New Helmet Member

Blabbermouth reports: Influential alternative rock pioneers HELMET have announced the addition of guitarist Dan Beeman to the group's ranks. Beeman replaces the band's most recent axeman, Jimmy Thompson, who reportedly decided to move back to his native Australia at the end of 2007.

In a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, HELMET mainman Page Hamilton stated about Dan, "He is from Minneapolis and his . . . brother Pete is the drummer in BURNING BRIDES who toured with us [before].

"Dan knew all of us in HELMET and loved the music of HELMET and had just moved to Los Angeles a couple of months before we auditioned him. So it just worked out great for him and for us too. So we're really fortunate." - more on this story

Be a Rebel Buy a Shoe!

antiMusic reports: Remember a while back where a footwear company caught some flack for using dead rock stars in their ads? Converse must have missed the uproar as they'll be using not only dead rock stars like Sid Vicious and Joy Division's Ian Curtis but other luminaries like Hunter S Thompson to pimp their shoes for their 100th anniversary. Fox Business has the story:

In 2008 Converse Inc. will commemorate its centennial year as one of the world's most coveted, iconic brands with the global launch of a new advertising campaign entitled "Connectivity." This new campaign celebrates 100 years of disrupting the status quo and features legendary icons from the worlds of music, art, sports and fashion.

Legendary icons featured in the global campaign include the ultimate 20th Century rebel, James Dean; gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson; and Sex Pistols bassist and original punk idol, Sid Vicious. These cultural heroes from the past are shown 'connecting' with today's influencers including eclectic urban music star, M.I.A; Green Day's infamous Grammy award winning front man, Billie Joe Armstrong; Grammy award winning hip hop star and actor, Common and lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Karen O.
- more on this story

Kimmo No Longer a Helion

BW*BK reports: Finnish melodic metallers HELION have issued the following update: "Surprise everyone, news! Good and bad this time, folks.

We regret to announce that as of this day, Kimmo Korhonen is no longer a part of Helion camp. There were many reasons to this decision, and the band takes full responsibility of this action. Our apologies to Kimmo, we expect to hear great things from you.

This takes us onward to a dependent decision we have simultaneously made, which is to continue operating as a five member unit from now on. Simo will take over the guitar duties, and vocal work will be (on some degree) shared between Simo and Jaakko. - more on this story

Final Folly

antiMusic reports: Folly have announced their final shows before calling it a day. The band decided to toss in the towel earlier this year after eleven years. They said in part at the time: "After a little more that a decade, we've decided to formally resign from the music industry.

"Whereas obviously we would like to have an impossibly absurd reason or scenario causing the end of this run, say "Anthony moving to Lebanon to competitively knit table cloths" or "Arben pursuing his lust for bartering lion pelts and hyena hides…" We simply just want to move on with our lives for a variety of personal reasons.

"It's supposedly a very cliché reason for a band to break up, to go these 'separate ways.' Yet, it is as definitive and undesigning as the message in said Journey song: Someday love will find us, break these chains that bind us! Sadly, this band is no longer our raison d'être. We have other avenues to venture… other pages to turn."
Here are their final dates.

Apr 11 2008 6:00P Wallingford Knights of Columbus (LAST CT SHOW!) Wallingford, Connecticut
Apr 12 2008 7:00P School of Rock (2nd to LAST NJ SHOW!) South Hackensack, New Jersey
Apr 13 2008 6:00P Mainstage (LAST SHOW!) Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

- Visit their Myspace for the full story on the split

Monkee Advice

PR reports: Hey, hey he's...an advice columnist? Peter Tork, former Monkees member and long time heartthrob of women "of a certain age" hasn't stopped rocking - he's still got a blues band on the road and does Monkee-related appearances to the delight of old and new fans,
but he's also taking his life experience and passing it on to readers who ask his advice on everything from boy trouble to boy bands. As part of the motley and irresistible crew of writers at thedailypanic.com, Peter is the newly-minted advice columnist and author of "Ask Peter Tork".

"It just seemed a natural addition for Peter, as far as I could see" says The Daily Panic editor Therra Cathryn Gwyn," Peter is incredibly patient. I have watched him sit and listen to people's problems -- at times people he barely knew -- for far longer than most of us would and in the end give them good, solid advice. Luckily, he's both book-smart and savvy in life experience. He's been a TV and music mega-star, had highs that would have killed some people, lows that would have killed others and a career that's lasted longer than some of his fans have been alive. He's a recovering alcoholic now sober for over 25 years, has oodles of relationship experience, he's got great, productive children, he lived through the 60s and is still rocking in his 60s. If that doesn't qualify him to dish out some advice, I don't know what does."

"Ask Peter Tork" is not just advice for the lovelorn, however. Fans and the curious write in asking about everything from guy quirks to guitar lore. And, surprising to some, nearly as many men as women write in. Peter is one of the six pop stars in the world who are actually interested in something other than themselves," Gwyn jokes,"If your kids want to ask a rock star for advice, steer them away from Tommy Lee and towards Peter Tork." - more on this story

Daath Announce New Singer

PR reports: Georgia-based, forward-thinking metal band DAATH, who spent the summer of 2007 kicking up dirt on Ozzfest's side stage, have completed their search for a new vocalist. Daath are pleased to announce Sean Z. as their new frontman.

The band, who parted ways with Sean Faber after Ozzfest, spent the autumn season holding open auditions for the position, with the unwavering goal of finding a diverse singer with enough range and power to match the band's progressive style of metal. Fellow Atlantan Sean Z., who filled in on vocals during the band's late Fall tour with Dark Funeral, fit the bill. Says drummer Kevin Talley, "Sean Z. brings the whole package and destroys in every aspect of the word. He sounds killer on the new material. Now, we are stronger than ever and we look forward to hitting the road this summer."

Daath are slated to enter the studio on March 1 to record The Concealers with producer Jason Suecof (Trivium, Chimaira) and Mark Lewis of Florida's Audio Hammer studios manning the boards. - more on this story

DeVotchKa American Tour

PR reports: DeVotchKa have announced their largest American tour to date. Beginning at Coachella on April 26, the tour includes stops at San Francisco's Fillmore, The Vic in Chicago, and New York's Terminal 5. The group will be joined by a string quartet for the tour and the Cirque de Soleil style aerial acrobats-The Slavic Sisters -on certain dates. Basia Bulat will support the tour.

A Mad and Faithful Tour is in support of DeVotchka's A Mad and Faithful Telling set for release by Anti- on March 18. In a four-star review Spin calls the record "Cheerful, eclectic lunacy with a heart as big as the world."

DeVotchKa will make a number of appearances at Austin's SXSW in March. The group will be joined by the Tosca Strings and kick off KEXP's live broadcast from the event in addition to performances for Billions, Filter Magazine, Minneapolis' KCMP, and Austin's KUT radio stations.
The group will return to Denver for an in-store at Denver's Twist and Shout on March 18 before heading to Europe for a three and a half week tour in April. More than a month and a half in advance Brussel's AB performance is sold out. - more on this story

Terror Finish New Cd

punknews.org reports: Hardcore act Terror have announced the completion of work on their next album. The new record is the follow up to 2006's Always the Hard Way and their 2007 EP Rhythm Amongst the Chaos.

Bassist Jonathan Buske explained: Just checking in to let you all know that the new record is done! We finished tracking and doing vocals a few days ago and have been working with Zeuss on mixes for the past few days.

"Like every band says about their newest shit, it's without a doubt the best and hardest Terror record to date. Expect some new Terror flavor, some of the old and some unexpected flavor." - more on this story

R.E.M. HD

PR reports: R.E.M. are counting down the time to the release of Accelerate, their 14th studio album, on a website, www.ninetynights.com. The site, which features a new high-definition video snippet each day that can be downloaded then edited, embedded, or manipulated however the user wishes. Each snippet is being posted in high-resolution HD format and available for download for a period of 24 hours before being archived on the site as a low-resolution stream. The clips were shot by noted French filmmaker Vincent Moon, who has worked with Arcade Fire, The Shins and The National among other artists.

In what is set to be an active year for the band, R.E.M. has also so far announced two upcoming live appearances. The band will headline the Langerado Music Festival on March 8th at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in South Florida, and will also perform at Stubb's Bar-B-Que on March 12th during the annual South-by-Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX.

R.E.M. will also be touring North America this May and June in support of Accelerate. - more on this story

Ray Davies Tour

Filter reports: Legendary front man of The Kinks, Ray Davies is preparing for a run of solo performances in late March and early April.

The upcoming dates will be in support of his latest effort, Working Man's Cafe. Davies second solo project is out now via New West Records.

Davies will be backed by a full band and will perform in historic theaters throughout the US. - more on this story

Metallica And The Dawn Of Thrash

PR reports: Get Thrashed on tax day as MVD will release AURAL AMPHETAMINE: METALLICA AND THE DAWN OF THRASH on April 15th. Here is what it's all about: While Heavy Metal is often accused of being static and conservative, in truth it is a radical form that regularly re-invents itself, and one which attracts generation after generation of musicians willing to learn from the past, but hungry to evolve the future. And so it was that, in the early 1980s, a young man named Lars Ulrich was so taken by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, then creating music paper headlines in the UK, that he came to England to track down obscure records, take them home to LA and, with his buddies, listen to them - until they came up with a genre of their own, soon be termed Thrash Metal.

This film is a study and review of this new dawn in rock music, and with the aid of those who were there at the time, presents both the story of this fascinating musical journey and reassess the sounds, the bands, the impact and the legacy of Thrash.

It features interviews with members of Metallica, Megadeth, Machine Head, Diamond Head, Elixir, Neurosis, Laaz Rockit, Sacrilege BC, and many others. Also performance footage of all the pivotal Thrash bands, review and re-assessment from journalists Malcolm Dome, Lonn Friend, and Joel McIver, archive material, location shoots, and much, much more. - more on this story

The Ting Tings Invasion

PR reports: Recently signed to Columbia Records, The Ting Tings, lauded by the NME in the UK as "The most exciting new band in the country," will bring the duo's cutting edge electro-indie-pop sounds to the states with two performances at this year's South By Southwest (SxSW) music festival including the KCRW showcase on Wednesday, March 12 and a concert at Stub's on Friday, March 14. The Ting Tings will bookend their SxSW performances with a coast-to-coast mini-tour of select US art house and alternative music spaces (please see itinerary following).

"We Started Nothing" is scheduled for a US physical release on June 3 on RED/Columbia Records. The album will be available digitally on May 19 (coinciding with its UK street date). - more on this story

The Republic Tigers Get Chopped

PR reports: Chop Shop Records, an imprint on Atlantic Records owned by Alexandra Patsavas of Chop Shop Music Supervision (Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, The O.C.), is pleased to announce the release of The Republic Tigers' debut album, "Keep Color" on May 6th. The album was self recorded and produced by the band, and mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, We Are Scientists), and The Republic Tigers are the inaugural signing to the new label.

The Kansas City-based quintet uniquely weave future folk, euphoric psychedelia, and exuberant symphonic pop with intricately crafted electronic textures. Named after the mascot where Kenn Jankowski went to high school in Republic, Missouri, Jankowski formed the band after leaving the now defunct Golden Republic (Astralwerks). - more on this story

And the Oscar Goes To

MVD reports: Not since "Redneck Zombies" has a horror film sparked the imagination! MVD has announced the DVD release of "Attitude For Destruction." Here is what we gathered from the synopsis: Imagine if GNR had off'd Axl because the label didn't want him and his groupie girlfriend made a deal with Barbra Streisand to bring him back to life so he seek his revenge! This epic film will arrive on DVD April 15th.

Here is what it's really all about: In the tradition of ROCK AND ROLL NIGHTMARE, MONSTER DOGS and KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM comes the rock horror film, ATTITUDE FOR DESTRUCTION, an epic tale of Sunset Strip-era metal, murder and mayhem that critics are calling "Freddy Krueger with a Stratocaster...a REAL appetite for destruction!"

The GUNS N' ROSES-esque band HOLLYWOOD ROSES, fronted by vocalist DRAKE, is on the verge of superstardom, courting a major record deal with Diamond Star Records. One small problem - the label doesn't want Drake in the band. So, the remaining band members do what any fame-hungry performer would do - they kill Drake. But Drake's girlfriend has made a pact with the devil and brings her deceased lover back from the dead. Drake then goes on a slashing spree of blood and guts against all who have crossed him, leaving behind a horrific trail of gruesome gory revenge. - more on this story

.... Drag the River (artist of the month)

For this month's artist of the month Gary looks at Drag the River and how they won him over with their strong songwriting and delivery. Gary gives us an overview plus a look at their latest album and a recent concert to get to bottom of what makes this band special. (5 stars) - Read the full Drag the River (artist of the month) review

.... Thrashing Like a Maniac

Today new school thrash is on the up and up. Earache Records' has been signing many new school thrash bands and have released Thrashing Like a Maniac that includes Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, Evile, and many new and up-and-coming thrash acts. - Read the full Thrashing Like a Maniac review

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