New Big 4 Show- Live Tonic Sixpense Unplugged Tour- Official Dio Tributes Coming- Flaming Lips Monthly- Unhappy Fistfight- Zakk Wylde World Tour- Indie Rock Band- more

Have a rockin' Christmas! (Or Saturday for those that do not celebrate the holiday)

Ozzy's Comical New TV Ad

(hennemusic) Brisk - the ice tea drink brand owned by PepsiCo. - is bringing back its classic claymation commercials.

Brik's new campaign features Ozzy Osbourne and Danny Trejo. Ozzy recorded the voice work at Another Country Studios in Chicago, a few weeks ago.

You can check out a promo for Ozzy's new ad, which will be released on January 14 here

Steven Tyler Reflects On His American Idol Gig So Far

(Gibson) Steven Tyler is enjoying his new gig at American Idol, but has found one of his primary tasks a bit more difficult than expected. Speaking to CTV, the Aerosmith singer admitted that he has a hard time being completely honest with hopefuls lacking in talent.

"It's hard when you have a kid who's 15 years old, who's been watching American Idol for the last 10 years," Tyler admitted. "Some of them were awful. I just say something like, 'Did you bump your head on the way in?'"
He continued, "I'm really not one for giving insults. They have a voice and I don't want them not singing to their kids when they grow up."

Tyler did have nice things to say about his co-star Jennifer Lopez: "First and foremost, she's a lady and she's not afraid to show that at any given time. She's ridiculous. You know, she's exactly what I thought she'd be. She's street." more on this story

Arcade Fire The New Beatles?

(Gibson) In a new interview with the BBC, Canadian rock band Arcade Fire reflected back on their big year and revealed a particular highlight of 2010: a comparison to The Beatles made by esteemed music critic Robert Hilburn.

This past summer, the former Los Angeles Times contributor e-mailed Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler to liken the fervor for the band's well-received third album The Suburbs to the kind of anticipation a new Beatles album once inspired.

"[Hilburn] wrote me an e-mail as the record was coming out, and he was like, 'Guys, it kind of feels like a Beatles album is coming out," said Butler. "There's something electric in the air." more on this story

Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Issues Christmas Message

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell guitarist Tony Iommi has posted the following Christmas message to Facebook...

"I want to thank you all for your brilliant support in what has been a difficult year.

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a 2011 in which you achieve something you're working towards. more on this story

Jack Black Vs Conan Guitar Duel

(hennemusic) Wednesday night, Jack Black was on Conan to talk about his new movie, "Gulliver's Travels," and things were going along peacefully until music entered the discussion.

At about the 6:30 mark in the following video, Jack seemed surprised to find out that Conan had a band and had done a tour this year, even after the two met up at Bonnaroo in June.

"I think of your band as more of a hobby, and less like a passion," Black told Conan, adding, "I rock way, way, way harder than you." The fun is just starting. Read more and see it here

Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum Ghost Story

(hennemusic) A few rockers have appeared on Celebrity Ghost Stories…we've seen Vince Neil of Motley Crue on the series

And now a new clip of Matt Sorum's paranormal adventures has surfaced, as well.

On the December 11 episode, the Velvet Revolver drummer talks about working in a small L.A. studio late one night and experiencing a ghostly encounter. more on this story

Santa A Crack Head?

(The Syn) The Elves Of Heaven video for "Hard Times On 34th Street" is live and ready just in time for your holiday pleasure.

But this isn't your father's happy Christmas song, rather taking a not from the pages of The Pogues' Christmas classic "Fairytale Of New York".

The group's frontman Martin Clancy describes the track: "Father Christmas disillusioned, unemployed, a crack head…just another bum for the cops to move on…now there are hard times on 34th street. Inspired by the great movie 'A Miracle on 34th Street' and drawing on the unfulfilled hopes of 'A Fairytale of New York", "Hard Times on 34th St" sees our white bearded hero down on his luck and high on cocaine in modern day Manhattan." Watch it here

Saturday Night Black Keys Live

(Gibson) The Black Keys have had a killer 2010. The blues-rock duo released their new album, Brothers, to much acclaim, including multiple appearances on year-end lists and a handful of Grammy nominations. And it looks like Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are going to continue that success in the new year.

It has been announced that the band will play Saturday Night Live's first episode of 2011. The January 8 edition will be hosted by funnyman Jim Carrey. The following month, The Black Keys will find out the fate of their Grammy nominations, when the awards ceremony is telecast from Los Angeles on February 13.

Guitarist Auerbach and drummer Carney recently moved from Ohio to Nashville, which Auerbach talked about with the Associated Press: "Every time I'd go [to Nashville] I'd see some guitar player that would blow my mind," he said. "[I'd] go see The Don Kelley Band and that guy consistently has just the most amazing guitar player playing with him. That's always fun. And then the Station Inn to see bluegrass. I mean I was raised on bluegrass music. So that's just always a thrill for me."

Duff McKagan Snorted His Body Weight in Cocaine

(hennemusic) In his Seattle Weekly column, Duff McKagan shares his thoughts following sinus surgery to repair damage done by years of cocaine abuse:

"Yes, last week was pretty damn interesting if you were me. At long last, I had surgery to repair my torn and damaged sinuses left non-functional after a long-ago bout with the cocaine. From sometime in 1989 until about November 1993, I snorted perhaps my body weight in varying degrees of good, bad, and straight-up s***ty blow. I don't recommend this to any of you young readers. I was NOT such a smart 20-something. Nope, just an ordinary drug-addict.

"I remember trying to glamorize all my drug and alcohol use back then. I would romanticize my life and my struggle as something noble and just. I was an ARTIST, maaan! I NEEDED to dull myself to certain inputs or else my art would suffer. Yep, before I knew it, I was strung-out and terrified. Crappy stuff." He continues here

From Supergrass Frontman To Car Salesman

(Gibson) Gaz Coombes, frontman for the now-defunct Supergrass, has taken up a bit of acting, according to NME.com. The singer/guitarist will star in a new Toyota commercial, in which a fan asks to take a picture with him — only to have his girlfriend tragically snap a picture of something else in retribution for the boyfriend getting toast crumbs in the upholstery of her Toyota Yaris. The commercial will feature Supergrass's 1999 hit, "Pumping on Your Stereo."

Elsewhere, Coombes continues to work on his first solo album, which is scheduled for release in 2011. The album will be co-produced by Coombes and Sam Williams (Supergrass, The Noisettes, Plan B and The Go Team). Williams, who is also co-writing the album and making guest appearances on drums, bass, guitar, piano and theremin, recently commented on the progress of the project on his website.

"Gaz started by writing and recording the basis of the record in his own studio and then we moved over here to my Templesound Studios," said Williams. "We have now completed the first five tracks and will start on the second half of the album in January. I can't wait for people to hear this record — I'm so excited about it."

This Time Next Year Cancel Tour To Record With New Found Glory's Gilbert

(EV) This Time Next Year will enter the studio in early January with producer, and New Found Glory guitarist, Chad Gilbert to record the follow-up to their 2009 release, Road Maps and Heart Attacks.

The studio time will unfortunately conflict with the previously announced tour with Transit and Daytrader. All east coast tour dates for This Time Next Year have officially been cancelled. A message from the band can be seen below:

We're bummed to have to cancel the upcoming tour with Transit and Daytrader. They are great friends of ours and helped us out a ton with setting up this tour. They will still be doing the tour and Into It. Over It. has been added to several of the dates. They will be really great shows and we hope that you can all still make it out and support our friends. more on this story

Free Klaxons For Christmas

(Gibson) Klaxons will post a free EP for download on their website, Klaxons.net, on Christmas Day. The EP's material comes from the same 2008 recording session that yielded their Mercury Prize-winning debut, Myths of the Near Future.

"There are periods of time that we have spent together as a band that the only suitable word that comes close to describing them is 'magical,'" said Klaxons in a statement given to thequietus.com. "The three nocturnal weeks spent at Black Box studio in 2008 under the loving guidance of James Ford was undeniably the point where the magic was peaking."

On Wednesday, the band posted the album artwork for Landmarks of Lunacy on their website and linked to a post on thequietus.com to announce their forthcoming EP. more on this story

Scott Lucas & the Married Men Hideout Holiday Music Hour

Scott Lucas & the Married Men will present "The Hideout Holiday Music Hour," on Christmas day. The show was recorded live at their sold-out show at The Hideout in Chicago last weekend.

This musical variety set, which Lucas describes as an homage to "A Prairie Home Companion," features a Garrison Keillor-esque emcee and several special guests. It is the first of what the band intends to be an annual event. It will stream here

"At first we were only going to do a couple of Christmas songs, but we got carried away," explained Lucas. "We wanted to fashion a show after olde tyme Christmas radio specials -- like "A Prairie Home Companion" -- but also with an almost Opry-type of vibe. And, The Hideout is perfect for that." more on this story

Rod Stewart Books Soccer Stadium Gig

(Gibson) Soccer-loving rock legend Rod Stewart is set to play live at Carrow Road, home of Norwich City Football Club on June 8, 2011.

"The club is thrilled to confirm Rod Stewart will be performing live," said Norwich City's head of sales and marketing, Will Hoy. "This is going to be another massive concert for the people of Norfolk to enjoy. It is a major boost to the club and the area to have an artiste of this caliber choosing to play at the Carrow Road stadium."

Stewart hasn't played Norwich, home to fictional TV and radio star Alan Partridge, since the early '60s when he performed at the Orford Cellar. more on this story

Wanna Know What An Iron Maiden Inspired Gilligan's Island Theme Sounds Like?

Stay Tuned: The Ultimate Television Rock Experience performs original rock arrangements of classic T.V. themes - everything from an Iron Maiden inspired Gilligan's Island to a punk version of The Golden Girls.

The band released their second album, The Last T.V. Dinner, on November 19th and have been performing their eclectic, high-energy show in front of enthusiastic crowds along the West Coast for 7 years.

The brainchild of keyboardist / vocalist Phil Etting during his days studying music at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, Stay Tuned became a reality when he moved to Seattle with long time friend and bassist Will Lanni, met drummer Don Davis, and quickly starting arranging the popular T.V. themes from his youth. more on this story

Double Live Ultra Gonzo Merry Christmas From Ted Nugent

(hennemusic) Ted Nugent has released his Christmas message...."As I wrap up the greatest year of my rockin, huntin, ultra livin life with family, new family, friends, loved ones and BloodBrothers around the world, it is my desire to convey a hearty, full on Double Live ultra GONZO Merry Christmas and yet another effervescent throbbing slap Happy Nuge Year to all of you at TedNugent.com and beyond.

That in an otherwise sheeping of mankind, your defiant boldness, brashness and exuberant passionate engagement in this glorious American Dream culture war inspires me deeply, and you all know what that means;

it means I will live life fuller, more defiant, more alive, more on fire in 2011 than ever before and am so very pleased that I am not alone in this spectacular wild assed ride. more on this story

Watch Jimmie Vaughan Rock Conan

(hennemusic) Jimmie Vaughan stopped by Conan, Wednesday night, to play a track from his latest album, "Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites."

The album is nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Blues Album" category.

Vaughan will be ringing in the New Year with a December 31st show at Antone's in Austin, Texas. Check it out here

Destruction, Malevolent Creation On the High Seas

Destruction, Malevolent Creation and Duskmachine have been confirmed for 70000tons Of Metal. the organizers sent over this:

First our North American scouts went to Rochester NY, to find the last member to complete another Allstar-Band: Vocalist Joe Comeau (ex-Overkill guitarist and former singer of Annihilator, Tad Morose and Liege Lord), drummer Randy Black (Primal Fear/ex-Annihilator), ex-Annihilator bassist Russ Bergquist and guitarist Nikolai Wurk are Dusk Machine!

Then they followed the trail of destruction left from Buffalo, NY all the way to Florida by Malevolent Creation. In the meantime our ship picked up our German scouting parties. Guess what they found? They found the South of Germany in complete Destruction! more on this story

Anniversary of Sex Pistols Final UK Gigs

On this day in 1977, The Sex Pistols played one of their last ever U.K. gigs (until 1996), before splitting, at Link's Pavilion in Cromer. Gibson takes a look back: By the end of 1977, the Sex Pistols had spread anarchy all over the U.K. During the previous two years, the punk band had created a righteous noise that older generations found distasteful, unleashed profane words on prime-time television, mocked the Queen's Silver Jubilee and released a record that was banned by many retailers simply because of its title (Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols). In the midst of all that, they had also helped popularize a bold new sound in England, given voice to the concerns of the country's youth in the face of a crumbling economy, and created some of the all-time great singles in rock and roll history.

In the fall of '77, the Pistols were to begin a multi-national tour in Holland that never quite got off the ground. Instead, they returned to Britain for a December tour they called Never Mind the Bans tour – a reference to how their album had been blocked by the likes of Woolworth's, W.H. Smith and others. Eight stops were planned. Half were canceled – due to band members' "illnesses" or political pressure.

Of the four tour dates that happened, one took place on this day in 1977 at Links Pavilion in Cromer. It would be the Pistols' third-to-last show in the U.K. (until the band reformed in 1996). The next day (Christmas) the group played two more concerts at Ivanhoe's in Huddlersfield. The evening show was a typical Pistols gig, but an afternoon performance was something entirely different. The Sex Pistols performed a free charity show for the children of "striking firemen, laid-off workers and one-parent families." Surely, some were horrified at the prospect of the Pistols playing to their kids – but the band proved that they remained in touch with their working-class roots. more on this story

Behind The Famine

(Frenso) The Famine has posted the first video, in a series of behind-the-scenes video blogs, on the Solid State Records Youtube channel, in anticipation of the forthcoming album, The Architects of Guilt.

The video was filmed during The Famine's summer 2010 recording sessions, as the pieces were assembled for what is sure to be one of 2011's most punishing albums. The behind-the-scenes video can be seen here.

The Architects of Guilt, The Famine's sophomore Solid State release, will hit stores on February 15th. "The Architects of Guilt is not a sing-a-long or a feel good record; it's the death rattle and dying breath," explains bassist Jon Richardson. "The Famine is not here to win popularity contests, simply create metal, red in tooth and claw." more on this story

Dornenreich Giving Fans Options With New Album

Dornenreich's seventh studio album, "Flammentriebe", will be released in North America on March 8th, 2011 in three different versions.

The release comes almost exactly ten years to the day of the release of their classic "Her von Welken Nächten"" album.

Musically, "Flammentriebe" can be seen as that album's direct successor: surrounded by an aura that is as tormented as it is blazing, here thundering drum parts, hypnotic violin melodies, Eviga's painful screams, and his feverish guitar play intertwine and form the most haunting and dramatic album in the history of Dornenreich. more on this story

Degradead Go To Metalville

(Freeman) Degradead have inked with Metalville Records for the release of their forthcoming third album, "A World Destroyer". The album is scheduled to be released in Spring of 2011.

"A World Destroyer" was recorded at Peter Tägtgren's (Hypocrisy, Pain) Abyss Studios in Pärlby, outside Ludvika, Sweden, produced by Degradead and Jonas Kjellgren (Scar Symmetry, Centinex, World Below).

Degradead's second album, "Out Of Body Experience", entered the national chart in the band's home country at position No. 48. more on this story

Stanley Clarke Foundation Play-Off

The Stanley Clarke Foundation will be hosting its "play-off" for finalists for the Stanley Clarke Foundation Scholarships at the Musician's Institute January 8.

The Stanley Clarke Foundation will award the prestigious 2011 scholarships to two of five very talented finalists from high schools across Los Angeles. Each finalist will perform live on MI's Main Stage for Stanley and a panel of celebrity and industry judges. Musicians' Institute scholarships of $12,000 will be awarded to each of the top two performers. The evening will also include an onstage jam session with Stanley Clarke and the other celebrity judges. While the event is free to the public, donations are encouraged!

The complete list of judges for the Foundation face-off are: Bunny Brunnel; Ronald Bruner, Jr.; Stanley Clarke; George Duke; Larry Dunn; Luisa Dunn; Howard Hewett; Jimmy Paxson; Percee P; Greg Philingains; Ruslan Sirota; Doug Webb; Verdine White; and more (list in formation). Previous guests have included Stevie Wonder, Bela Fleck, Flea, Al Di Meola and others, so some surprise appearances may be in store! more on this story

Sirius New Year's Specials With McCartney, Eminem, Springsteen and More

SIRIUS XM rocks in the New Year with live concerts across multiple music channels.

SIRIUS XM will broadcast Eminem's sold-out "Home & Home" concert, recorded live at Comerica Park in the rap legend's hometown, Detroit, MI, exclusively on his SIRIUS XM channel, Shade 45, SIRIUS channel 45 and XM channel 66. The highly acclaimed concert features appearances by 50 Cent, Drake, B.O.B. and Dr. Dre. The concert will air on Friday, December 31 at 8:00 pm ET.

Listeners will also hear a special encore broadcast of Paul McCartney's performance from the world famous Apollo Theater from December 13. The concert, which celebrated SIRIUS XM reaching 20 million subscribers, was broadcast live on six SIRIUS XM channels. The special encore broadcast will air on The Bridge, SIRIUS channel 33 and XM channel 27, on Friday, December 31 at 9:00 pm ET. more on this story