Travis Barker Sets A Date- Slipknot Ponder New Bassist- Maroon 5 Flop- Survivor and Toto Singers Team Up- Deftones Escape Plan- Courtney Love Twit Trouble- more

On this day in 2004, Kinks singer Ray Davies was shot in the leg while on holiday in New Orleans. The 59-year-old singer-songwriter was shot when running after two men who stole his girlfriend's purse at gunpoint On this day in
Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Gerry Rafferty RIP

(hennemusic) Singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, best known for songs like "Baker Street" and "Stuck In The Middle With You," has died after a long battle with liver disease. He was 63.

Rafferty passed away at his Dorest, UK home peacefully early Tuesday morning, with his daughter Martha by his side.

The British newspaper The Guardian notes that Gerry played with Billy Connolly's folk outfit the Humblebums, and co-founded the soft-rock group Stealers Wheel, before enjoying a successful solo career. more on this story

Steven Tyler Late Night

(hennemusic) Get used to seeing a lot of Steven Tyler in the coming weeks and months, as American Idol kicks its promo machine into high gear for the launch of the show's 10th season.

Idol premieres January 19, but you can check out the full crew - Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest – on The Tonight Show this Monday, January 10.

The following week – 2 days before Idol premieres - Tyler makes a solo visit to The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, January 17. more on this story

Jane's Addiction Name Duff McKagan's Replacement

(Rock AAA) Jane's Addiction have chosen TV on the Radio bassist Dave Sitek to replace Duff McKagan in the band.

McKagan joined in March after original member Eric Avery departed. The ex Guns n'Roses bassist said he intended to be a full-time member of the band – but months later he left again with the band's thanks for helping write their long-awaited fourth album.

Now Sitek, who's also a producer, will take up the role. Frontman Perry Farrell says: "We're fully immersed in the process of making modern music. It's been a great experience and the results have so much potential." more on this story

Pink Floyd Stick With EMI

(hennemusic) Pink Floyd have ended a legal battle with their record company EMI and signed a new contract with the label.

The BBC reports the legendary rock group recently won a court ruling against the label over whether a deal signed in the pre-download age could be applied to digital sales.

"All legal disputes between the band and the company have been settled as a result of this new deal," EMI said. The label said it would "help the band reach new and existing fans through their incredible body of work." more on this story

Rare Led Zeppelin Recording Now Online

The Metal Den has obtained an extremely rare soundboard recording of Led Zeppelin performing "Black Dog" in Mannheim, Germany on July 3, 1980.

The song's title is reportedly a direct reference to a black Labrador
retriever that was seen wandering around the Headley Grange studios during the track's recording.

Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones wrote the classic tune's main riff. He further explains: "I wanted to try an electric blues with a rolling bass part. But it couldn't be too simple. I wanted it to turn back on itself. I showed it to the guys, and we fell into it. We struggled with the turn-around, until (John) Bonham figured out that you just four-time as if there's no turn-around. That was the secret." Check out the recording

Clapton, Winwood, Reznor Guest On New Robbie Robertson Album

(hennemusic) Robbie Robertson returns in April with his fifth solo album, and first since 1998.

"How To Become Clairvoyant" – co-produced by Robertson and Marius de Vries - will feature several guests, including Eric Clapton (who co-wrote three tracks and plays on six), Steve Winwood (organ on two songs), Tom Morello, Robert Randolph, Trent Reznor and more.

The album is due April 5. "It turned out quite extraordinary," Robertson tells Rolling Stone. "I think I've written some really good songs, and the boys helped me out." more on this story

New Metallica Guitars

(hennemusic) ESP guitars will be introducing two new Metallica signature guitars at next week's NAMM 2011, from James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.

The James Hetfield Snakebyte is a brand new body style for ESP and LTD in 2011. It has a set-neck construction at 24.75" scale, with a mahogany body and neck, and an ebony fingerboard with 22 XJ frets.

Another limited edition Kirk Hammett Signature Series model is also being introduced in 2011. The ESP KH-2 SE and LTD KH-SE are special edition guitars that will be limited to just 100 and 300 pieces worldwide respectively. More details and photos

Grohl Promises Massive New Foo Fighter Album

(Gibson) Dave Grohl has announced that the Foo Fighters' new album will be released in the next few months.

BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat reports that Grohl told Radio 1's Zane Lowe that he and the band were currently in New York mastering the tracks that they recorded in Grohl's garage.

"The process was so simple," Grohl said. "It was really in my garage. You could put a mini van in there and that's it. The fact that we did it without any computers it was just really simple. It just sounds massive. It's different to any other Foo Fighters album because it just sounds big. It was really inspiring." more on this story

No Doubt Recording New Album

(Gibson) It's official. After years of talk and rumors of writing sessions, No Doubt have begun recording their new album. It will be the band's first album in 10 years (their last was 2001's Rock Steady).

Guitarist Tom Dumont shared the news on the band's Twitter page, explaining that he, Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and Adrian Young had already written a batch of songs. On Monday, he wrote: "Holidays over. 2010 done. 10 new songs written. No Doubt's 2011 New Year's resolution: to record our new album... beginning today!"

In a later post, he explained that the band had been in the studio last year, but they spent most of their time writing. "To clarify: last year we were in studio mostly writing, just some recording. Starting today back in the studio, mostly recording," he wrote. more on this story

Zakk Wylde Bringing Metal To The Children

(hennemusic) Billed as "the handbook to all things heavy metal," Zakk Wylde's new book, "Bringing Metal To The Children" invites all who dare onto the tour bus for tales of glory, debauchery, and general mayhem. The book is co-authored by Eric Hendrikx.

Wylde shares what really goes on behind tour bus windows and backstage doors. The twenty-five year music veteran of the Ozzy Osbourne band and Black Label Society details his survival techniques for maintaining a life on the road, managing a band of raging vikings, and somehow making it on stage and blowing the crowd away night after night.

Ever the wacky guy, Zakk has offered up a couple of hilarious promos for the book, due out May 10 Want a taste?

Rare Johnny Cash Songs To Be Released

(Gibson) Columbia/Legacy have announced that a new volume of rare and unreleased Johnny Cash tracks will hit stores and online retailers next month. Bootlegs 2: From Memphis to Hollywood will be released on February 22.

According to VintageVinylNews.com, the majority of the two-disc set will spend time on Cash's early career. The first CD will be devoted exclusively to the country legend's time in Memphis. Among the treasures from Cash's vault: a radio show hosted by Cash, 11 demos and seven outtakes from sessions at Sun Studios. Disc two will focus on the star's tenure Columbia Records from 1958-69. It will include non-album singles, B-sides and outtakes.

The release comes nearly a year after Cash's final studio album, 2010's American VI: Ain't No Grave.

Adventures Of Power Featuring Neil Peart Coming To DVD

(hennemusic) Air drummers unite! That's one of the messages of "Adventures Of Power," an indie film which chronicles the adventures of air-drummer extraordinaire Power (played by filmmaker Ari Gold) and contains a cameo from Neil Peart along with a slew of Rush references.

Rushisaband.com reports it first hit the film festival circuit back in early 2008 and made its theatrical debut last fall.

The film will finally be getting a DVD release on January 25. To celebrate the release, Ari Gold will be running a fundraiser/auction to support music education via VH1 Save the Music more on this story

Thin Lizzy Members Tribute Phil Lynott

(Gibson) Yesterday (January 4) marked the 25th anniversary of Phil Lynott's death. The legendary musician rose to fame as the frontman and bassist for hard rockers Thin Lizzy.

As the current lineup of the band prepares for a European tour, the members of Thin Lizzy took a look back to remember their old friend, via Blabbermouth.net. "25 years on and I still miss the guy. Hell, we all miss him," guitarist Scott Gorham wrote. "It's a major reason why we go out and play the songs. But standing next to him for 11 years through all the ups as well as the down periods always brings back memories, especially at this time of year.

"As you can imagine, Phil and I got to know each other like brothers on a mission. Maybe not always a successful mission, but we always gave it a hell of a shot. He was a good friend, so I tell you what, when we introduce Phil each night... TAKE THE ROOF OFF!!! I'm pretty sure he's watching." more on this story

Anniversary of The Tragic Death of Fifth Beatle, Mal Evans

(Gibson) On this day in 1976, Mal Evans, long time Beatles road manager was shot dead in Los Angeles. Who was the Fifth Beatle? Several in the Beatles camp have claimed that crown, but nobody deserves it more than gentle giant Mal Evans. He was there from the very early days at the Cavern to the band's implosion in the '70s.

On January 5, 1976 a drunk, Valium-popping Evans called John Hoernie, the collaborator on his memoirs, and told him to make sure he and his assistant finished the book. A concerned Hoernie went to Evans' motel/apartment at 8122 West 4th Street to talk with the obviously depressed man. During their brief talk, Evans picked up a rifle.

Mal was a big man, a gentle giant. Everyone said and there was no possible way for Hoernie to overpower him. Fran Hughes called the police and when they arrived, officers David D. Krempa and Robert E. Brannon confronted Evans upstairs. When they told him to put down his gun he refused and the police fired six shots. Mal Evans died instantly. more on this story

A Rocket To The Moon Tap Valencia, Anarbor, Runner Runner, and Go Radio For Tour

A Rocket To The Moon have announced their first-ever North American headline tour which will also feature Valencia, Anarbor, Runner Runner, and Go Radio

The 32-city "On Your Side" tour will launch on March 15th at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, and then continue through late April (see attached itinerary).

The dates follow the recent release of A Rocket To The Moon's EP, "The Rainy Day Sessions." Available exclusively via iTunes, the 5-track EP features new versions of songs originally found on the band's 2009 debut album, "On Your Side," recorded with female bluegrass group Larkin Poe and award-winning producer Dan Hannon (Manchester Orchestra). more on this story

Band Of Horses' Tyler Ramsey Solo Album Revisited

Band Of Horses' Tyler Ramsey's sophomore album A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea was re-released yesterday by Brown Records/Fat Possum.

A well-established and praised figure in the burgeoning Asheville music scene, Ramsey - who joined Band Of Horses as guitarist in fall 2007 - wrote A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea while living in a log cabin in Swannanoa, NC, in late 2006-7.

Recorded at Asheville's Echo Mountain Studios with the help of Bill Reynolds (also of Band Of Horses; who's worked with The Avett Brothers and Lissie) and Danny Kadar (My Morning Jacket, Band Of Horses, Grizzly Bear), the album is a collection of haunting and atmospheric songs that exude a markedly fluid, easy grace. more on this story

A Thousand Horses Touring With Truth & Salvage Co

A Thousand Horses are hitting the road this month in support of their self-titled EP out now on DCG/Interscope/Vanhowes Records.

The band will support Truth & Salvage Co. on the ten city tour commencing on January 12th in Charleston, SC. A Thousand Horses also performs on the 2011 Simple Man cruise -- the ultimate southern rock & rebel party on the open seas, sailing from Tampa to Grand Cayman January 20-24th on the Carnival Inspiration along with Lynryd Skynyrd, Blackberry Smoke and Black Stone Cherry among others.

Recorded in six days in Silver Lake, CA with producer Dave Cobb at his home-built 1974 Studios, the band was determined to capture their music in a live setting, straight to tape, with everyone in the same room. The result is a five-track introduction to the band's unabashed brand of riff-driven rock and roll. more on this story

Of Mice & Men Bring Back Original Singer For New Album and Tour

As we told you in yesterday's digest Of Mice & Men have parted ways with vocalist Jerry Roush and have announced that they will reunite with original front man Austin Carlile.

Today we learn that the reformed lineup will be heading into the studio in early January to record the follow up to their Rise Records self-titled debut.

Guitarist Alan Ashby, who had been working with Austin on a new project during his time apart from OM&M, has also officially joined the band. Shayley Bourget will now play bass and Alan will assume his position at guitar. Phil Manansala and Tino Arteaga remain on guitar and drums, respectively. more on this story

Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows To Deliver D.R.U.G.S. Next Month

(PR) Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, fronted by Craig Owens, will release their debut album, entitled D.R.U.G.S., on Decaydance/Sire Records February 22, 2011.

After Owens left his previous band, which he had fronted since 2001, he turned his energy toward creating a new project that would eclipse anything he'd done in the past by founding Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows. "Over the last 12 months I've done a lot of growing as a human being, as far as figuring out who I am," Owens says. "The idea for this band stemmed from the fact that I wanted to do this right; I wanted to make the biggest band I possibly could, and that's exactly what I've done here."

Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows pairs Owens with other musicians who have undergone similar experiences: From First To Last guitarist Matt Good, Matchbook Romance drummer Aaron Stern, Story Of The Year bassist Adam Russell and Underminded guitarist Nick Martin. Though they had never played together before, they have put their undeniable chemistry as a unit to use creating something vital and new. more on this story

Fade to Black: Metallica Exhibit Coming Next Month

(Gibson) Classic Rock magazine is reporting that a special Metallica photo exhibition will launch in February at Proud Camden in London. Fade to Black: Metallica by Bill Hale chronicles the band in their early years, from 1982-1984.

Included in the collection are photos of the band's first show with bassist Cliff Burton, the band's final show in the Bay Area with Dave Mustaine and Kirk Hammett's debut with the group in San Francisco.

Bill Hale was chief photographer at Metal Rendezvous in the early 1980s. He travelled extensively with the band during their formative years. Many of the photos in the exhibition have never been seen by the public. more on this story

See Backstage With KISS

(hennemusic) Video has surfaced from a KISS special that aired on Dutch TV Nld3.

The footage shows a backstage tour of the wardrobe rooms and interviews with staff and band during KISS' Spring 2010 Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour.

You'll also see a portion of the KISS VIP "Meet & Greet Experience"; the package includes priority seating, M&G and personal photo with the band, and a bunch of other goodies. The package typically sold for around $1000 (yikes!) on the last tour. Check it out

Songs to Cure the Winter Blues

(Gibson) Some of us are freezing in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere. For those readers, here are some songs to warm you up with thoughts of sunshine. For those of us partying by the pool in the southern hemisphere, here's your summer soundtrack.

4. "California Girls" - David Lee Roth: The Beach Boys' original version of this song is an undisputed classic, and its musical and cultural influence cannot be underestimated or overstated. But David Lee Roth's 1985 cover had just as much of an impact, albeit in a different way. In his autobiography, Crazy From the Heat, Roth explains that the video's unique, color-saturated look, for which he won the Cinematographer Award from Kodak, was a direct result of the glacier goggles he refused to take off during editing. "I did not see the video till a month later, when it shows up on MTV, and it looks like somebody nuked the set," Roth writes. "It looks like Chernobyl meets Chuck Jones. It's electrifying." Roth claims the video directly influenced the look of subsequent videos by many other artists.

2. "Here Comes the Sun" - The Beatles: Is there a better song to wake up to on a sunny morning? Cool breeze nudging the curtains, dappled sunlight falling across the room, and the shimmery, proto-indie guitar tones of one Mr. George Harrison. "Here Comes the Sun" is one of several Abbey Road tracks which found Harrison asserting his songwriting voice ("Something" is another classic from the sessions. "Here Comes the Sun" simply and succinctly sums up the early days of summer. Check out the full list here

The Contortionist, Within the Ruins, Suffokate and Last Chance to Reason Tour

The Contortionist have announced new tour dates with Within the Ruins, Suffokate and Last Chance to Reason.

The late winter tour will take the bands through Canada this February into March.

The Contortionist released their debut full-length, Exoplanet, with Good Fight Music on August 31st, 2010, and have been touring consistently since. more on this story

Bob Dylan Gets Ting Tinged

(Gibson) As part of a new promotion Sony Music is giving music fans the opportunity to remix Bob Dylan's classic song, "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

Sony provides everything but the cue cards: the original vocal, bass, guitar and drum tracks, plus tracks performed by other artists. Fans also can record their own music to combine with the other elements.

To demonstrate one way to do it, pop-rockers The Ting-Tings have remixed the song (see video below). On January 24, a panel of judges will decide on the Top 10 entries. Then fans will vote on their favorite mixes through February 4, when winners will be announced. Check it out here

The Doors Robby Krieger Turning 65

(Gibson) Gibson SG legend Robby Krieger turns 65 this Saturday, January 8, and he is still making dynamic music at an age when most mortals are ready for retirement. His 2010 album Singularity is proof that Krieger's wizardry – a textural approach that straddles jazz, rock, blues and world music in a seemingly effortless manner, blending finger picking and plectrum playing and boasting a slide style as instantly recognizable as Duane Allman's – is not just intact but as spectacular as ever.

For slide guitarists in particular, Krieger is a beacon for expanding a blues-based vocabulary. He drew mostly on open tunings in his Doors days: primarily open D, dropped D and open E. "The first slide guys I heard were the classic blues guys like Blind Willie Johnson, Robert Johnson… all the Johnsons," he related in an interview with Gibson.com last August. "I didn't want to play like those guys. I wanted to take it somewhere else, like on 'Moonlight Drive.' There are elements of blues in my playing, but I wanted the slide to make a different kind of sound rather than try to play blue notes with it."

Krieger etched his place in rock history with his classic early recordings with The Doors. They include "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me" and "Love Her Madly," all written by Krieger. And many of those chestnuts were popped with the 1967 SG Standard that's still his main axe and has been immortalized by the Gibson Custom Shop as the Robby Krieger SG.

In celebration of Krieger's birthday and one of the greatest bands in rock history, check out an entirely subjective compilation of his 10 best riffs with The Doors here

Hull Supporting Pentagram

(Earsplit) Hull have announced their appearance on a very special show this Thursday opening for Pentagram.

The performance will take place at Brooklyn's Club Europa this Thursday January 6, 2011. Additional support will come from Judas Priestess and Bezoar.

Commented the band : ""If anything, come out for the mere comedic value of Bobby Liebling's onstage antics! We are excited to be sharing the stage with Pentagram, Judas Priestess, and of course, the mighty Bezoar. Big thanks to Joanne Fillipone and Osiris Presents for the opportunity! Party with us!" more on this story