Free Iron Maiden- Dio Inspires Ryan Adams- Bon Jovi Deny Fan Rip-off- Rage Against Simon Cowell- Megadeth Orphan- Rock Band: Ozzy- Paul Gray Interview- more

Green Day release their Green Day: Rock Band video game this week and Billie Joe Armstrong tells MTV News that he is impressed how the game has introduced younger fans to songs they may not have heard. more -

Ratt Cancel Tour Due To Urgent Surgery

Ratt have issued a statement about being forced to cancel their upcoming European tour because vocalist Stephen Pearcy will be undergoing urgent hernia surgery this week.

Pearcy's doctors anticipate a full recovery in time for Ratt's North American touring schedule, which includes a run with The Scorpions, beginning in July and running through September.

The band regrets missing the European dates on the heels of the release of their first album in 11 years, Infestation, which enjoyed a high chart debut in European territories. - more on this story

Guns N' Roses Reunion For Rock Hall?

(Rock Radio) Guns N' Roses will be eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and although he says he'll be there, former guitarist Slash says he doesn't know how the event might turn out.

But he says: "I have no idea how that's supposed to go. If Axl, Duff, Izzy and myself start communicating, it could go one way. If we don't, God knows.

"Guns N' Roses was all the really great bands I was turned on to as a kid. If I hadn't been in Guns it would have been my favorite band." - more on this story

Stereophonics' Stuart Cable Dead at 40

(Rock Radio) Former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable has been found dead in his home. The 40-year-old, of Aberdare, had been due to play Download 2010's Pepsi Max Stage on Saturday with new band Killing For Company. An album was scheduled for release to coincide with the festival gig.

Cable was a founder member of the Welsh five-piece in 1992, before being sacked by the band in 2003 for spending too much time on other projects.

He hosted his regular rock show on BBC Radio Wales on Saturday night as normal, while his former bandmates played Cardiff City stadium. He was found in the early hours of Monday morning. - more on this story

Owl City Working On New Album

Owl City's Adam Young has entered the studio to begin work on his sophomore album. The effort is the follow-up to his platinum debut 'Ocean Eyes'. His PR peeps sent over this update:

After spending a good part of the past year on the road in support of Ocean Eyes, this admittedly shy and introverted artist is thrilled to be home and working on his next album. However the break will be a short one as the band is already scheduled to hit the road again in early August.

Owl City will be heading out as main support for Maroon 5 on a string of East Coast Dates starting on August 5th and ending on the 15th when the tour makes a stop at New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center. - more on this story

Stone Temple Pilots Tour Details

Stone Temple Pilots has announced details of their upcoming North American headline tour with special guests Cage the Elephant.

The trek kicks off on Tuesday, August 10th at Denver, Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and then continue through early September (see attached itinerary). Joining Stone Temple Pilots on all dates will be special guests Cage the Elephant.

"Stone Temple Pilots" – the band's first all-new collection in close to a decade – is currently the #1 rock album in the country. The band will bookend the upcoming trek with headline appearances at a pair of North American festivals: Canada's annual Rock On The Range on Saturday, August 7th at Winnipeg's Canada Inns Stadium; and the Arizona Fall Frenzy '10, slated for Friday, September 17th at Phoenix' Tempe Beach Park. - more on this story

Paul McCartney Really Is Dead?

Here something for Paul is Dead conspiracy theory buffs, there is a claim that George Harrison confirmed the whole thing. Paul McCartney has his 68th birthday coming up on June 18th. Or does he? MVD Visual announces the release of a film from Highway 61 Entertainment - Paul McCartney Really Is Dead, The Last Testament of George Harrison - for North American distribution on September 1, 2010. Wienerworld will release the DVD in Great Britain and Europe with subtitles in Spanish, French, and German on October 4, 2010.

The following description of the film is provided by director Joel Gilbert of Highway 61 Entertainment: In the summer of 2005, a package arrived at the Hollywood offices of Highway 61 Entertainment from London with no return address. Inside were two mini-cassette audio tapes dated
December 30, 1999 and labeled The Last Testament Of George Harrison.

A voice identical to Harrison tells a shocking story: Paul McCartney was killed in a car crash in November of 1966 and replaced with a double! British intelligence, MI5, had forced the Beatles to cover up McCartney's death to prevent mass suicides of Beatle fans. However, the remaining Beatles tried to signal fans with clues on album covers and in songs. - read more about the William Sheers Campbell story here

Rev Theory Recording With Pantera Producer

Rev Theory are currently in Los Angeles' Henson studios with famed veteran producer Terry Date (Soundgarden, Pantera, Deftones).

Their forthcoming cd, yet to be titled, is scheduled for release in early 2011 on Interscope.

"To be able to sit in the same room and work on your music with a guy that has produced some of your favorite bands is absolutely surreal," said lead vocalist Rich Luzzi… "We have worked tirelessly to get to this point in our careers, and to get an opportunity to make an album with Terry Date feels right for the band and the music," added Julien Jorgensen (guitarist). - more on this story

Singled Out: The Cringe's No Control (Recorded With Steve Lillywhite)

Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today The Cringe's singer/guitarist John Cusimano tells us about "No Control" from their brand new album "Play Thing," which comes out today. We now turn it over to John for the story:

"No Control" is the first single from our album, "Play Thing," and also the first song we recorded. Unlike our last two albums, each of which were recorded in one 6 week black out session in studio, "Play Thing" was recorded piecemeal, in between touring and other projects over the course of about a year and a half.

When we started recording "No Control," we were operating under the belief that we were (as we did with our last album "Tipping Point") going to track and mix the entire album on tape (i.e. no pro tools, no digital effects, real mid 1970's old school). We were able to maintain this methodology for the first three tracks recorded ("No Control," "Give & Take," and "Start Again.") The tape manufacturer then went belly up, and we ran out of good quality tape stock and had no choice but to dump everything into Pro Tools and record the way pretty much the rest of planet earth does, i.e. digitally.

Around the time we started working on "Play Thing," I met and become good friends with rock producer extraordinaire, Steve Lillywhite. He was gracious enough to work in studio on "Play Thing" with The Cringe, in between his other projects (which at the time were U2, Blue Monday, and Phish.) "No Control" is the first song he worked on with us. As a result, the song contains what we affectionately refer to as "The Lillywhite Edit." After we had completed recording the song, Steve came up with an idea to cut out a measure of music just after the second chorus, going into the guitar solo. It adds a nice little unexpected flourish to the track, as the rhythm seems to jolt a bit out of whack (in a cool way) before quickly recovering.

At the time, however, we were still working on tape, and accordingly couldn't (or wouldn't) simply (and safely) delete the measure from our pro tools session with the quick click of a mouse. So short of re-recording the entire track, we did not know exactly how we were going to cut out a measure from the hunk of tape that contained our precious piece of completed music. Luckily for us, Steve suggested something that used to be done quite a bit, but is rarely (if ever) done anymore -- a tape edit. Basically, the extra measure would literally be cut out of the recorded tape -- with a scalpel blade -- and the two remaining pieces would be taped back together. All in all a very scary proposal to the band (after all we had worked very hard on recording the track, and it was about to be hacked in half with a razor.)

As it turned out, deep in the dusty recesses of the studio, we found an engineer old enough to have learned how to edit tape. We coaxed him out of hiding to carve up our precious hunk of music. 5 minutes later -- voila -- we had our "Lillywhite Edit."

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album - right here!

The Acacia Strain Detail New Album

The Acacia Strain have released the details of their forthcoming album, which will be released July 20th in North American and August 2nd in Europe.

The album is titled "Wormwood," and features cover art by acclaimed artist, Justin Kamerer, who has done previous work for Bleeding Through, Guns N Roses, Slayer and many more.

"We worked just as hard if not harder on this album as we did on (2008's)"Continent.' We took an entire block of time off of touring and our lives in general to focus 100% on the creation of wormwood. Where we normally write a record with a theme already attached to it; this time around we wrote a record and the theme developed as we went. we wanted to do something that was still acacia strain, but broke away from the 'mold' that has been struck by all the bands these days that we seem to get grouped in with. all the songs have their own dynamic, instead of writing an album filled with like sounding songs. This is the heaviest record WE have ever written and these are the most personal lyrics I have ever written. Justin Kamerer; who did the artwork for the album, was really great to work with and really brought the songs to life with his imagery. I am really excited for this release, and we are all very proud of what we did with this record. i hope you enjoy." - more on this story

The 6th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am

Switchfoot have announced the details of the 6th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am. The benefit concert/surf contest event will will take place on Saturday, June 26th, at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and will feature performances by Timmy Curran, Dynamite Walls, Jon Foreman and Friends, OK Go, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants, The Almost, Kate Voegele and Young the Giant. The concert/surf contest

The event will benefit San Diego and Oceanside, CA chapters of StandUp For Kids (www.standupforkids.org), a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless, and street kids. Funds will be raised at a pre-event auction night set for Friday, June 25th, as well as from beach vendors, sponsors and an after-party at the Belly Up Tavern. Admission to the beach concert is free to the public.

"The Bro-Am has been my favorite day of the year ever since we started it back in '05," says Switchfoot's lead singer, Jon Foreman. "To see our hometown come together to help out a deserving group of kids is an incredible experience - surfing, music, and the San Diego scene at its best. Last year was our biggest year ever, and we hope to top it again this year." - more on this story

Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, Carlos Santana Music Experiences Up For Auction

Charitybuzz is auctioning music experiences with Alice Cooper, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Carlos Santana, Steve Vail and more. Just in time for Father's Day.

Alice Cooper, the original shock rocker, is giving one lucky fan 18 holes worth of quality time. The highest bidder and a friend will join Alice at his favorite golf club in Phoenix to spend an afternoon on the links. Bidding is open now through June 24 to benefit the True Colors Fund: here

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is currently auctioning off 4 VIP tickets to any Aerosmith show this summer, plus a meeting with him backstage, where he'll adorn the winner with one of his signature scarves (autographed, of course). Bidding is open through June 24 to benefit the True Colors Fund - more on this story

The Funeral Pyre Release Vultures At Dawn, Hitting The Road With Early Graves

The Funeral Pyre's new album, "Vultures At Dawn," hits stores today and the band did two record release shows this past weekend in Fresno and Los Angeles, CA. They'll hit the road again for extensive US tour on June 25 with Early Graves.

Frontman John Strachan is featured in a new video that also includes some live footage filmed this past March in Austin at South By Southwest. Check it out here

"Vultures At Dawn" was recorded by Adam Campbell at Awkward Studios, mixed by Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon, Misery Index, Phobia) at Arcane Digital and was mastered by Dave Shirk (Incantation, Nile, Today Is The Day) of Sonorous Mastering. Artist Justin Bartlett (Sunn0))) Trap Them) contributed the cover and layout. - more on this story

We Are Scientists World Tour For Barbara

We Are Scientists have announced a series of US tour dates as part of the band's World Tour launching this month, including major UK and European festivals.

The band's fourth album, Barbara, will hit stores on June 15th and the U.S. tour will kick off on July 3rd in Albany, New York. The album follows the We Are Scientists rock music brand by including beat-driven, melody-wrapped, and harmony-draped, lyrically-savvy tracks.

W.A.S. is Keith Murray and Chris Cain. On Barbara, the duo recruited a brand new set of hands and feet behind the drum kit in the shape of Master Andy Burrows (ex-Razorlight drummer). - more on this story

Former Santana Singer Gregg Rolie Announces Tour Dates

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Gregg Rolie, best known for his vocals and keyboard work with legendary music groups Santana and Journey, will be playing select dates with his band throughout the summer.

The Gregg Rolie Band will be performing electrifying versions of several Santana classics such as "Evil Ways", "Black Magic Woman" "Soul Sacrifice", "Jingo" and "No One To Depend On" as well as tracks from Rolie's previous effort 'Roots' and new songs.

The Gregg Rolie Band consists of Adrian Areas (son of original Santana percussionist Jose Chepito Areas) on Timbales, drummer Ron Wikso (who was also in The Storm), Elliot "Toby" Borrero on congas, Kurt Griffey on guitars, internationally acclaimed bassist, Chapman Stick artist and Santana alumni Alphonso Johnson and former Jean Luc Ponty keyboardist Wally Minko. - more on this story

New Goo Goo Dolls This Summer

Goo Goo Dolls will release their new album, Something For The Rest Of Us, on August 31st, 2010. The album features the band's new single, "Home", which is already being embraced at radio. In advance of the album's release, "Home" will become available on the iTunes Store and all other digital retailers starting on June 8th.

The result showcases more of the well-crafted songs and timeless lyrics that have been such an integral part of the Goo Goo Dolls' continuing success. Written and recorded over the past couple of years, SOMETHING FOR THE REST OF US delivers another dose of emotionally-charged, well-crafted rock songs such as "Sweetest Lie," "One Night," and "Soldier."

With his songwriting, Rzeznik confronts some of the issues that have become part of many people's everyday lives: "I wanted some of the material on this album to address the disillusionment of the difficult period we live in; I wanted to give a voice to the emotional uncertainty that accompanies hard times. "So many people are struggling to keep it together through tough economic conditions and two wars that seem to have no end in sight. The ones who bear the brunt of these burdens are everyday people. That's who I want to speak to." - more on this story

Guitar Hero Hits the iPhone and iPad

With Apple's big announcement about the new iPhone 4 this news might have gone under the radar but it's related. You can now play Guitar Hero for the first time on iPhone and iPod Touch for $2.99 from the App Store. Song packs are only available through the Guitar Hero app and cost $1.99 each. Here is the announcement:

Created by Guitar Hero veteran developer, Vicarious Visions, Inc., and based on the easy-to-play / challenging-to-master mechanics, the new game features all-new, addictive gameplay exclusively designed for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will keep players rocking out as they strum, tap, slide and whammy to the hottest tracks from the bands they know and love such as Queen, Rise Against, The Rolling Stones, Vampire Weekend, Weezer and The White Stripes.

Built exclusively from the ground up for the iPhone and iPod Touch, the Guitar Hero app takes full advantage of the platforms' functionality and features a robust avatar customization mode that lets players personalize their game; built-in social integration so gamers can share their scores with their friends on Facebook, check leaderboards and get updates through in-game news feeds; innovative new mechanics that challenge fans to tap, strum and whammy their way to the top of the Rock Ranks; and the ability to download new tracks from an in-game music store; wannabe rock stars will be shredding on guitar or ripping it up on bass whenever, wherever they want. - more on this story

Locksley Are Whipped

Locksley will debut their new video "The Whip" on June 14th, song from their new album Be In Love. To celebrate, the band have created WHIP WHEEK; a week-long celebration of all things Whip.

Starting yesterday, June 7th, and for the rest of the week, the band will release exclusive audio and video content and make in-person appearances to interact with their fans.

To keep track of WHIP WHEEK all you have to do is visit www.locksley.com daily for updates. But more importantly, follow them on Twitter (www.twitter.com/locksleymusic) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/locksleymusic) for as-they-happen updates, announcements about band appearances, and ways fans can participate. - more on this story

The Gaslight Anthem Give Fans First Listen to Their New Album

The Gaslight Anthem have announced the "First Listen" of their brand new studio album titled American Slang.

Currently being featured on NPR, American Slang can now be streamed in its entirety for one week prior to its proper release on June 15.

The Gaslight Anthem are gearing up for the release of the album with this stream made available exclusively to NPR's site visitors
- here

The Stone Foxes Killed Robert Johnson

The Stone Foxes proclaim "I Killed Robert Johnson" in the lead off single from their second full length record "Bears & Bulls," which hits stores on July 6th.

The song tells a dark story wrapped up in booze, jealousy, blood and dirty guitar riffs. All the perfect ingredients for one bad ass rock n' roll song. Check out a video of the track here

From Avi from the Stone Foxes on Robert Johnson: "Robert Johnson is one of the last truly mysterious people who will ever walk the face of the earth. There are only 2 pictures of him around.Stories of Robert Johnson have been invented, fabricated, and hyperbolized and no one will ever be able to tell the truth from fiction. In many ways, his truth is fiction. These days, we have too much documentation to allow a person like that to exist. In the age of digital photos, Facebook, birth certificates, and laws and regulations, there could never be another Robert Johnson. The lonesome cowboy, the traveling troubadour, the man with no past: these are all people we will never get to meet. Bob Dylan almost succeeded, but failed. I liked the idea that someone living knew the real story of his death, so I tried to give a voice to that character. Wherever he may be..." - more on this story

Talking Guns N' Triumph

The latest episode of Talking Metal contains interviews hosts Mark Strigl and John Ostronomy conducted with Triumph's Gil Moore and Mike Levine as well as Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Triumph interview topics include their new Greatest Hits Remixed CD, Rik Emmet, Rich Chycki, the US Festival, and MetalWorks studio.

Bumblefoot interview topics include the Rock Band video game, his new transcription book, his recording studio, Guns N' Roses, Dio,Metal Mike Chlasciak, KISS, and Todd Youth. - Listen here

Secondhand Serenade Make Digital History

Secondhand Serenade new single is iTunes' first ever Deluxe Single. The $1.99 package includes: "Something More", bonus track "You Are a Drug", exclusive video content "The Making of Something More" and lyric book.

The single comes from Hear Me Now, Secondhand Serenade's third album which comes out August 3rd on ILG/Glassnote. Eight of the eleven songs on the album were produced by Aaron Johnson (The Fray) at Swing House studios in Los Angeles. The other three, including the first single, "Something More", were produced by John Vesely himself along with Secondhand drummer Tom Breyfogle at Vesely's home studio and mixed by Mark Endert (Train, Maroon 5).

Secondhand Serenade just announced a headlining tour kicking off July 17th in Lehi, UT at Thanksgiving Point. They'll bring White Tie Affair & Runner Runner out with them. - dates

Two Gallants' Tyson Vogel Announces Solo Debut

Tyson Vogel of Two Gallants' new solo project Devotionals will release their self-titled full-length debut on July 13th in CD, digital and limited edition vinyl formats through Alive Records.

"Destruction, breakdowns, heartache, heart attack, these songs and their process, born out of a darkness, are the representations of the light that is inherent in the blindest of moments. Unrequited Life has been congesting my every silent moment, every living heartbeat, every waking; it tore me apart in dreams or when at the corner store buying soap to clean the only thing that I had left – these sounds are a devotion, a meditation, to the only truly consistent pulse we can depend upon while alive… our own pregnant breathe." – Tyson Vogel

Devotionals music is based around Tyson's guitar compositions, with Anton Patzner (Judgment Day, Bright Eyes) invigorating the musical space with his violin mastery, and they are joined by various guests and collaborators. The result is a unique combination of simplicity and raw emotion that will delight new and old fans of Two Gallants, a kind of street music with nods to Rachmaninov and John Fahey. The recording is entirely analog. - Free MP3 of Chest Like Expansive Wings

Hanson Offering Indie Acts The Chance To Open For Them

Hanson and OurStage have announced the "Shout It Out with Hanson" opening act competition. Thirty-five coveted slots are up for grabs, as the multi-platinum band of brothers turn to the public to source the opening acts for the first two legs of their upcoming North American tour.

The Shout It Out Tour provides a platform for HANSON to continue their passion and support for independent music, while supporting the band's highly anticipated fifth record of the same name.

The first leg of the Shout It Out Tour begins July 21 with support from Rooney, and covers the East Coast, South and Midwest. Entries for the first leg's opening act competition, which covers shows through August 15, are be accepted at http://www.ourstage.com/go/hanson now through June 21 at 11:59 pm. Winning bands for the first leg of the tour will be announced approximately July 5. - more on this story

Free Energy Bang Pop Freshman

Free Energy's new video for "Bang Pop" is featured on MTVu's "The Freshman" this week.

Each week five new videos are chosen by the channel and spotlighted on their website where viewers can vote on their favorite.

The video that garners the most votes will be added into rotation on the channel. Winner will be announced on June 18. - more on this story

The Drums US

The Drums will release their self-titled debut album in the US on Downtown Records.

It will be available June 8th digitally, with the vinyl following on August 10 and the CD will hit stores in September.

The US version of the CD will contain bonus tracks not found on the UK release. - more on this story

The Coral Set New Album Release, Debut New Video

The Coral's new album Butterfly House will is set to be released in the UK on July 12th, the album is preceded by the first single, 1000 Years, which will be released on July 5th.

"I think we've made the best album that we've ever made," says James Skelly. "I think it has to be. Or there's no reason for anybody to listen to it."

Two facts to immediately consider: 1) This is the first album they have made without Bill Ryder Jones, who left the band in January of 2008; 2) This is the first album they have made post- their 'Singles Collection' of September of that year - a chance to stop and take stock, then draw a line under what has been done and set sights on the future. - more on this story