April Fools! Due to the nature of the day we are limited the Day in Rock on April 1st and 2nd. Normally we'd jump into the fun of the day but decided to opt out this year but we'll do our best to bring you only legitimate stories. But there is a chance a couple might slip through the cracks, so we ask that you read with skeptical eyes! We should be back to normal on April 2nd.

Nine Inch Nails Mock Chris Cornell With April Fools Joke

NME reports: In what appears to be an elaborate April Fools joke, Nine Inch Nails have announced the release of a new Timbaland-produced album called 'Strobe Light'.

In a suspicious posting on the band's website and a Tweeter message issued this morning (April 1), the Nine Inch Nails announced that their new full-length album can be downloaded immediately, and features collaborations from Coldplay's Chris Martin, Jay-Z and Bono, as well as a track titled 'Pussygrinder' featuring Sheryl Crow.

The message contains the album's cover art, which shows frontman Trent Reznor in a black leather jacket wearing Kanye West-style slotted shades, as well as a tracklisting featuring a list of mega-star guest collaborators including Justin Timberlake and Alicia Keys. - more on this story

Slash Addresses Velvet Revolver Singer Rumors

SleazeRoxx reports: Velvet Revolver guitarist and former Guns N' Roses member Slash has posted the following update regarding his upcoming solo album and how things are going with the Velvet Revolver vocalist search:

"Hey gang, what's happening? Things are going fantastic in the studio, Josh Freese and Chris Chaney are one hell of a rhythm machine and the guitar sound is FAT! Fucking awesome tone! All is going perfect so far. We start recording vocals today and I'm really excited about working with this particular individual, its going to be quite an event.

In reading your mail I find that I've been receiving a lot of questions about Velvet Revolver. Mostly about if we have found a new singer and if we're going to tour again. In response to the former, no we haven't found a singer yet. There was a lot of talk about our announcing a new singer in March but it obviously didn't happen. We had somebody that we thought was a really good candidate, but it just wasn't meant to be. So, we're still looking. In response to the latter question, of course Velvet Revolver is going to tour again, we just have to find the right person to front the band. We have a bunch of new material and we're all anxious to get going, but the key ingredient for a rock & roll band such as VR is an amazing frontman, and we haven't found the right man for the job, yet. - more on this story

Kid Rock Baseball Stadium?- Bjork Zeppelin- Prince Sales King- KISS Army vs Gwar- Fans Offer Singer Kidneys- Metallica Change Their Tune- Broken Meshuggah and more

antiMusic reports: Kid Rock announced on Wednesday that he had acquired the naming rights to Comerica Park, home of American League baseball team the Detroit Tigers. The Michigan native sent out a statement claiming he purchased the naming rights and will change the name to Kid Rock Field and will make his new beer the official beer at the venue. April Fools. But some media folks fell for it. more A question to Google Chrome users: Did you enjoy the 3D web?

Speaking of April Fools: In what will go down as the biggest war related news story since The Cuban Missile Crisis, the loyal fans of KISS, or the KISS army as they are known, have declared war upon the band Gwar. The army claims that while they have come to terms that KISS didn't make the greatest music in history, neither did Gwar. more

In the spirit of April Fools' Day, Bjork announced on her website today (April 1) that she will be replacing Robert Plant as lead vocalist in Led Zeppelin.more

Prince's new album, "LotusFlow3r" (NPG), issued exclusively in the U.S. through Target stores on Sunday, March 29, leads Nielsen SoundScan's Building Chart, which was released today, April 1.more

Comedian Steve Martin next month will make his debut on a new type of stage for the well-known television and movie star, plucking his banjo at country music's Grand Ole Opry.more

Teens are buying fewer downloads, using P2P less frequently and listening to more music streams, according to a new report by NPD Groupmore Is that because there is nothing worth actually downloading?

According to WDSU.com, Voodoo Experience festival founder Steve Rehage has announced that he has booked many performers for this year's event — which will take place the weekend of Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana — including the rock band KISS.more

Natalie Cole's fans want to give her a kidney. The 59-year-old singer told Larry King on Tuesday that she was diagnosed with kidney failure, and while she was till on his CNN show, dozens of viewers wrote in offering to be tested as possible donors. more

It seems that Metallica will be a two-bassist band at Saturday's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland. A day after former bassist Jason Newsted told Billboard.com that his replacement, Robert Trujillo, would not take part in the performance part of the induction, a spokesman for the group's Warner Bros. label clarified that "Jason and Robert will both be playing Metallica's induction songs." more

Meshuggah has been forced to cancel their upcoming Scandinavian tour dates as a result of problems with drummer Tomas Haake's right foot/leg, which are actually the result of a herniated disc in his back. Surgical options are currently being sought.more

Cheese sells: A record-breaking dozen albums debuted in the top 20 of the U.S. pop chart Wednesday, with the latest "Now" hits compilation edging out the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack for No. 1 honors. more

Lisa de Moraes of WashingtonPost.com reports in her "The TV Column" that at least 16 Fox TV stations refused to air the Osbourne family's "variety" special Tuesday night (March 31) after seeing the promos for the program and looking at the six-minute "sizzle reel" that the network sent their way. An additional 10 Fox stations virtually killed "Osbournes: Reloaded" by moving it out of prime time and into the wee hours of the morning more

As part of their ongoing vinyl reissue series, Warner/Rhino on Tuesday (March 31) quietly released Van Halen's groundbreaking self-titled 1978 debut record on 180-gram vinyl.more

Beck will reissue his out-of-print 1994 album One Foot In The Grave on April 14, with a slew of bonus, unreleased material.more

When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band go on the road, they usually like to give fans a big helping of their latest album during their live set. And this time, guitarist Steven Van Zandt expects the set to be no different.more

Daughters will be entering the studio this month to record a new full-length for Hydra Head Records. Tracking will take place with Keith Souza and Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where the group recorded their "Canada Songs" album. Lambgoat spoke with guitar player Nick Sadler earlier todayread what he had to say

A Life Once Lost vocalist Robert Meadows has announced the launch of his new record label Staggered Works Music. The label's first release is slated for April 17th with Doylestown, PA hardcore band War Pigs.more

A new music festival in Kent, which was to be headlined by The Wombats and The Zutons, has become the latest to be cancelled as a result of the recession. Staging Red List Live in the current economic climate would have been an "unacceptable risk", organizers said. more

On the other hand: Weekend tickets for this year's Reading and Leeds festivals have sold out, organizers say. Passes were snapped up after tickets went on sale on Monday [March 30]. more

Video director Matthew Cullen told MTV News that the clip for the upcoming Green Day single "Know Your Enemy" exclusively features the three band members and no one else. - more on this story

Santana To Only Smoke At The Joint

PR reports: Signing on as the first rock and roll resident artist in Las Vegas, Carlos Santana brings his legendary talent to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino through a multi-year deal with AEG Live.

Through 2010, The Joint will be the only place west of the Mississippi where fans can see Santana perform. Titled to pay homage to his most successful body of work to date, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits debuts on Wednesday May 27 and features the artist's signature fusion sound in a show designed exclusively for the new venue.

"Bringing Santana to The Joint at Hard Rock elevates the entertainment options in Las Vegas," said John Meglen, president & co-CEO of AEG Live/ Concerts West. "AEG Live set the standard for major residency shows in Vegas with Celine, Elton, Cher and Bette over at The Colosseum, and now we are setting the standard for rock and roll residencies with this new deal." - more on this story

American Idol David Cook Cancels Shows Due To Family Illness?

E! reports: Something is not quite right for David Cook. The reigning American Idol winner took a short break from his national university tour, canceling two shows earlier this week.

The performances were set to take place Monday at Colby Sawyer College in New London, N.H., and Tuesday at Connecticut University in New Haven, Conn.

The 26-year-old singer's older sibling, Adam, has been battling brain cancer for more than 10 years. Cook's rep confirms to People that the brothers spent time together last week. - more on this story

Ray Charles Songs Go Digital

conqueroo reports: One of the most anticipated song collections among digital music buyers, Ray Charles' post-1960 catalog will finally go digital for the first time ever. Beginning April 7th, iTunes will hold a two-week exclusive on the cherished catalog, after which time it will be offered at all digital music outlets.

Ray Charles' post 1960 catalog had been one of the most treasured and highly requested catalogs that continued to be unavailable digitally. These masters include such iconic recordings as "Georgia On My Mind," I Can't Stop Loving You," "Hit the Road Jack," "Busted" and "Crying Time" among many others.

"Ray Charles was a trailblazer and innovator in his music and the business of music. I am pleased Ray's songs are now available in all current formats. Concord enables the legacy to endure and prosper," said Valerie Ervin, President of the Ray Charles Foundation. - more on this story

Grunge Is Dead

PR reports: Fifteen years after Kurt Cobain's suicide on April 5th, 1994, comes the authoritative story of grunge. 'Grunge is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music' (released April 1, 2009, via ECW Press) by Greg Prato is the definitive story of the Pacific Northwest music scene of the late '80s and early '90s.

Never before has a book attempted to examine the scene as a whole. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament says, "Finally, a book about the early years of our little scene in Seattle. I can't wait to hear all the different perspectives from the people that were actually there, not the so-called experts, who didn't show up until the '90s."

Taking the form of an oral history, Prato's tome contains over 130 original interviews conducted for the book over a three-year period. No outside interviews are included and most of the interviews are published here for the first time. Some of the original interviews include: Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam singer Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam/Mother Love Bone bassist Kim Thayil, Soundgarden guitarist Susan Silver, Soundgarden/Alice in Chains' manager, ex-wife of Chris Cornell Duff McKagan, Guns N' Roses bassist Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney, Alice in Chains guitarist and drummer Nancy Layne McCallum, mother of late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley Mark Arm, Mudhoney singer Chad Channing, Nirvana drummer Jack Endino, producer Nirvana/Soundgarden/Mudhoney Charles Peterson, photographer Bruce Pavitt & Jonathan Poneman, founders Sub Pop Records - more on this story

No Parents, No Rules Tour

PR reports: As Luis Dubuc aka The Secret Handshake prepares to release his sophomore record My Name Up In Lights (Triple Crown Records - Out April 21st) - he's also announced preliminary dates for his headlining "No Parents, No Rules" tour which kicks off May 3rd in Waco, TX. More dates will trickle in over the next week or so too including a Dallas, TX release show/party.

he elements that comprise The Secret Handshake's new album, My Name Up In Lights, aren't complicated or out of the ordinary. Instead Dallas musician Luis Dubuc has built a collection of songs that embraces an unabashed pop sensibility, drawing on the '90s to inspire the disc's feel-good energy and playful mood.

The record follows the success of The Secret Handshake's previous album—2007's One Full Year—with more streamlined intent and clarity of vision. "My first record was 14 songs and it was all over the place," Dubuc says. "It was like looking in my brain. It was full of ideas and all the songs sounded different. This record is really narrowed down. It's really influenced by Family Matters and Step By Step and the Ninja Turtles and Len and Spacehog and awesome '90s radio music. I just narrowed all those influences down and put them into a record." - more on this story

JJ Cale Tom Petty and Heartbreakers Jam

PR reports: JJ Cale kicked off his first solo tour in five years over the weekend, supporting his acclaimed new album Roll On. The tour began with two shows at McCabe's in Los Angeles, on March 27 and 28. On the second evening, fans were treated to an unannounced appearance by Tom Petty and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, who sat in with Cale for the second half of his set.

The initial thirteen dates of the JJ Cale tour sold out briskly, and three more dates have recently been added. Cale's backing band on this tour includes Bill Raffensperger (bass), Walt Richmond (keys), David Teegarden (drums/percussion) and James Cruce (drums/percussion). All but Cruce recorded with Cale on Roll On.

A portion of the proceeds from each show on the tour, which extends through April 15, will be donated to local animal shelters and rescue efforts. For a complete itinerary go to - http://www.jjcale.com

Watch Music History With My Dinner With Jimi

conqueroo reports: A slew of films about the British rock scene of the 1960s will make it to the marketplace this year. Beating them to the punch, at least on DVD, is My Dinner With Jimi. The film was written by someone who was actually there: The Turtles' lead singer Howard Kaylan. In 1967 the Turtles, riding high with their mega-hit "Happy Together," were flown to England for promotion, and wound up hanging out with many of their heroes. The film follows the band as they encounter rock stars of the day, including the Beatles, Jim Morrison and ultimately, Jimi Hendrix.

Rhino Entertainment's co-founder Harold Bronson, the movie's producer, pushed the production to achieve a historical accuracy lacking in similar films. My Dinner With Jimi is the fourth feature directed by Bill Fishman (Tapeheads, Ramones videos). Produced for Rhino Films, the movie, with bonus material, will be released by Micro Werks on June 9, distributed through Infinity Entertainment Group.

Royale Watkins stars as Jimi Hendrix, whose performance Variety called "a completely believable turn." Academy Award Nominee Justin Henry plays Howard Kaylan, and Jason Boggs plays Turtle Mark Volman. - more on this story

MySpace Previewing Richard Swift and Bat for Lashes Albums

PR reports: MySpace Music is proud to announce the exclusive premiere of Richard Swift's "The Atlantic Ocean" and Bat for Lashes' "Two Suns." Currently, fans are able to stream the albums in their entirety via each artist's respective MySpace Music profiles. The debuts give users a chance to preview the music one week before each is available for purchase.

Richard Swift is a prolific singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been praised around the world for his lo-fi, genre-spanning musical style. Swift's fourth album, "The Atlantic Ocean," (April 7, Secretly Canadian) was recorded in friends and fans Wilco's studio and guest stars the likes of Mark Ronson, Ryan Adams and more. Swift has been hand-picked to tour with Wilco, Stereolab and Cold War Kids in the past and will tour with Vetiver this spring and The Fray this summer. - more on this story

Singled Out: MarsupiaL

antiMusic reports: Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Jam Band/prog-rockers MarsupiaL tell us about "The Man Who Knows Things" from their brand new album "Genus Thylacinus". Here is the story they sent over:

This song was written by guitarist / vocalist, Ian Reardon, in 1998 as part of Ian's former band, Wherever It Goes, concept album "The Green Monkey Fugue". Reardon explains, "The song is a reference to speaking to God, or listening to your inner voice, and following your destiny. It's the realization that everything is fine and there is no reason to worry. Life is unfolding as it is meant to be."

As a student at Appalachian Sate University, bassist Brad Mehder would go see Reardon's band perform at local venues in Boone, NC. "I was a big fan of this song the first time I heard it performed", says Mehder. "To me, this songs was the perfec t example of Ian's ability to take a simple song, and add that magic touch that transforms the song in to a great song". For MarsupiaL, this is an example of a song that was frequently talked about being recorded and performed. However, it took another eight years for MarsupiaL to add this song to their repertoire.

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

. On The Record: The Killers- Jamey Johnson- MGMT

Got vinyl? Kevin Wierzbicki gives cool new vinyl releases from The Killers, Jamey Johnson and MGMT a spin and gives us the lowdown on them in this latest edition of On The Record. - Read the full The Killers- Jamey Johnson- MGMT review

. Carlon - Johari Window

Carlons sound is hard to categorize, sometimes you get a folksy feel and sometimes its a blues rock or maybe a classic country vibe. All in all this disc has a sound of its own and Carlon are not afraid to experiment and try different things. (4 stars) - Read the full Carlon - Johari Window review

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