Sony Go Up the DRMfree Creek

Reuters reports: Online retailer Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday its digital music store will now offer songs from Sony BMG Music Entertainment without copy-protection technology, or digital rights management.

Amazon said the deal makes it the first retailer to offer customers DRM-free songs from all four major music companies in the MP3 format.

Songs in MP3 format can play on the widest range of digital music players - more on this story

Late Night Whigs

antiMusic reports: The Whigs will be taking a break from their current tour on January 28th to appear on Late Night with David Letterman. Maybe they can help bring Paul into the 21st century?

As we said the band is currently on the road. They're supporting their forthcoming album "Mission Control" which will hit stores on January 22nd.

If you can't wait til then we have an mp3 of the first single "Right Hand On My Heart" for you to check out as well as the tour dates - right here

Snoop Wants To Rock

Contact Music reports: Rapper SNOOP DOGG is eager to collaborate with rock icons BONO and SIR MICK JAGGER because his hip-hop peers no longer inspire him.

The Beautiful star - real name Calvin Broadus - admits his next album could be influenced by rock 'n' roll - and Snoop plans to call on classic some musical legends to help him achieve an edgier sound.

The 36-year-old tells MTV.com, "I want to work with Madonna, Bono or Mick Jagger. I'm on some rock s**t, man. Snoop Dogg, man! " [we'd actually buy that album] - more on this story

B-52s Ditch The Love Shack For The Mall

antiMusic reports: We've already told you that The B-52s have returned and are putting out a brand new CD. That new CD, 'Funplex,' will hit stores on March 25th via Astralwerks. Today the band's publicist was kind enough to fill us in on what in the hell the album title means.

We thought it was the name of the strip club next to the Love Shack. Or was the Love Shack a strip club? Doesn't matter, because our assumptions made us look like asses once we were provided with the real meaning of the album title. It's not quite as fun as we imagined but here it is:

funplex: 1) a colloquial word used in the Southern part of the US meaning mall or shopping complex 2) forty nine minutes and fourteen second of electronic fused rock, fuzz guitars, dance inducing drum beats, pristine harmonies, raw energy and cutting and cunning lyrics - Check out the cover here

Droid Join Ill Nino and Soil on The Guerilla Carnival Tour

PR reports: Coming off of successful touring stints last year with Family Values and a support slot for Hellyeah and Korn, California metallers Droid have announced their first string of dates for 2008. The band will be heading out on the road with Ill Nino, Soil and Bobaflex as part of the Guerilla Carnival Tour starting on January 31st. The tour will run through March 1st.

James "Buddy" Eason lead singer of Droid had this to say, "We are really excited to get back out on the road and the ILL NINO guys are good friends of ours so it will be great to see them rip it up every night. I really like the fact that all the bands on this tour are a little different than each other musically. This diverse package will give fans an exciting show from beginning to end. Get ready DROID fans...here comes the pain!!!!"

Only initial dates have been announced so far but there are many more to come. - initial dates

Essential Eels and Useless Trinkets

antiMusic reports: Eels fans mark you calendars for next Tuesday (January 15th 2008). Here is why: It's been an interesting and unique journey for the EELS over the past 15 years, renowned for their prolific songwriting, consistently great studio recordings, their idiosyncratic nature and charismatic live shows. Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Mark Oliver Everett (aka E) and his revolving lineup of bandmates are now set to unveil their first "best of" compilation - Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, 1996-2006, and its first collection of rarities - EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006.

Spanning the first decade of EELS music, Meet The EELS offers 24 tracks that showcase the band's evolution and growth of E as a songwriter, along with 12 videos. While Useless Trinkets is a must-have collection of 50 hard-to-find B-sides, film contributions and unreleased tracks, and a DVD of live performance footage from Lollapalooza 2006. All music has been digitally remastered and both releases are accompanied by notes from E and full-color booklets. - more on this story

Dr Pot Calls Dr Kettle Black Over Britney PR Seeking

antiMusic reports: We're as sick of BS news as you are but this story is too funny to pass up. One TV doctor is mad at another TV doctor over butting into the Spears mess. Contact Music has the story: Celebrity doctors DREW PINSKY and PHIL MCGRAW are sparring over the treatment of troubled superstar BRITNEY SPEARS.

Pinsky, who recently treated American Idol singer Jessica Sierra, has attacked the advice MCGraw gave Spears when he visited her in hospital following her recent stand-off with police - and challenged the TV talk show host's right to call himself a doctor. The addiction specialist claims by getting involved, MCGraw has made the situation worse.

He says, "It's never good for an addict when there are multiple sources getting involved. You have to have a unified front. Addicts love a split. it helps them maintain the chaos.
- more on this story

David J Goes To The Theatre

PR reports: Bauhaus' David J writes and directs the world premiere production of Silver For Gold ( The Odyssey Of Edie Sedgwick ) at The Met Theatre in Hollywood, CA, beginning an exclusive two-week engagement on March 6, 2008. Based on the life of Edie Sedgwick - Andy Warhol's brilliant muse - the stage production explores one of the most charismatic yet misunderstood figures in popular culture. Starring multifaceted performer Monique Jenkinson as Edie, Silver For Gold traces the heroine's dazzling rise and eventual downward spiral in a mythological theatrical experience that is part one-woman show, part rock concert replete with avant-garde minimalist staging and video imagery.

"Writing Silver For Gold, it felt as if I had entered into a subtle psychic relationship with this beautiful dead girl and she was actively encouraging me to write," says David J. "She became a bright light that glowed all the brighter whenever I started to create. It was as if she was feeding on the attention. This might sound highly fanciful but that is how it felt. Edie was enduring in her ultimate role, that of the muse. " - more on this story

Blue Screen of Death for The Black Dahlia Murder

PR reports: Michigan-based melodic death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder, one of the most influential artists in the death metal scene today, are the latest band to join Zune's "Ignition" and "On The Road" programs. These programs are efforts by Zune to provide extra exposure to the band across multiple Microsoft properties as well as support the band's upcoming tour schedule.

As part of the Ignition program, The Black Dahlia Murder is offering free and exclusive material on the Zune Marketplace, the newly restocked and redesigned online music store, for the month of January. These features include:

Zune "Freebie" - free audio track download of ""What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse," from their 2007 release Nocturnal. (available January 8 - January 14)

Zune "Breakdown" - exclusive track-by-track commentary of Nocturnal by vocalist Trevor Strnad. (available January 15 - January 21)

Zune "Guestlist" - an exclusive audio playlist personally constructed by the band. (available January 22 - January 28)

The Black Dahlia Murder's upcoming tour is being supported by Zune's "On The Road" program. - dates

RIP Keith Baxter

Contact Music reports: Former 3 COLOURS RED drummer KEITH BAXTER has died. He was 36.

The British rocker died of liver failure in a U.K. hospital on Friday (04Jan08) surrounded by his family and friends.

Following 3 Colours Red's split in 1999, Baxter and singer Pete Vuckovic formed Elevation and briefly played with Therapy? in 2002. - more on this story

Pisser Talking

PR reports: The latest episode of "Talking Metal" features an interview hosts Mark Strigl and John Ostronomy conducted with Pisser, a reunited New York City group consisting of Eric J. Toast (Honky Toast), Frank Ferrer (Guns N' Roses), Anthony Esposito (Ace Frehley Band, ex-Lynch Mob), and New York studio wiz, Rob Bailey.

Topics include Honky Toast, Richard Fortus, Ace Frehley, and Jim Morrison. Additional podcast topics include Lonn Friend, The Beautiful, and the 10th anniversary Captain T's debut solo album "U.S. Aliens."

The podcast can be downloaded at this location - http://www.talkingmetal.com/

In The Life of Kin

PR reports: On January 20, 2008 hip hop duo KIN will be featured in PBS' Emmy Award nominated documentary series In The Life. Airing nationally, the one hour show will include commentary and footage from KIN, highlighting their experience as lesbian rappers.

KIN, made up of Nor and IQ, is New York's premiere lesbian hip-hop group. Regarded by critics and fans alike as gifted artists, writers, producers and businesswomen, KIN is dedicated to supporting shows like In The Life which work to challenge the media's depiction of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"When it comes to gay issues people are going to go on what the media puts out," explains Nor. "The media sensationalizes homosexuals and glorifies stereotypes."

In The Life airs locally on channel 13 and is broadcasted in 34 cities on over 200 channels. For regional air dates and times or to view the series in its entirety visit - www.inthelifetv.org.

Hanson The Walk Tour Video

PR reports: This summer, HANSON and TOMS Shoes announced a partnership to help end AIDS and poverty in Africa. HANSON is committed to helping those stricken with HIV / AIDS, and TOMS donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. Together, these two organizations hope to make a bigger difference and reach more people than if they stood alone.

On HANSON's Fall 2007 "The Walk Tour", the band worked to raise awareness of TOMS' mission, by staging a 1 mile walk in every city and inviting TOMS to sell their shoes at every show. HANSON helped TOMS reach their goal of donating 50,000 pairs of shoes to children in need, as well as helping TOMS reach a new audience.

But this was only the beginning. In November, HANSON accompanied TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie to South Africa to assist in "dropping" those 50,000 new pairs of shoes. Isaac, Taylor and Zac personally outfitted many South African children and revisited the country and people they have been working towards helping through their "Great Divide" single and merchandise, as well as several other projects they are involved in. The next shoe drop is scheduled for July, and this Spring HANSON will again be helping TOMS reach their goal.
- But you can check out a video from the South African trip right here

Reissues of Ben Vaughn, Jim Carroll and Wednesday Week

PR reports: Noble Rot, the label subsidiary of Collectors' Choice devoted to preserving great early indie-rock albums of the '80s and '90s, will release three new reissues on January 29: Praying Mantis bv Jim Carroll, Beautiful Thing by Ben Vaughn and What We Had by Wednesday Week.

Keeping in Noble Rot's tradition, the reissues will be packaged in cardboard Digi-Paks with liner notes. Previous Noble Rot reissues have included Robyn Hitchcock, Grant Lee Buffalo, Hunters & Collectors, The Surf Punks, Martini Ranch, Rodney Crowell's side project Cicadas, and more. - info on all of the releases

.... Road Trip: Music Festival Makes Aruba 'One Happy Island'

Aruba Music Festival has hosted such acts as Styx, John Mayer, Peter Frampton and Lionel Richie and the 6th edition of the festival held in 2007 featured concerts from Richard Marx and Robin Gibb. - Read the full Music Festival Makes Aruba 'One Happy Island' Road Trip article

.... Lonn Friend: No Expectations

Lonn waxes poetic on P.O.D., Arista, Clive, The Bogmen, Liberal politics and more. - Read the full No Expectations op/ed

.... Furze - UTD

Who says lo-fi black metal can't be wicked fun? Attacking here with their third full-length album, demented Norwegian duo Furze drop one of the most senseless, insane, and odd black metal albums in recent memory. - Read the full Furze - UTD review

Read Day In Rock Reports From Other Days
 

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