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The Killers Sue Former Manager
Rock group The Killers are countersuing their former manager Braden Merrick, claiming he lost them millions of dollars, reports Billboard magazine.The US music weekly says it obtained a copy of a legal statement alleging the "bungling of merchandising and promotional opportunities".
read more | digg story
Whitesnake and Def Leppard to Play at Download Festival
It looks like June 14, will be marked as an important date for music fans in Dublin as on that day they will have the chance to watch a great rock act at the annual Download Festival
read more | digg story
Ozzy returns to TV with Osbournes:Reloaded...
I was skeptical at first, but this looks pretty entertaining. Watch the guy make out with someone's Gramma while blindfolded. The cringe factor is way up there!
A chance to win an iPod!
Vote for what you think is the best platinum love story, and you will have a chance to win a free iPod. The four most popular stories will receive a free set of Novell platinum wedding bands.
Visit http://www.allureaccess.com/pgi/ to participate.
A Guide for 20th Century Popular Rock Music - Music Almanac
Your guide to 20th century popular music - 1960s-1990s, features bios and more than 40 hours of streaming audio.
read more | digg story
Changes rock the music world as '360' deals rise
The merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster will alter the face of pop music. While fans are reticent to pay for physical CDs and illegal downloads proliferate, they'll pay through the nose to see their idols LIVE.
read more | digg story
Alternative bands are outside the Grammys looking in
What is alternative, anyway? When it rippled into our vernacular, after "college rock" faded with the '80s, the term meant something, as in an alternative to the majority. What we need is an alternative to alternative: a new category geared toward indie artists who aren't quite established but well on their way.
read more | digg story
The latest rock music news headlines....
Get all of today's rock music news in one place. Fast and easy. Sponsored by Novell wedding bands.
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Rock Music - Tracii Guns Demonstrates Rip And Tear Solo
Solo lesson for The LA Guns song Rip And Tear by Tracii Guns. Tracii lets it rip live and raw. Live webcam demonstration.
Brilliant acoustic version of hard rock music's lost classic
Some of regulars from the message board community at Metal Sludge may slag on Donnie Vie from time to time, but that has nothing to do with the man’s artistic ability. It probably has more to do with Enuff Z’Nuff's general approach to the music business (which is often confusing and disjointed) – and maybe about a few of his whacky MySpace rants. Overall, Enuff Z’Nuff has built a passionate fan base that is eager for more music and even more performances. But they are frustrated. And I know – I am one of them!
One of Donnie’s solo albums had been sent to me months ago, and I kinda blew it off. My bad! On Extra Strength, Donnie Vie masterfully recreates a classic Enuff Z’Nuff album – Strength – but all acoustic. The stripped down songs demonstrate strength (how fitting) and vulnerability. Opener “Heaven or Hell” has a few extra layers, but for the most part Extra Strength is just a man, a guitar, his voice, and sometimes a piano. To summarize in one simple word - brilliant!
Other reviews:
“Extra Strength is a timely reminder that behind Enuff Z’Nuff’s glamorous façade there are some very strong songwriters.” – Classic Rock Magazine UK
“Mr. Vie has created a great record, which pays tribute to the original 1991 masterpiece and yet has something new to offer. The songs that work best are surprisingly the electric ‘Missing You’ and ‘The World is a Gutter.’” - Revelationz.net
“The title track ‘Strength’ has always been superb and here, instead of the mellotron laden original Vie chooses to utilize piano and strings to serve up a haunting, stark arrangement. You can hear the crack in his voice, and almost see the tears in the eye.” - HardRockHouse.com
Buy Extra Strength directly from Donnie Vie's website.
Hear samples on YouTube.com:
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Heaven or Hell”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Missing You”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Strength”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Hollywood Ya”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “It’s No Good”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “In My Life”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Mother’s Eyes”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “The Way Home”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Time To Let You Go”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Baby Loves You”
Rock music – Donnie Vie – “Blue Island”
Something old, something new on Ariel Aparicio's rock album "All These Brilliant Things"
Before you read on, you need to understand the definition of the following two words:
eclectic [i-klek-tik]
1. Selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. Made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. Not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
fun [fuhn]
1. Something that provides mirth or amusement.
2. Enjoyment or playfulness.
3. Of or pertaining to fun.
4. Whimsical: flamboyant.
These are the only two words I can use to accurately describe the music of Ariel Aparicio – eclectic and fun. Borrowing a bit from classic 70’s glam, punk and new wave, you can hear a little bit of everything on his latest album - All These Brilliant Things. Yet, as a whole, the album has flow and is full-filling. Its flavoring might lean more towards Bowie (as on “Heaven”) on one song, then towards The Stooges with others. Throw in some power pop-esque melody for good measure, and you’ll get the picture. But it does all this while establishing its own identity. All These Brilliant Things starts of in a quirky singer/songwriter mode, and soars onward and upward from there. Play this album at your next party – your friends will think you have the coolest mix-tape (or iTunes playlist) in town.
"Powerful and majestic...The sound is based on the true spirit of rock and roll, and is timeless in its quality." Local Vertical
"Ariel Aparicio's latest album, All These Brilliant Things is made in the spirit of the great rock event... With more thrills situated throughout, All These Brilliant Things makes for a good listen." Parasites & Sycophants
"All These Brilliant Things is the third disc from Brooklyn musician and restauranteur Ariel Aparicio. The disc successfully brings together the sounds of 70's glam rock, 80's pop, and current-day post-punk." Brooklyn Rocks
Here’s more about Ariel Aparicio (from his official bio):
“Ariel’s inspiration for the record came from a desire to create a timeless rock & roll album that would combine the majestic pop of Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” with the full-frontal assault of The Stooges “Raw Power”. Tracks often begin with the kind of catchy, rhythmic riff-heavy stuff one might associate with “The Strokes”, before oscillating into wave-like guitar solos and cascading into b-sections of unpredictable melodic beauty. Songs like “Bones” travel from the unexpected arrival of a drunken horn section to the smash of a balls-out rocking verse. “Down In Tijuana” a short, lo-fi interlude on a record with otherwise meticulously detailed production (Ariel majored in audio-engineering at NYU) harkens back to his Latino roots with a brief Spanish language piece one could easily hear billowing forth from a beat-up old transistor in a Havana storefront. “Jameson & Cocaine” openly bemoans lost days of addiction, “Don’t take my Jameson & Cocaine”! While “Hang Around” is an anthem of optimism and perseverance written for his newborn son.”
Visit Ariel Aparicio's MySpace page.
'Guitar Hero,' 'Rock Band' fight all-out music war
From The Associated Press:
'Guitar Hero,' 'Rock Band' fight all-out music war
By LOU KESTEN
As one historic duel — the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain — ends, another is heating up. The stakes are high: nothing less than the soul of rock 'n roll. The competition is fierce.
And you will decide — with your wallet.
In one corner is "Guitar Hero," the franchise that revolutionized the rhythm-game genre in 2005. In the other corner is upstart "Rock Band," which rewrote the rules last year by adding drums and vocals to the mix. Several third-party candidates are waiting backstage, hoping that one of the two major contenders hits a false note.
Unlike the presidential election, however, this isn't a zero-sum game. I suspect many virtual rockers, especially those with deep pockets, will buy as many editions of both "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" as their publishers dare to release. Each game has its strong and weak points, however, so if you're on a tighter budget, read on. (The prices here are for software only; guitars, drums and microphones cost extra.)
_"Guitar Hero World Tour" (Activision, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, $59.99; Wii, PlayStation 2, $49.99): "Guitar Hero" may be the sales leader in this category, but when its developer, Harmonix, went off to create "Rock Band," many fans defected too. "World Tour" plays catch-up by adding, yes, drums and vocals, but also includes a music studio that lets players create their own tunes.
Most "GH" veterans will never crack open the music studio, and they won't be missing much: It manages the neat trick of being both simplistic and awkward, and the results won't get you onto the cover of Rolling Stone. I did prefer the "World Tour" drum kit, which has one more pad than the kit for "Rock Band" and feels more sturdy and realistic.
"World Tour" stumbles, though, in recreating a full band experience. The menu's to set up a band are confusing, and while you're playing it's nearly impossible to keep track of how your bandmates are doing. And unlike in "Rock Band," there's nothing you can do to bail out a friend who's struggling. The tour mode itself is really just a series of set lists, without the clever role-playing elements that make "Rock Band" so addictive.
Still, "Guitar Hero" remains an enormously entertaining social game. It has a nicely varied library of songs ("Beat It," "On the Road Again," even some foreign-language tunes) that will undoubtedly grow. Activision and its Neversoft studio have a few kinks to work out, but that shouldn't stop rock fans from taking this tour. Three stars out of four.
Read more of 'Guitar Hero,' 'Rock Band' fight all-out music war...
Get Jack Bruce away from the bar!
Apparently they should cut off the wine at the annual Classic Rock Awards in the UK before 9PM. Cream's Jack Bruce had a few not-so-nice comments to say about those rock n' roll hacks - Led Zeppelin. I guess The Rolling Stones send Jack Christmas cards.
From Classic Rock:
Jack Bruce picked up the Classic Album gong for Cream’s Disraeli Gears at last night's Classic Rock awards.
After the ceremony Dave Ling grabbed Bruce for a quickfire interview – and was stunned when the legendary bassist launched into an extraordinary anti-Led Zeppelin tirade.
Here's a transcript of what transpired…
The million dollar question: Are Cream going to do anything again?
Oh yeah, I’m sure we will. But we’ll have Todd Rundgren [who’s just walked by] in the band by then.
It’s good news that there might be more from Cream.
Well, the trouble is that I’m doing so many amazing things on my own. Cream is just a band from many, many years ago, and we did do something [referring to the reunion shows in 2005]… Everybody talks about Led Zeppelin, and they played one fucking gig – one fucking lame gig – while Cream did weeks of gigs; proper gigs, not just a lame gig like Zeppelin did, with all the [vocal] keys lowered and everything. We played everything in the original keys. [Becoming animated]: Fuck off, Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else. The worst thing is that people believe the crap that they’re sold. Cream is 10 times the band that Led Zeppelin is.
That’s a bold opinion.
What? You’re gonna compare Eric Clapton with that fucking Jimmy Page? Would you really compare that?
To be fair, they’re different kinds of player, aren’t they?
No! Eric’s good and Jimmy’s crap. And with that I rest my case.
Are you having a good time this evening?
Sure. Yeah. I always have a good time, but especially tonight.
Especially tonight? So do you go to a lot of awards ceremonies?
No. I don’t go to anything. I’m not allowed out. I’m not even allowed in.
So what made you come along to this?
My wife and my kids insisted.
Why did they insist? Do they like magazine?
They like the magazine, yeah. I like your magazine, too. But that doesn’t mean I have to go along to your awards.
So who have you spent quality time with?
I met a lot of old friends. Jeff Beck. Gary Moore – loads and loads of people that I don’t often see. It’s nice to catch up with them again. Ozzy’s here and it’s really nice.
The atmosphere is quite chilled-out.
It’s excellent. No pressure. It’s quite different to the Grammys, though the Oscars are good.
So Disraeli Gears is now 41 years old.
Is it really? Wow.
It doesn’t seem like 41 years?
No. It seems much longer than that.
It must be an album you’re still proud of?
Of course. Albums like that are timeless. If you make something great – and Disraeli Gears is great, in its own way – it lasts forever. Nobody says Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony sounds dated, do they?
Read more of this story and fans' additional comments at 'Led Zeppelin, you’re crap. You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else'....
The Coolest Guitars In Rock!
Fresh from unveiling the Greatest Guitarist of All Time on Gigwise, we thought we'd pay homage to some of the coolest guitars that have been played on the live stage in rock music.
Snow Patrol's New Album 'A Hundred Million Suns' Reviewed
You either love them or you hate 'em. But Snow Patrol show on their fifth album that they can do more than playing dour stadium rock. A touch of Glam, a sniff of Ambient - Hear a new side of the band that has played itself into the niche between Coldplay and Keane.
Sienna Miller Covers Herself In Cow's Blood For Music Video
Sienna Miller covered herself in cow's blood for a new music video. "The Edge of Love" actress stars in a gruesome new promo for British indie rock band The Hours' new track "See The Light," which was co-directed by renowned artist Damien Hirst.
Classic Rock Band ANGEL Official Site
ANGEL, the group that everyone either loved or never heard of now has an official site: www.myspace.com/AngelOfficialSite. Go there for their latest news, touring info, hear their music, and watch videos.
The 10 Greatest Cartoon Bands of All Time
It seemed like every 80's cartoon had at least one musical character that would be dragged out for a special episode now and then , if not an actual band as the stars of the show. But all this musical cartoon mayhem begs the question...which animated band rocked the most?
Activision lost out on Beatles because of "inflexibility"
Though many music game fans hold Rock Band in high regard, Guitar Hero is still the bigger franchise to the general public. Yet, in spite of this, Harmonix was able to secure the much sought after Beatles music catalog for an upcoming game instead of Activision. And according to a report from Reuters, the blame may be on Activision CEO Bobby Kotick
Michale Graves: Musical Misfit
You're 19 years old and, as fate would have it, you get thrown into one of the most legendary, cult status, punk rock bands of our time. As a singer/songwriter you've basically reached the pinnacle of your career. So...what do you do next?
read more | digg story
Heidi Klum Strips Down in Guitar Hero: World Tour Commercial
Anyone watching last night's Monday Night Football likely caught a glimpse of Heidi Klum's as she jiggled for Guitar Hero: World Tour. Activision's going for the zipper in the newest Guitar Hero spot, one that swaps out Bryant, Phelps, A-Rod and Hawk for a solo Klum.
Is the new Guns N' Roses track worth the wait?
Guns N' Roses fans, the wait is over. After 17 years of polishing ---or whatever it is that rock stars do when they sequester themselves in studios that cost millions of dollars for a decade-plus --- new GNR music has finally,made its way to the public.
read more | digg story
New "Guns N Roses" Single Hits Airwaves Tomorrow
GUNS N' ROSES' brand new single is set to impact at radio tomorrow (Wednesday, October 22). "Chinese Democracy", the title track to the group's long-delayed new album, will be available to download by U.S. radio outlets at 5 a.m. ET tomorrow morning.
Interview: Ireland's The Event Guide speaks to Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme
Rachel McMahon from Ireland's The Event Guide speaks to Nuno Bettencourt of Boston rockers Extreme:
13 years after the release of their last record, Extreme have just finished their 5th album, ‘Saudades de Rock’, out last August. Lead guitarist and backing vocalist Nuno Bettencourt considers the album; “I think this time it actually turned out better than I had hoped for.” Of the record, the guitarist considers that “It was just kind of whatever we came up with and, you know, came up with in the rehearsal space. Whatever we wrote - we were just trying to capture that the way it was.” The meaning of the album’s title (‘Sausades de Rock’ –roughly translated from Portuguese as ‘a longing for rock’) was two-fold, referring to their own desire to be playing after their extended hiatus, but also as a yearning for a greater volume of rock music to be made in general. As Bettencourt explains, “I think there’s a void out there of rock ‘n roll music” but adds also that it was “In a selfish way, for us to play it too.”
Forming in 1985, the band went through various guises until the present-day line-up of Gary Cherone, Pat Badger, Figueiredo and Bettencourt. Of these, only he and Cherone have been members since the band’s beginnings. “We were in two separate bands locally and we kind of met by chance”, explains Bettencourt of his and Cherone’s acquaintance. “We were doing a gig together and we stayed in touch through the years. And a couple of years later, he just asked me if I want to come down and jam with him,” recalls the musician. From the start, they noticed in each other a similar musical taste, as Bettencourt recalls, “One of the bands that kind of anchored us really was Queen, always.” However, about how Extreme should sound - “We had no idea!” he laughs, admitting, “We were never really sure what was going to happen. I mean, you have your heroes but as much as you want to, you never really sound like them.”
Of the band’s return, Bettencourt feels that “It was just time. Everybody had done all the projects they need to do and we were all kind of reaching out to each other at the same time. So we knew that, you know, depending on the new record, if it was something that we were excited about we were going to do it.” The reaction towards the group’s reunion has been “I’d say so far, so good. The majority of it’s been good”, the guitarist deems.
Read more of the interview with Nuno Bettencourt...
Music review: Time to Pull the Plug on AC/DC
From Star-Telegram.com:
Watching the aging legends of rock music navigate the increasingly choppy waters of the music business should prove highly instructive for the young Turks just now making a name for themselves.
Digging in against the iTunes Store? Firing off lawsuits against industry file-sharers? Inking exclusive (and obscenely lucrative) deals with monolithic retail behemoths? Appearing disdainful in the media of those who consume their music any other way than how the band intends?
All of these would strike most up-and-coming bands as horrifying PR blunders, evidence that the artists are painfully out of touch with the way most folks consume music these days, whether you’re an 18-year-old whippersnapper or a 50-something father of three.
Yet, one superstar act after another lines up to fight tooth and claw against the current paradigm shift. Australian hard rock icons AC/DC are merely the latest in an increasingly long line and, sadly, probably won’t be the last.
The quintet has drawn criticism for the decision to release Black Ice, its first studio album in eight years, solely through Wal-Mart; Axl Rosenberg, a writer on heavy metal blog metalsucks.net, even went so far as to diss the recent online leak: "I literally care so little about a new AC/DC album that I don’t even want a free copy."
Sobering words, but in truth, it has more to do with the fact that Black Ice feels so incredibly homogenous. At 15 tracks and 55 minutes, the Brendan O’Brien-produced disc varies little from song to song, as one Angus Young riff slips into another and Brian Johnson’s signature shredded wail never wavers. Cuts like War Machine and She Likes Rock 'N’ Roll are clearly meant to evoke the band’s Back in Black heyday, and it often seems that AC/DC is either unwilling or not interested in expanding its sound at all.
Read more of "Time to Pull the Plug on AC/DC"...
Should Pat Boone Be Part of Rock Hall of Fame?
From Tennessean.com:
When Pat Boone launched his singing career, rock 'n' roll was a new term.
"I've called myself one of the midwives at the birth of rock 'n' roll," says Pat, who will sign copies of his Christmas album and autobiography today from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ernest Tubb Record Shop, 417 Broadway.
He has sold 45 million records, has 38 Top 40 hits and holds the Billboard record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with more than one song. Elvis Presley opened for him. Yet he's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something his friend Mike Curb, the record executive, is trying to correct.
"The incredible thing about Pat's career is, next to Elvis Presley, he had the best statistics of any rock 'n' roll artist," Mike says. "Pat doesn't get the credit he deserves. He deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I'm talking to members of the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asking them why he's not in."
Pat, 74, who notes that he's had more hits than some of the inductees, says he doesn't care that he hasn't been inducted. "It has become diluted and unclear as to who is and who was rock 'n' roll.
"Brenda Lee was never rock 'n' roll," he says. "I love her — she was introduced on my father-in-law Red Foley's show — but she was country and maybe pop country, but never rock 'n' roll. Gene Pitney and Billy Joel were never rock 'n' roll."
Some inductees are personal favorites of Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone magazine founder who co-founded the Rock and Roll Hall, he says. "He put me on the cover of Rolling Stone once, but he doesn't consider me authentically rock 'n' roll.
Read more of "Should Pat Boone Be Part of Rock Hall of Fame?"...
Coming to a Town Near You - Jagermeister Music Tour With Hinder
From PrNewswire.com:
Just in time for the release of Hinder's new album 'Take it to the Limit', Jagermeister invites the Jagerbomb drinking rowdy boys out on the road with Trapt and Rev Theory in tow
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Oct 6 /PRNewswire/ -- What do you get when you bring America's favorite shot brand and America's hottest rock bands together for America's most anticipated concert experience? That's right, the Jagermeister Music Tour. On the road for seven years and running, Jagermeister is proud to bring rock music fans yet another awesome line-up of artists featuring ultra-talented, rock and roll anthem band, Hinder, high energy and riff-roaring LA based, Trapt and the party boys from New York, Rev Theory. Of course the night wouldn't be complete without a warm welcome from your favorite local Jagermeister sponsored band so check out http://www.jagermeistermusictour.com for updates on who's playing where. The tour kicks off on October 24th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Entire list of cities and dates listed below.
Combining raw riffs with big hooks and insanely strong vocal harmonies, Hinder takes their cues from rock legends like Aerosmith, AC/DC, KISS, and Guns N' Roses. Their triple platinum debut Extreme Behavior documented the decadence and strained relationships of these retro rock giants, whose subsequent cover of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" became an anthem for their life on the road. Hinder continues their escapades with Jagermeister this fall and they couldn't be more pumped up about it. "Since there are two things we love, Jager and music, it only makes sense to put the two together on the Jagermeister Music Tour," says the guys from Hinder, "It's an honor to get to go out and play for our fans, support a great company and our favorite drink at the same time. We'll also have our Jagermeister Tap Machine on our tour bus for easy access to ice cold Jager 24/7!" Hinder fans with tickets to the show will be among the first in the world to see the band perform tracks from their new album "To the Limit" along with favorite hits from the past.
Headstrong and psyched to tour with Jagermeister, Trapt will jump on stage to perform everyone's favorite tunes along with kick-ass tracks from their third studio album "Only Through the Pain". Chris Taylor Brown, lead singer for Trapt knows good times are in store for all and says, "We are honored to be part of the Jagermeister Music Tour and to perform with our friends in Hinder and Rev Theory. This tour is going to be a blast so make sure you come prepared!"
Read more about The Jagermeister Music Tour With Hinder...
AC/DC's Black Ice On Sale Now at Wal-Mart
From PR Newswire.com:
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For AC/DC fans about to rock ... Walmart salutes you! This weekend thousands of fans will converge in groups, stores and in special events for the release of Black Ice -- AC/DC's first album in eight years, coming to all Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations Monday, Oct. 20. The album will begin selling at 12:01 a.m. in 24-hour Walmart stores.
Since the original announcement for Black Ice, news on the band continues, including the recent announcement of a new U.S. concert tour and the advent of the unique AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band(R) Track Pack(TM) video game, also to be sold exclusively by Walmart and Sam's Club starting early November.
Now, upon the retail launch of Black Ice, Columbia Records and Walmart plan to give fans even more access to this legendary band. In each of its 3,500 Walmart stores, Walmart will create a "Rock Again AC/DC Store" within the store. While the new $11.88 Black Ice CD album holds centerstage, it will be surrounded by new AC/DC apparel, DVDs, past albums, games, and even a social gaming station for fans to try out their rock-n-roll skills on Rock Band.
Read more about AC/DC's Black Ice On Sale Now at Wal-Mart...
It's real - Chinese Democracy coming to Best Buy!
From RollingStone.com:
It’s a day many Guns N’ Roses fans thought would never come: Chinese Democracy, the album Axl Rose has labored over for more than a decade, will finally hit stores on Sunday, November 23rd (a departure from the normal Tuesday record release day). The album will be sold exclusively in Best Buy stores and online at Bestbuy.com and iTunes. A music video is in the works, and the band — in which Rose is the only remaining original member — is expected to tour in 2009, according to a source close to G N’ R. “The music is well worth waiting for,” says Gary Arnold, senior entertainment officer for Best Buy, which began negotiating the deal in 2007. “We’ve all heard the stories about this album, and now everybody gets to hear that it’s real.”
YouTube videos for Chinese Democracy hit the web!
From RollingStone.com:
A whole bunch of promos for Guns N’ Roses‘ Chinese Democracy hit the web today. There are 16 in total, each with a 15-second run time, which is just enough to give you a taste of what you can look forward to hearing on November 23rd. “This November. History Will Be Made,” the promos announce, “The World Is Watching. The Future Is Ours. This November, America Will Have Finally Have Chinese Democracy.” The clips then end with a reminder that the album will exclusively be sold at Best Buy stores. UPDATE: All 16 promos have been removed from YouTube, which suggests that they may not have been legit. Still, the march towards Chinese Democracy continues.
The 10 Commandments of Classic Rock Gigs
Classic Rock bands from the golden era of the 70s and early 80s are back touring and playing great music however some of their stagecraft and etiquette should have remained firmly in 1978.
read more | digg story
AC/DC Remains Popular Without Going Digital
Gradually, and without getting much media attention, AC/DC has become the most popular currently active rock band in the country, to judge by albums sold.
read more | digg story
Rocker Bon Jovi Sued for $400 Billion
Now the world can know that rock stars really do rule the world... with Jon Bon Jovi at the top of the heep. Worth more than Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Carlos 'Slim' Shady combined. Who would have known? A musician from Boston, Mass... That's who!
read more | digg story
AC/DC freezes digital outlets out of 'Black Ice' album sales
AC/DC's old-school philosophy doesn't stop with its bludgeoning, blues-based rock 'n' roll. Bucking trends since 1973, the Australian quintet remains a rare holdout in the digital marketplace by refusing to sell any of its music online.
read more | digg story
Spike Jonze to direct new Weezer video
Weezer guitarist Brian Bell says Spike Jonze will direct the video to the band's next single, "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived"
read more | digg story
A New Guns N Roses-related Supergroup
A new supergroup called Guns of Destruction features former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, the "Guns" in the original Guns N' Rose Tracii Guns (LA Guns/Brides of Destruction), as well as Chip Z'nuff (Enuff Z'nuff/Missing Persons/Adler's Appetite). Singer Eric Dover (Jellyfish/Sextus) will not participate as previously reported.
read more | digg story
A Country Cat Meets A Def Leppard
Taylor Swift calls rocking with Def Leppard 'a dream!' Swift's first exposure to Def Leppard's tunes? In the womb. The 18-year-old country princess, who paired with the '80s rock icons to tape an episode of CMT Crossroads in Nashville Oct. 6, tells PEOPLE that her love affair with the band began before she was born.
read more | digg story
The New Lead Singer of Led Zepplin is - Myles R. Kennedy?
TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, whose manager apparently also works with Robert Plant, has told MuchMoreMusic that LED ZEPPELIN members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonhman have tapped ALTER BRIDGE singer Myles R. Kennedy to sing with them on the road tour if Plant refuses to join them for the much-rumored ZEPPELIN reunion tour.
read more | digg story
Twisted Sister's Dee Snider says Led Zeppelin ready to tour without Robert Plant
From The Canadian Press:
TORONTO — Dee Snider of Twisted Sister fame says his manager has the inside scoop on Led Zeppelin's rumoured tour plans.
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant released a statement Sept. 29 saying he "has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years." Plant said the statement was in response to repeated reports that he would join his old band for a much-anticipated tour.
But Snider has told MuchMoreMusic that his manager, who also represents Plant, claims the other members of Led Zeppelin are planning a tour without the singer.
Read more of "Twisted Sister's Dee Snider says Led Zeppelin ready to tour without Robert Plant"...
The Answer To Open On AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour in US.
NEW YORK, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Answer, an emergent and award-winning rock band from Northern Ireland, has been selected as the opening act for the imminent North American leg of AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour. The itinerary kicks off October 28 at the Wachovia Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA and concludes on January 31 at Nashville Sommet Centre, Nashville, TN. Highlights on the road also include dates at NYC's Madison Square Garden on November 12-13 and The Forum in Los Angeles on December 6. Prior to the AC/DC shows, The Answer will perform a unique US debut club headline show as part of the RED CMJ music festival at The Crash Mansion, New York on October 25. This will be a rare opportunity to savor the band's first-ever thunderous and explosive headlining club gig before they head
off to tour with AC/DC.
The Black Ice World Tour represents The Answer's debut tour of America, and AC/DC's first outing since '01. The Answer, whose mammoth sound is often compared to Black Crowes and Free, are fully primed for stadium and arena shows and in Europe, they've opened concerts for the Rolling Stones, the Who, Aerosmith and other legendary bands. In addition, the group has headlined tours in the U.K., Europe, Japan and Australia, where their first album "Rise" was released to great acclaim and sold over 100,000 units on the Australia and U.K.-based independent label Albert Productions.
Says lead singer Cormac Neeson, "It is an honour and privilege for The Answer to be offered the opportunity to support probably the greatest rock 'n' roll act on the planet. We are incredibly humbled."
Coinciding with the tour, The Answer will also make its North American recording debut with the November 11 release of NEVER TOO LATE, a 4-song EP and bonus DVD featuring previously unseen footage, live performance highlights and exclusive band interviews. Only available in North America, the limited-edition 2-disc title is on the independent label The End Records, with distribution through Sony RED. The EP opens with the title track "Never Too Late," a song that originally appeared on Rise, and which will also be featured on Activision's forthcoming release of the hotly anticipated game Guitar Hero(R): World Tour (due 10/26). The EP will be available at all retailers, online outlets and digital.
Other tracks on NEVER TOO LATE include the live recording "Come Follow Me" and the slow blues burner "The Doctor." The EP also gives fans a taste of The Answer's forthcoming new album with "Highwater or Hell," a preview from what will be the band's first full-length release in North America. Slated for an early 2009 street date on The End Records, the new album was recorded in summer '08 at Los Angeles studio Seedy Underbelly with John Travis (Kid Rock, Static-X, Killing Heidi, etc.) producing. It was mixed in Los Angeles by Tim Palmer and in Vancouver by Mike Fraser (who recently did AC/DC's Black Ice).
The Answer is comprised of four friends, musicians and songwriters from Downpatrick, a country town some twenty miles south of Belfast: Cormac Neeson (lead vocals), Paul Mahon (guitar), Micky Waters (bass) and James Heatley (drums). The U.K.'s Classic Rock Magazine voted them 2005's Best New UK Band at their prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards and called them, "The biggest new rock band of the decade." Similarly, Kerrang! praised Rise as "the best British rock debut of the decade" and reviewed a U.K. live show by The Answer as " f*king stupendous."
Get ready for their invasion of America on October 28 as they hit the
road with AC/DC.
For more information on The Answer, visit http://www.theanswer.ie;
http://www.myspace.com/theanswerrock
Like Your Hard Rock Music With Some Blues? Here's Thunder!
Like Aerosmith? Like ZZ Top? Like straight ahead rock music with a sing-a-long chorus? Then Thunder is for you. "Candy Man" is the new single from the band that first broke through back-in-the-day with "Dirty Love" on MTV.
'BANG!' - THE NEW THUNDER ALBUM!!
Released 3rd November 2008!
More Info
On The Radio / Stormwater / Carol Ann / Retribution / Candy Man / Have Mercy / Watching Over You / Miracle Man / Turn Left At California / Love Sucks / One Bullet / Honey
Click here to download Bang! sound samples.
Visit http://www.thunderonline.com/ for more info.
The Greatest Texas Rock Album of All Time
From HoustonPress.com:
Song for song and pound for pound, what is the greatest Texas rock album of all time? Well, grab a Lone Star or three and let's discuss.
Old-timers would no doubt cast their ballot for something like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators' Easter Everywhere, Sir Douglas Quintet's The Sir Douglas Quintet Is Back! or Edgar Winter's Frankenstein. Though they verge on country, Joe Ely's Musta Notta Gotta Lotta and Honky Tonk Masquerade deserve consideration, as do the Fabulous Thunderbirds' first two, Girls Go Wild! and What's the Word? For the handful of people who have actually heard it, the self-titled 1987 LP by True Believers — Alejandro Escovedo and Jon Dee Graham's Televisionesque mid-'80s band — has to rank pretty high.
New wave boosters can rally behind the Judy's Washarama, punks say "Oi!" for the Big Boys' The Skinny Elvis/The Fat Elvis double whopper and headbangers would probably kick your ass for saying anything besides Pantera's Cowboys from Hell. Youngsters might go for the Toadies' Rubberneck or (cringe) Blue October's Foiled, while their more indie-minded brethren could well select Spoon's Girls Can Tell or Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy. And everyone can agree that not at least nominating ZZ Top's Tres Hombres and Deguello would be outright blasphemy.
Great albums, all of them (well, except Foiled), but Noise respectfully votes none of the above. His choice seldom (if ever) comes up in this conversation, but it's another ZZ Top album — the one that has probably outsold all those others combined. Furthermore, in terms of pop-culture impact upon release, the album trails only Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, U2 and maybe Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys among its contemporaries. It's 1983's Eliminator, 25 years old this year and reissued by Rhino last month in the usual two-disc expanded format with extra tracks and a bonus DVD.
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Linkin Park Cancels China Tour
From KG95.com:
Linkin Park has canceled the Chinese leg of their current tour because frontman Chester Bennington has suffered a back injury.
The band was forced to axe a show in Los Angeles on Monday due to Bennington's injury.
And the frontman's ailment has meant the cancellation of a further four shows in China and one in Taiwan until October 21.
The string of gigs were part of a fundraiser to benefit Sichuan, an area ravaged by the devastating earthquake in May.
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The Walkmen aren't as Dark as You Think They Are
From DallasObserver.com:
Singer Hamilton Leithauser wants to give his band's dark reputation the boot
Somber, dark, sinister and gloomy are just a few of the adjectives most commonly used to describe the music of The Walkmen, one of New York City's most interesting indie rock bands.
The WalkmenProblem is, the group's frontman, Hamilton Leithauser, can't stand the gothic trappings that seem to pop up in seemingly each and every article about The Walkmen.
"That's bizarre, this whole dark reputation thing," Leithauser says. "That's just writers reusing what somebody else wrote."
Leithauser believes that a couple of early reviews have pigeonholed the band as some sort of dreary collection of manic depressives, a description that he says doesn't do his group justice.
"People are always writing that we're a downer or that we're wasted," Leithauser says. "It's a common thread that I think is just lazy journalism."
Despite his protests, it's fairly easy to listen to any one of the five Walkmen releases (especially 2004's Bows + Arrows) and get a downer vibe. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Recalling such classic, self-absorbed mopers as Joy Division, The Smiths and The Cure, but with a uniquely American punk bent, Leithauser and the four other Walkmen have released a series of indie efforts that are as consistent and captivating as anything any moody slacker is likely to stumble upon.
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Taking Back Sunday Launch Two-Week End-of-Year Tour in December 2008
Band Will Also Perform During Opening Week of Los Angeles' Newest Music Venue, Club Nokia, on November 13th
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Taking Back Sunday have announced that they will launch a small two-week club tour at the end of the year.
“We’re having so much fun as a band again and have loved playing live after the longest break the band has had. So we decided to hit up a few places at the end of the year that we can’t always get to when we are trying to cover most of North America in a six-week time frame,” says bassist Matt Rubano. “These shows in smaller markets tend to be a lot of fun because the audience really lets loose and has a great time, which, in turn, makes it a blast for us.”
In addition, Taking Back Sunday have been invited to perform on November 13th at Los Angeles’ newest live music venue, Club Nokia, during its opening-week festivities. The rock quintet has been on a break from the road after touring for two solid years in support of their gold-certified 2006 album Louder Now.
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Johnny Monaco brings great hooks and melody to the rock music table. Tired of waiting for “the real” Butch Walker? Here’s Johnny!
I just listened to one of the latest songs from Butch Walker, “The Weight of Her,” and realized that something is missing from the song that I used to love about Butch – his sense of urgency and energy which drove a pop hook in almost a “bouncing” manner. And while “The Weight of Her” is a very good little number in its own right, I think that maybe it’s about time ol’ BW lays off the Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and skips right to the Elvis Costello and Green Day playlists on his iPod. But that’s just me!
In the meantime, I have found an artist that does create music with that power pop-esque writing style that propels each song’s hook skyward. For me, Johnny Monaco has filled a certain void that has been slightly barren since Walker’s first solo CD (“Left of Self Centered”). And while I may use Butch as a comparison – in no way, shape or form am I saying that these two acts sound exactly alike. But in Monaco’s songs, I find that unexplained x-factor that Butch’s songs once had – a combination of energy and fun that creates a cool vibe that just glides along. This so-called “ingredient” creates within a chorus a sense of weightlessness or a certain easiness, but yet at the same time gives the music a firm foundation and weight. Even validity. Oh heck – instead of referring to "it" as an ingredient, let’s just call it what it is - talent. And a fairly unique talent at that.
I first came across Johnny Monaco during his tenure with Enuff Z’Nuff. He initially was the lead guitarist for the band in the mid-90s, and then became the vocalist for a few years after original singer Donnie Vie left to explore other avenues. But truth be told, the live version of Enuff Z’Nuff with Monaco was as strong as the group had been in years. It was nice to see a great rock act solidify itself later in its career – with or without its original singer. Donnie Vie has recently returned to Enuff Z’Nuff, and Johnny has since gone his own way as well.
A few of the songs on Johnny Monaco’s album “Overrated” were released as an EP a few years back, and I was impressed enough to write about it then. And believe me, now that a full album is available, I am more than impressed enough to write about it now. Not every song on the release is cut from the same cloth, so there’s a nice enough variety without the entire project sounding disjointed or too eclectic. It fits right into the rock/power-pop pocket that a band like Jellyfish or Cheap Trick once filled, or by other more somewhat recent bands such as Fountains of Wayne and The Wildhearts, but doing so in a way all to its own. Aside from the lead track “The Wrong Crowd,” other standouts are “Model of a Woman,” “Still Haven’t Called” and “On a Shelf.” In fact, “Still Haven’t Called” is probably the best Enuff Z’Nuff song that the band hasn’t written (and that is not an insult). To sum it up - “Overrated” is just a great collection of songs.
Here are a few other reviews to back me up…
“Johnny Monaco comes across as a slightly heavier up Squeeze…In short, this is straight ahead angsty, Anglo-centric pop.” – Classic Rock Magazine
“The songs are extremely well crafted and leave you humming the melodies for hours afterwards.” – Black Velvet Magazine
"Johnny Monaco crams 13 high-octane, radio-friendly pop punk tracks into Overrated. The chunky riffs and driving rhythms recall lightweight contemporary outfits like Cartel, while the harder-rocking numbers ("Television Love, " "Long Way Down") veer closer to classic punk rock." – Illinois Entertainer
And like I stated in a previous review of the eight song EP, Monaco has a lot of similar sound qualities as nearly anything on the radio today, but his words are a little more honest and mature. The fact that he’s not 19 (or pretending to be) is a relief to an older music fan like myself. With no tattoos and not a skateboard in sight, I am glad to have come across this gem.
New Rock 'n' Roll Books Tell Behind-the-Scenes Stories
From MLive.com:
Did you know The Who's John Entwistle, or maybe Keith Moon, came up with the name Led Zeppelin, after jokingly referring to a group performance "going down like a lead zeppelin"?
Or that a relative of the famous Ferdinand von Zeppelin then demanded that the heavy rock band of "shrieking monkeys" stop using that name?
Did you know "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which soared to No. 1 in 1968 for soul legend Marvin Gaye (and became a hit for five other artists) was initially rejected by Motown executives?
And were you aware that Queen guitarist Brian May in 1974 turned down an offer to join the psychedelic rock band Sparks, which told him "it's pretty obvious that Queen are washed up" as a group? Queen's breakout album, "Sheer Heart Attack," followed soon after and the rest is glam rock history.
Four new books that crossed my desk in recent weeks have left me drooling over my computer keyboard with such irresistible, behind-the-scenes tales of rock, pop and R&B.
In particular, Mark Wilkerson's new biography, "Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend
-- Townshend's protruding proboscis, uh, large nose, "haunted him for years." But it also made him defiant and inspired his stage flamboyance. The guitarist told a newspaper the "whole absurdly demonstrative stage act was out to turn myself into a body instead of a face."
-- The Who nearly fired Moon, considered one of rock's most influential drummers, in 1978 during sessions for "Who Are You" due to his constantly inebriated state. "Moon's ill health -- he was overweight and battling alcoholism -- took its toll on his physical ability to play," writes Wilkerson, noting Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey gave Moon an ultimatum: Get it together or you're out. Moon did, but only until the record was done. He later died of an accidental overdose.
Then there's "1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
Moon's crisp descriptions of recording marvels reveal that Booker T. and the MGs' biggest hit, "Green Onions," (1962) simply came out of "a spontaneous jam" while waiting for a singer who never showed up. The same is true for the eerily titled "Buried Alive in the Blues," an instrumental on 1971's "Pearl," singer Janis Joplin's final album: She was set "to return to the studio the day after she died, to do the vocals."
Meanwhile, "Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: The Illustrated History of the Heaviest Band of All Time
It also recounts how the now-revered Led Zeppelin was once widely disparaged by critics. It left band members "hostile" to publications such as Rolling Stone, which called 1973's "Houses of the Holy" a "limp blimp." They even hired a press agent to improve their image, eventually agreeing to an interview for a 1975 Rolling Stone cover story that turned the tide.
Finally, there's "I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Manifesto
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The World of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry's influence on rock and roll is indisputable. Musical movements have always converged around a central figure and Chuck Berry's songwriting talent and enthusiastic approach to sharing his music with diverse audiences have inspired many rock and roll performers and generations of music lovers.
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Echo and the Bunnymen Get Nostalgic in New York
Liverpool-bred post-punk legends Echo and the Bunnymen commanded New York City's iconic Radio City Music Hall Wednesday night with a set of lush anthems that illustrated just how many bands they've influenced. How many? Seemingly every stark, rock music-playing act to strum a note since the Bunnymen's birth in 1978.
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Music Video: Lordi - Bite It Like A Bulldog
Horror rock group Lordi's newest single is now also their latest video! The wild Finnish outfit straps on their over the top costumes and do a ravenous rock tune in a nasty slaughter house.
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