Steven Tyler Officially Back As Aerosmith Plan Summer Tour

It now appears that those two dates will be part of a summer tour, according to what a UK rep for the band told Billboard.com. The spokesperson said that more European dates will be announced shortly. Billboard also reports that "the group has also been offered tour dates in South America, but nothing has been announced yet." - You can read the Billboard report here for some more details

Sat Night Pearl Jam- New Tonic CD- New Hendrix Song But No Rock Band- Black Sabbath Game Delay- Love Debuts Her Hole- Hawthorne Heights Delay and more

Pearl Jam are scheduled to appear as the musical guest for the March 13th episode of Saturday Night Live. The band will perform songs from Backspacer. more

Tonic's new self-titled album will be released on May 4th and the band plans to hit the road this summer to support it. Billboard spoke with frontman Emerson Hart about the effort here

A rare Jimi Hendrix cover of Elmore James' classic 'Bleeding Heart' recorded over 40 years ago is set to be released as a digital release on March 1 and a seven-inch vinyl release seven days later. more

In other Hendrix news: A representative from Harmonix reportedly said that a standalone Rock Band game based on the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix's music is not in the works. more

And if that wasn't enough Hendrix for you, Nightwatcher has the video for "Valleys of Neptune," you can check out here

All tickets for Rage Against The Machine's free show in London's Finsbury Park went in just three hours more

Guitar Hero had this update via their official Twitter account: "Unfortunately, the Black Sabbath DLC for GH5 will not be available this week. We hope to have it at a later date, so stay tuned!"

Kansas death metal band Origin has confirmed the recent departure of vocalist James Lee. Find out who is filling in for him here.

The Offspring StudioCam is back! Tune in live to see the band as they work in the studio on their next record.

Hawthorne Heights new album Skeletons has been pushed back to a June 1, 2010 release by Wind-up Records (originally set for May 18th). The 13-track album was produced by Howard Benson (Seether, Three Days Grace, Daughtry, My Chemical Romance) at his Bay 7 studios in Valley Village, CA. more

Season Of Mist Records has officially announced the addition of Belgian grindcore act Leng Tch'e to its roster. The group recently finished recording a new album with producer Russ Russell. more

Courtney Love finally debuted her new Hole line-up Wed night (February 17) with a comeback Shockwaves NME Awards Show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire. more

The Longest Year, a new four track EP from Katatonia is released on Peaceville Records on March 15th. Alongside new single The Longest Year, taken from the recent Night is the New Day album, this new EP also features the previously unreleased track Sold Heart, Day & Then the Shade remix and an alternative version of Idle Blood plus the videos for both The Longest Year directed by Charlie Granberg (Katatonia, My Dying Bride) and Day & Then The Shade directed by Lasse Hoile (Porcupine Tree, Opeth). more

Razer will be playing alongside Fozzy—the entertaining band featuring WWE wrestler Chris Jericho on vocals-- on Friday, March 26th at Club Red in Tempe. more

The documentary of Cheech and Chong's reunion last year, for their first tour in over 25 years, is set for release in theaters, on DVD and video-on-demand on April 20 more

Deftones will perform at the Vive Latino Fest in Mexico City on April 24. more

Paramore's new music video for 'The Only Exception' is now available to check out here -

The Who May Be Forced To Retire for Medical Reasons

(Rock Radio) Who mainman Pete Townshend could be forced to retire in March if doctors can't find a treatment for his tinnitus.

The band recently reached a whole new audience with their Super Bowl half-time show earlier this month – but Townshend says they're "finished" unless a test-flight of a new in-ear monitoring system goes well in London.

Their show in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust is the only concert they've booked this year, and the guitarist is ready for it to be their last. He tells Rolling Stone: "If my hearing is going to be a problem, we're not delaying shows. We're finished. I can't really see any way around the issue." - more on this story

Metallica Announce Another Big Four Show With Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax

Metallica announced on Thursday that even more fans will have the chance to see the Big Four of Thrash share the same stage this summer. Here is the announcement:

We're back . . . and as promised, more tour dates to tell you about with the addition of a Sonisphere show in Athens, Greece on June 24, 2010 at Terra Vibe Park.

We'll be there as part of the "Big Four" of 'Tallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax along with our friends from Mastodon and Bullet For My Valentine. Keep watching here as we'll have the remaining Sonisphere dates for you next week! - more on this story

Mike Portnoy Comments On Teaming Up With Avenged Sevenfold

Earlier this week, Avenged Sevenfold--whose drummer James 'the Rev' Sullivan tragically passed away in December 2009--announced on their website that they are recording their new album with Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. Avenged Sevenfold said in part: "We asked Jimmy's all time favorite drummer Mike Portnoy to record on behalf of him. Mike said it would be an honor and without question that's what Jim would have wanted. It's comforting to us that someone like Mike, who is undoubtedly revered as one of the best drummers in the world, held such respect and adoration for the Rev's abilities."

Mike Portnoy issued the following statement Thursday (2/18/09): "Even under normal circumstances, I would've been happy to help the guys out in any way I could as I think Avenged Sevenfold are a great band...but under these incredibly sad and tragic circumstances, I must say I am truly honored to have been asked to play with them and I didn't even have to think twice about saying 'yes.'

"These guys are a true family and it is an incredibly emotional experience to be here with them for the first time without their lost brother. But they have welcomed me into the family with open arms and there's a real excitement to make the record they had set out to make. - more on this story

The Dirty Heads Release Special Edition Featuring Sublime With Rome

Executive Music Group (EMG) released an expanded, digital special edition of The Dirty Heads debut album "Any Port in a Storm," through Fontana, a division of Universal Music Group on February 16.

The 22-track set features the hit single "Lay Me Down," featuring Rome of Sublime with Rome, as well as a bonus video for "Stand Tall." "Lay Me Down" is currently one of the most added and requested songs at dozens of radio stations across the country including influential Los Angeles rock station KROQ. The band will support the release with a run of select concert dates this spring, followed by a full scale U.S. summer concert tour. (announced dates below)

Executive produced by the Grammy Award-winning Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock, Paramore), produced by Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray), Steve Fox, and mixed by engineer Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys), band members Jared Watson (vox), Dustin Bushnell (guitars/vox), Jon Olazabal (percussion), Matt Ochoa (drums) and David Foral (bass) put in long hours polishing the material on "Any Port in a Storm" while developing their style to perfect a signature blend of acoustic infused hip-hop and classic reggae; creating the ideal soundtrack to an upbeat, sun-soaked Southern California. Rooted in the Orange County community of Huntington Beach, the Dirty Heads emerged onto the Southern California music scene with a unique sound inspired by the rock and reggae sounds of Bob Marley, Sublime, 311 and The Beastie Boys. - more on this story

Peter Frampton Announces New Album

Following his Grammy Award-winning instrumental album, 2006's Fingerprints, Peter Frampton returns this spring with Thank You Mr Churchill (A&M/New Door/UMe) on April 27, his most personal collection to date.

The 11-song set, co-produced and co-engineered by Frampton, features the legendary guitarist at his most incisive lyrically as he tackles the battles that wage within us and the outside forces that rage around us. His searing guitar work flows over every song, setting the mood. Nowhere is this clearer than on Churchill's centerpiece, the evocative, two-part, 8-minute instrumental, "Suite: Liberté."

"This album is very autobiographical," Frampton says. "It starts with my birth, which I thank Mr. Churchill for bringing my father back from the Second World War." - more on this story

Thrice Team Up With Manchester Orchestra For Spring Tour

Orange County-based quartet Thrice are preparing to hit the road for three weeks this Spring on a co-headlining trek with Manchester Orchestra. The month-long tour supports Thrice's recent album Beggars (09/09, Vagrant) and will commence with two nights in Manchester Orchestra's hometown of Atlanta, GA before wrapping through the country.

The tour concludes in Albuquerque, NM on May 9, with O'Brother supporting both bands on all dates. Thrice continues to work with Invisible Children, the charity working to raise awareness about the war in northern Uganda, and will have advocates out on the road this Spring.

Vocalist Dustin Kensrue shares his excitement about the upcoming trek by saying, "We've only gotten to hang out [with Manchester Orchestra] in passing, so we're excited to get out on the road with them. They're a great band and one of the few out there that I feel an affinity with in more ways than one." - more on this story

The Crash Test Dummies Return

The Crash Test Dummies are set to release Oooh La La, their first record in six years, May 11 on Deep Fried Records.

Best known for 1993's platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated God Shuffled His Feet and the ubiquitous hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," frontman and driving creative force Brad Roberts teams up with co-writer and producer Stewart Lerman (Antony & the Johnsons, The Roches) to write and record 11 tracks conceptualized using `70s-era analog musical toys.

In addition to ending a six-year hiatus from recording, the band is currently planning their first tour since 2004 in support of the new album - more on this story

Fred Schneider of The B-52's To Appear On Howard Stern To Talk Up His New Project

Fred Schneider of The B-52's doesn't sit around the way some rock n' roll legends might. To the contrary, Fred is very busy doing what rock stars are supposed to be doing: making music and inspiring the next generation!

Fred's current project, The Superions, is in full swing with the recent release of the trio's debut self-titled EP, its off-the-wall single, "Who Threw That Ham At Me" and remixes by Casper & The Cookies, Marshmallow Coast, The Lolligags and Ursula 1000.

Inspired by urban myth (the Paula Deen incident is only a happy coincidence!), the song will be spun by Howard Stern on his radio show this coming Monday, February 22nd when the two legends meet for an interview on Stern's Sirius/XM radio show. Tune in at 8:30 AM to Howard100 to learn how to do the "Disco Garbage Can" and maybe even the "Rock Lobster." - more on this story

Seabird Hitting The Road With Switchfoot, Sherwood, NeedToBreathe

Fresh off the December release of their sophomore album Rocks Into Rivers, Credential Recording's artist Seabird will be hitting the road this spring with Switchfoot, Sherwood, NeedToBreathe and more for a mix of club and arena tour dates.

Seabird will join Switchfoot starting this week in Texas for their Hello Hurricane tour. Beginning in March, the band will team up with Sherwood hitting much of the Midwest and West. Next up for Seabird will be dates with NeedToBreathe, Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers starting in late April running through May.

"Every band at some point in their career has lied about how excited they were to be on a tour with bands that no one has heard of so it should be easy to tell we are not lying when we say how pumped we are at the way 2010 is shaping up," admits band front man Aaron Morgan. "We have been huge Switchfoot fans for years and are truly honored to share the stage with them for part of their 'Hello Hurricane' tour. Following the Switchfoot tour we head out with Sherwood, who besides having a massive internet presence have an excellent new album to share with an always enthusiastic audience. We could not be happier that our good friends NeedToBreathe have also invited us to support them on a portion of their 'Won't Turn Back' tour." - more on this story

The Cringe Announce New Album and Tour Dates

New York-based alt-rock group The Cringe will be releasing their third studio album, Play Thing, on March 16th, courtesy of Listen Records. The Cringe members include John Cusimano (vocals, guitar), Roto (lead guitar), Johnny Matias (bass), and Shawn Pelton (drums). In addition to releasing and touring behind two prior albums, Tipping Point and Scratch The Surface, the band has plenty of experience under its belt. Roto is an ex-member of Air and Mr. Bungle, Matias played in Crash Moderns, and Pelton plays drums in the Saturday Night Live Band, and has recorded and performed with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Rod Stewart.

The first single from Play Thing – the heavy and catchy fist-pumper No Control -- will be released for a limited time as a free MP3 download. Play Thing also features thrashy art-rock song "Where It Hurts," prog-infused "Poison," and Zeppy epic "Start Again," along with some of the most mature songwriting the band has ever done. THE CRINGE worked vigorously to create Play Thing -- their strongest album to date.

THE CRINGE will be playing their annual SXSW performance at the Mr & Mrs T and Rachael Ray's Feedback party (more info below). The band has toured nationally, and has shared the stage with bands such as The Hold Steady, New York Dolls, Semi-Precious Weapons, Ra Ra Riot and Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), to name a few. - more on this story

Singled Out: Sharif (With Old 97's Rhett Miller)

Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Sharif tells us about "Dark Side of the Dawn" a song from his brand new album "Kisses and Lies." Sharif tells out how he came to record this track with Old 97's star Rhett Miller.

"Dark Side of the Dawn" is a song that I described to Rhett Miller before I even began writing it. I had developed somewhat of a rapport with Rhett, being an avid concertgoer and fan of the Old 97's. Rhett had listened to some of my previous records, and appreciated what I was creating. So after a solo Rhett gig at the Troubadour in Los Angeles (and after about 9 beers), I walked up to Rhett and said hi. He immediately recognized me, and asked what I had been up to. We chatted for a few minutes, just catching up on odds and ends. I asked what his plans were for April, and he said he was just working on a new record, and playing SXSW; nothing too time consuming. So I mentioned that I was working on a new record too. I had this great new song that was very Old 97's influenced: rockin country guitars, harmonica intro, group harmonies, and clever lyrics. I knew Rhett lived on the East Coast, where I would soon be recording, so I asked, "Hey. Any chance you'd be willing to sing on this track with me?" Rhett, being the humble musician that he is, said "Sure. Send me the demo and I'll check it out." We exchanged email addresses, and I went on my way.

Only thing was, I hadn't written one word or one note of the song I had just described to Rhett Miller. This guy was one of my favorite artists, so I didn't want to blow the opportunity to actually record with him. I went home and immediately started writing. I had a general idea of what I needed to write: something similar to an Old 97's song. And the lyrics needed to have that clever twist to match those of Rhett Miller; something Rhett would be proud to sing. I kept writing and rewriting; lovin the song when I went to bed, hating it when I woke up. Finally, after about 3 or 4 days, I sent an email out to Rhett with a rough home demo.

Fortunately, Rhett was happy with the song I sent him. Now the only issue was figuring out how to get Rhett, up in New York, to my studio, down in Virginia. I checked into Rhett's touring schedule, and luckily he had a gig in Baltimore around the same time that I would be in the studio. I talked to my producers, and we decided that we could track Rhett's vocals with a mobile Pro Tools rig. So I told Rhett I could meet him in Baltimore, and we could just record there. As an added bonus, I offered to cover Rhett's hotel room for the night. I knew if I had the keys to his room, he wouldn't really be able to bail on the session.

So after recording for 2 weeks in the Virginia studio, I headed up to the Waterfront Marriott in Baltimore with my producer. I checked in, grabbed an extra key for Rhett, and helped set up the mobile studio in Rhett's soon-to-be room. We turned the closet into a vocal booth, and ran all the cables to my laptop on the balcony. After about 2 beers, I heard a knock on the door, and sure enough, there stood Rhett. He came in, gave me a big hug, and told me how excited he was to do this. He was excited? Ha! I couldn't believe I was recording with Rhett Miller.

We cranked through his part in about an hour, listened to the track, and then just sat around playing guitar for the rest of the day. Rhett could not have been more open, honest, and humble. Like we were old friends just catching up. A great day of recording with one of my heroes.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album and find out the other big name stars who appear on the album - right here!

Acclaimed Young Guitarist Scott McKeon Sets New Album Release

Critically-acclaimed guitarist/singer-songwriter Scott McKeon is poised for the release of his sophomore effort Trouble, set for release March 29 via CD Baby. Just 23 years old, McKeon has already generated praise in the U.K. as a rapidly emerging guitar talent. His 2007 debut album Can't Take No More received wide acclaim and earned the artist an opening slot for Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Sheryl Crow at the prestigious Hard Rock Calling in London's Hyde Park.

Trouble features 12 new songs and contributions from Robbie McIntosh, renowned British guitarist and former member of The Pretenders. McIntosh has toured with Sir Paul McCartney and John Mayer, among others, and has done session work for Mark Knopfler, Roger Daltrey, Tori Amos and Norah Jones. The album also features vocals from David Ryan Harris from John Mayer's band. Of the album, McKeon says, "With Trouble, I wanted to be able to incorporate bluesy guitar soloing into a more soulful rock environment. I also wanted to be more disciplined with the tunes to move them from a riff-based style into proper songs. I feel this album is more balanced but still allows me the chance to cut loose."

Scott McKeon first picked up a guitar at the age of four and has devoted himself to the mastery of his craft ever since. At seven years old, McKeon made his debut on U.K. national television and in 1998, he earned Guitarist Magazine's "Young Guitarist of the Year" award. Most recently, McKeon's music has been used on Guitar Hero 5, the soundtrack for the show "LA Task Force" and in the soundtrack for the upcoming film, Rock Prophecies. - Wanna see him in action? Some cool performance footage can be seen here

Therefore I Am Hit The Road With Alexisonfire

Therefore I Am, have announced a full US Spring tour with Equal Vision alumni, Alexisonfire, kicking off April 21st.

As a warm up to the Alexisonfire tour, the band is currently on the road with The Wonder Years and Man Overboard.

Therefore I Am has teamed up with Keep-A-Breast, a non-profit organization working towards eradicating breast cancer by exposing young people to methods of prevention, early detection and support. During the tour, the band is blogging at Keep-A-Breast.org and distributing information about the organization. - more on this story

Black Sunshine Frontman Matt Reardon Scores Film

Black Sunshine frontman Matt Reardon has scored the feature film "Mount St. Elias", which will receive a theatrical release later this year. The film has garnered significant critical acclaim on the film festival circuit winning awards at the International Festival of Outdoor Films, Taos Mountainfilm Festival, and X-Dance Action Sports Film Festival where it took home the award for 'Best Picture'.

"Working on the soundtrack of 'Mount St. Elias' was a bit of a dream come true and had some resolve for me personally, as my close friend Aaron Martin passed away on that mountain," says Black Sunshine frontman Matt Reardon. "Aaron actually taught me how to play guitar, so he would definitely be proud. When the opportunity came up I jumped at it. They flew me to Austria to work on the score and being a skier, I understood the risks they were dealing with and was able to draw from my own personal experiences. The whole process was totally natural."

Mount St. Elias is the spectacular story of skier Axel Naglich's attempt to climb and then complete the longest ski descent ever from the peak of Alaska's "Mount St. Elias". For more information on the film including a trailer please visit www.mountstelias.com - more on this story

Shadows Fall Take on Ozzy's Bark At The Moon

Shadows Fall are streaming their new video of their take on the classic Ozzy Osbourne track "Bark at the Moon".

Front man Brian Fair had the following to say about the "Bark At The Moon" video shoot, "Wow. Making the video for our version of "Bark At The Moon" was such a fun and bizarre experience. We attempted to re-create the vibe of the original with a very tongue in cheek angle. It's not every day you get to dress up as a "dread-wolf" and channel you inner Ozzy. Plus, Jason's mustache is destined to be a movie star. Hahaha."

Shadows Fall are currently on the road in the United States with Five Finger Death Punch, God Forbid and 2 Cents. When their United States tour wraps up, the SHADS are headed north for their first ever headlining tour of Canada. If that's not enough Massachusetts metal for you, the guys will be heading out on this summer's incarnation of the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on the Jagermeister stage alongside Hatebreed, Chimaira, and Winds of Plague. - Check out the video here

Skeletonwitch Hit The Road

Skeletonwitch swing back into action this week as they kicked off a run of headline shows. Howl and Iron Age support on all the dates, with Doomriders and Black Tusk appearing on select dates.

In April, the band will head out on a North American tour supporting the legendary Cannibal Corpse, alongside new label mates in 1349 and South Carolina's Lecherous Nocturne, including a stop at New England Metal and Hardcore Fest on April 24th.

Guitarist Scott Hedrick checked in from the van: "We're currently trudging throw the snow on our way to Massachusetts. Tour with Howl and Iron Age starts tomorrow! If partying with Howl at SXSW and Iron Age in Belgium is any indication...well....I can guarantee that WE are going to have a great f**king time. So come out and join us. Hang out and bang out!! - more on this story

Scarlet Grey Announce Dates With AFI

LA-based rock outfit Scarlet Grey will be joining AFI for their southern tour dates in March. The band will be supporting their new EP "Fancy Blood," which will be available exclusively at the shows until its official release in April.

The record will feature guest vocals from AFI front man Davey Havok and some other undisclosed surprises.

The Loved Ones will also be on the tour for March, and all tickets for the shows are available now. - more on this story

Ticketmaster and TicketsNow Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Sales Tactics Over Springsteen Tickets

(FTC) The Federal Trade Commission today announced it has settled charges that Ticketmaster and its affiliates used deceptive bait-and-switch tactics to sell event tickets to consumers. Ticketmaster has agreed to pay refunds to consumers who bought tickets for 14 Bruce Springsteen concerts in 2009 through its ticket resale Web site TicketsNow, and to be clear about the costs and risks of buying through its reseller sites.

According to the FTC's complaint, when tickets went on sale February 2, 2009, for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band concerts in May and June, Ticketmaster displayed a "No Tickets Found" message on its Web page to consumers to indicate that no tickets were available at that moment to fulfill their request. The FTC charged that Ticketmaster used this Web page to steer unknowing consumers to TicketsNow, where tickets were offered at much higher prices – in some cases double, triple, or quadruple the face value. Ticketmaster also displayed the same misleading Web page to consumers looking to buy tickets for many other events between October 2008 and February 2009, the agency charged.

"Buying tickets should not be a game of chance," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. "Ticketmaster's refrain is that it sold through TicketsNow to give consumers more choices. But when you steer consumers to your resale Web sites without clear disclosures, and they unknowingly buy tickets at higher prices, they'll be left with a sour note." - more on this story

Kaki King Announces Album and Tour

Rounder Records is excited to announce the release of Kaki King's bold and thrilling new record on April 13, 2010. Entitled Junior, it is the highly acclaimed singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire's fifth record, and first for Rounder. Junior delivers twists-and-turns: lyrically from exuberance and anger to heartbreaking melancholy; and sonically from experimental pieces to accessible pop. While there is plenty of the dazzling musicianship King has been renowned for, Junior showcases her further maturation as a well-rounded artist who defies categorization and expectations.

"I never made records for other people," she says. "My evolution from record to record has been personal not commercial."

As with her previous album, 2008's Dreaming of Revenge, Junior was produced by Malcolm Burn (Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris). In contrast to that record, which was marked by deep textures and layers as well as unusual instrumentation, Junior was specifically made with only three musicians in mind -- in this case, King, multi-instrumentalist Dan Brantigan and drummer Jordan Perlson. The result was something more direct. "Prior to this I would have written a lot in the studio and played all the instruments myself," King says. "This time, I really leaned on Dan and Jordan to help shape the songs and help me get the record written." - more on this story

Stryper Song Rights Auction

SongVest, the company that reinvented the music memorabilia business by offering the ultimate fan collectable -- the songs themselves -- has announced their next major online auction will take place March 6 - 13 at http://www.songvest.com and will include "Alive", a new song from Christian hard rock icons Stryper.

"SongVest has allowed me to share my music with our fans in the most intimate way possible, so I'm very excited about someone owning a portion of "Alive" as their own," said lead singer Michael Sweet."

The band's lead singer and the song's writer, Michael Sweet, has partnered with SongVest to offer fans, collectors, and investors two unique packages to bid on - details

The Vision Bleak Set Album Release

Today, Prophecy Productions sets May 4th as the release date for The Vision Bleak's Set Sail To Mystery. Following 2007's critically acclaimed The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey, The Vision Bleak's Set Sail To Mystery shall be the fourth album from these German horror metallers.

The Vision Bleak will also record an alternative version of "I Dined With The Swans" entirely sung by notorious Shining frontman Kvarforth, which fathoms the morbid atmosphere of the track even further. Be prepared for something truly unique!

As previously reported, Set Sail to Mystery will contain the following tracks: 1. A Curse Of The Grandest Kind 2. Descend Into Maelstrom 3. I Dined With The Swans 4. A Romance With The Grave 5. The Outsider 6. Mother Nothingness (The Triumph Of Ubbo Sathla) 7. The Foul Within 8. He Who Paints The Black Of Night
' - band's website