured both video and audio versions of the same 75-minute program.
As Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild wrote, "Whether on the radio or on some stage, these well-built tunes remain sturdy crowd pleasers to this very day, in their second century of airplay. Some DJ is playing a Journey song somewhere right now and many more are out there singing along -- you can bet on it."

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 by Journey (Columbia/Legacy 88697 77986 2) Selections: 1. Stone In Love - 2. After The Fall - 3. Chain Reaction - 4. The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love) - 5. Escape - 6. Still They Ride - 7. Good Morning Girl - 8. Stay Awhile - 9. Suzanne - 10. Feeling That Way - 11. Anytime - 12. Walks Like A Lady - 13. Little Girl - 14. Just The Same Way - 15. Patiently - 16. When I Think Of You - 17. Mother, Father (Live In Houston, 1981).

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 vinyl and CD meticulously remastered to vinyl by Robert Hadley and Steve Perry at The Mastering Lab in Ojai, CA.
Greatest Hits Vol. 1 vinyl meticulously remastered to vinyl by Doug Sax, Robert Hadley and Steve Perry at The Mastering Lab in Ojai, CA.
WebLink: www.LegacyRecordings.com.

Today's Day in Pop

Cops Pull Ray J From Nightclub After Fabolous Punch
(TMZ) It took several cops to pull Ray J out of a Vegas nightclub this weekend -- after the singer popped rapper Fabolous in the face -- and TMZ has obtained footage of the post-fight ejection.

Ray was hanging out at Moon nightclub in The Palms casino -- when a Twitter feud between him and Fab turned violent ... in person.

Ray says he was briefly detained by cops -- but as we previously reported, he was not arrested. Watch the video here

More on Ray J - Ray J CDs, vinyl and rarities - Ray J Tour Dates/Tickets

Lady Gaga Dominates MTV EMAs
Lady Gaga dominates the 2011 MTV EMAs after landing six nominations for their year's awards show.

Katy Perry and Bruno Mars following closely behind with four nominations. British songstress Adele, who stands as the top-selling artist of the year, has been nominated for three awards, with Justin Bieber and Thirty Seconds To Mars also up for three.

The 18th annual MTV EMA will broadcast live on Sunday, 6th November at 9PM CET from Belfast's Odyssey Arena on MTV channels around the world. more on this story

More on Lady Gaga - Lady Gaga CDs, vinyl and rarities - Lady Gaga Tour Dates/Tickets

Susan Boyle Sets New Album Release
Susan Boyle will release her third album, Someone To Watch Over Me, on Tuesday, November 1.

For Someone To Watch Over Me, Boyle reunited with well-known British songwriter/record producer Steve Mac, who produced her second album, The Gift. Together they have created a sensational and contemporary album that will span the generations.

In her now-trademark style, Boyle gives her interpretations to pop classics once again on her new album. For Someone To Watch Over Me, Susan fearlessly takes on iconic songs such as "Unchained Melody" and "Both Sides Now," giving them a new identity. And, of course, there is her rendering of the title cut, a George and Ira Gershwin song that was written in the 1920s but sounds contemporary when sung by Boyle. more on this story

More on Susan Boyle - Susan Boyle CDs, vinyl and rarities - Susan Boyle Tour Dates/Tickets

Charlie Sheen To Get $100 Million Settlement For Two and a Half Men?
(TMZ) Charlie Sheen will immediately get $25 million in his settlement with Warner Bros. in his "Two and a Half Men" dispute -- but over time he'll get 5 times that amount ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected with the settlement tell TMZ ... Charlie will get the $25 mil in about two weeks and, as we reported, the sum represents the monies owed him for the work he already performed on the series and the profits that have already accrued.

But Charlie has shot around 180 episodes for the show, and in the next 7 - 10 years, the settlement will produce $100 million for the actor in syndication profits.

Not bad when you don't have to show up for work. more on this story

More on Charlie Sheen - Charlie Sheen CDs, vinyl and rarities - Charlie Sheen Tour Dates/Tickets

LeAnn Rimes Sets New Concept Album Release
(ID) LeAnn Rimes new album Lady & Gentlemen is set to be released on September 27, 2011 and is said to breath new life into country classics originally performed by male recording artists by her reinterpreting each song.

LeAnn conceived of this concept album in which she covers country greats such as Waylon Jennings, George Jones and Merle Haggard, among others as an opportunity to give a woman's perspective for each song. The entire album has been rearranged and reinterpreted by LeAnn. 20-time Grammy Award-winner Vince Gill, Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, Rascall Flatts) and LeAnn Rimes executive produced the album. Other producers on the album include Justin Niebank and John Hobbs.

"This album was born out of the memories of when I first fell in love with country music and in reflecting, I realized that almost all of my favorite country songs from back then were sung by men," says LeAnn of the album. "I am honored to take a step back in time and sing these songs from a woman's perspective and hopefully help reintroduce them to a new audience." more on this story

More on LeAnn Rimes - LeAnn Rimes CDs, vinyl and rarities - LeAnn Rimes Tour Dates/Tickets

Demi Lovato Encourages Girls To Get Help
(rock nyc) As a kid Demi Lovato stated she was bullied and tormented which lead to an eating disorder and then the manifestation of self mutilation tendencies or 'cutting'.

But the beauty here is the rise above mentality of the now 19 year old Lovato. She performed at the Highline Ballroom and stopped the show to address her audience with the following: "A year ago today … I was not in a good place," "I needed help and I want anybody in this audience to know that if you're struggling with one of the issues that I dealt with or a different issue, that you can get help, that you can recover and it's possible if you just tell someone."

"There are so many beautiful girls in this audience that don't know that they're beautiful, but they just are," she said. "So I want to thank you guys for being there for me every single day I was away. I wouldn't be here without you guys today." more on this story

More on Demi Lovato - Demi Lovato CDs, vinyl and rarities - Demi Lovato Tour Dates/Tickets

John Travolta's Vintage Car Stolen
(TMZ) John Travolta's vintage sports car got stolen right out from under his nose Monday in Santa Monica ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Travolta had parked his 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL on the street -- just a couple blocks from a Jaguar dealer.

We're told John was only in the dealership for about 10 minutes -- and when he returned ... his whip had vanished.

John went back to the Jag dealer and waited for police to show up to take a report. We're told there are no witnesses ... at this point.

By the way ... that Benz can sell for as much as $100,000.

Travolta's rep hasn't gotten back to us yet. more on this story

More on John Travolta

Robert DeNiro, Richard Gere and Whoopi Goldberg Celebrate Tony Bennett's Birthday
Robert DeNiro, Richard Gere and Whoopi Goldberg were among the special guests that helped Tony Bennett celebrate his 85th Birthday at the Exploring the Arts (ETA) annual benefit gala on Sunday, September 18.

The event was hosted by Alec Baldwin and featured a performance by Elton John, was opened with Tony's sold-out debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, raised $2.5M for ETA, the non–profit organization established in 1999 by Tony his wife, Susan, to fund arts education in NYC public high schools.

Bennett's 90-minute concert received several standing ovations and included duet performances with Aretha Franklin, Alejandro Sanz and Elton John. Students from NYC schools were invited to join in the SRO seating at the concert, which was underwritten by HBO. more on this story

More on Tony Bennett - Tony Bennett CDs, vinyl and rarities - Tony Bennett Tour Dates/Tickets

Better Safe Than Sorry? Chaz Bono To Get Security Despite Lack of Threats
(TMZ) ABC believes there are "crazies" out there who have a thing against Chaz Bono ... and network execs have taken precautions by ordering security for Chaz both on and off the dance floor.

Sources connected with the show tell TMZ ... there have not been any specific threats against Chaz, but the honchos know there's an element of hatred out there and they feel it's necessary to block Chaz from harm.

As a result, we're told Chaz will get security while he's on the CBS Television City lot -- where the show is filmed -- and off the premises as well.

This isn't the first time DWTS has had to deal with security issues. The show provided security for Bristol Palin after an anthrax scare last year. more on this story

More on Bono

Annie Crane Fall Tour
Annie Crane will head out on tour this October in support of her upcoming Jump With A Child's Heart album scheduled for release by Constant Clip Records on October 4th.

Crane will kick off the run of dates with a record release show on October 1st at NYC venue The Living Room where she will be joined by Jason Benjamin of the Red Hook Ramblers on Trumpet, Lauren Weaver on Cello, Brian Speaker on Drums, husband Eric Wolfson on Bass and Jeff Berner on Slide Guitar. Vocal harmonies will be provided by Claire Bowman of Americana duo The Bowmans.

The tour that follows will see Crane playing some intimate house shows in the same vein made recently notable by artists such as David Bazan and others. more on this story

More on Annie Crane - Annie Crane CDs, vinyl and rarities - Annie Crane Tour Dates/Tickets

Police Inspect Salahi Dog Burial Site
(TMZ) The man just can't get a break.... Less than an hour after burying his beloved Doberman Pinscher, Tareq Salahi had cops knockin' on his door.

Apparently one of his neighbors called the police after seeing a backhoe digging a grave in his backyard.

Cops said they were there to follow up on a complaint and demanded to see the grave site. Once they saw nothing hinkey was going on, they left the premises. more on this story

More on Salahi

Today's Day in Rock

Queen and Paul Rodgers To Reunite?
(Gibson) For five years, Queen and Free singer Paul Rodgers teamed up to tour the world and even recorded an album together. The two camps went their separate ways in 2009, but it appears they might reunite next year.

Queen drummer Roger Taylor told Rolling Stone (via NME) that he and guitarist Brian May might work with Rodgers again: "I wouldn't rule it out. In fact I read the other day Paul said he wouldn't mind doing something. If something came up as special, we could maybe do that, maybe the Olympics or something. But I certainly wouldn't rule it out and he is a wonderful singer, there's no doubt about that."

In the meantime, Taylor also is working on his own Queen tribute band, called The Queen Extravaganza. "Essentially we're producing our own show using our own footage and production values to make a show because, let's face it, we're getting a little long in the tooth, but there are an awful lot of tribute bands, some of them good, some of them not good," he said. "And we put together something that we felt was purely extraordinary." more on this story

More on Queen - Queen CDs, vinyl and rarities - Queen Tour Dates/Tickets

Four More Guns N' Roses Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Four more US dates for Guns N' Roses this fall have surfaced. Here Today…Gone To Hell! reports tickets go on sale later this week for GNR dates in Greenville, Atlanta, Dallas and Hartford.

The new dates now mean the GNR US tour is up to 9 shows so far, and you can bet more are expected to be added.

So far an official announcement has yet to come from the Guns N' Roses camp but a tour is definitely shaping up. Grab all of the leaked dates here.

More on Guns N' Roses - Guns N' Roses CDs, vinyl and rarities - Guns N' Roses Tour Dates/Tickets

Rob Zombie Shot Down Avenged Sevenfold
(Banana 101.5) Rob Zombie recently shot down Avenged Sevenfold's hopes of landing him as the director for their new video 'Buried Alive'. Zombie was too busy with pre-production on his new witchcraft film, 'Lords of Salem', which just announced some of the cast.

When it came time to shoot the video for Avenged Sevenfold's next single, 'Buried Alive', they tried to score a director who was more than just a a music video guy. Singer M. Shadows recently told Pulse of Radio:

"We do want to do something super-special with 'Buried Alive'. We're looking for a good, like, video director — not necessarily a video guy but more of a movie guy. We talked to Rob Zombie, unfortunately he's doing his new movie right now or he'd want to do it. But we want to do something cool with it, something underground, exciting and kind of crazy … We feel it's probably the strongest track on the record." more on this story

More on Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold CDs, vinyl and rarities - Avenged Sevenfold Tour Dates/Tickets

Mike Portnoy Vs Dream Theater
(hennemusic) Here's some not-so-groovy news: drummer Mike Portnoy sued Dream Theater after he left the group last fall.

Courthouse News Service reports Portnoy, who left the band on his own after failing to convince fellow band members to take a break from the write/record/tour cycle, filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates in April claiming that they "wrongfully excluded" him from the group and continue to "wrongfully using the name of the band in connection with [their] recording of an album without the participation or consent of [Portnoy]."

The suit further alleges that Dream Theater "are wrongfully using the name of the band in connection with the promotion of live performances by the individual defendants, without the participation or consent of [Portnoy]." more on this story

More on Dream Theater - Dream Theater CDs, vinyl and rarities - Dream Theater Tour Dates/Tickets

Metallica Release Big Four Show Documentary
(Gibson) Metallica have released a 28-minute documentary on the Big Four show at Yankee Stadium in New York on September 14.

The film includes footage from soundcheck, backstage rehearsals and meet and greets, bass player Rob Trujillo expounding the aesthetics of 13-grain bread, and the epic jam on Motorhead's "Overkill" – featuring members of Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Exodus.

The documentary may be viewed for free but it can also be purchased as a high-quality download from LiveMetallica.com for completists. more on this story

More on Metallica - Metallica CDs, vinyl and rarities - Metallica Tour Dates/Tickets


J.D. Fortune Exits INXS Again
(hennemusic) INXS are without a lead singer, once again. J.D. Fortune has reportedly ended his term as frontman for the Australian band on amicable terms.

"Just wanted to let you all know personally that, despite media reports to the contrary – I did not leave INXS and I was not fired," the Canadian rocker explained to fans on his website Tuesday.

"Prior to this summer's amazing tour, INXS and I mutually agreed that my contracted services as their lead singer for the 'Original Sin' tour would end in Atlanta, GA on August 14." continued Fortune. "We had a great time and a great tour and are all very proud of those shows. Now, as planned, we are all moving on to different artistic projects. We do retain a deep friendship and respect for each other that was built over the past 6 years of working together." more on this story

More on INXS - INXS CDs, vinyl and rarities - INXS Tour Dates/Tickets

At Least One More From Disturbed
(Banana 101.5) While the future of Disturbed is shaky at best, fans have at least one more release to look forward to.

Singer David Draiman says their new B-sides compilation, 'The Lost Children', will be out this year.

Disturbed have officially started what has previously been referred to as a "long hiatus". After the initial reports came out that the band would be taking a break after their tour, a series of interviews uncovered that there were real problems within the band. While nothing is written in stone, Disturbed are at least going to be off the radar for a while. more on this story

More on Disturbed - Disturbed CDs, vinyl and rarities - Disturbed Tour Dates/Tickets

Radiohead to Rock The Colbert Report
Radiohead have been tapped for a special episode of The Colbert Report next week. Comedy Central sent out the following details:

Stephen Colbert rocks out with a special one-hour episode of "The Colbert Report" for the first time ever! The super-sized show will feature interviews and performances by Radiohead intertwined with regular series segments.

The band is set to perform songs from their recent release "King of Limbs" including the new and previously unreleased track "The Daily Mail." One song will be exclusively available at www.ColbertNation.com. Tune in to "The Colbert Report" on Monday, September 26 from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. ET/PT to watch this epic episode. more on this story

More on Radiohead - Radiohead CDs, vinyl and rarities - Radiohead Tour Dates/Tickets

Fans Pushing For Big Four of 90s Punk Tour
(RockAAA) Move over Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax as there will be a brand new Big Four hitting the road IF a Facebook group get their way.

On the back of the phenomenal success of thrash metal's Big Four, a group are using the social networking site to generate support for a similar collaboration tour for what they reckon is punk rock's own Big Four.

The group is petitioning for Bad Religion, The Offspring, Green Day and Rancid to join forces for what they have titled 'The Big Four of '90s Punk Rock' tour. more on this story

More on Big Four - Big Four CDs, vinyl and rarities - Big Four Tour Dates/Tickets

Insane Clown Jack White Country Posse
(Banana 101.5) A while back we reported the collaboration between Detroit recording artists Jack White and Insane Clown Posse on the track 'Lick Me in the Arse'. It appears the trio didn't stop there, as yet another track titled 'Mountain Song' has hit the web.

Jack White recently disbanded the White Stripes and has been quoted as saying that he's done working with bands, as far as joining or forming them goes that is. He is however continuing to work with artists as a studio musician / producer, the latest act he is involved with is the Detroit based rap duo — Insane Clown Posse.

Their first Mozart-tinged song 'Lick Me in the Arse' hit a few weeks ago, now White's Third Man Records has released the B-Side to that track — 'Mountain Song'. More including a stream of the song

More on Jack White - Jack White CDs, vinyl and rarities - Jack White Tour Dates/Tickets

Limp Bizkit's Silly Cover Explained
(Banana 101.5) Limp Bizkit set a new creative low when choosing the artwork that would eventually become the cover of 'Gold Cobra'.

Guitarist Wes Borland recently explained that the eyesore of an album cover was completely intentional.

In a recent interview, Wes Borland told Artist Direct that the ridiculousness of the album's cover was a conscious decision: "We were thinking of Gold Cobra as a horror movie. That's where the album cover came from. As far as the art goes, I was thinking of Frank Frazetta-type of images with the giant snakes and monsters with scantily clad really sexy girls under a guy with a sword. It's that Conan-looking Frazetta art." more on this story

More on Limp Bizkit - Limp Bizkit CDs, vinyl and rarities - Limp Bizkit Tour Dates/Tickets

Tony Iommi To Visit Birthplace of Black Sabbath for Book Tour
(hennemusic) Another date has been added to Tony Iommi's book tour as a new date has been confirmed for Iommi's hometown of Birmingham, the birthplace of Sabbath.

The Black Sabbath guitarist is hitting the road to promo the October 13 release of his autobiography, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath."

The book will be released in Europe on October 13 through Simon & Schuster, and in the United States on November 1 in hardback by Perseus Books/DeCapo Press. more on this story

More on Tony Iommi - Tony Iommi CDs, vinyl and rarities - Tony Iommi Tour Dates/Tickets

Simple Plan Fall Tour
Simple Plan have announced plans for a fall tour of North American that will feature special guests, including Forever The Sickest Kids, The Cab, and Marianas Trench.

The "Get Your Heart On! Tour" will kick off on October 28th at Los Angeles' The Music Box and continue through late November.

Simple Plan will be touring in support of their first new release in over two years, "Get Your Heart On!" more on this story

More on Simple Plan - Simple Plan CDs, vinyl and rarities - Simple Plan Tour Dates/Tickets

Lamb of God Frontman Says Metal Subgenre Labels Are Stupid As F...
(Rock News Desk) Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe is furious over the naming of sub-genres of metal, saying they're all attempts to disguise lack of creativity.

Asked what he thinks of the djent movement he says: "The stupidest name yet for another genre. If you call yourself 'djent' cap yourself now. There is no such f**king thing as djent. It's not a genre. I'm sorry, it's stupid as f**k.

"All this bullsh*t – deathcore, djentcore and f**king can't-play-in-real-life-but-can-on-a-computer-core. It's just a name. People can call themselves whatever they want. It's f**king heavy metal. more on this story

More on Lamb of God - Lamb of God CDs, vinyl and rarities - Lamb of God Tour Dates/Tickets

Dr Ozzy Going On Tour
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath is touring this fall…well, half of the band is. Guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne are both doing book tours, each plugging the launch of new reading material for fans.

Ozzy has already done the bio thing, but he's pushing his new book, "Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy," a health advice collection of the best of his columns from Rolling Stone (U.S.) and the Sunday Times (U.K.), with some additional material thrown in.

Ozzy has just announced two additions to his book-signing event schedule: one in Texas and the other in San Francisco. more on this story

More on Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzy Osbourne CDs, vinyl and rarities - Ozzy Osbourne Tour Dates/Tickets

Jazz Fusion Inspires New Opeth
(Gibson) Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt says the band's new album, Heritage, takes inspiration from an unlikely place for a band primarily known for progressive death metal band: 1970s-style jazz fusion.

Åkerfeldt told I Heart Guitar the album was influenced by John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham, drummer Alphonse Mouzon, Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters – although those influences mingle with Ronnie James Dio, too. The track "Slither" is a blatant tribute to Dio and his former band Rainbow.

"We're all massive fans of Rainbow and massive fans of Ronnie," Åkerfeldt said. "When he passed away it was like a member of my family. He'd always been there. And I was insanely affected by his passing. I was really down and he really meant something to me. So I wrote this song as a tribute to him." more on this story

More on Opeth - Opeth CDs, vinyl and rarities - Opeth Tour Dates/Tickets

Megadeth Tease New Video
(RockAAA) After rocking New York's Yankee Stadium as part of the Big 4 on Wednesday, Megadeth continued their rock n' roll adventures in the California desert on the weekend.

The band were on location shooting a video for "Public Enemy No. #," the first track released from Megadeth's forthcoming album, "Th1rt3en," due November 1.

Dave Ellefson and Shawn Drover checked in with a video message for fans. "We have never shot a video like this before," says Ellefson. "There's actually animals in the movie – that's all we can say. The animals are probably better behaved than we are." more on this story

More on Megadeth - Megadeth CDs, vinyl and rarities - Megadeth Tour Dates/Tickets

Pink Floyd Eyesore
(Rock News Desk) Pink Floyd mainman David Gilmour has been ordered to demolish a bike shed on his land because neighbours think it's an eyesore.

The yellow beach hut sits at the seafront near Hove on the south coast of England, but it's inside a conservation area, meaning he should have applied for permission to build it.

Brighton and Hove Council have told Gilmour to pull the construction down by October 1, saying: "Failure to comply with that means either prosecution, or the council may remove the hut and charge the householder." more on this story

More on David Gilmour - David Gilmour CDs, vinyl and rarities - David Gilmour Tour Dates/Tickets

New Journey Collection On The Way
Legacy have set a November 1, 2011 release date for Journey's Greatest Hits Vol. 2, a brand-new collection that spans singles and album tracks recorded between 1978 and 1996. They sent out the following details:

The collection will be available as a single CD, digital download, and special gatefold double-vinyl edition (which includes a code for a free digital download of the vinyl remastered album).

When asked about his experience in the remastering back to vinyl of the original recordings of the Journey Greatest Hits and the new Greatest HITS Vol. 2, Steve Perry replied, "I truly forgot how sonically exciting and just plain better these Journey tracks sound back where they originally lived...on Vinyl. The stereo separation, the center imaging and the sonic depth of the tracks themselves is more true to what we all loved about these original final mixes. All the instruments and voices, to me personally, sound so damn good that all I want to do is reach for the volume and turn it up!" more on this story

More on Journey - Journey CDs, vinyl and rarities - Journey Tour Dates/Tickets

Mastodon Release Party Details
Mastodon will release their new album, 'The Hunter', on September 27th in North America.

One day earlier, the official Mastodon record release party will take place at The Roxy in West Hollywood, CA. The event is free to attend and kicks off at 8PM, upstairs at On The Rox.

There will be special guests and other events taking place throughout the night, including a free show downstairs at The Roxy featuring several Los Angeles based bands such as Stitched Up Heart, Evolove, 8MM, Chamber of Echoes and Sima. more on this story

More on Mastodon - Mastodon CDs, vinyl and rarities - Mastodon Tour Dates/Tickets

Foo Fighters Fight Back With Humor
(Rock News Desk) The Foo Fighters dealt with a hatemonger protest at the weekend by staging their own counter-protest outside a venue they were about to play.

Dave Grohl and co were targeted by [publicity seeking "church'] after releasing a spoof homo-erotic video called Hot Buns to promote their current tour. The church, well known for its "God Hates Fags" posters, were out in force in Kansas City on Friday, with placards including the phrases "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "You're going to Hell."

But the Foos pulled up on a flat-back truck, dressed in their Hot Buns costumes, and performed a specially-written song called Keep It Clean for the picketers. Read more and watch video here

More on Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters CDs, vinyl and rarities - Foo Fighters Tour Dates/Tickets

Bret Michaels TV Special To Air in Roctober
HSN sent out this special programming note: Poison frontman Bret Michaels will launch his "Signature Acoustic Guitar Collection" and the exclusive HSN guitar bundle on the network on October 2nd at 8 p.m. EDT

"I'm thrilled to bring my Signature line of Guitars, my vocal warm-up CD and my solo album, 'Custom Built' to HSN," said Bret Michaels. "HSN has a track-record of bringing innovative, high-quality products to their customers, so this is a natural partnership for me."

During the primetime special event on October 2 at 8 p.m. EDT, Michaels will also play a six-song set in front of a live studio audience at HSN headquarters in St. Petersburg, FL. The set list will feature some of Bret's greatest hits as the front man for Poison and his solo career, including "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Something To Believe In" and "All I Ever Needed." more on this story

More on Bret Michaels - Bret Michaels CDs, vinyl and rarities - Bret Michaels Tour Dates/Tickets

Real Gone Music To Debut With Grateful Dead Release
(conqueroo) The newly formed Real Gone Music reissue label will debut in November with 12 titles headlined by the Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks, Vols. 34, 35 & 36.

"Dick" was Dick Latvala, the official tape archivist for the Dead until 1999, whose inspiration and encyclopedic knowledge of the band's vaults spawned the fabled Dick's Picks series of Dead concert volumes.

Comprising 36 volumes, Dick's Picks follows the band on its long, strange trip through a multitude of eras, tours and venues, featuring handpicked shows that display the band at its most visionary, improvisational height. Real Gone Music will bring this cache of Dead concert brilliance to record stores. Many have never been previously available at retail. more on this story

More on Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead CDs, vinyl and rarities

Rush Raise 50K For Charity
(hennemusic) Rush and their fans have raised more than $50,000 for Grapes for Humanity, an organization that helps to raise funds to benefit humanitarian causes around the world with the assistance of the international wine community.

Geddy Lee is a member of the board of directors for the organization and Rush has sponsored past eBay auctions to benefit the charity.

Geddy, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart mined their personal stash to select some very special items to put up on this year's Rush Ebay auction, including signed and one-of-a-kind items like Neil's cymbals, a guitar and a bass used on the Time Machine tour, as well as nostalgic Rush items used on the Snakes and Arrows tour. more on this story

More on Rush - Rush CDs, vinyl and rarities - Rush Tour Dates/Tickets

Weird Al Yankovic DVD and Polka Face Premiere Details
(TS) "Weird Al" Yankovic Live! The Alpocalypse Tour will be released October 4th in North America on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download via Comedy Central Home Entertainment.

The extended DVD and Blu-ray include nearly an hour's worth of concert footage not seen on the upcoming Comedy Central special (see below for details about that), plus over 30 minutes of bonus features that include: music videos for "Perform This Way" and "Polka Face," three extra live concert performances, a bunch of Al's personal YouTube videos and more.

In another element of the multi-platform deal, www.comedycentral.com will be premiering "Polka Face," Yankovic's next video from Alpocalypse, on September 25th and will be its exclusive home for two days. more on this story

Today's Day in Pop

Sinead O'Connor Tweets For Suicide Advice
(rock nyc) Sinead O'Connor has been tweeting about her wish to commit suicide. "Psychiatrist says I'm a bad mum and mental for talking so openly about sex in public.

"I wish suicide wud ( kill me. I want to go to heaven so bad. Have for yrs ( But I don't wanna abandon my kids. If I cud (sic) die without them knowing I did it myself I wud.

"I'm so tired. 24 yrs of being treated like a crazy person. Can't manage any more. If any1 knows how I can kill myself without my kids finding out I did it deliberately pls tell me." more on this story

More on Sinead O'Connor - Sinead O'Connor CDs, vinyl and rarities - Sinead O'Connor Tour Dates/Tickets

Stolen Photo Not Justin Timberlake's Private Parts
(TMZ) Justin Timberlake wants to make it clear -- the explicit picture on Mila Kunis' cell phone -- showing a [male private part] -- is NOT J.T. -- this according to a source close to Justin.

TMZ broke the story ... Mila's cell phone was hacked, and two of the pics the hackers seized showed Justin -- one laying in bed, the other showing Justin with a pair of pink panties over his head.

There is another pic of a [male sex part] but that's it -- there's no torso, no face ... and Justin has made it clear to people close to him -- he NEVER sent such a pic to Mila or to anyone for that matter. more on this story

More on Justin Timberlake - Justin Timberlake CDs, vinyl and rarities - Justin Timberlake Tour Dates/Tickets

Snoop Dogg To Star in New Movie
(Gibson) It has been announced that rapper Snoop Dogg will star in a new biopic movie, The Legend of Fillmore Slim.

NME.com says that that movie will follow Fillmore Slim's (real name: Clarence) life in San Francisco in the '60s and '70s, when he worked as both a blues guitarist and a pimp.

Co-producer Alan Ames told Deadline that the movie will draw on, "Slim's emergence as a musician, to his fascination with the fast life, through his years of incarceration and his redemption." more on this story

More on Snoop - Snoop CDs, vinyl and rarities - Snoop Tour Dates/Tickets

Paul Simon Collection Set For Release
Paul Simon will release Songwriter, a new comprehensive 2 disc collection, on October 24th in markets world wide. Legacy released the following details:

Songwriter is a selection of songs, chosen by the composer, as the best of his decades-long creative output. Some of these are well-known hits and others more obscure works, but all bear the distinct lyrical, melodic and rhythmic signature of Paul Simon, one of the great composers of popular song in the last 50 years. As Simon has said, "I think of myself as a songwriter first, the recording artist and performer in me follow in the writer's footsteps."

Simon brought his own unique perspective on the nuances of his catalog in the assemblage of Songwriter. The album includes an emotionally resonant rendition of "The Sound of Silence," from Simon's 2011 concert at New York's Webster Hall, Aretha Franklin's transcendent studio take on "Bridge Over Trouble Water" and other selections from the artist's critically-acclaimed catalog of songs. more on this story

More on Paul Simon - Paul Simon CDs, vinyl and rarities - Paul Simon Tour Dates/Tickets

Lost Star Sued For Alleged Assault
(TMZ) The party bus driver who claims "Lost" star Matthew Fox punched her in the vagina during a stand-off last month has filed a lawsuit against the actor ... demanding more than $25k ... TMZ has learned.

In documents filed in Ohio, Heather Bormann claims a drunk Fox tried to board her party bus outside of a Cleveland bar on August 28 and demanded she drive him to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Bormann claims she refused to let him board because he was not part of the private party that had rented the bus for the evening.

According to the docs, Bormann claims Fox then attacked her "with his fists, delivering sudden and severe blows to her right breast, groin, arm and legs, inflicting severe, disabling injury."

Bormann explains that she "instinctively defended herself" -- and punched him in the face and head ... but she claims she injured her hand and fingers in the process.

Now, she wants more than $25k in damages for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. more on this story

More on Lost

Ol' Dirty Bastard Box Set Coming
(Audible Treats) Ol' Dirty Bastard's iconic solo debut, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, is being re-released as a one-of-a-kind deluxe box set.

The re-issue will be accompanied by a number of rare, limited edition, and value-added goodies, and will be available for purchase on November 22 via burgeoning imprint Get On Down.

The Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version Wallet Box includes a re-mastered double CD that includes original album as well as remixes, a capellas, instrumentals, and other rarities. In addition, there's a vintage "On Tour" poster, extended artwork, promotional sticker, detailed liner notes, and an exclusive billfold wallet, where you will be able to put your complimentary laminated Ol' Dirty Bastard food stamp card. "We all knew that if we were going to do this, we had to include a physical version of that card, there was no other way to do it," explains Get On Down General Manager, Rob Reilly. "We really wanted the packaging to compliment the creative genius that is Ol' Dirty Bastard." more on this story

More on Ol' Dirty Bastard - Ol' Dirty Bastard CDs, vinyl and rarities

New Reality Show for Big Brother's Brachel?
(TMZ) "Big Brother" winner Rachel Reilly and her fiance Brendon Villegas are going Hollywood, literally -- we're told Rachel plans on moving to Los Angeles and pitching her upcoming nuptials as a possible reality show.

Turns out ... when Rachel told our photog on Thursday night that she was getting married THIS weekend, well ... that was just the alcohol talking. Sources close to Rachel tell TMZ they have no plans on a quickie wedding, but they do want to settle down in Los Angeles (Brendon is currently enrolled in grad school at UCLA).

We're told Rachel is planning to use her "BB" winnings to buy a condo in town, look for opportunities in the entertainment biz, and plan her wedding.

And according to our sources, "planning her wedding" entails pitching it as a reality show to various production companies and networks in hopes of having it all paid for.

She's a shrewd player, all right. more on this story

More on Big Brother

Massive Ray Charles Collection Coming This Fall
(conqueroo) With the release of Ray Charles' Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles, on November 15, 2011, Concord Records will make available for the first time the artist's collection of ABC-Paramount singles during this prolific period (1960-1972).

The digitally remastered deluxe 106-song collection presents the A and B sides of 53 singles, including 11 #1 hits, such Grammy Award winners "Hit the Road Jack," "Busted," "Georgia on My Mind," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Crying Time," "America the Beautiful," and many more.

Twenty-one of the songs are making their digital debut, and 30 have never previously been available on CD. Liner notes were written by R&B recording artist and music historian Billy Vera and rare photographs are included. more on this story

More on Ray Charles - Ray Charles CDs, vinyl and rarities - Ray Charles Tour Dates/Tickets

The Oak Ridge Boys Twitter Chat Today
(Webster) The Oak Ridge Boys will be celebrating the release of their new CD, It's Only Natural and the 30th anniversary of "Elvira" during a live online chat with Twitter sensation Jessica Northey of Country Music Chat today, Monday, September 19, 2011 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. (CT) / 6:00-7:00 p.m. (PT).

Hosted weekly by Northey, Finger Candy Media founder and All Access contributor, #CMchat ("Where Country Music Meets You") has generated over 300 million impressions and reached an audience of more than 20 million people through the popular forum which is the first and only registered live "Country Music Chat" on Twitter.

Northey, named as one of the most powerful women on Twitter is honored to be teaming with the legendary act. "I have been an Oaks fan since I could remember. Getting to know them through Twitter is one of the greatest things about Twitter. The platform allows stars to engage with their fans unlike any other medium. I am looking forward to celebrating their big day with them," she says. more on this story

More on Oak Ridge Boys - Oak Ridge Boys CDs, vinyl and rarities - Oak Ridge Boys Tour Dates/Tickets

Jason 'Gummi Bear' Davis Dodges Felony Heroin Charge
(TMZ) Jason "Gummi Bear" Davis just dodged a three-year jail stint -- because TMZ has learned, his laundry list of drug charges were dismissed this week ... including felony heroin possession.

Jason -- grandson of oil mogul Marvin Davis -- struck a sweet deal with prosecutors to get off the hook ... agreeing to complete a drug diversion program if they dropped the charges. He completed the program this week, so prosecutors held up their end of the bargain.

As we previously reported, Jason was arrested back in January for possession of a controlled substance ... and was subsequently charged with heroin possession, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jason pled "not guilty" to the charges in April -- but lucky for him, none of that matters now.
more on this story

More on Jason 'Gummi Bear' Davis - Jason 'Gummi Bear' Davis CDs, vinyl and rarities - Jason 'Gummi Bear' Davis Tour Dates/Tickets

Terrell Owens Carpool Bust
(TMZ) NFL star Terrell Owens was pulled over and cited in L.A. last week -- for allegedly driving SOLO in the carpool lane -- but in the process ... the unemployed wide receiver also scored an additional two tickets.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, T.O. was pulled over last Monday -- driving a 2003 VW Beetle -- after police observed him violating the two-or-more-passengers rule in the carpool lane.

But according to law enforcement, once Owens was pulled over ... cops also cited him for an expired registration ... and having overly-tinted windows.

The carpool violation runs AT LEAST $381 -- but thankfully, the other two citations can be written off ... provided T.O. updates his registration and brings his windows up to code.
more on this story

More on Terrell Owens

Fat Boys' Prince Markie Dee Plans Not So Fat Comeback
(TMZ) Fat Boys rapper Prince Markie Dee ain't so fat anymore -- because TMZ has learned, he actually dropped SERIOUS weight ... all thanks to his kids.

43-year-old Prince says he's lost 175 pounds in the last six years ... down from 450 -- telling us, "I am not young anymore. I cant go eat a couple of Big Macs a day and not worry about it. I have to watch what I eat and care about my diet. I have kids to live for."

Prince -- real name Mark Morales -- says he's also planning a huge comeback after a 12-year hiatus ... and has even signed with a label called Uncle Louie Music Group to put out an album.

Prince says his former Fat Boys pal Kool Rock-Ski will make a cameo on the record -- and he even plans to throw in some beatbox samples from the late Darren "Buff Love" Robinson ... who died in 1995 due to a complication from his weight. more on this story

More on Prince Markie Dee - Prince Markie Dee CDs, vinyl and rarities - Prince Markie Dee Tour Dates/Tickets

Lindsay Lohan Recovers Phone Avoiding Possible Embarrassment
(TMZ) Lindsay Lohan almost made a hacker's dream too easy when she lost her cell phone last week ... but luckily for her the person who found it couldn't care less about her personal stuff ... some of which was pretty incriminating.

Lindsay lost the phone in New York City, as she left the V magazine party at the Boom Boom Room. We're told our Good Samaritan, who worked next door to the venue, spotted the lost phone and took it home.

According to our sources, the screen read "LINDSAY LOHAN'S PHONE" when he plugged it into his computer. He somehow figured out how to contact Lindsay's people and then returned it ... without even asking for a reward. And you guessed it ... she didn't give him one.

We're told Lindsay was ecstatic ... the phone contained lots of important phone numbers numbers and emails, as well as personal photos and "a lot of stuff" that she wouldn't want published.

Bullet dodged. more on this story