Ryan Adams Bandmate Dies

Feinstein was most recently known for his role in Ryan Adams & The Cardinals which he joined in 2006, replacing original bassist Catherine Popper. As a member of the Cardinals, Feinstein appeared on Adams' releases Easy Tiger, Follow the Lights and Cardinology. It was Adams who dubbed Feinstein "Space Wolf." - Read their full report here

Top Tours of the Decade

Billboard has released their Top Tours of the Decade list. Made up of 25 artists, the ranking is based on how much the tours made, not the amount of tickets sold. The Rolling Stones came out on top, earning a staggering $869,471,325! However, the artist that sold the most tickets was the Dave Matthews Band with attendance of 11,230,696. Using both methods of gross sales and attendance U2 came in second with attendance of 9,869,953 (every show sold out) and a gross of $844,157,925.

We took the Billboard list and re-ranked their Top 25 based on their attendance records since that might give a better idea about popularity and it also shows us some interesting data about ticket prices. Keep in mind there may be artists who had bigger attendance; we simply based our reordering on the artists listed in the Billboard list.

One artist far in away had the biggest shift. On Billboard's list based on tour income, country star Toby Keith ranked 24th, but when you rank him on attendance he jumps all the way up to No 7. Trans-Siberian Orchestra also had a huge jump from 25th in money but came in at No. 11 in attendance. Translation? These artists do not gouge their fans with excessive ticket prices. Now looking in the other direction, the artists who dropped the most when you look at attendance instead of what they pulled in, Celine Dion went from 6th to 15th (9 spots), The Police dropped 10 spots from 11th place to 21st and The Eagles drop 11 spots from being the 12th highest earners to 23rd in attendance. - more on this story

Courtney Love Attacks Daughter Online?

And the mother of the year honors go to Courtney Love! At least if Love really posted controversial posts on her Facebook page where she reportedly attacked her 17-year-old daughter.

Last week Love lost custody of her daughter Frances Bean Cobain, at least temporarily to Cobain's paternal grandmother. And she reportedly went online to vent her anger. FMQB reports: In a Facebook rant, Love said, "She was deceptive, she lied and she's lying to herself. My daughter is not always honest." She added, "Frances is a wonderful kid. She's got bad people around her and wants it both ways. You could've asked for emancipation ... you realize this will put you in juvenile family circus three times in your little life? I love you and always will unconditionally." more

Chart Attack goes further with this: on Tuesday, MTV News reports Love called Cobain "deluded" and not always honest in a post that's since been deleted. "[Frances] thinks she has all this money, [but] the point is I have all the money she has... I don't care really, I hate to sound cold, but any kid of mine who pulls this sh*t has lost her position," the website reports she wrote. - more on this story

Switchfoot TV and Tour Plans

Switchfoot will kick off 2010 with a performance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on Monday, January 4th. Later that week, the band will be one of two groups playing the ESPN National Championship Tailgate, which will take place at the Rose Bowl Stadium just before the Alabama Crimson Tide face the Texas Longhorns in the Citi BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.

The band has been playing sold-out shows since November, coinciding with the release of its latest album, Hello Hurricane, which debuted in the Top 15 of The Billboard 200. The North American tour, which has been extended through January, features Switchfoot playing Hello Hurricane in its entirety, followed by an assortment of fan favorites from its previous albums.

Switchfoot will continue to collect donations for local food banks along the way, so fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable items to the shows. (See below for the itinerary and a list of food banks that will receive donations.) - more on this story

Metallica Make Final Tour Announcement of 2009 and It's a Big One

Travel agents must be loving Metallica right about now. On the heals of other big announcements, the band posted what they dubbed "Tour Announcement - 2009 Final Edition" on Wednesday about one of their most exciting show lineups yet.

Here is what they had to say: Before the agents and manager types start taking a break for the holidays, we have one more Sonisphere date to tell you about and it's pretty massive! Not only the "Big Four" of 'Tallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax that we told you about on Monday, but we will be honored to also share the stage with Motorhead, Heaven and Hell, and Mastodon on June 18 in Zurich, Switzerland at Jonschwil Degenaupark. Now, there's a show, don't ya think?!?

Tickets go on sale at 9:00 AM on Monday, December 21. We will be back here with more tour dates and various other bits of information in the coming weeks . . .don't go too far away!

- You can grab all of the dates, plus on sale info here

Butch Walker Returns With New Album

Though he's been a first-call songwriter and producer for artists ranging from Weezer to Pink to Hot Hot Heat for some time, Butch Walker has never had more to write about than he does right now. In recent years he has witnessed the birth of his first child, lost his home (and recording masters) to Malibu wildfires, and turned 40. Appropriately then, Butch's new album 'I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart' (One Haven Music) is about beginnings, endings, and the long journey in between. The album, featuring eleven new songs co-written by Walker and his songwriting partner Michael Trent, will be released exclusively on vinyl on February 2, followed by a cd/digital release on February 23.

Unlike Walker's previous, critically acclaimed solo works, 'I Liked It Better' was recorded quickly and collaboratively, with his band The Black Widows. "We literally went into the studio the day after our tour ended," recalls Walker. "So the wheels were greased." The album was recorded mostly "live" over just five days, using first and second takes. Strings were subsequently added at Abbey Road Studios in the UK, providing some of the album's most interesting textures.

The songs on 'I Liked It Better' range from the anthemic first track "Trash Day," perhaps the catchiest-ever meditation on the absurdity of modern life, to the poignant closer "Be Good Til Then," a lullaby to his young son that imparts some advice "my dad would have given me if he could have put it in a song," says Walker. - more on this story

Nonpoint Hitting The Road Next Year With Cold

Nonpoint are finished recording their forthcoming album and are ready to hit the road. They'll launch a co-headlining tour with Cold on February 16, 2010 at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC.

According to a press release, Nonpoint is back with a new guitarist, management and record label. The band recently departed Belle City Sound in Racine, WI where they finished recording their full-length album with YEP! Productions' Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (also members of Mudvayne and Hellyeah). The album is slated for a spring 2010 release.

The opening slot will be filled by Day of Fire. Cold is currently working on their forthcoming album which they hope to have out in the middle of 2010. - more on this story

Gregg Rolie Anxious To Hit The Road and Bring Fans Santana, The Way You Remember It

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Gregg Rolie, best known for his vocals and keyboard work with legendary music groups Santana and Journey, has caused a flurry of excitement with the release of his latest CD 'Rain Dance".

This live CD captures Gregg and his all-star band performing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 2007. The music press and fans alike have been raving about the new CD and have even compared Rolie's band to that of the original Santana group, in which Rolie was a founding member. "The reviews have been great," says Gregg. "The band and I are anxious to get out on the road and play as many cities as possible in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so on..."

'Rain Dance' features electrifying versions of several Santana classics such as :"Evil Ways", "Black Magic Woman" "Soul Sacrifice", "Jingo" and "No One To Depend On" as well as tracks from Rolie's previous effort 'Roots' and new songs. The Gregg Rolie Band consists of founding Santana member Michael Carabello on Congas, Adrian Areas (son of original Santana percussionist Jose Chepito Areas) on Timbales, drummer Ron Wikso (who was also in The Storm), Kurt Griffey on guitars, internationally acclaimed bassist, Chapman Stick artist and Santana alumni Alphonso Johnson and former Jean Luc Ponty keyboardist Wally Minko. "The band is great, because we all really enjoy each other and I think the sound reflects the fun we are having," Gregg recently told Voices of Latin Rock. "We subtitle the band; 'Santana- the way you remember it' And at that gig in New York recently, we had half of the original Santana, that's about the closest you're ever gonna' get, to seeing that band together again! Michael Shrieve came down and sat in and it was fantastic! He is such a lyrical player and he makes me smile when he would do a certain thing or a fill and I'd remember his playing style, very much on the jazzier end but just so stylish. Ron Wikso my regular drummer is heavier and a real solid player too."

Gregg Rolie 'Rain Dance' CD is available through CD Baby. For more information visit the official website: - http://www.greggrolie.com

Fear Factory Discuss Fear Campaign

Fear Factory begin filming the video for the song "Fear Campaign" from their anticipated new album, Mechanize today. Directed by the team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci (Meshuggah, God Forbid) with producer Ryan Kohler, the video is being filmed in and around the band's original base of Los Angeles. It is expected for completion mid-January with broadcast and Internet premieres already in progress.

Director Ian McFarland comments, "what excites us about this song is the building and releasing of energy. We are planning to present a visual overload of images that will keep the viewer glued to the screen. The hope is to dissect the word 'fear' and to make a piece of art that will not only capture the power of the song and but the true intensity of FEAR FACTORY."

In discussing the song's lyrical concept, vocalist Burton C. Bell reveals, "it was not necessary to camouflage the insanity of the world of today within a science fiction setting like we've done in the past. The world today has become the world that writers predicted long ago. The controlling authorities are constantly, and successfully, utilizing fear tactics to control the masses. Fear is control."

Mechanize is due in stores February 9

- Myspace link

Evile Announce Replacement For Their Late Bassist

Evile have revealed the identity of their new bassist, who joins the band following the tragic and untimely death of their late bassist, Mike Alexander who passed away on October 5th, 2009 while the band was on tour in Sweden.

Evile members Matt Drake, Ol Drake and Ben Carter have released the following statement: "This has been one of the most bizarre and surreal tasks we've ever had to undertake. It isn't like Mike has decided to leave the band and we're simply finding a new bass player, he was taken from us, and we were forced to replace him. In effect we had to look for a new Mike, but that would never happen. He was one of a kind, and we'll never forget him.

"We had hundreds upon hundreds of emails from bass players from around the world (though we can only realistically have a bassist from the UK), and we want to thank everyone for taking the time out to contact us, and the people who came to jam with us. We only had a certain amount of time to actually audition/jam with bass players before the upcoming tours, to get time in for rehearsing the songs, getting visas sorted etc. - more on this story

Original Agnostic Front Reunite for 25th Anniversary

Agnostic Front has changed the face of music throughout their 25-year-long career and the Victim In Pain and United Blood records started it all. In celebration of these eminent re-releases, Agnostic Front will pay homage to where it all began with a headlining show on February 26th in NYC.

Showcasing at The Bell House in Brooklyn, Agnostic Front will have their original 1984 lineup in tow – Roger Miret, Vinny Stigma, Rob Kabula, and Dave Jones. "We haven't played together since '84, this is the CLASSIC lineup together again doing vintage AF songs and some classics. We couldn't be more excited to do this!" said vocalist Roger Miret.

Bridge Nine Records recently re-released the seminal records United Blood and Victim In Pain this past November and Examiner.com said, "For those who missed the most exciting era of underground music, this is a chance to re-live the glory that was Agnostic Front." - more on this story

Singled Out: Sister Hazel

(antiMusic) Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Sister Hazel's Ryan Newell tells us about the title track from their brand new album "Release". We now turn it over to Ryan for the story:

I went to a songwriting retreat in '08. A bunch of the artists from the Rock Boat got together and were paired off in groups of three to write songs. I wrote a couple of songs there with Pat McGee and Emerson Hart, and also one with Pat McGee and Mike Daly (from Whiskeytown). The songs "Release" and "Take A Bow" came from those sessions.

"Release" was written when all the writers were going through a divorce, and it's about new beginnings and about letting going of the past, which I think is a fitting start to the disc. It turned out to be the title of album too. We thought it was a good name for the album because of what making the album was about – the release of the old processes of making records and a new beginning for us as well. A year ago I bought a cello and was looking for place to put it on the album. In "Release," I play two notes on the cello. It's my cello debut.

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

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Subscribe to Day in Rock Report by Email

Add the Day in Rock to your site/blog/Myspace

Read Day In Rock Reports From Other Days

Submit news or a press release to the Day In Rock report