Former Guns N' Roses Member Seriously Injured

After visiting Gilby in the hospital earlier tonight, Rachtman wrote, "Gilby's got some good breakage in that leg. He is in good spirits considering." - more on this story

Metallica Fans Riot

A Metallica concert in Chili turned unruly as fans reportedly rioted at the venue. BW&BK has this report: As reported earlier by Laht.com, a policeman was injured and 120 people arrested during a concert by Metallica before more than 50,000 fans in the Chilean capital, authorities said Wednesday.

Police said most of the arrests took place when hundreds of fans without tickets tried to force their way into Santiago's Club Hipico horse-racing grounds for Tuesday night's concert.

The detainees were arrested for offenses such as disorderly conduct, drug possession and drinking in public, police said. Prosecutors will decide on Wednesday [??] whether to prosecute the rowdy fans. - more including a video report here

Van Halen Jump Suicide Controversy

It is doubtful that Van Halen were thinking of suicide when they came up with their 1984 hit "Jump," but it has now been tied to a suicide controversy in the UK. BW&BK reports: According to Dailymail.co.uk, a radio DJ has been condemned by mental health charities after he played the song Jump as police were trying to talk down a suicidal woman from a motorway bridge.

Steve Penk received a request from a listener for the hit Van Halen track after four lanes of the M60 were closed while police attempted to deal resolve the situation.

The controversial presenter told listeners on his breakfast show he was playing the song to 'emphathise' with frustrated drivers, but moments later the woman jumped from the 30ft bridge. - more on this story

Aerosmith To Audition Singers To Replace Steven Tyler

The Toronto Sun has an in-depth interview with Aerosmith's Joe Perry. As the guitarist tours his solo project through Canada everyone wants to know the future of Aerosmith, while Perry did recently did an interview when he confirmed the band is moving forward and want to find a established singer who can headline on their own (see story here), he has expanded on their singer search and also explained just where Steven Tyler stands with the band.

"We're already getting the word out there. The word's been out there for a while. After my [Canadian] tour, we'll start having some auditions, making some phone calls," he told Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency. "Hopefully, we'll have found a new singer by the summer, and Aerosmith will be able to go back out on the road."

That was followed by a Q&A, here are a couple of the exchanges: So what's the status of Aerosmith now? Is Steven in or out? Perry: From what I've heard, he hasn't left the band. As far as I'm concerned, he hasn't left the band. He's never said he was going to leave the band. It's just that he wanted to go off and do some of his own things. He just never told anybody in the band about it. And so far, he hasn't talked to anybody in the band. But his manager has told our manager that he wants to take some time off. And then lately he's been saying he wants to come back. And what his lawyers and his managers have been telling our lawyers and managers is different than what he's been telling the press. So it's kind of hard to get a straight answer about what's going on. But he has to have leg surgery and foot surgery and it's basically going to take him out of the picture for about a year, year and a half. So, in the meantime, the rest of the band wants to play. And I want to play with the other guys in Aerosmith. So the four of us are just making our plans. We're gonna find somebody to get in there and fill that spot. Just like when Tom was sick -- we got David Hull to come in and play bass. When Brad was sick, we got somebody else to come in and play for him. That's basically how I look at it; we need another singer to fill in.

Are you going to have auditions? : The people we're talking about, as far as auditions go, we'll probably just sit around and have a couple of drinks and see if we get along. Because we're already gonna know that they can sing. - Read the full interview

New Found Glory Guitarist May Have Cancer

Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory told fans that he is having surgery to remove half of his possibly cancerous thyroid. He posted a Twitter link to the following blog statement (However, nothing has been posted on the band's official site):

"Two weeks ago when I went to the Doctor with pneumonia.. they found some nodules in my thyroid , and one of them is a little bigger then a quarter. They did a biopsy and the report came back that there are some suspicious cells in the cyst. So due to the size and to be safe, Today at 2:45 I am having surgery and getting half of my thyroid removed. Immediately after removing it they will observe it and see if it looks like a cancer. If they find anything they will remove the rest of my thyroid. The odds are in my favor for it to be nothing which keeps me positive going in…

"I am only planning on missing the first three shows of this tour, and my good friend Anthony Raneri from the band Bayside will be filling in for me until i make it back out. Thanks again for all the love and support and I hope to see you all super soon. "
- Luckily he came back cancer free!

Godsmack Frontman To Pay Millions for Car Crash Settlement

It apparently pays to be involved in a car crash with a major label rock star, especially for the lawyers! The Eagle Tribune reports that Godsmack frontman Sully Erna has reached a multimillion-dollar court settlement agreement over a lawsuit from a 2007 car crash that he was involved in. Now it's up to a judge to finalize the deal.

Eagles Tribute report: Lindsay Taylor, 27, and her parents, Elaine and Jeffrey, sued Erna for the April 11, 2007, three-car crash on the ramp from Interstate 93 south to Route 213 east.

Taylor rode in the back seat of a Toyota Camry driven by Eric Sargent, which was hit by the 41-year-old rock star's Hummer. Taylor suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, according to court documents.... Erna claimed that part of the responsibility laid with Sargent — he argued that Sargent first rear-ended a Honda Odyssey driven by Maureen White of Londonderry - The biggest recipient? The lawyers of course. A lot more details here

Soundgarden Reunite

This reunion is a little funny considering how we just recapped some of Chris Cornell's comments where he liked a Soundgarden reunion to "playing the back of Chinese restaurant". Be that as it may, it appears that 2010 will see a reunion from the legendary Seattle rockers.

Chris Cornell announced the reunion plans via a post on twitter and also linked to a website setup for the regrouping. He wrote the following on Twitter on Thursday:

"The 12 year break is over & school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" The sign up part is at the website located - here

Glenn Hughes Fronting New Supergroup

(Nightwatcher) According to Classic Rock Magazine, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/Trapeze) has confirmed he's the vocalist in a new 'supergroup'.

The band are already in the studio working on their debut album with producer Kevin Shirley.

So far, none of the other musicians involved have been identified, although rumors have so far suggested that anyone from the following list might (or might not) be in the line-up: David Coverdale, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, Ken Hensley, Jordan Rudess… and Jimmy Page! - more on this story

Slash and Axl Offered Hundreds of Millions for Guns N' Roses Reunion

Not surprisingly, Slash has shot down the idea of reuniting the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses with Axl Rose. That's nothing new but what is new is that they have reportedly been offered "hundreds of millions" to reform, according to a report from Metro.co.uk.

Why Slash won't cash in on such a payday? The UK news site reports that Slash: told GQ magazine: "During that last tour it was like an ongoing exercise in how we could bond the least, it just got worse and worse."

The pair have not spoken for 13 years, but Slash said: "It got to a point off stage where it was impossible for us to even be in the same room together and create any music.

"So it's sad that something so good doesn't exist any more, even though we're both still alive and on the same planet. But that's all." - more on this story

Linkin Park's Rebellious New Game

Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda took to his web blog to tell fans about a new way to experience the band's music: via a new game for iphone/ipod touch. No word yet on a release date, but we're told is it will be soon. Plus it will include a new Linkin Park song. And while Mike doesn't name the game, going by a graphic on his blog it looks like it will be called "8-bit Rebellion."

Here is what he had to say about the app: Many years ago, the world existed in 8-bit harmony...until PixxelKorp arrived. Now, underground forces are assembling to undo the evil corporation's mass-brainwashing campaign. You may be our only hope to lead the rebellion to victory!

The new Linkin Park game is on the way. I just got a new test-build of the game, and it's looking great. As you would expect, my bandmates and I worked hand-in-hand with the design team to create the look and content of the game. For fans of my art: you'll see some new and familiar characters come to life in this 8-bit-meets-hi-res virtual world. - more on this story

Slayer, Megadeth Tour Canceled For Medical Reasons

The Slayer camp sent over this unfortunate news: "Tom gave various medical treatments more than a fair shot," said Slayer's manager Rick Sales, "but they just haven't handled the problem, so he's biting the bullet and is scheduled for back surgery at the end of this month."

This difficult decision made by the band's bassist/vocalist Tom Araya means the cancellation of Slayer's immediate tour plans that include the American and Canadian Carnage Tour dates that were set to kick off on January 18, as well as the band's UK/European headline tour scheduled for March and April. Booking agents for both Slayer and Megadeth are already hard at work rescheduling the tour dates; tickets already purchased for these shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates.

The headbanging Araya, known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing, began experiencing back problems while on the band's Australian/New Zealand/Japanese tour last October. In spite of his rapidly increasing pain and discomfort, he carried on with the tour, but immediately upon returning home saw an orthopedic specialist who diagnosed a Cervical Radiculopathy. The rocker initially did not want to take the major surgery route, so the specialist recommended a series of minimally-invasive procedures. While those procedures have resulted in some improvement, Araya continues to deal with intermittent bouts of severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. The surgical procedure that Araya will undergo, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, is a relatively routine practice and the recovery rate is excellent. - more on this story

New Jimi Hendrix Album To Feature 12 Previously Unreleased Studio Tracks

Experience Hendrix LLC and Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings launched their monumental 2010 Jimi Hendrix Catalog Project on Tuesday, March 9, with the release of Valleys of Neptune, a newly curated album of 12 fully realized studio recordings, more than 60 minutes of music never commercially available on a Jimi Hendrix album.

Centered around tracks recorded during a pivotal and turbulent four-month period in 1969, Valleys of Neptune unveils the original Jimi Hendrix Experience's final studio recordings, as the group lays down the foundation for its follow-up to Electric Ladyland, alongside the guitar superhero's first sessions with bassist Billy Cox, an old army buddy he'd recruited into his new ensemble.

Valleys of Neptune provides an essential, compelling, and up-til-now largely unseen view of what Jimi Hendrix was up to musically in the critical period between the release of Electric Ladyland in October 1968 and the 1970 opening of his own Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, the state of the art facility where he would begin his final project, the ambitious double album First Rays of the New Rising Sun. - more on this story

Stone Sour Recording New Album

Stone Sour announced the commencement of work on a new, their first in four years. The band will record their third album in Nashville at Blackbird Studio with Grammy Award winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Rush, Alice In Chains), who also produced 2006's gold certified Come What(ever) May. The new album is due out this summer.

Frontman Corey Taylor commented, "I cannot wait to make this Stone Sour album. Everything already feels a million times stronger than anything we've done in the past. Plus getting back together with Nick is going to mean monstrous things. This is the year for Stone Sour."

Stone Sour's last album Come What(ever) May and self-titled debut are both RIAA gold certified and approaching platinum status. The albums have a combined 1 million digital singles sales. - more on this story

Mars Volta Star's Film Debut

Omar Rodriguez Lopez made his directorial debut when his feature film, The Sentimental Engine Slayer saw its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on February 4th, 2010. The film was written and directed by Rodriguez Lopez.

While The Sentimental Engine Slayer is not his first venture as a director -- he also created two unreleased films, 2001's A Manual Dexterity and 2003's Letters from Dystopia -- it is his first feature released to the public. Made on a relatively small budget using money borrowed from a close friend and Rodriguez Lopez's parents, the cast and crew worked diligently on location in El Paso, TX to bring the project to fruition.

The Sentimental Engine Slayer tells the tale of the overdue coming of age of a 20-something misfit named Barlam (played by Omar Rodriguez Lopez). Set against the backdrop of drug-addled suburban El Paso sometime in the not-too-distant future, Barlam's awkward transition from boy to man is as much the story of struggling to find one's essence in a world of stereotypes as it is an indictment of the distorted reality of family life in the disengaged 21st Century. - more on this story

Disturbed Get The Sickness Again

In March 2010, Disturbed celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the release of their quadruple-platinum-selling debut album The Sickness by reissuing it with exclusive b-sides and expanded artwork, as well as a first-time-ever vinyl edition.

Also in March, Disturbed will relaunch their official website with a special section, accessible by a code included with The Sickness reissue, that will contain exclusive clips, updated weekly, of the band recording their upcoming new album, due for release from Reprise Records later this year. There will also be a special DOD section that will be available for everyone.

Released on March 7, 2000, The Sickness is Disturbed's best-selling album to date, thanks to such hit singles as "Stupify," "Voices," and "Down With the Sickness," which is the seventh most downloaded track of the '90s according to Nielsen SoundScan. - more on this story

A New Supergroup Is Born

Remember that Supergroup that producer Kevin Shirley hinted at and was taken way out of context to include Jimmy Page and Aerosmith? The details of the actual group are now known and it does have a Led Zeppelin connection.

Nightwatcher had this from Jason Bonham (son of Zeppelin legend John Bonham): "I just literally went into the studio last week for two days with one person I'd done an album with before, very quickly, and then the other was a friend of my father's I got to meet later on, Joe Bonamassa and Glenn Hughes, and we're working on a new project with a working title of Black Country," Bonham says. "We just went in with [producer] Kevin Shirley and played riffs and just jammed for two days. And that's really exciting."

Bonham says the new group, which takes its name from the industrial area in England that he and Hughes -- best known for his work with both Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) come from -- is in fact a band. "We're actually recording an album, literally in that process of jamming it out and editing and putting together and going, 'Yeah, that's really cool,'" he says. " Joe just wanted to play guitar so with Glenn on bass and vocals, it's a power trio." - more on this story

TV Show Gave Bon Jovi A Bad Name?

(Rock Radio) It's official: appearing on the X-Factor was a bad move for Bon Jovi. While pop acts who did a turn saw their profile rise, JonBon and the boys actually garnered less coverage after their set.

The New Jersey Band, who may or may not still be a rock outfit, performed their most recent single We Weren't Born to Follow on Simon Cowell's gameshow extravaganza in November.

But things didn't go so well for Bon Jovi, who wound up being talked about less online across the world after doing the deed. Out of the 18 acts measured for online buzz, only George Michael and Rihanna fared anywhere as badly as Bon Jovi. - more on this story

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live Release

On February 9th, Bama Rags/RCA Records released Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds' Live In Las Vegas, a 2-CD set capturing their December 12, 2009 show at the Theater for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

The concert was the culmination of "An Acoustic Weekend with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds," the duo's first set of unplugged shows since Dave Matthews Band's critically-acclaimed Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King bowed at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 last June. Guitarist Reynolds, a longtime friend and collaborator of Matthews, has been touring with the band and guested on the album, which has received two GRAMMY nominations and been certified Platinum.

Live In Las Vegas is available now for pre-order at http://www.davematthewsband.com. Fans who pre-order the physical CD set will receive a four-song bonus disc; fan club members who pre-order the same will receive an eight-song bonus disc containing songs from the December 10th and 11th shows. - more on this story

Zeppelin Star Beat Paul McCartney Out Of Them Crooked Vultures Gig

Paul McCartney reveals in a new interview that when he learned about the Them Crooked Vultures supergroup he asked to play bass in the band, only to find out that Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones had already landed the gig.

McCartney told the Daily Mail that Dave Grohl told him the plans for the group when they were out to dinner after last year's Grammy Awards.

"We went out for a bite to eat afterwards and Dave told me he was starting this band with Josh [Homme of Queens of the Stone Age]," McCartney said. "I asked him who was playing bass and he rather sheepishly told me he'd approached John [Paul Jones]. So you read it here first; Paul McCartney was nearly the bass player in Them Crooked Vultures." - more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Frontman Says Goodbye to Late Bandmate

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows paid tribute to his friend and bandmate, James "The Rev" Sullivan, in a new online post. The A7X drummer died on December 28. Here is part of that tribute:

"Jimmy was my best friend, as he was best friends with many other people including the members of Avenged Sevenfold. He was hands down the greatest person I have ever known. I told him I loved him everyday. He demanded your love and was never afraid to give it back. I have walked side by side with Jimmy, everyday, for the last 18 years of my life. I have no memories before Jimmy, and it's going to be damn hard to move forward without him here. It still doesn't seem real. He was my best friend, songwriting partner, band mate, confidant, and most importantly, he was my brother. The crazy thing about Jimmy was that everyday was a crazy story. We have told our favorite Jimmy stories for the last 2 weeks and never have we repeated ourselves. This guy was magical.

"The out pour of art from his soul was unlike the world has ever seen. Unless you spent a day with Jimmy, or 18 years, it's impossible to explain, so I'm not going to try. He inspired people in different ways. He wasn't just a drummer, he honestly didn't care so much for the technical side of drums, cause he could play anything he wanted. He was all about creating beautiful songs, original fills and hopefully touching people with his art and mind. He told all of us for years, including his parents, that he knew two things in life. He wanted to be a rockstar, and that he wasn't going to live past 30 years old. He was right on both accounts, but I know Jimmy, and if he knew how much pain this would cause for the ones he left behind, he would have done anything he could to stick around a little longer" - more on this story

Korn and Rob Zombie Head Up Mayhem Festival Tour

The Mayhem Festival featuring Korn and Rob Zombie will kick off Saturday, July 10 in San Bernardino, CA and will roll through 24 cities in the U.S. and Canada between early July and late August (a full itinerary will be announced in the coming weeks). Mayhem presale tickets go on sale April 2 and tickets go on sale to the general public on April 16th at LiveNation.com. Check www.mayhemfest.com for more info.

The Mayhem Festival has become the summer's hottest ticket by giving fans the opportunity to experience a thrilling mix of hard music's most influential artists and exciting young voices. This summer's lineup turns up the heat with a main stage lineup that sees Korn and Rob Zombie joined by Lamb Of God and Five Finger Death Punch.

The Jagermeister stage will feature Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Winds Of Plague and the Jagermeister Battle of The Bands Winner. The second stage will spotlight Atreyu, Norma Jean, In This Moment and 3 Inches Of Blood. - more on this story

Ronnie James Dio Suffers Cancer Treatment 'Hiccups'

Wendy Dio, wife and manger to metal legend Ronnie James Dio, issued an update to fans last week about Ronnie's cancer battle. Here is what Wendy had to say:

After a few hiccups between Christmas and New Year's, such as a blood clot, a trip to the emergency room, and a three day stay at the hospital, we had a quiet holiday spent with family and close friends. Ronnie and I just returned from Houston, where Ronnie had his third chemo treatment, and all seems to be going well. Ronnie and Simon Wright went to see Avatar, which he thought was amazing! He has also been writing more chapters for his book.

While at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre on his second trip, he met a DIO fan named Carmen who has been having treatment every other day for a year, and is eagerly awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Ronnie and Carmen have become fast friends. Carmen is a very positive happy person whose existence, like Ronnie's, depends heavily on music and sports. On the third trip, we also met his mom and sister, whose total support is so important to all cancer patients. They have become part of our family as well. - more on this story

INXS Remember Michael Hutchence On His 50th Birthday

The late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence would have turned 50 this January. In celebration of his birthday, fans around the world have banded together to try and make their song, "Don't Change," number one. The band themselves have issued a tribute to their late friend and bandmate, and they also announced that all proceeds from the sale of the single will be donated to the Red Cross Haiti relief effort.

Here is that announcement followed by the tributes: The sales of the song, which first hit the airways in 1982, are currently soaring through digital sites such as iTunes and Amazon and look set to achieve number one position in some markets. Thanks to the support of the Universal Music Group and INXS, all proceeds from sales will be donated to the Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

With what would have been Michael Hutchence's 50th birthday coming up this Friday, January 22nd, INXS has released the statements in celebration of their brother. From Andrew Farriss: Michael ( Hutch ). Michael and I met as school friends in Sydney around 1972. Firstly he was a good mate - sincere and yet funny too. We both liked music but I remember us talking more about motocross dirt bikes and girls than music. - more on this story

Midnight Oil and Violent Femmes Members Form New Band

It's a union that will delight music fans, surf rats, and festival goers alike. Midnight Oil's Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey have joined with bass player Brian Ritchie of US group Violent Femmes to form a new surf rock band called The Break. The new band releases its debut album 'Church Of The Open Sky' on Friday April 16th on the Bombora label through MGM.

The Break will kick things off with a short stint of gigs in Sydney and surrounds with further dates elsewhere to follow in the coming months. Thursday February 18th - The Harp, Wollongong - Friday February 19th - Fisho's, Manly - Sunday February 21st - The Annandale, Sydney.

The Break's album is a unique blend of pulsating psycho surf rock tunes featuring 15 mostly instrumental tracks. The bulk of the album tracks are named after legendary surf breaks. 'Cylinders', the first single from the album, was in fact one of the first tracks created, and will be available from iTunes Australia from Tuesday February 9th. World renowned producer Nick Launay, who of course has worked on many Midnight Oil releases and numerous other renowned acts including Silverchair, Nick Cave and PiL, took 'Cylinders' to the mixing desk in a Los Angeles studio to create a mix highlighting the driving guitars and a pounding back beat synonymous with both the surf rock genre and the classic Oils sound. - more on this story

The White Stripes Live Album & Documentary

In the summer of 2007, The White Stripes embarked on a cross-country Canadian tour to accomplish their goal of performing in every province and territory across the expansive northern nation.

On March 16th, the enigmatic duo will be releasing their first-ever official live album, featuring 16 songs on both vinyl and CD, as well as the Emmett Malloy-directed documentary film, Under Great White Northern Lights. These two incredible pieces are a unique documentation of that journey, providing a fascinating look into the on and off stage lives of one of the world's most enigmatic bands.

Having first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2009, Under Great White Northern Lights documents the band playing to crowds in towns of all sizes across the Great White North - from traditional venues to matinee gigs at unusual locations such as a bowling alley, a boat and even on a city bus - culminating in a momentous 10th Anniversary show at the historic Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. A captivating mix of striking live footage and poignant off-stage moments, this visually stirring and emotive feature length film celebrates the band's 10 year history, bringing the band full circle in their career to a place reminiscent of how they first started out; shows where no one knew who they were, and where they were left to make a first impression with their music - more on this story

Thirty Seconds to Mars Score Radio Hit

Thirty Seconds to Mars' first single "Kings & Queens" from their new album This is War (EMI/Virgin) takes the No. 1 spot as the most played song on the alternative radio airplay chart this week after 15 weeks of airplay.

This marks the band's second #1 single at the format and third top 5 hit. The platinum selling A Beautiful Lie's "From Yesterday" reached #1 in 2007 and "The Kill" peaked at #3 in 2006 before becoming the first song in alternative radio history to be retired from the Billboard chart after a 52-week run.

"The Kill" was recently named the #1 Alternative song of the last decade by AOL Radio listeners. The "Kings & Queens" video was featured as iTunes video of the week last month and was one of the most downloaded videos ever to be featured. The video is currently on Fuse's #1 Alternative Countdown and is also receiving airplay at MTV, MTV2, MTVu, VH1 and Music Choice. "Kings & Queens" will be featured in the trailer for the upcoming Warner Bros. animated film "Guardians Of Ga'Hoole." - more on this story

The Scorpions Announce Retirement

The Scorpions have announced that at the end of their upcoming world tour they will be retiring. The tour will be in support of their new album, "Sting in the Tail," which is set for release on March 19th. The band made the announcement on their website as well as releasing a couple of previews from the new album. Here is the announcement:

It was always our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and we were fortunate enough to make music for you - whether it was live on stage or in the studio, creating new songs.

While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was – and how much fun we were still having, in the process. But there was also something else: We want to end the Scorpion's extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we've always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years. - more on this story

Steven Tyler Rocks Home Depot Store

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is said to be in a rehab in the Palm Spring area, but he apparently isn't in lock down as he keeps popping up around town.

He first made a surprise appearance at Palm Springs karaoke bar and now he reportedly rocked a Home Depot store in neighboring city.

Tyler reportedly treated a bunch of shoppers at the Home Depot in Rancho Mirage, CA to an impromptu concert on Saturday by singing Aerosmith's Dude Looks Like a Lady" and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" a cappella over the store's loudspeaker - more on this story

Serj Shoots Down System of a Down Reunion Hopes

Serj Tankian tells Billboard that he has a busy 2010 ahead of him but fans shouldn't expect to see the return of System of a Down. The reunion buzz started earlier this month with SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjia posted a short and sweet question for fans on Twitter, "Are u guys ready for System???"

Billboard interviewed Serj about the live version of his Elect The Dead solo album that was recorded with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. But they of course asked him about the reunion buzz and he essentially killed it.
He tells Billboard.com, "We always have offers to play, from festivals and stuff, but we have not decided to do anything as of yet.

"We're in touch. We talk. We call it an indefinite hiatus, and that's how we still look at it. Nothing's really changed." - Read the Billboard report

The Decemberists Offshoot Black Prairie Set Debut Album Release

Sugar Hill Records is proud to announce the upcoming release of Feast of the Hunters' Moon, the debut album from Portland, Oregon-based Black Prairie. Featuring three-fifths of The Decemberists and two of the city's finest folk stylists, the heavily acoustic debut was produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie) and embodies the rich sonic landscape of the Portland music scene while integrating the diverse backgrounds of its members. As described by dobroist Chris Funk, the band's sound "bridges the music of Clarence White and Ennio Morricone" in a way that defies genre characterization.

Decemberists guitarist Funk and bassist Nate Query hatched the plan to start a primarily instrumental string band while on the road. Funk began to spend time playing the square-necked Dobro guitar, and the pair recruited fellow Decemberist Jenny Conlee to play accordion. Portland musicians Annalisa Tornfelt and Jon Neufeld then filled out the ranks on violin and guitar, respectively.

Black Prairie's songs consist mostly of instrumentals; their arrangements draw from bluegrass and old-time string band traditions, while Conlee's accordion and Tornfelt's violin instill klezmer and gypsy elements to the band's unique and vibrant sound. The quintet sometimes takes an almost-classical approach to composition, with songs containing multiple movements that ebb and flow in a way that differs greatly from traditional pop or bluegrass structure. The band decided it would be a shame not to make use of Tornfelt's vocal ability, so she sings on a handful of tracks. - more on this story

AC/DC Fuel Iron Man 2

Through a unique collaboration between Marvel Studios and Columbia Records, AC/DC's music will be featured in Marvel Studios' "IRON MAN 2," the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster film.

In addition, Columbia Records will release the album AC/DC: Iron Man 2 on Monday, April 19, 2010. AC/DC: Iron Man 2, features 15 classic AC/DC songs selected from ten of the band's studio albums, ranging from 1976 to 2008. The complete track listing can be found below.

Pre-orders begin today, January 26th at Walmart.com for the AC/DC: Iron Man 2 CD and at Amazon.com for a deluxe version of AC/DC: Iron Man 2 - CD+DVD and two LP vinyl packages. The film opens internationally beginning on April 28, 2010. In the U.S., the film will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is scheduled for release on May 7, 2010. - more on this story

Metallica Comment on The Discovery of The Body Of Missing Fan

Metallica posted this statement on their website: We are profoundly saddened by the news of the discovery of Morgan Dana Harrington's body

Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington, the 20 year old Virginia Tech student who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA.

Sadly, Morgan's body was found yesterday ending her family's three month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return. Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them. - more on this story

Motorhead, Danzig, Wildhearts, New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks Supergroup

(Rock Radio) The Wildhearts frontman Ginger has been unveiled as a member of Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe's new band.

The five-piece features Monroe on vocals with Ginger on guitar plus guitarist Todd Youth (Danzig, Motorhead) bassist Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls) and drummer Jimmy Clark (Blackhearts, Deborah Harry). Both Yaffa and Clark were also members of a previous Monroe band, Demolition 23.

They'll play their first run of gigs in the USA in March before heading to Finland and Sweden in April. Then they'll appear at London's Islington Academy on April 9. - more on this story

Ratt Drummer Reportedly Arrested on Felony Charge

Metal Sludge is reporting that Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer was arrested last month on a felony charge. The site does admit that they have not confirmed what the charges were for, but report on what they were rumored to be along with the information they found in public records. Here is part of their report:

It seems that Bobby Blotzer of the band RATT was arrested for a felony. This is a fact, but we don't have the exact charge pinned down yet. Rumor on the street is that it is alleged that this was a domestic assault on his girl friend

The public record shows he was arrested and booked into the Santa Clarita Valley sub station on December 17th @ 1:35pm, and held on $ 50,000.00 bail for a Charge Level (F) Felony. - more on this story

Fall Out Boy Frontman Recording Solo Album

Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump had fans guessing when he revamped his website this week. Since FOB seem to be MTV's favorite rock band, they quickly caught up with him to find out what it's all about. Here is part of their report:

Patrick Stump is working on a new album. "I'm working on an album," the Fall Out Boy singer told MTV. "I'll be writing/producing/performing everything myself. Stay tuned."

Stump — who has produced for the likes of Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes and the Cab — wouldn't reveal any additional details about his mysterious new album. But he updated his Web site again on Thursday (January 28), this time with a video that showed him playing drums, guitar, organ and horns (among other things) on a rather funky track. - more on this story