Wednesday

LA Music Academy Hires Josh Groban Music Director

Also, the Academy is now offering guitar scholarships to international and domestic candidates who possess exceptional musical potential, feel, skill, vision and overall musicality. 

Akoni says, "One of my main priorities is to seek out the best and the brightest in the guitar community and bring them to LA Music Academy." The school has secured a number of scholarships and incentives for advanced and otherwise high potential students wishing to attend. He adds, "I am thrilled to be a part of the school and the program during this amazing period of growth" Akoni's other plans include helping to build the roster for the school's new Artist in Residence program, whose ranks already include noted guitarist Carl Verheyen.
- more on this story

Ryan Cabrera Goes Indie

And he is doing so by breaking with the major label system and taking the reins of his career to independently produce and market his third album which is due in-stores April 2008.

"It feels right," says the 25-year-old native Texan of the music he's been creating with the transplanted Australian production team of Daniel James and Leah Haywood. "I really wanted to take my time and not have a huge company telling me what I should be making.- more on this story

Def Leppard, Styx and REO Speedwagon Tour

Please note that the dates announced do not make up the full 2008 tour. The band are still working on dates for other parts of the world, and these will be announced as soon as they are fully confirmed.

The first presales will take place between WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 at 10.00AM (local venue time) and will end 24 hours later, on THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 at 10.00AM. During this period, Fan Club members can log in to the Def Leppard Fan Club site and get their own unique codes, which will give them access to the 24-hour presales on ILoveAllAccess.com and Ticketmaster.com. If you are not a member of the Def Leppard Fan Club yet, you can also buy a Fan Club bundle on Ticketmaster.com, which consists of a Fan Club subscription and concert tickets.

March 27 - Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
March 29 - Hard Rock, Hollywood, FL
March 30 - Germain Arena, Estero, FL
April 1 - Bi-Lo Center, Greenville, SC
April 3 - Sovereign Arena, Reading, PA
- more on this story

Finch Recording New Music

The band wrote on Gazillionaire: So, we had a band meeting on Friday night and we decided that we're going to try and record our new song to put up on our site and myspace as soon as we can. This will be our first truly indie release even if its just one song… whatever still exciting to me. 

"We're so DIY now a days it rules. We're doing this next tour with out any of our trusty friends, so its just the 5 of us in a van like most bands do."
- more on this story

Eminem Hospitalized

The controversial rapper's weight is believed to have ballooned to 200lbs (14 and a half stones) in recent months, which has not helped his condition. 

TMZ claims that Em – real name Marshall Mathers – has since been discharged from hospital and is now at home recuperating.- more on this story

more stories including: Eminem Hospitalized- Cyrus Admits Fake Hannah Montana- Less Than Jake Go Indie- Warmachine Vs Megadeth- UK to Lift CD Rip Ban?- Gigantour- Nada Surf Tour- Anthrax- Dem Franchize Boyz- Onesidezero- October File- more

Thursday

Dimebag's Ex Blames Phil Anselmo For His Murder

Rockdirt reports: In an interview with Guitar World magazine, slain guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott's girlfriend of 20 years, Rita Haney, is pointing fingers at Panetera singer Phil Anselmo for causing Dimebag to be murdered on stage on December 8, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio by deranged gunman Nathan Gale. 

"If Phil Anselmo hadn't quit Pantera, Darrell wouldn't have been playing in that sh**hole where that guy could get to him," Haney fumed in the mag's March 2008 issue, on sale January 15th. 

She also didn't have kind words for the lead singer of the band Dimebag was playing with that night, Damageplan. "I remember in his final days, Darrell was calling me a lot and he told me that he didn't know what to do about [vocalist] Pat Lachman," Haney explained.
- more on this story

Lars Talks About New CD

"There's a lot of light and shade in these songs. There's heavy, fast, nutty stuff, and then there's some slowdowns and musical interludes. It's pretty different from 'St. Anger', and it's pretty different from the 'Load' stuff. This stuff is not the one-dimensional punch in the face that 'St. Anger' was. This is probably a little more like those couple of albums back there in the decade that begins with an '8.'" 

Asked whether the album's material represents a return to the "old school," Lars replied, "I hate to be that specific, because six months from now people are gonna go, 'What the fu**? Lars lied to us!' But it feels that way to me. It's been no secret that Rick [Rubin, producer] suggested to us that we use a couple of those records as reference points- more on this story

Zeppelin Meeting This Month

The veteran rockers have so far refused to confirm rumours of a 2008 reunion tour, following their triumphant live return at a benefit concert in London last month (Dec07). 

But Jones admits the Stairway To Heaven group will meet to weigh up their options in the coming weeks.- more on this story

Shins Star Escapes Domestic Assault Charge

Crandall and his girlfriend, Elyse Sewell, star of US television fashion show America's Next Top Model, were both taken into custody last Friday (January 4th) after police were called to the hotel by staff. 

Paul Durenberger, supervisor for the domestic violence unit at Sacramento County district attorney's office, told Oregon live that following analysis of police reports "there was no way the D.A. could prove a charge against either one of them."- more on this story

Sony Dropping Idols Like Crazy

MCPhee has parted ways with RCA following the release of just one album, an eponymous disc which hit number two on the U.S. albums chart last year (07). 

But MCPhee, who is moving into acting with roles in two upcoming Hollywood movies, is not alone - American Idol winners Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard have both recently been let go by label J Records.- more music news

Marilyn and Twiggy Reunite

Joining Manson and Twiggy onstage for the U.S. leg of the Rape of the World Tour will be Chris Vrenna, Rob Holliday, and Ginger Fish. Tim Skold has amicably split with Manson, but future collaborations aren't being ruled out between the two.

Expectations for the upcoming tour are best described by quoting one of Manson's most infamous lyrics, "Everyone will suffer now". Looks like the sh*t is gonna hit the FANS.- dates

Radiohead Top Chart, Announce American Tour Cities

The tour will take place in two segments, one prior to and one following the recently announced summer tour of the UK and Europe.

The cities IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER are: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Seattle, St Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC * Exact dates and venues will be announced at a later date.- 

more stories including: GNR Finish CD?- Radiohead Top Chart, Announce American Tour- Avril Settles Song Theft Suit- Type O Negative- Shins Star Escapes Domestic Assault Charge- Game Vs LAPD- Nick Cave- God Forbid- EMI Deny Losing Coldplay- more

Friday

Supersuckers Can't Come Up With an Album Title But Are Touring Anyways

PR reports: Supersuckers kick off 2008 with announcing details of their new full-length album and adding more live dates. Singer, Eddie Spaghetti, will perform a special solo set backed by Jordan Shapiro on these dates and the full Supersuckers band will join them starting on January 24, 2008 in Hillside, IL.

The band is currently finishing their new album (to be released later in Spring 2008 on their label, Mid-Fi Recordings) and will be previewing new songs as well as performing their classics. Currently untitled, the new album will, be the band's first full length recording since 2003's "Motherf^ckers Be Trippin." Since then, Supersuckers opted to release music through the EP format.

Eddie Spaghetti explains, "Yeah, I pretty much thought we were done making full length records. But the somewhat anemic response to our 'Paid' EP sort of got me to re-think the whole EP concept. So when we got into the studio this last time, we just threw everything we had at the tape machine and we saw that we had enough for a full length."- more from Eddie and those dates!

Judas Priest Almost Done with New CD

Halford: "I've been away for about a month while Glenn and K.K. [Downing, Judas Priest guitarist] have been doing their final guitar overdubs. We're about to start mixing, so I'm going to see the boys in a few days time and then we'll be rockin' and roaring through the mixing sessions." 

Metal-rules.com: So your vocals are already laid down for the new album then? Halford: "Yeah, I completed those some time back. Everybody does their bits as you go along and normally I don't do my vocal work until the bulk of the recording has been done which is how it turned out and rhythm guitars and everything were laid and all the other instruments, but Glenn and K.K. have just been burning the midnight metal oil and getting all of their leads completed, so I'll be excited to hear what they've been doing. Then we get on with the mixing and the mastering and get it out for (this) year when the tour kicks off."- more on this story

Disturbed Teams with Clowncore Stars for Overpriced Energy Drink Tour

Billboard.com has now confirmed that SLIPKNOT and DISTURBED will hit the road this summer on the first-ever Rockstar Mayhem tour. The outing, sponsored by Rockstar Energy drink, will run in July and August, with additional artists and dates to be announced. 

Rockstar Mayhem is being assembled by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and John Reese, Lyman's partner on the Taste of Chaos tour. - more on this story

Panic At The Disco to Headline Honda Tour

These four nice young men from Las Vegas have created quite the buzz for their theatrical performances, sharp lyrics and pop-driven tunes. And it shouldn't come as any surprise to see PATD following last year's band, Fall Out Boy, since PATD is signed by Pete Wentz's record label. 

The tour starts on April 10, 2008 in San Francisco, CA, but start planning your musical rendezvous ASAP. PATD is thrilled to follow in the tradition Fall Out Boy, The Black Eyed Peas and Maroon 5 to promote environmental consciousness with the Civic Hybrid. [but they still haven't announced green amps and lighting rigs.... tisk tisk.- official site here]

Aerosmith Sells Out

Tyler has written and co-written 160 songs, including Love in an Elevator and Dude Looks Like a Lady, worth an estimated $50 million (GBP25 million). According to the New York Post, the rocker has formed a partnership with Primary Wave Publishing, which was formed by former Arista and Virgin Records boss Larry Mestel. 

Primary Wave also own a stake in the Beatles songs written by John Lennon and the back catalogues of Kurt Cobain, Daryl Hall and John Oates. - more on this story

Daughtry Working on New CD

Our friends over at Gibson.com just conducted an exclusive interview with Chris and the band and we learn that the band isn't resting on their best selling laurels, they already have 17 songs ready for their sophomore album and hope to complete writing this spring. Does that mean a double album or 2 minute songs? Who knows? But they did let some cats out of the bag about the direction of the music. Here are some excerpts:

"Some songs are coming out a little heavier than the last record, and some songs are just way more beautiful," Daughtry says, mentioning that drummer Joey Barnes has written some new material on piano. 

"Chris just sits at the back of the bus and will come out with something and say, 'I just wrote this thing,'" guitarist Josh Steeley says. "And it's amazing. The new stuff isn't too far from the album that's out now, but it's more complex." 

Check out the full article for more on the songwriting plus some personal stuff from Chris. And yes Gibson.com is now a destination for music news and features, not just a place to salivate over Les Pauls. But you can still do that too.- see that here

more stories including:Daughtry Working on New CD- Rocker Suing Cops- Morrissey Bonus- Judas Priest- Illness Sidelines Epica Tour Plans- Supersuckers- 3 Inches Of Blood- Blackmore's Night- Late Night Whigs- Snoop Wants To Rock- more

Top Reviews

....The Killers - Sawdust

The intention of the Killer's B-side collection 'Sawdust' can be summed up in the album's dedication- "This Album Is Dedicated To Our Fans". An encompassing, driving and quirky collection of songs that would otherwise be lost to time. (3 stars) - Read the full The Killers - Sawdust review
 

....Course of Nature Interview

Debuting in 2001, Los Angeles, California's Course of Nature instantly made a splash. Now, some six years later, the band will soon return with its sophomore album "Damaged." Mark Hensch caught up with vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Wilkerson. - Read the full Course of Nature Interview
 

....Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Volumes I & II – Fire & Water

Over the last few years, Thrice have made vast jumps in their musical direction. On their latest release, a set of 4 EP's concerning the elements, Thrice gives their fans something old and something new. (4 stars) - Read the full Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Volumes I & II – Fire & Water review

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