Levon Helm Hospitalized- New Alice In Chains Clip- Bret Michaels Gets Engaged- Who Would Play Lemmy In A Movie?- Yellowcard Plans- Pentagram- Nikki Sixx Died Dude- more

On this day in 1987, Nikki Sixx from Mötley Crüe was pronounced "dead on arrival" in an ambulance, when his heart stopped beating for two minutes. Sixx was given two shots of adrenaline in his chest to revive him. Fellow band members were prematurely informed of his death. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Kings of Leon Tour Buses Catch Fire

(Rock AAA) Two tour buses in use by Kings of Leon burst into flames in a loading bay of London's O2 Arena this morning, forcing the postponement of tonight's sold-out show.

The vehicles were part of the band's UK road entourage, parked while crew members prepared the venue for tonight's show, which is the last of their current tour.

About 60 firefighters were called to attend at 8.20am and spent the following hours dealing with smoky conditions. more on this story

Motorhead Stars Pissed Off Over Lemmy Movie

(Rock AAA) Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell says he and drummer Mikkey Dee are "pissed off" with the producers of the new movie about frontman Lemmy.

Campbell says Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski spent three years filming footage of the entire band before turning it into Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of the Bitch. But they included almost nothing on the other two-thirds of the band.

"They spent all this time following me and Mikkey around. Three years and the biggest shot they used of me was lying down to sleep on the bus with Family Guy on the TV," The guitarist tells RadioMetal.com. "That's what we're pissed off about. The movie's about Lem, but it's really insulting to us." He's not done

The Black Crowes Fly No More

(hennemusic) The Black Crowes have wrapped up their "Croweology" tour with a 6-night run at The Fillmore in San Francisco, and now begin their 'indefinite hiatus.'

Reviews from the current tour have been very positive, as the band seemed to find itself in a 'good place,' and the knowledge of a self-appointed break on the horizon.

Chris Robinson spoke with Artisan News Service about things in Crowesville, check it out here

Devildriver Member Kicked Off Tour and Going To Rehab

(Rock AAA) DevilDriver bass player Jonathan Miller will be in intense rehab during the band's next two tours – and he's admitted: "The drugs and alcohol have finally caught up with me."

He's also revealed the "family emergency" which saw him leaving a European tour earlier this year was actually the band forcing him to go home for his own good.

"I was asked to leave by my band and management. I need to make a change so I can save my own life and keep the friends I have left," Miller says. "I've been touring with DevilDriver for the past ten years and the drugs and alcohol have finally caught up with me. I realised that when I ended up in intensive care on my birthday last week." more on this story

Now Gene Simmons Claims To Have Slept With 5000 Women

This number seems to jump every few years despite Gene's claims of fidelity to Shannon Tweed. hennemusic has a report of the latest escalation in the conquest claim from Gene Simmons: The KISS bassist claims he's shared his "family jewels" with about 5,000 women through the years.

In a new interview with WCOL_FM Columbus, Ohio's "Woody & The Wake-Up Call" show, Gene says he took "Polaroid photos of the ladies who graced the bed in my room" during his 37 years of touring with KISS.

Gene then said he had "right under 5,000" Polaroid snapshots of his conquests - with each woman holding the key to the hotel room where Dr. Love made his house call. more on this story

U2's Spider-Man Musical Appears To Be Cursed

(Gibson) Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, the Broadway musical co-conceived by U2's Bono and The Edge, has been hit with yet another setback, one that was near-catastrophic. As reported by the Associated Press, on Monday, Dec. 20, a stuntman identified as Christopher Tierney fell approximately 30 feet during an aerial stunt after his cable harness snapped. A nurse at New York's Bellevue Hospital, where Tierney was admitted, said the 31-year-old aerialist was in stable condition.

The accident is the latest in a series of debacles that have plagued the musical. Injuries have previously befallen three other actors, including Natalie Mendoza, who plays Spider-Man's evil love interest, Arachne. During the show's first preview, Mendoza was hit in the head by a rope and suffered a concussion, which sidelined her for two weeks. In addition, money woes and massive costs have all but insured the show will incur losses totaling millions.

On Friday, lead producer Michael Cohl announced for the second time that the official opening for the musical would be pushed back, this time from Jan. 11 to Feb. 7. "The creative team is implementing truly exciting changes throughout the preview process," Cohl said. "Due to some unforeseeable setbacks, most notably the injury of a principal cast member, it has become clear that we need to give the team more time to fully execute their vision."

Tony Iommi Tells The Story of Black Sabbath's Paranoid

(Gibson) Tony Iommi has revealed that the song, "Paranoid," might never have happened, had Black Sabbath not been pressured to come up with an additional track to flesh out their second album. In an interview with Total Guitar magazine, the legendary guitarist also said the band was "shocked" when the song became a hit.

"We were recording the album and the label suddenly said, 'You don't have enough songs!'" Iommi explained. "We didn't know what to do …. Within a few minutes I came up with the riff to 'Paranoid,' played it to the other guys and they liked it, so off we went. That's how simple 'Paranoid' was – we wrote and recorded it in a day."

Iommi went on to say the band never strived to come up with a hit single. "… in [those] days, to have a hit single was selling out," he said. "We just did ['Paranoid'] as a filler track. Most of the tracks on the album were quite long and a lot of people probably wouldn't have played them because they were too long, so 'Paranoid' was an ideal track to release, being short and up-tempo. It just took off. We were as shocked as anybody when that got in the charts."

Duff McKagan Talks Redemptive Autobiography Plans

(Gibson) Duff McKagan says that while his forthcoming autobiography is a tale of redemption, it also makes no effort to hide his past exploits.

Responding to a reader question submitted to the Seattle Weekly, for whom McKagan has been contributing a weekly column, the former Guns N' Roses member and current Velvet Revolver bassist wrote: "A dilemma that I am now facing … is the book that I am just now finishing. It is a story of redemption in the end, but it does tell my whole story – thorns, pimples, blood, puke, and all. I have told my kids of my past and they have seen the pictures and read the stories. That is all that I can do for now. Well no, there is one other big thing I can do; and that is to be a loving and trustful Dad."

McKagan went on to intimate that his episodes of excess should serve as a cautionary tale. "Hell, I can't hide too much, can I?" he wrote. "As I write this missive, I am recuperating from a surgery to fix my scarred sinuses from 17-year-old cocaine abuse! My MRI pictures of the battle in my cranium [are] enough to scare ANY kid straight!" more

Cheap Trick New Year's TV

(hennemusic) Cheap Trick will usher in the New Year as the focus of the first episode of Austin City Limits in 2011.

The CT show is scheduled for broadcast on New Year's Day; check your local listings for details.

Here's the ACL blurb from the CT taping on March 18, 2010: Cheap Trick may be one of the most covered bands of all time. Since the 70s they've been blending elements of pop, punk and even metal in a way that is instantly catchy and recognizable. Tonight they make their Austin City Limits debut performing songs from their newest releases plus a few classics. more on this story

More KISS and Linkin Park for Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and DJ Hero 2 have announced new track packs from KISS and Linkin Park. Here is the official word:

Gene Simmons, who voiced the Demi-God of Rock in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, is back this holiday season and has brought the boys of KISS with him. Beginning today Guitar Hero aficionados can celebrate the holidays KISS style with a KISS-mas trio of tracks featuring everyone's favorite KISS songs. The KISS-mas Track Pack contains one of the bands biggest hits and possibly one of the greatest rock songs of all time, "Rock And Roll All Nite," along with two other hit KISS tracks, "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love."

Linkin Park are no strangers to the remix realm, having collaborated on crossover tracks with everyone from hip-hop icon JAY-Z to world-renowned DJ Hero remixer and consultant Z-Trip. Now, two Linkin Park tracks off of their 2010 number one selling album A Thousand Suns have received the exclusive DJ Hero remix treatment as downloadable content for DJ Hero 2, including "The Catalyst (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)" and a mashup of "When They Come For Me" by legendary turntablist, producer and DJ Hero alumni, Diplo. Available beginning today, and rounding out the three track Linkin Park Mix Pack, is a mashup of "Pts.OF.Athrty" from the band's 2002 remix album, Reanimation. more on this story

Steven Tyler Is No Simon Cowell

With each new report about how Steven Tyler is doing on American Idol, it is really sounding like he is the new Paula, not the new Simon. hennemusic reports: Steven Tyler struggles to be honest with terrible 'American Idol' hopefuls, according to a report by BANG Showbiz

The Aerosmith frontman - who joined the judging panel for the new season of the talent search show - doesn't want to insult anyone or shatter their ambitions if they are not very good.

He admitted: "It's hard when you have a kid who's 15 years old, who's been watching 'American Idol' for the last 10 years. Some of them were awful. I just say something like, 'Did you bump your head on the way in?'" more on this story

Fear Factory Map Out Tour Dates

(Earsplit) Fear Factory will return to the road later this month as part of their ongoing Fear Campaign tour.

The short string of U.S. dates will kick off in Tempe, Arizona on December 29 and conclude 9 days later in San Diego, California on January 8. F

Ear Factory spent the greater part of 2010 touring in support of their Mechanize full-length released in February via Candlelight Record more on this story

U2's Bono Even Annoys Himself

(Gibson) Bono displayed his affection for Australia in an article he penned for the Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Currently on tour in Australia, Bono thanked his host nation for welcoming U2 back in the '80s: "For me a love affair began in 1984, when U2 arrived in Sydney with some new songs: 'Pride in the Name of Love,' and 'The Unforgettable Fire.' Our band – like countless Irish before us – landed here, and fell over in awe."

Honest to a fault, Bono then turns to some of U2's mistakes and his own personality failings: "In Sydney in 1993, the Zoo TV show was a low point in our long career: the only time one of us didn't turn up for a concert. Adam Clayton probably hasn't forgiven himself until this tour.

"Australia forgave us that and other indulgences. Among them my sanctimony. I know I can be a pain in the arse. I have an annoying gene; it's in my DNA. I even annoy myself. When righteous anger turns to self-righteous, projectile vomit is the right response."

Jimmy Fallon, John Rich and The Roots Drunk At Christmas

(Gibson) Jimmy Fallon recently performed his holiday tune "Drunk on Christmas" with the help of country star John Rich and The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Now the seasonal collaboration has hit iTunes, according to Billboard.com.

"That's why I'm drinkin', drinkin', drinkin', I'm gonna drink all day," Fallon and Rich sing on the song, which was co-written by Fallon and Late Night writer Gerard Bradford. "I'm going home for Christmas and my family's insane/Just gotta make it through the day, and there's no other way/Gonna get drunk, drunk, drunk on Christmas."

Fallon released the song as a solo single last year. Fallon's no stranger to doing duets with musical stars on his NBC show. He recently teamed up with Bruce Springsteen to cover "Whip My Hair" and paired with Paul McCartney for "Scrambled Eggs." Check it out

Has Elvis Costello Recorded His Final Album?

(Gibson) Elvis Costello has just released his 33rd studio album… and it might be his last. Feeling that the era of the album was ending, the rock veteran says he threw everything he had into National Ransom, a double-LP, single CD as wildly varied and absolutely intriguing as Costello's career. With T-Bone Burnett at the helm, Costello recorded both with country music virtuosos as well as his rock band, the Imposters. The sessions also returned the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to Nashville, the same place he and the Attractions made Almost Blue, nearly 30 years ago. Costello recently took time out of his schedule to chat with Gibson.com about the first time he came to Nashville, his approach to live performances and why he may never make another album.

First, I want to congratulate you for the Grammy nomination for "Kiss Like Your Kiss." Somebody sent me a message about that and I said, "What nomination, I'm not even eligible." [Laughs] So it was kind of a surprise, but I'm very pleased for Lucinda [Williams]. I think it's one of the most beautiful songs she's ever written and I just try to stay out of her way. They wanted us both to sing it. Truthfully, it sounds way better on her new record when she sings it alone. No, I'm not being falsely modest. It genuinely does sound better as a solo. But it's a great song and I'm glad she got acknowledged.

Growing up in England, what was your mental picture of Nashville? Um, well I don't know that I had one. I knew that it wasn't exclusively country music. I did know that because I knew that Dylan had recorded Blonde on Blonde there. I won't say growing up, but as a young musician, I really loved Charlie Rich. I knew Charlie Rich made records in Nashville and I didn't really think they were country records even though Billy Sherrill produced a bunch of them, you know? They were kind of like sophisticated R&B records. I guess you'd call it that. Some of them were ballad records. Anyway… and Ray Price, what kind of singer is he? Started out certainly as a country singer, but, I mean, he's such an elegant singer, there's all kinds of music. I mean, you know, Hank Garland. Gary Burton, these jazz records. I think it's just that it's a rich musical town, that's the truth. Over the years, there's been different movements in country music that I've retrospectively become aware of. I have my favorites among the recording artists. I have to be honest, of the ones that record in Nashville, I don't think of so many on the current country charts as being among my favorites, but that's ever the way, you know? It's not being made for me to listen to, it's for somebody else. Read the full in-depth interview here

Bored Gorillaz

(Gibson) As previously reported, Damon Albarn crafted the new Gorillaz album The Fall (available as a free download on Christmas) while on tour with the band in North America. He told Gorillaz.com that he made the album on his iPad over 32 days in order to avoid getting bored.

"I did it because there's a lot of time that you just spend staring at walls essentially. And it was a fantastic way of doing it," he said. "I found working in the day, whether it's in the hotel or in the venue, it was a brilliant way of keeping myself well."

Albarn said that the album might see a physical release in 2011 and is "like a diary" of the tour. Certainly many of the song titles namecheck American locales that Gorillaz visited on their recent trek. "I literally wrote everything on the day in each place and there's a strange sort of sound of America and its musical traditions that comes through," he said. "It feels like a journey through America." full track list

Bright Eyes Going Sci-Fi With A Touch of the Pixies

(Gibson) Conor Oberst is going cerebral on the new Bright Eyes album, The People's Key. The release has a lot to do with science fiction and dwells on the subjects of space, time and humanity. Speaking to Spinner.com, Oberst revealed the authors and musicians who inspired the album, due out February 15.

"I really like Margaret Atwood. She wrote The Handmaid's Tale, and she has two books called Oryx and Crake and After the Flood, they're sort of companion pieces -- not sequels, but very similar," Oberst said. "Arthur C. Clarke has the book Childhood of Man, which is kind of a touchstone. Obviously Vonnegut, his stuff. Orson Welles, Jules Verne, all that stuff is interesting to me. Those two in particular really predicted things that were right around the corner, a century ahead."

Musically, Oberst said that the new album draws from alt-rock giants the Pixies. "Oh, I love the Pixies," he said. "They have always been an inspiration. Frank Black is the coolest man on the planet. He's always had a sci-fi thing going on. [Black's third solo album] Cult of Ray was supposedly all about Ray Bradbury." more on this story

Anniversary of Joe Strummer's Death

On this day 2002, former Clash singer and guitarist Joe Strummer (John Graham Mellor) died of a suspected heart attack, aged 50. Gibson takes a look back: The Clash were always more worldly than their punk brethren, incorporating global beats from reggae, ska, rockabilly and even rap, on occasion. It was no coincidence, of course, that the band's leader had a more international background than the average English musician. Indeed, Joe Strummer was a unique character in the history of rock.

Born in Ankara, Turkey in August 1952, the future Joe Strummer was the son of a British diplomat and a Scottish mother. Little John Graham Mellor's (as he was named) family moved from post to post around the globe, with Egypt, Mexico and Germany serving as ports of call during his early childhood. Eventually, John and his brother were placed in a London boarding school, where they spent the next seven years. For John, boarding school was a steppingstone to artistic pursuits at London's Saint Martins College of Art and Design. For his brother David, life took a darker turn. David joined the White supremacist National Front and eventually committed suicide at just 19 years of age.

But John carried on, eventually getting involved in music. Living in Newport, Wales for a time at the age of 21, he began singing in a group called The Vultures (formerly Flaming Youth). He paid the bills during this formative period by working as gravedigger. After about a year, he moved back to London and began busking. Eventually, he caught on with a new pub rock outfit called The 101ers (originally called El Huaso and The 101 All Stars). The group (named after the band's squat at 101 Walterton Road, Maida Vale, London) garnered a decent following on the London club circuit between 1974 and 1976. They even did a bit of recording, though only a single came out while the band was still around. It was during this period that John had exchanged his original stage name, Woody Mellor, for the rather self-explanatory Joe Strummer. more on this story

Manchester Orchestra's Bad Books Book Some Shows

Bad Books, the side project of Kevin Devine and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, will play two select west coast dates this January.

The alt-rockers have performed only a handful of times since coming together as Bad Books.

The band will be playing the Troubadour in Los Angeles on January 15th and Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on January 16th. more on this story

Little Steven To Revisit The Highs And Lows of 2010

(PR) Little Steven will ring in the new year on his nationally syndicated radio show 'Underground Garage' next week (12/31-1/2) with a look back at the highs and lows of 2010 while counting down his 13 favorite tracks of the year.

Top songs from past years have included cuts by Locksley, Cheap Trick, and Foxboro Hot Tubs. Van Zandt will also discuss the best 2010 had to offer in books and films, and even read a passage from Keith Richards' new autobiography, 'Life.'

In addition, the Underground Garage just wrapped its fourth annual Coolest Song in the World listeners' poll. Fans voted for their favorite track of the year from artists like The Woggles, Pete Wolf, The Breakers, and Jesse Malin & The St. Mark's Social. Kid Leo will name the winner Jan 3 when he plays all 52 of Van Zandt's weekly Coolest Song selections from 2010 on Sirius XM's Underground Garage channel, the Little Steven-produced satellite radio station devoted to non-stop garage rock. more on this story

Twisted Talk With Eddie Ojeda

(PR) The latest episode of "Talking Metal" features an interview with Eddie Ojeda of Twisted Sister.

Topics includie Twisted Sister, recording a track for his solo album "Axes to Axes" with Ronnie James Dio, Twisted Sister's "Love Is For Suckers" album, touring with Iron Maiden, Ace Frehley, Pee Wee Herman, Mick Jones, Jackass 3D, and his involvement with the album, "Whole Lotta Love: All Star Salute to Fat Chicks."

Additional podcast topics include The Poodles, the Talking Rock podcast,Overkill, Iron Maiden, Rammstein, and Rush. The podcast can be downloaded at this location

Gin Blossoms New Year's TV Appearance

Gin Blossoms will perform three songs on Fox News Channel's "All American New Year" special hosted by Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly.

The band will perform three of their hit songs live including their new single "Miss Disarray."

The Gin Blossoms returned to the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart this year with their new album on 429 Records, "No Chocolate Cake". more on this story

Slash Photo Contest

(hennemusic) Slash has announced a new contest where fans at one of the upcoming shows can win a signed Guitar Hero from the guitarist.

To win, fans must go to the show, take an interesting photo and then submit it to SlashContest@gmail.com.

The best photo from each of the gigs will win a signed "Beautiful Dangerous" single; the best shot from the five gigs will win a signed Guitar Hero. more on this story

Clapton Week: How John Mayall Helped Eric Become God

(Gibson) "Blues Breakers: John Mayall with Eric Clapton was the breakthrough album that really brought my playing to people's attention," writes Eric Clapton, in his autobiography. "I'd found my niche, in a band where I could remain in the background yet at the same time develop my skills …." Indeed, with The Bluesbreakers, Clapton truly found his style.

By early 1963, when he was just 17, Clapton had already discovered the work of such blues masters as B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. But he was still trying, in his words, "to find a phraseology that would encompass all these different artists." When he joined The Yardbirds later that year, he was hopeful that he could at last forge something unique within the blues genre.

For a time it appeared The Yardbirds were a perfect fit, but soon the band succumbed to pressures to embrace a more pop-oriented sound. By the time the group recorded their #1 hit, "For Your Love," in December 1964, Clapton was headed toward the exit. "… in those days I was a complete purist," Clapton said, in Clapton! "If it wasn't black music, it was rubbish." more on this story

Lemmy Movie Hitting More Theaters

Additional U.S. theatrical screenings have been confirmed for the acclaimed rock documentary "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch."

On top of already-announced dates in New York, Austin, Seattle, Portland, and Atlanta, the film will make theatrical runs in Los Angeles, CA (Laemmle's Sunset 5, opening 1/21), San Francisco (The Roxie, 2/1-2), Long Beach, CA (The Art Theatre of Long Beach, 1/15 one-night-only), Milwaukee, WI (Times Cinema, 1/17-20), Nashville, TN (Belcourt Theatre, 1/23-24), San Antonio, TX (Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes, 1/26 one-night-only), and Chicago (The Music Box Theatre, exact date to be determined). In addition, Cinema Village in New York moved up the film's opening one week to 1/21. Additional dates and cities are forthcoming.

The DVD, a-two disc set packed with more than 4 hours of bonus features, will be released Feb. 15 and will be available for digital download and on BluRay. Filmed over more than three years, and directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, "LEMMY" features appearances by artists spanning the musical spectrum, from Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Slash to Henry Rollins, Peter Hook (New Order/Joy Division), Mick Jones (The Clash) and Jarvis Cocker. Reviewing the film at the Sydney Film Festival in June, Variety Magazine remarked, simply: "'Lemmy' rocks!" more on this story

Yann Tiersen Hitting The Road

Yann Tiersen and his band is set to embark on a tour of North America beginning this January in Los Angeles.

The band will be bringing Dust Lane to life with synths, electric guitars, violins and drums in an energetic and powerful show.

Tiersen's recent ANTI-Records North American debut album Dust Lane has proved a hit with both critics and music fans alike, charting an audacious new musical path by incorporating dramatic elements of progressive rock, post punk, atmospheric post rock and beyond. more on this story

New Numbers To Delivers Some New Numbers in March

New Numbers' debut LP, Vacationland, will be released physically via the band's own label Musiques Primitives and via iTunes on March 8. 2011.

A 12-inch pressing on high quality 180 gram vinyl will be available through These Are Not Records.

The new band of Brooklyn mainstays, singer/guitarist Josh Abbott and drummer Mike Fadem, who were formerly in The Jealous Girlfriends (along with Holly Miranda), is neither a side project nor an off-shoot, rather it is the sum of two musicians who are together finally realizing the sound and vision they have long been in the pursuit of. more on this story

Heavy Metal Funk Death Metal Blues Collection From Big Shanty Coming

King Mojo Records announces a February 8 release for Collection, a 2-CD compilation of tracks from Big Shanty, whose sound has been described as everything from "death metal blues" to "heavy metal funk."

The double-disc set also includes five previously out-of-print live tracks. Many of Big Shanty's longtime friends join in the jams on Collection, including Wet Willie bassist Jack Hall; guitarist Spencer Kirkpatrick, formerly of Hydra; up-and-coming guitar hotshot Liz Melendez; and legendary jam-band godfather, Col. Bruce Hampton.

Big Shanty's sonic rain of acid guitars and incendiary beats has captivated fans all over the globe in search of something outside the blues/rock mainstream, and the tracks on Collection deliver that in spades. By word of mouth and the internet, the buzz about Big Shanty has spread world-wide, with fans registering over one million downloads from his indie label website, www.kingmojo.com. Big Shanty has successfully navigated through the music business maze without the benefit of big corporate radio, corporate media sponsorship slick videos or any of the trappings in the star-making machinery of the music business. more on this story

Anal C*nt To Release F**kin' A in Feb

(Submitted) Anal C*nt have returned with a spankin' new album, and this time around, they're shooting to thrill (instead of just horrifically maim).

Seth Putnam & Co. love themselves a good theme (remember their acoustic abomination Picnic of Love?) , and this time around, they channel Sunset Strip scumbags like Motley Crue and Ratt to bring you a rock'n'roll nightmare fueled by their preferred cocktail of sex, violence, and unbridled disgust.

From ripping off the Crue's cover art to the massive hard rock riffs of "Hot Girls on the Road," ""I'm Gonna Give You AIDS," and "F**k Yeah!" and tender ballad "I Wish My Dealer Was Open," F**kin' A is an instant scuzz rock classic. more on this story