Butch Walker Week: Day 4

Preview songs, learn more about Butch and his new the album and more right - here!

AC/DC Still Rule

Billboard reports: Turning back the challenge of 11 new entries in the top 20, AC/DC's "Black Ice" (Columbia) begins a second week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 after selling 271,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Black Ice," which is exclusively available via Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and AC/DC's Web site, was down 65% over its debut total. The album has sold more than 1 million units in two weeks.

Pink scores her best chart placement ever and best sales week in seven years as "Funhouse" bows at No. 2 with 180,000.
- more on this story

50 Cent Reality TV, New Springsteen In Jan?, ISO Hunt Fights Back, Winehubby Out of Jail, Michael Crichton RIP, Anthrax, Slayer, Depeche Fryars and more

antiMusic reports: Here are the quick stories for today: 50 Cent has a new show on MTV, where business-savvy contestants compete for a shot at fame and a huge cash prize. But the rapper says he's not following the path of that other famous reality show hosted by Donald Trump.more

Bruce Springsteen's next album is expected for release in January, according to the fan Web site Backstreets.com more

Gary Fung, who runs the IsoHunt.com search engine for BitTorrent files which include everything from music to porn, is preemptively asking the Supreme Court of British Columbia to rule on whether he is violating the Copyright Act. more

Singer Amy Winehouse's husband, jailed for an assault on a pub landlord in 2006 and perverting the course of justice, has been released from prison.more

MySpace Music is proud to announce the worldwide premiere of the new music video from Oasis. The video is for the hit single "I'm Outta Time" off of the band's Dig Out Your Soul album. The video will be available on the band's official MySpace profile beginning on Wednesday November 5th. Go here.

Anthrax has entered a studio in Chicago to begin recording their brand new studio album, "Worship Music" which is set to be released next May. You can watch the band at work on the album in a new studio video here. Someone call John Bush stat!

Kerry King told an interviewer that Slayer have another two albums left in them. At least. read more

Former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno has posted the following message online: "I am currently looking for a great, great band (twin guitar lineup) that must be based outside of the United Kindom. I am ONLY interested in full band line-up (NO INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS NEED APPLY AS I WILL NOT REPLY TO ANY INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS)... and band MUST have live shows experience." more. A certain female Maiden tribute band comes to mind
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Author Michael Crichton has died in Los Angeles aged 66 after a "courageous and private battle against cancer", his family has said. He penned Jurassic Park, as well as books like Congo and Disclosure, all of which were adapted into films. more

Lucero fans are in for an exciting end to 2008 and entire 2009 as lead singer, Ben Nichols announces the release of his debut solo album, The Last Pale Light in the West. While the album will not be officially released until January 2009, diehard fans can pre-order from the band's website and receive free MP3 downloads of the 7 song mini-album.more

Jenny Lewis will join Beck for the grand opening of Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The Rilo Kiley frontwoman will join Beck at the Club's launch on Sunday (November 9) more

Feist, plans to release a deluxe edition of her 2007 hit record, The Reminder. Dropping on December 2nd, the Arts & Crafts two-disc set will feature never before released duets, remixes and music videos.more

The long-forgotten 8mm film of The Beatles performing in Kansas City in 1964 has sold at auction for £4100. The lost footage was discovered in an "old drawer" 50 years after the concert. more

British Sea Power have revealed that they are planning to record a soundtrack to Robert Flaherty's 1934 film 'Man Of Aran'. Writing in a blog on the band's website, guitarist Noble said that the band are due to head into the studio to record the soundtrack after they finish their current tour. more

Fryars have got Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan to sing on debut album 'Dark Young Hearts' after a chance studio encounter. Speaking to NME.COM, Ben Garrett explained that the veteran has contributed vocals to a track called 'Visitor', after walking in while producer and ex-Clor guitarist Luke Smith was working on the song in his New York studio. more

Notable hardcore/metal singer Nate Johnson recently joined death metal outfit Fit For An Autopsy. In addition to Johnson, who has done time in Since The Flood, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and Premonitions Of War - more on this story

Nirvana Reader

PR reports: Few can argue that Nirvana defined rock as we now know it. From its infancy to its meteoric rise and ultimate legacy, The Nirvana Reader: 1988 - 1992 (Rock Reader Books) will celebrate one of the most beloved and sadly missed bands ever in print form when it hits shelves on January 5, 2009.

Collecting rare interviews and long out of print articles, this project was compiled and edited by award winning music journalist John D. Luerssen (Rivers' Edge: The Weezer Story) for his newly launched Rock Reader Books imprint.

Rock Reader Books, in conjunction with Lulu.com, will allow fans to revisit the essential and in many cases rarely seen articles that accompanied Kurt Cobain, Chris Novoselic and Dave Grohl on their ascent from an underground trio to the self-professed "Flower Sniffin', Kitty Pettin', Baby Kissin' Corporate Rock Whores", and, ultimately, the icons that defined modern rock & roll. - more on this story

Panic At The Disco Announce CD/DVD Set

PR reports: Panic At The Disco have announced details of their upcoming CD/DVD set, "Live In Chicago." The two-disc package, recorded earlier this year during the band's hugely successful world tour, will arrive in stores and online on December 2nd.

"Live In Chicago" features 17 tracks, culled from Panic At The Disco's two albums: 2005's platinum breakthrough "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" and this year's critically acclaimed "Pretty. Odd."

In addition, the CD features alternate versions of four "Pretty. Odd." favorites, including "She Had The World" and "The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know"

The "Live In Chicago" DvD gathers a range of content - more on this story

Dimebag Photo Book Coming

Blabbermouth reports: Former Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott will publish a paperback photo book/DVD on his late brother, Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, on November 18 via Vinnie's Big Vin label.

Entitled "He Came To Rock", the book will contain over 400 pictures of Dimebag along with a biography of his life written by authors Susan Doll and David Morrow ("Elvis, Forever In The Groove", "Marilyn Monroe: Her Life And Legend"). Also included will be personal tributes from a number of metal's most prominent musicians, among them Slayer's Kerry King, Anthrax's Scott Ian and Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde.

The DVD portion of the package will consist of the previously released "DimeVision - Vol 1: That's The Fun I Have", complete with never-before-seen bonus footage. - more on this story

The Kinks Working on Comeback Album?

Reuters reports: The Kinks are writing songs for a potential reunion album, frontman Ray Davies told BBC News, even though his estranged brother and bandmate seems to want no part of it.

"We've started a little bit of this and that," Davies told the broadcaster in remarks posted Wednesday on its Web site. But it is too early to judge the quality, he said.

"It depends if there's good music. We want good new music. I'd like to do it as a more collaborative thing than we used to do."
- more on this story

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Buck The Label System

Filter reports: Bay area rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are doing away with labels and red tape for their next release.

The Effects of 333 will be the first record the band self-releases through their own imprint, Abstract Dragon.

The release will be digital-only and is available for purchase now from the BRMC webstore. No word yet on a physical release.
- more on this story

Polka Floyd

Music Radar reports: Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Roger Waters better remember that old axiom about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery should they ever encounter what is perhaps the strangest tribute band we've come across. That's right, we're talking about none other than Polka Floyd.

Group started by accident The Toledo, Ohio-based group, who add accordion and an authentic polka shuffle to Pink Floyd classics like Hey You and Another Brick In The Wall, started on a whim.

While waiting for bandmates to arrive at a rehearsal a few years ago, guitarist Ken Haas started to amuse himself by playing Comfortably Numb to a polka beat. By the time the rest of the band arrived, they had a new direction.
- more on this story

The Only Decent Guy in Zeppelin Is Dead

Metal Underground reports: Cream bassist Jack Bruce recently did a radio interview in which he clarified what he meant by the remarks regarding Led Zeppelin he made at the Classic Rock Awards on Monday night:

"I was just having some fun with the press gallery really... being fairly tongue in cheek... The thing about Zeppelin is obviously it's a little bit of jealousy on my part or more than a little bit because the audience was created by Cream and JIMI HENDRIX… this sort of very large audience... then Zeppelin came along and had a very easy ride in that way. We were the pioneers and pioneers don't always get the recognition they deserve. On the other hand, let's face it: Jimmy Page ain't no Eric Clapton... no matter what anybody thinks."

He also had this to say (jokingly) about Zeppelin: "The only decent guy... the one good guy in that band is dead... so what are you gonna do? The trouble is if you say anything about the establishment... In Britain you mustn't criticize the Queen or Led Zeppelin." - more metal news

Limp Bassist

Blabbermouth reports: Former Limp Bizkit and current Marilyn Manson guitarist Wes Borland has issued the following update on his Black Light Burns project:

"The BAD news: Our good friend and cohort Sean Fetterman [bass], for reasons we are unable to disclose, will no longer be able to play with Black Light Burns. We're thinking of him and hoping the best for him wherever he is.

"The GOOD news: Bass duties from now on will be covered by no other than Anvil Pants celebrity Dennis 'Jr.' Sanders." - more on this story

Foo Prodigy

Music Radar reports: The Prodigy have revealed that they'll release a new album, Invaders Must Die, on 2 March 2009, and that one of the tracks features Dave Grohl on drums.

The collaboration, called Run With Wolves, was agreed via email, with Prodigy frontman Liam Howlett telling The NME: "He [Grohl] laid down a week's worth of drums, we got really inspired by it. We did some more work and over the internet it all came together."

Howlett has also admitted that The Prodigy's poorly received 2004 album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, marked an "all-time low" for the band, and that the new record will see them making music like they used to.
- more on this story

Incubus Star Plans Vegas Revolution

PR reports: The Beatles REVOLUTION Lounge in Las Vegas will host a rocking LIVE REVOLUTION on Sunday, November 23 with Ben Kenney of Incubus and the Heavy Young Heathens. World-renowned DJ Chris Kilmore from the Incubus' tours — will spin his signature mix of rock.

Kenney is best known for being part of international rock sensation Incubus. He is branching out into his own world of music by headlining his fall 2008 tour across the United States, showcasing music from his latest album, "Distance and Comfort."

Kenney has also launched a successful record label, Ghetto Crush Industries, and has worked with artists such as Justin Timberlake, Faith Evans, Timbaland and more. - more on this story

Elton Killers For Christmas

Music Radar reports: The Killers have confirmed rumours that they're recording a Christmas single with Elton John.

Joseph, Better You Than Me is the third yuletide offering from the synth-rockers following 2006's A Great Big Sled and 2007's Don't Shoot Me Santa.

The band's drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr broke the ice to the BBC: "[It's] true. The song is called Joseph, Better You Than Me. I have a sneaky suspicion Elton is just going to want to get us in a room and just do a straight recording." - more on this story

Gene Simmons Not Playing Money Games

antiMusic reports: Curt Vendel of Legacy Engineering checked in with out to clear up a story from a couple days ago about his firm not being paid for their work on the Gene Simmons Axe guitar game controller. Gene's hands were clean in this case and it looks like the company is going to get paid and a second model might be in the offing as well.

"Our issues are with the firm that came to us to design the Axe controller and Punisher. They licensed this from Gene Simmons," Vendel informed us on Wednesday. "Gene in no way had anything directly or indirectly to do with the situation and our issues with payment. We've been contacted by the firm and they are putting together an offer to settle things and hopefully everyone will part ways amiably and all will be right in the universe once again."

"I just want it clearly known and understood that myself and the staff of Legacy hold Gene in the highest of regards and respect. It's why we put some much effort to create a product that wouldn't be just another knock off taking advantage of a hot gaming product," he continued.

"We wanted to offer gamers an upscale upgrade for those who've grown tired of their tiny guitar controllers and wanted something with some more meat to it, wanted something that didn't look like a cheap plastic knock off, but looks like a real guitar - this is what we shot for and this is what the result has been - the Axe and hopefully the Punisher may follow sometime down the road." - visit Legacy's website for more info and photos of the prototypes

Singled Out: Curtis Peoples

antiMusic reports: Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Curtis Peoples tells us about "Back Where I Started" from his brand new self-titled album. We now turn it over to Curtis for the story:

"Back Where I Started" began as kind of soul pop song, I was feeling kind of a Gavin DeGraw vibe...It was a song that took months to come together, but once I got the line "You Don't Know A Thing About Falling In Love", it all fell into place. Even going into the recording though, I didn't think about the song much, it was just kind of another song for the record.

Then on the day of tracking, Marshall Altman, the producer of the record and co-writer of this song, suggested to the band that we go for more of a "Damn The Torpedoes" era Tom Petty vibe and suddenly the song burst to life! It quickly went to the top of the list, selected as the first song on the record and first single. It signaled my turn to more of a rock and roll sound and gave the record and me (haha) a much needed swagger...

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album - right here!

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