Day in Rock Report for 04/27/2011
The Day in Rock Digest for 04/27/11: When asked about what he has planned for the rest of the year, Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba said, "As of now, we're gonna be doing more touring for GUNS, and we're working on new songs every day for Guns N' Roses." moreWhitechapel were detained in Germany following an incident at their hotel on 4/20 that included mattresses being thrown out of windows and fire extinguishers and alarms being set off. more The Who frontman Roger Daltrey will be performing the whole of Tommy, at four upcoming UK shows in July. Daltrey performed the classic Who album at the recent Teenage Cancer Trust concert. more Def Leppard, Tesla, Poison, Styx, Lynyrd Skynyrd are confirmed for the Legendary Buffalo Chip's 30th annual Party during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally which runs from August 6th-13th. more Linkin Park's Chester Bennington has designed a snowboard to benefit Music For Relief Japan. Grab details here Every Day Is Yours To Win, the latest film in R.E.M.'s Collapse Into Now Film Project, is currently streaming on YouTube's homepage for 24 hours. The film features an introduction by Michael Stipe and co-director Jim McKay, who are the guest curators for the day. Check it out here Cory Muro, the 23-year-old drummer for Punchline, filed a report Tuesday with police alleging that members of Brokencyde assaulted him and a friend on Monday night. more Molotov Solution, Legend, Betrayal, and The World We Knew will tour the U.S. together this spring on the "Mosh It Up Tour". more Metal Injection spoke with legendary Star Trek actor William Shatner on the black carpet of the third annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards. He talked about his upcoming covers album, Searching For Major Tom, which features Zakk Wylde on a Shatner cover Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man'. Says Shatner: "I love Black Sabbath, they were great. Zakk turned me on my ear," Check out the chat here Orlando Bloom based 'Sympathy For Delicious' role on Ian Brown and Oasis Actor inspired by Liam and Noel Gallagher and Stone Roses singer more HellYeah, the band featuring former members of Pantera & Mudvayne, are slated to release their third album in late 2011. more Sass Jordan has joined forces with Whitesnake members Brian Tichy and Michael Devin to form S.U.N. (Something Unto Nothing). more Paradise Lost has announced that their former drummer Jeff Singer will be standing in for current drummer Adrian Erlandsson at a couple of upcoming shows. more Melechesh have amicably parted ways with bass player Rahm who officially joined the band a year ago. The band cited professional reasons as grounds for this. more If the record industry wants music subscription services to become mainstream products, it should pay close attention to the factors behind growth at Netflix. In the first quarter of 2011, the online video rental service added 3.6 million subscribers, to finish with 23.6 million. To put it another way, the company's subscriber numbers increased 69% in a single year. With Netflix, consumers have proven they will rent content -- even re-run content -- and stream it from the cloud. Read the full story at Billboard.biz here. On this day in 1976, customs officers on a train at the Russian/Polish Border detained David Bowie after Nazi books and mementoes were found in his luggage. Bowie claimed that the material was being used for research on a movie project about Nazi propaganda leader Joseph Paul Goebbels. On this day in 2009, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament was the victim of a robbery outside Southern Tracks Recording studios in Atlanta, where the band were recording. Ament and a band employee had arrived at the rear of the studio when three assailants brandishing knives emerged from the woods wearing black masks and smashed the windows of a rented Jeep. The robbers grabbed Ament's passport, a BlackBerry, $3,000 in cash and $4,320 worth of goods. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here
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(Gibson) Although last weekend's Big Four show in Indio, California, marked the first time the metal legends played together on U.S. soil, it doesn't look like it will be the only time. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said the bands, which also include Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, have their eyes on a few more American dates."We are looking to book something on the East Coast because of the success of this – it should hopefully come together in a week or two," Ulrich told RollingStone.com. "Maybe we'll do somewhere in the Midwest and South, too." Although it looks like the Big Four are trying to cover all regions of the U.S., Ulrich said that metal fans shouldn't expect a full-blown American tour. "Still, I don't think it will turn into a 40-date arena tour; that would make it less special. I like the fact that there's an element of chaos to the whole thing. It shouldn't be sterile, streamlined and perfect: it needs an edgy underbelly to remain authentic." more on this story
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(hennemusic) The Las Vegas Sun reports Motley Crue singer Vince Neil's attorney, David Schonfeld, was in a Vegas courtroom Tuesday for a hearing to check the status of Neil's progress in regards to his sentencing for his DUI conviction.Schonfeld told Justice of the Peace Eric Goodman that Neil had completed all of the requirements of his sentence, which ordered him to serve 15 days of jail time, 15 days of house arrest, pay a $585 fine, attend DUI school and attend a victim-impact panel online. The prosecutor asked whether Neil had also stayed out of trouble, a question that appeared to be in reference to the recent charges Vince faces as a result of an March 24 confrontation he had involving his former girlfriend, Alicia Jacobs. Neil has been charged with battery domestic violence and disorderly conduct stemming from that incident at the Las Vegas Hilton. "There was no stay out of trouble order, your honor," Schonfeld told the judge. more on this story
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Coheed and Cambria will be playing a free encore performance of their Neverender: SSTB tour at Williamsburg Waterfront, on June 11th.Neverender: SSTB features the band performing three sets: An acoustic opening set, a full-electric performance of their debut album, "The Second Stage Turbine Blade," in its entirety, and a short encore set of songs from other albums. This free performance serves as a "Thank You" to New York fans, for ten years of incredible support for the band. Opening the show will be legendary progressive guitarist Adrian Belew (King Crimson, Talking Heads, David Bowie) with his Adrian Belew Power Trio, along with Tigers Jaw. more on this story
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Arctic Monkeys have announced additional tour dates in support of their fourth album, Suck It and See, which is set for release , June 7th. Arctic Monkeys haven't performed in North America since criss-crossing the country in the wake of the release of Humbug, their third album. The first single "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair" is currently the #1 song at Specialty Radio and available now on iTunes. more on this story
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The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will release their new studio album, How I Go, on August 2nd, 2011.Recorded in Sausalito, California's Studio D, and produced by both Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his longtime collaborator and producer Jerry Harrison (Trouble Is, Live On,10 Days Out, Blues From The Backroads, Live! In Chicago), How I Go signals the band's welcome return to the studio. With the help of co-writers Mark Selby and Tia Sellers ("Blue on Black"), as well as Zac Maloy and Danny Tate, the new album offers a bounty of new material as well as covers from Albert King, Bessie Smith and The Beatles. more on this story
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(Gibson) Ex-GN'R bassist Duff McKagan is prepping his own biography and told Billboard: "Mine's not really a Guns N' Roses book, where I think Slash's really was… and I haven't read [Steven Adler's]. I'm not saying one's better than the other. This is just my story. It's really my demise into addiction and stuff, and then my way out and my journey into things. My Guns N' Roses story is my Guns N' Roses story. My Velvet Revolver story is my Velvet Revolver story. It's my rock story, from my distinct viewpoint."Duff added, "It was pretty gut-wrenching to write some of this stuff, just because I hadn't faced any of it until I had to write. I didn't [expletive] around, but I didn't throw anybody under the bus, either. There's some things you just don't break confidences on, even if you're warring with someone." McKagan is currently working his band Loaded, an outfit he has been in longer than any other band. His book is due to be published in October. more on this story
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Some big news from the Smashing Pumpkins camp that involves a new studio album, plus EMI have announced an extensive campaign that will see the band's albums from 1991-2000 reissued in fully remastered deluxe versions, each with bonus material.The Smashing Pumpkins will head into the studio in May to record Oceania--"an album within an album"--as part of their in-progress 44-song work Teargarden By Kaleidyscope, nine songs of which have already been released online for free (with two elaborately packaged EPs available in stores). The 10 new songs from Oceania will be released online at once in September (exact details TBA). The band is also eyeing a possible return to the road this August. Meanwhile, The Smashing Pumpkins will release one more song ("Owata") next week (details TBA) from Teargarden By Kaleidyscope before they take a break to record Oceania. more on this story
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(Gibson) Larry Mullen Jr., the drummer in U2, will make his acting debut in a new crime film. Man on the Train features Mullen starring alongside acting legend Donald Sutherland, according to the BBC.The percussionist plays a mysterious man who comes to a small town to rob a bank in the movie, an Irish-Canadian project based on a 2002 French film. In the original, Mullen's role was played by French rocker Johnny Hallyday. Mullen also co-produced the film and composed its score. Man on the Train will be screened next month at the Cannes Film Festival. more on this story
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(EMI) An auction of exclusive personal items and memorabilia donated by EMI's family of artists and songwriters has raised $940,000 in funds to help the Red Cross support people affected by last month's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The charity auction, which launched on eBay's worldwide sites on April 5, attracted bids totaling $470,000 from music fans around the world. All the money from winning bidders will be doubled through a donation by EMI.Much sought-after items sold at the auction also included a Steinway grand piano used by artists including Bono and Eric Clapton ($14,878), a jacket worn by Chris Martin onstage during Coldplay's Viva La Vida world tour ($14,060), a private dinner with Herbert Grönemeyer ($10,792), signed copies of David Bowie's entire catalogue ($10,138), handwritten lyrics by Brian Wilson to 'God Only Knows' and a platinum album for the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' ($7,643), a day on tour with Simple Minds ($6,891), an original handmade "ZERO" shirt worn by the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan ($6,744), an original painting from Iron Maiden ($6,466), a cupcake trampoline used onstage on Katy Perry's current 'California Dreams' tour ($5,075), and a signed guitar offered by Japanese musician Miyavi ($8,992). more on this story
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(Gibson) It's been nearly 30 years since Kirk Hammett received that fateful call asking him to audition for the lead guitar role in Metallica. Since then, Hammett's meteoric rise to stardom has seen fans unearth just about every detail behind his six-string prowess. Still, we managed to uncover a few facts that might be unknown to all but the most ardent followers. For starters, just so's you know, he's a huge fan of country great Hank Williams.The inspiration behind the "Enter Sandman" riff was … Soundgarden. Hammett's most famous riff might never have occurred had he not been a fan of Soundgarden. In a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, he explained: "Soundgarden had just put out Louder Than Love. I was trying to capture their attitude toward big, heavy riffs. It was two o'clock in the morning. I put it on tape and didn't think about it. When [drummer] Lars [Ulrich] heard the riff, he said, 'That's really great. But repeat the first part four times.' It was that suggestion that made it even more hooky." His all-time favorite band is … UFO. Hammett once told writer David Fricke that "the second he heard" guitarist Michael Schenker on UFO's "Mother, Mary," his whole attitude toward his instrument changed. "Schenker wasn't playing blues-based solos," Hammett observed. "He was playing modes - scales that sounded almost classical - and rhythmically he was out the door. To this day, UFO are my favorite band in the whole world." 8 more things you might know about Kirk
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Rival Sons have announced a free show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood tomorrow, April 28th which is part of the the "On The Rise" concert series. The show starts at 10:00pm and is completely free and open to all ages. Joining Rival Sons will be Purple Melon. Rival Sons recently revealed the cover art for their forthcoming new album, Pressure & Time, which is due to be released on June 20th. The album art was designed by legendary artist Storm Thorgerson, who is known for many iconic album covers from the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and many more. more on this story
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Death Cab for Cutie will be hitting the road this summer for headline tour in support of their new album, "Codes And Keys," which arrives in stores and all online retailers on May 31st.Death Cab for Cutie will hit the road beginning July 27th at Columbus, Ohio's LC Outdoor Amphitheater, followed by major shows across the U.S. and Canada. All shows to feature support from Frightened Rabbit. Furthermore, Death Cab for Cutie will also be among the top acts appearing at Montreal's upcoming Osheaga Festival, slated for July 31st. And as if that weren't enough, the band is also set for a two-night-stand at Los Angeles' famed Greek Theater on August 18th and 19th. more on this story
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Theory of a Deadman have announced a July 12th release date for their fourth studio album, The Truth Is…"Musically, not too much changed," said vocalist/guitarist Tyler Connolly about The Truth Is… "We had a bit of an epiphany when it came to songwriting, though. We've been a band for over a decade now, and we realized what we're doing makes sense. There was a lot more confidence. I was able to dig in lyrically and be wide open. When I write, I either want to kiss someone on the lips or punch them in the face. Anything in between is boring." Theory are currently touring across America with labelmates Stone Sour as part of the first annual Avalanche Tour. The band will embark on a headline run this summer, too.
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The New Regime, the one-man outfit created by Ilan Rubin of Nine Inch Nails and Lostprophets fame, releases 'Through Speak Through the White Noise' this week. To celebrate we asked Ilan to tell us about some of his favorite tracks from the album. Today he tells us about "State Of Possession": State Of Possession was the last song written and recorded for Speak Through The White Noise. In fact, it was recorded and mixed only a few days before the album was sent off for mastering. The meat of this song is a ballsy, distorted, fuzzy, driving riff which was originally written on bass. The riff didn't sound quite right in the register of a guitar so an Electro-Harmonix POG and a homemade fuzz pedal took it to the right place. The lyrical process for this song was one of the quicker and more enjoyable ones. It's about people who do the bare minimum at work, don't really believe in the product they're pushing, regurgitate somebody else's information, and hold their heads up high while they still have a job. In other words, most A&R people at labels. When I completed Speak Through The White Noise I entertained the thought of releasing it through a label. After putting everything I had into writing, playing, singing, recording, and making sure this album was perfect to me, getting a comment like, "You need a song like Cage The Elephant or Neon Trees and then we might have something here" gave me the urge to strangle somebody, slowly. If you wanted those bands YOU should've signed them. Unfortunately, when those bands came across your desk you were probably asking people to write the next Killers or Fall Out Boy song. Forward thinking? Nah, don't bother. Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself as you preview the album right here!
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KISS have announced some additional dates to their North American summer tour plans, which now kicks off on June 23rd in Everett, Wa."We're doing these shows to honor our promise to play these cities. We said we'd do it, and we are!," the band says on their website. They added shows are in Washington state, plus dates in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. more on this story
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Iggy & the Stooges "Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans" was released digitally yesterday by MVD Entertainment Group.Iggy & the Stooges "Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans" is the audio document of the reformed Stooges' (Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, James Williamson, Steve Mackay, Mike Watt) Raw Power performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival on Friday, September 3, 2010. Iggy and the band sound flawless as they rip through the archetype riffage of "Search and Destroy," "Raw Power," "Gimmie Danger" and more. "Getting this top-notch performance of the entire Raw Power album by The Stooges realized a life long dream," Iggy Pop "This s*** really sizzles and we are so obviously a crack band in a class of our own." Official site
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(Gibson) One can forgive Sir George Martin for not doing too much press these days. The former Beatles producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who turned 85 earlier this year, has not produced an album since 2006's Beatles mash-up, Love, for Cirque du Soleil. Beyond that, he's answered every conceivable question about his former colleagues one could ask. But with a new documentary set to air on the BBC, Martin sat down with The Independent to talk about his career, and yes, in particular, those magical days with the Fab Four."I wasn't music at all. It was comedy," Martin said of the quality that first drew him to the group at their first audition in 1962. But very quickly, he came to see that there was an astonishing musical genius under those haircuts. "I think we recorded well over 200 titles and, of those, probably 60% were great songs," he said admiringly. "I mean not just a pass-by thing, but really great. And I would have given my teeth to have written even one of them." Still, genius or not, Martin says he can't look at them with the same adoring eyes as the public. "You see, I can't be rational about this, because The Beatles aren't The Beatles to me as they are to someone on the street," he said. "You ask them what they think of The Beatles and they say, 'Oh, they are fantastic.' The Beatles are four people I knew very well, and two of them are still living. So it's not this big icon that everybody talks about. I still find it difficult to believe that they are probably the finest rock band we've ever had, or the most famous, or whatever. But I can't look at them like that." more on this story
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Shout Factory sent over the following big Jimmie Vaughan album and tour news: Jimmie Vaughan has announced the July 26 release of More Blues, Ballads and Favorites, a follow up collection to last year's Grammy-nominated Blues, Ballads and Favorites, his first new studio album in 9 years. Packed with 14 covers of classic tunes that are close to his heart, the album—recorded, like the previous one, in his hometown of Austin, Texas—reunites Vaughan with the same cast of musicians that helped him out on the previous set. Also returning for round two, to assist with the vocals, is Lou Ann Barton, whose powerful pipes grace several tunes on the new release. "The first album was a success," says Vaughan, "and what happened is I never really stopped. Even after I turned the first one in I was still recording. I've decided that, as long as I feel like it, I'm going to do that from now on." more on this story
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(Gibson) Director Cameron Crowe has told Rolling Stone that his upcoming Pearl Jam documentary will debut later this year. The Seattle band have given Crowe 18-20 hours of rare footage to combine with new material shot in 2009 and 2010.Crowe said the idea for the film was, "How do we do The Kids Are Alright of Pearl Jam, and sonic blast the best stuff?" Crowe added that the band are "not prone to opening the curtain… and that is the challenge and delight of it." Crowe also recently directed an Elton John/Leon Russell documentary called The Union, saying that John treated the cameras "like a buddy." Pearl Jam Twenty, he says, is the complete opposite. Crowe calls the footage "the best souvenirs of (Pearl Jam's) past," but when it came to putting the story together, he said it was "The Union turned inside out." more on this story
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(Thirty Tigers) Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter will release Marble Son on August 2, 2011 through their own label, Station Grey Records. Marble Son is the band's fourth album and the first that was co-produced by Jesse Sykes and longtime bandmate, Phil Wandscher, along with engineer, Mell Dettmer. Though oft saddled with the "alt-country" tag, of late, Sykes and Co. have moved into slightly heavier and darker territories. Marble Son exemplifies a band at their creative pinnacle—heavier and more complex than previous records; the music resonates among the parallel worlds of the avant-garde and the timeless. more on this story
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Island Records released The Airborne Toxic Event's sophomore record, All At Once, this week and they have announced some TV appearances to promote it. They will be performing on the outside stage on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live tomorrow, Thursday, April 28. They will also be the musical guest on hit show Gossip Girl during the May 16th season finale. more on this story
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Impending Doom have announced a co-headlining summer tour with Mychildren Mybride dubbed "The Nocturnal Alliance Tour." The trek will also include A Bullet For Pretty Boy, This Or The Apocalypse, and The Crimson Armada. The band recently signed a world wide deal with eOne Music. "We're very excited to start a new chapter in our career on a label who has proven to be a staple in the metal community," says guitarist Corey Johnson. more on this story
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A Life Once Lost have announced their new drummer. After the departure of previous drummer Justin Graves earlier this year, the band auditioned several drummers and landed upon fellow Philadelphia resident Justin Crouse. "I'm stoked to be joining up with A Life Once Lost," affirms Jordan. "Performing at New England Metal and Hardcore Festival two weeks ago was definitely a great experience and I'm looking forward to touring and working on the new record due out later this year." The band is currently finishing their follow up to 2007's Iron Gag. Paul Romano (Mastodon, Trivium, The Red Chord), designer of the album art for previous A Life Once Lost records Hunter and Iron Gag, is confirmed to illustrate the album art. more on this story
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(Gibson) Marianne Elliot-Said, best known as '70s punk pioneer Poly Styrene, has passed away from cancer. A statement on her official Twitter page says: "We can confirm that the beautiful Poly Styrene, who has been a true fighter, won her battle on Monday evening to go to higher places." Poly Styrene formed her band X-Ray Spex after seeing the Sex Pistols and broke through with the song "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" In the 1980s, Poly Styrene joined the Hare Krishnas and retreated from the music business. more on this story
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(Gibson) With Foo Fighters back in the limelight with their first no 1 album, Wasting Light, the band have been talking about the creative process in making music.According to Clashmusic.com, Dave Grohl told Absolute Radio that songwriting sometimes comes easily. "Well I guess, once you feel inspired, it's easy. There's never really any blueprint, you just come up with ideas here and there. It's really hard to try and write, it's easy when it's easy. I never want anything to sound too contrived or forced, it has to really just feel natural. We're a pretty prolific band, you know. If you put us in a room right now we could probably have a song for you in about an hour and a half." Not that Grohl has any illusions of grandeur as a songsmith. "I don't feel like I'm an incredible songwriter that makes these incredible rock records. I'm humbled by the whole thing, and I just sort of cross my fingers and hope that it sounds okay, or that people will dig it, or my band will dig it. There are some times where I'll write a song and Taylor will say 'That's not your best work.' " more on this story
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(Gibson) If timelessness is the mark of true musical greatness, then Robert Johnson deserves to be canonized on the same level as Bach and Beethoven. His popularity has continued to grow since his death in 1938, as evidenced by the continuous stream of Johnson reissues and tribute albums, and the festivals and symposia organized to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth this May 8.Over the decades, the Mississippi guitar innovator's music has been covered and coveted by a huge range of artists: Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Big Head Todd, Rory Block, Led Zeppelin, Juliana Hatfield, Peter Green and the Rolling Stones among them. And the latest and best reissue package of Johnson's own 41 recorded versions of 29 songs — all he left behind besides a few suits and his Gibson L-1 acoustic guitar — has just been released by Sony's Legacy label. Robert Johnson: The Centennial Collection includes those tracks, superbly mastered, plus two perspective-granting discs of his contemporaries ranging from Sleepy John Estes to the Light Crust Doughboys. It also includes the DVD biography of Johnson and his work; Can't You Hear The Wind Howl? There's still much speculation about how Johnson became the Delta's undisputed master of guitar. All that's known is he left the region as a fumble fingered youth and came back so cutting that he literally frightened Muddy Waters when Waters encountered him performing on a street corner. All the junk about selling his soul to the Devil aside, it stands to reason that Johnson achieved his status through a mix of innate talent, instruction and practice. And that's still what it takes to play like Robert Johnson. That and some soul. Assuming you've got the ability and the feeling, here are a few tips you might consider when approaching the technical aspects. more on this story
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(Gibson) Former Oasis kingpin Noel Gallagher is bizarrely being tipped to write an anthem for his favorite soccer team, Manchester City. After defeating bitter rivals Manchester United in England's FA Cup semifinal in mid-April, City are now in the FA Cup final (versus Stoke City) in May. U.K. newspaper The Daily Star says Noel has been asked to write an anthem. Noel has said Oasis's proudest ever gigs were at Manchester City's old Maine Road stadium in 1996. His Epiphone Supernova signature was finished in a "Manchester City" blue; brother Liam wore a City training top on one of those gigs; Noel was in the crowd at the recent 2011 victory against Manchester United; City fans have often sung Oasis – when the late Alan Ball was City's manager, fans would sing "Wonderwall" ending on "And after all / you're my Alan Ball." Noel was quoted as saying: "If they asked seriously I don't know. Let's wait till they ask." more on this story
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(PR) Ryan's Rock Show has posted a video interview with Asking Alexandria, in which the band discusses their new album Reckless and Relentless, a tour offer from actor Charlie Sheen, and their recent Seattle show where vocalist Danny Worsnop was escorted offstage for being too drunk to perform.Over a late afternoon lunch on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce expresses his admiration for actor Charlie Sheen. "I just want to meet him. I just want to party with him. I wish he'd call me and say 'hey, come to my house tonight, and let's go crazy.'" The band, who was recently offered an opening slot on Sheen's current tour, has been showing up on more than just the actor's radar. The group's new album Reckless and Relentless debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200, selling over 30,000 units in its first week. But despite the impressive numbers, and a network TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bruce assures that it comes with a downside. "We've been through so much sh*t," he says. "So much sh*t." In March, Asking Alexandria was banned from a Nashville music venue for being "too controversial," and earlier this month, vocalist Danny Worsnop was escorted offstage at a show in Seattle for being overly intoxicated. Check out the full interview here
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(Shore Fire) Bon Iver has confirmed the first tour dates of 2011 with a show in Milwaukee on July 23 and a Celebrate Brooklyn! Benefit at the Prospect Park Bandshell on August 10, which will mark the band's biggest NYC performance to date. For the shows Justin Vernon will perform with a 9-piece band that includes many musicians who contributed to the forthcoming album 'Bon Iver,' out June 21 on Jagjaguwar. The touring band will consist of regular Bon Iver contributors Sean Carey (drums, piano), Mike Noyce (guitar) and Matt McCaughan (drums), Rob Moose on violin and guitar (Antony and the Johnsons, The National), Mike Lewis on bass (Andrew Bird, Happy Apple), and a horn section including Reginald Pace, Colin Stetson (Tom Waits, Arcade Fire), and C.J. Camerieri (Rufus Wainwright, Sufjan Stevens). more on this story
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Bleeding Fist have been added to this year's edition of the annual SWR Fest in Barroselas, Portugal. The band will be playing the first day of the fest, May 29th, and will be debuting new songs from their forthcoming Devils Ferox MCD, set for release by Moribund on May 31st. The Devil's Ferox MCD will comprise five brand-new songs, including a tribute track to the legendary Death SS, and will also include an enhanced portion featuring videos for "Invocation Into Devil's Flesh" and the EP's title track. Monuments Desecration video here
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Howie Epstein of Tom Pettys Heartbreakers died 8-years ago (February 23, 2003). It was something many people saw coming and yet when Epstein passed onto another world, it was an incalculable loss.
- Read the full Howie Epstein: Gone But Not Forgotten review
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