Metal Xmas Week: Day 1

Any self respecting metal fan should own this album. But if you need further convincing, check out our 5 Star review of the disc - right here!

Stone Temple Pilots Future In Doubt

antiMusic reports: Scott Weiland is pleased with his new solo album, "Happy in Galoshes," which hits stores on Tuesday but when Billboard asked him if a new Stone Temple Pilots album was in the future, Scott sounded a far less happy note. And you can blame it on how one major label treats music as product and not art. Here is that part of the interview:

Q: Are you planning to make a Stone Temple Pilots album now that you've toured?
Weiland: "I don't know how things are going to go with STP. It was sad to find out that we're still in some way locked into a contract with Atlantic Records, which is a travesty, actually. When we signed to them it was a great label. It was a beautiful time in music. Now if you say, 'We're going to do this song as the first single,' they go, 'OK, we're going to do some radio testing.' What the ... ?

"When we first talked about putting STP back together, it was, 'Do this tour and then see about doing a creative deal with another company.' So if it ends up being we have to make a certain amount of records for Atlantic in order to be free, then I don't know if I have that in me." - more on this story

No Doubt Reunite- AC/DC Dance Hit- UFOs Invaded Ozzfest?- GNR CD Trashed and Praised- Nipple Gate Heads To Supreme Court- Vatican Forgives John Lennon and more

antiMusic reports: Happy Monday! Here is today's round-up of quick music news stories: No Doubt will return to the road in 2009 while it finishes its first studio album in seven years. The group made the announcement via an instant message transcript posted on its official Web site. more

If the Rolling Stones, U2 and Aerosmith can make the Hot Dance Club Play chart, why not AC/DC? The Anglo-Australian rockers made their first appearance on the dance list this week with "Rock N Roll Train," which rolled onto the survey at No. 48. They also beat Metallica on a much more relevant chart

Ozzfest and Aliens, maybe that explains some of Sharon's strange lineup picks? The History Channel debuted an episode of UFO Hunters October 29th that featured one of the best-documented UFO "sightings" to date. It took place August 21st, 2004, when fans were leaving an OzzFest concert that took place at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Ill. more

Guns N' Roses long awaited "Chinese Democracy" is now out. On Friday our friends over at MusicRadar offered up their no-holds-barred review of the effort. Warning: hardcore Axl fans should not click here to read the review. Those fans should instead read Billboard's review or even this one. And for a more balanced look at the CD, our friend Nightwatcher delivers in a big way. Check out his review here.

Michael Jackson will not be appearing in a London court as expected on Monday after the U.S. pop star reached a settlement "in principle" with a Bahraini prince suing him for reneging on a recording contract.more

Speaking of the Jackson clan: The Federal Communications Commission has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the indecency case over Janet Jackson's breast-baring performance at the 2004 Super Bowl.more

Simple Minds embark on their "30th Anniversary Tour" at the Manchester MEN Arena on Thursday November 27th. The tour will see the band perform their landmark 1982 album "New Gold Dream" in its entirety for the very first time. more

Guns N' Roses fans in China will have to go underground to get their hands on a copy of the band's first album in 17 years, "Chinese Democracy," which was released worldwide on Sunday. more

A Vatican newspaper has forgiven the late English singer John Lennon for saying four decades ago that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.more

Gwen Stacy has amicably parted ways with vocalist, Bobby Oakley. "After a year of touring with Gwen Stacy, Bobby has decided to step down. He has decided that his heart is no longer with being in a touring band. He's off to finish his degree in graphic design and spend time with loved ones."more

The future of Indianapolis metal band Year Of Desolation is apparently in some doubt, as the group hasn't even practiced together in over six months. Read the update from guitar player John Hehman.

Red I Flight is now in search of a guitar player and a drummer. Want the gig? Details are here

Odin, the classic Los Angeles band featuring Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint, Dc4), Shawn Duncan (DC4), Aaron Samson and Randy O, will release a new 18-song compilation in January 2009. more. Weren't they supposed to commit suicide if they didn't become bigger than Led Zeppelin?

Circle Of Dead Children entered Mr. Smalls Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday to begin recording a new full-length. - more on this story

Slash Says Velvet Revolver Left RCA But Wasn't Dropped

antiMusic reports: Slash's Official Fan Site decided they would catch up with the man himself to get to the bottom of recent rumors about Velvet Revolver's label status. Here is part of their report:

On the net, rumor has it that RCA has dropped Velvet Revolver. Slash says that while it is true that VR is no longer with RCA, the truth is not as negative as the rumor.

The band owed RCA money for a third album which at this time they are unable to produce (no singer). The band and RCA parted amicably.

[antiMusic verdict: This doesn't really make sense. The band owed the label money and a new album but since they don't have a singer the label just let them leave? Too bad Scott Weiland and Stone Temple Pilots haven't had such luck!] - more on this story

Travis Barker Plane Crash Lawsuit

TMZ reports: Travis Barker is suing Bombardier Inc., Clay Lacy Aviation and Goodyear Tire and Rubber in connection with the plane crash that severely injured him and killed two of his friends.

The suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, was filed by Barker and the mother of Charles "Che" Still, Travis' bodyguard who died in the crash.

In the lawsuit, Travis and Thelma Martin Still claim "one or more of the tires failed leaving tire debris and portions of airplane components along the 8,600 foot runway" ultimately causing the Learjet to crash.

The suit alleges a "negligent attempt to abort the takeoff." The suit continues, "The pilot's decision was a breach of their duty owed to the passengers onboard and was a substantial factor in causing the crash and resultant injuries and deaths." - more on this story

Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy Finally Out, But Why Now?

antiMusic reports: Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy," has been released at long last but some are asking "why now?" Idolator put together their theories on why Chinese Democracy came to the world in November of 2008. Here is a highlight from their article.

But two crucial events changed the course of Rose's career: Sanctuary's buyout; and Rose finding his way to the management fold of music heavyweight Irving Azoff and longtime hard-rock mastermind Andy Gould. Universal was in a position to sweep away all of Rose's disputes at once, and Azoff was keen to deal—as it turned out, the number to remember in the Chinese Democracy saga isn't 17, but 360.

Word is it was Azoff who initiated the push to resolve all the issues at once, in a negotiation led on the Universal side by the corporation's president, Zach Horowitz—though who was leveraging who depends on who you ask.

After months of back and forth, a deal was worked out to resolve all of Axl's disputes, with Chinese Democracy—and a nice "thanks for the retail exclusive" check from Best Buy—underwriting the peace agreements. - But what disputes were taken care of? find out here.

Copyright Law Unconstitutional?

Billboard reports: A Harvard Law School professor has launched a constitutional assault against a federal copyright law at the heart of the industry's aggressive strategy, which has wrung payments from thousands of song-swappers since 2003.

The professor, Charles Nesson, has come to the defense of a Boston University graduate student targeted in one of the music industry's lawsuits. By taking on the case, Nesson hopes to challenge the basis for the suit, and all others like it.

Nesson argues that the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is unconstitutional because it effectively lets a private group - the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA - carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law.
- more on this story

T.I. A Murder Target

E! reports: Looks like we might have a clue why T.I. went on a gun-shopping spree that got him in so much doo-doo.

Flanked by some serious security, the self-proclaimed King of the South took the stand Friday as a witness for the prosecution in the murder trial of an Ohio man accused of killing a member of T.I.'s entourage—and the rapper told a packed courtroom that he believed he was the intended target.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, spent 40 minutes testifying against Hosea Thomas. The 34-year-old defendant faces a litany of charges, including murder and felonious assault, for a May 2006 shooting following a post concert bash in Cincinnati.
- more on this story

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Have a Fall Out Baby Boy

E! reports: Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and her rocker hubby Pete Wentz welcomed son Bronx Mowgli Wentz, their first child together, Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The baby boy weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 20½ inches. "Proud new parents Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz welcomed new son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, late this evening," a rep for the new mom told E! News.

"Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy, and thank everyone for their well wishes!"

[This proves once again that pop stars should not be allowed to name their children.] - Read more

Radiohead Animates MySpace

PR reports: MySpace Music is proud to announce that it will premier Radiohead's three new videos which started November 21 with the "Weird Fishes" and following with videos for "15 Step" and "Videotape" to be premiered on November 25 and November 28 respectively.

The creative teams behind the videos are Tobias Stretch from the US for "Weird Fishes;" the German team of Wolfgang Jaiser and Claus Winter for "Videotape" and Kota Totori from Japan for "15 Step."

MySpace Music had previously premiered the video for "Reckoner" which was created by Clement Picon of France, which the band chose as the official video for the song. All four videos were winners of the In Rainbows Animated Music Video Contest. - more on this story

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