Dillinger Escape Plan Week: Party Smasher

antiMusic reports: Acclaimed metalers Dillinger Escape Plan have just released with their brand new album 'Ire Works'. To celebrate the release and to gain a bit more insight into the songs we asked bassist Liam Wilson to pick his five favorite tracks from the CD and tell us a bit about each. Here is Liam with today's song:

Party Smasher - Going into the recording, this was probably my favorite song, or at least my favorite song to play. The main riff, the parts that Greg leaves open, really blew me away when I first heard it. It's funny to stand in the practice space and listen to an almost finished song, for about 2 minutes I have the pleasure of being the first fan to hear new Dillinger, and then once its over, I start asking questions, mimicking accents and its back to work as usual. I couldn't quite wrap my mind around what I should be following, or what the bass should be nailing to the floor. I really feel like that section just sorta crystalized everything exceptional about our creative process, our craft, and why I love playing in this band.

This was also the first song we rehearsed with Gil and the first song he tracked drums for, I think we all just really enjoyed playing it, its got so much energy and flow. While we were in the studio, and rough mixes would sorta trickle out of the control room from time to time for reference, this one somehow remained in complete obscurity until the mix was finished.

Hear is believing so you can check out songs from the CD, tour dates, info on the band and more - right here

Church Vs Ozzy and KISS

Metal Underground reports: A crusade is looming as church groups prepare to take on heavy metal heavyweights poised to play in Wellington [New Zealand] over Easter. Wellington Pentecostal church Lifepoint says the lineup of bands — including former bat-biter OZZY OSBOURNE and KISS — are "not appropriate" and will have "negative influences" on the city during the two-day Rock2Wgtn festival on March 22 and 23.

They plan to lobby other church groups and will look at taking their concerns to Wellington City Council. "It's not appropriate from our angle of things," said pastor Karen Crawshaw.

"I don't think we can force our views on others but at the same time we think it's a very negative influence on our city. [Would they be acceptable if Ozzy and KISS played with snakes in the middle of their shows, spoke in tongues and drank poison? Gene has the tongue thing handled. - read more here]

Velvet Revolver Mystery Illness

SleazeRoxx.com reports: Velvet Revolver have postponed next week's Australian tour citing "health issues" and offering fans a refund. The band, formed by former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland with Guns N' Roses legends Slash and Duff McKagan, were to have started their Australian tour in Brisbane on December 4.

They were forced to pull their dates in Japan when immigration officials refused their visa requests due to the criminal backgrounds of some of their members, particularly Weiland, who has a long history of battling drug addiction.

Neither the band's record label SonyBMG nor Australian promoter KMW Productions were able to explain the last-minute change of heart by the band - with a spokeswoman saying Velvet Revolver management would not go into details about the mysterious health issues and which band members were afflicted. - more on this story

Akon Boy Tossing Crime

Hecklerspray reports: Talk about political correctness gone mad - what sort of a world do we live in where you can't even pick up a 15-year-old boy during a concert and angrily fling him on top of a girl's head, like Akon did not so long ago?

Poor old squeaky-voiced R&B star Akon is in trouble over the now-classic YouTube incident involving an angry Akon, a terrified 15-year-old boy, a girl with a bump on her head and all three of Newton's laws of motion. Basically Akon picked up a boy during a concert in June, threw him into the crowd, hit a girl on the head with him and is now being charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree harassment for it. As a result, Akon may be forced to cut back on the stage theatrics and let his songs speak for themselves in the future - something that could destroy his career forever...

Now that he's been formally charged, Akon's arraignment has been scheduled for Monday - at which point we'll have a clearer understanding of exactly how much trouble he's actually in. But whatever the punishment he's given, these charges mean that Akon will have to drop some of his more spectacular plans for his next tour. And that's bad news for anyone looking forward to seeing the moment when Akon marks the climax of Smack That by firing a toddler out of a rocket launcher into the blades of a hovering helicopter. Shame. - more on this story

Schenker Injured On Stage

BW&BK reports: According to Scorpsnews.com, SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker hurt his leg/ankle during the third song 'Love 'Em Or Leave 'Em' at Friday night's (November 30th) show in Clermont, France.

According to a fan update, "Rudolf - standing at the back of the stage playing his guitar to all songs, protecting his injured leg - finished the show as the true professional he has been for the past 35 years as the founding member of the Scorpions.

"Most musicians would of left the stage and never returned. This is a true sign of how much the fans mean to our beloved Rudolf Schenker." - more on this story

Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition

PR reports: Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone, available in the U.S. on Tuesday, February 12, 2008. The album will be available worldwide the week of February 11, 2008.

The Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as eight bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "Billie Jean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).

The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres five tracks previously unreleased in any form - more details and full tracklisting

Evel Knievel RIP

BBC reports: Legendary US daredevil Evel Knievel has died at the age of 69, his granddaughter has said.

Knievel had suffered ill-health, including diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis - an incurable lung condition - for several years.

He underwent a liver transplant, after nearly dying of hepatitis C, in 1999. - more on this story

Architect Tour Escape Plan

Lambgoat reports: Just one week after being added to Dillinger Escape Plan's upcoming tour with A Life Once Lost et al, Syracuse's Architect will now be unable to participate. The following statement has been issued:

"Due to some scheduling conflicts and some miscommunication with agents and promoters, we arent going to be able to play the DEP tour. We have only been home from tour for a week and this this fell into our laps and though we all scrambled to make this work it was just not meant to be.

"The DEP dudes are stand up guys and they sent us a lengthy explanation and apology however there is no fault or blame to be had with anyone. We are sorry to all of our fans and friends that were going to come out and see us over the next few weeks - more on this story

Radiohead Explain Split with EMI

Gigwise reports: Radiohead have admitted their split with record label with EMI was due to a personal disagreement rather than ideological reasons.

Ed O'Brien tells The Observer in an interview to be published next week that the band did want to renue their contract with EMI, but found it impossible to strike a deal with the label's new owner Guy Hands, head of private equity company Terra Firma.

He explains, "It was really sad to leave all the people. But he wouldn't give us what we wanted. He didn't know what to offer us. Terra Firma doesn't understand the music industry." - more on this story

Stevie Ray Vaughan podcast

antiMusic reports: Epic/Legacy has posted the first installment of the Stevie Ray Vaughan podcast to mark the release of the new 'SOLOS, SESSIONS & ENCORES' CD. The podcast is hosted by Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, and features the talents of David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt and more!

Here is a little about the CD followed by a link to the podcast: Like the greatest 20th century blues and rock guitarists who preceded him, many of whom were primal influences on his journeyman lifestyle and unpredictable musical outlook, Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990) was always ready, willing and able to jam. Whether it was a rhythm section backup assignment in the recording studio for another singer or instrumentalist, or a live drop-in onstage at a nightclub or festival, his presence enhanced every session he made, and left some unforgettable music in its wake.

For the first time, an entire album collection is devoted to this side of Stevie Ray Vaughan's career. SOLOS, SESSIONS & ENCORES gathers 14 varied performances - half of them live, including the near-mythic 1984 jam with Jeff Beck at the CBS Records Convention in Honolulu. With one 1978 exception, the album spans five of his years as an Epic Records artist, from 1983 to 1988. There are album session tracks with Albert King, B.B. King, Paul Butterfield, Marcia Ball, Johnny Copeland, A.C. Reed, Bill Carter, Dick Dale, and David Bowie's "Let's Dance" (the worldwide #1 chart smash that ignited Stevie Ray's stardom in 1983) - plus six previously unreleased tracks (five of them live) with Lonnie Mack, Katie Webster, Albert Collins, Jimmie Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton, and Bonnie Raitt. - Listen to the podcast here

Petty for Super Bowl

Reuters reports: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will play the coveted halftime slot at the Super Bowl in Arizona on February 3, organizers of the year's No. 1 television event said on Sunday.

This year, nearly 140 million Americans watched Prince play at the football extravaganza.

Other recent acts have included the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2. The most infamous performer was Janet Jackson, who bared her breast during the 2004 event, triggering a bipartisan political crackdown on televised smut. - more on this story

Garth Breaks Sellout Record

Contact Music reports: Country superstar GARTH BROOKS has broken ticket sales records at Los Angeles' Staples Center after selling 85,000 seats for his upcoming five charity shows in January (08) in just 59 minutes.

It is the first time any act has sold out so many shows at the venue in a single day. The semi-retired star will perform the concerts to raise cash for the families left homeless by the recent California wild fires.

He says, "We're all families and we're all neighbours... Getting to help other families by doing what you love is a gift." All proceeds from the January shows will benefit the California 2008 Fire Relief Campaign. - more on this story

Drunken Idol Arrest

AP reports: Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers, authorities said.

The arrest comes less than two weeks after she pleaded no contest to charges of battery and possession of cocaine.

Sierra, 22, was charged Saturday with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on earlier felony battery and possession charges. She was being held without bond. - more on this story

Wait there is more!

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Subscribe to Day in Rock Report by Email

Add the Day in Rock to your site/blog/Myspace

Read Day In Rock Reports From Other Days

Submit news or a press release to the Day In Rock report