Today's Day In Rock!

Van Halen Premiering New Song On TV Tonight
(hennemusic) Van Halen will debut a new song from their forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," Wednesday night on the CBS television series CSI.
The VHND reports fans will get to hear clips of two songs off VH's new album; the first single, "Tattoo," and the as-yet unheard "Stay Frosty."

Earlier this week, Van Halen added three more shows to their North American tour; new dates include Manchester, New Hampshire; University Park, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri. more on this story

Blink-182's Travis Barker Threatens Legal Action Over Nude Photos
(Banana 101.5) Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is threatening a gossip website with legal action after they posted some leaked pictures of Barker's "drumstick."

The website MediaTakeOut.com posted nude pics of an "unnamed musician" that they received from a female admirer. The anonymity was canceled out by the instantly recognizable tattoos that were also visible in the pic and it didn't take long for word to get out that Barker was the musician in question.

TMZ reports that Barker's attorney has served the website with a cease and desist letter in hopes that they won't have to take further legal action to remove the photos. more on this story

Godsmack, Staind, and Halestorm Plan Mass Chaos
(Banana 101.5) Godsmack, Staind, and Halestorm have dubbed their upcoming join venture the Mass Chaos Tour and have announced the specifics of the 20-date trek.

The tour will be co-headlined by Godsmack and Staind with support from Halestorm and will kick off in April.

Godsmack is planning a live release that may include studio recorded cover songs, while Halestorm will release their next album 'The Strange Case of…" on April 10th. more on this story

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Tour
(Gibson) The Boss is back with a vengeance in 2012. Bruce Springsteen is releasing a new album. He's giving the keynote address at South by Southwest. And now, he's announced he'll be hitting the road for a string of U.S. dates with the E Street Band, according to Rolling Stone.

Bruce Springsteen and pals will begin a 19-date tour on March 18 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. The trek will wind its way up the East Coast, including multiple dates in New Jersey and at Madison Square Garden, before hitting New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and wrapping up May 2 in Newark. The group will tour Europe in the summer and return for another North American trek in the fall.

It will be the first E Street Band tour without saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died last year. There's no word on if Clemons spot in the group will be filled by another player. Springsteen's new studio album, Wrecking Ball, will be released on March 6. more on this story



Mayhem For Slipknot?
(Banana 101.5) An Ibanez guitar representative may have leaked some top secret info at this weekend's National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) when he casually named Slipknot as a headliner on Mayhem Fest.

Every year thousands of aspiring and professional musicians converge on NAMM in Anaheim, California — it's sort of like Comic-Con for musicians. NAMM gives vendors a chance to show off their latest instruments and often times well-known musicians appear to endorse their own signature series products. A rep for Ibanez guitars was showing off Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson's signature axe when he volunteered a bit too much info on where the guitar will soon be played.

In a video you can see Ibanez rep Russ Rosenfeld accidentally say that Slipknot is headlining this year's Mayhem Festival, which kicks off in late June. Read more and check out the video here.

Joy Division Fans Vs Mickey Mouse
(Gibson) The Walt Disney Company has drawn the ire of some Joy Division fans for using the band's iconic Unknown Pleasures album cover as the basis for a T-shirt design featuring Mickey Mouse.

But Disney is free to use the image since the original cover is in the public domain and was never actually owned by Joy Division. It was taken from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy. It depicts CP 1919, the first radio pulsar ever detected (in July 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell).

Factory Records co-founder Peter Saville told The Guardian last year that the image was the only time the band gave the label an album cover suggestion. "They gave me the title too but I didn't hear the album," Saville said. "The wave pattern was so appropriate. It was from CP 1919, the first pulsar, so it's likely that the graph emanated from Jodrell Bank, which is local to Manchester and Joy Division. And it's both technical and sensual." more on this story



Black Sabbath Come Full Circle
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have updated fans about the progress on their new album and announce that things have come full circle for them.

They write, "The guys have moved writing sessions from Los Angeles to Birmingham, England. Sabbath has gone back to where it all started and it's been just amazing. This is where the writing of the album will be completed. Funny how it all goes full circle sometimes."

Sabbath moved the sessions following the recent news that guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system. more on this story

John Sykes Pulls Out of Mike Portnoy Project
(Gibson) Former Whitesnake guitarist and Gibson signature artist John Sykes has pulled out of his planned collaboration with ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy.

MelodicRock.com reports that no official reason has been given for Sykes' departure, but it is understood that a new guitarist will be brought in to the project, along with a yet-to-be-named bass player.

Portnoy isn't exactly looking for work at the moment. In addition to his current band Adrenaline Mob, the drummer also is working with guitarist Steve Morse, multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse of Spock's Beard, Dixie Dregs bass player Dave LaRue and vocalist Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev, Endochine) in a new band called Flying Colors. An album is currently in the recording stage, and is due on March 27. more on this story



Creed's Mark Tremonti Releasing Solo Album in An Unusual Way
(Gibson) Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti will release his debut solo album, All I Was, in the spring [in an unconventional way].

The album features Tremonti – an accomplished shredder, especially after hitting the woodshed with Rusty Cooley – on lead vocals as well as guitar, while Eric Friedman provides backing vocals, bass and guitar. Garret Whitlock handles the drums.

Tremonti has finished tracking the majority of his guitar parts, and mixing will begin in February. Tremonti recently said the album would likely have a unique distribution model. "We're trying to do it different," Tremonti said. "We're trying to every month put out two songs with, you know, your ringtones, your T-shirts, with – I'm gonna do instructional DVDs and the other guys will do instructional stuff, tutorials on how to play the songs and whatnot. After six months we'll release the whole album, and if everybody downloads the songs along the way, they'll get a signed copy of the whole record. We'll do everything we can to make it appealing to people." more on this story



Joe Cocker Returns With Hard Knocks
429 Record have released Joe Cocker's 21st album, entitled Hard Knocks, this week. They had the following to say about the disc:

"Hard Knocks" is a collection of 9 all-new songs plus a cover version of the Dixie Chicks' "I Hope." Produced by Matt Serletic (Matchbox 20, Carlos Santana), "Hard Knocks" has the timeless "Cocker" sound fusing soul, pop and rhythm and blues into an undeniably infectious mix of a singularly unique contemporary style.

The first single, title track "Hard Knocks," has been racing up the AC Radio charts reaching #19* last week. Cocker will also be interviewed on a forthcoming edition of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday—date TBD. more on this story

Gwar Set For Tour With Municipal Waste and Corey Smoot Tribute Show
Lock up your garden gnomes because Gwar have announced the initial dates of the second leg of their "Return of the World Maggot Tour".

The tour kicks off with a special tribute show for fallen band mate and friend Cory Smoot, AKA Flattus Maximus, in Richmond, VA, at The National Theater on Friday March 16th. All proceeds from the Richmond show will benefit the "Smoot Family Fund" which has been established to help support Cory's widow and their unborn child.

Municipal Waste and California's Ghoul will join the mayhem for the full run and egacy of Disorder will join the tour on March 20th in Boston and the tour will run through April 11th in Fort Collins, CO. more on this story

Local H Recruit Sanford Parker For New Album
Local H are hard at work on their next album at Engine Studios with metal producer Sanford Parker (Bloodiest, Pelican, Yakuza), with whom Lucas recently worked on his second solo album.

The new Local H album, tentatively titled Hallelujah! I'm A Bum, will be out this summer.

"Sanford's awesome," Lucas says. "He's been at the forefront of the most interesting things happening out of Chicago for a while, and it's truly an invigorating experience to work with him. And, if he would quit fucking feeding me all this whiskey, I'd be alright."

Local H has been road-testing the new songs for the past year. Songs slated for recording include audience favorites "Another February" and "Paddy Considine."

Lucas has been documenting the recording sessions, posting a series of iPhone videos that reveal snippets of songs on the band's


Extreme Plan Pornograffiti Concerts
(Gibson) Extreme will perform their 1990 breakthrough album Pornograffiti in its entirety in Japan later this year.

The band quietly unveiled Japanese dates over the weekend on their official website. They will play consecutive nights at the Tokyo Dome City Hall on April 16 and 17, and at Namba Hatch in Osaka on April 18. Although no other dates have been announced, it would be rather unusual for the band to go to all the trouble of re-learning all of the material for only three shows.

The album's full title is Extreme II. Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale). It peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and included the song "More Than Words," which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. The album's other acoustic-based track, "Hole Hearted," reached #4. But the majority of the album's tracks were post-Van Halen rockers, including "He-Man Woman Hater," which features intro and outro solos by Dweezil Zappa. At the time Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt also contributed to Dweezil's solo album Confessions, including a ripping solo on a cover of the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive." more on this story



Judas Priest's K.K. Downing Going Into The Hotel Biz
(Gibson) K.K. Downing, who left the veteran metal band Judas Priest last April, is embarking on an ambitious project to build a hotel on his sprawling estate in England.

According to the Shropshire Star, Downing has proposed a 63-room hotel with pool, spa and restaurant be built on his 320-acre Astbury Hall estate. Downing said: "I am speaking to various corporations about investment and I'm optimistic we can start pushing through with the plans for development this year.

"The next step is putting together all the costing of everything, which includes the golf, practice areas and purpose built clubhouse – as well as the hotel, leisure and spa facilities. more on this story



Mychildren Mybride Plan New Beginning With New Album
Solid State Records have set a March 13th release date for Mychildren Mybride's new self-titled album.

Guitarist Robert Bloomfield calls the album is a new beginning for the band, adding, "I really do feel we found our sound. It's definitely MCMB still, but with this new flare that we've all loved and understood but never figured out a way to translate it to our music."

"I feel like everything we've done as a band all comes together in this one record," Bloomfield says. "Everything we've learned along the way. We put all our love and hate into it. It's the best album in our career so far."
In celebration of the release, the band will be setting sail on a two-month trek alongside FOR TODAY, A SKYLIT DRIVE, STICK TO YOUR GUNS and MAKE ME FAMOUS that includes dozens of stops throughout the U.S. and Canada, culminating in a spot at the infamous New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA. more on this story

The Apples in Stereo Reissue Classic Album on Vinyl
Yep Roc Records have reissued The Apples in Stereo's classic debut album, Fun Trick Noisemaker, on vinyl this week.

Originally released in 1995, the album has not been available on vinyl in more than 15 years. The reissue includes all of the original artwork, liner notes, rephotographed paintings by Steve Keene, and a four-color poster insert.

Upon its original release in the spring of 1995, All Music Guide called The Apples in Stereo's debut full length "one of those records that marks a sea change in musical attitudes." Fun Trick Noisemaker facilitated that shift by moving the focus away from the negativity of the grunge era, towards a sunnier, more psychedelic vision of rock music. more on this story

The Veer Union and My Darkest Days Spring Tour
The Veer Union are teaming up with fellow Canadians My Darkest Days to head south for a series of Spring tour dates in the United States.

The late March/early April run will mark The Veer Union's first US dates in over a year and will kick off on March 30th in South Bend, In.

"We are excited to announce we will be hitting the road with the boys in My Darkest Days in late March," said vocalist, Crispin Earl. "The last live show that we played in the USA was in Kansas City in 2010, and it was a party. Can't wait to 'Get that money, smack that money' in 2012!" more on this story

Running Wild Return With New Album
(Freeman) Running Wild have reunited and will release their brand new album "Shadowmaker" in Germany on April 20th, in Europe on April 23rd and in the US/Canada on April 24th 2012 on SPV / Steamhammer.

The album will be released as a limited first edition in a black jewel case with silver printing and slipcase plus a 40 min bonus DVD with a making of and a track by track commentary by Rock N´Rolf. The double gatefold LP will come with printed inner sleeves and clear vinyl. There also will be a box set limited to 1.000 copies worldwide. It contains 2 LPs, the black jewel case with the DVD, a poster, a sticker, a postcard and a 30 page book in LP size about the history of the band.

The cover of "Shadowmaker" is the most unusual in the history of the band, but when you listen to the title track and read the lyrics, you will understand the meaning of it. It was created by Rock N´Rolf and Jens Reinhold (Evergrey, Freedom Call, Virgin Steele etc...), who also will do the complete artwork for all configurations. more on this story

Kid Rock Guitarist Kenny Olson Going Solo
Kenny Olson, Kid Rock guitarist and founding member of Twisted Brown Trucker Band, is going solo.

Foxy Music/Firebird have announced a February 7th release of Olson's debut solo album, Kenny Olson Cartel.

To give fans a taste of what is coming, the album's first single "Up All Night," is being offered as a free download here.

Singled Out: Blessed By A Broken Heart's Forever
Today Blessed By A Broken Heart drummer Slater and guitarist Sam Ryder tells us about their new song "Forever" from their brand new album "Feel the Power," which hit stores this week. Here is the story:

Slater: Forever has got to be my favorite track on the record. It's just so melodically infectious. The life of the song has an interesting story. I couldn't sleep one night, tossing and turning in my bed, and this riff came to mind. Usually when I write, I'm in the studio with a piano or a guitar bangin' it out, but this time, the progressions, melodies, and even the arrangement was all magically coming together all in my head. It was 4am, but there was no way I was gonna sleep and possibly forget this potential smash hit come the next morning…So, I went downstairs to my recording studio, fired up the rig, and just hit record.

Everything was just flowing out of me, and the song was completely demoed out in a few hours. It's the most technical & melodic composition I have ever composed, yet was also the fastest song to ever come together. Ironic? The guitars and big synth allowed the song to keep that turbo 80s vibe, but the feel, progression, and arrangement made the song pop radio worthy.

I was so stoked on this song being "the one," I had to tag team up with Shred Sean to get his shred touch all over it. So, I immediately flew up to New York City with my mobile recording rig in a suitcase. I got off the plane, we went to his parents Deli to get some fuel, and went back to his lower east side pad to join forces on this one. He laid down some sick leads over the meat and potatoes, and then slapped his special shred sauce all over the chorus by composing the lead vocal melody on the chorus. Then it was time for the solo… I just looped the section, hit record, and he did what he does best. The most fun was the last part of the solo where the synth leads dual up with the shred… very "Dragonforce" like. It's the climax of the song.. and explodes into the soft bridge.

Although the solo shows the virtuoso of his playing, the slow bridge solo was our favorite. Blessed had never had a slow section with smooth & sexy shred. He laid it down and called it "The Sex." When he laid down the sex solo over the synth pads, we felt like we composed a musical movement from an 80s romance flick. Its cheese, but in a serious way.

The song was so busy musically…with leads + synth + pads, we thought it would be impossible to write vocals over it, and the song was gonna stay instrumental. We titled it "feel the power."

A few months later, Sam Ryder joined the band and loved the song. So his first assignment & challenge was to make sick lyrics and vocals for the tune. We told him that if he could do it, then he was officially in the band…

Marc Canter penned "Reckless Road" - now he talks to Metal Sludge about his family deli history & music from Elvis Presley to Guns N' Roses!

Marc Canter penned "Reckless Road" - now he talks to Metal Sludge about his family deli history & music from Elvis Presley to Guns N' Roses!
By Gerry Gittelson
Metal Sludge Contributor


HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Rock and roll is not just about great bands and great music, it’s also about great places in hang out, especially in Los Angeles, the rock capital of the world.

For the longest time, a top rock and roll hangout, besides the Rainbow of course, has been Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Avenue a few blocks off the Sunset Strip – for decades the only decent 24-hour eatery near Hollywood.

After a evening filled with sex, drugs in rock and roll, it was always nice to enjoy Canter’s trademark soups, pastrami and baked goods as the morning sun beckoned.

From Elvis Presley to Marilyn Monroe to Ringo Starr to Muhammad Ali to Led Zeppelin to Van Halen to Prince to Guns N’ Roses (the deli’s pet band when they were just starting up), they’ve all been regulars at the famed restaurant founded in 1924 before eventually moving to its current spot in 1948.

Marc Canter, the youngest family descendent who’s been working at Canter’s all his life, is a huge rock fan, not to mention a noted live photographer and author of the book Reckless Road, which chronicles Canter’s life with Guns N’ Roses and the band’s meteoric rise to fame.

Canter was Slash’s best friend growing up, but even more so, Canter always believed in Guns N’ Roses, even backing the band financially in the beginning before the group eventually signed with Geffen and sold millions of records.

In this exclusive interview, joined in by legendary scenemaker Rodney Bingenheimer – who happened to being hanging out at Canter’s that night – Mark talks in Part 1 about how the Jewish deli has become synonymous with the music industry in-crowd all these years. In Part 2, it’s all about Guns N’ Roses, and Metal Sludge readers are going to LOVE some brand new details about the band – then and now.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

METAL SLUDGE: Canter’s has been around a long time. What’s the secret to success?

Marc Canter: Well, it was the original 24-hour place. There were only one or two others, and they were downtown, and we were in Hollywood. We catered to a lot of film industry folk. They’d work till 10 at night, and come, or they’d go out and have fun, then come here at 1 or 2 in the morning. Plus, CBS was across the street, and there was a big Jewish crowd.

METAL SLUDGE: And really good food, too. What’s always been the most popular items?

Marc Canter: A lot of corned beef and pastrami, lox on a bagel, matzo ball soup. We gave a Matzo ball the size of a baseball, and that was our gimmick – the biggest matzo balls. In the 60s, it was sort of a hippie haven. I remember my grandpa installed special lights so no one could smoke pot in the dark corners, because that wouldn’t be good for business. But every morning, the bakery, everything that had sugar in it, was sold out by the morning. There would always be a few things leftover, but never anything with sugar in it. [laughs]

METAL SLUDGE: Who would come in during the early days?

Marc Canter: Well, in like ’58 and ’59, Elvis Presley would play the old Pan Pacific Auditorium, and everyone would come here after. Jeff Beck still comes here. I bumped into him the other day, and he was saying how after the Yardbirds would play the Whisky, and back then he and the guys would always come to Canter’s. It was a great place, a lot of rock and roll bands.

You can ask Rodney Bingenheimer, you know Rodney on the Roq. He’s right over there [pointing]. He has his own table, he comes in every night. [Rodney Bingenheimer joins].

Metal Sludge: Rodney, you come here every night? That’s weird, I remember you used to come to Denny’s on Sunset every day at 1 p.m. But there’s no more Denny’s.

Rodney Bingenheimer: Yeah, I like the barley soup. You know what they say: All roads lead to Canter’s.

Metal Sludge: Who have you seen here?

Bingenheimer: Echo & The Bunnymen, the Go-Go’s, the Bangles. I used to meet Susanna Hoffs right there [points]. Nick Cage had his first date with Lisa Marie Presley here. Michael Jackson, I remember he was here in 1982 but he was hiding.

Metal Sludge: What about Van Halen?

Marc Canter: Van Halen used to come on a daily basis, especially David Lee Roth. David Lee Roth is a really good tipper.

Metal Sludge: Really? Who else is a good tipper?

Marc Canter: Ace Frehley. He’s the best. Last time he was here, his bill was 56 dollars, and he tipped to make it 112. He could have left a $100 bill, but he made a point to give double the check. That’s the ultimate, especially when you consider he kind of got the short end of the stick in Kiss.

Metal Sludge: What about the others in Kiss?

Marc Canter: Gene Simmons comes all the time, but he never sits in the restaurant. He always orders stuff to go, stuff from the bakery, and picks it up. Yeah, he was here all the time but never sits down. I haven’t seen him in two or three years though, but I’m not always here at night anymore.

Metal Sludge: This is very interesting stuff. Was there ever a big star who ran out without paying their bill?

Marc Canter: Rodney Dangerfield. But he didn’t mean to, he was just too drunk. He ate, he had his check in his hand, then he ordered some stuff from the (takeout) deli, he paid for that food, but he walked out with the check. He got all the way to his car, and the waitress tracked him down, and he was like, “Sorry about that, here’s 50 bucks.”

Metal Sludge: What about the healing powers of chicken soup. Do you believe in it?

Marc Canter: Absolutely. The first thing is the placebo effect, because so much of it is psychological. If you think chicken soup is good for you and it’s going to make you feel better, then of course your brain is going to do that. But second, if you’re tired, or if you’re sore, chicken soup is comfort food. Maybe there’s no medical evidence, but it works. I mean, doctors from Cedars come in here and get it, so maybe it’s not just myth.

Metal Sludge: Has the paparazzi ever been an issue here?

Mark Canter: Mick Jagger once got caught by the front door here. He was just passing by and maybe he ducked in here to hide, but when he got here, he ordered a chicken soup and a cup of tea. I think the only one we’ve ever had to use the backdoor for was Taylor Swift. With twitter and all that stuff, sometimes they just have you. It was weird.

Metal Sludge: Canter’s does have a lot of history.

Marc Canter: Yeah, I think it really came alive in the 60s. A lot of people were afraid of hippies, but we gave them respect. Ray Manzarek from the Doors told me some great stories from back in the day. And Gary Busey, I bumped into him recently, and he told me he signed his first record deal in 1966 at Canter’s.

The best was Frank Zappa. He would come in late at night with three or four people, and the party at his table would build. An hour or two into it, some of the guys from the Turtles would come in, or Mamas and Papas. And the table would keep revolving, and Frank would leave and come back the next day, and his table would still be going but with different people, and he would sit back down again.

Rodney Bingenheimer: I was here. I remember a lot of this stuff. Kim Fowley and Andy Dick. I was here with Kato Kaelin, from the O.J. Simpson case, and the song came on, “Hey Joe, What’s that glove in your hand.” I’ve been here with Dylan, both Dylans, Bob Dylan and Jacob Dylan from the Wallflowers.



Metal Sludge: OK, we’re going to save the Guns N’ Roses part for Part 2, ‘cause we know you were a key part of the early rise of Guns N’ Roses and that the band spent a lot of time at this restaurant and ate a lot of meals here. But real quick, every guy in Guns N’ Roses, what was their favorite thing to order, their favorite entrée that they ordered every time?

Marc Canter: OK. Well, Slash used to always, always, always have the pastrami, but now he only has corned beef. Axl would always order tuna sandwich or sometimes pastrami. Steve Adler always ordered pastrami “Brooklyn-style,” which means cole slaw and Russian dressing on the sandwich. Duff was always the barley soup. Sometimes he got other entrees, like burgers or a few other things, but he always has the barley soup. Izzy I don’t remember, but I think pastrami. They all like pastrami because sometimes, they wouldn’t come in but I would bring them a bag of sandwiches, and it was always a bag of pastrami sandwiches. Pastrami, they never turned it down. That much I know for sure.


Stay tuned for Part 2.

In the mean time, order the bookReckless Road direct from Marc Canter himself.

Gerry Gittelson can be reached gspot@metalsludge.tv

Today's Day In Rock!

Van Halen Expand North American Tour
(hennemusic) Van Halen have added three more shows to their upcoming North American tour in support of their forthcoming album.
New dates include Manchester, New Hampshire; University Park, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri.

The band has confirmed a total of 48 shows kicking off February 18th in Louisville, Kentucky through June 26th in New Orleans, Louisiana. more on this story


KISS' The Elder Movie Finally Being Made?
(hennemusic) A film inspired by the 1981 KISS concept album "(Music From) The Elder" may be coming to the big screen.

The album was intended to be the soundtrack to a movie — a movie which, due to the relative commercial failure of the album, was never made.

30 years after the album's original release, U.K.-based writer, musician and independent filmmaker Seb Hunter has announced plans to produce a "post-apocalyptic road movie" based on '(Music From) The Elder'", with production slated to begin this summer. more on this story



Guns N' Roses Have Big Plans
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses wrapped up their Chinese Democracy tour with two shows in Las Vegas at the end of 2011.

In a new interview with Philadelphia 76ers reporter Matt Cord, bassist Tommy Stinson sheds some light on what's next for the band.

"I can't say officially, but we're leaving again in two weeks," said Stinson. "We're playing some stuff. It's all big stuff. When I call you in two weeks and tell you, you're gonna go, 'I wanna come!' It's gonna be awesome though." More from Tommy here.



Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Set For Solo Tour
(Banana 101.5) Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder will be taking his solo act on the road for a brief tour beginning in April.

His first true solo outing came in the form of 2008′s 'Into the Wild' soundtrack, for which Vedder performed every song. He followed the well-received soundtrack with the first Eddie Vedder album 'Ukulele Songs' this past May and embarked on a brief solo tour early last summer.

Vedder's camp announced today that he will again tour the U.S. unaccompanied by Pearl Jam this spring. At last report, the band was set to finish recording their tenth record around the same time Vedder will embark on the 13-date tour. more on this story


Metallica Add More Black Album Tour Dates
Metallica's summer vacation just keeps getting longer with the band announcing two additional dates to their upcoming summer trek where they will be playing their self-titled (Black) album in full.

On Monday the band had these details: We'll be kicking off our European trek this year by starting in Prague, Czech Republic on May 7, 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, followed the very next day by a visit to Belgrade, Serbia at Usce Park on May 8th.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 'Black Album' is on the agenda (of course!) in keeping with the theme of the summer, and these will be the first two performances of it in its entirety. more on this story


Ozzy Misses Zakk Wylde Roast
(Gibson) Zakk Wylde was roasted at Guitar World's Rock and Roll Roast at City National Grove of Anaheim on January 19.

Rolling Stone reports Wylde was targeted by Corey Taylor, Duff McKagan, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Chris Jericho and others. Taylor told Rolling Stone: "We've all known each other for a while, we all love each other. So let's just rip the crap out of each other."

Sharon Osbourne was happy to host the event and explained that she's known Zakk for many years. She said: "I've known him since he was 18. He calls me 'mom,' and I feel like his mom. So I can be disrespectful, horrible, mean to him for two hours and get away with it."

Since Ozzy was unable to make the event, because he's busy working on the new Black Sabbath album, Sharon passed on his thoughts about Zakk. "Ozzy is very proud of Zakk – very, very proud. He's proud of the man he's become – he's sober and fabulous."




Pulp Coming To America
Pulp reunited last year but American fans will get their first chance to see the group this spring when they make a limited number of appearances in the U.S.

Pulp announced this week plans to play Coachella, The Warfield in San Francisco, and Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The shows will involve all the original members of the band -- Nick Banks (drums), Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass), Russell Senior (violin, guitar) and Mark Webber (guitar) -- and they will be playing songs from all periods of their career. more on this story


Five Finger Death Punch and Soulfly Tour
Five Finger Death Punch are hitting the road in March for a North American tour focused on Canada and the Western United States.

Five Finger Death Punch have tapped Soulfly as direct support, and the tour will also feature Windowpane and Persist.

5FDP will headline Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and more, while also playing a special Las Vegas hometown show alongside other western-US markets. more on this story


Lamb Of God Announce New Resolution Tour Leg
Lamb Of God plan to head across the Atlantic this spring for the European leg of the Resolution tour.

The tour encompasses all of the major European festivals as well as a number of headline theater and club shows.

In addition to Europe, the tour will include Lamb of God's return to India and Israel, which were two highlights on the 2009/2010 Wrath tour. more on this story


Portugal. The Man and The Lonely Forest For Jagermeister Tour
Portugal. The Man have been announced as the headliners as this year's Jagermeister tour that will feature support from The Lonely Forest.

The North American trek is set to kick off on April 3rd and will hit 26 cities across the United States.

John Gourley, lead singer of Portugal.The Man said, "We were planning on taking a short break from the road, but Jägermeister presented an opportunity for us to visit a handful of cities that we have not been to in ages, so we jumped at the chance to play these shows." more on this story


Puscifer To Rock Kimmel
Puscifer will be performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on February 16th ahead of the kick off of their North American Tour.

The second leg of the band's North American tour in support of their latest album, Conditions of My Parole, will kick off on Feb. 23 at The Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Tex.

Puscifer's touring band members are Maynard James Keenan, Mat Mitchell, Josh Eustis, Carina Round, Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl. more on this story


Alice Cooper To Drop The Puck For Phoenix Coyotes
(hennemusic) Longtime Phoenix resident Alice Cooper will be the guest of honor at a Phoenix Coyotes home game next month.

Alice will be on hand to drop the puck for the February 18 match between the Coyotes and the Dallas Stars.

The Coyotes will be giving away Alice Cooper bobbleheads to the first 10,000 fans in the door as part of military appreciation night. more on this story



Janus Announce New Album and Tour With Chevelle and Middle Class Rut
Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group have set a March 27th release date for Janus' sophomore album, Nox Aeris, and the band is hitting the road with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut on February 24th.

The record's title, which is Latin for "night air," comes from the 14th Century, a period where a third of the European population was killed off by the plague. Then, people believed going outdoors at night would cause them to succumb to the Black Death. While writing Nox Aeris, Janus found this idea to be an apt metaphor for their own journey, preconceived notions of their own being flipped around as they became a bigger, more established band since the release of Red Right Return. Nox Aeris reveals who Janus is and what they've gone through.

The album's first single "'Stains' explores what can happen when you don't follow your heart, the marks left on your spirit when you become someone you're not. "It embodies what I was trying to say on the record," says singer David Scotney, "it's a dark point of view, but represents a cathartic process of self-healing." more on this story


Ben Kweller Taps Sleeper Agent For Tour
Ben Kweller has invited Sleeper Agent to support him on a spring tour of North America.

The tour is set to kick off March 20th in Hartford, CT and will wrap up on May 1st in Denver.

Sleeper Agent have also announced that they will perform both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on April 15th and 22nd. more on this story


Limited Edition Alex Harvey Book Coming Next Month
Alex Harvey: Last of the Teenage Idols, a limited edition photobook is set to be released on February 4th. Here are the official details: In 1974 a young photographer in Cleveland, Ohio, met the Sensational Alex Harvey Band – and the encounter led to a lifelong, award-winning career. Twenty-five years later a young journalist met the surviving members of SAHB – and that encounter led to another award-winning career.

Alex Harvey, known to many as 'the last of the teenage idols,' took his band from the slums of 1960s Glasgow to the stages of the world. Their unique brand of Vaudeville-inspired concerts and theatrical musical compositions made them one of the most respected live acts of the era.

Their onstage energy was so powerful it brought fans of Slade, the Who, and many others to heel. They opened the Reading festival in 1973 and headlined it in 1974 – the first band to perform such a feat. They even survived the punk revolution, when leading lights including the Sex Pistols proclaimed their admiration for Alex. SAHB were the darlings of the celebrated TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test and, in the mid-1970s, they were the biggest-grossing live act in the UK. more on this story


The Belle Brigade, Good Old War and Family of the Year Tour
The Belle Brigade plan to hit the road this spring with Good Old War and Family of the Year.

The North American trek will also include a stop at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

The tour will kick off on March 8th in Knoxville, TN and will wrap up on April 27th in Philadelphia, PA. more on this story


Here's Little Richard Getting Expanded Reissue
(Conqueroo) Here's Little Richard, Concord Music Group's expanded reissue of the original Specialty Records album from 1957 is set to hit stores on April 17, 2012.

Rock 'n' roll may date back to Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" in 1951 and perhaps further to blues/swing hybrids of the 1940s. But many would contend that Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," recorded at Cosimo Matassa's studio in new Orleans in September 1955, was the first great rock 'n' roll record. "Tutti Frutti" kicks off Here's Little Richard.

In addition to the original recordings of Little Richard's best known hits — "Long Tall Sally," "Ready Teddy," "Jenny Jenny," "Rip It Up," "Slippin' and Slidin'" and more — the Concord remastered reissue features two bonus tracks (Specialty demo recordings of "Baby" and "All Night Long") and two videos (screen tests of "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally"). The set contains liner notes by R&B musicologist Lee Hildebrand, as well as the notes from the original LP. more on this story


Scale The Summit Kick Off Tour This Week and Announce Vinyl Release
Scale The Summit will be hitting the road for their first-ever headlining tour this week and have also announced a special vinyl release.

The Their Strings Are Voices tour kicks off in the band's hometown of Houston on Friday, and will wrap its way through the U.S. before concluding on February 20 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Support will be provided by Elitist at most shows.

Prosthetic Records will release Scale The Summit latest album, The Collective, on vinyl next month. more on this story


NME Dub Noel Gallagher Godlike Genius
(Gibson) Former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher will be given the Godlike Genius Award at the 2012 NME Awards.

The leader of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will be celebrated at the ceremony on February 29 at London's O2 Academy Brixton, according to NME.

In response to the accolade, the guitarist/songwriter/vocalist said: "I would like to thank NME for bestowing upon me such a great accolade. I have dreamt of this moment since I was 43 years old. I accept that I am now a genius, just like God." more on this story




Singled Out: Primal Fear's Born Again
Today Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear tells us about "Born Again" from their brand new album "Unbreakable," which was released today. Here is the story:

In the morning before going to the funeral of a football mate (socker) and schoolmate of mine, I remembered that I still needed to write some lyrics and to find a melody line for our song "Born Again" for the UNBREAKABLE album.

Actually right at that same day in the afternoon I sat down and wrote the very lyrics of that song. I was just brainstorming and it was obvious to me to write about my feelings I had that sad day, so I let it all flow out of me. I was in deep mourning and I transformed my sorrow into words……. I didn't actually write about my buddy specifically but turned the story into a general feeling and the great question behind it all if there is a life after death…. I think the theme of the song and the perfect atmosphere of the track, which was written by Mat and Magnus simply are like chalk and cheese to the melody and the lyrics.

I often do this when I write lyrics. I combine all my experiences and real happenings with invented stories around it to avoid the fact to be too personal etc… I think personal stories belong to appear on solo albums as there is one name on the album cover and people can relate the songs and lyrics of the solo artist to the human being behind it.

It's quiet different, so there might be no formula which works always…. It's a bit of everything in the end….just like you use different spices to prepare a good meal.

Today's Day In Rock!

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Blasted For National Anthem Performance
Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler finds himself on the other side of the table of judgment for his singing performance.
Ultimited Classic Rock reports that Tyler took the field yesterday (Jan. 22) to bust out The National Anthem before the Baltimore Ravens / New England Patriots AFC title game and his performance left much to be desired.

Early reviews of the performance were not much better, with one football fan taking to Twitter with this post: "Steven Tyler's national anthem before the Patriots/Ravens game couldn't have been any worse if John Madden farted it through a harmonica." Read more and watch the performance and judge for yourself

Van Halen's David Lee Roth Explains Tattoo
(hennemusic) Van Halen's David Lee Roth has issued a new video as the singer shares his inspiration for the lyrics to "Tattoo."

Released last week, the song is the first single off VH's forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", due February 7.

"'You best believe that needle hurts you'," quotes Roth from the song, "And depending on where you get it…whoa! ...that's a rite of passage. And it should cuz it really forces you to consider what's permanent to you. What is it you really want to remember and what is it that you really want to say to folks around you." more on this story

Megadeth Legend Studying To Become A Pastor
(Gibson) Megadeth's David Ellefson is studying to become a Lutheran minister. In a lengthy profile by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the thrash-metal bassist revealed that he's an online student at suburban St. Louis's Concordia Seminary, studying under the school's Specific Ministry Program.

Long-term friends of Ellefson are not surprised by the news, given that Ellefson took his faith very seriously while attending his local Lutheran church as he was growing up in Minnesota. "I came from a good family, not a broken home," Ellefson told the Post-Dispatch. "That became a model for me, and I saw church at center of it."

Ellefson has even written songs for the Lutheran church he currently attends, using lyrics from the Old Testament. "For a Christmas service, I remixed some classics, not quite in a Megadeth fashion, but in a pretty heavy rock fashion," he said. more on this story



Nickelback Fight Online Critics With Sarcasm
Nickelback apparently can take criticism and give it right back. Loudwire reports: As music fans hit Nickelback with insults on Twitter, they responded back with their own smarmy responses, quickly getting people to notice and comment on the entertainment value of it all.

Even rocker Chris Daughtry weighed in, saying to the band, "Your replies to the haters are killing me! Hilarious!"

In addition, the band doled out some constructive criticism in response to some of the insults, replying directly to people with comments like, "that one's a little stale, try harder next time." See Nickelback's greatest twitter war hits here

Red Hot Chili Peppers Add Over A Dozen New Tour Dates
Red Hot Chili Peppers continue to roll out dates for their North American I'm With You World Tour, with the latest batch added for April, May and June.

Due to multiple foot injuries sustained by lead singer Anthony Kiedis, and subsequent surgery, the tour will now kick off on March 29th in St. Petersburg, FL, and crisscross the continent throughout 2012.

Red Hot Chili Peppers are touring in support of their current album I'm With You, which has received a Grammy nomination for "Rock Album of the Year." In addition, the band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. more on this story

Etta James Loses Fight With Cancer
(Gibson) Singing great Etta James, famous for "At Last" and many other hits, has died, CNN reports. She was 73.

Her long-running friend and manager Lupe De Leon said she died from complications from leukemia and had her husband and sons by her side in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 next Wednesday. The singer had been battling a number of health issues in recent years, including dementia and hepatitis C.

"This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world, De Leon said. "She was a true original who could sing it all – her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always." more on this story



Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood For CMT Crossroads TV Special
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood will share the stage in a CMT Crossroads special airing live from Indianapolis on February 4, the night before Super Bowl XLVI.

CMT Crossroads: Steven Tyler & Carrie Underwood From the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam will take place at the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair Grounds.

Tyler and Underwood previously performed together in 2011 at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. more on this story

Hard To Find Jimi Hendrix Recording Being Released
(BM) Sundazed Music and Experience Hendrix, L.L.C are teaming up to release a series of new 7" picture-sleeve vinyl singles featuring unique and hard-to-find vintage performances by Jimi Hendrix.

The ongoing series launches in April with an initial release that combines a pair of historically significant recordings from two different Hendrix 1967 BBC sessions. One is a raucous reading of Bob Dylan's "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?".

Hendrix recorded his version on October 17 for BBC Radio's Rhythm and Blues show. Dylan's original version, one of history's most notable and enduring musical enigmas, wasn't released on a legitimate album for more than 10 years after its first issue. This Jimi Hendrix Experience version was a highlight of the BBC Sessions double album issued by Experience Hendrix/Sony Legacy in October 2010. more on this story

Motley Crue's Mick Mars Rocks On Despite Debilitating Disease
Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars hasn't let a debilitating disease keep him from performing and recently addressed the topic of how he handles it in a recent interview.

Loadwire reports: Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the joints of the spine, making life increasingly difficult and incredibly painful for the person afflicted with it.

"I am able to keep touring," Mars told Classic Rock Revisited in a recent chat. "It is one of those things that I call an inconvenience. Of course I have days that are worse than others and there is always some amount of pain with my hips. There are good days and bad days but it is more of an inconvenience than anything else. I don't feel sick." more on this story

Chickenfoot TV
(hennemusic) Chickenfoot wrapped up their week-long European tour on Thursday at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The trip was part 2 of the band's Road Test Tour, as they break in new drummer Kenny Aronoff while Chad Smith has returned to his regular gig with new Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Düsseldorf gig – in support of "Chickenfoot III" - was filmed for German TV by WDR's (German public TV) series "Rockpalast"; the episode will premiere on February 27. more on this story

The Doors Would Have Changed Had Morrison Lived
(Gibson) The Doors would likely have taken a theatrical turn – and perhaps focused on film work – had Jim Morrison survived, keyboardist Ray Manzarek has revealed.

In an interview with M – Music and Musicians, Manzarek said, "My guess is we would have done more theater venues, playing smaller places for a week at a time, preparing the theater with laser lights and speakers under the seats so that we could swirl the sound throughout the auditorium. We would probably have done theatrical presentations that included dancers and actors with recitations. We would have combined film and music. We all had big ambitions. I wanted to make movies starring the band."

Manzarek also lamented the fact that the public has a skewed perception of Morrison. "People don't want to hear about how smart he was, how he was a real poet," Manzarek said. "They just want dirty stories." more on this story



Abigail Williams Extend North American Tour
Abigail Williams have decided to extend their North American headline tour following news that Dark Funeral pulled the plug on their trek last week where the band was set to act as direct support.

Their camp sent over these details and dates on Friday: On top of the run of eight headlining dates the band already announced, which kicked off Friday in Las Vegas, thirteen newly-booked shows across the East Coast and all the way through the Midwest were just confirmed this week.

Additional tour dates are likely to be confirmed so stay tuned for further developments. For now check out the band's full tour itinerary as it stands, including the monstrous twenty-seven city March Of Death this March when death metal legends Deicide will tour the entire continent with support from ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, Jungle Rot and Lecherous Nocturne. more on this story

Glenn Five Speaks Out On Leaving Anvil
(Rock News Desk) Departed Anvil bassist Glenn Five says Robb Reiner never stopped reminding him he wasn't a real member of the band – and while frontman Lips Kudlow didn't say as much, he agreed with the drummer's viewpoint.

Five announced his departure this week after sixteen years in the outfit who spent decades in the doldrums before the movie Anvil: The Story of Anvil helped propel them back towards the big-time.

Kudlow responded by accusing him of trying to sabotage their plans by leaving at the worst possible moment, while adding he and Reiner had been expecting the move for some time. But the bassist says he wanted to remain a musician rather than be a film star, and felt he had to get out of the band before a proposed movie sequel begins shooting. more on this story

Enuff Z'Nuff Releasing Anthology and Album With Jake E. Lee Stateside
(superLOUD) Enuff Z'Nuff founding bassist Chip Z'Nuff entered the WXAV 88.3 FM radio studios for an interview where he revealed upcoming plans for a massive 4-disc anthology release of his band.

Featuring 44 songs, including 22 previously unreleased, Chip appears to be raiding his extensive vaults to give fans a lot of material in the upcoming year.

Z'Nuff also revealed that the band has inked a deal with Cleopatra Records for the release of Dissonance, their 12th studio album. Dissonance has so far only been put out in Europe and Japan, but should finally come out in their home country of the US this April or May. The album features guitar work on several songs from legendary Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee, including a solo on the emotional ballad "Joni Lynn," which can be heard here.

Godfather of Rhythm and Blues Johnny Otis Dies
(Gibson) Songwriter and bandleader Johnny Otis, whose 1958 hit, "Willie and the Hand Jive," was covered by Eric Clapton on the latter's 461 Ocean Boulevard album, has died at age 90.

Dubbed "The Godfather of Rhythm and Blues," Otis formed his first band in the mid-'40s and scored his first big hit with the song, "Harlem Nocturne." In addition to having his own chart successes, he composed Etta James' first hit, a song titled "The Wallflower," which charted in 1955.

He also penned the 1961 Gladys Knight and the Pips hit, "Every Bit of My Heart," and produced the original version of "Hound Dog" in 1952, four years before Elvis Presley made the song famous. Otis also served as a talent scout for vintage rhythm and blues labels, an occupation that saw him discover or advance the careers of such figures as Little Esther, Big Mama Thornton and Jackie Wilson. Otis continued to tour well into his 70s, even as he become an ordained minister and opened a church in Los Angeles. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. more on this story



Dying Fetus Set For Headlining Tour
Dying Fetus have mapped out a series of headlining and co-headlining North American tour dates which kick off next month.

The tour stars February 26th and runs through March 14th. The first leg of the tour will see DYING Fetus headlining with support coming from: Job For a Cowboy, Volumes and Last Chance to Reason.

The second leg will feature a co-headlining bill with Dying Fetus and The Faceless. Support will come from Goatwhore, Volumes and Last Chance to Reason. more on this story

Emmure Announce New Album and Tour
Victory Records have set an April 10 released date for Emmure's fifth full-length album, Slave To The Game.

The group is currently recording with producer Joey Sturgis, who previously worked with the band on 2011's Speaker of the Dead. On the personnel front, the band have added drummer Mark Castillo (ex-Between The Buried And Me and Bury Your Dead).

Emmure will support Slave To The Game with a full North American tour this spring, hitting 31 cities with We Came As Romans and more beginning in March. The band was recently announced to this year's Bamboozle line-up for the May 19th date. more on this story

Roger Waters Marries Longtime Girlfriend
(hennemusic) Roger Waters has married longtime girlfriend Laurie Durning. It's Waters' fourth time down the aisle; the couple have been together since 2004.

NME reports Waters confirmed the couple's January 14 wedding during an interview with Howard Stern last week.

"Well, actually, I need to bring you up to date because I just got married on Saturday to Laurie, she's gorgeous," Roger told Stern. "Yeah, I couldn't be happier. We did [the pre-nup]. We've been living together for 10 years, I think we sort of know now that we like getting up together in the morning and going to bed at night." more on this story

Archer Black To Deliver Forgiveness Is A Weapon Next Month
(Sub) Archer Black have set a February 7th release date for their debut album, Forgiveness Is A Weapon, the first full-length release for the newly formed Post Planetary record label.

Archer Black is led by Dustin Morgan, the longtime bass player of The Autumns, who brings a wealth of musical experiences to this new project.

Morgan has previously toured the U.S. and Europe (where he met Archer Black band mates, Drummer Steve Elkins and Guitarist Madison Megna) with The Autumns, travelled to Central America to play in composer Eldad Tarmu's Middle Eastern jazz ensemble, recorded in Los Angeles with noted jazz saxophonist Benny Golbin, and most recently appeared on stage in New York and Los Angeles with French cult icon SoKo. more on this story

Singled Out: Royal Bliss' Crazy
Today Neal Middleton of Royal Bliss tells us about their song "Crazy" that comes from their brand new album "Waiting Out The Storm," which is being released this week. Here is the story:

"Crazy" - Guitarist Chris Harding had a cool little riff he was working on one day a rehearsal. I loved it; I have never been one to write down lyrics, they just kind of happen.

My son was 2 at the time and he was changing daily, we were about to go back on the road and the thought of me missing more of my sons life was weighing heavy. He was starting to understand what it meant when daddy was leaving to play concerts. He is my baby boy and it tore me up to leave him. So the majority of the lyrics come from that.

But it's also about leaving my family, my wife, and now we have a second little boy that's months old. It is very hard on her when I leave, its a hard life to lead, but music is all I have known and I think this is the best shot to give my boys a good future and to show them that you can follow your dreams. I also dedicate this song to the troops who have to be away for 6 months at a time, I can't even imagine that. It's Crazy.

Today's Day In Rock!

Riot Guitarist In A Coma
(Rock News Desk) Riot guitarist Mark Reale is in a coma after suffering a brain hemorrhage as a result of his continuing battle against Crohn's Disease.
The band last week announced he'd miss some live shows after being taken to intensive care, and that his condition was critical. Now they've confirmed Reale, 56, the only founding member to remain in Riot since they formed in 1975, has been unconscious for nine days. The severity of his illness before his collapse meant he'd been unable to record his own parts on their upcoming album.

His webmaster reports: "Mark had a subarachnoid hemorrhage and that is why he's still in a coma since January 11, when he was rushed to hospital. more on this story

Cancer Not Stopping Black Sabbath
(Rock News Desk) Tony Iommi isn't letting his cancer get the better of him, says Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. Instead, the iconic guitarist has written two new songs since being diagnosed with lymphoma at Christmas, and is continuing work on the band's first original-lineup album since 1978.

Iommi, Butler, frontman Ozzy Osbourne and drummer Bill Ward decided to move their recording operation from the US to the UK to make the guitarist's health battle easier. He's now receiving treatment for the form of cancer which attacks the immune system, and early indications suggest he's responding well.

Butler says: "We got the engines back up and running at Tony's home studio. Far from being down and depressed about his diagnosis, Tony had already written the music for two new songs. more on this story

Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball in March
(Gibson) Bruce Springsteen's forthcoming album was produced by Ron Aniello (Jars of Clay, Candlebox), will be called Wrecking Ball and will be released on March 6 in North America.

"The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative of recent years," Springsteen manager Jon Landau said in a statement, via Rolling Stone. "The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on Wrecking Ball."

The album's name comes from a song that Bruce and the E Streeters debuted in 2009 when they played some of the last shows at Giants Stadium. The record also features "Land of Hope and Dreams," a song Springsteen and the gang have been playing live since 1999. more on this story



Vince Neil Warns Musicians Not To Get In The Music Biz
(Gibson) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil says the music business has changed exponentially since his band first started dishing out hair metal in the '80s.

What's his advice for upcoming musicians? "Don't get in the business," he laughed, speaking with NewsTimes.com. "It's tough. There [are] so many different outlets for music now. Thirty years ago you had MTV; everybody watched MTV and everybody saw your video. There was one place to go; now there [are] thousands of places to go. It's a lot tougher. There [are] more eyes out there; it's just harder to get everybody to look at you at the same time."

Neil added that very little is secret in today's music industry, and fans have a much more intimate relationship with their favorite rock personalities thanks to social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook: "I think with all the social media everybody pretty much knows everything. What you're doing and where you've been and where you're going. It's kind of hard to be secretive anymore." more on this story



Gary Glitter Planning Comeback?
(Rock News Desk) A Twitter page claiming to be the official account of Gary Glitter has drawn over 16,500 followers since announcing the shamed glam star is preparing a comeback. @OfficialGlitter has a tagline that reads "The official twitter of Gary Glitter. Managed and updated by me. The leader. Still shining."

The 70s artist, real name Paul Gadd, fell into disgrace in 1999 after serving a prison sentence for possessing child porn. He later moved to Vietnam, where he was jailed for two years for child abuse, charged he insisted were trumped-up in a conspiracy against him. He moved back to the UK three years ago.

Now the account owner, who says he's awaiting Twitter verified status, has released a series of messages promising to hit the stage again. He writes: "I believe the public have accepted me again, putting my past behind me. I hope I can continue my music career/tour this year. We have venues in Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol so far. I should be able to confirm these by Friday. I am the real Gary Glitter." more on this story

Disturbed Frontman Vs Cyber-Bullies
(Banana 101.5) Disturbed vocalist David Draiman took to his Twitter page this week to post a lengthy statement about the effects cyber-bullying can have on someone.

While Disturbed has been on hiatus, singer David Draiman has been fairly active on his Twitter feed. He will often times post lengthy commentaries on a subject or carry on conversations with others through a series of tweets. Yesterday (1/18) he sounded off about the hot button issue of cyber-bullying by posting the following statement:

"One of the biggest problems with Internet culture is people's tendency to write whatever, without thinking it through properly beforehand. I encourage everyone on here to make informed statements based on forethought and fact. Don't let the fact that you are simply sitting behind a keyboard, with no one watching, and nothing to be accountable for, lull you into believing that your words/actions do not have consequences. Measure your words carefully before you spit them out. Think before you type.

"By the way, anything is OK to type, that's what freedom of speech is; but to everything, there are consequences/repercussions." The rest of his statement here.

8-Year-Old Scores Hardcore Video Hit
(hennemusic) The latest viral video features Juliet, the 8-year-old daughter of Australian producer Rob Sharpe, rocking the world with "My First Hardcore Song."

Juliet teamed up with her dad over the school holidays to put together the young rocker's first song and video clip.

It's only 1:00 in length, but it's intense, as Juliet takes you on a journey of her love for her dog, Robert, and how her pet fish stink even though Juliet has zero sense of smell. The clip has already racked up almost 2 million views in its first 24 hours online. Check it out

The Mars Volta New Album Details
(Banana 101.5) The Mars Volta have ended speculation as to what their new album is named, what songs are on it, and when it comes out. As for what any of the songs are about, you're on your own.

The Mars Volta have announced that their new album is called 'Noctourniquet' and not 'In Absentia' as previously rumored, that is, however, the name of a song that appears on the prog rock duo's sixth full-length album.

'Noctourniquet' will tell the story of a character that was inspired by Superman nemesis Solomon Grundy and Hyacinthus — a character in Greek mythology. When does it come out and what are the track names?

Mark Tremonti Going Heavier Than Creed or Alter Bridge on Solo Album
(Banana 101.5) Mark Tremonti recently said his solo material is heavier than Creed or Alter Bridge and has a lot of soloing.

Artist Direct recently caught up with the busy axe-slinger and got an update on how his debut album was coming along: Tremonti spoke about the direction of his record compared to what he does in the studio with either of his other bands:

"It's a dynamic record. It's probably heavier than either Creed or Alter Bridge, but it's still melody-driven. Most of the stuff is more up-tempo and heavy-riffing though. I had to write eleven solos for this record so it took me a long time. There's lots of soloing." More from Mark here.

Gregg Allman and Steve Miller Band For Doheny Festival
Gregg Allman and The Steve Miller Band have been named as the headliners for their year's installment of the Doheny Blues Festival.

The lineup also includes Chicago Blues Legend Buddy Guy, Texican rockers Los Lonely Boys, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue from NOLA, roots artist and conservationist Tab Benoit, Texas Blues guitarist Johnny Winter and Irish-born vocalist Imelda May. Many more artists will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 15th Annual Doheny Blues Festival will take place on May 19 & 20th at Doheny State Beach; 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629. more on this story

AC/DC Releasing Pinball Machine
(Gibson) AC/DC fans now have a pinball machine to call their own! Stern Pinball, Inc. has revealed its newest pinball machine, and the game honors the legendary rock and roll band with plenty of AC/DC-appropriate goodies.

The AC/DC pinball machine features 12 classic AC/DC chart-toppers, such as "Back in Black," "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long." Other features include two individual ramps, a pinball-shooting cannon, eight drop targets and cartoon animations of band members.

"The combination of classic rock and pinball can't go wrong," said Gary Stern, founder, CEO and chairman of Stern Pinball, in a release. "The music and play of the AC/DC machine delivers nothing less than the ultimate rock experience that both AC/DC fans and pinball players can appreciate." more on this story



The Red Hot Chili Peppers Release Free App
(Banana 101.5) The Red Hot Chili Peppers have unleashed an official mobile app that will keep fans up to date with the band and offer exclusive premieres of new videos, songs, and more.

RHCP recently had to postpone their tour after Anthony Kiedis underwent surgery to repair a foot injury — this is the perfect example of the type of news you would get early notification of with the new RHCP app.

The new app is now available for free on both the Android Market and iTunes Store and will also offer exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming Chili Pepper projects — like a behind-the-scenes look at their upcoming music video for 'Look Around.' The app also includes music, photos of the band, videos, a fan wall, tour dates, and more. more on this story

Metallica Add Another Black Album Concert Date
(hennemusic) Metallica have announced a new addition to their summer tour schedule. The band will play Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy on May 13.

"You guessed it... a 20th anniversary celebration of the 'Black Album' is a part of the plan. There seems to be a pattern here..." writes Metallica.

The band says "the schedule's not full yet..." and promises more dates to come. Metallica's 2012 European Summer Vacation Tour is currently set to kick off May 12 in Paris. more on this story

Unreleased Janis Joplin Coming On The Pearl Sessions
Legacy Recordings have set a April 17, 2012 release date for Janis Joplin's The Pearl Sessions, a newly-curated definitive two-disc edition of Joplin's final studio album premiering, for the first time, newly discovered studio outtakes, live performances and other sonic rarities recorded during her dynamic last chapter of accelerated tumult and creativity.

Originally released on January 11, 1971 (three months after her passing on October 4, 1970), Pearl debuted Joplin's final finished studio recordings as well as intimations of what the influential American country-soul-blues-rock singer was capable of delivering.

The only album Joplin ever recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band, the touring ensemble that had backed her on the Festival Express (a mythic 1970 concert tour by railroad across Canada with the Grateful Dead, the Band and others), Pearl included canonical studio recordings of songs that had been introduced to audiences on tour. more on this story

All-Star Tribute to Tommy Bolin Coming in March
429 Records have set a March 27th release date for Great Gypsy Soul, an all-star tribute to the late great Tommy Bolin.

Great Gypsy Soul, which will be released in single CD format and double CD with bonus tracks. A series of promotional concerts are also in the works.

429 sent over these details: Produced by Greg Hampton and Warren Haynes, it's a remarkable project that brings together major players who actually perform alongside Tommy Bolin's playing and vocals from the recording outtakes to his solo debut album "Teaser." Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes (a key supporter of the project), Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Glenn Hughes and Myles Kennedy all contribute to this amazing project. more on this story

Zakk Wylde's Roast Idea Boomeranged On Him
(Banana 101.5) Zakk Wylde recently spoke about being the first victim of Guitar World's first Rock and Roll Roast, which will feature rock roasters like Ozzy Osbourne, Corey Taylor, and Chris Jericho as well as comedians like Jim Norton, Brian Posehn, and Jim Breuer — check out Zakk's thoughts and the trailer here.

Several comedians and fellow rockers plan to skewer Zakk Wylde at tonight's Rock and Roll Roast — we sure as hell don't envy their task of poking fun at the iron-pumping heavy metal icon. You would think making fun of Wylde would be a dangerous game to play but as he recently told Artist Direct — the whole thing was his idea:

"I'm good buddies with all of the guys over at Guitar World, and I remember talking to Brad Tolinski [editor-in-chief] about it. I mentioned I wanted to do a 'Black Label Roast.' I was watching the Dean Martin Roasts one day, and I thought, 'I ought to start doing these 'Black Label Roasts' where we take the piss out of all of our friends.' Dean Martin would have everybody on that thing, and they'd be getting destroyed [Laughs]. With cast of characters I know, I figured it'd be hysterical. Everybody knows everyone else too in rock. Brad came back to me and said they're going to do these Guitar World Rock & Roll Roasts, considering you were talking about doing those 'Black Label Roasts' and it was your idea, you're the first one we're going to destroy! I said, 'Awesome, sounds good!' That's how that came about. The more brutal it is, the funnier it is, dude." more on this story

Anvil Frontman Addresses Lineup Change
(Rock News Desk) Anvil's Lips Kudlow addressed the departure of bassist Glenn Five and how quickly they replaced him.

Five, who appeared in the celebrated Anvil: The Story of Anvil feelgood movie, has been replaced by Sal Italiano from a New York based Iron Maiden tribute band.

The frontman tells Metal Shock Finland: "We hired an old friend to do the tour and are currently working with a new improved bassist. There was no major issue in fixing this at all and in fact everything was sorted out within a few hours of Glenn departing. Glenn tried to make it difficult by leaving without proper notice but we've been preparing for this for quite sometime. This did end up for the better as it is a huge improvement with our new guy both musically as well as personally." more on this story

Ringo Starr Town Hall Special
(Gibson) Sirius XM will present a Ringo Starr Town hall radio special, which the veteran rocker will be interviewed by comedian, actor and Katy Perry soon-to-be-ex-husband Russell Brand.

According to the Daily Express , Brand is a "massive fan" of the most famous drummer in music history and said, "Now we can unravel the enigma of Ringo."

The interview will be broadcast from Los Angeles on January 30, a day before the release of Starr's 17th album, Ringo 2012. more on this story



Phil Anselmo Rather Have Friends Than Enemies
(Rock News Desk) Phil Anselmo has reached a point in his life where he'd rather have friends than enemies, he reflects. And that attitude appears in the lyrics he's written for Down's upcoming EP. But he takes time to fire back at negative voices who have been predicting the end of heavy metal music since before he rose to the big-time with Pantera in the 1990s.

Anselmo says of his words on the six-track release: "I write to basically give an outline, and let the listener garner for themselves how they want to apply their own rules and regulations to the track.

"I find one of the biggest realities of life is that no two men, no two cultures, no two belief systems are really the same. There's a lot lyrically where I'm kind of at odds with mankind's relationship with mankind.

"Such is history – but these days, instead of ruffling feathers, I'd rather have friends than enemies, any day. more on this story

Black Stone Cherry, Cavo and Rains Tour
Black Stone Cherry and Cavo have tapped Rains to support them on their upcoming North American tour.

The tour will be kicking off on February 1st in Libertyville, IL and will wrap up on February 18th in Shreveport, LA.

In true DIY fashion, with no support from a traditional record label, "Liar," the first single from Rains self released debut album Stories, cracked the Top 15 of Sirius/XM's Octane channel. more on this story

The Kooks North America Tour
The Kooks plan to return to the North American road for a February/March headlining tour.

The trek will be succeeded by dates as special guests of Foster The People, of which both Central Park NYC shows have sold out five months in advance.

Their latest Astralwerks release, Junk of the Heart was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Belle & Sebastian), and recorded in The Sound Factory (Los Angeles) and Sarm Studios (London). more on this story

The Quill Coming to America
The Quill will kick off their first North America tour on March 7th in Seattle, Washington and winds up March 16th in Fresno, CA.

The Quill are out supporting their latest release "Full Circle" which was released in 2011 on Metalville Records.

Bassist Robert Triches commented on The Quill's first North American tour: "To go to the US on tour is nothing less than a dream come true for us. We know we have a faithful fan base here and to finally get the chance to meet that audience live after all these years is... fantastic! It's gonna be magic! We're also very happy with where this tour takes us, although we see it as a modest first beginning of touring in the US. We aim to follow this up with many more tours and visits over the next years. Love and respect and see you soon!" more on this story

After The Burial Working On New Album And Will Play Warped Tour
After The Burial are currently working on a new album and have announced that they will take part in this summer's Warped Tour, in support of the effort.

The band says: "We're happy to share with everyone that we will be a part of this year's Warped Tour. It's our first time on the festival, and we can't wait to pummel crowds all summer long.

"We're also pleased to announce to you that since returning from the Crush Em All II tour last November, we've been working on a brand new album. more on this story

Monarch Releasing New Album Next Month
At A Loss Recordings have set a February 28th release date for Monarch's sixth album Omens.

Monarch recorded Omens over a four month period in four different countries with four different producers -- Osaka, Japan by Hironori Ochi @ Kakurega, Melbourne, Australia by Neil Thomason @ Head Gap, Montreal, Canada by Matt Cartman @ Crane Studio, and Chicago, IL by Sanford Parker @ Engine Studios -- then mixed by Sanford Parker and mastered by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room (Twilight, Ministry, Yob).

The album features newest member Rob Shaffer (Dark Castle, YOB) along with guitarist Shiran Kaïdine (Year of No Light), bassist MicHell Bidegain, and as always the ethereal, penetrating vocals of Emilie Bresson. The record also includes guest appearances by Atsuchi Sano (Birushanah), Yailen Munoz (Ensorcelor), Eric Quach (Thisquietarmy), Jeanne Peluard (The Sparteens) and Robert MacManus (ex-Grey Daturas, ex-Monarch). more on this story

Singled Out: Fall From Grace's 18 and Out
Today Fall From Grace frontman Tryg Sebastian tells us about their new single "18 and Out" from their new album "The Romance Years". Here is the story:

"18 & Out" initially started as a B side. We knew 12 songs were going to make the record, and had 12 done, but thought it would be great to write a few more. Funny how when you don't put expectations to a song, then it becomes the first song you want to represent the record to the world!

Now every song Fall From Grace writes is written differently, and "18 & Out" was no exception. We wrote and recorded the initial chord structure, pre chorus, and chorus music first (one of the beauties of spending over a year in the recording studio: we wrote and recorded the entire record in there). We then listen to the music and try to come up with a premise behind the emotion that the song is trying to convey. I kept thinking in my head, "…this makes me think of a John Hughes movie" (The Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, etc.). With that in mind, we wrote the words about coming of age.

Metaphor is our biggest achievement in "18 & Out", I believe. Lines like "burn it to the ground" and "one round is cocked and loaded" are not to be taken literally, but as a metaphor for letting go of the past and feeling like a loaded gun when you're young. The line "I'm so sick of all those games" is actually about how I used to go hang out at the football games on Vashon Island (where I grew up) and drink and party with all my under age friends. I got sick of all those football games because all my friends were just doing the same old thing, and I left Vashon with the goal to make something of myself.

"18 & Out" would not have been made possible if I hadn't been able to reach out through my blogs to kids in 2009. I made it my goal for 6 months to coach kids through sexual abuse, sexuality conflict, and substance abuse on my personal blogs. That's what inspired the entire feeling behind "The Romance Years" (available January 24th, 2012), and what continues to drive Fall From Grace. Our message is hope in time of despair, friendship and family. "Through Thick & Thin, We Rise Again!"

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN READIES HIS WRECKING BALL:

Bruce Springsteen will release his new CD Wrecking Ball on March 5, featuring 13 new tracks. This also from Rolling Stone magazine:
Bruce is close to announcing his 17th studio album and a U.S. tour with the E Street Band. Springsteen's manager Jon Landau tells Rolling Stone that the record is an ambitious "big-picture piece of work. It's a rock record that combines elements of both Bruce's classic sound and his Seeger Sessions experience, with new textures and styles." Music was played for Sony recently, according to The Hollywood Reporter, whose source described the songs as having "unexpected textures – loops, electronic percussion... influences and rhythms from hip-hop to Irish folk rhythms."
The disc was produced by Ron Aniello, who has previously worked on albums by Candlebox, Jars of Clay and the last LP by Springsteen's wife, Patti Scialfa. Members of the E Street Band play on the album, along with a variety of outside musicians, including Tom Morello and possibly former Pearl Jam drummer Matt Chamberlain, who has often recorded on Aniello's projects. "It was an experimental effort with a new producer," says Landau. "Bruce and Ron used a wide variety of players to create something that both rocks and is very fresh."
According to Landau, the record has "social overtones" – although it was largely written before Occupy Wall Street began and doesn't directly address the movement. The LP also has a "very pronounced spiritual dimension," adds Landau. "It extends and deepens the vision that has animated all of Bruce's work." According to The Hollywood Reporter's source, "[Bruce] gets into economic justice quite a bit. He feels it's the angriest album he's ever made."
The E Street Band will spend most of 2012 on the road, including spring and fall U.S. runs and a summer European tour. Dates haven't been announced, but concert-business sources tell Rolling Stone the band has arenas booked starting in March, including an Austin show around Springsteen's March 15th keynote address at the South by Southwest festival. One big question is how the group will address last summer's death of saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's onstage foil for four decades.
Read more: www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bruce-springsteen-returns-with-wild-new-album

Check out the first single We Take Care Of Our Own via YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPx3RghAKw.

Wrecking Ball Tracklist: 01. We Take Care of Our Own 02. Easy Money 03. Shackled and Down 04. Jack of All Trades 05. Death to My Hometown 06. The Depression 07. Wrecking Ball 08. You've Got It 09. Rocky Ground 10. Land of Hope and Dreams 11. We Are Live 12. Swallowed Up (iTunes Bonus Track) 13. American Land (iTunes Bonus Track).

Short Rock News Bits!

Van Halen Unplug For You Really Got Me
(hennemusic) Van Halen has released an acoustic performance of "You Really Got Me." The video is in the spirit of "The Downtown Sessions," the bonus DVD that makes up part of the Deluxe Edition of their forthcoming new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth" (due February 7).
The full "Downtown" DVD features 4 acoustic video performances – "Panama", "You and Your Blues (intro)", "You and Your Blues" and "Beautiful Girls!"

The footage of The Kinks' classic was shot at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Check it out here.


Beastie Boy Settles Colbert Report Dispute
(Banana 101.5) Beastie Boy Mike D. flexed his 'License to Ill' on 'The Colbert Report' last week in order to settle a crossword puzzle dispute caused by the misuse of a term in a recent edition of 'The New York Times.'

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert decided to settle an argument between New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and blogger Julieanne Smolinski on last Thursday's episode of 'The Colbert Report.'

The beef was caused by Shortz' clue for the term 'Illin,' which he described as "Wack, in Hip-Hop." After some back and forth between Smolinski and Shortz, Colbert brought in "the only authority with a license to ill" Beastie Boys' "head grammarian" Mike D. to mediate the dispute.



Shredders of Ozz: Ozzy Osbourne's Amazing Guitarists
(Gibson) Few things in life are certain, but one thing that is certain is this: if you're playing guitar for Ozzy Osbourne, you're a virtuoso. Osbourne's current guitarist, Gus G., recently expressed the thoughts of many with these words: "I like all [Ozzy's guitarists]. I like Zakk Wylde for what he did, and I'm a big fan of the Jake E. Lee albums. The first Ozzy solo album I heard was Diary of a Madman, and I thought Randy [Rhoads] was amazing. I don't think I have a favorite. I really like all the guys he's had." Below are profiles and quotes from the sensational six-stringers who've backed Osbourne during more than three decades of solo work.

Randy Rhoads: A classically influenced virtuoso, Randy Rhoads was introduced to Osbourne by bassist Dana Strum, from Slaughter, when Osbourne was seeking a guitarist with whom to launch his solo career following his split with Black Sabbath. Rhoads's tenure with Ozzy was brief – he died tragically in a plane crash in 1982 – but his contributions to rock guitar are monumental. "As a guitar player he was just phenomenal," Osbourne told Guitar Shop, in 1998. "His heart wasn't really into rock 'n' roll so much as the classics. He was one of these guys who, once he tasted what he wanted to taste, wanted to move on. He wasn't really interested in becoming the next guitar hero."

Jake E. Lee: Jake E. Lee's stint with Osbourne, which extended from late 1982 until 1987, provided much-needed stability during a difficult period. Lee's playing on 1983's Bark at the Moon and 1986's The Ultimate Sin – both of which featured his contributions as co-writer as well as guitarist – was sensational. "On the first album, I felt [pressure] because there were a lot of guitar players who wanted this gig," he told Guitar World, in 1986. "I knew there were going to be a lot of people listening to see if I did any good or not. But I'm not the kind of person who really cares what other people think. There are guitar players who still come up to Ozzy and go, 'I'm the guitar player you should have got.'"






Cold War Kids Giving Away New Single
Cold War Kids are giving away their latest single, "Minimum Day," as a free download on their official website.

Recorded by Richard Swift, the song features new guitar player Dann Gallucci.n celebration of the new, Cold War Kids will perform in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco - three cities, three nights each. Ticket holders will receive a limited edition, "Minimum Day Chapbook," designed by bass player and in-resident artist, Matt Maust.

"Does the Mayan Calendar predict a 2012 apocalypse? With humanity coming to an end soon, we are giving away our latest single, 'Minimum Day,'" says lead singer Nathan Willett. "Time to play a few shows to join in on the end days craze!" Grab the song here.



Primal Fear Streaming New Song Online
Primal Fear are streaming their new song "Bad Guys Wear Black" online ahead of next Tuesday's release of their new album Unbreakable".

"Unbreakable" features a well-balanced "back to the roots" vibe and an ambitious learning process that took place during their longest tour so far.

"Unbreakable" was produced by Mat Sinner, engineered and mixed by Achim Koehler at the House Of Music studios and some more studios in Germany & Sweden between the summer and autumn of 2011. Check out the song here.


KISS Kruise II Details
(hennemusic) KISS have announced more details and pre-sale ticket information about KISS Kruise II.

For the second straight year, Kiss has partnered with Sixthman to unite the Kiss Navy for the 2012 Kiss Kruise, which is scheduled to depart Miami, Fla. on October 31 — Halloween — and head to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas. Passengers will enjoy all the comforts and amenities aboard the Norwegian Pearl ship for the four day cruise, that will return to the port on November 4.

Packages for the cruise begin at $750 per person. In addition the the entertainment aboard the ship, other attractions will include each member of the band leading their own activities for the Kiss Kruisers to get involved with. Fans will also have the rare opportunity to explore the private island, Great Stirrup Cay, located in the Bahamas. more on this story


NAMM and the Make-A-Wish Make Heart Transplant Patient's Dream Come True
NAMM and the Make-A-Wish Foundation will fulfill the dream of a heart transplant patient who wants to meet and shadow renowned rock music photographer Robert M. Knight.

The meeting will take place from 3:00 – 6:00 pm on Friday, January 20 at The NAMM Show, one of largest music instruments and products trade shows in the world that showcases more than 1,400 exhibitors.

19 year-old Kevin Grissom, a North Carolinian, received a heart transplant last May and has always admired Knight's work, which includes a collection of photography chronicling the Who's Who of music. Knight began his career in the late 60s and has photographed Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Maroon 5 and more. more on this story


Anniversary of Daydream Believer Songwriter John Stewart's Death
(Gibson) On this day in 2008, Singer-songwriter John Stewart, who wrote the Monkees hit "Daydream Believer," died at age 68 after he suffered a massive stroke or brain aneurysm in San Diego. Stewart was a member of folk group The Kingston Trio and went on to record more than 45 solo albums with his biggest solo success being a U.S. top five single, "Gold," in 1979.

Gibson looks back: He started out in small folk groups before making his mark in the seminal '60s folk combo the Kingston Trio, whose style influenced a generation of folkies from Bob Dylan to Peter, Paul and Mary. After that group fizzled out, he talked about starting a duo with John Denver but that pairing never went beyond the talking stages. When "Daydream Believer" hit for The Monkees, Stewart no longer had to be concerned about money and could devote himself to making the kind of singer-songwriter albums he'd always aspired to.

His debut solo album, California Bloodlines, remains a cult classic. Recorded in Nashville while Dylan was cutting his pioneering Nashville Skyline album, California Bloodlines was a brilliant first album and an inspiration to the burgeoning singer-songwriter boom that was about to engulf rock and roll. Rolling Stone placed Stewart's masterpiece in their list of the top 200 albums of all time.

But Stewart's throaty, literate, whimsical style, while influential among his peers, failed to translate into sales. The industry truly rated him – indeed three major labels, Capitol, Warner Brothers and RCA, at different times tried to break him to the mainstream market but for some mystifying reason, Stewart spent the early '70s in obscurity.

Today's Day In Rock

Vince Neil's Time To Leave Motley Crue?
(Rock News Desk) Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil has explained why he's considering leaving the band after their Las Vegas residency next month.
He says: "There are so many opportunities in front of me that I'm really excited about. I'm just not sure I can give them the time and effort I'll need, and continue with the band.

"I just don't want to look back later in life and regret that I didn't pursue them. Eventually it's time to call it quits – it might be the time to just kind of bow out." (Las Vegas Sun) More rock news

Roger Waters' Pink Floyd Regret
(Rock News Desk) Roger Waters accepts it was wrong of him to fall out with his Pink Floyd bandmates after he left the prog rock icons.

He and David Gilmour spent many years at loggerheads through lawyers after Waters decided to depart in 1985. Waters claimed the group had "dissolved" and fought to stop the remaining members from continuing under the Floyd name.

Asked by radio host Howard Stern if Floyd were wrong to keep playing his songs after he'd left, Waters says: "No, I don't think so. I think I was wrong to think they were wrong." more on this story

Dave Grohl Records Song With Slipknot's Corey Taylor
(Gibson) Few people really know exactly what Dave Grohl is up to, but his new project is boasting big names. Following news two weeks ago that Ratt's Stephen Pearcy and Warren De Martini had recorded a song with Grohl, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour has revealed that he has been working with the Foos man.

In a Tweet on January 18, Taylor said: "HUGE checks off the Bucket List today – did a song with Dave Grohl and Butch Vig. Do the words 'holy s--t' say enough about it?!?"

It could well be a project about Sound City Studios. In 2011, Grohl said he was working on a film about the Los Angeles studio. "When Sound City closed last year it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list of people that recorded there is like a virtual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We recorded Nevermind there back in 1991. That funky old place had the best drum room in the world. The drum sound at the beginning of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit?' That's Sound City. I decided to make a film about that feeling when you put five guys in a room, hit 'record' and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. Expect some epic jam sessions." more on this story



Queen's Brian May Collaborates With Rapper
(Gibson) Queen's Brian May is no stranger to collaborations. But it is still something of a surprise to see him guesting with N-Dubz singer/rapper Dappy. Dappy launched his solo career with the single "No Regrets," for which May expressed a liking. A few phone calls later, and May is on Dappy's new single "Rockstar."

Dappy tells the U.K's Daily Star, "I would love Brian to make me a guitar. He told me all about his guitar that he made with his dad out of wood from a fireplace in his old house. He even got a five-sided coin to put in the neck and he replaced the Queen's head with his own head. Now that's his pluck, so I want one with my head on it."

Lyrically, "Rockstar" is about the so-called 27 Club of artists that died young. "It's all about paying homage to the 27 Club and amazing artists such as Amy Winehouse," says Dappy. "It's a song about people getting to their lowest but it talks about turning a negative into a positive. more on this story



Reunited Black Sabbath Will Still Rock Download
(Gibson) Organizers of the U.K's Download Festival have said Black Sabbath still plan to perform at the festival this year, despite guitarist Tony Iommi recently confirming he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Speculation about the metal legends' Download slot followed news that Iommi's illness meant the band wouldn't be able to play at California fest Coachella as originally planned.

But Download boss Andy Copping has told the NME: "As far as I'm aware everything is fine. I've been told that Black Sabbath are going to be playing Download. I don't want people to worry unduly about that, we should all just send our thoughts and best wishes to Tony Iommi." more on this story



Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, and Incubus For Bamboozle
Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Skrillex and Incubus are set to headline this year's Bamboozle festival.

The event will be celebrating their 10th anniversary at North Beach Asbury Park, New Jersey, May 18, 19, and 20.

Headlining on Friday for the opening night of the festival are Skrillex and Incubus, as well as performances from Mac Miller, Mike Posner, Kreayshawn, We Came As Romans, and others. more on this story

Chevelle Frontman Explains Upside To File-Sharing
(Rock News Desk) Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler can see an upside to online music piracy. He had this to say about it:

"I don't like the fact that it is in our human nature to steal music, and I wish we could change that, but one good thing that has happened is that there was a change that needed to be made as artists have always been taken advantage of.

"Now you can do it all on your own, and that's one of the good things to come out of this whole file-sharing thing. It's a wholly different world now because of that." (Ultimate Guitar) More rock news.

Slipknot Using 2012 To Regroup Before Making New Album
(Rock News Desk) Corey Taylor believes Slipknot will regain their strength in the coming year, as they move towards recording their first album without Paul Gray.

The bassist's passing in 2010 put the band's future in jeopardy, but frontman Taylor says: "2012 will be a strengthening year for us. I just know if we try to rush in and make an album that doesn't feel right, the audience will know it isn't genuine, and we have always been as genuine with our audience as possible.

"When we make it, it's going to be for Paul, and I don't think any of us are ready to open up that much yet." (Loudwire) More rock news

Lacuna Coil Streaming New Album Online
Lacuna Coil's new album Dark Adrenaline isn't set to hit stores until next Tuesday (January 24th) but fans can stream the album in full right now at Spin.com

Fans worldwide will also be able to check out a special virtual acoustic performance and Q&A session with Lacuna Coil on January 24th via www.stageit.com. The band's performance and Q&A session will be broadcast live at 7:00PM, EST from acclaimed record store Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey.

Fans who purchase the new album at any Metal Club store will receive an exclusive code to watch the performance for free. All proceeds will be donated to Rezophonic, a project with which the band is actively involved, that is dedicated to providing medical assistance to remote regions of East Africa. Listen to the album stream

The National Curating All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties our annual December festival will be a three day event at Butlins, Minehead will be curated & headlined by The National - performing their only UK show of 2012.

ATP had this to say along with the lineup: Since their formation in 1999, The National have grown organically from indie cult heroes in their early years, to creating truly stunning LPs such as the amazing Alligator and Boxer, and more recently with the success of High Violet deservedly achieving crossover success to become one of the most acclaimed bands on the planet. Much of this success is based on their incredible live shows - ATP are very excited that the band have accepted our invitation to headline and to curate an exciting supporting bill featuring many of their favourite artists.

In total the line-up will feature 40 live acts playing across the weekend on three indoor stages with a total festival capacity of just 5500 people. The event will also feature DJs until late, Cinema chosen by The National, Book Club curated by The National, and much more.
The line-up

Death Cab for Cutie Orchestra Tour
Death Cab for Cutie has announced plans for a North American tour of intimate venues and historic theaters where they will be joined on stage by members of San Francisco's Magik*Magik Orchestra.

The tour kicks off on April 10th at Denver's Ellie Caulkins Opera House and then culminate with a May 13th homecoming concert at Seattle's Paramount Theatre.

Youth Lagoon will support Death Cab beginning April 27th at NYC's Beacon Theatre and continue through the end of the tour. First leg opener to be announced shortly. more on this story



Diamond Rugs (Deer Tick, The Black Lips) Set Album Release
Deer Tick, The Black Lips, Los Lobos and Six Finger Satellite supergroup Diamond Rugs have set a April 24th release date for their self-titled album.

Diamond Rugs is a collaboration between John McCauley (Deer Tick), Robbie Crowell (Deer Tick), Ian Saint Pé (The Black Lips), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate) and Bryan Dufresne (Six Finger Satellite).

Last fall McCauley decided he wanted to make another record during his downtime in his new home base of Nashville with producers Adam Landry and Justin Collins (Middle Brother, Deer Tick).. While attending a Los Lobos show (one of his all-time favorite bands), he made his way backstage and met Steve Berlin. McCauley convinced Berlin to come to Nashville to play on the record. more on this story

Johnny Ramone Biography Coming
(Gibson) Johnny Ramone, guitarist with punk pioneers The Ramones, is the subject of a new biography, written by his widow Linda.

The Telegraph reports that Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone will be published by Abrams Image on April 2, some eight years after Ramone's death. Linda finished the book that had Johnny started when he was sick.

"It was like he knew he was dying, and he wanted to do something," she said. Tommy Ramone contributes the foreword while the epilogue has been written by Lisa Marie Presley, a good friend of Johnny Ramone. more on this story



Sebastian Bach and Steve Stevens To Webcast New York Show
(hennemusic) Later this month, Sebastian Bach joins Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens for a series of three shows in New York.

The January 27, 28 and 29 gigs at The Iridium and will see Bach and Stevens "doing two sets a night," including "some special unexpected songs," according to Sebastian, adding, "I have always wanted to play with Steve, so I am really looking forward to it."

Bach has now tipped fans off that the Saturday, January 28 performances will be webcast live. more on this story


Metallica Art Exhibition Opens Next Week
(Gibson) Metallica songs are the inspiration for new art exhibition. The Obey Your Master exhibition will see pieces from a range of different artists who have interpreted various Metallica songs in their own unique way.

Among the artists who will be displaying pieces are My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and Metallica's own bassist Robert Trujillo with his wife Chloe.

The exhibition opens to the public at the Exhibit A Gallery in Los Angeles on January 23. The Obey Your Master website details all the participants here



Say Anything Spring Tour
Say Anything have announced the dates for their upcoming headlining tour this March and April 2012.

The 31-date tour will kick off on March 24th at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom, and will then make its way around the country, culminating with a performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on May 3rd.

Say Anything are hitting the road in support of their upcoming full-length album, Anarchy, My Dear (out March 13th on Equal Vision Records). more on this story


Brian Jonestown Massacre Spring Tour Dates
Brian Jonestown Massacre have announced the initial dates of their world tour for 2012.

The tour is set to kick off with West Coast North American run beginning on April 27th. East coast dates are expected to be announced soon.

Brian Jonestown Massacre will be touring in support of their new album release, Aufheben, which will hit stores on May 1, 2012. more on this story

Paul McCartney Webstream Today
Paul McCartney fans have been invited to tune in live to PaulMcCartney.com today (Thursday 19th January) at 11am (EST) to get an exclusive live behind the scenes broadcast of Paul answering questions from some of the world's media.

Paul will be spending the afternoon in London talking with press from around the world to promote the release of his new album, 'Kisses On The Bottom' which will be released on February 6th in the UK and Feb 7th in the US.

PaulMcCartney.com will stream 30 minutes of the afternoon at some point between 11am and 12pm est. In addition fans have the opportunity to ask a question to Paul by simply email their question to kissesonthebottom@paulmccartney.com and one question will be chosen and given to Paul to answer. Check it out here.


Marillion and Porcupine Tree Members Team Up For New Album
Marillion and Porcupine Tree members have teamed up for a new album. We were sent these details: Kscope will release Not The Weapon But The Hand, the debut album from Steve Hogarth (Marillion) and Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree, Japan), on February 28th in North America.

A sampler of the forthcoming album can be heard on the official Steve Hogarth / Richard Barbieri mini-site here.

Not The Weapon But The Hand was completed in late 2011 and features occasional appearances from Danny Thompson on double bass, Arran Ahmun (John Martyn) and Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield) on drums and guitar, as well as string arrangement contributions from Dave Gregory (XTC). more on this story


Evile, Cerebral Bore and Savage Messiah For A Night Of Metal Mayhem
Evile, Cerebral Bore and Savage Messiah are teaming up for a night of metal mayhem as part of HMV's Next Big Thing tour.

This stop of the HMV's Next Big Thing tour will take place on Saturday, 11th February at the HMV Ritz in Manchester.

The event will also be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the bands' record label, Earache Records, and an after-show party will be held at Satan's Hollow, featuring a guest DJ set by Evile lead guitarist OL DRAKE. more on this story


River Guerguerian Delivers 'Grooves for Odd Times'
River Guerguerian has released his new album 'Grooves for Odd Times'. Glass Onyon sent over this background:

River has been inspiring audiences with his ecstatic and versatile percussion for over 30 years, and has performed and recorded with such groups as the BBC Concert Orchestra, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Tan Dun, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Paul Winter Consort, Chuck Berry, Sophie B. Hawkins, The Billy Sea and Ziggy Marley/Gipsy Kings. He also co-founded the world jazz group Free Planet Radio and Talujon Percussion Ensemble. The music on his new CD 'Grooves for Odd Times' represents a body of work that spans five years. This time period includes: 1) composing music for solo and mixed ensembles, 2) performing with inspiring artists, 3) recording/archiving the process of these creative cells.

"The inspiration for 'Grooves for Odd Times' was to create a sonic palette in the same way a painter might approach canvas," River explains. "The album's roots are heavy grooves mixed in with the lyrical side of percussion. There is a dance in the odd time rhythmic structures." more on this story


Fleming Plan Record Release Show
Fleming have announced a special record release show at the Mercury Lounge on February 13, 2012 to celebrate the release of their debut EP, "Play for Manuel."

Muse Box sent over these details about the group: The trio, made up of Erich (guitar and vocals), Guillem (bass and vocals), and Andrew (drums), made their performance debut in 2003 at the now defunct ACME Underground, and have since performed at Bowery Ballroom, Don Hills, The Continental, Luna Lounge, and Knitting Factory.

With a sound that is energetic yet dark and quirky yet introspective, Fleming has been compared to Interpol, Spoon, and Matthew Sweet. Through word-of-mouth alone, the band has garnered a devoted following and earned a residency at the Lower East Side's Mercury Lounge. more on this story


Winds Of Genocide Lineup Change and Album Details
Winds Of Genocide have announced a lineup change and released details about their forthcoming album.

Winds Of Genocide will release their debut, Usurping The Throne Of Disease, which will feature cover art by legendary gruesome graphic artist Mark Riddick (Arsis, Slayer, Morbid Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Cephalic Carnage, etc).

Winds Of Genocide have also recently added drummer Matthew Henderson, and second guitarist Linus Girdland Flink to the lineup. Elaborates the band in a collective statement: "This is the new lineup that will be writing material for and recording our debut full-length, Usurping The Throne Of Disease. Matthew is a great, young, versatile drummer --still only in his teens -- and drums in a local death metal band called Plague Rider. He can switch from d-beats, Swebeats and blastbeats, which is all we need in a drummer! He has picked up most of the songs we've written so far very quickly and learned the current setlist with impressive ease. We are very happy to have him in the band and onboard for the full-length album. Linus, who played drums on our first two recordings and the tracks for the upcoming split with Abigail (Japan), has now moved on to second guitar due to his relocation to London. We needed to find a drummer who could rehearse and work on new material regularly."


Singled Out: Foxes' The Panda Bear Song
Today Adam Bell from Foxes tells us about the evolution of their song "The Panda Bear Song " from their brand new self-titled album, which hit stores this week. As a bonus, Adam shares the evolutionary versions of the song as well! Here is the story:

The first recording was made on the very day Kayla & I came up with the main ideas for the song. We were sitting in our house in Old Road, Oxford with the TV on and there was a shot of a crew in a helicopter filming some polar bears swimming. It was talking about endangered species and I just started singing the lines 'as we fly in the helicopter, watch the bear swimming in the water!' over a few suspended chords that sounded good to me. Somehow a polar bear turned into a panda bear shortly after. As you'll hear from the first recording, there weren't too many lyrics at this stage and we were so excited to get a recording that I didn't bother tuning my guitar. The date of this recording is 18th December 2006. Listen here.

The next recording is a home demo recorded by just Kayla and myself again on 26th September 2007. By this point, we had played the song live with Dan Pacrami (original bassist), who had written the bass intro (played here on a casio keyboard), and the basic structure of the song was down, although the second half of the song was purely instrumental and also lacks a lead guitar line. Listen here.

Al Grice replaced Dan on bass around this time and we went to St John's College in Brighton in December 2007 to record the first full band version of the song. It was produced by Matt Twaites and Ben Elliott from Restlesslist. Matt ended up producing the whole of the album. By now, the song is complete and the 'voice' of the first part of the song is revealed to be Anneka Rice, as Kayla sings "Anneka, can't you see that there's nothing left but the bamboo tree?". Listen here.

We upped the tempo and tried to go hell-for-leather for the album version of the song. Otherwise it was not hugely adjusted from the first studio version, apart from some additional keys and backing vocals. Listen here.

The lyrics have a nice throwaway goofy nursery rhyme feel to them. I liked the idea of putting cutesy animals into an upbeat pop song but having a sub-context of more serious issues as well. It has a light-hearted, fun feel but with a darker undercurrent and as such, perhaps a good song to define how a lot of our songs work. Musically, it crams quite a few ideas into a short space, I don't like to waste any time when songwriting and get bored easily by repetition. Sometimes this causes a jarring first listen as things change all over the place but hopefully, after a few plays, things start to make more sense, that's the plan anyway!