Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Eric Clapton Suffers Back Injury
(Classic Rock) Eric Clapton has cancelled two concerts after suffering severe back pain. The iconic guitarist is receiving medical attention after being forced to call off shows in Vienna, Austria and Stuttgart, Germany this week.
It's not known whether he'll appear for the next scheduled gig in Oberhausen, Germany, on Friday. A statement says: "He is currently with specialists who will be able to better determine the course of treatment.

"He was looking forward to these concerts and regrets that he is not to be able to perform for the fans. He would like to apologise for any inconveniences these cancellations may cause and would like to thank the fans for their understanding." more on this story



Dillinger Escape Plan Injury Forces Tour Cancelation
The Dillinger Escape Plan have canceled their upcoming European tour plans after guitarist Ben Weinman suffered an injury to his right hand and wrist.

Weinman will be spending the month of June recovering from his injury and the band plans to still take part in this year's Summer Slaughter festival tour with Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Norma Jean, Cattle Decapitation, The Ocean, Revocation, Aeon, Rings of Saturn and Thy Art Is Murder.

"I'm heartbroken that we will miss these shows because we were all looking forward to them a great deal," Weinman said. "Obviously nobody likes being injured. I'm looking forward to performing on Summer Slaughter at full capacity and we will be back in Europe this fall on our headlining tour."

frontman Greg Puciato adds, "Leaving for tour knowing that we would be performing without all members on stage isn't something any of us are comfortable with. Ben is going to take the next month to heal and we'll be ready to demolish Summer Slaughter and return to Europe in the fall with all systems loaded and ready to go."

That will give him a little over a month to recover as the Summer Slaughter festival tour is set to kick off on July 19th in San Francisco, CA. more on this story




Black Sabbath Release End Of The Beginning Video and Stream Town Hall
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath's new album, "13", hit stores on Tuesday and the band celebrated the occasion with a live event broadcast which included the premiere of the video for their new single, "End Of The Beginning."

The clip was filmed when Sabbath made their guest appearance on the season finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation last month. The band were featured in the opening scene of the show as they rocked a small club with the new track.

Ozzy Osbourne had a short speaking role as he did a post-performance interview with a journalist who would play a role throughout the episode. Check out the video here.

Yesterday the band are participating in a live Town Hall event simultaneously from various parts of the globe: Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler appeared from the live event at Angel Orensanz Foundation For Contemporary Art in New York City; Tony Iommi connected from Birmingham, England; and, "13" drummer Brad Wilk and Jack Osbourne (who directed the clips to launch the album) joined live face-to-face via Google+ Hangout from Los Angeles. Check out a stream here.





Metallica Won't Release New Album Until 2015?
MTV News caught up with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett at last weekend's Orion Music + More festival in Detroit and learned that while the band is writing material for a new album, fans can not realistically expect it to be release until 2015.

"We do have a lot of musical ideas, we have something called 'the Riff Bank,' and the Riff Bank keeps getting bigger and bigger, still, to this day," Hammett said. "I'm writing stuff, Rob's writing stuff, James is writing stuff, Lars is writing stuff, continually expanding the Riff Bank.

"So, it doesn't look like we're going to be putting out an album any time soon this year, it would be an amazing stroke of luck and grace if our album came out next year.

But then he added "I think it's a more sober statement to say that the album will probably come out in 2015. That's a sober, realistic thing ... but we're psyched about it."

As for what he expects the new album to sound like, he said, "It's too early in the game to tell you it will sound like Death Magnetic. We have a lot of ideas but no actual finished songs, so it's hard for me to give you an accurate description. But we're looking forward to making it as heavy and as high-energy as possible, because that's what we want." Check out the MTV interview here.




Gary Clark Jr To Jam With The Rolling Stones
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones will be joined by special guest Gary Clark Jr. tonight in Boston, the first of two shows in the city this week.

The concert marks the 14th stop on the Stones 18-date "50 & Counting" arena tour, which has seen the band play with a variety of guests, including John Fogerty, Tom Waits, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Dave Grohl.

Clark Jr. previously teamed up with the Stones twice in December: at the first North American concert in Brooklyn, he played "I'm Going Down" with the band; Gary then played the same song – along with fellow guest John Mayer – as part of the group's live pay-per-view event from New Jersey. Check out video of that jam here.




Eric Singer KISS Tired Of Haters
(Classic Rock) KISS drummer Eric Singer has had enough of fans voicing negative opinions about the band's current incarnation. He insists the present lineup, featuring himself and guitarist Tommy Thayer alongside founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, cares as much about their legacy as the classic outfit which included Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

Singer is enjoying his third stint with Kiss since first joining in 1991, and has appeared on the band's acclaimed recent albums Sonic Boom and Monster.

He tells Radio Nova: "The people that want to complain about 'I don't like this,' or 'I don't like that,' 'They should play this song,' or 'I only want the original band…' The bottom line is: this is how Kiss exists right now, in 2013. Be glad there's some version of Kiss and that we're out there touring.

"We have just as much passion and case just as much as the band ever did or ever could. That's what counts. If we didn't, we wouldn't be here. I mean, Gene and Paul don't need the money; they don't need to do this. They do it because they love doing it." more on this story





Bad Company Make Late Night TV Debut
(hennemusic) Bad Company made their US late night television debut on Monday night when they performed on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. On hand to promote their 40th anniversary summer tour, the band played the title track to their self-titled 1973 debut album, "Bad Company."

The reunited band kick off their summer tour on June 15 in Rancho Mirage, CA. On June 20, Bad Company team up with Lynyrd Skynyrd in Auburn, WA for a series of co-headlining shows that run to July 27 in Bethel, NY.

Both bands celebrate significant 40th anniversaries in 2013, with Skynyrd having released their debut album on August 13, 1973 and Bad Company being formed that same year. Check out the Leno performance here.




Sigur Ros Streaming New Album and Announce New Tour Leg
Sigur Ros are giving fans an advance listen to their entire new album with an online stream and have also announced a North American tour that will take place this fall.

The band won't be releasing their new album, Kveikur, until next Tuesday ( June 18th) but they have teamed up with Amazon to provide fans will a full album stream that you can check out here..

The band doesn't only want fans to listen to the advance stream of Kveikur, have asked fans to share their reaction to it by posting photos, drawings, and more on their social media pages with the hashtag #kveikur detailing what they imagine in their heads while listening to the new album.

Bassist Georg Holm had this to say, "As a band we always write the music first and listen to it later to work out what it might be about. That's how we come up with the words, by approaching the music without preconceptions and seeking meaning that was hidden from us at the point of creation. The music tells us what it is about."

Sigur Ros have spent the past year on a global tour and have announced plans to launch the final leg of the campaign with a 20-date North American tour.

The new North American dates will kick off with the band's headline appearance at this year's Laneway Festival in Detroit on September. more on this story




Maps & Atlases' Dave Davison Shaves His Beard In New Video
Maps & Atlases have released a new music video for their latest singled, "Old Ash," which comes from the group's latest album Beware & Be Grateful.

The new video was directed by the band's drummer Christopher Hainey and was shot through a two-way mirror. The video features guitarist/vocalist Dave Davison shaving his beard for the first time in four years. Watch the video here.

The group will be hitting the road this summer for a series of North American dates that kicks off this weekend at the Bonnaroo Festival and concludes with an appearance at the Riot Fest in Chicago. more on this story




David Bowie Exhibition Headed To North America
(hennemusic) The David Bowie exhibition, "David Bowie Is," which is currently running at London's Victoria & Albert, will be headed to Toronto this September through November.

The Art Gallery Of Ontario (AGO) will host the event, which explores the creative processes of Bowie as a musical innovator and cultural icon across five decades.

On display will be more than 300 objects from Bowie's personal archive; among them are 60 stage-costumes including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti, Kansai Yamamoto's flamboyant creations for the Aladdin Sane tour (1973) and the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the Earthling album cover (1997).

Personal items such as handwritten set lists and lyrics, as well as some of Bowie's own sketches, musical scores and diary entries will also be shown. more on this story




The Darkness Plan Permission To Land 10th Anniversary Tour
(hennemusic) The Darkness will mark the 10th anniversary of their debut album, "Permission To Land", by performing the record in its entirety on a fall U.K. tour.

The band will also play a selection of hits, b-sides and album tracks during the shows, which begin November 13 in London; the 6-week trek wraps up December 16 in Norwich, UK.

"Permission To Land" hit #1 on the U.K. charts and went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the UK; the success propelled the group to three BRIT Awards in 2004 - Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album – while also snagging two 2004 Kerrang! Awards for Best Live Act and Best British Band. more on this story





TeamRock Radio To Launch With Iron Maiden Classic
(Classic Rock) TeamRock Radio will launch officially on Sunday, June 16 at 11.58pm. As that unconventional time indicates, the first song to be played on the station will be Iron Maiden's 2 Minutes To Midnight.

TeamRock Radio's launch will be the culmination of the Download festival, which starts on June 14 with Slipknot, Iron Maiden and Rammstein as headliners.

Once the festival ends, TeamRock Radio will make its official debut. Directly after spinning the Maiden classic the station will broadcast The Best Of Download 2013, a retrospective show telling the story of this year's festival.

In the lead-up to Download, TeamRock Radio will be sponsoring the Heavy Metal Truants – a 161-mile bicycle ride leaving Alexandra Palace on June 12 and arriving at the festival at midday on the 14th. This charity event will raise money for children's charities, Nordoff Robbins, Teenage Cancer Trust and Childline.

TeamRock Radio has released a 30-second commercial advertising its forthcoming launch. It will be broadcast on the big screens at Download this weekend – and you can get a sneak peek here.



Mastodon, BMRC, Suicidal Tendencies For Free Concert Series
Converse will be launching a free concert series later this month to celebrate what they consider are five genres of music that represent San Francisco and its residents.

The shows will be held at Slim's in San Francisco over a period of five nights beginning on June 23rd and continuing until the final show takes place on June 27th.

Among the bands tapped to appear at these free shows are Mastodon, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Hot Chip, Deltron 3030 and more.

Converse will be giving tickets away to fans that submit a request online here before June 18th. They will notify the winners via email the procedure for retrieving the tickets. Lineup info.




Stephen Stills and Kenny Wayne Shepherd Supergroup Set Release
(Gibson) The Rides, a new all-star blues rock supergroup featuring guitarist Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, CSN, CSN&Y), guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and keyboardist Barry Goldberg (Electric Flag) release their debut album Can't Get Enough on Monday August 26 via Provogue Records.

The album, which was produced by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), includes co-written originals as well as covers of classics by Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Neil Young and — this might come as a bit of a surprise — Iggy and the Stooges. It was inspired by the now classic 1968 album Super Session, which featured Stills on guitar on one side and the late Mike Bloomfield on the other.

Stills says The Rides is the blues band of his dreams. What was initially a collaboration between Stills and Goldberg really kicked into high gear when Shepherd became involved.

"The Rides are a perfect mix of generations, where three musicians who love and play the blues collide and create music that goes beyond all our other individual life experiences and career achievement," Shepherd says. "Stephen and I have rock backgrounds as well, but the blues is the fabric that holds this all together."

The Rides will embark on a world tour beginning in September, with dates in the UK planned for November. more on this story






The Sword Announce North American Tour and New Beer
The Sword have announced North American summer tour in support of their latest album, Apocrypha, and they will be launching their next beer brand this summer.

The 25-date North American trek is set to kick off on July 25th in Dallas TX at Granada and will be concluding on August 23rd in Baton Rouge LA at Spanish Moon.

The group also announced that they have teamed up with Real Ale Brewing Company out Texas to launch their latest branded beer, which they are calling "Iron Swan."

"Iron Swan" will be the group's second branded beer, following the launch of their "Winters Wolves" last fall. The band will be officially launching "Iron Swan" in late July when their tour kicks off with a string of shows in Texas, according to the announcement.

Real Ale Brewing Company had the following description of the new beer, "Our newest canned offering is a tribute to the song that first introduced us to a packaging hall favorite, The Sword. Iron Swan pours a deep copper color and has an enticing intro of fruit and caramel with subtle hints of earth and spice. This medium bodied ale showcases the fruitiness of our house ale strain, along with the rich toffee flavors of English crystal malt. Added complexity is provided by generous amounts of English hops. Iron Swan finishes slightly dry with a mild spiciness that beckons another can. Fire up your turntable and audition Iron Swan yourself." more on this story




Beach Boys Box Set To Include 60 Previously Unreleased Songs
Capitol/UMe will be wrapping up their Beach Boys 50th Anniversary celebration with the release of a massive 6-CD box set collection that will include more than 60 previously unreleased tracks.

The new set will be entitled "Made In California" and is set to be released on August 27th in North American and on August 26th in other markets across the globe.

"Made In California" will include over seven and a half hours of music and is packaged in a high school annual-inspired hardbound book with personal recollections from the band's members, replicated classic artwork and memorabilia, photos from the band's archive, and handwritten yearbook-style inscriptions from Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks.

Capitol/UMe sent over these details as well as the full tracklisting: Made In California's memorabilia includes Brian Wilson's 1959 high school essay titled "My Philosophy," which is reproduced in the collection's book in its original handwritten form (the original is currently on display in The GRAMMY Museum's yearlong Beach Boys exhibit celebrating the band's 50-year career). In the essay, Wilson expresses his wish for a satisfying life, writing, "I don't want to settle for a mediocre life, but make a name for myself in my life's work, which I hope will be music."

"This box set captures the evolution of a dream which started with a family singing Everly Brothers songs around a piano, to creating the harmonies that fans would carry in their hearts for a lifetime," said Mike Love. "Seeing these photos and rediscovering some of this music, I'm reminded of the immense love I feel for Brian, Dennis, Carl, Bruce, Al, and David. I'm still floored that our stories continue to inspire new generations to catch a wave and ride it is long as it lasts."

Made In California's previously unreleased and long sought-after recordings include "Goin' To The Beach," "California Feelin'," "Soul Searchin'," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," and "You're Still A Mystery," among others. The set also debuts 17 unreleased live recordings, including "Runaway" (1965), "Friends" and "Little Bird" (1968), "Wild Honey" (1972), "It's About Time" (1973), "Wonderful" and "Vegetables" from The Beach Boys' legendary 1993 acoustic tour, and a 1995 rendition of "Sail On, Sailor" featuring a soulful lead vocal by the late Carl Wilson. The greatly missed talents of Carl and Dennis Wilson are also celebrated with rare and previously unreleased recordings including Dennis' "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again," "Barnyard Blues" and "My Love Lives On," Carl's lead vocals on "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Soul Searchin'," and Carl's shared lead with Bruce and Brian on "California Feelin'."

The set also features a special 'From The Vaults' disc of rarities selected by the band and the producers with longtime Beach Boys fans in mind. Among the disc's highlights are a cappella mixes of standout vocal recordings for songs including "This Whole World" and "Slip On Through," alternate versions of "Don't Worry Baby" and other Beach Boys classics, session highlights and instrumental tracks, plus newly-discovered BBC Radio live recordings from 1964 of "Wendy," "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)," and "Hushabye." more including full tracklisting.




Gibson Guitar Announce New Company Name
(Gibson) The Gibson name is about more than just guitars. The Gibson brand is about leading innovations in music and sound into the next century. To represent Gibson's growing selection of products and evolving lifestyle orientation, today, Gibson Guitar Corp. has become Gibson Brands.

"Of course, the Gibson Guitar Corp. remains a vital, and crucially important, division of Gibson Brands," Gibson Brands Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said in an official statement. "But with the recent acquisitions of TEAC, the Stanton Group, KRK, and Cerwin-Vega!, as well as a major investment in Onkyo, Gibson now encompasses the entire music and sound chain—from the first chord played by a songwriter on a Gibson guitar, until the music reaches the consumer through Onkyo's premium high-fidelity systems."

Gibson Brands has dominant market share positions in multiple business segments, including the number one dollar market share in electric guitars and pro audio studio monitors, and enjoys an ever-expanding global presence.

"Gibson guitars have always represented a fusion of technology, art, innovation, and craftsmanship, resulting in a premium range of musical instruments," Juszkiewicz stated. "Gibson Brands will continue to carry that ethos into all our products. Most importantly, we've never forgotten that Gibson Brands are about bringing the joy of music and sound to a world hungry for a positive quality of life." more on this story







Halestorm Release Lyric Video For New Single Featuring Slash
Halestorm have released their latest single, "Here's To Us," to radio and have also released a new lyric video for the song which features Guns N' Roses legend Slash.

The song comes from the group's sophomore album, "The Strange Case Of..." which was released in April pf 2012. You can watch the new lyric video here.

Halestorm will be kicking off their summer tour on June 29th in Green River, Wy at Stratton Myer's Park. The band have announced dates that last through November 29the where they will be performing at Terminal 5 in New York City. more on this story





Heaven & Earth Release Live Performance Video
Classic heavy rockers Heaven & Earth have released a new live performance video for their song "House of Blues" and will be releasing a new official video soon.

The "House of Blues" performance was captured during the band's new album release show at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood on June 6th. You can watch the video here.

The party was the for the release of the group's new studio album, Dig. The band is lead by former Sweet guitarist Stuart Smith and features vocalist Joe Retta, drummer Richie Onori, bassist Chuck Wright and keyboard Ed Roth.

The band will be releasing a traditional music video for the song "I Don't Know What Love Is" in the coming weeks.




How the Allman Brothers Band Launched Southern Rock
(Gibson) Gregg Allman once famously pointed out that the phrase "southern rock" contained a redundancy - after all, rock and roll was born in the American South.

"You may as well say 'rock rock'," Allman noted. True, perhaps, but there's no denying that at the turn of the '70s a new type of rock and roll emerged – one rooted in a smoldering blend of blues, jazz, country and R&B, and often served up by way of extended improvisations. Indisputably, the first group to bring all those elements together, and infuse them with earthy southern traditions, was the Allman Brothers Band.

Ironically, had it not been for the tragic death of soul legend Otis Redding, in 1967, the Allmans might never have come together. In the wake of Redding's passing, his manager, Phil Walden, turned his attention away from R&B and toward rock and roll – albeit rock with a distinctly southern vibe. With an advance of $70,000 from Atlantic Records, Walden set up the Atlantic subsidiary, Capricorn Records, and set out on a talent search.

One of the first musicians to catch his attention was Duane Allman, at the time a little-known guitarist doing session work at Muscle Shoals Studios. Upon hearing Allman's guitar work on Wilson Pickett's version of "Hey Jude," Walden become determined to sign him and build a band around him. After some personnel shuffling, the Allman Brothers Band was formed in 1969.

"Duane did some early recordings that didn't result in the formation of the Allman Brothers Band," Walden recalled, in 1998. "Later we used some of those cuts on the Duane Allman Anthology album. Things went forward, but even after the band came together we still didn't have a singer. Gregg was on the West coast and he didn't join the band for several weeks, or maybe even for a couple of months. When he did come in he sounded great, of course, but even after Gregg got there, if the Allman Brothers played an hour set, probably 40 minutes of it would be instrumental. For a lot of people the vocals were afterthoughts, to break up all that music. I thought they sounded spectacular."

Settling into a lineup of Duane, Gregg, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe Johanson, the Allmans first performed mostly in northern Florida and South Georgia. Their first show outside the south occurred in Boston, where they opened for the Velvet Underground. The northern music press was baffled not only by the band's newfangled music, but also by their shabby wardrobe.

"Most of the press didn't understand what the band was trying to do, musically," Walden pointed out. "Most of those press guys, at the time, were into bands like The Who or other English groups. The comments I heard that night were things like, 'You know, you ought to dress up those guys a bit.' I remember Duane made one of his classic remarks, which was, 'If you want to go to a fashion show, I suggest you go to the garment district. But if you want to hear rock and roll music, you shouldn't be too concerned about what we're wearing.'"

According to Walden, the Allman Brothers Band's self-titled first album sold only about 33,000 copies, with its follow-up doing moderately better. Still, the band's relentless tour schedule, which often included free shows, earned them a devoted following. Within a year the Allman Brothers became one of rock's most exciting live acts. Tangible proof of their on-stage power came in 1971, when they released their live double album tour-de-force, At Fillmore East. Culled from four spectacular shows at the famous New York City venue, the set forged a template for what southern rock would be, going forward. more.






Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry Tour Sea Shepherd
(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry teamed up with Sea Shepherd Australia when the band was on tour in the country recently in support of their latest album, "Music From Another Dimension."

Tyler and Perry were treated to an in-depth tour of three of Sea Shepherd's ships – the Sam Simon, Bob Barker and Steve Irwin – currently docked in the organization's new ships operations base in Williamstown, Melbourne, Australia.

"Oceans and water is uncharted territory for human beings, they don't even know the beauty underneath there with a mask and a snorkel, I mean, very few do, it's certainly getting fished to death," said Tyler.

"The waters in Lake Sunapee, way up in New England are now depleted, the frogs are going, honey bees are going. I was just fortunate enough to just buy a house in Maui and the reefs out in front of my house, I live on Ahihi Bay, which is a fish sanctuary, and the reefs are going away. It's a very delicate ecosystem, you know, once a little bit goes awry, it all does, it's all connected."

"I always heard about Malibu and all the movie stars that live out there and I found out you've got to get a tetanus shot if you go swimming in it," added Perry

VIVIAN CAMPBELL AND STEVE PERRY BOTH DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS:

VIVIAN CAMPBEL AND STEVE PERRY BOTH DEALING WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS:

Two very important updates from yesterday that I neglected to post, but will now. I would like to extended my personal best wishes to both Vivian Campbell and to Steve Perry and I'm sure all readers of MelodicRock.com feel the same. A speedy recovery to both!

Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell has cancer but will still tour this summer. From: www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jun/11/def-leppard-vivian-campbell-cancer
Guitarist intends to perform with both Dio and Def Leppard, despite undergoing treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has been diagnosed with cancer. Nevertheless, he still plans to tour with the band this summer, even though he will be receiving treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma. "If you're going to have a cancer, Hodgie's is the one to have," the 50-year-old guitarist joked in a statement. "[It] has an over-80% cure rate." Campbell is already one-third of the way through a six-month chemotherapy scheme and said he is "feeling rather spiffy, all things considered".
Luckily for Campbell, his doctors found the cancer early. A persistent cough sent an "alarm call", leading to x-rays and CT scans. "[These] revealed that enlarged lymph nodes were doing wrestling manoeuvres on my windpipe," Campbell said. "I underwent a surgical biopsy on 11 March, the first day of Leppard rehearsals for our Viva Las Vegas shows. Obviously, I didn't make it to rehearsal that day, but it's OK; I know the songs by now."
Although chemotherapy means Campbell has lost his hair – he refers to it as his "new, aerodynamic hairstyle" – the guitarist plans to join his bandmates when they launch their tour on 21 June. He will also be performing with the original members of Dio for four shows in August. A member of Def Leppard since 1992 – when he was drafted in to replace Steve Clark, who died the previous year – Campbell was Dio's founding guitarist, as well as having played with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Riverdogs.

Steve Perry has posted a very personal update to his little place on the Internet at: fanasylum.com/steveperry. It seems the singer has had his own brush with cancer, as well as some true heartbreak in his personal life. I thank Steve for being so open to fans with his words. The full post reads:

"June 6, 2013 As I said in my last birthday message January 2013, "There's so much more I'd like to share with you but that will have to come at another time"........ Well, I guess the time is now!.......In May of 2011, I was with Patty Jenkins in an editing room as she was putting the final editing touches on what was to be the closing segment of a Lifetime Channel breast cancer special called "Five." As the opening scenes camera panned across an outside hospital patio, a narrator's voice commented on their lives and their types of cancer. The camera came across this girl sitting there laughing….. I saw her smile. When the scene was over I said to Patty, "Can you roll to the top of that opening scene for me?" Patty asked, "Is something wrong?" I said, "No. I want to see something." As the camera again crossed Kellie's smile I asked her to freeze right there.……. I asked Patty who that was. She said, "That's Kellie Nash, a PHD Psychologist who was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a double mastectomy and she's doing a cameo appearance." I asked if Patty had her email, She said, "Yes" but looked at me strange because she knows I don't do that. I asked if she would send Kellie an email that your friend Steve would love to take her to coffee or lunch sometime.
Patty agreed to do so but said, "Before I do that I think there's something I should tell you first. After a 3 year battle she was in remission for 8 months then it came back in her lungs and bones and now she's Stage 4 fighting for her life." I was frozen……. I didn't know what to do…….. I had lost my mom, dad, grandparents that raised me and I was an only child so my first thought was to maybe not send the email; then my heart said, Maybe we could be friends or maybe she could be my shrink. So I said, "Please send it." Well Kellie returned an email to me via Patty and we talked on the phone for the first time 2 years ago this May. It was so great to hear her voice. It felt like I knew her all along. She said that her girlfriends had bought her a ticket to Mexico for her birthday and when she got back we'd grab a bite. I was soooo excited..... I was a little boy who finally found his girl. I waited and 2 weeks later we went to our first dinner ....... Well we started at 6pm and the next thing I know she said "Oh My God! What time is it?" I said, "11:30." She said, "I have patients starting at 8 tomorrow" ....... So we left. I never felt like this before....... I had finally found her. She's real and she's right in front of me. We started seeing each other and Yes, we both knew that we were meant to be together.
My life was forever changed in ways I will explain at another time but it was all because of my Kellie. She continued chemo from May into December when headaches started and we discovered the cancer had gone to her brain. She started brain radiation and the chemo continued also. I've never seen courage like this before. One night as we were talking she told me she just couldn't do it anymore and would I be angry If she stopped everything. I was scared for what could happen but I told her that never, to my very last breath would I ever be angry with her and that I loved her and that her choices were torture at best. She stopped everything. January and February were rough on her then one day she said she wanted to try one last treatment that was not chemo but it was in New York. I said, "Let's move to New York"....... so we lived there for 9 months and the drug kept her alive with a quality of life. We had the most Magical summer of our lives together. She was doing really well till August. She said, "Something's wrong." We later found that her cancer was returning like wild fire. Kellie tried chemo in New York for 2 months but it was useless.
We came back to California in November and I lost my precious Kellie December 14th 2012. She was so strong, so courageous and we really loved each other so very much. I've been trying to grieve and not run from this loss so for the last 5 months that's what I've been doing along with recalling everything being in Love with Kellie taught me. She helped me in so many ways. I Love and miss her terribly. Three weeks ago a routine mole was taken off my face and the lab report came back Melanoma skin cancer. I've had two surgeries in two weeks to remove all the cancer cells and I've been told they think they got it all and no other treatments are required. On Sunday I was a bit depressed because Kellie's birthday was coming up so I went for a drive and ran into Martha Quinn at a street fair. It was so great to see her and in a few short moments I told her most of this story.
She asked if I'd take a picture with her and I said, "If you don't mind my face scar." She said, "Not at all." I joked about me and Pirates of the Caribbean and we both laughed. It was so great seeing Martha........ I was a bit emotionally lost that day and seeing Martha got me grounded again. Thanks Martha!!
Well Fans.......... there's so much more to this story than you know and soon you will know more about it. Though Kellie and I were only together for 1 and 1/2 years, it was a lifetime of love packed into every moment. God bless my precious Kellie. I loved you before I met you- I love you now- and I always will! Love, Steve."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Fighting Cancer
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed he's fighting cancer but says he's feeling "rather spiffy." He's two months into a six-month term of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a form of the disease which has a high clean-up rate.
And he says he wants fans to know in advance of Def Lep's upcoming tour dates so that they're ready for his lack of hair. Campbell reports: "I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of 'the cough that wouldn't quit'. Otherwise, how would I have known?

"After several months of trying every inhaler known to man, my doctor finally had me X-rayed. A CAT scan revealed that enlarged lymph nodes were doing wrestling manoeuvres on my windpipe – hence the cough.

"What was causing the enlarged lymph nodes, however, was yet to be determined, so I underwent a surgical biopsy on March 11, the first day of Leppard rehearsals for our Viva Las Vegas shows. Obviously, I didn't make it to rehearsal that day, but it's okay; I know the songs by now!"

After Hodgkin's Lymphoma was diagnosed, Campbell was lined up for half a year's worth of chemo, which began in April. He says: "I'm feeling rather spiffy, all things considered. Hodgkin's has an over 80% cure rate – so by my reckoning, if you're going to have a cancer, Hodgie's is the one to have!" more on this story



KK Downing May Join Geoff Tate's Queensryche Tour
(Classic Rock) Queensryche singer Geoff Tate has suggested retired Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing, who guested on recent album Frequency Unknown, could be joining his band for a brief stint later this year.

Tate says: "I like working with different people, and I don't ever want to be in a band again – a band that sticks together through thick and thin and all that. I want to constantly be changing it up to make it interesting and different.

"I want to play with as many great players as I possibly can – because I can. I can call up KK Downing and say, 'Ken, you've got time, two weeks in November, to play a short tour?' I can do that; and why not?" More rock news.




Black Sabbath Release 'God Is Dead?' Video Early
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have released the video premiere of "God Is Dead?", the first track issued from their brand new studio album, "13," a week ahead of schedule.

The band originally announced that the clip would debut on Monday, June 17. Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Rick Rubin, "13" is the group's first full studio record with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's "Never Say Die."

Black Sabbath will launch "13" with a special live Town Hall event on the day of the album's release, Tuesday, June 11. Ozzy, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler will participate in the Black Sabbath Town Hall via Google+ Hangout streamed live on YouTube and Google+ and broadcast Live on Ozzy's Boneyard On SiriusXM at 7:00 PM (ET). Watch the video here.




Kings of Leon Announce New Album Release
(Radio.com) While the band's headlining set at this year's Governors Ball festival was nearly rained out, Kings of Leon have announced a September 24 release date for their sixth studio album, Mechanical Bull.

According to a press release, the first single from the album is called "Super Soaker," and should hit radio airwaves by mid-July. By the looks of it how it all played out, the band had planned to announce the album at Governors Ball, but instead it happened on Friday's episode of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Kings of Leon were able to reiterate the album announcement (as well as debut "Super Soaker") to fans during a rescheduled set on the second day of Governor's Ball, after their headlining show on the first night was washed out by the tail end of Tropical Storm Andrea, which pounded the festival mercilessly throughout that opening day.

"We're going to play a song we never played before," lead singer Caleb Followill told the festival crowd before performing "Super Soaker." "So if we mess it up, it's your fault."

"I thought we were going to make a really mature album but I'm amazed how youthful it sounds," bassist Jared Followill told NME earlier this year about the new album. "It's like a mix of Youth & Young Manhood and Because Of The Times." Check out the album announcement video.




Adrenaline Mob Singer Discusses Mike Portnoy's Departure
Adrenaline Mob frontman Russell Allen is the featured guest on the latest episode of the Wikimetal podcast and he discusses the surprise announcement from Mike Portnoy that he is leaving the group and the band's future plans.

Allen said the following about Portnoy's departure, "We knew about it before he made it public. We want to keep working and we don't want to wait around for Mike to have the time, and he doesn't know when he will have the time again.

"He was asked to be in the band by myself, me and Mike Orlando had already written all the material and it was completely finished before Mike got in the band. It's a bummer, but he's got his side projects and the Mob's got to go on"

As for a replacement for Portnoy, he had the following to say, "We don't have a new drummer in mind, but we are writing new material right now and we're looking to record later this year. Mike was really cool and suggested some people to replace him and we're looking at all the options."

You can check out the full episode here or skip directly to the interview here.




Ramones Collaborator Arturo Vega Dead At 65
(Classic Rock) Ramones collaborator Arturo Vega has died at the age of 65. The Mexican artist created the band's iconic "Hey Ho Let's Go" eagle/baseball bat/band member's name logo.

Vega continued to work with them for 22 years, firstly as their lighting tech and later as their archivist. He also provided a home in his New York loft for Joey and Dee Dee during the band's early days.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian says: "He was a gentleman and a warm-hearted, soft-spoken genial man with a dry wit. It was always a joy to hear from him. Like it was 1979 for ever. We'll miss you, Artie." More rock news.



Richie Furay Doubts Buffalo Springfield Reunion Promise Will Be Kept
(Classic Rock) Richie Furay thinks there's no chance of Buffalo Springfield keeping their reunion promises – and he rues the way he was "stuck out there" as spokesman for a tour that never happened.

Surviving members Neil Young, Steven Stills and Furay got together for a charity show in 2010, leading to six more appearances the following year, including a memorable set at the Bonnaroo festival.

Soon afterwards they announced plans for a 30-date trek across the US during 2012 – but Young changed his mind, saying: "I'd be on a tour of my past for the rest of f**king time, which I can't do."

Two years on, Furay tells SoundPress.net: "It's just typical of the way things unfolded with the Springfields way back in the 60s. Not much has changed.

"We were all looking forward to doing it, and it didn't happen. I was kind of stuck out there as the spokesman – if anything happened again I would take a look at how far out there I'm going to go as a spokesman. I don't think it ever will again now; but I'll never say never." He does have a silver lining.




Limited Edition Dio Holy Diver 30th Anniversary Guitars Coming
(hennemusic) The 30th anniversary of Dio's debut, "Holy Diver," is being celebrated with a limited-edition guitar made by Artist Series Guitar with only 30 of the guitars set to be made.

Finished with Dio's exclusive artwork and built with solid mahogany, the Dio ASG is set with artwork from the "Holy Diver" album release. Once the graphic has undergone the ASG-designed, chemical bonding process, the guitar is then clear-coated, wet-sanded and buffed. This process forever seals the custom graphic to the guitar.

Pre-sale will begin on July 10, to mark what would have been Ronnie James Dio's 70th birthday. Released on May 25, 1983, "Holy Diver" has been hailed by critics as Dio's best work and a classic staple in the heavy metal genre. The album was certified Platinum for sales of 1 million copies in the US in March of 1989. Check out the promo video here.




Jon Anderson Invites Fans To Film Upcoming Concert
(Classic Rock) Former Yes frontman Jon Anderson is bucking the recent trend of musicians trying to persuade their fans not to film concerts performances on their phones.

Anderson wants everyone to record his concert in Manchester on August 4, and he will then use the best submitted clips to construct a memento of the evening.

He says: "The show is unique – it's in the round, so please feel free to film parts or all of the songs. The peeps whose videos we choose will receive their own copy and a painting from me to commemorate the event." Find out how to submit them here.




Paul McCartney Continues To Bring Out Beatles Classics On Tour
(Radio.com) "I've got a feeling you want to keep rockin'! So be it — let us rock!" This was 70-something Paul McCartney addressing his audience at Brookyn's Barclays Center two hours into a concert that saw him singing his sweetest ballads and his most face-melting rockers, while jumping between electric and acoustic guitar, piano and his iconic Hofner bass.

Saturday night's (June 8) stop on his Out There Tour took him to Barclays for the first time, and was the first show of a two-night stand that concluded on Monday (June 10).

This time around, he isn't promoting a new album, but rather, sort of plugging the recent reissue of Wings' 1976 live album Wings Over America. But, in a way, Sir Paul does have "new" material: He's playing a number of Beatles songs that had never been performed live, either by the Fab Four or by any of the members on their solo tours.

Unbelievably, that group of songs includes the show opener, "Eight Days A Week." McCartney has toured frequently since returning to the road in 1989, but has somehow never gotten around the playing that classic, which is kind of mind-blowing. But then again, this is a man whose two former bands dominated music and the radio dial in the '60s and '70s; there are simply too many songs to choose from in his catalog. But it was those eras — the '60s and '70s — that he concentrated on Saturday night: despite his impressive string of '80s singles, and a good amount of somewhat under-appreciated work since then, he played just two post-'70s songs: "My Valentine," from last year's standards album, Kisses On The Bottom (probably with his wife, Nancy Shevell in mind; so many of the songs he performed were written about his late wife, Linda) and "Here Today," which he wrote in tribute to his late friend John Lennon.

Also getting debut performances on this tour are some of the Beatles' more eccentric songs: "All Together Now" (which McCartney joked, "Is one of my more intellectual songs," referencing the child-like lyrics "One two three four/Can I have a little more?/five six seven eight nine ten/I love you!"), "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite," "Your Mother Should Know" and "Lovely Rita." And what that means is, Paul McCartney fans who have come to see him in concert over and over heard songs that they've never heard the man sing in concert before. Find out what happened next!




Robert Randolph Streaming New Song and Sets Album Release
Robert Randolph is giving fans an early taste of his forthcoming album, "Lickety Split," with the release of the first single from the effort, "Born Again."

The new album is set to be released on July 16th by Blue Note Records and is the first new album release from Randolph & The Family Band in three years.

Randolph had this to say about the new single, "We started writing Born Again as a love song. It was about that feeling you get when you meet a great woman and you just feel born again.

"My buddy had just gotten out of a relationship and he was talking about how he was going to find a new woman and have that feeling again. So that was the idea but even though it started out that way, once we were writing and jamming the result turned out to be something much more uplifting…almost spiritual." You can stream the new song here.





Bill Wyman Says Rolling Stones Used To Fake Each Other's Autographs
(Classic Rock) Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman says that most of the band used to fake each others' autographs when they were signing stacks of memorabilia.

His suggestion means that thousands of items of highly-prized personalised items could be regarded as technically forged – and the only name fans can be certain over is that of drummer Charlie Watts.

Wyman, who left the band in 1993, tells Rolling Stone: "There's footage of us signing things in dressing rooms. There were stacks and stacks of books, programmes to be signed, and we just used to grab a bunch each and sign everybody's name.

"We all learned to sign each others' signatures – except for Charlie. He wouldn't sign anything. But me, Keith, Mick and Brian could all sign each others' autographs.

"When I see them for sale, I know two of them are not originals. But it was the only way to do it, because you couldn't pass this stuff around. You didn't have time; you were on stage in ten minutes." more on this story




Portugal. The Man Announce Fall Tour Leg
Portugal. The Man will be on tour all summer long and have announced that they will continue on the road this fall with a new North American tour leg.

The new tour leg is set to kick off on September 26th at the Corona Theatre in Montreal and will conclude on October 26th in Las Vegas at the Life Is Beautiful Festival.

That isn't the only music festival that the band plans to hit on the trek. The tour will also include appearances at Austin's ACL Music Festival (October 5th and 12th), Mexico City's Corona Capital 2013 (October 13th), Kansas City, Missouri's 96.5 The Buzz Halloweenie Roast 2013 (October 17th).

The band's current North American headline tour is set to conclude with a July 18th homecoming concert at Portland, Oregon's Crystal Ballroom and will include a performance at this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this Saturday, June 15th. more on this story




ZZ Top Celebrate Box Set Release In The Studio
(hennemusic) The new box set, "ZZ Top: The Complete Studio Albums (1970-1990)," is featured on this week's edition of the syndicated radio program In The Studio.

Released today, the set includes the original mixes for the group's first ten albums, spanning over 100 tracks that follow ZZ Top's journey from the honky tonks of Texas to the stages of the world, starting with the earthy blues and electrifying boogie that defined their '70s sound — "Just Got Paid," "La Grange," "Tush" and "Cheap Sunglasses."

"There's a lot of luck, to start with," guitarist Billy Gibbons tells program host Redbeard. "Some of these things you would like to prophesy, to plan this going a certain way.

"And yet it it's always unpredictable, always probably exactly opposite what you think you're going to do. But the first few notes that you're rippin', the first few chops that you're stabbin' at, you just don't really know where you're going." more on this story




Status Quo Celebrate Release of 100th Single
(Classic Rock) Status Quo are celebrating the milestone of their 100th single release as their new LP Bula Quo! has been named album of the week by BBC Radio 2.

It's 45 years since Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt released their first single, Pictures Of Matchstick Men. The launch of their latest track, Bula Bula Quo, puts them into three figures – and Rossi can't believe it.

He says: "One hundred singles seems incredible even to me – and I recorded them all. When we started out we would have been happy to survive a couple of years in this business. To reach this milestone is unbelievable."

Parfitt adds: "We always joke that you'd get less time for a murder. But in all honesty we'd like to thank all the Quo fans all over the world who have sustained us on an amazing ride." More including the song's video.





Black Star Riders' Ricky Warwick Recalls Terrifying Studio Experience
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick admits recording their debut album started as a "terrifying" experience. The Thin Lizzy offshoot outfit have received general acclaim for All Hell Breaks Loose, released last month and produced by Kevin Shirley.

Guitarist Scott Gorham recently admitted the tracking of 12 songs in 12 days was something was a "pressurised situation" that he wasn't sure he'd like to repeat – although he enjoyed it.

Now Warwick has shared similar sentiments. He tells Jam: "We recorded the album in 12 days and mixed it in five. Kevin said, 'You guys really have it; there's nothing I really want to change. It's all there.If you want to make an old-school, raw, big-sounding record, we're going to have to do it old-school. That means you guys have to stand in a room, set up and look at each other. You just play and I'll hit record.'"

As a result, the singer found himself without the use of a vocal booth. "At first it was terrifying," he recalls. "All the singing you hear on the record is me belting it out while I played with the band. I've never recorded an album that quickly." He continues here.




KISS Announce Japanese Tour Plans
(hennemusic) KISS have announced the first two dates of a fall tour of Japan. In support of their latest album, "Monster," the band will play Tokyo on October 19 and Osaka on October 21.

KISS are currently playing a mixture of headline shows and festival dates across Europe this month before launching an extensive Canadian tour in early July.

The New York rockers are marking their 40th anniversary this year; frontmman Paul Stanley explained the band's longevity in a recent interview with Sweden TV4's "Nyhetsmorgon."

"What we do is timeless," Stanley explained. "Many bands come out and they tell you about how bad the world is and what you can do to help the world. You can do that tomorrow; when you come to see KISS, you get to celebrate…you have a great time. We're very simple but it's also something that's timeless." more on this story




Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Mourning The Death of His Mother
(hennemusic) Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx is mourning the death of his mother, Deana Richards, who passed away on Saturday, June 8th at the age of 74 according to his online postings.

Sixx revealed the news in a tweet that read, "RIP Mom 5-5 1939 to 6-8 2013." The tweet followed a note Sixx had posted on his Facebook page. "Writing a beautiful song about regret.....Pain always serves up the most brutal truth," wrote the bassist.

"I cannot see a ray of sunshine and not find the beauty in the inevitable rain cloud coming in behind it...I have made mistakes....Do lyrics and melody really make up for lost time? THE SAYING "THIS TOO SHALL PASS" WORKS BOTH WAYS..."

Sixx was born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. in 1958 in San Jose, California. He was partially raised by his single mother and by his grandparents after his father left the family. Nikki later moved in with his grandparents after his mother abandoned him; he would later reconnect with her in Seattle, where he first learned to play bass. more on this story






Video of Van Halen's Full Sydney Concert Posted Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen were one of the featured headliners at the inaugural Stone Music Festival in Sydney, Australia in April, and video of the band's full set has surfaced.

The weekend event - inspired by the '70s cult biker film Stone – saw co-headliners Billy Joel, Van Halen and Aerosmith joined by Kings Of Chaos, Richie Ramone, Buckcherry, Lifehouse and Illumination Road, among others.

Van Halen's 20-song, 90-minute setlist was identical to the template of their 2012 shows, opening with "Unchained" and closing with their only #1 single, "Jump."

In what is possibly a career first, the band wore matching outfits: white shirts with black pants and black vests. "What an amazing gig, Sydney!!" tweeted bassist Wolfgang Van Halen after the show. "Thank you so much for fighting through the rain to see us. Can't wait till next time!" Watch the video here.




Goo Goo Dolls Unplugged
(Classic Rock) Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik performs three songs exclusively for Classic Rock who have posted video of the performance online and the band have announced a October UK tour.

Rzeznik recently visited the Classic Rock office with his trusty acoustic guitar to play three songs for us: Rebel Beat, Iris (the band's colossal hit single) and Come To Me. The first and third songs come from brand new album Magnetic.

The Dolls will be making a return to the UK in October. In their first visit since 2010, they've announced a string of dates kicking off in Nottingham on October 15. Watch the unplugged performances here.




Chthonic Release 'Supreme Pain For The Tyrant' Video
Chthonic have released a new music video and a behind the scenes making of video for their song 'Supreme Pain For The Tyrant,' which is the third and latest single from seventh studio album, 'Bú-Tik'.

Film director Cheng Wen-tang and short film director Chang Yih-feng collaborated on the video with the help of choreographer, Bulareyaung Pagarlava.

"This is a rare experience that gives me a chance to work with a different genre of music," said Bulareyaung, who marks this project as his first time working with heavy metal music. "I was determined to take part in creating the music video when I heard the phrase 'let me stand up like a Taiwanese' in the song."

Director Cheng adds, "It's such a dream to work with Bulareyaung; the dream scene in my mind was realised when the dancing part was finished." Check out the video




Sites & Sounds: June Music Festivals Guide Pt II
June kicks off the summer music festival season and last week antiMusic's Kevin Wierzbicki gave us the lowdown on some of this month's festivals. He returns today with another installment covering the 2nd half of June.

Sled Island Music & Arts Festival
June 19-22, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

More than 250 independent bands will play at 30-or-so venues in the heart of Calgary during Sled Island, including the Jesus and Mary Chain, Explosions in the Sky, the Besnard Lakes, Iceage, Superchunk, Swans, Divine Fits, Thee Oh Sees, Javelin, White Lung, Akron/Family, the Dodos, Viet Cong, Ghostkeeper, Torche, UMO and at least 75 acts representing Calgary. www.sledisland.com www.travelalberta.us

Electric Forest
June 27-30, Rothbury, Michigan

Three performances by the String Cheese Incident highlight this four-day festival but there are dozens of other acts scheduled to play, including Pretty Lights, Lotus, Yeasayer, Femi Kuti, Railroad Earth, Benny Benassi, Empire of the Sun, Tommy Trash, Passion Pit, Trombone Shorty, Baauer, Kill the Noise, Grimes and Knife Party. A portion of ticket sales proceeds will be donated to Conscious Alliance and other charities. The event takes place at the Double JJ Ranch where they have an indoor water park; Rothbury is about 20-miles outside of Muskegon. www.electricforestfestival.com

Mystic Blues Festival
June 28-30, Mystic, Connecticut

This is a brand new event for Mystic and surrounding area and it should be a good one. Scheduled to appear are Roomful of Blues, James Cotton, Jim Weider, the James Montgomery Band, Jaimoe's Jassz Band, Al Kooper and Johnny Nicholas and Hell Bent featuring Cindy Cashdollar. There'll also be a blues brunch on Sunday June 30. www.mysticbluesfestival.com

Kanrocksas
June 28 and 29, Kansas City, Kansas

The heartland will be rockin' when Kanrocksas shifts into gear at the Kansas Speedway with shows by the Dropkick Murphys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Son Volt, Mord Fustang, MGMT, ZZ Ward, Pretty Lights, Imagine Dragons, Passion Pit, Yeasayer, She & Him, Empire of the Sun, the Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Flosstradamus, Machine Gun Kelly and many others. There will also be hot air balloon rides, food trucks, fire tossers, art installations and lot of other diversions. www.kanrocksas.com

Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Scott Weiland Takes Legal Action Against Stone Temple Pilots
(Radio.com) After being unceremoniously fired in February and later sued by the band he helped to create, Scott Weiland has taken legal action against Stone Temple Pilots.
On Friday (May 31) Weiland filed a countersuit in Los Angeles, seeking in excess of $7 million in damages for what he believes was a conspiracy to oust him. In the complaint, Weiland poses the question, "How do you expel a man from the band that he started, named, sang lead on every song, wrote the lyrics, and was the face of for twenty years? You don't, but three of the instrumentalists from the band 'Stone Temple Pilots' tried."

Earlier this month, Weiland was shaken by the band's surprise performance at KROQ's Weenie Roast and the subsequent release of a new song ("Out of Time") featuring Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. Just days after the performance, the band filed a lawsuit claiming Weiland had sabotaged the band's 20th anniversary tour and had misappropriated the band's trademarked name and assets. STP sought to keep him from playing their songs on his solo tour.

"When I tour on my own, it's never as Stone Temple Pilots. It's as Scott Weiland. The fans deserve to know what they're getting," he posted in an open letter. "I don't give a f*** what they call themselves, but it's not Stone Temple Pilots."

Ironically, Weiland cited the same 1996 partnership agreement referenced in the band's original suit. More.




Lostprophets' Ian Watkins Denies Sex Charges
(Classic Rock) Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has denied committing 23 sexual offences involving children. The 35-year-old appeared in Cardiff Crown Court yesterday via videolink alongside two women who are also accused.

Among Watkins' charges are two of raping a one-year-old girl, conspiracy to rape another child, sexual assault, aiding and abetting sexual assault and conspiracy to sexually assault a child.

He's further accused of making, taking and possessing indecent images, plus a 24th charge of possessing extreme pornographic images involving an animal.

The vocalist only spoke during the hearing to confirm his identity. Afterwards a statement from him was read outside court. Read what it said here.





Black Sabbath Streaming Entire New Album Online
Black Sabbath are giving their fans an advance listen to their forthcoming studio album, 13, by launching a free full album stream this week ahead of the album's release next week.

13 is Black Sabbath's first album with original lead singer Ozzy Osbourne since 1978 and features original guitarist Tony Iommi and original bass player Geezer Butler. The album, which was produced by Rick Rubin, can be streamed right now on the iTunes store here.

As we previously reported, the band will be launching a North American tour this summer to support the new album. The tour is set to kick off on July 25 in Houston at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and will conclude on September 3rd in Los Angeles at the Sports Arena. more on this story




Eighteen Visions' Mick Morris Dead At 35
Former Eighteen Visions and Bleeding Through member Mick Morris died in his sleep on Sunday (June 2nd). He had reportedly been suffering from a heart condition. He was 35.

Morris's former co-workers said that he had been in and out of the hospital recently, he had been released, according to a report published by AltPress.com.

Morris worked as a guitar tech for Hatebreed after Eighteen Visions split up and Hatebreed's James Jasta tweeted the following tribute, "RIP Mick Deth.

"We had a lot of fun on the road. He worked hard for Hatebreed & we'll always be grateful for our time together."




U2 Putting Finishing Touches On New Album With Danger Mouse
(hennemusic) U2 have been busy at Electric Lady Studios in New York this past week putting the finishing touches on a new album, the band's first since 2009's "No Line On The Horizon."

They worked briefly with Lady Gaga producer RedOne, but soon settled on Danger Mouse who was at the famed studio completing his mixing work on the new, untitled album, reportedly due in the fall, according to Rolling Stone.

"We very much want to have a record out by the end of the year, September, October, November; that kind of time," bassist Adam Clayton said recently. "We're working with Danger Mouse, who's a smart guy. He's on it; he's excited. It's a great team and feels very liberating at the moment – anything goes.

"We have an abundance of riches, we could make three or four different records and justify that to ourselves, but to make the best record you can, you have to steer away from the ones you can make easily. We're really trying to get into territory that we're not comfortable in. If that makes sense." more on this story




The Eagles Expand North American Tour
The Eagles have expanded their North American History of the Eagles tour plans with the newly announced fall leg which is set to take place in October.

The new leg will be kicking off on October 4th in Lincoln, NE at the Pinnacle Bank Arena and will conclude on October 24th in St. Louis, MO at the Scottrade Center.

The early summer North American leg is set to begin on July 6th in Louisville, Kentucky at KFC Yum! Center and will wrap up on July 25th in Bethel, NY at Bethel Woods Center.

The band will then take the month of August off before kicking off a series of dates in September on the 6th in Vancouver, BC at the Rogers Arena. more on this story





Taylor Swift Performs With The Rolling Stones
(hennemusic) Taylor Swift was the featured guest Monday night in Chicago as the Rolling Stones played the 11th stop on their "50 & Counting" arena tour and video of the performance has been posted online.

The country superstar joined the Rolling Stones to perform the song "As Tears Go By," which comes from their 1965 album "December's Children (And Everybody's)."

Monday's show was the third and final date in the Windy City for the Stones over the past week; up next, they return to Toronto for a second show there on Thursday before playing Montreal on Sunday. Check out video of the performance here.




Dream Theater Set New Release Date For DVD and Blu-Ray
Eagle Rock have announced the new November 5th release date for the delayed Dream Theater live Blu-Ray and DVD package, Live At Luna Park.

The North America release of Live At Luna Park will come in various configurations including a Blu-Ray, 2DVD, 2DVD + 3CD, Blu-Ray + 3CD, Deluxe Edition with 40 page Book, Blu-Ray + 2DVD + 3CD, as well as an iTunes Digital Video.

The concert was captured over two nights at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina in August of 2012 during Dream Theater's A Dramatic Tour Of Events world tour.

Live At Luna Park was originally schedule to be released this spring but was delayed. A statement about the new release date explains, "In an effort to make this project as special as possible, and deliver the ultimate live experience for Dream Theater fans, these delays proved necessary. It will be abundantly clear why the extra time was needed come November." You can watch a trailer here.





Yes To Launch Their Very Own Yestival Music Festival
Progress rock legends Yes have announced plans to launch their very own music festival this summer, which has appropriately been dubbed Yestival.

The inaugural Yestival will be a single full day event that will be taking place at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ on Saturday, August 3rd.

Yes will be headlining the event and announced plans to play their 1971's The Yes Album and 1972's Close To The Edge albums in their entirety at the show.

Yestival will also feature mainstage performances from The Musical Box, Renaissance featuring Anne Haslam, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, with additional artists still to be announced.

The festival will also feature a second stage with performances by up-and-coming progressive rock bands including Scale The Summit and a special appearance by The School Of Rock, and an art showing by Roger Dean, whose has provided the visuals and album covers for many bands including YES, Uriah Heep and Asia.

Chris Squire had this to say about the event, "This is a concept we've been trying to put into motion for some time, and only now we've been able to turn it into reality. We're looking forward to starting Yestival out in the Philadelphia area, which has been a Yes stronghold since the '70s."

Yestival will be taking place in the middle of Yes's current World Tour, where the band is performing the 3 albums 'The Yes Album', 'Close To The Edge' and 'Going For The One' in their entirety.

North American dates for the tour will kick off on July 6th in Paso Robles, CA at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre and will conclude on August 12th in Indianapolis, IN at the Murat Theatre, Old National Centre. more on this story





Sammy Hagar's Hometown Names Street In His Honor
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar's hometown of Fontana, California has named a street after him: Hagar Way. There is no word yet if the new street carries a speed limit above or below 55 MPH.

The announcement was made Saturday as the Red Rocker served as the Honorary Grand Marshal of the Fontana Days Parade, part of the Fontana Days Festival Centennial Celebration.

"That is the most awesome thing," said Hagar to the Fontana crowd. "You don't know what that means to me. All over the world, they can give you honors and Grammy Awards and all them things, but something about - in your hometown, having a street named after you – that warms my heart.This is one of my favorite things that have been done for me in my whole career. Thank you." Check out video of the announcement here.





Bob Dylan To Receive France's Highest Honor
(Radio.com) Bob Dylan is about to kick off his AmericanaramA Tour, but he's about to receive France's highest honor. It was announced today (June 3) that the Legion d'Honneur awards committee confirmed the 72-year-old singer will receive France's highest award.

This was a bit controversial, apparently. As France's The Local (an English language publication that covers news about France) notes, France's Le Canard Enchainé reported that "Jean-Louis Georgelin, a French army general and Great Chancellor of the Légion d'honneur, was none too pleased to receive the name of Dylan," citing the songwriter's anti-war songs like "Blowin' In The Wind," and "his pot-smoking past" (possibly using songs like "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35″ as evidence).

But in a letter to the daily Le Monde published on Sunday, Georgelin called the singer-songwriter an "exceptional artist" known in the United States and internationally as a "tremendous singer and great poet."

Previous American recipients of the Legion d'Honneur award include Wynton Marsalis and Elie Wiesel, as well as hundreds of World War II veterans.

Dylan has yet to issue a statement about the honor, whose award shelf (if he has one) would also include numerous GRAMMYs, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, the Polar Music Prize, a Kennedy Center Honors medal, and membership in both the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Last year, he added the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. more on this story





Bad Company Announce Leno and Rockline Appearances
Bad Company have a busy schedule leading up to their North American 40th anniversary tour with their late night television debut, an appearance on Rockline and a special event at the Grammy Museum.

The veteran classic rock band will be kicking things off this Wednesday when frontman Paul Rodgers will be the featured guest on the latest episode of the syndicated radio show Rockline.

Next Monday, June 10th, the band will be making their very first late night TV appearance when they perform on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Then on Tuesday, June 11th, the band will make a special appearance at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles were they will be performing an intimate set and will be holding a rare Q&A with their fans.

That all leads up to Saturday, June 15th, when the band kicks off their North American 40th anniversary tour in Rancho Mirage, CA. The tour will include 30 shows (14 will be coheadlining dates with Lynyrd Skynyrd) before wrapping up on September 29 at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona.

Paul Rodgers had this to say about the trek, "When Mick and I formed the band we were amazed at the instant success. It didn't hurt to have Led Zeppelin behind us and I think we wrote some decent songs that still resonate. This one is for the fans." more on this story




Slash Needs Help Finding 'Old Friend'
Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses guitar legend Slash has called on his fans to help him track down one of his long lost friends: a Gibson Les Paul.

Slash had this message for fans, "I'm trying to find a Les Paul that I used back in the early 90′s. I've since lost track of it. It was an 1989/90 Gibson Goldtop, serial #70854. I always loved that guitar and would be interested in buying it back from whomever has it…. I'll make it worth their while"

If you have any information on the location of this guitar you can email the details to SlashGibsonGoldtop@gmail.com. See photo of Slash with his long lost "friend" here.




Five Finger Death Punch Embrace Being Different On New Album
(Gibson) Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory says the band's new double album The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell embodies the band's philosophy of going outside the norm, especially in its approach to guest vocalists.

The first installment of the album includes Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford on the opening track as well as appearances by Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy, ex-Sepultura), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), Maria Brink (In This Moment) and, on a cover of LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out, rapper Tech N9ne.

"I think it's a good position we have, to really do whatever we wanna do," Bathory told Metal Covenant. "We already have three records and even though there is progression, this is our sound. This is about the time people may get bored with what you do or you have to do some kind of a change or some kind of a progression."

The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1 is scheduled for release on July 23 with Volume 2 following later in the year. And of course both discs feature guitarist Jason Hook and his signature Gibson M-4 Sherman Explorer. more on this story






Andrew Stockdale's New Solo Band Is Wolfmother
(Gibson) Andrew Stockdale says that even though he's broken up the band Wolfmother, his solo career is essentially the same thing by a different name.

In an interview with Noise11, Stockdale says his live band will continue to play gigs and will play Wolfmother hits like Woman and Joker And The Thief. And it's worth pointing out that his band is exactly the same line-up as the final incarnation of Wolfmother.

"We've got all our gear in the van right now," Stockdale says. "The guys in the band are here. We are playing gigs. We're just not calling it Wolfmother." Stockdale added that, "I was a solo guy who had a band name, like Queens of the Stone Age or Smashing Pumpkins, Icehouse."

However, he points out that he's still working with everyone who left the Wolfmother camp during the band's existence, including drummer Dave Atkins who played drums on the Cosmic Egg album.

Wolfmother's final gig was with Aerosmith in April. Stockdale's next release is a solo album titled Keep Moving, which will be released on June 11 in the USA. more on this story






Wilko Johnson Being Celebrated After Cancer News
(Classic Rock) Wilko Johnson is being celebrated more than ever since he announced that he is suffering from a terminal form of cancer, his manager is pleased to report.

Robert Hoy says: "Such is the interest in his history, influence and positive response to his diagnosis that, as well as the daily flow of goodwill messages and interview requests, there is even talk of a stage play based on his life.

"It seems that after a 40-year career, which many felt did not receive the recognition it deserved, Wilko is now becoming something of a national treasure."

Johnson recently recorded a Mastertapes session for BBC Radio 4, available as a free download here More rock news.





Joe Satriani Announces Unstoppable Momentum Tour
Joe Satriani has revealed extensive tour plans in support of his new album, "Unstoppable Momentum" including newly announce U.S. dates, his very first cross Canada tour, as well as a UK tour.

Satriani will be kicking things off next week with a UK tour that will launch this Saturday, June 8th, at the o2 Apollo in Manchester and wrapping up on June 18th in London at the IndigO2. He will be supported on that trek by Matt Schofield.

The acclaimed guitarist will return stateside this summer to launch his North American tour on August 29th in San Diego, CA and will conclude the tour on October 26 in Oakland, CA. The Steve Morse Band will be providing support on the tour until early October.

Satriani will be backed on the tour by Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) on keyboards, bassist Bryan Beller (Dethklok, Dweezil Zappa) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew, Steve Wilson). more on this story





Black Star Riders Added To Download Festival
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders have been added to the bill for this year's Download festival on the main stage on June 15, replacing another band that pulled out.

The Thin Lizzy offshoot, fronted by Ricky Warwick, are also celebrating their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose reaching number 25 in the UK charts.

Warwick says: "Download is one of my favourite festivals and to be added to the main stage bill for this year with such a fantastic lineup – to say we are ecstatic is an understatement.

"It's going to be a great day. Thanks to all the support from everyone that's contributed to our success to date." more on this story





KISS Show Off New Spider Stage In New Video
(hennemusic) KISS are sharing a video tour of their new spider stage, which they unveiled Saturday as they kicked off their European tour at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

One of the main features of the new design is the giant spider, which brings the band to center stage at the opening of the show. The nearly 3 minute video shows the new spider stage in action.

In support of their current album, "Monster," KISS will play a mixture of headline shows and festival dates across Europe for the next three weeks before launching an extensive Canadian tour in early July. Check out the video here.





Metallica Star Stands By Lulu Experiment
(Classic Rock) Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo won't shy away from their fans' response to 2011 album Lulu, made in collaboration with Lou Reed, who recently underwent a life-saving liver transplant.

Trujillo says: "Obviously there were mixed reviews. Some people thought it was an amazing artistic statement. A lot of Metallica fans thought it was crap.

"You take chances and kind of go with the flow of it. That's the name of the game: be creative – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't work." more rock news.




Mick Jagger Recounts Terrifying Arrest
(Classic Rock) Mick Jagger says his 1967 prison sentence was a terrifying experience and believes it should never have happened. He and Rolling Stones bandmate Keith Richards were put behind bars following a police raid on the guitarist's home, Redlands, in Sussex.

No charges had been brought at the time, but the pair were accused of drugs offences later. Jagger was sentenced to three months while Richards was given a year – but both decisions were overturned at appeal.

Last year it was suggested that the entire episode was a plot orchestrated by MI5 and the FBI, who wants to sabotage the Stones' career. Jagger tells Q: "It was scary. We were facing the prospect of a few months inside. Looking back, it was all a bit extreme. It was unnecessary and a waste of everyone's time and money. It was a bit silly, really."

He disagrees with Richards' light-hearted attitude to the experience. "It was nothing to be cavalier about," he says. "It was terrifying. But at the same time it did have its macabre, lighter moments.

"We weren't living in a police state; everyone wasn't against us. We had a lot of support in the press as well." more on this story





Megadeth Streaming Forget To Remember
(hennemusic) Megadeth are celebrating today's release of their brand new studio album, "Super Collider," by streaming another tracks from album online. This time it is a song called "Forget To Remember."

"The song touches on the no. 6 cause of death in America, Alzheimer's Disease, which my mother-in-law has been diagnosed with," guitarist Dave Mustaine tells New York Public Radio, "and our world is now upside-down. I did what I do best when I have something to say; I sing about it."

"Super Collider" is now available as a limited-edition CD with a 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus seven-inch vinyl, and as a digital download. Check out the new song here.





Halestorm's Lzzy Hale Featured on Wikimetal
The latest episode of Wikimetal includes a featured interview with Halestorm lead singer and guitarist Lzzy Hale. The show sent over these details:

Lzzy talked to us about the birth of Halestorm, all their influences and told us how it was to win a Grammy competing against great names such as Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Anthrax.

Talking about being a role model for young girls, Lzzy says that "breaking some gender barriers has inspired so many young girls that come to shows to start a band – And that's the best thing in the world. To be someone's inspiration". Lzzy explains that a role model was something she missed while she was young.

You can listen to the full episode here or you can skip directly to the interview here.




Vampire Weekend Release Cameo Filled 'Diane Young' Video
(Radio.com) After the lyric video for "Diane Young" got them in hot water with Saab enthusiasts for burning several vehicles (as if there really are Saab enthusiasts), Vampire Weekend have released a new and energetic clip chock full of cameos from the indie music world.

Sitting around Vampire Weekend's candle-lit Last Supper table are: Santigold, Sky Ferreira, the Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser, members of Chromeo, Dirty Projector's Dave Longstreth and a video-game-playing masked man who sits between the table's feuding members.

In a "Harlem Shake"-style, tempo-induced change of scenery, the table of party goers morph from humble dinner attendants to food-fighting, blender-loving anarchists; one of whom smokes copious amounts of pot through a saxophone. It all makes for an entertaining romp.

The New York-based foursome will finish off the summer hitting a myriad of festivals with several dates in the U.S. including Firefly, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. Check out the video here.




Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Talks Epic With Craig Ferguson
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler made a return visit Monday night as a guest on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. Tyler was on hand to promote his role in the new animated film, "Epic."

The movie is described as a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of "Ice Age" and "Rio," "Epic" tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours. Tyler plays Nim Galuu, the wise man of the forest.

The film stars Beyonce (Queen Tara), Colin Farrell (Ronin), Josh Hutcherson (Nod), Amanda Seyfried (Mary Katherine), Johnny Knoxville (Mandrake), Aziz Ansari (Mub), Pitbull (Bufo), Jason Sudeikis (Bomba), Blake Anderson (Dagda) and Judah Friedlander (Larry). Check out the TV appearance here.





The Story Behind Blink-182′s 'Enema Of The State' Album Art
(Radio.com) On June 1, 1999, Blink-182 released Enema of the State, an album that would go on to sell more than 15 million copies and change the band's lives forever.

The album boasted three major singles, each unique: the humor-driven "What's My Age Again?," midtempo love song (well, much as blink can do love songs) "All The Small Things" and suicide tale "Adam's Song."

As the '90s came to a close, the album transcended the pop-punk world and reached the mainstream. And with it, the album's cover became indelible, particularly in the minds of blink's many teenaged male fans; the cover art famously features adult film star Janine Lindemulder adorning a nurse uniform and rubber glove. According to bassist/singer Mark Hoppus, it took three tries to get the artwork correct.

During a reddit session from his London home Sunday, (June 2), Hoppus thanked loyal fans by revealing a few secrets about the pop-punk masterpiece. He wrote:

"Wow. 14 years. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Here's some trivia about the artwork. There are three different versions. Initial release version has the red cross on the nurse's hat and a capital B Blink-182. We'd always preferred the lower case b, so the artwork was changed to the second version: red cross on the nurse's hat, lower case b blink-182 (my favorite). We were then contacted by the Red Cross that, as we are in no way a medical organization (which I would debate. one time I changed a band-aid), we should not have a red cross on our artwork. If we continued using the red cross logo, we would be in violation of the Geneva Convention. (for real). Thus, the third iteration of the artwork: no red cross, lower case b blink-182.

"This record changed our lives. Thanks to everyone who has supported it through these years. It still makes me happy to be onstage and hear Tom start the opening riff of What's My Age Again. Looking forward to new music in the future." More




The Winery Dogs Release I'm No Angel Video
(Classic Rock) The Winery Dogs have released a video for their track I'm No Angel. Their self-titled debut album, which was released in Japan last month, will be launched further afield by Loud & Proud Records on July 23.

The band consists of Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen and aims to be a classic rock power trio, citing influences ranging from Led Zep and Cream to Soundgarden and Lenny Kravitz.

Drummer Portnoy and bassist Sheehan brought Kotzen in to front the outfit after failing to establish a working rapport with John Sykes. Check out the new video here.


Crackjaw Premiere Headhunter Video
(Banana 101.5) Crackjaw are back with a new EP called 'Headhunter' and Banana 101.5 have your exclusive first look at the Sean Babas directed music video for the title track.

'Headhunter' was produced by Matt Dalton at 37 Studios. The title track seems like it could carry a lot of different meanings, but started a story about, "someone going after someone," says frontman Ian Thomas.

"It's really about vigilante justice," explains Thomas, "and [someone] that doesn't have the moxie to pull it off all on their own, but is too stubborn to admit it."

The hard hitting track serves as the soundtrack to their new music video, which Thomas says was inspired by the visual stylings of films like Rob Zombie's 'The Devil's Rejects' and David Fincher's American adaptation of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' — a concept bass player Rian Pennanen conceived initially. The clip features a lot of visually pleasing black light effects and glowing paints, which Thomas says took approximately "2.5 showers" to remove. "I still had eyeliner on the next day." Check out the video here.




Foster the People Perform New Songs At Secret Show
(Radio.com) For the encore of Foster the People's brief secret show at Los Angeles' Troubadour Sunday night (June 2), frontman Mark Foster hesitantly took a seat behind a keyboard and settled into a gorgeous, self-conscious new tune called "Fire Escape."

"Los Angeles, I've waited for you to pick yourself up and change," Foster sang dreamily, the tension in his body melting away as he dug into the ode to his hometown. It's the place he "cut his teeth at places like Molly Malone's," dreaming that one day he'd get to take the coveted Troubadour stage.

Six keyboards, a number of drums and a whole slew of other instruments were sprawled across the large stage, but the sold-out show itself felt small. Bodies clustered together intimately and when the band played songs like "Helena Beat," "Life on the Nickel" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)," dance parties ensued, amazingly free of recording devices or iPhones.

While walking into the venue, the audience was strictly encouraged not to take pictures. Lalo Medina, known to many as Jack White's right-hand man, came onstage right before Foster the People went on to ask people if anyone had ever seen a YouTube video online taken at a show as good as the show itself. No one responded and the audience was pretty good at keeping their phones down, especially with security guards flashing lights into people's eyes when they even so much as took their phone out of their pockets.

But the vibe wasn't ruined by the phone policing, and Foster the People were effectively able to bring their energy "back to the grass floor," as Foster said — back to the days before distractions during shows, when fans could only focus on anything but scouring Twitter to see who else was hiding in the crowd. It also seemed a comforting reminder to Foster, who brought a rare, refreshing vulnerability to his performance. He told the audience that Foster the People's forthcoming sophomore album, set for release later this year, felt like a "new birth" and a "new beginning" for the band, a group of young locals who blew up overnight and barely had time to breathe in 2012. more on this story




Sites & Sounds: June Music Festivals
With the passage of Memorial Day, the summer music festival season starts to heat up and antiMusic Travel Editor Kevin Wierzbicki gives us the details about some of music festivals that are taking place this month.

Stuart Beach Music Festival
June 6-8, Stuart, Virginia

Also known as the Hot Fun in the Summertime Festival, this beach music blow-out has a line-up featuring Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters, Band of Oz, the Embers, Mark Roberts Band, Atlantic Groove, Coastal Cruz'rs, Darrell Harwood, After Jack and Foddrells. The shows take place in the beautiful setting of Wayside Park just outside Stuart in the foothills of southside Virginia. Stuart is about an hour away from both Roanoke and Greensboro, North Carolina. www.stuartbeachmusic.com and www.virginia.org

Northside Festival
June 13-20, Brooklyn, New York

This festival takes place at various venues in the Williamsburg and Greenpoint areas of Brooklyn and highlights "what's next" in music, film and entrepreneurship. The headlining band will be Black Flag; this will be their first NYC appearance in 26 years. Other acts on the bill include Swans, Iceage, Lambchop, Son Volt, Twin Sister, the Soft Moon, Chelsea Wolfe, Destruction Unit, Kisses, Lower and a special collaboration of Rhys Chatham & Oneida. www.northsidefestival.com

Washboard Music Festival
June 14-15, Logan, Ohio

Held in southeast Ohio's Hocking Hills, this festival celebrates America's Appalachian culture and heritage with parades, rides, a car show, arts & crafts from local artisans, festival-style foods, a beer garden and plenty of live music. Scheduled to appear are Arnett Howard and the Creole Funk Band, the Smokin' Fez Monkeys, Blue Lunch, the Sodbusters, the Wayfarers, Buffalo Ridge Jazz Band, HB7, Robin Lacy and Dezydeco, the Juggernaut Jug Band and more. The "Washer Woman" will also be on hand to show you how the washboard was once popularly used to do laundry and you can also take a free tour of the Columbus Washboard Company to see how washboards are made. All shows are free. Logan is about 40 miles outside of Columbus. www.washboardmusicfestival.com

Clearwater Festival
June 15-16, Croton-on-Hudson, New York

This festival was started by none other than Pete Seeger himself, who 40-years ago came up with the idea of raising money and awareness in an effort to help clean up the at-the-time toxic Hudson River. Over the years the festival has expanded greatly beyond its folk origins; some of the acts scheduled to appear this year include Kris Kristofferson, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Son Volt, ex Drive-By Truckers Patterson Hood and Jason Isbell, Hot Tuna, David Bromberg, Judy Collins, Mavis Staples, Antibalas, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Vieux Farka Toure, Buffy Sainte-Marie and many others. The 94-year old Seeger will also appear in performance with long-time collaborator Lorre Wyatt. www.clearwaterfestival.org

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Lou Reed's Life Saved By Liver Transplant
(Classic Rock) Lou Reed's life has been saved by a liver transplant, it's been revealed. The 71-year-old Velvet Underground icon underwent an emergency procedure in Cleveland in April after his own liver failed as a result of years of drug usage.
"It's as serious as it gets – he was dying," says Reed's wife Laurie Anderson. "You send out two planes, one for the donor, one for the recipient, at the same time. You bring the donor in live and take him off life support. It's a technological feat. I was completely awestruck."

Reed echoes her sentiments in a brief statement, saying: "I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry. I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever. My Chen Taiji and health regimen has served me well all of these years, thanks to Master Ren Guang-yi." more on this story



Gene Simmons Predicts The End Of KISS
(hennemusic) In a new interview with Sweden's Expressen TV, KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons spoke about the final days of the band. "One day it'll end," said Simmons.

"And I hope on the day that we end, we end on a high note instead of going down. You don't wanna stay one day longer than when it's great; you wanna be great 'til the end."

Asked how long he gives the band before it will be time to call it quits for good, the 63-year old bassist said, "We probably have another 5 to 10 years at the most."

The Simmons session was hours before the opening night of KISS' European tour in support of their current album, "Monster," at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on Saturday. more on this story



New Pearl Jam Song Coming Next Month?
(Classic Rock) Speculation is increasing that Pearl Jam will be releasing new music soon, with a report that a single from their long-awaited tenth album be will released on July 16.

The speculation came after industry listing site AllAccess.com listed a song called "Mind Your Manners" for launch on that date, but later removed it.

Guitarist Mike McCready recently said the follow-up to 2009′s Backspacer was nearly finished and would be released this year "for sure." More rock news.




Scott Weiland Rages Against Stone Temple Pilots
(Radio.com) In advance of Scott Weiland's solo show in Arizona last Friday (May 31), the recently deposed ex-lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots went on an expletive-packed rant to AZ Central about being unceremoniously ousted from the multi-platinum rock act. The seething mad singer was determined to reveal the events that led up to being replaced by Linkin Park's Chester Bennington.

Weiland explained that before the band self-destructed, he felt the need to take a break from non-stop touring and record a new album. "We've been playing the same (expletive) set for four years," he said of the band's recent past, lamenting that STP had gone from playing 20,000-seat arenas to county fairs and small capacity casinos.

"I will not sit around and destroy the brand of this band," he told them. "We have to get in the studio and make new music…Fans of STP were so sick of hearing the same songs over and over, the same set list."

"I don't really think about it a lot," Weiland continued when asked about the current relationship between himself and his former band. "I think about how disrespectful they are, sometimes, in between a sip of coffee and a hit of my cigarette. I think about how selfish they are and how much it blows me away that after two times of trying this, they still think they have any opportunity of doing it without me. And it's not me saying that I'm the greatest because you know what? I'm not…But as far as this band goes? The vision? The artistic direction of the band? And trying to keep them from sounding like Rush? I'm sorry. I have to be totally honest. It was me. I'm guilty. I kept them from doing it. That's all I've got to say."

Weiland and his current band, the Wildabouts, are presently on the Purple to the Core Tour, focusing on songs from Stone Temple Pilots' first two albums, Purple and Core after a proposed STP tour in recognition of Core's 20th anniversary (complete with a box set reissue and new greatest hits collection) fell through. more on this story




W.A.S.P. Frontman Black Lawless Injured in Car Accident
W.A.S.P. announced late last week that they have been forced to cancel all of their upcoming appearances this summer at assorted European music festivals because frontman Black Lawless needs to undergo surgery for an injury suffered in a car accident.

The band issued the following, "Blackie Lawless was injured in a vehicle related accident that resulted in him breaking a leg. Complete recovery is expected following surgery.

"W.A.S.P. apologizes with all sincerity and say to all of our fans that we will be back next year bigger and better than ever. Blackie would also like to thank in advance all of those who wish to make inquiries about his well-being.

The band had planned to play the festivals as part of their "30 Years of Thunder" celebration. Lawless published an extensive history online that details the band's history. You can read it here.




Lombardo Learned of Slayer Firing Online
(Classic Rock) Dave Lombardo discovered he was out of Slayer the same way his fans did: by reading the news on the internet. The drummer was dropped in February following a contractual disagreement with colleagues Kerry King and Tom Araya, but was hoping the situation could be resolved.

But the thrash giants confirmed on Thursday they'd hired Paul Bostaph – who replaced Lombardo when he left in 1992 – on a full-time basis. Reacting to the move, Lombardo tweeted "And… there you have if folks!" Asked by a fan how he'd heard, he replied: "Online."

It's the third time he's split from the outfit he co-founded, after first departing in 1986. In April he admitted he was concentrating on side-project Philm as his main focus, but said fans should "cross your fingers" over a return to Slayer in time for their European tour. more on this story





Video of Aerosmith's Boston Strong Benefit Performance Goes Online
(hennemusic) Aerosmith headlined the Boston Strong benefit concert Thursday night at the city's TD Garden. The band played a mini-set full of hits, including "Train Kept 'A Rollin," ""Sweet Emotion," "Dream On" and "Walk This Way."

Aerosmith brought all of the evening's performers on stage for the two-song finale, which featured the Beatles' "Come Together" and the regional favorite, "Dirty Water."

"Boston Strong: An Evening Of Support And Celebration" featured a list of Boston area musicians, comedians and sports figures, with appearances by The J. Geils Band, Boston, James Taylor, Jason Aldean, Dropkick Murphys and more. Check out video from Aerosmith's set here.




Stone Temple Pilots With Chester Bennington Rock Benefit Show
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots, with new lead singer Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, performed at the 9th annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Bennington was honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the charity, and for his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction recovery process.

"MusiCares MAP Fund is an amazing program that takes care of their own, and actually saves lives," said Bennington. "It's been so rewarding to support them and see firsthand what they've accomplished for so many artists."

Stone Temple Pilots played a 6-song set that included some band classics plus their new single, "Out Of Time." The group was also joined by Slash and Duff McKagan for a cover of the David Bowie-written song, "All The Young Dudes," made famous by Mott The Hoople.

Thursday's event was the second live appearance by the new Stone Temple Pilots lineup; they debuted with a surprise appearance at a Los Angeles radio station festival on May 18. Check out video from the show here.





Keith Richards Making Solo Album Plans
(Gibson) The Rolling Stones may be on their 50 and Counting tour, but Keith Richards is polishing a new solo album for 2014. In a new interview with Mojo magazine, Richards says: "I've been cutting stuff with Steve Jordan. For the last couple of years we get together and lay down tracks for a possible album.

"There's some great stuff in the can, we're just polishing things up and waiting for the right time to put it out. Maybe after this year with The Stones."

Steve Jordan is the drummer/multi-instrumentalist who co-produced with Richards in his X-Pensive Winos band. Read more about Keith Richards' solo albums.

In the same Mojo interview, Richards admits "there couldn't be a Rolling Stones without Charlie Watts." He also gives credit to bassist Darryl Jones. "Everybody thinks he's the new boy but he's been with us 20 years. His playing with Charlie is so locked in, I can't think of a rhythm section I've been with, except in the Winos maybe with Steve Jordan and Charlie Drayton, where I've felt that same rapport. I wanna give Mr. Jones his due." more on this story






Red Hot Chili Peppers Making New Album Plans
(Radio.com) After nearly two years of touring in support of their half-million-selling tenth album I'm With You, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are finally winding down and may soon book some studio time to work on new material.

"We're probably looking at getting together in September and getting on a roll and starting to write songs for the next record," drummer Chad Smith told Billboard.

Smith elaborated that the band won't have any "fully formed songs until the four of us get together in a room together." At this point, Smith says they just have little "tidbits" and "ideas percolating."

Before the Los Angeles foursome can settle down and hit the studio, they'll check off a few more festival performances including San Francisco's Outside Lands and Metallica's Orion Festival, taking over Belle Isle Park in Smith's home town of Detroit on June 8. more on this story




Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Launching New Airline
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson says his company, Cardiff Aviation, is in discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority about setting up a new airline.

"Subject to approvals, we'll be in the air within the next 50 days," Dickinson tells The Telegraph. "Clearly that fits with the maintenance — both operations need each other."

In the spring of 2012, Dickinson launched Cardiff Aviation as a major commercial airline maintenance repair and overhaul operation in South Wales. The company is based at the Twin Peaks hangar at St. Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Cardiff's 2013 plan for the new airline venture is to start with three private jets, before sourcing some regional jets, and then working towards some larger, full passenger jets.

"The next stage is rebuilding Astraeus, but with proper governance. The market is ripe for an outsourcing airline that provides extra capacity," he says. "We want to provide British jobs, British pilots and British-operated aircraft." more on this story




Metallica Giving Away Download Of Star Spangled Banner Performance
(hennemusic) Metallica are offering fans a free download of their May 3rd performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the first ever Metallica Night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett played the US national anthem before the San Francisco Giants' home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fans can download the performance for free here. As part of the evening's festivities, drummer Lars Ulrich also threw out the ceremonial first pitch – watch it here and check out video of the National Anthem performance here.




Joe Elliott Says Supergroup Kings Of Chaos May Make New Music
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says there's a chance that his all star covers band Kings Of Chaos could branch out to create their own material.

Elliott is part of Kings Of Chaos alongside mainman Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke, Duff McKagan, Sebastian Bach, Glenn Hughes and Ed Roland, plus Slash and Myles Kennedy.

Elliott explains: "What a lineup! It's a wonderful experience to work with these guys. They just smile all the time. Everyone has been in a band for 30 or 40 years, and we all have great jokes and stories. Fresh songs come with fresh blood – we may even end up writing songs together. Who knows?" More rock news.





Judas Priest Rockline Replay Goes Online
(hennemusic) Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Richie Faulkner were the featured guests on the May 15th edition of Rockline and if you missed it you can check out the appearance online.

The guys were on hand to discuss their new live DVD, "Epitaph," which captures the final show of the band's last ever world tour, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo London on May 26, 2012. A replay of Priest's appearance on Rockline is available here.

"Epitaph" was directed by Brickwall's Alex Walker and sound-engineered by Richard Kayvan and Tom Allom, the mastermind behind countless seminal metal records. more on this story




Black Star Riders Make Live Debut
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders, the new band formed from the final Thin Lizzy lineup, performed their debut live show on Thursday at The Marshall Theatre at Milton Keynes, UK.

The occasion was to mark the release of the group's debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose." The set featured a mix of new music along with some classic Thin Lizzy tracks.

"Thank you everyone who was there and made this show a huge success!!!" posted the band after the sold-out show. Video from the show has been posted online, you can watch it here.





Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson Kick Off Shock Therapy Tour
(hennemusic) Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson kicked off their Masters Of Madness: Shock Therapy Tour Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico and video from the show has been posted online.

Manson performed an abbreviated greatest hits set, featuring tracks like "The Dope Show," "The Beautiful People," and covers of "Personal Jesus" (Depeche Mode) and The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)."

Alice opened his headlining set through a curtain of fire before delivering one classic after another from his extensive catalog. For the night's encores, Cooper was joined by Robin Zander and Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick for "School's Out," and Manson himself returned to the stage for "I'm Eighteen."

The trek also features openers Picture Me Broken, a band fronted by Layla Allman, the daughter of Gregg Allman. Check out video from the show here.





Motley Crue Frontman To Take Part In For The Kidz Golf Classic
(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is set to participate in, along with several sports stars, the 15th annual Sheetz Family Charities "For The Kidz" Golf Classic, set to take place Monday, June 3 at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.

The golf outing is a major fundraising effort for the Sheetz Family Charities that benefits the company's Christmas program for underprivileged children who are identified with the help of the Salvation Army. Proceeds from last year's golf event were used to bring smiles to the faces of more than 6,900 children.

Sheetz Family Charities is also supported throughout the year by Sheetz in-store donations, proceeds from Sheetz bottled water sales and other efforts. In 2012, Sheetz raised more than $1.1 million for the charity. more on this story





Bostaph Reacts To Slayer Reunion
Paul Bostaph has commented further about reunited with Slayer and for the second time replaced Dave Lombardo in the veteran thrash group.

Bostaph had this to say about rejoining the group, "It's been really cool to come back in the room and play some of the songs – Slayer songs are epic and amazing. So that's been great. We had a lot of great years together when I was with them and I'm hoping to continue all that."

In last week's announcement by the group, Bostaph had this to say, "I'm very excited to be rejoining Slayer. We spent a very intense ten years of our lives together, had a lot of fun, made a lot of great music, so for me, this feels like coming home."

And Slayer's Tom Araya added, "Paul's a great drummer and a good friend, and we're very happy that he's decided to rejoin the band. We're still pretty numb from the loss of Jeff, but we don't want to disappoint our European and South American fans, and we need to begin moving forward...having Paul back in the band makes that a whole lot easier." more on this story





The Cult Expand Electric 13 Tour
(hennemusic) The Cult have added a series of November European dates to their Electric 13 tour, a trek which will see the band perform their 1987 album, "Electric," in its entirety for the first time.

The shows will include two sets: "Electric" in one, with a second featuring tracks from the band's catalog. "The Cult's life blood has always been playing live, we are between albums and decided to continue the momentum created by Choice Of Weapon, stay in people's hearts and minds," explains singer Ian Astbury.

"As Love Live was such an incredible experience we have decided that performing the Electric album, an event that has been demanded by our fans and followers as the perfect live set to play in 2013."

The Electric 13 tour will open July 25 in San Diego. more on this story





Peter Frampton Talks Guitar Circus and The Magic of Live
(Gibson) Peter Frampton is currently touring his live extravaganza, Guitar Circus, featuring guests B.B. King, Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth and more. Frampton became a star via Comes Alive, his 1976 double album, and tells TBO.com he still doesn't understand why live music works so well for him.

"I can't say why the studio versions of the [Comes Alive] songs that became hits weren't successful. All I can think of when I hear the recordings from San Francisco venue Winterland is that there is so much passion and energy.

"The funny thing is how it was back then," Frampton tells TBO.com. "Live albums didn't count as part of your record deal but that particular album turned my career around and I was told that wasn't part of my deal."

But Frampton reports he's now happy playing a tour called Guitar Circus with some stellar talent. "People forget or don't realize that I was a guitarist first and then I became a singer. I never wanted to become a singer," he says.

"I knew way back when I was no Steve Marriott or Paul Rodgers, but you steal from the best and I stole from Steve Marriott and Peter Wolf. I was a guitarist." more on this story






Traveling Guitarists Need Not Fear Fed's Regulation
(Gibson) The long-delayed United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on the Lacey Act was delivered to Congress last week, and guitarists can finally breathe a major sigh of relief.

The report states that an instrument owner would "not need to submit a Lacey Act declaration for the instrument upon entry into the United States because APHIS is not requiring the submission of a Lacey Act declaration for such informal entries."

The report also highlights the difficulty of collecting the information required by the declaration, and states that there is no hard evidence that the Lacey Act has reduced illegal logging.

Prior to this report, it was unclear what documentation was needed, as well as what penalties might be levied against musicians for traveling with guitars. more on this story






KISS Debut New Spider Stage In Tour Kick Off
(hennemusic) KISS kicked off their European tour in support of their current album, "Monster", at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday and video from the show has been posted online.

The band debuted a new show for the occasion, with center stage made up of a massive spider. The set featured many of the KISS standards, but also included tour debuts of "Let Me Go, Rock N' Roll," "Heaven's On Fire" and "Say Yeah."

KISS will play a mixture of headline shows and festival dates across Europe for the next three weeks before launching an extensive Canadian tour in early July. Check out video here.




Ace Frehley In Celebrity Ghost Stories Season Premiere
(hennemusic) Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was featured on the season 4 premiere of Biography channel's Celebrity Ghost Stories, which premiered over the weekend.

The series presents first-person accounts by notable actors, musicians and models who believe they have experienced the other side. You can watch a clip here

"There are vengeful entities in Ace Frehley's estate and all the women in the home are in peril," reads the show's description. Frehley's tale is told alongside others by actor George Wendt ("Norm" on Cheers) and entertainer Wayne Newton. more on this story





Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Pawn Off Video With Pawn Stars
Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrated last week's premiere of the new season of Pawn Stars by releasing a special "Pawn Off" video for their new theme song for the show.

The video features Pawn Stars' Rick, Old Man and Corey Harrison as well as Austin "Chumlee" Russell in the crowd watching the band perform the new theme song for the show "Winning Isn't Everything."

The clip also features various pop-ups that give facts about the band as well as "pawn off" prices for items featured in the video like guitars, hats and more.

The hit show premiered their latest season on the History Channel last Thursday and in the season kick off Rick was given a "Rock and Roll Fantasy" camp experience for his birthday.

Fans of the show will know that Rick is an ardent fan of The Who and in the episode he went to Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp where was able to work with Kip Winger to learn to sing The Who classic "My Generation" and he later went on to perform the song with the band's frontman Roger Daltrey.

If you missed the episode, check your local listing for a reairing but for now check out the new Lynyrd Skynyrd video here.





Megadeth Streaming New Super Collider Songs Online
(hennemusic) Megadeth are streaming two new songs, "The Blackest Crow" and "Built For War," in advance of this week's release of their new album, "Super Collider."

"Super Collider" will be available as a limited-edition CD with a 3-D cover and bonus tracks, regular CD, regular LP, limited LP plus seven-inch vinyl, and as a digital download.

Megadeth are playing shows across the UK this week and have announced a series of signing sessions in the country that will take place in HMV stores in Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester and London.

You can check out the "Built For War," here and the "The Blackest Crow" stream here.




Video From Scott Weiland's Tour Leg Kick Off Posted Online
(hennemusic) Former Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland kicked off a short, west coast leg of his "Purple At The Core" solo tour at the House Of Blues in Hollywood last Wednesday and video from the show has been posted online.

Weiland is on the road with his band, The Wildabouts, as they play tracks from STP's first two albums along with a mixture of solo cuts and covers from artists like David Bowie, The Doors and The Libertines.

This past week, Weiland was sued by his former bandmates, who fired the singer this past February. The band claims Weiland sabotaged its 20th anniversary tour by being chronically late for performances and missing promotional gigs; they also claim in the lawsuit that Weiland wouldn't even communicate with band members, and that the singer's plan was to "hijack" the tour.

The suit is the latest part of the unfolding story of Stone Temple Pilots, who recently began working with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. Check out video from the show here.





Video From Guns N' Roses Club Show Goes Online
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses played back-to-back nights on Tuesday and Wednesday at the House Of Blues in Dallas this past week and video from the second show has surfaced.

The band played the same set both nights with one exception: they added "Used To Love Her," from 1988's "Lies," at the second show on Wednesday.

The group are currently playing a brief, 8-date series of US concerts, which kicked off May 24 at Rocklahoma. Gun N' Roses will wrap up the dates with a headlining set at the Governor's Ball; the June 7-9 event at Randall's Island will also see performances by Kanye West, Kings Of Leon, Gary Clark Jr, and many more. Check out the video here.




Whitesnake Singer Reads Marriage Proposal On Stage At Concert
(hennemusic) Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale read a marriage proposal on stage during the band's recent show in Sheffield, and video of the event has surfaced.

The Sheffield show was part of Whitesnake's recent UK tour with Journey, a trip that saw them play 9 dates in a 2-week span. The group launched a European tour on Saturday in Germany.

In April, Whitesnake released "Made In Japan," a Deluxe 2CD/DVD edition that captures the band in concert at the Loud Park festival on October 15th, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during their Forevermore World Tour. Watch the video here.




Rolling Stones Joined By Sheryl Crow In Chicago
(hennemusic) Sheryl Crow was the featured special guest Friday night in Chicago as the Rolling Stones played the 10th stop on their "50 & Counting" arena tour.

Crow joined the Rolling Stones to perform the song "All Down The Line," which comes from the classic Stones 1972 studio album "Exile On Main St."

Friday's show was the second of three in the Windy City for the Stones this week; they'll play the United Center again on Monday. Check out video of the jam here.





Queensryche Streaming New Song Called Fallout
(Classic Rock) The version of Queensryche fronted by Todd La Torre have released their track "Fallout". It's taken from their upcoming self-titled studio album.

The album will be their first with La Torre following the sacking of Geoff Tate, who's formed his own Queensryche lineup. Both bands will use the name until a court hearing in November decides which gets to keep it.

The two singers recently traded comments over the title of Tate's album, Frequency Unknown, with La Torre saying it was a "cheap shot" at his colleagues while his counterpart refuted the suggestion.

Queensryche tour the UK in October, and their album is released on June 24. Check out the new song here.




Synchronicity: The Album That Broke Up The Police Turns 30
(Radio.com) In Not Fade Away, we take a look at the legacy of some of the greatest albums of the past few decades – some iconic, some lesser known – as they celebrate significant anniversaries. Here, we take a look at the Police's 1983 classic "Synchronicity," which turned 30 on June 1, 2013.

If you were listening to the radio in the summer of 1983, there were two albums you couldn't avoid: one was Michael Jackson's Thriller, and the other was the Police's swan song, Synchronicity. The latter album was packed with singles, including "King Of Pain," "Wrapped Around Your Finger," "Synchronicity II" and — oh yeah — the most ubiquitous song of the the year, "Every Breath You Take." Indeed, Synchronicity and Thriller slugged it out at the top of the charts throughout the summer, with each spending time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and not leaving much room for other albums.

Synchronicity was the Police's fifth album, and once it took off, it seemed like nothing could stop them. Except, as it turned out, themselves. Sting's dominance of the band rubbed the other members — guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland — the wrong way, especially Copeland. And so the seeds of the Police's demise were sown during the making of the record.

As producer Hugh Padgham told Sound On Sound, "By the time of Synchronicity, they were sick of each other — Sting and Stewart hated each other, and although Andy didn't show as much venom, he could be quite grumpy — and there were both verbal and physical fights in the studio."

In fact, Copeland recorded his drums in the studio dining room, watching his bandmates via a video monitor. Sting recorded in the studio's control room, with only Copeland actually recording in the actual recording studio.

Part of the problem was that, while Sting was writing most of the material, Copeland was a highly acclaimed drummer who felt he wasn't getting to put his stamp on the music. In particular, the drums on "Every Breath You Take" seemed to be a bone of contention. Each drum or percussion element on the track was recorded separately, as opposed to Copeland sitting at his drum kit and simply playing normally. (Throughout the song's music video, Copeland looks both angry and frustrated as he plays.)

The Sting/Copeland beef continued through the album's mixing, which took place in Quebec near a ski resort. more.




Joe Satriani Concludes Unstoppable Momentum Video Series
(hennemusic) In the final installments of a new 3-part video series, guitarist Joe Satriani discusses his inspiration behind the writing and recording of his new album, "Unstoppable Momentum."

In part 2, Joe discusses the working with co-producer Mike Fraser and creating new performances for the project. You can watch the episode here.

In part 3, Joe discusses the hidden messages that were revealed in the process of recording the songs for the project with Mike Keneally, Chris Chaney and Vinnie Colaiuta.

The video series also features exclusive behind the scenes footage of the recording sessions and samples of tracks from the album.