Red Hot Chili Peppers Lose A Member?

"Mentally, John checked out a long time ago. He's interested in doing his own thing, his own albums - the whole big rock band machinery just doesn't appeal to him anymore." - A lot more here

The White Stripes In a Box (Set)

In the summer of 2007, The White Stripes embarked on a cross-country Canadian tour to accomplish their goal of performing in every province and territory across the expansive northern nation. Now, the band has announced the release of a limited edition box set to commemorate that journey with a series of work capturing the striking live moments and poignant off-stage interactions of one of the world's most enigmatic bands.

This captivating collection contains a DVD of the Emmett Malloy-directed documentary film, Under Great White Northern Lights, a live DVD of the band's 10th Anniversary show, Under Nova Scotian Lights, as well as a CD/double LP of 16 live tracks, exclusive 7 inch, hard cover book of photographs and a silk-screened print. Although the package will not be available until March 16, 2010, pre-sale orders will be accepted starting today from http://whitestripes.com/ugwnl_boxset/. Further details on these items are below.

All orders placed before January 1st will receive a special holiday card from the band, as well as three exclusive live mp3's of tracks from the 10th Anniversary show instantly upon ordering: "A Martyr For My Love For You," "Hotel Yorba," and "Hello Operator." Additionally, members of The Vault, Third Man Records' groundbreaking online subscription service, will also be sent a special slip mat for their orders placed before the end of the year. - more on this story

Green Day: Rock Band Announced

Green Day are the latest band to get a dedicated game in the Rock Band franchise. Here is the official announcement: Green Day, along with Harmonix, MTV Games, and Warner Bros./Reprise Records announced at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards that they are collaborating on the standalone title Green Day: Rock Band.

"We've worked with the Rock Band team in the past year to enable our fans to play tracks from 21st Century Breakdown, and we're excited to now be working on a game, spanning our entire career," said Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. "We want people to fire this up, choose their favorite Green Day tracks, and play along with us as Rock Band avatars so they can feel what it's like to perform on stage as Green Day."

The game is an extension and expression of Green Day's most-defining albums and key moments throughout their career to date. It will feature likenesses of Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool, as well as select venues and art specific to the band's history. The title will be available globally in 2010 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Wii system from Nintendo. In addition, the track list will be fully exportable, giving players the opportunity to play the songs in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation3. - more on this story

Megadeth Vs Opening Band

Lambgoat is reporting that Suicide Silence left the Megadeth tour on not so good terms with the headlining act. While the tour was in its final days, there was apparently some behind the scenes trouble between Megadeth and Suicide Silence that was so bad that the band wasn't able to finish the trek.

Lambgoat reports: The official announcement from Suicide Silence is fairly standard: "We're sorry to announce that we won't be playing tonight in Reno, NV. Megadeth, Warbringer, and Arcanium will still be there so head out and show your support for those awesome bands!"

However, interestingly, we received the following news submission this morning: "Suicide Silence not allowed to play Reno due to Dave Mustaine's ego. Kicked off last two days of tour and had laminates removed." After digging around a bit, it appears that Suicide Silence drummer Alex Lopez posted the following update via Twitter: "Dave Mustaine kicked us off the Megadeth tour cuz he wanted to take our laminates for a little incident weeks ago, so we told him to f*ck off." That update has since be removed - more at Lambgoat

Nickelback Named Band of the Decade- F**ked Up Christmas- Sun Sets on Ra- Pink Kasabian Floyd- AFI- AC/DC- Metallica- Ratt Bastards- Dimebag Tribute and more

Last week Nickelback were voted the worst band of the decade but this week they were declared the biggest the band of the decade by Billboard. ChartAttack reports that Nickelback sold more records than any other band from 2000 to 2009 (yes, indie kids, even more than Radiohead), according to Billboard. They've sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and released four albums over the decade. more

F**ked Up have put together a holiday benefit song. They called on their friends record an updated version of the Band Aid project's "Do They Know It's Christmas?." The track has been released on iTunes and features Andrew W.K., Bob Mould, David Cross, Ezra Koenig, GZA, Kevin Drew, Kyp Malone, Tegan and Sara, and Yo La Tengo. You can check it out here

AC/DC have announced a string of Austrian/German live dates for 2010 on their Black Ice World Tour. dates

The Breakdown Room's Brian Heaton recently interviewed RA frontman Sahaj Ticotin. The singer revealed that RA is winding down as he pursues a solo career. The article also chronicles the history of RA, from the band's hit single "Do You Call My Name" through its most recent album, Black Sun. more

Kasabian have revealed that they're working on a Pink Floyd sounding new album.
The follow-up to this years 'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum', frontman Tom Meighan revealed they've already got a selection of "beautiful" new tracks. more
Foreigner will be the featured musical guest on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien next Friday, December 18, 2009 more

Wanna hear the songs from the Dimebag Darrell Abbott tribute album? BW&BK will hook you up right here

Recordings of Jimi Hendrix gigs from 1967 and 1968 in Paris and Ottowa are set to be released as part of a limited edition CD and vinyl package on January 25. more

Back On Black are reissuing the first three classic albums from legendary UK black metal band Venom: 1981's Welcome To Hell, 1982's Black Metal and 1984's At War With Satan. The albums are due in January and all three LPs were remastered and will be repackaged on 180 gram deluxe gatefold colored vinyl. more

AFI will tour the United Kingdom in April with support from Sick Of It All and The Dear and Departed. more

Metallica added a second show in Buenos Aires. The new show will take place on Jan 22 and tickets are now on sale. All the announced dates are here

Those Who Lie Beneath (Rise Records) has dropped off the remainder of their current tour. more

Underoath will tour Europe next spring with Architects. more

Check out the brand new video for "In My Younger Days" from the upcoming Eels' "End Times" album (out January 19) right now, right here

Private equity firm Terra Firma sued Citigroup Inc, accusing the bank of fraud in connection with Terra Firma's purchase of music business EMI Group in 2007, court documents filed on Friday in New York showed. Terra Firma accuses Citigroup of driving up EMI's price by misrepresenting that there was another interested bidder for the company, the lawsuit said. more

Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy will be doing solo dates with his Ratt Bastards. Not one to sit still, Pearcy will be on the road until the release of the new RATT record "Infestation" and tour, due in March. Initial dates are here

Alvin Youngblood Hart has been added to the Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concerts. We'll keep you posted on additions, for now the previously announced details can be found here

Desolate Ways have posted new tracks of their forthcoming album, entitled "Last Moons", which will be released soon in Brazil by Die Hard Records. The tracks "Immaculate", "Frozen Leaves", and also "Regret" single are available on the band's MySpace page here. "Last Moons" features guest vocals from Josie of A Sorrowful Dream.

Ex-Stormwitch, Mystic Prophecy, Majesty, and Crystal Viper members have joined together to form a new band titled Born Again more -

Maynard James Keenan Documentary Premiere Set

Blood Into Wine, the eagerly awaited documentary on Tool/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan and his vineyard partner Eric Glomski's mission to bring notoriety and respect to Northern Arizona's burgeoning wine industry, will premiere at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ on Feb. 19 at 7:00 pm.

While the film focuses on Keenan's winemaking, Blood Into Wine gives a larger picture of the often reclusive singer. "Maynard is as mysterious and complex as rumored so we don't know exactly why he allowed our cameras and questions into his world for the winemaking year of 2009," explains co-director Ryan Page.

"But once we got past his pitbulls and his crossbows we were surprised that Maynard was open with us challenging the perception of him as a celebrity winemaker and the notion that making wine in Arizona is like making wine on the moon. Maynard and Eric continue to surprise the winemaking world right now," co-director Christopher Pomerenke adds. - more on this story

Def Leppard Sued By Manager?

RadarOnline has uncovered court papers reportedly filed by Def Leppard's (former?) manager, who is reportedly suing the band for over half a million dollars for profits from 2008 and 2009. The report does not state when she parted way with the band, but here is part of what they had to say:

Trudy Green, a former manager for Def Leppard, has filed a lawsuit against the iconic eighties band for breach of oral contract, fraud, and intentional interference of a contract among others. Green is also suing the accountant for Def Leppard among others.

"Plaintiff was not paid its earned commissions on this tour pursuant to the Agreement and, after the Band had been paid, spent the next several months working with Def Leppard's accountants and other professionals to determine the amount of commissions due, and to ultimately receive payment," the documents said. Green is seeking at least $700,000 in damages, and is seeking a jury trial." - Read more including the court papers

Bruce Kulick Relieved He Wasn't Asked To Return To KISS

(Rock Radio) Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick says he could never have worn the Spaceman makeup used by his predecessor, original lineup member Ace Frehley - and he's relieved he was never asked to.

Kulick was with the band through their "unmasked" era and played on five albums from 1984 until 1996, including the well-received Revenge from 1992. Frehley and drummer Peter Criss then returned for a reunion and the original members put their makeup back on. When Frehley left again in 2002 he was replaced by Kiss' tour manager Tommy Thayer, and Kulick was not asked to rejoin. But he remains close with the band, and says it's far more natural for Thayer to wear the Spaceman outfit than it would have been for him. He tells SleazeRoxx.com: "To be honest I'm relieved I wasn't asked. Playing the Ace role would be very awkward for me. It was very natural for Tommy to walk into that role.

"If you followed Kiss since the reunion with Ace and Peter Criss, there were a number of times when it looked like Ace was going to miss the show, so the band had Tommy dressed up as Ace backstage, ready to go." - more on this story

Animal Kingdom Named iTunes Best New Alternative Artist

Breakthrough UK band Animal Kingdom has been chosen as iTunes Best New Alternative Artist. The selection is one of the iTunes music staff's Rewind 2009 editorial picks, which were released this week. Animal Kingdom's debut album Signs and Wonders is available in the US exclusively on iTunes. It was released in the UK on Warner Bros Records this fall.

"Bright Lights," off Signs and Wonders is currently being featured in the promos for the new season of HBO's acclaimed drama Big Love, which premieres on January 10th. The track showcases the London four-piece's spare, elegant melodies and frontman Richard Sauberlich's haunting vocals. Another song off the album, the driving "Walls of Jericho," has been selected for internationally-renowned public radio station KCRW's daily feature "Today's Top Tune." The influential station will showcase the track on KCRW.com Friday, December 18th.

Recorded at Seattle's Electrokitty Studios with Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Band of Horses), Signs and Wonders combines delicately crafted pop hooks with unpredictable arrangements and moody, cinematic lyrics. The NME praised their sound as "achingly beautiful celestial indie (that) will have Sigur Rós quivering with envy," and Magnet declared "Richard Sauberlich's cool and ghostly vocals, paired with lighthearted and upbeat tempos, succeed in forming a stripped-down sound with a dusting of melancholy and a sprinkle of '80s pop." SPIN named Animal Kingdom a 'Hot New Band,' saying, "Oasis might be finished, but fans of epic Britpop need not fret. The earnest if slightly melancholy British arena pop of South London newcomers Animal Kingdom has the grandiose aspirations of Snow Patrol and Coldplay, tinged with the edgy swagger of '90s bands like Gay Dad and Mansun." - more on this story

Weezer Frontman Released From The Hospital

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was released from the hospital where he was being treated for injuries suffered in a tour bus crash earlier this month. Karl Koch broke the good news to fans via Karl's Corner blog on the official Weezer site on Friday.

Here is what he had to say: The time has come for freedom! After walking with and without a cane and getting some good hematocrit blood test results on Thursday, Rivers was given the go ahead to be released from the hospital! He elected to take an additional night to rest there, while we prepared a bus for the cross country trip to L.A., to begin today, Friday.

"Wait a second," you say - "a bus? Why of all things would he get on a bus now?" Well, one of the strict doctors orders is that Rivers cannot get on an airplane for a month, as the air pressure changes would be bad for his healing punctured lung. So theres only one other quick way to get him home to L.A., and thats a tour bus. I'll be riding with him, making sure hes ok, and we'll have 2 drivers trading off driving and sleeping, so we dont have to stop! Were taking a warmer southerly route to avoid bad weather, and rivers will be using a cozy lower bunk for sleeping - none of that back lounge bedroom stuff for him! It will be cool - weve got seasons 1 and 2 of "Mad Men" to watch, some books to read, a freezer full of organic entrees, and the bus is wired for internet, so work can continue uninterrupted. The only thing were missing is Burt Reynolds in a 1978 Pontiac Trans-Am to run point for us!" - read more

Unwritten Law Mini Tour

The kings of SoCal pop punk, Unwritten Law, have just announced a string of special shows to close out the year.

The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their new album and decided to take a quick break to spend the holidays with their fans.

The album will be released in summer 2010 on BreakSilence Recordings and a video for the first single is expected by spring. - more on this story

Killswitch Engage To Play Small Venues and Rock Band: Van Halen

Killswitch Engage are headed out on a club tour early next year and one of their songs is heading to a video game. Here is what their label had to say about the tour and the small venues: The tour will begin on February 4 in their home state of Massachusetts and will cover significant ground across the country for seven weeks. To keep things interesting, KsE have elected to play smaller venues in a handful of cities in order to create a more intimate setting for their fans.

Joining Killswitch as main support will be Dayton, OH's The Devil Wears Prada, who released their latest album With Roots Above and Branches Below via Ferret Music back in May 2009 and immediately followed with a hugely successful stint on last summer's Warped Tour.

Also joining Killswitch on this run will be highly influential metal act Dark Tranquility, who hail from Gothenburg, Sweden. Dark Tranquility are set to release their anticipated new album We Are the Void through Century Media in March 2010. - more on this story

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