Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Paul Stanley Shoots Down KISS Reunion at Rock Hall
KISS frontman Paul Stanley had an eventful weekend on Twitter where he answered various fan questions and dashed the hopes of fans that the original lineup of KISS would be reuniting at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
He was asked two questions directly about performing with original guitarist Ace Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss. In one question he was asked "Any plans yet on wearing makeup wit ace and peter at induction?" and he responded "no way."

While that answer ruled out them reuniting in makeup, another fan asked "gene ace and peter and yourself going to play the hof together?" and he responded, "Seems unlikely."

He was also asked if he had any hard feelings towards Peter and Ace and Stanley told the fans, "None. Proud to be inducted with them."

And one fan asked him "Paul don't u think things could be alot better since Ace and Peter are sober?" He responded with a simple "no."

Read more of the fan questions and Paul's answers here.




Guns N' Roses and Rolling Stones Supergroup Plan EP
(Classic Rock) Dead Daisies, the supergroup including current members of Guns N' Roses and the Rolling Stones, have written their first songs as a band and are preparing to record an EP's worth of material.

The combo's debut album was written mainly by singer Jon Stevens and guitarist David Lowy – with some help from Slash – but Gunners Dizzy Reed and Richard Fortus, Stones bassist Darryl Jones and ex-Divinyls drummer Charley Drayton joined the creative process during a tour which has just wrapped up in Israel.

"We actually recorded three new songs in the middle of that last tour," says keyboardist Reed, the longest surviving Guns N'Roses member after Axl Rose."I think we do well under pressure.

"We had some riffs and I think we all sort of found a common ground. We all listened to the same music. It's kind of what we do." more on this story




Evanescence's Amy Lee Reportedly Suing Record Co
(Banana 101.5) Evanescence singer Amy Lee is reportedly suing Wind-Up Records for more than $1 million over unpaid royalties and other allegations, according to TMZ.

Lee apparently claims that Wind-Up attempted to sabotage Evanescence by appointing the band under-qualified promoters who lacked useful ideas. TMZ was the first to report on the story Friday morning (Jan. 3), writing that Amy Lee is accusing Wind-Up of sabotaging the group.

While a reliable source, TMZ is known to ad-lib the language within its stories, and there's no official quote from Lee herself or from the legal documents as of this posting. However, the site definitively claims that Lee is seeking $1.5 million in unpaid royalties from the record label as part of her suit. more on this story




Bruce Springsteen's New Album 'High Hopes' Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen's forthcoming album, "High Hopes", is now streaming at CBS.com. The CBS stream follows a recent leak of the album's songs via Amazon before they were removed from the retailer's mobile site

The preview is part of a package deal between Springsteen and the network, which will see three songs from the project ("High Hopes," "Hunter of Invisible Game" and "The Ghost Of Tom Joad") featured on the CBS television series The Good Wife on the Sunday, January 12 broadcast of the show (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).

"High Hopes" will be streamed by CBS through to Monday, January 13 at 7:00 PM ET; the album hits stores on January 14. more on this story





Kirk Hammett To Perform With Exodus and Death Angel at Fear FestEvil
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has revealed that he will be joining Death Angel and his former band Exodus on-stage during their encores at his upcoming horror convention.

Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEviL will be taking place on February 6th, 7th and 8th at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco and it will feature live performances from Exodus, Death Angel, Orchid, Death Division and Carcass.

Hammett played with Exodus prior to be offered the lead guitarist spot in Metallica, taking the place of Dave Mustaine, who went on to form Megadeth.

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt had this to say about Hammett joining them at the event, "Exodus is stoked as f**k to announce that none other than Kirk Von Hammett himself will be jamming with us during our encore at Fear FestEviL!," he said. "What song? Hmm, that remains to be seen! I guess you will have to be there to find out!"

Hammett's connection with Death Angel goes back to 1986 when he produced their "Kill As One" which is credited with landing the group their record deal with Enigma Records.




Allman Brothers Band Address Lineup Speculation
(hennemusic) The Allman Brothers Band are clarifying rumors about changes to the group's lineup following recent comments that were made by leader Gregg Allman.

Allman told Rolling Stone that bassist Oteil Burbridge had left the band, saying "Oteil's not with us anymore. I don't know if he'll be back to the Beacon or not. He's gone with Zac Brown."

Burbridge released a statement on his website to clarify the situation. "Wow, what a surprise to wake up on the first day of 2014 to a wildfire in the rumor mill!," he wrote. "For the record…. It was an amazing experience recording and playing with the Zac Brown Band and with Dave Grohl in November. It was an awesome time and a reunion of sorts for me with old friends Chris Fryar, Penn Robertson, and Eric Pretto (the drummer, bass tech and guitar tech for ZBB, respectively) who I've known for over a decade. I am proud to be part Zac's record."

"Oteil was offered a gig with another band but he turned it down," added drummer Butch Trucks. "He is as much the bass player with the Allman Brothers today as he has ever been." more on this story




Eddie Van Halen Looks Back At 1984 30 Years Later
(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen looks back on Van Halen's monster "1984" album and the creation of his home studio in the new cover story feature in Guitar World magazine.

Eddie began by explaining the inspiration behind his home studio, 5150. "When we started work on 1984, I wanted to show [producer] Ted [Templeman] that we could make a great record without any cover tunes and do it our way," he says. "[Engineer] Donn [Landee] and I proceeded to figure out how to build a recording studio. I did not initially set out to build a full-blown studio. I just wanted a better place to put my music together so I could show it to the guys. I never imagined that it would turn into what it did until we started building it."

The guitarist's need for home studio space was prompted by a couple of issues. "I used to have a back room in my house where I set up a little studio with a Tascam four-track recorder to demo songs," Eddie explains. "I really wanted to record demos that sounded more professional than what I was doing. I used to spend so much time getting sounds and writing. I have a tape of me playing in the living room at five A.M., and you can hear Valerie [Bertinelli, Ed's ex-wife] come in and yell that she's heard enough of that song. That was another reason why I built the studio."

"The bottom line is that I wanted more control," Van Halen continued. "I was always butting heads with Ted Templeman about what makes a good record. My philosophy has always been that I would rather bomb with my own music than make it with other people's music. Ted felt that if you re-do a proven hit, you're already halfway there. I didn't want to be halfway there with someone else's stuff. 'Diver Down' was a turning point for me, because half of it was cover tunes. I was working on a great song with this Minimoog riff that ended up being used on 'Dancing in the Street.' It was going to be a completely different song. I envisioned it being more like a Peter Gabriel song instead of what it turned out to be, but when Ted heard it he decided it would be great for 'Dancing in the Street.'" more on this story




Frank Turner Is Iron Maiden Mastermind
(Classic Rock) Singer-songwriter Frank Turner won a celebrity edition of BBC quiz show Mastermind at the weekend, after choosing Iron Maiden as his specialist subject.

The former Million Dead and Mongol horde frontman answered 13 questions on the NWOBHM giants – and although he got four wrong and passed on two, his general knowledge round gave him enough points to beat contestants John Cooper Clark, Ben Faulks and Roy Hudd.

Before the show Turner admitted: "I want that trophy. I want it real bad." And after presenter John Humphries handed it to him he said: "It's been on my bucket list to be on Mastermind since I was a kid – I'm very very proud to be on it." He also won a cash prize for the Shelter charity.

He scored a total of 20 points, with comedian Hudd second on 19 points and Clark and Faulks tying on 16. See the questions and answers here.




Jack White Reveals New Album Update
(hennemusic) Jack White has issued an update on the status of a new solo album. Billboard reports that during an online chat with fans, White says he is currently working on two albums, one of which is his own.

"I'm producing two albums this month, and finishing them," he posted during the chat. "One of them is mine." White is also currently convening with The Dead Weather, releasing a series of singles leading up to a new album - the band's third - in 2015.

He's also been back in the studio with the Raconteurs since February of last year, though no official releases have been confirmed. more on this story




Opeth Planning 'Epic' and 'Unusual' Album
(Prog) Mikael Akerfeldt has completed six songs and begun work on another three for Opeth's eleventh album. He promises the material will be "epic" and "unusual" – and adds that the way he plans to record it has been heavily influence by Steven Wilson after their Storm Corrosion collaboration.

Akerfeldt tells Decibel: "Some of these things could be easily done with synthetic sounds or effects, but recording the Storm Corrosion LP with Steven made me realise what a massive difference it can mean to incorporate the real shit.

"I'm semi-pretentious in my songwriting and sometimes I go all in. I think it's time for all-in with strings and the full monty… hopefully it won't be a mess." more on this story




KISS and Grand Funk Railroad Star Bruce Kulick Gets Married
(hennemusic) Former KISS and current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick married his girlfriend, Lisa Lane, on Saturday. Kulick proposed to Lane on Christmas Eve 2012 in London, England.

"Yesterday was my Wedding to my sweetheart Lisa Lane!," posted Kulick on Sunday. "It was a magical day, with many wonderful memories to share. Off for my Honeymoon, and some great photos I will be sharing soon."

Bruce was lead guitarist for KISS from September 1984 to August 1996. He is one of only two KISS members (the other being guitarist Mark St. John) to never wear makeup in the band. more on this story




Judas Priest's Appearance On The Simpsons Posted Online
(hennemusic) Judas Priest were among the guests featured on an episode of The Simpsons that aired on Sunday night and video of their appearance has surfaced online for fans that missed it on TV.

Homer becomes annoyed with movie theaters, so Bart teaches him how to download movies illegally. Homer is delighted with his discovery of free movies until he's caught for piracy.

The episode sees Judas Priest perform a parody of their 1980 classic, "Breaking The Law." Judas Priest will host a Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas next month. Watch The Simpsons appearance here.




Curved Air, The Strawbs And Martin Turner Teaming Up For Tour
(Prog) Prog legends Curved Air and The Strawbs along with Martin Turner are gearing up for a raft of tour dates in 2014, including a nine-date tour together which kicks off in March.

And Strawbs mainman Dave Cousins is hoping there'll be a chance to reunite on stage with Curved Air vocalist Sonja Kristina, who used to front his band.

Cousins says: "Sonja sang with us after Sandy Denny left, and she rejoined the Acoustics on stage in 2009 at our 40th anniversary weekend to sing some of the Sandy Denny songs. Let's hope there's an opportunity to hear those again on this tour."

Kristina's band recently reunited with guitarist Kirby Gregory who joined the band in 1972 and featured on the Air Cut album, after Kit Morgan left for health reasons and to pursue other interests. Last month they released a single entitled Colder Than A Rose In Snow. more on this story




Silent Voices Release New Song 'Burning Shine'
(TeamRock Radio) Silent Voices, the Finnish band featuring Sonata Arctica men Herik Klingenberg and Pasi Kauppinen, have released a new track called "Burning Shine."

It's taken from their later talcum Reveal The Change, which launched in November, complete with a guest appearance from Sonata Arctica's Tony Kakko.

It's their first with vocalist Teemu Koskela, of Winterborn fame, who'd already toured with the band last year. Check out the tracklisting and listen to the new song here.




Boston Guitarist To Be Featured On Secret Life Web Series
(hennemusic) Boston guitarist Tom Scholz will be featured on an upcoming episode of "The Secret Life Of Scientists And Engineers", an Emmy-nominated web-series from the acclaimed PBS series, Nova.

Secret Life profiles today's leading scientists - and shows what they're like when the lab coats come off – like a biochemist who competed for Miss America and a microbiologist who's a professional wrestler.

Prior to his musical career, Scholz received both a bachelor's degree (1969) and a master's degree (1970) in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked for Polaroid Corporation as a senior product design engineer. more on this story





Black Stone Cherry Frontman Baptizes Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Black Stone Cherry have revealed guitarist Ben Wells was baptized by frontman Chris Robertson just before Christmas – but they say it's not a publicity stunt and they're not aiming to force their beliefs down fans' necks.

The band, who are currently at work on their fourth album, posted the above photo of the ceremony, which took place at their local church, showing Wells and Robertson assisted by their pastor.

"We hope this photo will encourage anyone in need of inner peace. We're not crazy 'Bible thumpers' but we do love us some Jesus!," the band said. "This isn't a stunt, nor is it a political religious move. This is simply a public display of what we are proud of. If just one person is affected by this in a positive way, that's what it's all about." more on this story





Joanne Shaw Taylor To Headline Summer Blues Splash festival
(The Blues Joanne Shaw Taylor will headline the annual Summer Blues Splash festival at the Picturedrome, Holmfirth, on July 12.

The lineup for the music festival will also feature Larry Miller and Gwyn Ashton, with more acts to be announced in due course.

It's Taylor's first confirmed appearance this year following a busy 2013 in which she released her first live album, Songs From The Road. more on this story





Fox Business Look At KISS Merchandising Formula
(hennemusic) KISS are featured in a FOX Business News report and video is available. Wall Street Journal celebrity business reporter Lee Hawkins examines the success of KISS' merchandising for FOX.

Hawkins says the band have made more than $500 million in merchandising since 1973, selling anything with a KISS logo – including lunch boxes, shirts, jackets, comics and coffins.

KISS were recently confirmed as one of the inductees into the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt. Check out the report here.




Young The Giant's New Album Inspired By Haunted House and More
(Radio.com) For Young the Giant, Mind Over Matter is more than the title of their latest album, it's what they told themselves to get over the pressure of making a second record. "We've done it once before," lead singer Sameer Gadhia said in regards to their 2010 self-titled debut, which spawned the hit singles, "My Body" and "Cough Syrup." "But it was a long time ago."

After releasing their first album, the band spent two and a half years on the road. Guitarist Jacob Tilley told Radio.com that by the time they were done touring, they were all ready for a break and a chance to recharge their batteries.


"When we did the first record it was very blind faith that it was gonna work," he said. "We were happy to be recording, taking time off school and having all this buzz around us. It was very exciting, but we toured for a long time and changed as musicians and as people. We wanted to have some time to really decompress with each other and really think about what we were as a band."

They admit though that they were away longer than they would have liked, due to a bout of writers block that had them struggling to find their sound again. It was writing "It's About Time" that helped the guys bounce back and ended up becoming the first single off Mind Over Matter, mostly because Gadhia couldn't stop playing it. "There's a level of frustration in the song that's just from the music itself," Gadhia explained.

Tilley admitted that they were looking to put out something more aggressive than they had before and "It's About Time" fit the bill.

We wanted to make a statement right off the bat," he said, noting that a lot of the songs they were hearing on rock radio were synth heavy, but that's just not their style. "At the core of our band we're a rock band with guitars and we wanted to put out the most blaring, guitar driven track."

Gadhia feels like he found his voice as a songwriter with this album, noting that the band's first outing — recorded when he was just 18 years old — was very earnest and honest. "It's a cliché thing to say, but you know we had our whole lives to write the first record," he explained. "The second really depends on what the band wants to do with it and for us, we wanted to do something a little different, but connect in a really strong way."

To keep them focused on the task at hand, the guys stayed in their home state of California, recording in three different houses in the Los Angeles area, including one in East L.A. that may or may not have been haunted.

"The architect was on something, because it really didn't make any sense," Tilley said. "There was like a corridor to nowhere, it would just stop. And underneath the house, in the bowels of it, there were these giant chambers…with these 30 foot roofs and people had been squatting there at some point. The whole house was just very eerie. It was obviously built in the Seventies and one room looked like it belonged in a '70s porn film, other ones looked like a demon had lived there."




Trans-Siberian Orchestra Release Video From Berlin's Brandenburg Gate
(Classic Rock) Trans-Siberian Orchestra have released a video detailing their appearance at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on New Year's Eve. The spectacular performance topped off a daring feat in which TSO played three shows across two continents in 27 hours, appearing before more than a million fans.

The band delivered two sets in Buffalo, New York earlier on December 30 before flying to Germany for their televised performance at the iconic gateway.

Mastermind Paul O'Neill says the event included "one ocean, thousands of miles, countless border crossings, countless cups of coffee – and all of it as we were flying east against the clock. Since everybody said it was impossible to do, we said, 'We have to do it.'" Watch the video.




The Pixies Release Blue Eyes Hexe Video
(Classic Rock) The Pixies have launched a video for their track Blue Eyes Hexe. It's taken from new release EP-2, following EP-1 (originally referred to as Brand New Pixies Songs) which appeared in July. The four latest tracks were recorded in Wales in October.

Frontman Black Francis explains the meaning of the new track Blue Eyed Hexe: "It's a tale from the northwestern part of the UK, a witch-woman kind of song."

Guitarist Joey Santiago adds: "Producer Gil Norton wanted a swagger – he wanted the solo to sound like you're going to have sex with this blue-eyed hexe." Watch the video.




Black Sabbath Reveal Handwritten Lyrics To Pariah
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have posted handwritten lyrics to "Pariah", a track from the band's latest album, "13." This is the latest in a series of handwritten lyrics that the band has revealed for the album.

The project was recently nominated for three 2014 Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album ("13"), and Best Rock Song and Best Metal Performance for "God Is Dead?"

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Check out the lyrics here.




Les Paul's Favorite Les Paul Guitar
(Gibson) With input into some of the world's most iconic guitars, you may think Les Paul's favorite Les Paul would be a "legendary" one. An original '52 Gold Top, maybe? Or a sunburst '59 Standard? But no. Les Paul's favorite was the Les Paul Recording model of the 1970s. It never sold particularly well. But to Les himself, it was the ultimate Gibson Les Paul.

In the "SG years" of 1961-'68, Les Paul didn't have much input on Gibson electrics. But when the Gibson/Les Paul relationship resumed from 1968, new models were soon on the horizon. Single-cut Standards and Customs were back, in the 1970s there'd be the Les Paul Signature.

But Les had his eye on the ultimate recording guitar, and he wanted low impedance pickups. In 1969 Gibson produced their first Low Impedance Guitars — the Les Paul Personal and Les Paul Professional Guitars – but they replaced in 1971/'72 by Les's ultimate: the Gibson Les Paul Recording model.

"For years I've worked to produce a multitude of distinctive guitar sounds," said Les at the time. "The hang-up was to obtain everything in one guitar. Now I'm not talking about gimmickry, I'm talking about the real McCoy - authentic guitar sounds, the type of highs that can rip your ears off, the type of bass response that's clean and clear. Every note must be balanced and offer maximum sustain."

From a distance, the Recording was shaped like a Les Paul Standard. But it was very different. It had two Low Impedance humbuckers, stacked and angled. It was designed to sound best when plugged into a mixing desk at (Low Impedance setting). When used with a regular amp, you had to engage the inbuilt impedance transformer. Controls were relatively complex — Volume, Treble, Bass, "Decade," Microphone Volume, Pickup Selector, Tone Switch and Phase Switch on its large inlay panel.

The Decade switch was designed to "tune"/alter treble harmonics, for "biting" or "silky" highs. And the Decade switch was feasibly the start of a guitar culture joke: although called the Decade, the selector switch had one more position. It actually went up to 11.


Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#Hf1oY0fSWLYQ3oBS.99

This Week's Top Stories In Rock News!

This Week's Top Stories



Led Zeppelin Lead List Of Rockers To Watch In 2014
(hennemusic) The calendar has flipped into the New Year, and hennemusic has a look at the rock forecast for 2014. They have compiled a list of the top 10 rockers to watch in 2014. Here is the top 5:

01 – Led Zeppelin: The band will launch a full catalog reissue campaign this year, with newly-remastered albums set to feature a companion disc of unreleased material, according to Jimmy Page.

02 – U2: The band will return this spring with the follow-up to 2009's "No Line On The Horizon." Danger Mouse has been producing the project, and reports indicate U2 are currently shopping for brand partners to announce the album via a Super Bowl commercial.

03 – Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl & Co. are working on the follow-up to 2011's "Wasting Light." Butch Vig is producing the project, which Grohl says is being made in a way that no one's ever done before…without elaborating or giving that secret away.

04 – Metallica: The metal icons have been busy touring the past few years while stockpiling riffs for future use, and they say they're planning to hit the studio in 2014. At least one new Metallica track will surface this year, as the group has committed to playing one new tune on their summer "Metallica By Request" tour of Europe…while fans vote to select the other 17 songs for each concert.

05 - KISS: The band will make the loudest noise at their induction into the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in New York on April 10. After years of slamming the institution, the band whipped the KISS Army into a frenzy to win the fan-voted ballot. Now, the question fans want to know is will the original lineup reunite one more time for the historical event. - See the rest of the top 10 list here.




Motley Crue Rollercoaster Legal Battle Over
(hennemusic) A judge has dismissed a lawsuit over the rights to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee's rollercoaster drum set. TMZ reports the suit, filed in September of 2012, claimed that Howard Scott King had given the idea of the rollercoaster design to Lee through the band's agents in 1991.

Motley Crue used a rollercoaster kit during their recent tours between 2011 and 2013. King was seeking at least $400,000 in damages for misappropriation of trade secrets in the Superior Court of California.

According to the TMZ report, the judge determined that King never had exclusive rights to the rollercoaster idea and that Lee designed his version on his own. - more on this story




KISS To Rock Los Angeles' First Outdoor NHL Game
(hennemusic) KISS will perform as part of the first outdoor NHL game in Los Angeles, set for January 25 at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Kings host the Anaheim Ducks for the event, part of the NHL's Stadium Series.

KISS will play during the pre-game festivities and first intermission of the game, which will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the U.S. and on CBC and RDS2 in Canada.

"Los Angeles is the premier hub for sports and entertainment in this country," says bassist Gene Simmons, "and we are honored to be part of an event that fuses both by rocking the first-ever outdoor NHL game in LA." - more on this story



Jimmy Page Reveals Led Zeppelin Reissue and Solo Release Plans
(hennemusic) Jimmy Page has posted an update on the planned Led Zeppelin reissues project, which has been scheduled to begin in 2014 and also plans for the release of some solo material.

"The first of the Led Zeppelin reissues – comprising of 'Led Zeppelin I,' 'Led Zeppelin II' and 'Led Zeppelin III' – will be released this year," wrote Page on his website. "I've also been working on some of my own material from the archives that will be unleashed in 2014."

The guitarist recently confirmed that the reissues will include unreleased material by the band. "Each of the albums has been remastered but it also has a companion disc with it," Page revealed at the Classic Rock Awards in London. "Let's take for example, 'Led Zeppelin III' - that's remastered from analogue from the original thing. I know everybody does that, but what they don't do.. I revisited all the working mixes that were done at the time." - more on this story




The Simpsons Preview Judas Priest's Rob Halford Appearance
(hennemusic) Judas Priest singer Rob Halford will be special guest star on The Simpsons this weekend, and the FOX TV Network are sharing photo previews of the episode.

Homer becomes annoyed with movie theaters, so Bart teaches him how to download movies illegally. Homer is delighted with his discovery of free movies until he's caught for piracy on the "Steal This Episode" episode Sunday, January 5 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Halford sings a parody of the Judas Priest classic, "Breaking The Law", in an effort to nab Homer. The episode features Will Arnett, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd and Channing Tatum. - Check out the photos here.



Allman Brothers Band Reaching Into the Vaults This Year
(Radio.com) The Allman Brothers Band just announced the dates for their 2014 residency at New York's Beacon Theatre, referred to as "March Madness" by their fans. So far, ten concerts have been announced, kicking off March 7. The band has played the venue more than 220 times since starting their annual residency at the venue in 1989.

One of their earliest runs of shows at the Beacon will be the focus of the upcoming Play All Night: Live At The Beacon Theatre 1992, a 2 CD set. Another archival Allmans release will be a reissue of the long out of print Live At Great Woods on DVD, filmed in 1991. The video, long requested by fans, won't include interviews edited into the main feature, as they were in the original version of the release.

Finally, the band will reach into the vaults for Boston Common 8/17/71, recorded ten weeks before the death of original guitarist Duane Allman. But what about new music from the Allmans? Guitarist/singer Warren Haynes told Radio.com that "I think we're a little closer than we were." - More.




CBS To Stream Bruce Springsteen's New Album and Debut Songs on TV
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen will debut tracks from his forthcoming album, "High Hopes", on the CBS television series The Good Wife and will preview his full album on the network's website.

At the end of the Sunday, January 5 broadcast of the show (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT), a special preview for the following week's episode will feature music from the record; at the same time, Springsteen's full album will be streamed on the CBS website through to Monday, January 13 at 7:00 PM ET.

"High Hopes" hits stores on Tuesday, January 14. The CBS stream follows a leak of the album's songs last weekend via Amazon before they were removed from the retailer's mobile site (read details here).

Three songs from the album - the title track, "Hunter of Invisible Game" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" - will be featured in The Good Wife on Sunday, January 12 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT). - more on this story




David Bowie Tops 2013 UK Indie Record Store Sales Chart
(hennemusic) David Bowie's "The Next Day" was the most purchased album in the UK's independent record shops during the last twelve months, according to the Official Charts Company.

Released in March, "The Next Day" placed No. 1 on The Official Record Store Chart Top 40 Of 2013, ahead of albums by Arctic Monkeys, Daft Punk, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and Queens Of The Stone Age.

"The Next Day" placed No. 23 on the overall Official Biggest Selling UK Albums Of 2013 Top 40. Bowie's first project in a decade also delivered the singer his first UK number 1 album in 20 years. - more on this story





Pixies Release New EP
(HER) Pixies have followed up their recent "EP-1" with "EP-2," which features four more brand new songs - "Blue-Eyed Hexe," "Magdalena," "Greens and Blues" and "Snakes," as well as a music video for "Blue-Eyed Hexe."

The new songs were recorded during October 2012 at Rockfield Studios in Wales, UK, were produced by Gil Norton and written by the Pixies. As with the band's "EP-1" and "the Bagboy" track, as well as the Pixies' original classic albums, "EP-2" features special artwork designed by Vaughan Oliver at v23. "EP-2" is available exclusively on the band's website - pixies music.com - as a DDL (mp3 only), lossless DDL, limited edition 10-inch vinyl, and as part of special bundles. The "Blue-Eyed Hexe" music video can be viewed here

Pixies will continue their extensive world tour in 2014, kicking off on January 15 with a 33-city North American trek, followed by a series of major South American and European festivals in the Spring and Summer. The festival appearances will include headline slots at Lollapalooza Chile, Lollapalooza Argentina, and Lollapalooza Brazil in April, as well as at London's "Field Day" in early June. - more on this story




Cult Frontman Feels Rock Star Title Has Been Hijacked
(Classic Rock) Ian Astbury has compared people who create music alone in home studios rather than live with a band to those who play video games instead of being active in real life.

And the Cult frontman says he's not sure where the idea of a "rock star" fits into the modern world, insisting the title has been hijacked by "accountants and four-year-old girls."

Astbury is gearing up to record new music with his band, which will start with a "discovery session" in a rehearsal room, after they completed a tour on which they played 1987 album Electric in full.

He tells Esquire, "An accountant does something amazingly well on the stock exchange and his buddies high-five him – he's a rock star. A four-year-old girl learned to ride a bicycle – she's a rock star!

"What does that mean any more? What is the popular image of rock star? A rail-thin, overly-paid, narcissistic, average-talented individual who self-implodes in front of everybody, eternally having a party and who looks eternally youthful?" - He also has some surprising opinions on who he considers rock artists.




Stryper's Michael Sweet Releasing Solo Album and Autobiography
(Classic Rock) Stryper frontman Michael Sweet will launch his latest solo album, I'm Not Your Suicide, on May 5 and he'll release his autobiography at the same time.

The 12-track album features guest appearances from Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Chickenfoot stand-in drummer Kenny Aronoff, Fozzy mainman Chris Jericho, TNT singer Tony Harnell, Sweet's brother Robert and his Stryper bandmate Timothy Gaines.

Sweet has been busy recently, working with Dokken offshoot T&N and recording then releasing latest Stryper album No More Hell To Pay. But he's not finished yet.

The vocalist says of his book Honestly: "It was much more difficult than I could ever imagine yet it's been somewhat therapeutic. I get into everything and share things that may surprise you." - more on this story




Steve Hackett Says 'Never Say Never' To Genesis Revisited III
(Prog) Steve Hackett won't rule out a follow-up to his acclaimed Genesis Revisited II release. But he believes it's time to concentrate on making his own new music – and he's not certain how much more of his former band's material can be reworked to his satisfaction.

Genesis Revisited II and its 1996 predecessor saw him rebuilding some of the his earliest material, and he admits it's generated a lot of attention for him.

Hackett tells Something Else: "Is there a third? I say, 'Never say never.' But I'm involved in doing another album of my own, rather than immediately going back to Genesis material.

"There are some lovely songs which deserve to be given the widescreen treatment – but it gets tougher because the songs I was really drawn to are already covered." - more on this story




Sammy Hagar Rocks Montrose Classic With Richie Sambora
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar performed the Montrose classic, "Rock Candy", with Richie Sambora and the Alice Cooper Band as part of a New Year's Eve fundraiser for the Maui Food Bank, and video of the performance is available.

Live footage of "Rock Candy" was uploaded by Alice Cooper drummer Glen Sobel. Alice Cooper and band were joined on stage by actors and rock legends performing their biggest hits, covers and some left field surprises with the Cooper band members serving as house band.

Performers included Steven Tyler, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers), producer Bob Rock and actor Keith Carradine, while actor Tom Arnold served as the evening's emcee.

"What a blast," posted Hagar after the show. "It reminded me of the b-day bash.. thought I was in Cabo when the clock struck 12. Dam that RUM was working OK!" - Watch the jam here.




Rockin' Tabby Thomas Dead at 84
(The Blues) Louisiana swamp blues veteran Rockin' Tabby Thomas has died four days short of his 85th birthday. He's best remembered for his 1961 single Hoodo Party, released via Excello, and for running his venue Tabby's Blues Box – referred to as "the home of the blues in Baton Rouge" by the 1980s.

The singer, guitarist and pianist's career featured a string of Louisiana blues recordings, which often included collaborations with Lazy Lester and Whispering Smith. He'd been a member of the Mellow, Mellow Men and run his own label, Blue Beat. He'd hosted a weekend blues radio show for decades.

Ernest J Thomas was the father of Grammy-winning actor and musician Chris Thomas King, who tells the Advocate: "Even when he was most ill, he still found a way to say something to put a smile on people's faces. His legacy is that he touched people with his music and his conversation." - more on this story




Soul Legends To Celebrate The Beatles Next Month
Twist & Shout: Soul Legends Celebrate The Beatles is a special event that will taking place on February 6th 2014 at the famed Apollo Theater and will feature veteran music legends, including one star who toured with The Beatles and another whose father toured with The Beatles.

This is the latest special event announced for the upcoming the 'NYC FAB 50' series which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in New York which launched Beatlemania and sparked the British invasion. We were sent the following details:

Kitoto Von Hebb, the daughter of two musical parents, one being "Sunny" author/singer Bobby Hebb, is from a family with deep and impressive musical roots. Her great uncle, Harold "Hal" Hebb was a member of the Marigolds, the group that performed for Elvis Presley at the Governor's Mansion in Tennessee.

Bobby Hebb toured with The Beatles and was a friend of theirs. His biggest hit, "Sunny," was recorded in New York City. Released as a single, it reached #3 on the R&B charts, #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. When Hebb toured with The Beatles in 1966, "Sunny" was, at the time of the tour, ranked higher than any Beatles song then on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. BMI rated "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."

Kitoto has recorded with producer Joe Viglione (producer of the "Sunny" boxed set) and her recordings of Bobby Hebb's "Proud Soul Heritage" and "Love You" feature Grammy winning drummer Steve Holley (Paul McCartney's Wings/Joe Cocker/Ian Hunter/Elton John) and her cousin Thomas Hebb among others.

This is her first appearance at the legendary Apollo Theater, and her first time performing in a tribute to The Beatles.

She will be joining a line-up of world-renowned soul, jazz and R & B legends at the Apollo Theater on Thursday, February 6, 2014 for "TWIST & SHOUT: Soul Legends Celebrate The Beatles." The slogan for the gala charity concert is "Twist & Shout: HELP! End Hunger" with 100% of the net proceeds from ticket sales to benefit the Food Bank for New York City. - more on this story




Keith Emerson Says Cheesy Cover Spoiled ELP Album
(Prog) Keith Emerson says that the cheesy cover of the 1978 Emerson Lake and Palmer album Love Beach "kind of ruined" the release.

The three members are seen standing on a sand dune with a backdrop of palm trees and sunset, clad in shirts that reveal hairy chests. And the keyboardist accepts that the terrible image overshadowed the music contained within.

He tells Something Else: "Let's tell you the truth – it's not a bad album. It's just the cover; the cover kind of ruins it. I think it was unfortunate to have the picture of us on the front looking like the Bee Gees." - Find out how it happened.




In The Studio Kick Off 2014 With Motley Crue
Syndicated radio In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands is kicking off the New Year by taking a special look back with Nikki Sixx and Vince Neil of Motley Crue. The show sent over these details:

The '80s would not have been, well, the '80s without the outlandish antics and brazen musical style of LA rockers Motley Crue. By the Spring of 1983 the Crue were living in sharp contrast to what was mainstream America. Songs like "Shout at the Devil" and "Looks that Kill" had nothing in common with the charts then, but 1985's Theatre of Pain album would transform Motley Crue into rock and roll chart toppers driven by the success of their Brownsville Station cover "Smokin' In The Boys' Room" and the monster power ballad, "Home Sweet Home". In an interview with InTheStudio host Redbeard, Nikki Sixx remembers how the latter non-traditional Crue song would set the bar for hard rock bands to follow.

"Bands didn't have a power ballad and MTV as a vehicle to have a hit. That just wasn't the way it was. After "Home Sweet Home" every band had the one ballad that came as their second or third single... I think the reason we did it was because it was so anti-Motley Crue and it was funny, because it threw us into the mainstream. Trust me, none of us had the foresight to see that." - Stream the show here.




Steel Panther Offer Winning New Year Resolution Tips
(TeamRock Radio) Steel Panther rhythm section Lexxi Foxx and Stix Zadinia have released a video with their recommendations for fan's new year resolutions. Or as bassist Foxx puts it, those things that make you "have to do something you fail at and feel worse about yourself."

He's clear on what his own 2014 consists of: "I'm going to be taller this year," he states. Meanwhile, Zadina offers sage advice for not feeling bad about the year ahead.

He says: "Make a resolution to keep smoking if you smoke already. Or if you drink liquor, make a resolution to drink more. Nobody likes a failure – set yourself up to win." - Check out the video here.




Boston's Tom Scholz To Perform At Boston Mayoral Inauguration
(hennemusic) Boston founder and guitarist Tom Scholz has announced that he will perform at the inauguration of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh this Monday, January 6.

Scholz will play some Boston songs with the Boston Pops at the Hynes Convention Center event, which will also see performances from the Dropkick Murphys, Blue Man Group, Lenny Clarke, and more.

Last month, Boston released a new album, "Life Love & Hope." The project is the group's first new release since 2002's "Corporate America." - more on this story




New Book About Journey's Neal Schon Released
Music biographer Neil Daniels has just released a new paperback and Kindle eBook via Amazon in the U.S. and the U.K. entitled "Electric World - A Casual Guide To The Music Of Journey's Neal Schon".

Here is the synopsis: "Neal Schon is undoubtedly one of rock music's most versatile yet infuriatingly underrated guitarists. His work in the legendary multi-million selling AOR band Journey is universally known but what about his excellent solo albums and his other projects such as Bad English, HSAS, Hardline and Soul SirkUs, and not forgetting his many collaborations with the likes of Sammy Hagar, Paul Rodgers and Jan Hammer?

"From the author of the acclaimed Don't Stop Believin' – The Untold Story Of Journey, Electric World – A Casual Guide To The Music Of Journey's Neal Schon is the first book to exclusively explore the music of the longest running member of one of the most successful American AOR bands of all time Electric World includes a foreword by Robert Fleischman, the original frontman of Journey, and exclusive interviews with such melodic rock heroes as Marco Mendoza, Jeff Scott Soto, Danny Vaughn, Glen Burtnik, Jimi Jamison and Ricky Phillips as well as a number of highly revered producers who have worked with Neal Schon such as Richie Zito and Mike Fraser. Also included are previously unpublished photos. Electric World is essential reading for Journey fans and AOR enthusiasts."

Order the paperback here or the Kindle version - here.



Jordison Was 'Blindsided' By Slipknot Departure
(Classic Rock) Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison has spoken out over his departure from the band, insisting he did not leave of his own choice. And although he stops short of saying he was fired, he admits he was "blindsided" by the move.

Fans were stunned last month when it was announced co-founder Jordison had "parted ways" with the band for "personal reasons." Frontman Corey Taylor later admitted to frustration over the situation, saying: "Legally and respectfully, I can't say a lot about it. We're trying to protect him, protect us – just making sure we do everything right. It's difficult."

Now Jordison, who recently toured the UK with side-project Scar The Martyr, says: "I would like to start the New Year by addressing the recent rumors and speculation regarding my departure from Slipknot.

"I want to make it very clear that I did not quit Slipknot. This band has been my life for the last 18 years, and I would never abandon it, or my fans.

"This news has shocked and blindsided me as much as it has all of you." - More.




Original Dio Members Last In Line Plan New Music
Last In Line, the group featuring original Dio members, will be taking their reunion where they have been performing classic Dio songs beyond the stage and will be recording new music.

The former Dio members, guitarist Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), bassist Jimmy Bain, drummer Vinny Appice, keyboardist Claude Schnell, reunited to pay tribute to the music of Dio following the death of frontman Ronnie James Dio with Hurricane and Lynch Mob's Andrew Freeman joining them to handle the vocals.

Now Campbell reveals in a New Year's message to fans on Facebook that the group are planning to record new music. He said, "Happy new year to all. We're excited about playing more shows in 2014, but even more so, we're looking forward to writing and recording some new music, too. What, you didn't know that?" -




Kinks Reunion Could Be In The Works
(Gibson) Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards recently turned 70 years old, and many musicians from the early era of rock music are also getting up there in age, including Dave Davies, Ray Davies, and Mick Avory of the Kinks. The former bandmates are fully aware that if a reunion is to take place, it has to be soon.

"I think it would be nice to do something all together," says the band's original drummer Mick Avory in an interview with Uncut. "Because the chances are diminishing as we talk. Hopefully me, Dave and Ray can meet before it happens. We'd have to knock our heads together and rehearse, if we meant to do it properly. We haven't played together for God knows how long."

Dave Davies admits that a reunion is definitely something that's on his mind: "I said to Ray I thought that it'd be a great shame if we don't try and do something. I don't think our love has diminished.

"I think the stage-play has played itself out a bit, the pretense and the acting. I think it's time reality took over, and started directing the last years of… whatever it is. It's like Cain and Abel," the guitarist said. - more on this story



Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Reveals Cancer and Band Update
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is starting off 2014 with a news update on the band and on his ongoing health battle with cancer. "Best Wishes for the New Year, after such a brilliant 2013, it's going to be difficult to match it this year but we'll be having a go," he began.

"I'd like the thank everyone who helped make the last year such a success, Ozzy [Osbourne] and Geezer [Butler], the band's management, Rick [Rubin], Mike E and those who helped make the recording so good, the unseen work by our record label, the promotions team, my websites (Tracy, Joe & Bryce) and all of our touring crew, especially Mick and Kat who work with me personally."

"We've some good things lined up for the coming year," Iommi continued, "firstly the Grammys, then some dates in the US and Canada, and in the summer a quick trip round Europe."

As for his health status, Iommi notes, "I should also be finishing my regular treatment and I'm hoping to not get so tired, all positive."

"Many thanks to you all for your continued support, we'd be nothing without you," he ended. - more on this story




Police Officers Violated Policy For Guns N' Roses Guitarist
(hennemusic) Two Las Vegas police officers have been found guilty of violating department policy following an investigation into a private helicopter ride for Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba last summer.

News 3 reports Captain David O'Leary and Officer Ray Horsley violated department policy when they took Ashba for a "fly along" – on the public dime – as part of the guitarist's marriage proposal to girlfriend Nathalia Henao.

As a result of the investigation, Captain O'Leary was in the process of being demoted to the rank of lieutenant but retired on December 20 before the discipline went into effect. Effective January 11, Officer Horsley will be transferred out of the Air Support Detail and will no longer be allowed to fly for the LVMPD. - more on this story




Astarte Frontwoman Fighting For Her Life Against Leukemia
(TeamRock Radio) Astarte vocalist Tristessa is fighting for her life against leukemia, her husband has revealed. The Greek metal frontwoman, real named Maria Kolokouri, is critically ill in hospital with her family by her side.

"Our beloved Maria is fighting minute by minute for her life. We are trying to keep her strong, " said her spouse Nicolas Maiis. "The people who know Maria know what a strong person she is. She is a unique human being and always kind to everyone. She is always at her son's side and always standing strong for me."

He asks fans: "Make a true wish deep down in your hearts, so Maria can feel all the good energy and take courage. The doctor said a miracle is needed. Please pray for one." - More.




Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Has Message For Suicidal Fans
(TeamRock Radio) Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has offered a message of hope to suicidal fans. He says he's inundated with desperate messages around new year – and because he's no expert counsellor, he always advised people to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

But he's thrown in his "own two cents," saying: "In a weird way, hitting rock-bottom could be the best thing ever to happen to you. You always fight harder when you're backed into a corner."

And Bathory says it's not just his own experiences which inform his position. "If you read the most successful people's biographies it always has that sentence in there: 'I was homeless with five dollars to my name,' or something equally unfortunate.

"This is not a coincidence." - More.




New Black Label Society Guitarist Revealed
(TeamRock Radio) Black Label Society have hired Lizzy Borden guitarist Dario Lorina as the replacement for Nick Catanese. And 23-year-old Lorina's former bandmates have wished him well in his new role.

Known as 'The Evil Twin' for his chemistry with BLS mainman Zakk Wylde, Catanese had been part of the band since its formation in 1998. The band reported last month:

"We have amicably parted ways with Nick, and wish him the very best in his future musical endeavours." Now Borden says: "We're extremely proud and happy for Dario on being selected as Black Label Society's new guitarist." - more on this story




Allman Brothers Band Announce 2014 Beacon Residency Details
(hennemusic) The Allman Brothers Band have announced their 2014 series of shows at New York's Beacon Theatre. Rolling Stone reports the group will begin a 10-show residency on March 7.

The run includes dates on March 7 - 8, March 11-12, March 14-15, March 18-19 and March 21-22. Gregg Allman still digs playing the annual series of shows at the legendary New York venue, where they've performed more than 220 times since 1989.

"Spontaneous things still happen," he says. "Going through the motions would be a real bore. I know a band that plays the same songs in the same order, they even say the same sh*t at the same time every night. But, no, we're all still real into it."

"These last few years," Gregg continues, "we do the Beacon and then we do one month on the road in the summertime and that's about it. And then everybody goes off to their own respective solo bands. It's getting more seldom that we get together, you know? It makes you really look forward to it." - more on this story




Jack Bruce Previews New Solo Album
(Classic Rock) Jack Bruce will release a solo album called Silver Rails in March, featuring members of his supergroup Spectrum Road and he has released a short preview video online.

The former Cream bassist and vocalist recorded a jazz fusion record in 2012 with Living Color guitarist Vernon Reid, keyboardist John Medeski and drummer Cindy Blackman Santana.

Medeski and Blackman Santana appear on Silver Rails, the follow-up to 2003′s More Jack Than God, alongside a number of other musicians. Bruce will hit the road later in March for a tour of England with his Big Blues Band.

Check out the dates and the preview video - here.




U2 Return to Island Records
(Gibson) U2's latest studio effort No Line on The Horizon was the band's first release with Mercury Records, after having spent almost thirty years with Island Records. The Irish rockers followed former Island Records boss Jason Iley to Mercury, but when Universal Records closed down Mercury earlier in 2013, it was anyone's guess where the band might end up next.

Now PA reports that U2 are heading back to Island Records. They quote a source who says that, "they are going back to their spiritual home." The news comes amidst rumors of a new U2 album being released in the near future. U2 bassist Adam Clayton has said that he hoped the band would wrap up recording sessions before the holidays and there's talk of the band announcing album number thirteen during the Super Bowl on February 2.

In related news U2 recently parted ways with long time manager Paul McGuinness, who had been taking care of the band's business since their early days in Dublin. "Sometime soon, U2 will begin a new adventure around the world and we totally understand and respect Paul's desire to not run away with the circus – AGAIN," the band said in a statement on their website. - more on this story




Santana Takes Care of Homeless Former Bandmate
(Gibson) Carlos Santana has been reunited with a former bandmate whom he hasn't seen in more than forty-five years. In 1967 percussionist Marcus Malone was a member the Carlos Santana Blues Band. Malone and Santana lost touch when the former got in to trouble with the law and was subsequently jailed.

Early in December Stanley Roberts, a reporter with the San Francisco Bay area news station KRON 4, interviewed a homeless man in San Francisco for a news piece, and during the process the man told Roberts that his name was Marcus Malone and that he used to play in the Carlos Santana Blues Band.

Roberts did some fact checking, and it turned out to be true. As luck would have it, Santana saw the news report, and actually went looking for his former percussionist. When he was unable to find Malone, Santana's manager contacted Roberts, who arranged a meeting between the two long lost friends.

"It's an honor to be in your presence, man," Santana said when the two met. "I always cherished you. You and your family were so gracious to us."

In a later interview with KRON 4 Santana said: "I want to offer him a place to stay in an apartment, get him some clothes, and just get him out of the street."

But Santana's generosity doesn't stop there. The guitarist also revealed that he wants to record with his former bandmate again. "I want to offer my brother Marcus Malone an opportunity to record on the next album with the original band, with Greg Rolie," says Santana. " We wrote a song for him called 'Magnificent Marcus Malone.' We want him to play on it and we're going to start, Lord willing, in January or February. So I would like to get him some congas so he can get his hands hard again because he hasn't been playing the congas in a while."

Malone can be seen wearing a sombrero on the cover of Santana's Live At The Fillmore 1968 album.

Check out a video of the touching reunion between Santana and Malone - here.




Mike Portnoy Bored With Drum Solos
(Prog) Mike Portnoy admits he's become bored with playing drum solos – and he'd rather use the time to play another song for fans. He believes he's grown out of taking over the show himself, and says he only performs solos because of pressure from others.

Portnoy tells MusicRadar: "I get that not only from the fans but from a lot of my bandmates. The guys go, 'Oh man, you've got to do a solo,' and it's like, 'I don't know – I'd rather do a song in that five minutes.

"I'm not interested in drum solos any more. This is my personal taste as a listener and a player: I think I've grown out of it." It's not the first time he's fallen out of love with that part of a show.

Read about that - here.




The Lindisfarne Story Going On Tour
(Prog) Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell will take their Lindisfarne Story on tour across the UK starting at the end of February. The show features some of the band's classic tracks, with the bandmates discussing the story behind each.

They first performed the set at a local theatre before public acclaim led them to make more appearances, including a gala show at Newcastle City Hall which also featured Rod Clements.

Laidlaw says: "I was a member of LIndisfarne from its inception and loved nearly every minute of it. Throughout the 1980s, Billy played in Pacamax, a Lindisfarne offshoot with Alan Hull, Rod and I. Following Alan's tragic death in 1995, he joined the MkIII version of Lindisfarne. He has the inside track until the end of that lineup in 2003."

He continues: "The Lindisfarne Story is the result of 50 years of friendship and musical collaboration. It tells the tale of a bunch of Geordie lads with a dream." - more on this story




The Flaming Lips Cover Beatles Classic
(Prog) The Flaming Lips have released a cover version of The Beatles' psychedelic classic Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. Wayne Coyne and co have been rehearsing a set of covers inspired by John Lennon and the Fab Four.

The band released 13th album The Terror earlier this year. Frontman Coyne recently told MusicRadar: "With this record we didn't really write songs

"We would shape sounds and put whatever structure there was to it, and find ways to make them into songs. That's a beautiful way to make music. Sometimes being a songwriter is a f**king affliction!" - Listen to the cover here.




Mott The Hoople Doomed By Glam Success
(Classic Rock) Mott The Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs admits he lost interest in the band when they embraced the glam era as David Bowie-penned track All The Young Dudes cemented their fame.

Ralphs – who took part in Mott's latest reunion tour late last year – tells MusicRadar: "We got caught up in all that glam rock with the Bowie connection. When we had the hit and went on Top Of The Pops we were sort of expected to wear something silly: stacked boots, girls' blouses, that sort of thing.

"But that didn't sit easily with me. We were quite outrageous on the Mott days but it was more like a punk band than a glam rock band. It was full-tilt rock – I remember people like Mick Jones of the Clash used to come and watch us play.

"So Mott was a very exciting live band, but then we went on to become a glam-pop band, I suppose. That's when I lost interest. You've got success; but it was compromised." - more on this story




The Killer Blues Headstone Project Reaches 20
(The Blues) The Killer Blues Headstone Project recently marked the grave of Aaron 'Pinetop' Sparks, finally identifying for future generations where the pioneer bluesman was laid in 1937.

That's taken the scheme's total to 20 – but they have a list of dozens of music icons whose last resting places remain unknown. And project organiser Aaron Pritchard hopes fans of the genre will help fund their continued work.

Some ceremonies are followed by jam sessions and other celebrations – but Pritchard stood alone in the St Louis graveyard, with the exception of a cemetery superintendent and a few members of the press, to pay respects after laying Sparks' headstone, made at a cost of around $300. - more on this story




Giant Eagles Record Spinning On Top Of The Forum For LAX Passengers
(Scoop) The Eagles and the Forum are showcased in a one-of-a-kind tribute that will serve as a surprise treat for passengers on flights arriving at LAX throughout January.

The Eagles' Hotel California has been blown up to epic proportions as the world's largest vinyl record topping the roof of the newly revamped "Fabulous" Forum.

The enormous Hotel California record will be spinning on top of the venue through the Eagles' six concerts kicking off the opening celebration of the venue (Jan. 15, 17, 18, 22, 24 and 25) through the end of January.

With the Forum's focus now on entertainment, especially live musical acts, the venue has undergone a comprehensive, $100 million renovation that will make it the largest indoor music and entertainment venue in the country. As a tribute to the first act performing at the venue, this unique promotion of the Hotel California maxi-disc is a visual treat for the Los Angeles community, and passengers on upwards of 1,700 daily flights at LAX. Over the last few days of 2013, visitors have seen the build take place, as the Forum in Inglewood is directly under the arrival flight path for the nation's third busiest airport.

To view and download high-resolution footage of the Forum's Hotel California record installation go here.

The super-sized Hotel California LP was designed and built by the marketing and promotion company Pop2Life, based in Glendale, CA. The impressive structure is made from more than a quarter-million square feet of printed vinyl, held up by more than half a mile of aluminum truss, the only 120-foot truss circle in the U.S. The 407-foot diameter disc spins at 17 mph and was constructed by a crew of more than 75 workers. In order to have the promotion ready for its official January 1, 2014 unveiling, those workers were on the job every day over the holiday season.

"Our job is to get brands noticed... period. That's why we push ourselves to come up with ideas like this," said Pop2Life President/CEO Eric Murphy. "Utilizing the pop culture power and reach of a legendary band like the Eagles, this extraordinary stunt sends a loud message that the Forum is back, better than ever, and committed to being the premiere live music venue in Southern California."

"This was the perfect way to highlight to the world that the Forum is back in business and for us to honor America's biggest band, the Eagles, who continue to be one of the most popular and successful groups touring today, and the first performer to play our iconic venue," said the Forum's Sid Greenfeig, senior vice president, West Coast business operations.

The Forum will reopen on January 15 with the Eagles' "History of the Eagles" tour performances. On January 20, Justin Timberlake's highly anticipated "20/20 Experience World Tour" will come to the venue. Alejandra Guzmán will become the first Latin artist to perform at the Forum when her "La Guzmán 1F Tour" comes to the venue on Feb. 1. Imagine Dragons' "Into the Night Tour" will come to the Forum on February 14, followed by "Paul Simon & Sting: On Stage Together" on February 15. TobyMac's HITS DEEP TOUR, featuring Brandon Heath, Mandisa, Matthew West and Matt Maher, will come to the Forum on March 1. Kings Of Leon will be performing at the Forum on March 21 in support on their 2014 Mechanical Bull Tour. Armin van Buuren's "Armin Only: Intense" is scheduled for May 9.


Read more at http://www.antimusic.com/dayinrock/#dWpvxcr5J10mwwcW.99

This Week's Top Stories In Rock News!

Here are the top stories from this past week's Day in Rock report

Pearl Jam Accountant Admits To Six-Figure Theft From The Band
(Classic Rock) A fired Pearl Jam executive has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $400,000 from the band who employed him. Rickey Charles Goodrich, 55, was responsible for thefts totaling £380,000 in the four years before he was sacked in 2010. In total he cost the band $566,000 once investigative expenses are added to the bill.

Goodrich has admitted guilt to six counts of first-degree theft and he'll be sentenced in February. It's thought he'll go to jail for six months – but if he hasn't paid back everything he stole, the sentence could be 14 months.

He was employed in 2005 as Pearl Jam's accountant and financial officer, then became part of their management company the following year, with access to their tour and fan club funds. - more on this story



Metallica Streaming Full Freeze 'Em All Concert In HD
(Classic Rock) Metallica have fans an early Christmas present by releasing HD video of their entire historic Freeze 'Em All concert that they staged in Antarctica. Classic Rock has these details and the full 68-minute video:

It was shot earlier this month when the thrash giants embarked on a 10-day cruise to Antarctica with a boatload of competition prizewinners. On arrival on King George Island they delivered a ten-song set through headphones in order to minimise noise pollution.

Metallica say: "On December 8 we set a world record by becoming the first and only band in history to perform concerts on all seven continents in under a year. The energy in the little dome was amazing – words can not describe how happy everyone was." - Watch the show here.



Santana Reunited With Homeless Former Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Carlos Santana has been reunited with a pre-fame bandmate who fell on hard times over 40 years ago, and Santana has vowed to turn his old friend's life around.

'Magnificent' Marcus Malone was a member of the Carlos Santana Blues Band in 1967 – but wound up in trouble with the law. And by the time Santana had become a big name act they'd lost touch with the percussionist.

That changed when CNN reporter Stanley Roberts interviewed a homeless man on the streets of San Francisco, who claimed to be Malone and asked for help. Santana saw the TV report and went looking for his former colleague with no luck. Finally his manager spoke to Roberts, who arranged the emotional moment captured on camera below.

"It's an honor to be in your presence, man," Santana told his old friend after they hugged. "I always cherished you. You and your family were so gracious to us." Afterwards he confirmed: "That's him, man – that's 'Magnificent' Marcus Malone alright. His spirit is indomitable."

Santana had a lot more to say and explained how he plans to help his former bandmate - here.



Judas Priest Releasing New Album In 2014
(hennemusic) Judas Priest took to their official website on Monday (December 22nd) with a Christmas and New Year's message for their fans and also revealed they will be releasing their new studio album in coming year.

"We wish all of our fans a great Christmas and a very metal New Year!," wrote the band. "We will be releasing a new album sometime in 2014 so stay tuned!"

This past summer, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford shared an update on the band's follow-up to 2008's "Nostradamus." "The writing process is complete," Halford told Billboard. "Now it's the painstaking work of making sure that you get every single note, every single nuance of the vocal, every tiny aspect...right. We're still tracking (instruments). It's just a very laborious but enjoyable part of making the record."

Priest is producing the album itself at the moment, but Halford notes that "there's always a possibility somebody might come in to overview some of the things we're doing." - more on this story




Guns N' Roses Tease Fans With Christmas Message
Guns N' Roses released a holiday message for fans on Monday that teased fans with the news and a graphic about the announcement of a South American tour.

The band told fans, "From everyone in Guns N' Roses, to all our fans around the world – Happy Holidays! As for everything else? …yes, Jarmo is right. Information coming soon!"

Posters on a fan forum state that "Jarmo is right" is a reference to a poster on the Guns N' Roses message board that said that a tour announcement was coming soon. Along with the text, the message also included a graphic that said "South American Tour 2014".

The posting on Facebook included part of the graphic and a link to the announcement on the band's official site. But the Facebook posting also included "Its been 5 years South America… We are coming back at ya!" which had some fans on the My GNR Forum puzzled because the band toured South America two years ago.

Some of the posters speculated that the 5 could have simply been a typo or a mistake. One poster had the following speculation about the 5 years reference: "The five years thing kind of makes me think of a new album announcement, starting the tour off in South America. It's been 5 years since [the "Chinese Democracy" album was released]."

Another poster wrote, "I think the 5 years is referring to the album release? At least I hope. I'd hate to know that management can't even count."

Read the forum postings for more of the fans reaction to the "announcement announcing the announcement" and speculations - here.



Dream Theater Frontman James LaBrie Releasing Solo EP
(Prog) Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie will release a nine-track EP called 'I WIll Not Break' on January 6th, 2014 in Europe and January 14th, 2014 in North America.

It follows the launch of his latest solo album, Impermanent Resonance, which appeared in July. The EP title track is the same one that closes the full-length record, while Unraveling and Why were only previously available as bonus numbers on certain versions. Also featured are an alternative mix of Coming Home, demo versions of Jekyll Or Hyde and Just Watch Me, and remixes of I Tried, Over The Edge and Euphoric.

LaBrie says: "This digital EP will show some of the songs with alternate mixes as well as letting you hear guitarist Matt Guillory's exceptional voice with some of the songs in their demo versions.

"We had three of the songs mixed in dubstep stylings to give them a somewhat interesting flavour and twist. Hope you all enjoy this release – I personally think it is very cool."

Listen to the title track - here.




Pixies Didn't Tell Kim Shattuck Why She Was Fired
(Classic Rock) Kim Shattuck says the Pixies didn't tell her why they fired her just four months after signing up to replace Kim Deal. Bassist Shattuck was brought on board after co-founder Deal announced her departure in June, with management saying she'd "just had enough."

But the position only lasted until the end of a UK tour, after which the Pixies announced Paz Lenchantin as their third bassist of 2013. Now Shattuck tells Jonah Raydio:

"They didn't tell me why or anything – although I had some inkling why. I don't know whether I'm ready to say or not, but it wasn't to do with me as much as you'd think."

One thing she does say is that she doesn't blame frontman Black Francis: "I'm not so mad at him – he's not the problem," she states. - more on this story




Eddie Veddar Jams Stones Classic With Criminal Minds Star
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder teamed up with Criminal Minds star Jeanne Tripplehorn to perform the Rolling Stones' 1978 classic, "Shattered", at a fundraiser for Heal EB in Malibu in September, and video from the event is now available.

Vedder played acoustic guitar and handled back-up vocals while Tripplehorn sang the song in the style of Julie Andrews. Heal EB is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding a cure while raising awareness for Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a rare total body disease that causes blisters after the mildest trauma. Depending on the type of EB, the effects can be mild, disabling, or life threatening. It is not contagious because it is a genetic disease. There is currently no cure, but efforts are being made to identify new strategies for the treatment of EB. - Watch the video here.




Kings of Leon Pen Song For August: Osage County Soundtrack
(Radio.com) The guys in Kings of Leon left the electric guitars at home for their stripped-down song "Last Mile Home." Written for the film, August: Osage County, the song is also on the deluxe version of their latest album Mechanical Bull, though with fuller production.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the band talked of "Last Mile Home" being the first time that they wrote a song not initially intended for an album. "It was important for us to create a song to complement such a beautiful film," Kings of Leon singer and songwriter Caleb Followill said. "We submitted the song, then went out on the road, then had to find a few days to record between tours. It was a tight squeeze but we made it happen."

He added that the film's story was something he could easily relate to. "The dynamic between family is always something that you look forward to, and dread at the same time. Not only are we family, but we all have very strong Oklahoma ties, so we totally relate to that 'frontier grit.'" - more on this story




Muse Not Rushing Next Album
(Gibson) Having just wrapped up touring behind last year's release, The 2nd Law, Muse is already preparing for their next studio album. Muse frontman Matt Bellamy told triple j: "I've written some good tracks, actually" said Bellamy. "We haven't had a chance to rehearse them out yet. We'll take a break next year for a little few months and then we'll get in the studio."

Regarding a potential release date Bellamy said: "If it all goes very well, the new album could well be early 2015 or late 2015. Christmas 2014 might be [when we release] our next single."

Fans of Muse's early work will be happy to hear that the band is going for a more stripped down sound with their new music, as Bellamy told Rolling Stone in a recent interview: "I want to bring it back to just being about the music that we are playing, about the instruments, the guitar, the bass, the drums and these personalities."

Bellamy continued by saying: "I have this strong feeling that the next album should be something that really does strip away the additional things that we've experimented with on the last two albums, which is electronics, symphonics and orchestral work and all that kind of stuff. I kind of feel like it will be nice to reconnect and remind ourselves of just the basics of who we are." - more on this story




Toby Jepson Giving Away Live Acoustic Song
(Classic Rock) Toby Jepson has made a live acoustic track entitled "Unwind" available for streaming and free download. It was recorded in Nottingham's Rock City Basement during his recent solo UK tour in support of new album Raising My Own Hell.

Launching lead track Shadow Boxing via Classic Rock last month, Jepson said: "Raising My Own Hell is the result of getting older – and hopefully a bit wiser. It's perhaps closer to my own kind of truth, my own kind of anger, my own kind of love.

"I've simply gathered six tunes I liked and done the best I could with them in the time available, with some cool friends who were generous enough to indulge me for a short while."

Check out the unplugged song - here.




Steve Thorne Releases 'Darkest, Bitterest
(Prog) Prog has premiered Steve Thorne's seasonal track "English Christmas." It's taken from his upcoming album Island Of The Imbeciles. And, as the title suggests, he's pulling no punches with his message.

Thorne tells Prog: "This is probably the darkest, bitterest and most truthful Christmas song ever written. Ebenezer Scrooge would have bought ten copies! But the irony is, I really like Christmas."

He says of Island Of The Imbeciles, which features guests including Tony Levin and Nick D'Virgilio: "It's been terrific fun to make. I'm really, really pleased with the songwriting and playing. I can't wait for people to hear it, which is usually a good sign." - Listen here.




Dan Akroyd Leads Lonnie Brooks 80th Birthday Celebration
(The Blues) Dan Akroyd led a host of big names through a live show to celebrate the 80th birthday of icon Lonnie Brooks at the weekend. The lineup at Chicago's House Of Blues included Otis Taylor, Otis Clay, Jellybean Johnson, Shemakia Copeland, Big Head Todd, Jimmy Vivino, Donald Kinsey, Billy Branch and others. See fan-shot video of the ensemble outfit jamming Sweet Home Chicago below.

Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richard sent a video message. The performance was paused briefly to pay tribute to rising-star bluesman Eric 'Guitar' Davis, who was shot dead last week.

Akroyd told DNA Info: "Lonnie is one of the last living, working links to the Chicago blues tradition. He started in the late 50s with Chess Records and Checkerboard Lounge.

"You've got to recognise a guy like that for his dedication, his artistry, and really for his just hanging in there for so long. He is extremely worthy of a tribute like this, and everybody is coming out because they love him. - More including video.




In This Moment Plan Special Blood In Early 2014
(TeamRock Radio) In This Moment will revisit their 2012 breakthrough album Blood with a Special Edition that is to be released on January 20th in the UK and the 21st in North America.

The original record will be packaged with a live DVD, Blood At The Orpheum, which was recorded in May and features a bonus cover of Nine Inch Nails track Closer plus behind-the-scenes footage.

The Special Edition is launched in January via Century Media, with Blood At The Orpheum appearing as a standalone digital video on February 17th (in the UK, the next day in North America). - Check out the trailer.




The Enid Releasing 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Box Set
(Prog) The Enid have begun taking orders for a limited-edition 40th anniversary box set which celebrates the opening era of their career after being formed by Robert John Godfrey in 1973.

Just 2000 copies will be available with delivery commencing at the end of January, containing two audio CDs and a DVD, presented in a DVD-sized digipak case.

Included are The Enid's first two albums, In The Region Of The Summer Stars and Aerie Faerie Nonsense, both of which are extended with bonus tracks. There's also a DVD documentary in which Godfrey talks to original and current drummer Dave Storey and recently-added frontman Joe Payne about the band's early years. - more on this story




Jonny Lang Explains His Voice Change On New Album
(The Blues) Jonny Lang says his first studio album in seven years has underlined how much he's learned since the release of Turn Around in 2006 – and that includes how to use his voice and who to make music for.

Fight For My Soul was launched in September and sees Lang delivering a vocal style very different from his early works. He tells ADN: "I don't know how to explain it. I didn't necessarily try to sound like that – it's just what came out. I've learned how to sing better, or closer to what I would like to do in my mind."

Lang says of his earlier performances: "Some of that rasp was just me destroying my voice. I used to lose my voice all the time. It's gotten more powerful but less distorted; I can still do that, but it comes with a cost." - more on this story




Eric 'Guitar' Davis Called 'The Future Of The Blues' After His Murder
(The Blues) Eric 'Guitar' Davis, who was murdered in Chicago last week, has been described as "the future of the blues" by the owner of a venue he regularly played.

Tony Manguillo, boss of the city's Rosa's Lounge, said he feels like he lost a brother in the violent altercation which left the 41-year-old – son of drummer Bobby 'Top Hat' Davis – dead as a result of two bullet wounds.

Now he's running a YouCaring memorial fund with the intention of raising $10,000 for Davis' family, ahead of a memorial concert next month. "Leslie and their six children are in need of financial support for Eric's funeral, which must be paid for upfront," Manguillo says.

"Eric was not only a musician, he was an entertainer: the future of the blues. Today we don't only mourn the loss of a friend, but also the loss of an amazing force in the Chicago Blues music scene." - more on this story




Status Quo To Headline Llangollen Eisteddfod
(Classic Rock) Status Quo have been confirmed as the headline act for the 2014 edition of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales that will be taking place next summer.

Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt and co will grace a stage previously trod by classical icons including Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballe, James Galway and the Welsh National Opera.

The annual event attracts more than 5000 artists every year for competitions and performances – and although it's closely associated with the finer end of the music spectrum, director Eilir Owen Griffiths says Quo are a perfect match.

He tells the BBC: "We've created a festival within a festival called Llanfest, and this is a great headlining act for ending the week." - more on this story




Of Mice & Men Streaming New Song
(TeamRock Radio) Of Mice & Men have released their new track Bones Exposed, which comes from their upcoming album Restoring Force. The California-based four-piece's third studio outing is set for launch on January 28th in North America, 27th in the UK via Rise Records, and follows 2011's The Flood.

Frontman Austin Carlile recently said: "What happens after The Flood? You return to normal – you find balance again. That's what we felt like we were doing with this album.

"We wanted it to bring equilibrium back to our band and music. We're letting everyone know that we're here to stay: we're Restoring Force." Listen to the new song - here.




Supersuckers Release Pushin' Thru Video
(Classic Rock) Supersuckers have released a new music video for their track Pushin' Thru. It's taken from upcoming album Get The Hell, set for launch on January 14th (January 27th in the UK).

The new album will be released via Steamhammer/SPV, their first with the label and also the first with drummer Captain Von Streicher, who joined last year.

Frontman Eddie Spaghetti recently said: "The Supersuckers have no business being this good after all these years – it's as brutal and as polished as the band has ever sounded. This record is a juggernaut front to back." - Watch the video here.




Rolling Stones Release Season's Greetings Video
(hennemusic) Rolling Stones frontmen Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are offering fans season's greetings on behalf of the band via a new video as they wind down 2013.

The group recently picked up three nominations for the 2014 Grammy Awards ceremony, set for next month in Los Angeles. The band's 2012 single, "Doom And Gloom", is a finalist for "Best Rock Song", while the band's release of "The Brussels Affair" – documenting a 1973 concert in Belgium – earned a nod in the Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package category.

The band's third nomination is for "Charlie Is My Darling — Ireland 1965" in the "Best Historical Album" category. The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Watch the holiday video greeting - here.




Against Me! Recall Their First Time
(Radio.com) Long before Against Me! carried modern punk's flag, the band had high hopes of their music being played to a wider audience than just their hometown Gainesville, Fl. scene.

Voracious touring helped win over fans, certainly, but early adopters at college radio helped the band reach new levels through airplay, despite the fact that their genre doesn't have a widespread presence at radio.

"I think it was 'Pints of Guinness Make You Strong' off our first record [Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose]," frontwoman Laura Jane Grace recalled of the band's on-air debut.

"It was in our first touring van, which was a Dodge Ram. It was on the local college radio station. We heard that they were getting a DJ who would actually play punk stuff so we listened. I remember it coming on."

She added: "It's one of those surreal moments where you're just like 'Whoa, that's crazy. We're on the radio!' But then it's over and we're like…'OK, so here we go.' It's cool, having yourself played on the radio. If you're a musician and you're in a band, that's cool. You're stoked." -




Gene Simmons Leads A Very Satan Christmas
(hennemusic) KISS bassist Gene Simmons stars in "A Very Satan Christmas", a new video from the team at Funny Or Die. Simmons plays Satan Claus in the seasonal video, which features his family as they gather around the dinner table for a holiday feast.

This past week, KISS were confirmed as one of the inductees into the 2014 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt.

The induction ceremony will be held at New York's Barclays Center on April 10th, 2014. The ceremony will be held at New York's Barclays Center, marking the first time the general public will be able to attend the ceremony in NYC. - Watch the video here.




AC/DC Campaign Breaks Band's Chart Record
(Classic Rock) A brave attempt to place AC/DC at UK Christmas number one for the band's 40th anniversary fell just three paces short last night, but it still gave them their first-ever top ten single.

Over 170,000 people liked the Facebook campaign to send Highway To Hell to number one. The Australian giants were beaten to the top spot by this year's X-Factor TV gameshow winner Sam Bailey, who was special guest on BBC Radio 1 as the chart results were announced live.

Over 43,000 people actually bought the track during the eligible time period while Bailey's track Skyscraper sold 149,000 copies. The Official Charts Company said:

"AC/DC have scored their first ever UK top ten single with Highway To Hell. Despite having several top ten albums here, including three number ones, the veteran rockers' previous best was number 12 in 1988 with Heatseeker." - more on this story




Ace Doesn't Want New KISS Members To Wear Makeup At Rock Hall
(Classic Rock) Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley says he hopes Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will "do the right thing" by him and ex-drummer Peter Criss at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

And stating that current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer won't be among those honored, Frehley says he'd be happy to see them take part – as long as they're not in makeup.

He tells Q104.3FM (via Blabbermouth): "I always try to take the high road and be optimistic, and hope everybody's going to come to the bargaining table and do the right thing. Sometimes I get the support.

"I have a feeling everything's going to work out. I spoke with Paul and Gene. I know they want to perform with me and Peter. I'm just not sure how they want Tommy and Eric to be involved – but since they're not getting inducted, I'm going to let that play out with the Hall, management, attorneys and all that stuff."

Discussing Thayer and Singer, Frehley says: "I don't have a problem with Tommy and Eric being there out of makeup, if I'm in makeup, because they're a big part of Kiss today." - He had more to say on that subject.




Jimmy Page Discusses Extras For Led Zeppelin Reissues
(Gibson) The entire Led Zeppelin catalog is now available for streaming via Spotify. And Jimmy Page has also been talking about his work on newly-remastered Led Zeppelin albums due in 2014.

"I've done my bit. Technology has moved on since the last set of remasters and you can hear the difference in these new versions. They're quite something," Page explains. "Obviously there's not that much material that we could add from the first two albums, but from Led Zeppelin III there is."

Alternative takes and outtakes are all apparently part of the releases. No date is scheduled yet – Page is renowned for his methodical approach – but there will be remastered Led Zeppelin out in 2014.

Led Zeppelin are already up for two Grammy awards in 2014 — "Best Rock Performance" for "Kashmir (Live)" from Celebration Day, and the album, itself, Celebration Day, in the "Best Rock Album" category. - more on this story




Eric 'Guitar' Davis Killed In Chicago Shooting
(The Blues) Blues star Eric 'Guitar' Davis, who was the son of drummer Bobby 'Top Hat' Davis, was shot and killed near his Chicago home last week, police have confirmed.

The 41-year-old, who was given his first guitar lesson by Buddy Guy, was found dead in his car with bullet wounds in his neck and torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 6am.

Davis and his band The Troublemakers has recently signed a deal with Delmark Records. Boss Bob Koester says: "He was next in line for the blues before these guys shot him." - more on this story




Former Korn Drummer Goes After Fieldy Online
(Radio.com) Despite former Korn drummer David Silveria's scattered hints that he'd like to one day re-join the band he formed, it's likely that he's just sealed his fate with a series of Facebook comments directed at bassist Reggie "Fieldy" Arvizu.

Following Brian "Head" Welch's recent tearful reunion with band in May, fans have speculated about Silveria's return. But as as Metal Injection points out, calling a former bandmate a "little b****" may reduce the likelihood of him returning.

After having read Fieldy's new book, Got The Life, a fan queried Silveria about their clashes: "He threw down his bass and called you out to fight him and after that you two never got along, what the hell happened?"

"Ha ha!! Fieldy NEVER threw down his bass and tried to fight me," responded Silveria through a series of comments. "He is a coward with a big mouth and he knows I would beat his a** like the little wimp that he is. I would love for him to talk sh*t to my face now. I would love to crush him like a b****."

"Sorry guys. Fieldy has acted like a tough guy for so long it's nice to tell the truth. Not only is he NOT a tough guy but he's a cowardly little b****. He never tried to fight me cuz he knows I would squash him like a bug. He acted like a tough guy on tour to our staff cuz he knew he could get away with it because our crew got paid well and didn't want to lose their jobs. He used that to walk around acting like he though he was a tough gangsta. Our entire crew laughed at him behind his back because they all knew he is a pussy. I would love to see him out somewhere with no security to protect the runt. He wouldn't say anything because he's totally scared of me." - What does Munky have to do with all this?




Aerosmith's Dream On In The Running For Official Home State Song
(hennemusic) Aerosmith's 1973 classic, "Dream On", is currently competing to be the official state song of Massachusetts. The track is going head-to-head with Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" in a bill discussed Thursday at a hearing of the State Administration and Oversight Committee.

Sentinel & Enterpise reports "Dream On" was left without a single witness to offer live testimony on behalf of the song, despite being put forward by lead sponsor, D-Marshfield.

"(Aerosmith) are definitely from Massachusetts. They are a prime example of the rags to riches story that 'Dream On' encapsulates," Rep. James Cantwell wrote, adding that designating the song "will honor hard work and dreaming on regardless of life's hardships. Like Aerosmith the band, the song celebrates grit and remaining steadfastly committed to your dreams." - more on this story




John Lennon To Receive Out Of This World Honor
(hennemusic) Beatles legend John Lennon is among ten famous people who are having craters on Mercury named after them by the International Astronomical Union.

The IAU, which is in charge of planetary and satellite nomenclature, named the craters in honor of "deceased artists, musicians, painters, and authors who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their field and have been recognized as art historically significant figures for more than 50 years."

In addition to Lennon, the newly-named craters are: Capote, for Truman Capote (1924-1984), an American author whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction include the novella "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the true-crime novel "In Cold Blood." - See who else here.




Queen and Bowie Producer David Richards Dead At 57
(Classic Rock) Queen record producer David Richards has died at the age of 57 after a long illness, it's been confirmed. He's best known for working on the band's last four albums, A Kind Of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo and Made In Heaven, while also collaborating with David Bowie on Never Let Me Down, The Buddha Of Suburbia and Outside. Among his other credits are Iggy Pop's Blah Blah Blah and Magnum's Vigilante.

In 1975 he started as an engineer at Queen's Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, after several years of working in London. Two years later he became its chief engineer, then bought over the establishment in 1993 and nine years later moved it to new premises in Attalens.

Queen men Brian May and Roger Taylor say in a statement: "David will be remembered by many as a good friend. He was funny and generous and great company – a talented and capable man who had an instinctive 'magic touch' in the recording studio. His creative productions will be enjoyed for years to come." - Read their full statement here.




The Cult Want To Release New Music In Unconventional Way
(hennemusic) As The Cult wrap up their Electric 13 tour dates this weekend, singer Ian Astbury is looking ahead to the prospect of releasing new material in an unusual way.

"We're playing around with the idea of putting new music out as capsules," Astbury tells Rolling Stone. "That means we'd release two new songs every three months grouped with a live recording of songs from our catalog plus visual elements. We'd do it in all formats: vinyl, digital downloads, CDs…Everything available. It'll be dropped for a limited time in a quick strike and then it's gone."

The only problem is that the group owes an album to UK indie label Cooking Vinyl. "They aren't interested in the capsule idea," says Astbury with a sigh. "They want to put CDs on shelves. I'm like, 'What shelves?' Even the shelf space at Best Buy is shrinking; I was in Whole Foods the other day and they were selling vinyl…But I'm amazed at the resistance to my idea.

"We've even tried the self-funding route, but when you're pioneering something you constantly have to go around and educate people about what this is. This a fresh perspective. The old way just isn't working." - more on this story



Within Temptation Release Howard Jones Collab Video
(TeamRock Radio) Within Temptation have released their video for Dangerous, featuring former Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones. It appears on the symphonic metal outfit's sixth studio album, Hydra, set for release next month.

The record also features guest appearances from ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen, Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner and hip-hop artist Xzibit.

Guitarist Robert Westerholt explains why they named the album after a mythical many-headed beast: "It's like us – undefinable. And the record represents many different sides to our music."

Hydra will be available in standard formats and an 18-track digital premium release, featuring a video and digi-booklet plus four "evolution versions" of tracks showing how they developed, alongside commentary from Weterholt and vocalist Sharon Den Adel. - Watch the video here.




A Day To Remember Back At It Again With New Video
(TeamRock Radio) A Day To Remember have released a new music video for their track Right "Back At It Again," which is taken from latest studio album Common Courtesy

The new album was finally launched recently after a judge ruled in the band's favor during legal action with their label. Announcing the release in October, frontman Jeremy McKinnon told fans:

"If you care about what you do with your life, if you do if you do it for the right reasons, absolutely nothing can stop you from getting where you want to be." - Watch the video here.



Rolling Stones Guitarist Keith Richards Release 70th Birthday Video
(hennemusic) On December 18, Keith Richards turned 70 and celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary, and the Rolling Stones guitarist has posted a video message of thanks to fans for their messages of support.

The Rolling Stones recently picked up three nominations for the 2014 Grammy Awards ceremony, set for next month in Los Angeles. The band's 2012 single, "Doom And Gloom", is a finalist for "Best Rock Song", while the band's release of "The Brussels Affair" – documenting a 1973 concert in Belgium – earned a nod in the Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package category.

The band's third nomination is for "Charlie Is My Darling — Ireland 1965" in the "Best Historical Album" category. The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). - Watch the video here.


Def Leppard Release Christmas Video
(hennemusic) Def Leppard members Joe Elliot and Rick Savage are featured in the band's 2013 holiday greetings video message to fans. The group are set to host A Day Of Hysteria on AXS TV, as they take over the channel on December 29 to present 12 hours of concerts, including the broadcast premiere of their new live set, "VIVA! Hysteria."

Filmed earlier this year at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, "VIVA! Hysteria" includes a full, live performance of the 12-times platinum album "Hysteria", along with hits "Rock of Ages," "Love Bites," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and more. "VIVA! Hysteria" will premiere at 8 ET / 5 PT.

The Day Of Hysteria marathon also features concerts from New York Dolls, Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar & Friends, KISS and more…including the television premiere of "Cheap Trick at Budokan: The 35th Anniversary Performance" at 9:30 ET|6:30 PT – shot exclusively by AXS TV earlier this year at L.A.'s El Rey Theatre. - Watch the Christmas video here.




Twisted Sister Film Director Seeks Fan Funds To Complete Project
(Classic Rock) The upcoming documentary film We Are Twisted F*cking Sister! is the story of Twisted Sister's 10 years playing the bars prior to their breakout in 1983.

Director Andrew Horn has put together a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for completion. He's calling on all Twisted fans, metal fans, rock fans – and/or anyone who's just a fan of a great story told by a great cast of characters – to help support the film and get it out there.

Horn explains: "I first met Twisted Sister when I interviewed lead singer Dee Snider and guitarist Jay Jay French while researching my previous film, The Nomi Song. Jay Jay then appeared in the film describing the wild scene that erupted when Nomi, a German operatic counter-tenor and performance artist, was booked to open for Twisted Sister in a club in suburban New Jersey. - more on this story




Motorhead Plan To Finish Wacken Job Next Year
(TeamRock Radio) Motorhead have confirmed they'll return to Germany's Wacken Open Air festival to deliver a full-length set next year, after cutting their 2013 appearance short.

Frontman Lemmy Kilmister has admitted he'd gone back to work too soon after a series of health issues that saw him spend three weeks in hospital over the summer.

He hit the stage with bandmates Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee for a 70-minute set in August, but went off less than half-way through. That led to a rumour the rock'n'roll icon had died, which Campbell put down to "asshole tweeters."

Motorhead have now revealed they'll appear at Wacken's 35th anniversary event on the weekend of July 31. - more on this story




Jimi Hendrix Exhibit Opens New Hard Rock Casino
(hennemusic) A Jimi Hendrix exhibit is featured at the grand opening of the new Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. The highlight of the Hendrix gallery is a 1964 "Texas Model" Fender Guitar Stratocaster guitar. This olympic white Stratocaster features a tortoise shell pick guard and a maple neck with rosewood fretboard complete with pearl inlays. Originally owned by Gary Boyle (guitarist with Brian Auger's Trinity), Jimi used this guitar on a regular basis upon his arrival to London in late 1966.

Also on display is the green overcoat with pink flowers that was originally crafted by Dandie Fashions in London. Jimi wore this piece on a number of occasions in late 1967 through mid-1968, perhaps most notably during the September 16, 1967 event at London's Europa Hotel where Jimi received the "World Top Musician" award by Melody Maker magazine.

The modest collection is accented by a number of original photos from the likes of Barrie Wentzell, Joe Sia, Bruce Fleming, Baron Wolman and Karl Ferris; vintage concert posters; signed lithographs; many personal artifacts including Jimi's own artwork; autographed items and much more. - more on this story




Why Jizzy Pearl Is Shutting Down Love/Hate
(Classic Rock) Jizzy Pearl has announced he's going to shut down Love/Hate for good after their upcoming UK tour. He's changed the name of the band to Jizzy Pearl's Love/Hate and re-titled their mini-album Crucified as a solo release. The move is believed to be a result of threatened legal action from former Love/Hate guitarist Jon E Love.

Pearl, who'd been using the name since 2002, says in a statement: "Dealing with ex-members isn't worth the hassle. I don't want to spend thousands fighting over a band that makes hundreds.

"This isn't Queensryche or Great White – we're not talking about a band that makes $12,000 or $20,000.00 a night. But there are some people out there who still think Love/Hate is the 'golden goose.'

"Some people think Love/Hate sells shirts like Iron Maiden or Motorhead. Some people still think MTV plays videos. Unless you've gassed up the van and done the tours like I have, I guess you don't really know." - He had more to say.




James Durbin Announce U.S. Tour
(hennemusic) James Durbin has announced a series of US tour dates in support of his forthcoming album, "Celebrate." Durbin hits the road for a January 3 show at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, with shows currently scheduled to mid-February.

The American Idol rocker recently issued a lyric video for his new single, "Parachute", which is the lead track from his new album "Celebrate", which is due in April.

"Parachute was the 10th song I wrote for the new album," said James, "and as soon as we finished in the studio, I knew it had to be the first single. I can't wait for everyone to hear it." - more on this story




Black Sabbath Reveal Handwritten Lyrics To 'Live Forever'
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have posted handwritten lyrics to "Live Forever", a track from the band's latest album, "13." This is the latest of a series of handwritten lyrics the band has posted in recent weeks.

The project was recently nominated for three 2014 Grammy Awards, including "Best Rock Album" ("13"), "Best Rock Song" and "Best Metal Performance" for "God Is Dead?"

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards will be held January 26, 2014 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

See the handwritten lyrics and the song's video - here.




Van Halen Frontman David Lee Roth Release Holiday Message
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has posted a holiday greetings message for fans. "Happy Holidays!" writes Roth, pictured getting ready to pop the cork on some champagne in one of the rooms of his Pasadena, California mansion.

A few months ago, Roth revealed that Van Halen are in the early stages of working on a new album. "I was up at Edward (Van Halen)'s house, maybe three days ago - just before I came here to the city - and we're starting to put music together," Roth told Ozzy's Boneyard host Jim Florentine on SiriusXM. "Not to give away exactly what the package will be, it's gonna be about 18 months, I think."

"We start way, way, way in advance, 'cause we are eminently art-centric, which is a really fancy way of saying we really do generate all the artwork, the graphics, etc.," he continued. "We don't hire out and have somebody design a bunch of album covers for us and then choose.... we start from scratch ourselves. Same thing with the merchandise - if you buy a t-shirt, that was designed, literally, in my living room. On and on... stage design, lighting rig, putting the show together - it takes about a year and a half, 18 months, because any idea that you have is 85 phone calls. Anybody can go, 'I got an idea, it's a stage that's shaped like, uh, like a square on top of a circle'. Great, my question never was, 'were you able to dream up a stage design', my question is, 'are you prepared to do the 87 phone calls that are about to follow now, to make sure it came out the way we decided'. And then there's another 80 phone calls that are gonna follow that because we have to figure out how to take the f**kin' thing apart and put it in the trucks and buses. And, and, and. So if you really want to generate the ideas from scratch and bring them all the way to the finish, you're gonna have to learn a few other languages, and you're gonna have to speak those over a lot of extra phone calls. And that's usually the break point for most artists."


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