W.A.S.P. Fan Bites Off Ear- Agnostic Front Concert Murder- Pink Floyd May Reunite- Silvertide Offshoot- Leaves' Eyes Split- CBGB- Red Hot Chili Theft?- Guns N' Fines- more

On this day in 1957, Paul McCartney made his first appearance with The Quarry Men at New Clubmoor Hall, Norris Green, Liverpool. The lineup for The Quarry Men was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton and Len Garry. Paul played John some songs that he had composed, which Lennon contributes, marking the birth of the Lennon and McCartney songwriting partnership. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here -

Metallica Sabbath Purple Maiden Supergrouping

The Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan reunion just keeps getting better. First Iommi announce that the two would get together to record a new song and had recruited Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain and Deep Purple's Jon Lord to join them. That all-star lineup just expanded by two members. Iommi's official website offered this update:

"'Out Of My Mind' has now been fully recorded! Ian (Gillan, Deep Purple) and Tony are excited to announce that (former Metallica bassist) Jason Newsted has kindly played bass on the track and Mikko Lindström (H.I.M.) has also added some great guitar parts too. Next stop is getting the track mixed!" - more info on what the song is all about

Chickenfoot Lineup In Doubt

(hennemusic) Chad Smith has three day jobs -- Chickenfoot, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bombastic Meatbats -- and something has to give.

Chad sat down with Music Radar to talk about his three projects and the scheduling chaos that surrounds them.

As for Chickenfoot: "We'll start the album next year. We've demoed four songs already, and Joe's got a bunch more," says Smith. "The plan is to get back to recording after Joe's done with his tour in January. I should be free then. I know I'll be free. The Chili Peppers record won't be finished - there'll be more work to do on that - but I'll be done with my tracks. So I should be good for cutting a Chickenfoot record, but I don't think I'll be able to tour behind it." - more on this story

Pantera Identity Theft Update

The Metal Den broke the news last week that a band was reportedly attempting to use Pantera to promote themselves. This weekend the site had an update on the drama.

TMD has obtained new information from an undisclosed source close to Pantera's camp who revealed that former Pantera manager Kimberly Zide Davis is "Not happy" after learning about the shocking allegations against Orphaned To Hatred band, the musical act that allegedly entered into trademark infringement recently by securing the domain Pantera2.com to promote their group as "The second coming of Pantera".

Zide Davis would not officially speak on the record in depth concerning this legal matter, however, she did let this source know unequivocally that Pantera camp was "Not happy" with Mr. McBride and Orphaned To Hatred. - more on this story

Weezer Leak Rare Tracks

(Gibson) Weezer have given their fans an early Christmas present by allowing a Seattle radio station to stream four previously unreleased songs on its website. Weezer is reissuing their album Pinkerton, as well as releasing a rarities compilation titled Death to False Metal, and all four of the songs streaming online come from these two albums.

"In my mind, the most important one is the song 'Tragic Girl,' that was supposed to be the 10th or 11th song on the record," Cuomo told Rolling Stone. "And in my mind, it's as good as any other song that's on there, and better than quite a lot of Pinkerton. I think for people who love Pinkerton, they'll be overjoyed to hear this song."

The four streaming songs include "Autopilot" and "The Odd Couple" from the Death to False Metal album, plus a live version of "El Scorcho" and "Tragic Girl," both from Pinkerton. Check em out here -

Ronnie James Dio Rockline Special

Ronnie James Dio will be the focus on the Rockline radio program on November 3rd, with a guest filled special on Dio At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987.

BW&BK reports that the guests for the program will be Wendy Dio, bassist Rudy Sarzo (Blue Öyster Cult, Dio, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot) and drummer Vinny Appice (Heaven & Hell, Black Sabbath, Dio).

The program airs at 8:30 PM (PT) / 11:30 PM (ET). Fans are encouraged to speak with the guests by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the internet for the broadcast go to RocklineRadio.com. - Read the BW&BK report for more info on the new release

Videos of Duff McKagen and Guns N' Roses In London

hennemusic has posted video footage of Duff McKagan joining Guns N' Roses on stage in London last week.

Check out "You Could Be Mine" here and watch "Patience" here

Check out "Nice Boys" here and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" here -

Hammer of the Gods Author Releases New Led Zeppelin Book

(Gibson) The author of the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods has a new book set for release. Stephen Davis' LZ-'75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin's 1975 American Tour will be available on October 28.

According to a press release, the book will feature "all-new interviews" with band members and new, insider information about Zeppelin.

"As a young music journalist in 1975, Stephen Davis got the opportunity of a lifetime: an invitation to cover the sold-out 1975 North American tour of Led Zeppelin, the biggest and most secretive rock band in the world, for a national magazine," the description of the book reads. "He received a backstage pass, was granted interviews with band members, and even got a prized seat on the band's luxurious tour jet, The Starship. While on duty, he chronicled the Zeppelin tour in three notebooks, but after writing his article in 1975 he misplaced them. After three decades of searching, in 2005 he finally found the notebooks, on the covers of which he had scribbled the words LZ-'75, and unearthed an amazing amount of new information from the tour…" - more on this story

Lullabyes For Van Halen Sibling

(hennemusic) David Lee Roth's sister is in the music business, too. Lisa Roth developed "Rockabye Baby," a music line that turns rock songs into lullabyes.

The series includes collections made from the songs of artists like AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, The Beatles and many others.

"It's more for the parent than the child but it calms the child at the same time," says Roth. "When I knew I'd really hit something right was when I saw an interview of Kirk Hammett of Metallica talking about playing it for his child, and he said that it works." - more on this story

Zakk Goes Wylde For Lady Gaga

(Gibson) It's undeniable that Lady Gaga is a pop sensation, but who knew she had so many fans in the ranks of hard rock. First, KISS and Gene Simmons professed their love for the "Poker Face" star. Now, none other than Zakk Wylde is singing her praises.

"Lady Gaga, she kicks [butt]. My daughter's 18, loves Lady Gaga," he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I think she's amazing, too, because you could put her behind a piano and she'll sing you a song, dude. And she writes all her stuff. She's not some fabricated thing. She's a legitimate artist. You could put her out on an unplugged tour. Madonna couldn't do that."

In the same interview, the Black Label Society frontman spoke about how rock and roll's mystique is disappearing in the digital age. "The Zeppelin guys, they'd be on Twitter today. Or it'd be 'Oh my god, I'm writing to Randy Rhoads!' To me, it's all good," he said. "One of my buddies said, 'Yeah, but the mystique is gone.' It was a big deal if anyone ever got an interview with Jimmy Page 'cause he's living in a castle in Boleskine doing Aleister Crowley rituals. There's a mystique there. The only time you saw them was in a magazine. So when you saw them on stage, that was it, man. There was weight to it. There was no reality TV. I mean, Ozzy there was a mystique. Now, with reality, there's no mystique. It's gone." - more on this story

Genghis Tron On Ice

Genghis Tron posted a Myspace blog on Friday informing fans that the group is taking some time off. Here is what they had to say:

Things have been pretty quiet for Genghis Tron recently, which has led some folks to ask us if we're breaking up. Well, we definitely aren't breaking up, but we have decided to take some time away from the band.

It will be a while before we release another record -- and probably even longer before we play shows. However, this was the best thing we could do to make sure that GT keeps writing some real toe-tappers. Whenever we come back, it will probably be pretty weird and really good. - more on this story

Steven Van Zandt Teams With Sopranos Creator For Rock Film

(Gibson) Writer-director David Chase, who created HBO series The Sopranos, has reunited on an upcoming film project with E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt, who portrayed Silvio Dante, Tony Soprano's consigliere, on the show. Chase scoured the country to find the three young unknowns he ultimately cast in the yet-to-be-titled rock 'n' roll film. He also hired Van Zandt to supervise the movie's music, as well as executive produce.

Set in the 1960s, the film follows a suburban New Jersey band called the Twilight Zones. The film will begin shooting in New York in January.

"I am thrilled to be working with Steven again, especially on this particular subject," Chase told Billboard. "It's not just that we both worship the same songs and bands from the era, it's that he obviously knows so much. About every aspect. He embodies a particular spirit of a particular kind of rock 'n' roll. He actually is that spirit." -

Monster Magnet Plot Return

(hennemusic) Monster Magnet return with "Mastermind," their first new album in three years. Magnet have a new home – Napalm Records – and are psyched about the new music.

"It's a big, beefy ball of demented anthems and power rock," says Magnet leader Dave Wyndorf about "Mastermind." "The music itself is exaggerated and muscular. Like classic rock gone insane! Giant hooks, giant sounds. The rockers are direct and intense. The ballads, trippy and strange. It's guitar heaven."

Set for release on October 26, "Mastermind" is the band's eight studio album, and it's chock full of sounds, imagery and the imagination of Wyndorf. "Well, the lyrics read like a fever-dream of life in the 21st century," he says. "Cynicism, optimism, satire, sex, deluded fantasies and dead-on reality. They're all here – sometimes even in the same song!" - more on this story

Frampton Comes Alive This Week As Guest Host for Nights With Alice Cooper

Nights With Alice Cooper will have a special guest host this week: Peter Frampton who will take over for Alice starting tonight.

While Alice preps for tricks and treats, Peter will prove his mettle as a classic rockologist just as Alice has done for the last six and a half years on the internationally syndicated show. The two have been great friends for years and crossed paths this summer as featured performers at London, Ontario's Rock the Park Festival .

Frampton noted, "Because Alice has to prepare a super-spectacular Halloween week of shows, he's knighted me as the only suitable substitute. I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy!" He went on to say, "Alice and I have known each other for years but have never played onstage together until this show in Canada. It was a fantastic night for both of us. Being invited to play 'School's Out' was the best part. For a scary guy, Alice is very much the charmer!" - more on this story

Culture Club Plan 30th Anniversary Reunion

(Gibson) Boy George has announced on his official website that Culture Club will reform in 2012 to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Boy George states: "We're definitely doing it, in 2012. Our D-Day is April 30, which is the same day as our first-ever single release, "White Boy"... it's going to be great fun. If we don't do it now we'll do it when we're 60, which will be really tragic."

Culture Club last played together in 2002 at Royal Albert Hall in London for their 20th anniversary. - more on this story

Alberta Cross, Dead Confederate and Karnivool Part of Free Digital Compilation

Alberta Cross, Dead Confederate and Karnivool are just a few of artists featuring in the free new digital compilation from ExplodingInSound.com. Here is the official word followed by the link: The never ending search for great music has become a little bit easier, thanks to Sonic Waves, the brand new digital compilation from tastemakers ExplodingInSound.com. Download it for FREE [link below] today and come discover your next favorite band.

The line-up is a dream come true for the folks at EIS, with songs from Oceansize, This Town Needs Guns, Native, Retribution Gospel Choir, Tera Melos, Sebastien Grainger, Shoes And Socks Off, Medications, Night Horse, Royal Bangs, Mojo Fury, The Library is on Fire, and many more.

Sonic Waves draws inspiration from a time when radio DJs played the music you needed to hear, rather than the station's predetermined playlist. These are the bands keeping rock music genuine, intelligent, and explosive; these are the decade's future legends. Fans of post-punk, progressive rock, alternative, grunge, and indie rock will surely find themselves immersed in the twenty one songs that comprise Sonic Waves, a collection of brilliant rock music from around the globe. With every compilation Exploding In Sound seem to outdo themselves and Sonic Waves just might be their masterpiece. - Grab it here

Singled Out: Von Sleight

Today Von Sleight tells us about the title track from their brand new album "New Kraut". Here is the story:

The inspiration for the title track of the New Kraut album was to make fun of the idea that everything new is always better. Walking around the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle where we live, we see that there are old establishments being torn down and new condos sprouting up in their place. The "new" can be likened to a "virus" that comes from outer space as in a William Burroughs novel. We documented this idea in our New Kraut video.

This video follows a UFO that delivers New Kraut to the good people of earth where it is discovered and gets propagated into supermarkets for mass commercialization. The concept also makes fun of ourselves since the "krautrock" on this album is new, but not necessarily better and is infectious groove music like a virus from outer space.

The video also documents the recording of this song. Brian is featured on vocals and playing the Electribe synthesizer, while Sean is on percussion. Not shown in the video is Brian playing fretless bass and Sean playing the Kaossilator. Also not shown is our musical advisor, Sybert Johnson, a cat who runs out of the room when the recordings are not to his liking. Luckily he stayed in the room for this particular recording to let us know the music was acceptable, but is not shown in the video to remain incognito.

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

Tom Waits Going Really Old School With New Single

(Gibson) Plenty of artists make it a point to release on vinyl these days, but Tom Waits has taken his homage to old-school formats a bit further, issuing his new single on a limited edition 78 RPM record. Only the most resourceful fans will find a way to play the record, as most existing record players only allow 33 and 45 RPM records.

Waits' new material – two songs originally recorded in 1947 by Danny Barker: "Tootie Ma is a Big Fine Thing" and "Corrine Died on the Battlefield" – comes courtesy of his collaboration with New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The record will be available on the Preservation Hall Recordings website on November 20, with all proceeds from the $50 records going to the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz & Heritage Brass Band.

So that the records can actually be played and not just collected, the first 100 records will be sold for $200 with a custom-designed Preservation Hall record player that will play at 78 and 100 speeds. Each record (of 504 total) will be hand-numbered by Preservation Hall Creative Director Ben Jaffe. -

Gin Blossoms To Rock Iraq

Gin Blossoms are heading to Iraq next month to perform a special series of concerts for the troops stationed there.

The Gin Blossoms are scheduled to arrive in time for their first show in Kuwait on November 23, and then travel to Iraq for a series of 4 more concerts to take place in as yet undisclosed cities, including a special Thanksgiving Day concert. The band will return to the U.S. on December 2nd.

"I love and respect all our [troops]. My brother was a U.S. [M]arine and it helped make him the most patriotic and trustworthy man I know. I hope all our troops can return home soon. Gin Blossoms will be very proud to perform for our troops," says Robin Wilson of the Iraq concerts. - more on this story

Experience Nirvana

(Gibson) Seattle's Experience Music Project has announced that they will stage an extensive exhibit about Nirvana next spring. Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses will begin April 16 and feature items the public has never seen relating to the influential grunge band, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

In a statement, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said his late bandmate Kurt Cobain "was a visionary artist who touched people all over the world. It's great that there will soon be a collection that celebrates that contribution to music and culture."

The exhibit will bring together more than 200 items, including instruments used by Cobain, Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Cobain's handwritten lyrics, high school painting, reel-to-reel machine, sweater and more will be featured, as will the winged angel prop from the In Utero tour and a guitar used on the recording for MTV Unplugged. - more on this story

Ryan Star's U.S. Tour Kicks Off This Week

Ryan Star's U.S. tour will kick off this week with a performance at Mix 94.1's annual "Bite of Las Vegas Food and Music Festival," on Saturday, October 23rd at Las Vegas' Desert Breeze Park.

The tour culminates with a hometown headline show at New York's famed Webster Hall on Friday, November 26th.

Later in the Spring, Star will join VH1's Best Cruise Ever 2011 - a floating music festival sailing from Tampa on Thursday, April 28th to Cozumel, Mexico featuring VH1-supported artists Train, Lifehouse, Colbie Caillat, The Script and more. - more on this story

Prince Announces Funky Concert Series

(Gibson) Sporting sunglasses and a black ruffled suit with gold flair, Prince announced to a packed Apollo Theater press conference that he was launching a series of concerts.

The details are still a bit sketchy, but the diminutive one told the assembled press and fans that the shows will begin on a "purple day in December in the year 2010." Rolling Stone reports that special musical guests will include Maceo Parker, Cassandra Wilson, Janelle Monae, Sheila E., Mint Condition, Esperanza Spalding, Sinbad and others.
Prince, who hasn't embarked on a major tour in the States since 2004, told the gathering that he "has a lot of hits" and to "bring foot spray because it's gonna be funky." - more on this story

KISS Star Talks Black 'N Blue Hall Of Fame Induction

(hennemusic) 80s rockers Black 'N Blue were among the honorees inducted recently into the Oregon Music Hall Of Fame.

For the October 9 event, held at Portland's Roseland Theatre, Black 'N Blue reformed their original lineup: guitarist Tommy Thayer, singer Jaime St. James, drummer Pete Holmes, bassist Patrick Young and guitarist Jeff Warner.

Thayer – now a member of Kiss – reflected on the occasion. "A fantastic introduction by Peter Tashjian, son of our beloved manager Garo, told the story of how in 1983, five irrepressible young rockers (barely out of high school) made their way to Hollywood to take their shot at the big time." - more on this story

Zappa Legend Don Preston Releases Digital Album

Original Mothers of Invention and keyboard music legend Don Preston, has released a new digital album via Norway's Zonic Entertainment.

Don Preston's 'Colliding Galaxys' is an epic electronic tone poem, for the most part, created on classic analogue Moog synthesizers. "The new CD is about the time when the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies will collide in about 50 million years from now," explains Preston.

"It is a suite in 3 parts. The music was done with a Mini Moog Voyager, a Mini Moog Classic, Roland JV 1080, Kaoss Pad, Alesis Air Synth and various samples with a Roland S-770. This music was done in the style of the electronic music of the '70s. Louis and Bebe Baron were personal friends of mine (they did the score for Forbidden Planet) and it was a thrill to see the equipment that they did the score with, remembering that this was long before synthesizers had been invented." - get it here

Antimatter Announce Alternative Matter

(Prophecy Productions) On January 11th, 2011, ten years after the recordings of their debut album "Saviour", Antimatter will release "Alternative Matter", a retrospective of another kind.

This is not a standard best-of album, but a compilation of exclusively unreleased recordings and alternative versions from the archives of the band, compiled by Antimatter mastermind Mick Moss with care and passion.

"Alternative Matter" features demo and acoustic versions of well-known Antimatter songs, live recordings, remixes, and also new recordings which have been conceived especially for this compilation. And in their entirety all these songs tell a yet unknown Antimatter story. - more on this story

Video Killed the Radio Star On This Day

On this day in 1979, The Buggles hit no. 1 on the U.K. singles chart with "Video Killed the Radio Star." The group was a studio band featuring producer Trevor Horn. Famously, the clip for the song was the first ever music video shown on MTV.

The band that became The Buggles formed in 1977, with charter members Trevor Horn (bass, vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards, drums) with Bruce Woolley (guitar). The three had become friends during the '70s as musicians for hire in Britain. The three began working on songs with technological themes. As such, the tunes were meant to have a synthetic feel.

"Video Killed the Radio" star was a collaboration between all three, although Woolley was mostly responsible for the music and Horn was in charge of the words. The singer was inspired by a J.G. Ballard short story called The Sound-Sweep, in which a boy is charged with vacuuming all the music in the world, but comes upon a hiding opera singer. The song became a lament for a bygone age, because Horn said he felt "an era was about to pass." - more on this story