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On this day in 1973, The CBGB Club opened in the lower eastside of New York City; it became the home of new bands such as Blondie, Television, Patti Smith and The Ramones. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Van Halen To Begin New Album in January

(hennemusic) Van Halen's plans for 2011 are coming into focus. The Van Halen News Desk reports that the band will enter the studio in January to begin work on a new album, their first with David Lee Roth since 1984, and their first new music with Roth since '96.

Sources tell the VHND that the band is very eager to tour, and that they want to tour behind new material. Eddie Van Halen has been very busy during most of 2010 writing music. Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen often join Eddie in the 5150 studio and the three of them have been hard at work jamming and recording demos. The three Van Halens have been sending the music to David Lee Roth, who's adding the lyrics. Two of the VHND's sources have heard some of the early versions of the tracks (without vocals) and were very pleased. The music is said to sound like straight ahead rock 'n' roll and "very Van Halen."

After talking to several producers, the band has chosen Grammy award winner producer/songwriter/musician John Shanks who has worked with Miley Cyrus, Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Santana, Rod Stewart, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morissette, Hilary Duff, Train's Pat Monahan, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Pink, Liz Phair, Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, and many more. A lot more including the truth behind recent rumors

Pearl Jam Plan Music Festival

(Gibson) Continuing to celebrate 20 years as a band, Pearl Jam have some big plans for 2011. With the Live on Ten Legs live album schedule for release in January, the band have announced that they will host, curate and (presumably) headline their own music festival during the summer.

Longtime Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis broke the news on the group's new Sirius XM channel. He did not have details on exactly when or where the festival will take place, although Pearl Jam's hometown of Seattle has been ruled out. According to Curtis, it will happen "somewhere in the middle of the country."

Other details (list of performers, how many days, etc.) will have to wait until the band make a big announcement about the festival.

Slipknot's Corey Taylor Promises Christmas Surprise

(Rock AAA) Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has promised fans an "unbelievable" surprise if his charity single makes Christmas Number One a week on Sunday.

XM@$ goes on sale on Sunday December 12, and could keep Simon Cowell's X-Factor gameshow off the top spot for a second year. In 2010 a mass public campaign put Rage Against the Machine in the seasonal slot, keeping Cowell's karaoke champion out of the limelight.

"I'm actually planning something right now. I have to check the logistics to make sure. But if we get to number one I've got something very special in the works for the fans," Taylor tells Rock Radio. "It's going to be unbelievable." more on this story

Watch U2 Tribute John Lennon

(hennemusic) U2's first show in Brisbane, on Wednesday, was full of tributes to the late John Lennon on the 30th anniversary of his passing.

The evening kicked off with "Beautiful Day," which featured Bono singing a snippet of "In My Life."

"I remember watching John Lennon sing that song for his son Julian," recalled Bono after the band had slipped in a few bars of "Stand By Me" at the end of "Still Haven't Found." "Today seems like a perfect day to do that for John Lennon and his family." That's not all! hennemusic has videos of four songs here

New York Dolls Announce New Album Release

(Sacks & Co) New York Dolls will release their fifth full-length record Dancing Backward in High Heels March 15 on 429 Records.

Featuring original members David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, the album was recorded in Newcastle, England and produced by Louis XIV's Jason Hill.

Dancing Backward in High Heels is the follow-up to 2009's 'Cause I Sez So'. more on this story

A Cold Day In Hell Before Axl Will Play With Slash Again

(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses guitarist D.J. Ashba says Axl Rose has basically said that "it will be a cold day in hell" before Rose works together again with former GNR guitarist Slash.

Ashba – who plays Slash in the current version of GNR (right down to the top hat and stage poses) – made the comments during a phone interview with Triple M radio in Sydney, Australia on Saturday.

Triple M DJ Becko referenced alleged rumours that Axl and Slash might work together again (where did those come from?). "That's completely false," said Ashba. "I know Axl really, really well, and he basically said that it would be a cold day in hell [before they work together]. But, that being said, obviously I don't know the inside insight and I'm just happy to be in the shoes of an amazing, legendary guitar player. It's really a treat for me to stand on stage next to somebody like Axl and [the rest of] this band. Everybody in this band is just top-notch musicians." D.J. explains why the band tend to take the stage late.

Alice Cooper's Black Christmas

(Gibson) If you've ever wondered what goes on at Alice Cooper's house on Christmas Eve, you can rest assured the family doesn't have a tradition of watching It's a Wonderful Life every year.

"My kids all still sleep under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and they watch horror movies," the rock legend told Express.co.uk. "My favorite film is Black Christmas, which is disturbing. It's not normal and it certainly isn't The Osmonds."

Another of Cooper's holiday traditions is his Christmas Pudding charity concert, now in its 10th year, according to BraveWords.com. This edition will see the singer take the stage with members of the original Alice Cooper band, including Neal Smith (drums), Michael Bruce (guitar/keyboards) and Dennis Dunaway (bass). Also on the bill: Cooper's Halloween Hootenanny tourmate Rob Zombie, former Eagles member Don Felder, comedian Cheech Marin and special guest Glen Campbell. more on this story

The Cars Deliver Another New Song

(hennemusic) The Cars are becoming quite the tease. In July, the band posted a photo of themselves in the studio on their Facebook page, with the caption "Anyone in the mood for a reunion by The Cars?"

In October, The Cars posted a 73-second snippet of a new song, "Blue Tip," on their facebook page, whetting fans appetites for more music from the reunited band.

This week, The Cars are at it again: the band has posted another clip from a new track called "Sad Song" – once again on facebook. Check it out here

Police Officer Protests Jim Morrison Pardon

(Rock AAA) Doors frontman Jim Morrison was officially pardoned for his indecent exposure conviction in 1970 – despite the attempts of a police officer to keep the record enforced.

Outgoing Florida governor Charlie Crist headed the clemency board meeting, which as its final act in office pardoned the singer for events at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium 40 years ago.

But former Miami cop Angel Lago, a close friend of the officer who arrested Morrison, protested the move – even though his arguments had nothing to do with whether or not an offence had been committed. He said: "My objection is that the gentleman showed no remorse for a pardon. He didn't change his lifestyle at all – and eventually his drug use killed him in a Paris bar bathroom from a heroin overdose. more on this story

Rob Halford Addresses Judas Priest Final Tour Announcement

(hennemusic) Currently on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest lead throat Rob Halford stopped by WGN-TV in Chicago Wednesday morning for some chat and live performance.

The appearance comes a day after Priest announced its final world tour will kick off in 2011. "Well, they do say that all good things come to an end and that's probably the case in this case," said Halford. "But I'm delighted that, of course, the Halford band is gonna be storming forward in the metal future, and that's gotta be good news."

"I've been doing this now for close to 40 years and it's a real thrill to think that I'm part of the roots of it all," he continued. "Not just myself — many, many other people have been responsible for putting the whole heavy metal scene onto the map. It's as strong now as it's ever been." Check out video of the appearance here

What's Preventing Original Sepultura Reunion

(Rock AAA) Only one man stands in the way of a classic-era Sepultura reunion and former frontman Max Cavalera doesn't know why.

Bassist Paulo Jr is the only remaining founding member still in the band, which formed in 1984 and reached its peak in the early 90s with albums Arise, Chaos AD and Roots. Cavalera suddenly left in 1996 for reasons which remain unclear, and his drummer brother Igor departed ten years later, leaving Paulo and guitarist Andreas Kisser in the band.

Reunion talk has circulated for some time – but now Soulfly frontman Cavalera reveals he doesn't know why the bassist won't agree to the move. He tells Sonic Excess: "The only person preventing it is Paulo – I don't know why, but he's really against it." more on this story

Arctic Monkeys, Libertines, Super Furry Animals Supergroup

(Gibson) Once and future Libertine Carl Barat has joined forces with Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders, Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell and Super Furry Animals guitarist/singer Gruff Rhys to record an album for charity.

The indie supergroup, dubbed The Bottletop Band, will donate all profits from the album Dream Service to education and employment projects in Brazil, Africa and the U.K., according to NME. Joining the band for the recording is a variety of Brazilian musicians and Charlatans singer, Tim Burgess.

The group's first single, "Fall of Rome," has just been made available for download today at the group's website. Check it out

Gorillaz Giving Fans A New Album For Free On Christmas

(Gibson) A little while ago, Damon Albarn said that he was making the new Gorillaz album on his iPad. He also said that he hoped to release it by the end of 2010.

Well, on December 25, Albarn's Christmas wish will come true: Gorillaz new album will be released for free on the holiday.

In an interview with Australia's Perth Now, Albarn's Gorillaz collaborator Jamie Hewlett spilled the beans about the album, which will be made available on the band's website as the ultimate prize on Gorillaz Advent Calendar. "On Christmas Eve, a video for one of the new songs from the iPad album will be released," Hewlett said. "Then, on Christmas Day fans get the whole album downloaded to their computer for free as a gift." more on this story

The Inspiration Behind Iron Maiden's Ed Force One

(Rock AAA) Bruce Dickinson now has to fly Iron Maiden round the world as well as front the band and it's all Australia's fault.

In a video interview the singer explains he came up with the idea to package band, crew and equipment into a customised Boeing 757 because it was the only logistical solution to touring Down Under.

Dickinson says: "It's all the Australians' fault really. We were badgered to do Australia for so long, but it's such a long way away, the show is so comprehensive and we take such an entourage with us, we could never make it work. more on this story

John Waite Returns With New Album

John Waite has announced the release of a new album. Rough & Tumble will be released on Model Music Group/Fontana on February 22nd, 2011.

Recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles, Waite considers Rough & Tumble a new beginning for him. "I approached this project with an entirely different ambition musically than I've had in the past," Waite commented. "It's the first record I've made that I think is made up of singles. All 12 tracks are contenders. They're all alive in their own way. I'm not really sure what the energy is behind the songs, but there is a real kind of velocity in the album where we just picked up speed and kept going. We just wanted to play and win."

A good portion of Rough & Tumble was written and produced in a sweet pocket of creativity enjoyed over the past year and a half with Matchbox Twenty lead guitarist/songwriter Kyle Cook, who Waite met through a mutual friend. "It's pretty much extraordinary," Waite says about the material he created for the new album. "It's not like what people would expect from me. It's a step to the left. There's a rock imprint on the music and a melodic presence, but it's just shifted gears. It's an extreme record. It has an identity and a philosophy of its own, which is really fresh for me." more on this story

Kasabian Plotting New Music

(hennemusic) Could there be new Kasabian music in 2011? Nothing's been promised, but guitarist Serge Pizzorno tells the NME that he is keen to release new material before the band play live shows next summer.

Kasabian are already confirmed to headline RockNess and the Isle Of Wight Festival next June, with the guitarist telling NME fans should be expecting some new additions to the setlists.

When asked if Kasabian would be playing new songs at the festivals, Pizzorno replied: "Definitely. There may even be something out by then too. I'd like there to be. I'd love to [have something out], because it always gets you going when you're playing the new s**t." more on this story

Ozzy Osbourne Names The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010 Including His Own

(Gibson) The Prince of Darkness has spoken! Ozzy Osbourne has revealed his picks for the best metal albums of the year on Yahoo's List of the Day.

Fittingly, Osbourne picked his own album, Scream, for the top spot, with his former main man, Zakk Wylde, coming in at #2 with Black Label Society's Order of the Black.

The complete list: 1. Ozzy Osbourne, Scream 2. Black Label Society, Order of the Black 3. Motörhead, The Wörld Is Yours 4. Slash, Slash 5. Halford, Made of Metal 6. Korn, III: Remember Who You Are 7. Pantera, Cowboys from Hell (Reissue) 8. Lamb of God, Hourglass (Box Set) 9. Firewind, Days of Defiance 10. AC/DC, Iron Man 2 more on this story

Anniversary of Led Zeppelin's Historic Reunion

On this day in 2007, Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 19 years, at London's 02 arena. Original band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined on stage by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham. Gibson takes a closer look:

On September 12, 2007, London concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith made legions of music and Led Zeppelin fans ecstatic when he announced that the band would reform and play a tribute concert to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. Ertegun signed the band back in the '60s, and had died in 2006.

The show at London's O2 Arena was due to take place on November 26 but Jimmy Page's injured hand delayed proceedings until this day in 2007. more on this story

Rare Early Megadeth (with Slayer's Kerry King) Live Recording Posted Online

The Metal Den has obtained an extremely rare audience recording from one of the earliest known Megadeth shows at The Stone in San Francisco, California on February 19, 1984.

The lineup features a young, foul-mouthed Dave Mustaine on guitar and vocals, along with future Slayer member Kerry King on guitar, David "Junior" Ellefson on bass guitar, and Lee Rausch on Drums.

After having got the boot from Metallica, Mustaine was definitely out to prove himself and you can hear all the truly over-the-top arrogance and then some from a baby Dave on this historic cut. Check it out

Gypsy Pistolero Stand and Deliver With New Single

The new single from Gypsy Pistolero 'Stand and Deliver' (Adam & the Ants cover) is released everywhere online today.

Gypsy Pistolero is Lee Pistolero, formerly of the Gypsy Pistoleros, a band acclaimed for their mix of flamenco, punk, sleaze and rock 'n' roll. Vocalist Lee, who came up with the band's concept in the first place, decided to go solo in September of this year (after the Pistoleros had released two albums…well, one album and one mini album).

His debut solo release under the banner of Gypsy Pistolero is titled DUENDE! Last Of The Pistoleros, and is due out in May. Featuring 13 tracks- It features Mark Westwood ( Shadowland, Arena) on guitar and bass. He also co-wrote all the songs with Lee and produced the record at his own Nomad 51 Studios in Birmingham. The drummer is Jeff Williams (Iron Maidens drum tech of many years) more

Eric Clapton To Auction His Guitars For Crossroads Rehab

(Gibson) Eric Clapton will raise money for his Crossroads rehab clinic by selling off some of his guitars.

BBC News reports that Clapton will sell more than 150 pieces at an auction in London and will feature a collection of amps and speakers including Marshall speaker cabinets he used while playing with Derek and the Dominos – which are expected to bring in more than $7,000.

There also will be guitars donated by Jeff Beck and Joe Bonamassa for sale. Stephanie Connell, at Bonhams, said, "We are delighted to be offering such a fantastic collection of guitars and amps from such an iconic musician and hope the auction will raise a lot of money for this worthwhile cause." more on this story

The Mountain Goats Releasing New Album in March

The Mountain Goats have announced a March 29 release date for 'All Eternals Deck,' their debut album for Merge Records.

As with their last album, 'The Life of the World To Come,' the group treated the recording sessions as commando raids on several studios with a few different producers: four songs at North Carolina's Fidelitorium with John Congleton; one at Q Division in Boston with Brandon Eggleston; four at Brooklyn's Mission Sound with Scott Solter; and four at Mana Recording Studios in Florida, with former Morbid Angel guitarist and current Hate Eternal helmsman Erik Rutan.

Describing the album, Darnielle writes, "If you have ever watched say a 70s occult-scare movie where one of the scenes involves a few people visiting a storefront fortune teller, getting their cards read, and then trying to feel super-hopeful about their predicted outcome when what they're visibly actually feeling is dread, then you have a pretty decent idea of what the album is all about." He elaborates, "Other possible points of reference include 'Burnt Offerings,' 'Go Ask Alice,' and that one scene in 'The Warriors' where they're on the train and the sun's coming up and they're safe but you know the scars are permanent now." more on this story

Beady Eye Picking Up Where Oasis Left Off

(Gibson) Liam Gallagher told BBC 6 Music that has no problems with his new band Beady Eye being compared to Oasis. Beady Eye will release their debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding, in February according to NME.com.

"I'm not singing any different from what I did in Oasis," Gallagher said. "It's just rock 'n' roll man, [like] The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, we haven't gone dubstep. It'll get compared to Oasis and I don't mind that."

He also told BBC 6 Music, "I feel good, I'm confident, it's a good album, good tunes I'm singing great, it's definitely not pony." Beady Eye will play their fist gigs in March next year. "We're rehearsing at the moment and it's going to blow people's heads off," Gallagher said. more on this story

Stuck Mojo, Switched, Submersed Supergroup Eye Empire Release Debut Album

(SKH) In 2007 when Corey Lowery (Stuck Mojo/Stereomud/Dark New Day) and B.C. Kochmit (Switched/Dark New Day) started to construct what would eventually become the foundation of this Empire.

After two years of writing and searching for the right voice of their Empire, they found Donald Carpenter (Submersed) in October of 2009. With Donald in the fold as the lead singer they enlisted the help of long-time friend and extended family member Morgan Rose (Sevendust) to track the drums. Recently, acclaimed drummer Will Hunt has entered the fold on the eve of introducing their debut album Moment Of Impact.

Eye Empire will make 1000 signed and numbered CD's available for direct purchase on their website: www.eyeempire.com beginning today. A proper national release is being planned for 2011 while the guys currently weigh their options on how to best release their record. more on this story

Free Preview From The Prog Metal Bible

(PR) Bazillion Points is offering a free download extract of "Chapter 5. Passing the Threshold", from the newly-released book Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, by Jeff Wagner.

After tracing the origins of progressive metal from Rush, King Crimson, and Black Sabbath, in this excerpt Wagner looks at the formation and importance of the most groundbreaking of progressive metal mavericks. High points include John Arch's dramatic exit from Fates Warning; the story behind Operation Mindcrime; the rise and fall of Crimson Glory; and even a curious "What if?" section, that ponders a near-miss of early prog metal history involving Watchtower guitarist Ron Jarzombek...

In addition, the book's index can be also be downloaded, providing an in-depth look at numbers behind Wagner's treatment of Atheist, Believer, Voivod, Dream Theater, and other progressive metal giants. Check it out here

Ayreon's Damian Wilson Release Solo DVD

(Submitted) Damian Wilson, singer with Star One and Ayreon, and frontman with the likes of Threshold, Headspace, Rick Wakeman and Maiden United, is just about to release his debut solo DVD.

This two disc set titled "Cheers Lads! 20 Years of avoiding a job" contains a recording of the Damian Wilson Band (DWB) live show from Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, (played at Boerderij in 2009) and so much more - including a one hour tour documentary, a truly in depth interview with Damian and tour collages.

There is also a three disc version which explores Damian's past. You can join Damian on a journey from his first band (Button Factory) through various incarnations of DWB, stopping off on the way with Threshold, Landmarq and more. more on this story

Dead Snares Release Mini Film

Dead Snares front man and creator Jeffrey Cain has teamed up with video director and stop-motion animator Tobias Stretch to create a mini-film for "The Language," the first track from the Dead Snares debut CD Speak The Language.

Jeffrey Cain came across a Tobias Stretch film on the web last year and immediately felt compelled to reach out to Stretch to express how much he loved his work. The two began to exchange emails with Tobias sending updates on the new videos he was working on. Jeffrey was inspired. "Some nights I would run his videos on the screens in my studio and write music while watching them. It always seemed to be a beautiful fit. He is so detailed, but everything he does is raw and heartfelt." Jeffrey sent Tobias his finished Dead Snares music and the collaboration began.

Stretch chose the first track on the new Dead Snares album "The Language" for his latest artistic vision. Beginning in August of this year, two months were devoted solely to design and puppet construction, with two additional months spent shooting the mini-film which is composed of half live action puppetry and half stop motion animation. The film tells a powerfully transcendent tale of love (represented by two life size humanoid puppets) that becomes threatened by a force of darkness (represented in the form of a 9 foot tall abstracted Jabberwocky head). The power of that magical love is used to fend off the force of darkness and carry the lovers to another level of existence towards beauty, peace and transcendence. more on this story

Skindred Tap Chiodos for UK Tour

Chiodos will be direct support on Skindred's upcoming Union Black UK Tour this Spring.

Joining them on the 11-date tour will be pop-punk outfit, Me Vs Hero. The tour will kick off in Brighton on April 26th.

Chiodos has just released their third full-length record, Illuminaudio, which debuted at #36 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. more on this story