Bret Michaels Wins Celebrity Apprentice- Adam Ant Committed To Mental Ward- Ozzy Mercy Killing- Stones No 1- Bruce Dickinson To Tribute Dio- STP Stream- more

Brutal Godz - the band featuring former/current members of Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire and Rebellion - have parted ways with former Metal Church vocalist Ronny Munroe.more -

Former Guns N' Roses Members Form New Band

(Band statement) They say it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks but Carnival of Dogs is here to prove you wrong! Matt Sorum, Tracii Guns, Phil Soussan, and Franky Perez have been rockstars their whole lives, but now they've teamed up together to give you a new twist on some old tunes.

Two former members of Guns N' Roses; drummer Matt Sorum & co-founding member Tracii Guns (also founding member of LA Guns), have created the ultimate all-star party band. With bass hero Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Alice Cooper) and front-man Franky Perez (Slash & Friends, Steve Vai, Ronnie Wood, Scars on Broadway), the bar for all debauchery has just been raised.

This 70s rock cover band will have you swinging from the rafters and singing along to every song. They've also been known to have legendary special guest appearances joining in the festivities. Rocking cover tunes from the 70s by bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and AC/DC they're sure to bang out everyone's favorite. - Official site

U2 Postpone Tour Launch After Bono's Emergency Surgery

U2 frontman Bono underwent emergency back surgery in Munich, Germany, on Friday after sustaining an injury during preparation for the next leg of the band's U2 360 tour.

A band spokesperson said on Friday, "Bono will spend the next few days there, before returning home to recuperate. Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regarding the impact on forthcoming tour dates."

As promised, because of the injury, Live Nation confirmed that the U2 360 tour launch previously scheduled for June 3rd in Salt Lake City has been postponed. - more on this story

Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax Tour in 2011?

Slayer's guitarist Kerry King recently discussed the upcoming Big Four of Thrash concerts in Europe this summer and his hopes that they will lead to the bands playing together stateside.

Here is an excerpt of the Noisecreep article (via BW&BK): "I hope Slayer/Megadeth tour is a precursor to the Big Four coming to the States," King said. "That tour it should be everywhere: here, Australia, Japan. Any place that wants it should have it and it should happen."

While there are no plans for the Big Four to decimate the U.S. -- yet -- King says it should all come down to timing, since there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to pulling such a massive, mammoth tour off. "Metallica has toured a ton and as much as we have going, we don't have a free moment in our schedule, so this is just me thinking out loud, but I'd say it would be great in summer 2011. If there are any talks, they are preliminary. And that's a time frame that would work for us" - more on this story

Weiland Explains Being Solo Temple Pilot

(Rock Radio) Scott Weiland recorded his vocal tracks for the new Stone Temple Pilots album in a different studio from the band because he doesn't like people being around while he works, he's revealed.

And that shyness is what got him into drugs in the early 90s, the singer adds. Weiland tells Canoe.ca: "They recorded the master tracks and I'd take the file over to my studio and sing. It was a lot easier – I don't like having a lot of people in the room when I'm cutting vocals. I like to be in my own comfort zone."

He described his condition as "social fright" rather than "stage fright" and that's what led him down the road of taking drugs to feel better – a road which caused the original split of STP, then, two years ago, his departure from Velvet Revolver. - more on this story

Jack Black Pays Tribute to Ronnie James Dio

Actor and Tenacious D frontman Jack Black has made no secret of his love for Dio, so it's fitting that Black paid tribute to the late metal legend in the new issue of Time Magazine. Here is what Black had to say: "Dio has always been my favorite heavy-metal vocalist. Not just for his musical chops but also for the passion he poured into every performance. His use of beautifully haunting melodies leading to volcanic eruptions of raw rock power led to some of the great anthems of the genre.

"When Dio, who died May 16 at 67, performed live, he would stalk the stage like a dragon slayer. His commitment and theatricality were spellbinding. As a teenager I was profoundly moved by the life-affirming fire of his songs . They were filled with glory. They made me want to climb mountains and battle demons. To listen to Dio is to be transported to an ancient time of mystery and joy.

"His songs were an escape for millions of kids looking for release from the usual bull found on the FM dial. I had a chance to work with him, and he was about as cool a person as you could hope to meet. He was generous and soft-spoken, humble and serene, and had a tremendous sense of humor. Thank you, Dio." - more on this story

Fear Factory Avoid Tragedy, Announce New Instore Appearances

Fear Factory had a brief scare last week when their tour bus nearly went off road while in route to Boise , Idaho . Luckily no one was injured and the band made their show at Knitting Factory Concert House without much delay.

Guitarist Dino Cazares says, "we were on our way to Boise for a day off when about 8:45am our bus driver fell asleep at the wheel. He swerved to the opposite side of the road. Most of us woke up when we felt the bus on the rumble strips and then the dirt. He woke up in time to swerve back onto our side of the road and pull over." Continuing he notes, "thank god there was no on coming cars or 18-wheelers on the road. Everyone is fine just a little nervous."

Candlelight Records today confirms three more in-store/meet-and-greets as part of Fear Factory's ongoing Fear Campaign American Tour 2010. All four members of the band will be available to meet with fans at Magnolia Thunderpussy in Columbus , Ohio on May 30, Digital Ferret Records in Philadelphia on June 6, and Vintage Vinyl Records in Fords, New Jersey on June 10. - more on this story

Former AC/DC Member Teaming Up With Lizzy Borden Guitarist for AC/DC Tribute

Former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade and Lizzy Borden guitarist Ira Black will record the Bon Scott-era classic 'Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock & Roll)' for Versailles Records' forthcoming 'Rock & Roll Train: A Millennium Tribute to AC/DC'.

Black co-produced the track along with album producers Richard Kendrick and Jake Brown, who commented of Slade's inclusion that "its one of the true highlights for Rik and I, in over 10 years of producing these albums, to be working with a member of the greatest hard rock band of all time on this record- coupled with the fact this will be our first tribute LP ever issued in VINYL."

Alongside Slade, the tribute also includes current/former members of Guns N Roses, Megadeth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Fuel, Alice Cooper Band, Lizzy Borden, The Firm, Lillian Axe, Freakshow, the Circle Jerks, Mountain, Brides of Destruction, Rainbow, Love/Hate, Manfred Mann, Hanoi Rocks, Brother Kane, Uriah Heep, Asia, Dangerous Toys, Warrant, and L.A. Guns. - more on this story

Dweezil Zappa Announces Return Of The Son Of

Dweezil Zappa has set a June 22nd release of Return Of The Son Of..., a sprawling two-disc live collection of 14 Frank Zappa classics performed lovingly by the Zappa Plays Zappa band.

The album was produced by Dweezil and recorded over the last 2 years with a majority of the songs captured at a three-night residency at The Morse Theatre in Chichago in October 2008.

Return Of The Son Of... follows up the 2008 album Zappa Plays Zappawhich won a Grammy Award that year for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. - more on this story

Wang Chung Announce Abducted By The '80's Tour and Double Album

A fan passed on the word that 80s stars Wang Chung have announced a new tour in support of their forthcoming double hits release, Abducted By The '80's [release date not provided].

The 2010 tour will begin at The Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, CA on June 11th and finish at Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA on July 10th

"Abducted By The '80's," is comprised of a double CD package. CD One, also known as "Wang," consists of the band's biggest hits, including re-recorded versions of "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," "Dance Hall Days," "Let's Go" and an acoustic version of "To Live and Die in LA,"

CD Two, or "Chung," features brand new material. The lead track, "Rent Free" is an homage to the band's history of catchy pop tunes with "Stargazing" and "London Orbital" also connecting to that legacy. - more on this story

The Rolling Stones: The Mick Taylor Years DVD Set For Release

The Rolling Stones 1969-1974: The Mick Taylor Years will be coming to DVD on July 27th. Often regarded as the period in which The Rolling Stones recorded the finest music of their career, the years during which Mick Taylor was the fifth Stone remain the band's 'Golden Age'. Notably, on albums Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street the Stones' sound changed as they developed new ideas and were informed by a range of new influences.

But crucially it was Taylor's sophisticated blues and jazz licks that gave The Rolling Stones an added dimension between 1969 and 1974 - one they lacked both before and afterwards. This dynamic film tells the behind the scenes story of this hugely productive era for the group.

Featuring interviews with Taylor himself and further contributions from his old boss, John Mayall; author and group colleague, Robert Greenfield; Village Voice music editor, Robert Christgau; Stones session musicians, Al Perkins and Bill Plummer; highly regarded UK music critic, Barney Hoskyns and many others. - more on this story

Evile Announce Tour with Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood

Evile have announced a limited number of North American headline dates with support coming from their labelmates, Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood. All 3 bands have also been announced as support for a winter tour to be headlined by veteran thrash act, Forbidden.

For the first time in many years, 3 Earache bands will share the stage with one another on a major North American tour. These shows, along with the previously announced Killfest dates with Overkill mark the 2nd major US treks for Evile and Bonded By Blood.

It will also be GAMA BOMB's first run in the US, making the chances of tour shenanigans between bands and total thrash overload for the fans even higher. - more on this story

Singled Out: Act As If

Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today we go indie with Peter Verdell from Act As If, who tells us about "There's A Light" and "Old Souls" from their brand new album. We now turn it over to Peter for the story:

"There's a Light": This is probably my favorite song on our new album. It was actually a late edition; I started writing it after we'd already tracked drums and bass for the rest of the album. But I fell in love with it, and decided it was worth going back to the studio for.

The beginning of the song is based on a girl (surprise…), but by the time the chorus hits, the song is really about something more. I think the general message (and maybe the general theme of our album), is that when things seem to be falling apart, or someone we love doesn't love us back—we can still find light, or joy, or hope—if we choose to look for it. It's inspiring to see people who can do this well, and I guess this song has become a declarative statement for me—to try becoming that kind of person.

'Old Souls' is about acknowledging the tiredness that can come from pursuing a job, a dream, a relationship status, etc…but then also realizing a sort of beauty that's involved in it. There's something incredibly human about struggling…like there's a part of everyone that will always be a little discontent, or want something to be different. I think it can be really powerful to realize that no one is alone in this…that we can share each other's struggles.

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

MxPx's Mike Herrera Going South

MxPx and Tumbledown frontman Mike Herrera is taking his own, very personal solo act south of the border and returning to his South American fans after a four-year hiatus.

Having last soaked up the sun in Lima, Buenos Aires, and Sao Paulo with MxPx, Herrera is excited to return and perform his musical best for the rest of South America, in countries like Costa Rica, Columbia, and Argentina.

"This trip is long overdue," said Herrera, "and I can't wait to share some new material with my South American friends and fans." - more on this story

Eagles of Death Metal To Land at Spaceland

Eagles of Death Metal will help celebrate the final night of Sweethead's free residency at Spaceland, performing the closing set of the evening.

Sweethead, of course, is the band from Queens of the Stone Age regular Troy Van Leeuwen, an act that takes a more sultry and vampy course than the desert-scorched rock of Queens. That slant comes courtesy of arresting frontwoman Serrina Sims.

Eagles of Death Metal has been doing the surprise gig thing of late, so this is not totally unexpected. They recently performed as a two-piece in Toronto, but Jesse Hughes and Dave Catching should be backed by a full band at Spaceland. - more on this story

Gogol Bordello Going Mayan

Gogol Bordello are set to perform a two-night stand at The Mayan in Los Angeles on June 21 and 22.

The two-night run comes on the heels of several gigs with Rage Against the Machine in Europe, including the bands free show in London's Finsbury Park on June 6.

Gogol Bordello is also set to co-headlining with influential alternative rock icons Primus in July and August with stops at several landmark venues including the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn, NY on July 30 and the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 12. - more on this story

Jorn Lande Releasing Tribute Album To Ronnie James Dio

Jorn Lande will honor the musical legacy of Ronnie James Dio, with his new album aptly entitled "Dio", to be released on Frontiers Records on July 2nd in Europe and July 27th in the US.

Handpicking some lesser known tunes of the Dio era, along with some of the true classics, Jorn offers a collection of songs that present the music of the Man and the Artist, with a unique twist. In Jorn Lande's own words:

"Throughout the years I have had the privilege of both meeting and working with many of the musicians that have inspired me on my musical journey. Ronnie James Dio has inspired me through decades, and this man's influence continues to add colour to my creative spirit. Ever since the first time I heard his royal roar back in the 70's, I have been fascinated by this extremely talented man's creative force and dedication to music. His career has been going on for so long and includes so many great songs, that it was a challenge to decide which songs and what era to focus on. I ended up focusing on the DIO era". - more on this story

The Romany Rye Announce Summer Tour With Delta Spirit

The Romany Rye will be hitting the road with Delta Spirit this summer for an extensive North America tour that launches on June 7th at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, CA.

Highlights include two shows in New York - June 30th at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom and July 1st at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn - and a performance at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre on July 23rd.

The Romany Rye is touring in support of its debut album, Highway 1, Looking Back Carefully, an intimate collection of songs penned by former Colour guitarist Luke MacMaster. - more on this story

Land of Talk Announce New Album and Tour

Land of Talk have announced the release of their sophomore album, Cloak and Cipher, out August 24th, 2010 on Saddle Creek.

Joining vocalist and songwriter Elizabeth Powell on the album are Eoin O Laoghaire (bass) and Andrew Barr (drums) and special guests drawn from the Montreal music scene and beyond including Patrick Watson as well as members of Stars, Silver Mount Zion Band, Wintersleep, Besnard Lakes, Arcade Fire and Esmerine.

Land of Talk hit the road later this month with Besnard Lakes. The touring band for the May dates will be Elizabeth Powell (vocals/guitar), Joe Yarmush (bass/guitars/vocals), Andrew Barr (drums/percussion) and Eoin O Laoghaire (bass). - more on this story

And Hell Followed With Debut New Vocalist on The Road

And Hell Followed With have begun a US tour that will see the band spread their brand of Murder City mayhem on select solo dates in Texas before joining Knights Of The Abyss, Burning The Masses and Those Who Lie Beneath on the 28 Days Latour.

The band's string of dates will culminate in a number of hometown CD release shows to celebrate the debut of their forthcoming release, Proprioception.

This tour marks And Hell Followed With's first trek with new vocalist, Ryan Caudill. Formerly of a Michigan-based act called Borland, Caudill replaces Nick Holland, who decided to further commit himself to his college studies. - more on this story

Warped Earn It Yourself Workshops

Warped Tour Kevin Says Stage developer and co-booker Sarah Saturday will present a daily workshop and meeting during each date of the 2010 Warped Tour in conjunction with her philosophy-based music resource website, www.earnityourself.com.

Sarah will conduct an informative session for bands and concertgoers who are interested in learning more about the music industry, and becoming more involved with their local independent music scene.

Each EIY Workshop on the 2010 Warped Tour will feature a presentation by Sarah, covering topics such as cultivating a thriving local music scene, how and when to take your show on the road, building a nationwide underground network, the role of fans in the success of bands, developing your personal philosophy in work/life, and more. Sarah will share her experiences in the music industry and give advice about how to turn a person's passion into a lifelong career, using the tenets of the EIY philosophy. - more on this story

Angelus Apatrida Century Media Debut Coming in June

Angelus Apatrida are set to release their Century Media Records debut album, Clockwork, on June 29th. This release marks the band's third album after two independent national releases and was powerfully produced by Daniel Cardoso at Ultrasound Studios in Braga, Portugal.

In its limited first edition pressing, Clockwork will come with packaged in an O-Card and will include a cover version of Iron Maiden's "Be Quick Or Be Dead" as an exclusive bonus-track.

Angelus Apatrida are confirmed to be touring all over Europe in September 2010 together with Skeletonwitch and Warbringer. Dates will be announced soon, but in the meantime, the band has just announced their first summer live dates - more on this story

Fans Select Songs for Devo's Forthcoming Album

Devo have confirmed the track listing for "Something For Everybody" – their first studio album in 20 years.

The track listing was a result of an innovative online Official Song Study that Devo recently ran on their official website www.clubdevo.com. Fans were asked to listen to sixteen new DEVO songs, and select their favorites twelve. The twelve songs that received the most votes made it to the final cut of the album.

The album, which includes the single "Fresh," will be released by Warner Bros. Records in UK on June 14th, followed by a US release on June 15th. The album will be available on CD, Vinyl and as a digital download. - more on this story

The Jay Bennett Foundation is Launched

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and producer Jay Bennett passed away on May 24, 2009. On the one-year anniversary of Jay's passing, his family and friends announce the creation of The Jay Bennett Foundation—an organization supporting music and education. The foundation is spearheaded by Jay's brother, Jeff Bennett, and Jay's mother, Jan—two of Jay's biggest fans.

Although Jay is probably best known for his work in Wilco, he was also a very sought-after producer, collaborator and solo artist, and was the owner of the Champaign, IL-based music studio, Pieholden Suite Sound.

The Jay Bennett Foundation will launch on May 24 on JayBennett.org, Facebook (facebook.com/jaybennettfoundation) and Twitter (@JayBennettFdn). On July 10, fans will also be able to support the JBF by downloading the album Jay was completing at the time of his death. - more on this story

Dax Riggs To Say Goodnight To The World In August

Dax Riggs will release Say Goodnight To The World on August 3rd. Riggs is in the middle of a series of Texas and Louisiana pre-release tour dates that will continue through late June.

Say Goodnight To The World is Riggs' second album under his own name. Known for his work as deadboy & the Elephantmen and with Acid Bath, he shed the deadboy moniker in advance of his debut solo album, We Sing of Only Blood or Love. Blood or Love was released in 2007 by Fat Possum

he new album picks up where the "gutter-rock gold" (Spin, 'Breaking Out') and "revelatory fun" (Esquire) of Blood or Love left off and answers any questions about where his creative ghosts would take him next: Riggs describes, "A kind of transcendental proto-metal, soul-punk poetry." - more on this story

Leiana Rescuing Pit Bulls

During her down time in between recording and touring, Leiana is doing her part to help save some of Philadelphia's animals.

Leiana has been volunteering at the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society to help rescue pit bulls that have been abandoned or neglected by owners throughout the area.

"Rescuing pit bulls is one my passions. They are a very misunderstood breed. I rescued my first living in Hollywood, and up until then, I had little knowledge about the breed. I discovered that they are one of the most gentle and loving dogs out there," commented Leiana. - more on this story