TODAY'S DAY IN ROCK

Lost Doors Song
(hennemusic) A newly discovered track by The Doors has been found in time for the 40th Anniversary reissue of the band's 1971 release, "L.A. Woman."
Rolling Stone reports producer Bruce Botnick recently discovered "She Smells So Nice" while reviewing the album's session tapes for the reissue, due January 24.

The 2-disc set features alternate takes including "Love Her Madly," "Riders on the Storm" and the title track. Preview the lost track here.


Bruce Springsteen Plans New Album and Tour
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be back in 2012. The Boss' official website confirms that a new album and tour are on the schedule for next year.

Springsteen's site says the European dates run from the middle of May until end of July and are being announced this week; info on the US dates and the World tour dates will be coming up shortly.

As for a new album, the site also announces that "we want you to know that the music is almost done (but still untitled), we have almost settled on the release date (but not quite yet), and that we are all incredibly excited about everything that we're planning for 2012. That's all the info we have for right now, but we'll get back to you - real soon." more on this story


Pearl Jam Offer Free Download
(Banana 101.5) Pearl Jam is offering up their entire 27 song performance in Toronto that took place on the ten year anniversary of 9/11. The set featuring Pearl Jam classics as well as a 12-minute version of 'Rockin' in the Free World' featuring Neil Young is available via Google Music.

Pearl Jam is giving back to all those who missed out on their Toronto gig on 9/11/11 by allowing them to download the entire show for free.

The setlist featured a wide range of hits like 'Betterman' and 'Alive' to first ever performances like their soulful rendition of (pre-Pearl Jam band) Mother Love Bone's 'Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns.' more on this story


The Eagles Have 40th Anniversary Flight Plans
(Gibson) The Eagles will celebrate their upcoming 40th anniversary with a retrospective tour, according to Joe Walsh.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, the veteran guitarist said fans can expect something different from past Eagles tours. "Everybody's seen our show, so we have to put together something new," Walsh revealed. "We've been archiving so much stuff from the band's early days, concert footage and interviews and stuff. Those will be the visuals to go along with the songs. We'll also revisit some old songs and some new stuff."

Walsh went on to say the tour will be staged in the second half of 2012, and will last four or five months. In the meantime, he has a solo album slated for release next spring, and hopes to tour with his old band, the James Gang. more on this story



Steven Tyler For Oprah Winfrey's New Series Premiere
(hennemusic) Steven Tyler is helping Oprah Winfrey launch her new series, Oprah's Next Chapter.

The pair sit down for an interview at Tyler's New Hampshire home, recorded this past September, for the series' 2-hour premiere on Sunday, January 1 from 9-11 p.m. on OWN TV.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in the debut episode, Winfrey and Tyler cover everything from the Aerosmith singer's years of drug addiction, his complicated relationships with his wives, and American Idol. more on this story


Michael Anthony Happier Without Van Halen Drama
(hennemusic) Bassist Michael Anthony has lived through so many years of Van Halen battles that he's glad to be drama-free in his existence as a member of Chickenfoot.

"The best part about Chickenfoot is that nobody needs the money," Anthony tells Premiere Guitar . "We've got nothing we need to prove to anybody. We wanted this to be a fun band and when we get in the studio it's just so loose, relaxed, and open. It's like the early days of Van Halen. Everybody's just throwing in their input and having a great time making music. We don't want any pressure and we said if any came up, we should just stop doing this."

"At this point in my life and career, I'm so happy with what I'm doing and I want to have fun making music. I don't want any drama," Mike continues. "That whole drama thing in Van Halen, the way it ended up, I was like, 'I'd rather make no money having fun playing music than make a sh*tload of money tearing my hair out.' Maybe when I was 20 it would have been different, but not at this point. I want to keep my sanity." more on this story


Collective Soul Planning New Album
(Audio Ink Radio) Collective Soul bass player Will Turpin says the guys are in discussions to put together a new album as early as in the next six months.

"I can't really say for sure, but there are definitely discussions going on about scheduling that, and songs have been played and started, so we've already started some creativity," Turpin exclusively told Audio Ink Radio.

"Nothing is really scheduled yet. I would think that the next six months, we'll get something going on." Find out what he is doing in the meantime.

Original BulletBoys Lineup Reuniting
(superLOUD) Singer Marq Torien has continued to keep the BulletBoys name active in recent years.

However, the original lineup of Marq, Mick Sweda on guitar, Lonnie Vencent on bass and Jimmy D'Anda on drums will be playing a special show on December 30th at the Key Club in Hollywood, according to Blabbermouth.

An interview with Torien on RadioScreamer Magazine about the reunion is on youtube. For now, this sounds like a one-time only show. more on this story


Slayer Working On New Album
Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo had good news for fans that the group is working on their next album.

Lombardo posted on his personal Facebook page that "Slayer is writing a new record. Jeff is still recovering and doing better."

Loudwire reports that Lombardo' experimental project Philm will release music via Mike Patton's Ipecac Records. more on this story


Meet KISS At Archie Meets KISS Comic Book Signing
(hennemusic) Archie Meets KISS is a 4-part series featuring the kids from Riverdale and the kids from KISS, as they team up to prevent mindless zombies from overtaking their town.

Featuring words by Alex Segura, and art by Dan Parent, the debut edition is Archie #627.

To help launch the series on release day – November 30 - Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons will hold a signing session at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles to mark the occasion. more on this story


Anthrax Plan New Tour
Anthrax plan to follow up their tour with Testament and Death Angel with another trek early next year.

Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian posted the following news on Twitter " We start in the U.S. again third week of January. Dates coming soon! Stay tuned my friends."

As for their tour with Testament and Death Angel, Ian twits: To everyone that came out & shared the insanity on this tour,on behalf of @Anthrax,I thank you and wish you a happy holiday & new year. Scott's Twitter page


Bon Jovi Cover Guitarist Loses It
Ultimate Classic Rock reports that a guitar player in a Bon Jovi cover band decides he simply can't bare the thought of running through a mediocre cover of 'You Give Love a Bad Name' for what could be for the hundredth time — so rather than fake it, he takes the most rock 'n' roll way out.

AYouTube clip— first discovered by the badass site Badass Digest — captures it all.

As the singer launches into that familiar "Shot through the heart / and you're to blame" intro, the guitarist decides he's had enough, smashes his instrument with his best 'London Calling' over-the-shoulders swing, tosses the it to the side of the stage and ambles off. Check it out


Wayne Static Hitting The Road
Static-X frontman Wayne Static has announced a handful of live shows in the Western United states next month.

That dates begin December 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada and includes a performance at Denver's KBPI-FM's Mistletoe Jam on December 16.

Static is hitting the road for these dates are in support of his recently released debut solo album, Pighammer. These dates will be followed in early 2012 with a North American tour to be announced shortly. more on this story


Chris Cornell Record Store Day Event
Chris Cornell will celebrate Record Store Day's Back To Black Friday with an appearance at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey on Saturday, November 26th at 3:30pm EST.

Says Cornell, "My fans were pretty vocal, Tweeting and posting online, asking me to record the shows and put them out. So this album as a whole came from that, and I think we created something that really captured my tour and what I was putting out there each night,"

Vintage Vinyl store owner, Rob Roth says, "I'm so thrilled that Chris has chosen Vintage Vinyl for this extraordinary event. Having him come in and hang with our customers is a huge honor." More info


Gwar To Carry On With Tour After Guitarist's Death
(Freeman) Gwar plan to carry on with their Europe tour in Jan. 2012, despite the recent death of guitarist Cory Smoot, during the bands "Return of the World Maggot Tour".

Said Gwar spokesman Dave Brockie a.k.a. Oderus Urungus-- "When Cory died, we all wanted to go home and take care of the family and our own grief. But the best way to do that is by playing all the shows we have planned. The response from the U.S. metal community and especially the whole international GWAR family has been overwhelmingly supportive...these GWAR fans need the chance to pay their respects to Cory, and cancelling any shows would deprive them of that."

"Let's make these shows a celebration of Cory Smoot, one of the most amazing players in metal...I am calling on the European GWAR family to get out there and drag everybody in sight to these gigs! We shall honor Flattus Maximus in the only way we know how...by rocking the f*** out!!!" more on this story


Autopsy Complete All Tomorrow's Funerals and Set Release
(Fresno) Autopsy have completed recording and remastering work on the upcoming, All Tomorrow's Funerals release, which is due out February 28th on Peaceville Records and they are already planning the follow up release.

This release will contain all of Autopsy's EP's re-mastered by the band themselves, as well as new cuts, totaling 22 tracks all together. Everything from 'Retribution For The Dead' to the now sold-out, 'The Tomb Within,' will be presented on CD and DLP with all original artworks, liner notes from the band and new cover art from renowned artist, Matt Cavotta.

Said the band, "Well, we've finished recording a few new tracks for the upcoming collection album All Tomorrow's Funerals, and they came out brutal and heavy as hell. Along with the newly written songs, we did a revamped version of "Mauled To Death," which is the very last of the old songs that needed a proper album quality recording. This album will also contain all four EP's, all of which are out of print, as well as a compilation track from 1991, so the grand total is 22 tracks. It's something we've wanted to do for quite awhile, getting all the loose chunks together in one place rather than having them split up and added on as bonus tracks here and there. Everything has been painstakingly re-mastered with the band's guidance and sounds better and more crushing than ever. And don't worry, we didn't get carried away and ruin anything! Combine all that with killer new cover art from Matt Cavotta and we've got one hell of release in the works. Look for it in February 2012. more on this story


Ramones Star Jams With Shonen Knife
(hennemusic) Japanese rockers Shonen Knife are currently on a 30th Anniversary tour and playing shows in support of their latest release, "Osaka Ramones: Tribute To The Ramones"

The album contains 13 Ramones covers and clocks in at just over 33 minutes…which sounds about right in Ramonesville. The band's self-reference as the "Osaka Ramones" has some history: Shonen Knife did a live show in Tokyo in 1998, doing all-Ramones cover tunes and billing themselves as "The Osaka Ramones" - a title which Joey Ramone used himself when introducing them onstage at the Troubadour in L.A. in August of '98.

Shonen's US tour pulled into Brooklyn on Friday for a show at the Bell House, where the band wailed through their regular set…before being joined by special guest C.J. Ramone. Check out video here.


Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini Writer Dies
(Gibson) Lee Pockriss, co-writer of the novelty hit, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," has died at his home in Connecticut, following a long illness. He was 87.

Pockriss penned a number of pop hits with co-writer Paul Vance, including the Grammy-nominated "Catch a Falling Star," recorded by Perry Como in 1957; and "Tracy," recorded by The Cuff Links in 1969. He also worked extensively in musical theater, writing the music for the 1963 Broadway show, Tovarich, which earned Vivien Leigh a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical; and co-creating the 1969 musical, Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. Pockriss also wrote several songs for Sesame Street, including "My Polliwog Ways" (sung by Kermit the Frog) and "My Rock" (sung by Bert).

In a 2006 interview, Vance called "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" a "money machine," saying the song earned him – and, presumably, Pockriss – several million dollars. Teen idol Brian Hyland recorded the original hit version, which soared to the top spot on the Billboard charts in August 1960. more on this story



MC5 and Iggy and The Stooges Guitarists Next In Guitar Gods Series
Two pre-punk pioneers are set to be celebrated with new limited edition collectible figures in the Guitar Gods series.

Brother Wayne Kramer, founder of Detroit's radical rock group MC5, and James Williamson, best known for co-writing and playing on "Raw Power" in the protopunk rock band Iggy & The Stooges and his contributions "Kill City" with Iggy Pop, as well as producing "New Values" for Iggy Pop.

Both guitarists were named in Rolling Stone Magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Both figures deliver a signature riff at the push of a button and are displayed in a multi-panel box, stand at 7 inches tall, are made of a lightweight polyresin more on this story


Obscura Hitting The Road
(Freeman) Obscura will hit the road next spring for a headlining European tour that will feature support from Spawn Of Possession, Gorod, and Exivious.

The tour will kick-off on March 9th in Stuttgart, Germany then march through Scandinavia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and the UK before returning to Germany on April 7th.

Obscura's Steffen Kummerer commented on the upcoming run: "We are stoked to announce our upcoming European headlining tour to support our newest album 'Omnivium'! With our label-mates Spawn of Possession, tech-death lunatics Gorod and the fusion influenced Exivious this tour is a must for everyone who is into progressive music. This is the ultimate shredfest of the year!" more on this story


1349 Box Set For Black Friday
1349 will celebrate Record Store Day with a major chain North American release of their "Demonoir" limited-edition box set exclusively at FYE, as part of the chain's "Black Friday" promotion on Friday, Nov. 25.

In addition to the "regular" album (13 tracks and 49 minutes, fittingly), the "Demonoir" box set contains seven bonus tracks (including an unreleased track), a 12-page booklet, poster, guitar pick, patch and autographed photo card.

The box set is hand-numbered and limited to 1000 copies worldwide. The set was released in Europe on October 7th. more on this story


Clutch Set For A Special Acoustic In Store and Expand Holiday Tour
Clutch have confirmed an in store performance and signing for November 27th at Bengans in Goteberg, Sweden where they will perform a special acoustic set.

For fans on this side of the pond, in addition to their already scheduled holiday shows, Clutch have added two shows in Austin, Texas on December 17th and December 18th.

The show on the 17th will be at the brand new Emo's East and the show the following night will be a very intimate show with Clutch playing at the Emo's Inside Room. more on this story


L'Arc en Ciel Plan World Tour
(Musebox) L'Arc en Ciel, one of the biggest rock groups to come out of Japan, plan to follow up their one-night-only music event in nine major U.S. cities on Tuesday, November 29th, with a world tour.

" L'Arc~en~Ciel WORLD TOUR 2012" will celebrate their 20th anniversary and will play New York City's Madison Square Garden on March 23rd, 2012.

L'Arc-en-Ciel released its newest single, "X X X," on October 12th and it shot to #1 on the Japanese Oricon music charts, which is the country's equivalent to Billboard and tracks music sales. more on this story


Singled Out: Lonehill Estate's Gangstar
Today South African rockers on the rise Lonehill Estate tell us about their new single and video for "Gangstar". Here is the story:

Lonehill Estate has never really been one for the sex, drugs and rock n roll. We enjoy tea and pancakes and our hospitality rider includes flavoured milk and sour gums. It was with some surprise then in 2008 then when a campus DJ referred to us as "gangster." At the time, we drove beat up cars passed down from our grandmothers, never used to cuss and the closest we got to bling was a couple of dental fillings.

Gangster rappers are renowned for bragging about all the things we knew we didn't possess and so we decided to brag about exactly that... our un-gangsterness.

The opening line was inspired by my wife who comes from a rough part of Johannesburg, when we started dating she would literally "have a beer and I would have a milkshake" she can also fight better than me.

Rock music and gangster rap was birthed by people going against societal norms and what was expected of them. In today's world where just about everyone is trying to escape the boredom of desk job life by being inebriated, high or a World of Warcraft character and where rockstars are expected to constantly be snorting cocaine off of strippers, we prefer the enjoyment of life, tea and pancakes which in the end goes against what is normal and expected today.

Former NIRVANA Bassist Defends DAVE GROHL

Nov. 18, 2011

According to The Pulse Of Radio. former NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic posted a series of tweets this week in which he defended FOO FIGHTERS frontman and ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl after Courtney Love blasted Grohl onstage at a festival in Brazil last weekend. Love went off after spotting a fan at the show waving a photo of her late husband, NIRVANA's Kurt Cobain, launching a tirade in which she essentially insinuated that Grohl was getting a share of NIRVANA royalties that he was not entitled to.

Novoselic waded in on Wednesday (November 16), saying in one tweet, "Q: Why do Foo Fighters pack arenas? A: Because they ROCK!!!!!!!" He followed up with another tweet, saying, "David Eric Grohl = Talent + Focus + Hard Work #Ilove you."

Novoselic told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he's got a philosophical perspective on who ultimately "owns" NIRVANA's music. "In a hundred years, I don't know who is going to own NIRVANA. I'm not going to own it. I'll be dead and gone. You know what I mean? But I was part of it, and I'm proud of it. That's all I can really say."

Novoselic and Grohl have remained friends ever since Cobain's death ended NIRVANA in 1994, and Novoselic makes a guest appearance on the latest FOO FIGHTERS album, "Wasting Light".

Several years ago, the pair battled with Love over control of the marketing of NIRVANA's catalog. Their differences were eventually settled.

Grohl and FOO FIGHTERS just completed a North American tour in support of "Wasting Light" and heads to Australia later this month.

Courtney Love defended her onstage rant against Grohl in an interview with a Brazilian news network, saying that she and her estranged daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, "own" NIRVANA, adding, "Dave makes $5 million a show, he doesn't need the money . . . It pisses me off that my mother-in-law doesn't have a front door in the winter, okay? Her boiler doesn't work, and Dave bought an Aston Martin last week."

Van Halen Latest

Captured at an undisclosed venue in Los Angeles, are (L-R) Alex Van Halen; Wolfgang Van Halen; Eddie Van Halen; Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; Irving Azoff, Executive Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and Chairman and CEO of the Front Line Management Group; Steve Berman, Vice Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; David Lee Roth; and Jim Urie, President and CEO, Universal Music Group Distribution.

So there you have it folks...the first new Van Halen picture since 2008....taken Monday at The Roxy club in LA, whilst shooting a video for the first single from their upcoming new studio album due early next year. I had mentioned previously that a source told me that the band also filmed out door footage about 3 weeks ago. Hopefully we'll be seeing that clip sooner rather than later.

In related news...a little more information from my source connected to Columbia Records. The told me that manager Irving Azzoff handles the Van Halen's, while David Lee Roth continues to retain his own independent management. Azoff and Columbia had agreed on terms, but DLR met with Columbia and went back with his manager and said he wanted "something in LA, something hip, somehting that was "cool" do a video", whch apparently he felt wasn't being presented by Columbia. DLR won, Azzoff went with the Van Halen's who agreed with DLR.

The only text included with today's picture release was "Want to know why? Stay tuned..." So I guess that official announcement is finally in the pipeline.

Finally, I have been searching for an update on the rumored Grammy Announcement Concert appearance by the band November 30 - as of this week - that appearance is ON.

Today's Day In Pop

Today's Full Report


Rihanna Talk That Talk Full Album Stream
Rihanna's fans are eager to hear her new album, Talk That Talk, and have succeeded in unlocking a full album stream.

According to Roc Nation, fans are now able to hear the full stream of "Talk that Talk: on Rihanna's Facebook page.

The album is set to hit stores next Tuesday, November 21st, but you can get the advance listen right here!



RZN Releases Old Dirty Bastard Tribute Song
Wu Tang Clan's RZA has teamed up with Justin Nozuka, Kobra Khan and James Black to create the song "Gone."

The track s a tribute to his friend and former Wu Tang Clan member, Old Dirty Bastard. ODB passed away seven years ago on November 13th, two days before his 36th birthday. He would have been 43 on Thursday.

The tribute is RZA's hip hop version of "How Do I Say Good Bye." The song also goes out in honor of the life and loss of Heavy D, Joe Fraizer, the fallen US troops and all hip hop legends who are no longer with us. Check it out here.



Alleged Ashton Kutcher Mistress Speaks Out on Demi Divorce
(TMZ) Ashton Kutcher's alleged mistress -- the FIRST alleged mistress -- claims she feels "vindicated" by Demi Moore's divorce statement ... telling TMZ she hopes people will finally believe her story about sleeping with Ashton.

TMZ spoke with Brittney Jones -- who claimed she got busy with Kutcher in 2010 after meeting the guy at a bowling alley. Jones' credibility was called into question when she capitalized on her sudden fame by releasing a sex tape .... which did NOT feature Ashton.

Ashton's lawyer released a statement at the time Brittney was in the headlines, insinuating her story was a lie ... but not entirely denying

Now, Jones tells TMZ ... "Although divorce is often sad I do feel somewhat vindicated."

She adds, "For so long people have thought that I was dishonest or just making up my passionate nights with Ashton, when in fact I was being used."

"Ashton told me that both he and Demi had an 'open relationship' and that he was not in fact cheating. Now I can tell all the facts about how Ashton really was, and hopefully people will believe my side of the story."

Still, Jones says, "I feel for Demi very much and wish her nothing but the best during this hard time." more on this story



Selena Gomez Alleged Stalker Placed On Psychiatric Hold
(TMZ) Thomas Brodnicki -- Selena Gomez' alleged stalker who was freed from jail Wed night -- is no longer a free man, because we've learned he's just been placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold in what has become a desperate attempt to keep him away from the singer.

We just shot video of Brodnicki being taken away in handcuffs ... law enforcement sources tell us he's being taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

As we first reported ... cops believe Brodnicki poses a real danger to Selena Gomez. Detectives say Brodnicki told them he's had discussions with God about killing Gomez. Brodnicki denies making that statement.

Brodnicki ominously told us ... the only thing he wants to touch is Selena.

As we reported ... law enforcement sources tell us they want to place Brodnicki in a conservatorship, and then ship him back to mental health officials in Illinois where he resides -- far away from Selena. more on this story



Justin Bieber Not Backing Down Against Baby Accuser
(TMZ) If Mariah Yeater thinks she's dodged the Justin Bieber lawsuit bullet by dismissing her paternity lawsuit, she needs to do some re-thinking.

TMZ broke the story, Yeater dismissed the suit last Thursday, after Justin and his team made it clear ... they were going to sue Yeater and her lawyers for filing a malicious claim.

Despite the fact that Yeater's claim has now been dismissed and the 2 lawyers who filed it have quit, Justin is not backing down from his threat.

The singer's publicist, Matthew Hiltzik, tells TMZ, "We intend to still hold them accountable."

As we first reported, Justin and his team wanted to go after Yeater and the lawyers to set an example that people who file baseless claims against celebs do so at their own peril. more on this story



Ryan Seacrest Vs Reality Star
(TMZ) Ryan Seacrest is being sued by a woman who claims she was "humiliated" in a taping of the new reality show he's producing called "Shahs of Sunset" ... insisting she was "forced against her will" to play the role of the "bad girl."

The show is being hailed as the "Persian Jersey Shore" -- featuring a bunch of young, rich Persians galavanting around Los Angeles.

But according to a new lawsuit, filed by a woman named Kathy Salem, the show is just as insane and violent as every other reality show in TV ... a lesson she claims she learned at a fancy Hollywood party back in July.

Salem claims she signed a waiver before entering the shindig and understood she would appear on the show ... but "she did not understand that she might be blind sided and forced against her will to play a demeaning and humiliating role."

Salem claims when she was inside the party, she was confronted by the stars of the show -- who began to bully her and become "verbally abusive" because she was talking to a man who was allegedly engaged.

Salem claims things escalated quickly -- and she was attacked by multiple people -- one of whom tried to rip her top off and another who threw a cup of water in her face.

Salem claims the show is set to air in February -- but she wants a judge to force Ryan to pull any footage in which she appears.

Salem is suing Seacrest, his production company and Bravo -- demanding at least $100,000 in damages.

Calls to Seacrest's people have not been returned. more on this story



Natalie Wood Homicide Investigation Reopened
(TMZ) Natalie Wood's death has been reopened as a homicide investigation, primarily because of a book written by the captain of the boat where Natalie Wood spent her last minutes ... a book suggesting foul play ... this according to sources close to the investigation.

We've learned Marti Rulli -- who co-authored the book -- has been in regular touch with the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. over the last few months. She has given Sheriff's investigators documents supporting material in her book, and we're told the Sheriff is so impressed he has assigned 2 full-time homicide detectives to the case.

In the book -- "Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour" -- Rulli and Splendour Captain Dennis Davern write about the night Natalie drowned. They say before Natalie disappeared from the boat, she was drinking and taking Quaaludes with her husband, Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken.

According to the book, Wagner became enraged when he saw Wood and Walken speaking, and smashed a wine bottle, yelling at Walken, "What do you want to do, f**k my wife? Is that what you want?"

At that point, Walken returned to his cabin and Natalie and Robert went to their state room. According to the Captain, he heard a loud argument between the couple and thumping sounds, and eventually silence.

Later that evening, the Captain went to the deck and was told by Wagner, "Natalie is missing."

The book claims Wagner refused to let the Captain call the Coast Guard.

Wagner told the Capt. the dinghy was gone, along with Natalie, but some doubted that because she was deathly afraid of dark water.

The death was ruled an accident, but Rulli was like a pit bull since the book was written in 2008.

We're told the homicide investigators have already traveled to Catalina, as well as New Jersey to interview Rulli. They've also gone to Augustine, Florida to interview the Captain, and they're going to Hawaii to look at the Splendour. more on this story



Gorillaz Recording New Shoe Song
(Gibson) Thanks to a massive shoe company campaign, the guys of Gorillaz are back together and in the process of recording a new song.

The famed virtual hip-hop group have announced that they are working on a new track to release in February as part of the Converse shoe company's "Three Artists. One Song," series. Other musicians who have lent their skills to the campaign include Soulja Boy, Andrew W.K. and Matt & Kim.

The song's arrival will correspond with the release of a fresh collection of Converse shoes, which are being marketed in association with Gorillaz. The snazzy shoes feature Gorillaz-themed prints, crafted by the band's design go-to, Jamie Hewlett. The Gorillaz Chuck Taylor All Star collection, which Converse plans to roll out in February, will run at a suggested retail price of $60 and come in four different styles. more on this story



Katy Perry's California Dreams Outfit Raises Money for Red Cross
(popmusiclife) Katy Perry has raised more than $8,000 for charity by selling off a stage outfit from her 2011 California Dreams world tour.

KGET-TV Bakersfield reports Perry raided her closet for international aid organization Red Cross and offered up a glittery red bodice encrusted with Swarovski crystals teamed with a billowing pink skirt for auction.

She also agreed to meet the winning bidder backstage at her gig this weekend in Oakland, California to personally hand over the outfit. more on this story



Asher Monroe Scores Huge YouTube Hit
(popmusiclife) Asher Monroe has taken YouTube by storm with the release of his new music video for the track "Like I Do," creating a fan frenzy with over 1.5 million views since its debut on November 7.

With over 700,000 views in the first 24 hours alone, the buzz worthy video also landed on the YouTube homepage and went on to score "most viewed" status on the YouTube charts on November 9.

The epic song is currently available for download on iTunes and gives fans an introduction to Monroe's upcoming solo debut. "All of my music is written straight from the heart, so I hope people really feel something when they hear my songs," says Monroe. "I couldn't be more excited that people all over the world are embracing 'Like I Do,' and I can't wait to get more of my new music out there." Read more and check out the video here.



The Voice's Dia Frampton Releases First Video
(popmusiclife) The first video from Dia Frampton is out. Dia was the runner up on the first US season of The Voice, a reality singing contest based on The Voice Of Holland.

The US program featured singers selected, and mentored by, the show's judges: Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton.

Frampton was guided by Shelton and, throughout the series, she displayed a unique voice and vocal style that set her apart from many in the TV competition.

Despite Javier Colon taking first prize, it was Dia's original tune, "Inventing Shadows," that quickly topped the iTunes chart around the series finale in June. Read more and watch the video here.



First Aid Kit Spring Tour
(CCP) First Aid Kit have announced the first dates of their spring North American headlining tour.

Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg will launch the tour on March 28th at Webster Hall in New York, NY and play their way into Canada and westward through an April 28th show at Slim's in San Francisco, CA.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of two sold-out US headlining shows this month - last night at New York's Mercury Lounge and last week at Los Angeles' Troubadour - and as they wind down dates supporting Lykke Li, for whom they also supplied backing vocals on a Late Show with David Letterman performance. more on this story



Katt Williams Shoplifting Accusation Unfounded
(TMZ) Katt Williams is no thief ... so say Ohio police who tell TMZ he and his crew were wrongly accused of having sticky fingers at a Best Buy in Ohio yesterday.

A rep for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ ... Katt and his posse, which included a 22-year-old female friend, were questioned by police after store security reported they saw the woman pocketing some stuff.

Cops say officers conducted a brief investigation -- which proved the accusations were unfounded and the woman was merely "putting her own property into her purse."

But during the questioning, cops say they found "a small amount of marijuana when she permitted them to look in her purse" -- so she was cited for misdemeanor pot possession.

Cops add, "The entire group were cooperative and nothing else occurred." more on this story



Singled Out: Novi's Blackbirds
Today Novi tells us about "Blackbirds" from her brand new album "Now I'm Here". Here is the story:

I was up in my bedroom, having an eventful Friday evening doodling around on garage band and drinking red wine.

I couldn't help but feel this overwhelming sense of nostalgia for my Hometown Ashland, Oregon. I missed the simplicity of life, the ease of just being so unobligated, the bonfires and the woods and all the free spirits. I randomly started singing "I seen blackbirds F*****', on the side of the road." I was tickled at my own randomness and realized I had a hook.

My roomate was downstairs with some gals, and I heard them all start to laugh, as I sang. It sort of fueled the fire, and the lyrics just poured out. I laughed my way through it. The whole thing, took about 20 minutes. I sent it to my producer, totally as a joke, and he thought it was hilarious. Then he woke up singing the hook, and called me right away. I was amazed that he genuinely wanted to put some production behind it. Bewildered as I was, something did feel very right about it. It spawned a whole new realm of pizzazz in my songwriting and music in general. I want to write songs that get a rise out of people, in one way or another, the avenues of creation are endless. There are just so many ways to deliver a message, and Humor is by far my favorite one. Silly as it is, may be the most honest song I've ever written...

Today's Day in Rock

Van Halen Rumor Confirmed
Front Line Management's PR folks at Scoop Marketing sent over an interesting photo with a Van Halen tease on Thursday evening which confirmed a recent rumor about the band.

Rumors have been swirling that the band have left their longtime label home of Warner Brothers Records and will deliver their new reunion album through Interscope.

That rumor appears to be confirmed as Scoop sent over a "Van Halen Sneak Peak" with a photo by Robert Yager of a group shot at an undisclosed venue in Los Angeles that features Alex Van Halen; Wolfgang Van Halen; Eddie Van Halen; Jimmy Iovine, Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. See the photo here.




Black Sabbath's Initial World Tour Dates
Black Sabbath will kick off their world reunion tour next year by headlining a number of Europe's premier music festivals in 2012.

They will kick thing off on Friday May 18th in Moscow at Olimpski, followed by performances at Download Festival [UK], Azkena Rock Festival [Spain], Hellfest [France], Graspop Metal Meeting [Belgium] and Gods of Metal [Italy].

According to a statement, the group's global tour which will take the band around the world including countries the band has never played before and others they have not visited in more than three decades. more on this story




Rolling Stones Reunion Jam With Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman
(Gibson) The Rolling Stones are regrouping in December for a jam session. Keith Richards has revealed that it won't just be him, Charlie Watts, Ron Wood and Mick Jagger.

"I was going to ask Bill Wyman to come by, too. And Mick Taylor. The whole lot," Richards told Spinner. "They're all Stones, you know? Why not?"

Bassist Wyman was a founding member of the band who left in the early '90s. Guitarist Taylor was brought into the group in the late '60s, following the departure (and then death) of original member Brian Jones. He left the group in the mid-'70s and was replaced by Wood. more on this story




KK Keeping Mum on Judas Priest Departure
(hennemusic) In a new interview, former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing says he'll never completely share the reasons why he decided to retire from the band prior to their 'farewell' Epitaph world tour.

"It was a set of circumstances that led me to not go out [on tour with Priest] this year," Downing tells Valley reporter Grace Bailey at his home at Astbury Hall in Shropshire, England. "I was kind of geared up for it, but there was a multitude of reasons. It pretty much came down to an unsettlement on my part with working relationships.

"It's like anything else," continues. "If anybody out there is thinking it's hard to live with one woman, they should try to live with four guys and hold it together. [Laughs] It gets to be like that, but obviously, with certain things, I just wasn't completely happy with the way things were, with the way it was, [and I just felt like] it was probably best if I stepped down, and I did." more on this story




Iron Maiden Plan Edventure Weekend
Iron Maiden fans mark your calendars for Rocktober 2012 as the band have announced a three day Edventure Weekend.

Here is what they had to say: We are very excited to announce that after a lot of searching for the right venue, with the help of Arena Travel, we have arranged to take over the whole of Hopton Holiday Park near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, UK for three full nights next October.

We plan to cram, the long weekend full of Maiden madness including guest speakers, themed events and tournaments. There will be quizzes to test your Maiden knowledge and if you fancy being Bruce for a while then you can show off your vocal talent in a karaoke competition. If you need to find that elusive piece of Maiden memorabilia then you might just find it amongst the trading tables that we will set up. There are TV screens throughout the park that will be playing all of your favourite Maiden DVDs and videos.

We've already booked the bands that will rock your weekend! We've got two fantastic Maiden tribute bands -- Hi-On Maiden and Maiden Scotland. There's Pocket Godzillas with their own brand of pumped-up power punk pop and the brilliant rock covers band The Fallen to fill the weekend with all the kind of music you love! However there is a catch.... Read the rest of the details here.




Led Zeppelin IV Back On The Charts
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin are back on the US charts. Billboard.biz reports that "Led Zeppelin IV" has re-entered the Billboard 200 charts for the first time since 1987.

With sales last week of around 3,600 copies, Zep IV is sitting at #166 on the list, having previously spent 260 weeks on the chart.

The classic 1971 album is up 273% in overall sales and 654% in downloads. "Led Zeppelin IV" is the third best-selling album of all time in the U.S. more on this story




Young The Giant Headline Tour Details
Earlier this week we told you that Grouplove were hitting the road with Young The Giant next year.

Yesterday Roadrunner sent over the full details and initial dates for the Young The Giant tour which include the dates with Grouplove supporting them as well as dates with support from Walk The Moon.

The tour is set to kick off in San Diego on February 10, 2012 and will go through mid-April. Young The Giant continue to tour in support of their self-titled album which has spawned two hit singles so far and landed them a prime booking on MTV Unplugged. more on this story




Bayside, Saves The Day, Get Up Kids Singers Announce Where's The Band? Tour
The frontmen are at it again but are going bigger this time. The Where's The Band? Tour will expand to a 20-date national tour in 2012.

The tour kicks off in Stroudsburg, PA, on January 19 and features the frontmen of several rock bands performing solo and collaborating onstage.

Returning to Where's The Band? for the 2012 edition are Anthony Raneri (Bayside), Chris Conley (Saves The Day) and Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids); they'll be joined for the first time by Ace Enders (The Early November, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business) and Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It.). Thrice singer Dustin Kensrue, who was on all three previous editions of Where's The Band?, will return for three dates in southern California. more on this story




Rolling Stones Unlock Their Archive
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have unlocked the door to their archive, full of music, film and memorabilia from their almost 50-year career.

The band has launched www.StonesArchive.com, a site where fans can listen to unheard music, view unseen photographs and films, and look at rare merchandise. Stones fans also have the opportunity to buy items, such as signed lithographs, deluxe box sets, even personalized merchandise and tour gear in the shop.

The first item the band are releasing is the long-awaited download of a legendary 1973 concert, recorded at the Forest National in Belgium. Long hailed by die-hard Stones fans as one of the band's greatest live performances, "The Brussels Affair" has been a mainstay in the underground music world for years. more on this story




Four Year Strong Holiday Mini Tour With Set Your Goals and More
(UR) Four Year Strong has announced dates for their annual "It's A Wonderful Gig Life" holiday mini tour.

The holiday shows kick off on December 27th in Lancaster, PA with Set Your Goals, Balance and Composure, Transit and Diamond opening.

Fans purchasing pre-sale tickets to "It's A Wonderful Gig Life" will be treated to a special intimate acoustic performance and early entrance to the venue. more on this story




Local H Taking On Rush's 2112 For New Year's Eve Bash
Leave it to Local H to ring in the New Year in a big way with not only their own hits but with some hundred years premature Rush 2112 jams! We received the following details:

Chicago's Local H will ring in 2012 with a hometown set at the Bottom Lounge (1375 W. Lake St.). The New Year's Eve show will celebrate the end of the world (as predicted by the Mayans) with a salute to Rush's 2112 and handlebar mustaches.

"This is the end of our sci-fi New Year's trilogy," explains Local H frontman Scott Lucas. "We did 2001 and 2010 -- both of those were obviously nods to Kubrick. For 2012, we had no choice but to celebrate the oeuvre of Roland Emmerich. He's pretty much cornered the market on annihilation and destruction. Expect lots of explosions."

In addition to digging into their own deep catalog, which includes six studio albums, a quasi-greatest hits, a live album, an awesome mix-tape covers record and several EPs, Local H are preparing a slew of their favorite end-of-the-world songs, including bits of Rush's "2112" opus (Side A of the 2112 album). A video montage, edited by Felix Pinero of Bailout Pictures, will accompany the performance. more on this story




Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler for Thanksgiving
Vh1 has a little bit for everyone this Thanksgiving. They sent over their holiday weekend programming announcement which includes some big names. Here you go:

Beginning Wednesday, November 23 at 10PM*, music lovers can begin their Thanksgiving feast with a hearty portion of music by their favorite artists with the world television premiere of Clear Channel's "iHeartRadio Music Festival" taped September 23rd and 24th, 2011at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This show-stopping concert, which celebrated the launch of the new iHeartRadio, Clear Channel's free, industry-leading digital radio product, includes performances by Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler and many more.

In addition, VH1 is offering an encore presentation of Michael Jackson's "This Is It" on Thursday, November 24 at 10PM* ET/PT which captures footage of what was going to be the biggest pop spectacle ever – Michael Jackson's 50-date engagement at the O2 Arena in London. Director Kenny Ortega created a film that provides a jaw-dropping performance by the irreplaceable 'King of Pop.'

Hungry for more? VH1 invites you to indulge with the show-stopping second night of "The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert," a legendary two-night show featuring performances by Metallica, U2, Bruce Springsteen and more taped October 2009 at Madison Square Garden, premiering on VH1 Friday, November 25 at 10PM* ET/PT. more on this story




Historic Beatles Letter Fetches Big Dollars
(Gibson) If there was ever a question whether The Beatles still draw major interest from music fans around the globe, those skepticisms are gone after the results of a memorabilia auction held Tuesday (November 15) at Christie's in London.

At the auction, a handwritten letter Paul McCartney wrote on August 12, 1960, in which Sir McCartney asks an unnamed drummer to audition for a spot in the Beatles, sold for nearly £35,000 , which translates to about $55,000.

The letter indicates that the guys were seeking someone to hold down the drum rhythms right up until they hired Pete Best, who, of course, was eventually replaced by Ringo Starr. This note also is speculated to be one of the first times the band called themselves, "The Beatles." more on this story




Guns N' Roses Now At Their Best?
(Gibson) With Guns N' Roses killing it on tour this fall, many fans are speculating about a possible follow-up to 2008's Chinese Democracy. After all, with so much hype building up to the at-long-last release of Democracy, it would be nice to get a more spontaneous collection of GN'R tracks, right?

According to longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed, although the guys are having a blast on the road, he doesn't foresee a new album surfacing in the near future.

Reed added that this current configuration of GN'R is "the best version of Guns N' Roses that I've ever been in. I think everyone is just super-talented, and it's just great chemistry. Everyone is a lot of fun to be around and a lot of fun to play with, so to me it's definitely the best lineup we've had." more on this story




Springsteen Inspired New Coldplay Album
(Gibson) Coldplay singer Chris Martin, no doubt, is as squeaky-clean as it gets. Between his mellow, alternative pop-rock band and cream-of-the-crop wife Gwyneth Paltrow, it makes sense this guy would stay focused down the good-guy path.

So, when Maxim magazine recently asked Martin to reveal the strangest place he's ever woken up, he didn't take the bait. Martin explained that, "I woke up once somewhere south of Chicago in a children's playground at about five in the morning. I have a lot of trouble sleeping, and this is when we used to fight as a band, and I definitely remember taking too many Ambien, but I can't quite work out how I got there. I think I must've done that thing where you take Ambien and you start wandering around but then you just fall asleep somewhere. I woke up in this playground, but it was really quite near our hotel. That's not really a strange place."

As for Coldplay's recent album, Mylo Xyloto, he mentioned that Bruce Springsteen inspired many of the tracks. "Bruce in the past 10 years has turned a whole new generation on to him," he said. "And it's great in your 30s to discover a new favorite band, and at the same time, in the same decade, discover so much about Jay-Z and Kanye. It's been a nice two avenues of inspiration." more on this story




Beowulf Recruit Fear Factory Guitarist
(The Metal Den) Beowulf have officially announced that ex-Fear Factory guitarist Christain Olde Wolbers has joined the lineup and will be playing bass.

The legendary act is self-releasing a sixth studio effort on December 23, 2011, entitled Jesus Freak.

The album was produced by founding member, vocalist/guitarist Dale Henderson and ex-Fear Factory guitarist, Christian Olde Wolbers. more on this story




Black Veil Brides Map Out Tour Plans
Next March, Black Veil Brides will launch their biggest UK tour to date, including their first ever Irish dates.

Special guests will be D.R.U.G.S with another act still to be announced. Original tickets for the postponed Wolverhampton and Bristol dates remain valid.

Additionally, the band have just confirmed they'll be releasing a new single "Fallen Angels" on Monday 9th January through Island Records. more on this story




Keller Williams Giving Fans Bass Next Month
(MH) Keller Williams has set a December 13, 2011 release date for his 17th album, entitled Bass.

Starting with 1994's Freek, Keller has done solo albums, live albums, one with The String Cheese Incident, another with Bob Weir, Michael Franti, Bela Fleck and a bunch of other personal heroes, a bluegrass covers album with Keller & The Keels, a children's album, a remix album, and more.

Here Keller shows off, you guessed it, his bass skills with his first record that finds the multi-instrumentalist only on bass guitar. more on this story




Riot Preview New Album
(Freeman) Riot will release their fourteenth album 'Immortal Soul' in North America via SPV/Steamhammer this coming Tuesday November 22nd.

Metal Insider is giving fans an exclusive chance to hear the album before it hits stores. You can grab a listen here.

Right now Riot is about to confirmed a few US shows in early 2012- dates and venues to be revealed soon - and are looking forward to play the 70,000 tons of Metal Cruise in January. more on this story




Steve Kimock & Friends New Years Eve Party
Steve Kimock will joined by friends and family, including funky bassist Bobby Vega (Zero, KVHW, Sly & the Family Stone), legendary keyboard player Bernie Worrell (founding member of Parliament Funkadelic), and prodigy drummer John Morgan Kimock for a New Year's Eve show.

Steve Kimock & Friends New Years Eve Party is set to take place at the Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA. Here is a little background on the guitarist:

After four decades as a professional musician, the world of Steve Kimock is a more adventurous place than ever as he continues to raise the bar in diverse musical landscapes. Earning a solid reputation as a gifted guitarist with an inspiring approach to melodic improvisation, Kimock captivates audiences with his genre-bending, enlightened guitar speak and highly refined signature sounds from his arsenal of fretless, lap steel, acoustic and electric guitars. more on this story




D Generation Announce Guns N' Roses Dates
D Generation have announced that they have been selected to support Guns N' Roses at two concerts next month.

D Generation will be opening for GNR at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on December 1 and at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on December 2.

"We're really honored to have been asked to play with Guns N Roses," says vocalist Jesse Malin. "Tommy Stinson played on one of my solo records a while back and we've known each other for years. We've always had great shows in the mid-west and are looking forward to it again." more on this story




Mavericks Frontman Raul Malo Announces Holiday Tour
(Conqueroo) Raul Malo plans to wrap up an eventful year with his annual Holiday Tour, accompanied by a full band.

The 14-city tour will take him to such cities as Washington DC, Baltimore, Chicago, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as many smaller towns.

An exciting year for Raul Malo is about to wrap up. He began the year touring behind his Sinners & Saints release, which brought the Florida native and current Nashville resident into the studio with Texas musicians he's come to know (Ray Benson, Texas Tornados, the Trishas). The year ended with a major announcement about the Grammy Award-winning Mavericks — for whom he was frontman — reuniting at the Stagecoach Festival in April 2012 following a nine-year hiatus.

Former SCORPIONS Drummer Interviewed On RADIO SCREAMER (Audio)

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Nov. 17, 2011
Radio Screamer recently conducted an interview with former SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Rarebell's new autobiography, "And Speaking Of Scorpions…", is available via Amazon.com.

Commented Herman: "This is the all-too true story of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of the 1980s. But unlike so many autobiographies written these days, I decided to write it for you the fans. No, not just the fans in North America as it's already being portrayed in the media because of the fact, I suspect, it's written in English. It is written for all of our fans everywhere in the known world!!! And since it is for you, rather than focus on all the ordinary array of things such offerings tend to make so predominant, once you open this book be prepared to have the most fun you can legally have anywhere in the literary world while you immerse yourself in the story of the SCORPIONS. It is my gift to you to say thank you for all you have given to me."

Shrewdly concealed within this autobiography is not only what can be considered the quintessential, definitive history of arguably the greatest band of their era, but also a masterful weaving of some of the most entertaining wit, whimsy and sage wisdom ever shared within the covers of a simple book. Sure to be considered a masterpiece by those who have a love of tongue in cheek irony and satire, not to mention great storytelling, it raises the bar for such offerings to a decidedly new level. With his endless anecdotes and tales, Herman draws the lines that led to the group's ascension to the "Mount Olympus of rock music," while his co-writer, Michael Krikorian, clearly lends his assistance to color them in, providing more hues and tones than Crayola ever put in a box of crayons. Together, they set a table and serve up a banquet of sarcasm and memories truly fit for a king! (The King of Monaco to be precise.) There are no sacred cherubs spared from the harpoon of a master yarn-spinner, as the puns, innuendo and endless wordplay are meant to entertain and lampoon much of the history not only of an incredible band but also of a generation. Though having none of the calories but plenty of the guilt, the frankness and honesty expressed upon each sinfully delicious page will never spoil your appetite but will only leave you yearning for more.

Today's Day In Pop

Today's Full Report


Justin Bieber Baby Claim Sunk By TXT Not DNA Test?
(TMZ) Justin Bieber's alleged baby mama sent a text Wednesday to a friend, begging him to erase an incriminating text in which her mom says someone OTHER than Justin Bieber is the baby daddy, and then promising to give him a cut of the action when she scores a payday.

The person to whom Mariah Yeater sent the text asked us to blur his name -- we'll call him John. He has been in touch with Yeater regularly ... even before the baby was born on July 6.

In the text, Yeater pleads for John to "ERASE ALL MESSAGES from my mom." The text goes on to say that her mom sent John messages in the past, stating that baby Tristyn was fathered by Robbie -- an ex-boyfriend.

She then goes on to talk about giving John money if he cooperates: "Ill kick u when we get paid."

All of her texts end with Mariah Laci-- Laci is Mariah's middle name.

And TMZ has seen many other texts between Mariah and John. In one text, Mariah writes, "[John], would you please stress to Robbie how important it is for him to be in his son's life?.." Apparently, Mariah forgot about this text, because she didn't ask John to erase it.

Justin Bieber's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, tells TMZ, "This information proves Mariah Yeater fabricated the story. Our independent investigation indicates Ms. Yeater never meet Justin, she has consistently identified another man as the child's father, and Ms. Yeater and her co-conspirators hatched this scheme in order to extort money from him and to sell her story to the media."

Weitzman adds, "There have been no settlement discussions and there never will be." more on this story



Taylor Swift's 60 Minutes Profile Preview
Country music star Taylor Swift will be the focus of a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes this coming Sunday. Here are the details: The fact that millions of young fans look up to her is something music sensation Taylor Swift takes very seriously. In fact, the 21-yr.-old singer-songwriter tells Lesley Stahl it's a responsibility she has an obligation to handle responsibly. Stahl's profile of the young superstar will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, Nov. 20 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Swift says she is reminded of her status as role model every day. "I definitely think about a million people when I am getting dressed in the morning," she tells Stahl. "That's just part of my life now. I think it's my responsibility to know it and to be conscious of it."

She eschews the notion that stars aren't responsible for other people's children. "It would be really easy to say...I'm 21 now. I do what I want. You raise your kids. But...that's not the truth of it. The truth of it is that every singer out there with songs on the radio is raising the next generation. So make your words count," says Swift. Watch an excerpt here.



Selena Gomez: Not Enough Evidence To Charge Stalker
(TMZ) Thomas Brodnicki -- the man who allegedly told his shrink and an LAPD detective he had many conversations with God about killing Selena Gomez -- has just had his felony stalking charge dismissed, and he's about to go free, TMZ reported Wednesday afternoon.

Although LAPD detectives say Brodnicki is a "credible threat" to Gomez, the judge said there wasn't sufficient evidence that Brodnicki intended to convey threats to Selena -- an element of the crime which prosecutors must prove.

The judge just said Brodnicki will be held for 30 minutes, to give prosecutors a chance to present sufficient evidence -- if that doesn't happen, Brodnicki will be a free man.

There is, however, a civil restraining order against him, requiring him to stay clear of Selena.

TMZ has a producer in the courtroom who heard Brodnicki's lawyer say to Brodnicki after the judge's ruling, "Get the f**k out while you can." more on this story



Rihanna, Usher and The Band Perry Added To Grammy Nominations Concert
(popmusiclife) More stars have been added to the upcoming Grammy Nominations Concert. Rihanna, Usher and The Band Perry are the latest performers added to the lineup for the November 30 concert/TV special.

The three acts join previously announced performers Lady Gaga, Sugarland, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Jason Aldean for the show.

Two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J is, once again, set to host the one-hour special from L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. more on this story



New Kids on the Block's Joey McIntyre Releasing Christmas Album
New Kids on the Block star Joey McIntyre is getting in the holiday spirit with the release of his new album, Come Home For Christmas, on Tuesday, November 29 on iTunes.

"I've always known I would record a Christmas album," says McIntyre. "These wonderful standards have a warm special place in my heart. I have enjoyed singing them on so many snowy walks through my childhood hometown of Boston and they have soothed my homesickness out in Hollywood during the holidays."

For the holiday standards that make up the self-released Come Home For Christmas, the NKOTB singer set out to record versions of some of his favorites that evoke holiday memories and yet still retain their traditional sound. Highlights include: a fun duet with actor-comedian Mario Cantone on "Baby, It's Cold Outside," the classic "Peace On Earth" on which he is joined by "one of my good friends and mentors," NKOTB's Jordan Knight, and a moving version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" which features his sister Carol Gallagher, "with whom I sang my first-ever song on stage when I was six-years-old." JOEY produced and arranged the album with long time collaborater Rob Lewis, which was recorded in Los Angeles, Boston and New York. more on this story



Ingrid Michaelson Sets Album Release and Streaming New Song
Ingrid Michaelson has set a January 24th release date for her fourth album, Human Again.

Human Again, produced by David Kahne (Regina Spektor, Paul McCartney), is a triumph in aural range, the music veers from orchestral to percussive, while her accompanying voice swells from contralto to soprano. These darker, impassioned songs plumb the breadth of human emotion and throw a wrench in Michaelson's reputation as the crafter of dainty love songs. One of the most gutting is the album's first single, "Ghost," a hushed reflection on lost romance that unfurls ruefully from its opening line.

"The album is called Human Again because it's taken me a very long time to be happy," explained Michaelson. "The music on this album might surprise some people. I was really singing out, physically; I was writing about a really dark time in my life."

Fans can download the debut single, "Ghost," on iTunes and Amazon now as well as stream the track at EW.com here.



Mat Kearney Set For Another North American Tour Leg
Mat Kearney has announced the second leg of his North American headlining tour in support of his new album Young Love.

The second leg will kick off on January 20th, 2012 at Charlotte, NC's Amos' Southend and will take Mat across the Southern US, through the Pacific North West, and back down to Southern California – lasting nearly six weeks.

After a short break for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Mat will be doing some select Christmas radio dates and then will be gearing up for 2012 tour. more on this story



Needtobreathe Announce Tour and Letterman Appearance
(BH) Needtobreathe will kick off the New Year with their The Reckoning Tour, a headlining trek that will kick off on February 15th in Houston, TX.

The 10-week run includes a two-night stand at Nashville's storied Ryman Auditorium and is in support of their new album, The Reckoning.

On Monday November 21st, Needtobreathe will perform their song Drive All Night on The Late Show with David Letterman. more on this story



Yet Another Friday from Ice Cube and Chris Tucker?
(TMZ) Chris Tucker's money problems could be the best thing to ever happen to his movie career ... because the actor has been in serious talks with Ice Cube about reprising his role as SMOKEYYYYY ... so says the guy who played DeBo in the "Friday" series.

Tiny Lister was hangin' out in L.A. this week -- when the scariest man in Hollywood told us ... Tucker flew him out on his private jet recently to discuss the possibility of getting the ORIGINAL "Friday" crew back together.

FYI -- Tucker shot into superstardom playing pot-obsessed Smokey in the original "Friday" back in 1995 ... and then refused to appear in any of the sequels, citing religious reasons.

But now, Lister tells us ... Tucker and Cube have a big pow-wow set for next week to discuss a 4th "Friday" film ... adding, "This is gonna be the big one."

Lister told us he and Tucker also talked about doing a sequel to the 1997 hit, "The Fifth Element."
more on this story



Brian Lopez Sets Solo Debut
Brian Lopez has set a March 6, 2012 release date for his full-length solo debut, Ultra.

Lopez is currently headlining a month-long tour of France with Gabriel Sullivan and the French Cumbia Ambassadors.

Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona (40 minutes north of the U.S./Mexican border), Lopez put himself through college on a classical performance guitar scholarship, graduating with a BFA in Music, and a double minor in Spanish and business from the University of Arizona. more on this story



Shaq Denied
(TMZ) Shaquille O'Neal couldn't power his way through the lane at a New York nightclub this weekend -- getting TURNED AWAY at the door ... all because he was dressed like a lumberjack.

TMZ has learned ... Shaq rolled up to nightclub/restaurant Mars 2112 on Saturday night wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, tennis shoes and a beanie (pictured above with random fan).

But according to the club promoter, Mike Mogul, Shaq's attire wasn't up to club standards ... so security politely informed the retired NBA star that he would not be allowed inside.

Sources at the club tell us Shaq calmly replied, "Are you serious?" ... then shrugged his shoulders and walked down the street to another place that welcomed The Diesel with open arms.

The move is pretty damn shocking, considering TONS of clubs would pay some serious jack to get Shaq to stop by, no matter what he was wearing!!

Denzel Washington does not have the same problem. more on this story



Love & Hip Hop Brawls Lead To Safety Concerns
(TMZ) Security has been completely revamped on the set of "Love & Hip Hop" -- including a total ban on all glass and metal silverware -- after several bloody, face-stomping, weave-pulling fights among cast members.

Fabolous' baby mama Emily Bustamante tells TMZ, the massive blowout between Jim Jones' fiancee Chrissy Lampkin and Juelz Santana's lady Kimbella Vanderhee during Monday's episode was the final straw (watch here).

We're told producers are fed up with all the injuries on set from girl-on-girl violence -- the bloodshed, the stitches -- and have decided to institute an all-plastic policy while camera are rolling ... plastic cups, plastic knives, plastic everything.

But it doesn't end there -- we're told each cast member will now be accompanied by a personal body guard wherever he or she goes.

A rep for VH1 had no comment. more on this story



Katt Williams Questioned In Shoplifting Investigation
(TMZ) More legal drama for Katt Williams ... TMZ has learned the comic and a female companion were questioned by police in Ohio yesterday over an alleged shoplifting incident at a Best Buy store ... but this time, Katt was NOT arrested.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops were dispatched to the Best Buy in Coleraine, OH after receiving a call about a person, who appeared to be in Katt's crew, pocketing several items off the shelves.

Once police arrived to the scene, we're told cops questioned Katt, his female friend and other suspected posse members.

We're told .... after a brief investigation, Katt was NOT arrested -- neither was the woman -- but someone in the group was cited for a "minor misdemeanor."

Katt has a long, storied history with cops -- earlier this year he was arrested after a standoff with a tractor driver ... and before that, he faced off with the boys in blue in Beverly Hills after getting into a shouting match with another dude.

A rep for Katt had no comment. more on this story



Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Christmas Punch Leads To Litigation
(TMZ) The guy who was punched in the mouth during a fancy night out with one of the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" last year is out for revenge ... not only against his attacker, but against one of the most famous hotels in the world.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa Vanderpump strolled into the legendary Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel to have a drink with L.A. news reporter Robert Kovacik on Christmas Eve last year ... when a fight broke out and Kovacik got a face full of knuckles.

Now, Kovacik has filed a lawsuit against the attacker, Roger Talavera, and the hotel -- claiming his attacker had been drinking like a fish before the incident ... and the hotel SHOULD have cut him off ... but they didn't.

Kovacik claims Talavera got loud and began spewing threats to people in the bar -- but hotel employees allegedly did nothing to defuse the situation.

Kovacik says Talavera eventually made his way over to his table and allegedly punched him in the mouth for no reason -- splitting his lip so badly, that he needed stitches.

Kovacik wants both Talavera AND the hotel to pay for his medical expenses and other unspecified damages -- and it seems he's after some serious cash.

Calls to the Bev Hills Hotel have not been returned. more on this story



American Idol Ruben Studdard Getting Divorced
(TMZ) "American Idol" champ Ruben Studdard has filed for divorce, TMZ has learned.

The Velvet Teddy Bear (who won Season 2 back in 2003) filed the papers in Alabama ... citing -- what else -- "irreconcilable differences."

Ruben and his wife Surata Zuri McCants tied the knot in 2008. They have no kids.

A rep for Studdard tells us, "Ruben and Zuri have gone their separate ways." more on this story



Gary Busey Accused of Knocking Woman Down at Airport
(TMZ) Gary Busey got wasted and shouldered a 57-year-old woman to the ground at an Oklahoma airport recently ... in a mad sprint to board an airplane -- this according to a new lawsuit filed against the actor.

The woman -- named Carla Loeffler -- filed the lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court, claiming she and Busey were waiting for the same flight at Tulsa airport back in May ... when Busey shouldered her without provocation.

According to Loeffler, Busey had been biding his time downing drinks at the airport ... and by the time their flight was called, he was completely faded.

Loeffler claims she was waiting in line on the jetway to board the flight -- and Busey barreled past her in an effort to cut the line, violently knocking her to the ground.

According to the lawsuit, Loeffler sustained injuries as a result of the takedown and she's now demanding unspecified damages. Attempts to reach Gary were unsuccessful. more on this story



Two Very Different Westerns To Shoot It Out on December 6th
(MVD) On December 6, two competing Westerns hit store shelves, and they offer two very different possibilities for the genre's future.

Cowboys & Aliens is a big studio Western that mixes in sci-fi, CGI and noisy blockbuster elements, seeming distrustful that today's audiences will accept a straight-ahead Western.

The Scarlet Worm (on DVD and Blu-Ray from Unearthed Films/MVD), on the other hand, is a glowingly reviewed independent Western that proves a horse opera can still capture the public's imagination - even on a low budget - as long as its story offers something fresh and original within the traditional framework. more on this story



Troy Aikman Divorce Discovered
(TMZ) Troy Aikman is officially a single man ... and has been for months ... after a judge quietly signed off on his divorce back in April ... TMZ has learned.

Back in January, Troy and Rhonda Aikman announced they had separated after ten years of marriage ... but TMZ has uncovered official public records, signed by Troy, in which the Dallas Cowboys legend states that an "agreed final decree of divorce" has been issued and it lists April 12, 2011 as the day the marriage was legally terminated.

Troy and Rhonda have 2 kids together -- and back in January, they released a joint statement saying, "We remain deeply committed to our children ... during this period of adjustment"

Just a few months before the two separated, Troy and Rhonda were already divvying up the family assets. TMZ obtained official documents which show Rhonda gave up her stake in the family mansion in Dallas last November. It's unclear if she got any compensation for taking her name off the deed ... but just a few months later, she purchased a home, also in Dallas, for roughly $1.5 mil.

TMZ called Aikman's rep for comment -- so far, no response.

Today's Day in Rock

Free Avenged Sevenfold Show
Avenged Sevenfold will perform a free show for fans during their upcoming Buried Alive Tour at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA, on December 16th.

The show is free to all fans, regardless if they were or weren't at the Uproar Show. However, Uproar ticket holders will be guaranteed free entrance and first pick of seats. Anyone who purchased a ticket for the October 14th Uproar Festival date at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, will receive an e-mail with redemption details. For those who purchased with cash, on site or at a venue, please visit www.rockstaruproar.com/mv and submit your e-mail address. These tickets will only be available one week ahead of the general public starting on November 17th at 10am PT through November 23rd at Midnight PT. The band launches the headlining "Buried Alive" Tour with Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Veil Brides on November 23rd.

"We appreciate our fans so much and felt terrible that we had to miss the Uproar show in October," says M. Shadows. "We want to make it up to those in the Bay Area by adding this free show to our 'Buried Alive' tour and making sure that anyone who was supposed to see us that night in Northern California will get the best seats in the house." more on this story




Metallica and Black Sabbath To Headline Music Festival
(hennemusic) At least two milestones will be marked at Download 2012: it's the festival's 10th anniversary, and, the event is the first stop on the Black Sabbath reunion world tour.

The weekend event runs June 8-10, 2012 at its regular home in Donington Park. The Download folks have released a 2-minute commercial for the weekend fest, promoting both Metallica and Sabbath as headliners.

Metallica will top the bill on Saturday (9), while Sabbath headlines the Sunday (10) showcase. More details and the commercial.




Music CDs Being Killed Off?
(Banana 101.5) After it virtually killed off the cassette tape and the short lived mini-disc, the compact disc may be dead within two years according to industry insiders.

According to Side Line Music Magazine, the shelf life of the CD is set to expire before 2013. The magazine reports that most major labels are planning to stop producing the little shiny discs that were all the rage in the 80′s, and replace them with streaming and digital download options.

Most of these plans are set to take effect at some point in 2012, with the only CD's still available being limited edition prints — which will only be made for major artists. more on this story




Coheed and Cambria Reunite With Former Member
Coheed and Cambria are bringing back back former drummer Josh Eppard to replace Chris Pennie (Dillinger Escape Plan) who left the group earlier this month.

Josh Eppard had this to say on the band's website: Life is odd. I think its fair to say that Coheed and Cambria while often mysterious, has always had a meaningful and honest relationship with it's supporters. I thought it'd be appropriate at this time to address the people that keep the COCA universe alive and well and that's you guys...the fans. The last 5 years was both a humbling learning experience and a heart breaking journey into darkness and eventually the light. I honestly never thought I'd see the day I would be reunited with my bandmates and lifelong friends. I regretted not being a part of Coheed from the day they moved on. Although many things were said in the early part of my first years without the band, I think its clear to those who know me that it was the byproduct of anger and disappointment -with myself. Claudio and Travis's (and Mic's) music has always spoke to me in a way that no other music did. I love them both dearly and missed them with all of my heart. After my time in Coheed, I eventually got clean and got real with myself. With the help of my loved ones I got back on my feet and that meant playing music again. I'd like to extend an enormous debt of gratitude to Fred Masherino who I played with in Terrible Things for the last 2 years. It's no secret that with the damage I had done to my reputation, no one was taking any chances on me. Fred did and I thank him for that. He taught me so much about humility and reminded me of why I play music in the first place. That being said, it was always clear to me playing with anyone that it would never be the magic that I felt with Coheed. I can't believe I get a chance to play for the best fans in the world again. Not many people get a chance to put back together the things they broke long ago. It's good to be back. Welcome home indeed.

And the band had this to say: We didn't originally plan to make a big splash about this, but when Chris made his announcement, we were ultimately compelled to. We didn't want anyone to be concerned about the state of the band, and trying to keep things quiet was proving to be really tough. And besides, we're just really excited and wanted to share that feeling with you. more on this story




Pantera's Rex Brown Not Down About Changing Bands
Revolver caught up with former Pantera bassist Rex Brown to learn about his recent departure from Down to devote his time to his new band Kill Devil Hill and to them know about his autobiography plans.

Here are two excerpts from the interview: You split with Down earlier this year. What caused you to leave? Phil has a lot side projects that he does, so he spends a lot of time focusing on them. And after a while, I decided I needed something new. There's no animosity there, but I need to jam, I need to keep moving down the road. I mean, Phil and I go back 23 years, so it's all good. We talked recently. That's fine. I just needed a change. I'm working on the book right now, so you're going to have to wait to hear about it.

We've heard about the book—is there a focus to it? Pantera? Down? Or just Rex over the years? I try to be really honest and genuine about how my life's been these past years. I have a co-writer, and I've got over 60 hours of tape, and I want to talk about my experiences during this time. With Pantera…when all of that went down, I didn't really talk about anything in the press. I didn't want to take any part in the he-said-she-said bullsh*t. So this is my perspective on the whole bit. It's about the good times, really, not the bad stuff, because that's out there in the press, and it's something I hate. But hey, it makes good copy. Check out the full interview here, it's a good one!




Beatles Festival Future In Doubt
(Gibson) U.K. government spending cuts could lead to the cancellation of a music festival associated with The Beatles.

Mathew Street in Liverpool, England, was home to the Cavern Club (famous for early Beatles performances) and gives its name to an annual free music festival. In 2011, it attracted musicians and Beatles fanatics from more than 30 countries.

"Next year is its 20th anniversary and it is also the 50th anniversary of the formation of The Beatles, with Ringo Starr joining as drummer," said Joe Anderson, leader of the Liverpool City Council. "But these are the difficult choices that we are having to make." more on this story




James Durbin Releases First Video
(hennemusic) The first James Durbin video is now out. "Love Me Bad" is the second track officially released from Durbin's debut, "Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster," which comes out next Monday.

It follows "Stand Up," which was issued in September as part of an NFL "Official Game Day" EP.

"We shot the video for 'Love Me Bad' in dry lake bed out in the desert of Barstow, California," James told Loudwire recently. "We were, like, 90 minutes away from Las Vegas and it was a day full of rock 'n' roll debauchery. I accidentally blew up a 1971 Dodge Charger by driving it too hard! The hood was on fire and there was smoke everywhere. I just remember the fire department guys we had on set running towards me screaming, 'Get the f— out!' It was insane." Check it out here.




Jack's Mannequin Map Out Tour Plans and Will Rock Jimmy Kimmel
Jack's Mannequin will be hitting the road again 2012 for North American tour and are also set to hit late night TV next month.

The North American tour, in support of their latest release, People and Things, will kick off in St. Louis on January 19 and run through February 11 in Washington DC. Following the US tour they will head to Australia for the Soundwave Festival before heading to Japan for a handful of dates.

Before they hit the road again, Jack's Mannequin will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on December 5th. more on this story




Johnny A Robbed
(Gibson) Johnny A. has had some guitars stolen. The Gibson Signature guitarist returned home last weekend from a three-week tour of Japan and Europe to find three of his favorite instruments gone.

"I want to make it difficult for anybody to fence these," Johnny A. said yesterday. "It's me being proactive. Someone knows someone who did it, someone's going to talk, it will eventually get back to the people who took them."

Two of the three guitars stolen were unique. One is a 1967 Gibson EB-2 bass with a rare Burgundy Metallic finish. Another is one of just 40 produced, a Gibson Montana Custom Advanced Jumbo acoustic with a Sunburst finish. That guitar is identifiable by its slimmer body and unusual three-piece back, Johnny says. The third guitar is of sentimental value to Johnny because it was a Christmas gift from his family. It's a Hofner re-issue McCartney bass. more on this story




Cursive Releasing Concept Album and Hitting The Road
Cursive have set a February 21st, 2012 release date for their new concept album, I Am Gemini, and announce tour plans to support it.

Cursive will hit the road for a three-week tour around the release of I Am Gemini that will launch on February 12th at the Larimer Lounge in Denver, CO. The tour will take the band along the west coast - including a February 24th stop at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, CA - and through the southwest before wrapping up with a hometown show on March 3rd at Slowdown in Omaha.

I Am Gemini is the surreal and powerful musical tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head. more on this story




Original Judas Priest Singer Teams Up with Christian Guitarist
Glass Onyon sent over details about a match made in heaven and hell: original Judas Priest singer and Holy Rage frontman Al Atkins and Christian guitarist and music artist Paul May have released a new CD called 'Serpent's Kiss', now available on Gonzo Multimedia.

The 10-track album is the product of two of the Midlands finest architects of rock and metal coming together to create something that is unique and totally exhilaratin.

There are enough doses of melody and metal madness to entice all fans of the genre, and while it is solid, honest working class heavy metal, it also has its roots in contemporary metal with some fine axe-work and killer choruses. The cover art for 'Serpent's Kiss' is also unique as it was created by world famous fantasy artist Rodney Matthews. more on this story




Linkin Park Offering Fans Rare Songs
Linkin Park are relaunching their fan club which will be offering members access to a CD or digital download of rare songs created in sessions leading up to the recording of Hybrid Theory through A Thousand Suns.

The newest version of their eleven-year old fan club has been dubbed LPU11, according to 60 Cycle Media.

Vocalist Mike Shinoda says, "The music we release to the LP Underground are always special. They're the rawest form of our songs, including finished and unfinished tracks from nearly all our albums. We take a lot of time crafting any of our studio albums, and these songs are a great insight into the process." more on this story




Paul Stanley and Lita Ford Rock KISS For Rock Camp
(hennemusic) Paul Stanley of KISS and Lita Ford are seen in rehearsal at the latest edition of the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

The two are just some of the name musician involved this month at the current Hollywood camp; Billy Sheehan (David Lee Roth, Steve Vai), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne) and Nils Lofgren (E Street Band) are among those jamming with wannabe and experienced players at the rock retreat.

Ford spoke with About Los Angeles recently to share some of her thoughts on the experience. "Anyone and any age is fine," says Lita on who should sign up. "The last Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp had an all-kid band that absolutely smoked, and they even had an all-girl band." More from Lita here and the video.




Asking Alexandria Hand Picked For Tonight's Guns N' Roses Gig
(Sumerian) Asking Alexandria will take a brief detour from their current World War III North American tour to perform direct support to the legendary Guns N' Roses at the Izod Center in NJ tonight (Thursday, Nov. 17th).

They were handpicked less than 24 hours ago for this special opportunity and have risen to the occasion traveling across the country for it.

Asking Alexandria will conclude the World War III tour this weekend and will immediately joins forces with Avenged Sevenfold for a series of dates to wrap-up the year.




Bush TV Special Preview
(Banana 101.5) Bush has recorded a live performance for Guitar Center Sessions that will premiere on Direct TV November 19th.

The show will air Saturday, November 19th at 9P ET on Direct TV's Audience Network (channel 239) and will be available in both High Definition 2D and 3D.

Check out their performance of 'Chemicals Between Us' from the sessions here before it hits the air this Saturday here.




Dion, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Ronnie Spector for Malt Shop Cruise
Dion, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Ronnie Spector are just some of the stars taking part in the next Malt Shop Cruise. Webster sent over these details:

The next annual Malt Shop Memories Cruise will expand to a seven-day trip with more ports of call and additional performances by an incredible array of stars from the '50s and '60s. Departing on October 27th (through November 3rd) from Fort Lauderdale, FL, the cruise will set sail on Holland America's luxurious m/s Eurodam for Turks & Caicos, San Juan, St. Thomas and the private island of Half Moon Cay.

As a full ship charter, the Eurodam will be transformed into a floating '50s and '60s entertainment complex, treating passengers to concerts and special events such as sock hops, hula hoop contests, prom night, beach parties, and, of course, interaction with their favorite singers and much more. more on this story




Orange Helps Music Store Hit By Tornado
(Sub) Orange Amplification's 'The Music Aid For Joplin' auction has raised $10,000 to help Dave Peterson, owner of the Glory Days Music Store, following its destruction in a devastating tornado last May.

Dave Peterson also lost his home in the devastation, which flattened nearly half of Joplin, Missouri, during the severest tornado season in more than fifty years in the USA. On seeing the devastation on worldwide CNN News, British amplifier maker Orange Amplification, alongside other manufacturers and distributors within the music industry, joined together to create an auction of very special musical equipment hosted by the Fame Bureau in the UK, with all proceeds going to aid Glory Days Music.

Among those who contributed were Intel, Yamaha, Jim Dunlop, Aria, Guitar World Magazine, Taylor Guitars, Sabian Cymbals, Seymour Duncan, and Orange's endorsed artists Geddy Lee (Rush), Mastodon, Theory of a Deadman, and more. more on this story




Betraying The Martyrs Kick Off First American Tour Tomorrow
Betraying The Martyrs are traveling from their native Paris, France to kick off their North American touring debut tomorrow.

The band is hitting the road for a North American tour with Born of Osiris and Veil of Maya tomorrow, Nov. 18th in Dayton, Oh.

Betraying The Martyrs are hitting the road in support of their debut full-length album Breathe In Life. more on this story




The Dear Hunter Announce Tour With Circa Survive's Anthony Green
(WMG) The Dear Hunter are hitting the road with Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green for a North American tour.

Kicking off in January, the 5-week tour in support of The Color Spectrum follows the band's current run with Manchester Orchestra.

The 9-EP project The Color Spectrum claimed two separate spots on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart upon its debut, with the complete collection reaching an impressive #9, and the 11-song CD version (featuring select music from each EP) debuting at #32. more on this story




Death Metal Super Group Lock Up Announce First American Tour
Death metal supergroup Lock Up have announced their first ever North American tour.

It's set to be a headlining run with Goatwhore and Strong Intention, and will kick off in February.

The UK group featuring genre veterans, Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates, Disfear), Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept), Nicolas Barker (ex-Cradle Of Filth, ex-Dimmu Borgir) and Anton Reisenegger (Criminal, Pentagram). more on this story




Plug In Stereo Goes To Atlantic
(Atlantic) Singer/multi-instrumentalist Plug In Stereo has inked a deal with Atlantic Records.

The 18-year-old artist – known to friends and family as Trevor Dahl – will release his label debut EP, entitled "The Patience EP," on January 3rd.

Plug In Stereo will herald "The Patience EP" with a series of upcoming North American tour dates alongside The Ready Set, kicking off Sunday, November 20th at Moodswing in Wilmington, Delaware. more on this story




Singled Out: Blue Moon Harem's Finland
Today Demetri J from Blue Moon Harem tells us about the title track from their brand new album "Finland". Here is the story:

This song represents the human struggle. It is a song about the journey we all take in life. The hard road traveled in reaching ours goals and the race against time in getting to our God given destiny. The name of the track "Finland" came to mind as we pictured our journey as often being a long and grueling, cold, wintery like affair, set with pitfalls along the way, mountains to climb and valleys to cross.. The music for the track is powerful and ominous which lends itself well to the dramatization of the hard struggles we all go thru in life.

The cinematic stereo imaging effects of the electric guitars further add to the notion of being on that uncertain course while the hard and pounding drums showcase our perseverance and determination to arrive at our destination. The heartfelt, searing vocal performance characterizes our ongoing strength and determination…

Please listen to the song and sense the longing, hunger and passion of the human experience thru the eyes and ears of Blue Moon Harem!

Roth Driving Force Behind Van Halen/Interscope Signing

Monday, 14 November 2011


Billboard.com has an interesting story about the series of meetings that Van Halen had with Interscope Records that “presented the band with a global plan that included extensive marketing, merchandising, touring and, of course, recordings.” Here’s the Billboard article, followed by our own comments:

Van Halen To Sign With Interscope

Iconic rock band Van Halen are set to sign with Interscope Records, says a source familiar with the negotiations. The deal is expected to be finalized next week, marking the first time in 35 years that the band will not release music through Warner Music, its longtime label home.

It had been rumored — and reported — that the band was joining the Columbia Records roster. In fact, an insider tells The Hollywood Reporter that the contract for the Sony deal was drawn up and approved but hadn’t been signed when Universal Music stepped into the picture.

The signing was a group effort involving UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, UMG International COO Max Hole, Interscope Geffen A&M vice chairman Steve Berman and Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine, who, says a source, “heard the band was available and wanted to work with them. It was decided at the 11th hour.” What came next was a series of meetings that presented the band with a global plan that included extensive marketing, merchandising, touring and, of course, recordings.

So what derailed the Columbia deal? The usual rock band complications, says an insider. While the group reunited with original singer David Lee Roth in 2006, the Sony label could not come to terms with Roth, who has a separate management, legal and accounting team than the other three members, guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his son Wolfgang (who replaced bassist Michael Anthony) and drummer Alex Van Halen. The main issue for Roth? He was apparently adamant about being on a west coast label. “He was never on board [with Columbia],” says the source. “It was as complicated as anyone would imagine, when one side says black, the other says white. The label was pretty skeptical that things would work out.”

It’s expected that as frontman, Roth will have to carry much of the marketing burden and it seems the band members ultimately want their singer to be happy with the deal which is why they went with Universal’s west coast-based Interscope.

A new album, their first studio effort since 1984, is believed to be nearly finished with the hope that it can be released in 2012. The band is expected to make a “special announcement” on Nov. 30 at the Grammy Awards nominations concert, which will air live on CBS from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater.

An Interscope rep had no comment.

First, a note from VHND regarding the last paragraph of the above article. The new album has actually been done for quite awhile – mixing was completed in August and mastering was done in September. Also, it will definitely be released in early 2012.

As an extension of the article, sources have told VHND that David Lee Roth was the driving force behind the move to Interscope (A division of Universal – which has a stable of artists such as U2 and the Police) and it seems his desire was to be on a more “hip” label. One that would take advantage of all promotion tools available (such as new media and new technology). While the other three members (Wolf, Alex and Eddie) were ready to go with Columbia, it was Roth who prevailed upon them to go with Interscope and when presented with Interscope’s package they agreed it was the way to go.

It must be noted that, if Roth will be charged with promotions with the new album, Van Halen is in good hands. Simply put, this is something DLR does VERY well. Since Ed and Alex don’t particularly like interviews it seems only natural to place this in the capable hands of Roth, who guided the Van Halen promotional ship from 1978 to 1984.

It’s especially interesting that the band chose Interscope over Columbia mainly because of Roth. It’s also very exciting that the story implies that Roth might do much of the marketing, which makes sense, as that’s what he was born to do! All this shows that Roth has quite a bit of say in what Van Halen does!