Y&T's Phil Kennemore Loses Cancer Fight

In October he told of his astonishment and gratitude after a Japanese fan sold his guitar and donated the money to the cancer fund. The board of the Ronnie James Dio Cancer Fund were among a number of music industry bodies who also helped. On New Year's Night members of Queensryche, Heaven and Hell, Dokken and Ratt gathered to perform a benefit concert at the Avalon in Santa Clara, California. more on this story

Tesla Going Acoustic Again- New Joe Elliot Video Dedicated To Steve Clark- Oasis Battles Continue- Supergroup Sheep- Warped Lucero- Dew-Scented Lose Member- more

The Day in Rock Digest for 1/7/11: Jeff Keith and Frank Hannon have been working in the studio recording some tracks for the "acoustic" style album that Tesla has been planning to release for the 20th anniversary of their multi platinum '5 Man Acoustic Jam' album. more

Liam Gallagher has launched another scathing attack on his estranged brother Noel, accusing the rocker of stealing material they worked on in Oasis for his upcoming solo album. more

The Rods have signed to the Niji Entertainment Group, and will release their seventh album, Vengeance, on March 29. more

Asking Alexandria has revealed the dates for its forthcoming headline tour of North America. Support on the trek will come from Emmure, Chiodos, Miss May I, Evergreen Terrace and Lower Than Atlantis. more

Dew-Scented has announced the departure of rhythm guitarist Martin Walczak. more

Praying Mantis have re-recorded five of their classic songs for a new EP. Titled Metalmorphosis, this is released next month, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NWOBHM band's debut album Time Tells No Lies. more

Check out the official video for "Overnight Angels" by Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott's Down N' Outz here, the second single from their debut album 'My Re-Generation'. The video was directed by Lee Ford. Speaking of angels -- in light of the 20th anniversary of Steve Clark's passing this upcoming weekend, Joe dedicates the video to Steve.

Tigers Jaw bassist Dennis Mischko announced the formation of Sheep, a new band featuring members of his group, Captain, We're Sinking and The Menzingers. Here's the quote: more

Imagika posted a brief statement online indicating the band was breaking up back in October, but later removed the message and appeared to be moving forward. Lead guitarist/songwriter Steve Rice has now issued a statement about the band officially calling it quits more

Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb The Music Industry! has posted a brand new song called "Hurricane Waves". more

Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij composes film score Multi-instrumentalist player helps his brother out on 'Sound Of My Voice' more

Lucero have announced that they'll be performing on the Warped Tour this summer. more

Why Robert Plant Won't Reunite With Led Zeppelin

(Gibson) Rolling Stone has a candid Robert Plant interview in this month's issue of the magazine. Plant talks about why he won't be taking part in any more Led Zeppelin reunion shows, why the sessions for his sophomore album with Alison Krauss didn't go well, and why Tony Blair is to blame for his creative block. Plant also spoke of how utterly unimpressed he is with his musical peers.

Of Led Zeppelin's acclaimed reunion show at the O2 in London in 2007, Plant says, "It was an amazing evening. The preparations for it were fraught and intense, but the last rehearsal was really, really good, for all that it represented and all that we were trying to capture.

"But I've gone so far somewhere else that I almost can't relate to it ... It's a bit of a pain in the [expletive] to be honest. Who cares? I know people care, but think about it from my angle – soon, I'm going to need help crossing the street." more on this story

Sex Pistols Reunion?

(Gibson) John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) says that he's up for another Sex Pistols reunion and that he might even be interested in writing new material with the punk legends.

Lydon told Stereogum.com that the success he's had with recent Public Image, Ltd. shows has made him want to reform the Pistols.

"For me, there wouldn't be a PiL if it weren't for them lads in the Pistols, so I feel responsive to their needs," he said. "If they want me to go out on tour with them I'm happy to oblige… until three weeks later when I'm not. That's how it is." more on this story

Paramore To Address Controversial Split Today

(Submitted) Following the controversial departure of Josh and Zac Farro, Paramore's Haley Williams, Taylor York and Jeremy Davis will break their silence for the first time exclusively to MTV News in "Paramore: The Last Word" to be streamed live today Friday, January 7th at 4:00PM ET on MTV.com.

"We really wanted the opportunity to show our fans that we're okay, you know? The three of us are still here, we're not going anywhere," said lead-singer Haley Williams. "A lot of kids are still asking if the band is breaking up, and that just goes to show how broken the communication online can be when rumors start traveling. So this [interview] is our way of showing that there's a future and we're stoked for it."

The three remaining members go on to discuss head-on the lead-up to the Farro brothers exit, reaction to the Farro brothers' statement and what's next for the band. more on this story

Pearl Jam Have Big Plans This Year For Thier 20th Anniversary

(Gibson) Pearl Jam have big plans for 2011, which marks their 20th anniversary as a band. Although they're not spilling the beans on everything they have in store this year, on PearlJam.com Eddie Vedder and pals bullet-pointed a few of the things fans can expect this year.

Among the announcements: – They will be re-releasing deluxe editions of the band's second and third albums, Vs. and Vitalogy, in the spring (their debut, Ten, was re-issued in 2009).

– Cameron Crowe's documentary about the band, Pearl Jam Twenty, will be released. A book and soundtrack album will accompany the film.

– Pearl Jam will host an "anniversary destination weekend bash" in late summer. This likely refers to the "Pearl Jam festival" that manager Kelly Curtis hinted about last month. more on this story

Kid Rock The People's Voice

(hennemusic) Kid Rock made an appearance at Wednesday night's People's Choice Awards

He rocked the house with "God Bless Saturday," a track from his latest disc, "Born Free."

The Kid was on hand to pick up the "People's Voice Award," as well. Find out what he is up to next

'Greatest Sounding Van Halen Concert Audio Ever' Goes Online

The Metal Den has obtained what many rock historians are calling the greatest sounding live Van Halen concert audio ever.

It's a pristine soundboard recording from June 1, 1978 at Hammersmith Odeon in London, England when the legendary hard rock act opened for Black Sabbath on the 'Never Say Die' world Tour.

"You Really Got Me" was originally written by Ray Davies and recorded in the studio by THE KINKS in July, 1964. VAN HALEN recorded it for their explosive debut album, Van Halen, released February 10, 1978. Check it out here

Ozzy Reinvents Himself?

(Gibson) An animated Ozzy Osbourne will soon star in a Brisk Iced Tea web commercial, reprising the beverage's popular '90s ads that featured clay puppet animation.

The Prince of Darkness recorded his Brisk voiceover in Chicago on December 9. In the 30-second spot, Osbourne instructs viewers on how to be normal, Ozzy-style. He suggests, among other things: going on cruises, believing in commercials, and substituting "Shoot," "Darn" and "Fudge" for less savory curse words.

"Ozzy is continuously reinventing himself," said Mary Barnard, Vice President and General Manager of the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership. "From rock star to reality TV presence to author and advice columnist, Ozzy is always creating and doing new things. People love him for that – and that's what Brisk is celebrating in this web film." more on this story

Beatles Museum Opens

(Gibson) A Beatles-themed museum opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this week, featuring the treasures of one man's personal collection.

"It is the only museum on The Beatles catalog which belongs to a private collector," said Argentine collector Rodolfo Vazquez in the Buenos Aires newspaper Tiempo Argentino. "It's really unique in the world [other than] The Beatles Story in Liverpool."

In 2001, Vazquez qualified to join the Guinness Book of World Records because of his 8,500-item collection of Beatles memorabilia. Notable objects include photos and clothing that belonged to the Fab Four, checks signed by band members, and even a box of condoms featuring Yoko Ono and John Lennon's image. more on this story

Rock Band Going Mobile

(PR) Rock Band will be coming to select 4G smartphones from Verizon Wireless later this year.

Packed with favorite hits, Rock Band will be ideal for music lovers looking to rock out on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. A Quick Play mode will provide casual jam sessions, and players can hit the road to rock sold-out stadiums in Tour Mode.

Buddy Lists, a feature exclusive to Rock Band on select Verizon Wireless 4G LTE devices, will allow players to join games, locate others they have recently played with and search for friends. EA Mobile worked directly with Verizon Wireless to optimize Rock Band for Verizon Wireless' fast 4G LTE network. more on this story

Shooter Jennings Black Ribbons Revisited

Shooter Jennings has signed with 429 Records which will re-release the original 20 track version of "Black Ribbons" plus a new 10-track "bullet" version on February 8th.

"Black Ribbons" is a "concept" album which represents a true paradigm shift for the mercurial musician.

Jennings is currently prepping a brand new recording which will be released on 429 Records later this year. more on this story

Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan Tour

(Gibson) Deftones have announced the first round of dates for their Diamond Eyes North American Tour. The trek begins April 14 in Seattle, Washington.

The first run of shows wraps up in mid-May in New York. Dillinger Escape Plan will open all concerts, according to BraveWords.com.

Deftones fans will have the chance to buy tickets ahead of the general public. The fan pre-sale and VIP packages begin going on sale today (January 6) at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. more on this story

Sebastian Bach's Football Power Ballad

(hennemusic) Some crazy fun on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night, as Sebastian Bach dropped by to kick some ass. Details from the Late Night site:

On January 10, the University of Oregon and Auburn University will battle it out on the football field to claim the BCS Championship. Late Night has some Oregon alum on staff, so we decided to give Oregon its very own power ballad. And because we're Late Night, we're not just going to give you some lame fake power ballad.

We're going to give the mighty Oregon Ducks a power ballad for the ages, by having Skid Row front man and power ballad expert, Sebastian Bach, sing it!!! GO DUCKS! Check it out

Pete Yorn Special Edition

Pete Yorn has announced the release of musicforthemorningafter: 10th Anniversary Edition.

This double-disc repackaging of his classic debut album will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting March 29, 2011, through Columbia/Legacy

Prior to the release, Pete Yorn returns to the road for a major 27-city headlining North American tour. Dates begin February 14th at the Marquee in Tempe, Arizona; and conclude two months later on April 22nd at Center Stage in Atlanta. more on this story

Jimmy Page's Top Guitar Moments

(Gibson) Gibson Les Paul legend Jimmy Page is a true ambassador for the absolute power and authority of rock 'n' roll. And this Sunday, January 9, he gets a little more senior as he celebrates his 67th birthday. Of course, both Page and his music are ageless. Gibson documents his Top 10 Guitar Moments. Here are just two of them:

6. "Kashmir," Physical Graffiti (1975) East met West in earnest when Page, fascinated by the droning sound of the sitar and other stringed instruments from the Indian, Moroccan and Arabic musical traditions, put his guitar in D-A-D-G-A-D tuning and commenced to construct this droning, instantly transporting riff. "Kashmir" is another immediately unmistakable entry in rock history, utterly unique.

2. "Whole Lotta Love," Led Zeppelin II (1969) When they create the audio dictionary, this will be the tune found under the definition of "riff." Page's stuttering monster guitar hook is one of the most instantly recognizable turns in the history of popular recordings, and his blues freak-out in the song's middle is a study in how forceful unvarnished pentatonic soloing can be. full list

Chickenfoot To Appear on Rockline Next Week

(hennemusic) Next Wednesday, Chickenfoot join host Bob Coburn as the guests on his nationally-syndicated radio show, "Rockline."

This should be interesting, as we can expect an update on what's up in the 'Foot camp these days.

The band has been planning to get in the studio this month to work on their sophomore disc knowing, well in advance, that drummer Chad Smith won't be available to tour due to his schedule this year with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. more on this story

Black Mountain, Twilight Singers, Zach Hill and More Featured on Free Compilation

Our friends at Exploding In Sound have this exciting announcement of free music that they wanted to share: Wax Unwound is the brand new snarling monster of a compilation from Exploding In Sound. While little introduction is necessary for volume eight of our promotional compilation series, I honestly couldn't be happier with the end results. This is the collection we've all been waiting for, the one that will tear the paint from the walls with pure brilliant fury.

Ladies and gentlemen it is a thrill for me to announce Wax Unwound and it's unbelievably amazing line-up including Zach Hill, Pulled Apart By Horses, Black Mountain, The Twilight Singers, Young Widows, Monotonix, Ty Segall, Sky Larkin, Alain Johannes, Grandfather, Shapes, and many more of the absolute best bands out there [full tracklist at the full story link]. Waste no more time, DOWNLOAD NOW here. Please play this compilation at a high volume for maximum results.

Download The Entire Compilation For Free via FileDropper.com or Exploding In Sound's official BandCamp page. As always, the compilation is a 100% FREE digital download, containing artwork from the amazing TinyLittleHammers.com, band descriptions, links for further enjoyment, and more. I want to reach out and thank everyone who has helped put this collection together, especially the bands, their labels, and management. Without the help, interest, and cooperation of these incredible artists none of this would be possible, because after all this is about their music and artistic vision. I'd also like to thank the loyal Exploding In Sound fans for your continued support and belief! Full Story

Flaming Elton Tool

(Gibson) Steven Drozd, of the Flaming Lips, is set to release his soundtrack to the documentary The Heart is a Drum Machine on January 18, according to Spinner.com.

Perhaps even more interesting than an album's worth of music from the multi-instrumentalist is that soundtrack will feature an intriguing cover. Teaming up with Tool's Maynard James Keenan, Drozd delivers a version of Elton John's "Rocket Man."

The documentary comes from the producers behind the movie Moog and explores the human connection to music. It features appearances by Drozd's fellow Lip Wayne Coyne, former Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante, Spoon's Brit Daniel, Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins, X's John Doe, Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland and more. Actors Fairuza Balk, Elijah Wood and Jason Schwartzman also weigh in on the subject. more on this story

Tabloid Claims Paul McCartney Will Play The Royal Wedding

(Gibson) Paul McCartney is reportedly set to perform at this April's Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton in London.

"William and Kate have chosen their wedding list and Paul McCartney is their #1 choice to perform," a source told British tabloid The Daily Star. "He said he feels very privileged."

The same source added, "They can't think of anyone more perfect to kick off proceedings." more on this story

Guns N' Supercross

(PR) Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Dj Ashba will be performing the National Anthem at this Saturday's AMA Supercross (an FIM World Championship) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (January 8, 2011).

Saturday's AMA Supercross is one of the most anticipated events in extreme sports and showcases a talented group of riders all vying for championship spots.

The event will air LIVE on SPEED from Anaheim, CA on Saturday, January 8th at 7:00PM (PST). The qualifying rounds begin at 12:30PM (PST) with the main event taking place at 7PM (PST).

Songs Elvis and Bowie Could Have Shared

(Gibson) In her book, Stardust, Angie Bowie writes that David Bowie could do a "devastating" impersonation of Elvis Presley. Presley did, in fact, once consider recording a cover version of Bowie's 1976 hit, "Golden Years." Truth is, the two rockers had much in common, from a shared record label to Svengali-like managers to a preference for flashy jump suits. To commemorate their common birthday – January 8 – we thought it would be fun to consider a handful of songs the two could have shared.

10. "Golden Years" (1976): Bowie himself believed this single from his pioneering techno-soul album, Station to Station, would have been a perfect fit for Elvis. Thematically, the song could have served as a fine capstone to all that had gone before in The King's career. It would also have been interesting to hear what James Burton might have done with the track's angular, disco-fied guitar riff.

4. "Fame" (1975): What song in the Bowie canon could be more fitting for the world's most famous rock and roll pioneer? Performance-wise, Presley could have owned this 1975 hit, and could have imbued lines such as "got to get a rain check on pain" with a ringing authority emanating from his very soul. To have heard Presley take on an undiluted funk style – jumping headlong into a genre he never really embraced – would have been a treat as well. Check out the full list here

Oceano Contaminating The Coast Tour Starts Tonight

Oceano will kick off their Contaminating The Coast tour tonight in Albuquerque, NM.

Running throughout the month of January, the Contaminating The Coast tour will see the band get in front of their rabid western fans who have been waiting a long time for the band's return.

Trekking along with Oceano will be their friends, For The Fallen Dreams, Upon A Burning Body, The Great Commission and I The Breather. more on this story

Anniversary of Larry Williams' Death

(Gibson) On this day in 1980, Singer Larry Williams was found dead from a gunshot wound to his head in his Los Angeles, California, home at age 45.

Williams had the 1957 U.S. #5 and U.K. #21 single "Short Fat Fannie." He was also known for "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzie." The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dr. Feelgood, Flying Burrito Brothers, Johnny Winter, Little Richard, The Who, Ritchie Valens and Bill Haley and His Comets all covered his songs.

Gibson takes a look back: When it comes to the great rock and roll hitmakers of the 1950s, people usually think of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. But Larry Williams rarely comes to mind – perhaps because his name isn't as colorful – despite having a run of chart hits that were later covered by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and others. more on this story

Ian Moore Sets New Album Release

Ian Moore will release his seventh studio record, El Sonido Nuevo, on March 8th.

El Sonido Nuevo bridges the gap between the stylistic offshoots of his past few records and the guitar-slinging bravado that characterized his earlier, often bluesier, output. "The album is a retrenching in the face of a diffuse pop culture landscape," says Moore, now fronting power-pop trio the Lossy Coils for El Sonido Nuevo. "Every band has ten members, every movie is a sequel, there are 500 channels and nothing's on."

El Sonido Nuevo, due out March 8, 2011 on Seattle-based label Spark & Shine, distributed by Burnside Distribution, will be available in all formats including vinyl. Digital distribution on iTunes and the rest of the digital world will be through IODA. The iTunes release will have two bonus tracks not on the CD. The trio will perform songs from the new collection at a handful of Texas and Oklahoma concert dates beginning on March 3, leading up to shows at South by Southwest (March 15–20, 2011) in Austin, Texa more on this story

Lost In The Neko Case Trees Tour Dates

Lost In The Trees will be hitting the road for a series of North American tour dates.

On several nights the group will be opening for celebrated singer-songwriter Neko Case. more on this story

Triumph Issue Update

(hennemusic) Not a lot going on in Triumph-land these days, but at least the guys seem to be getting along.

"I had a nice dinner with Gil (Moore) and Mike (Levine) on Monday night," writes Rik Emmett in his latest update. "Lots of discussion and lively chit chat - Gil extended an open invitation to have me and Mike mix Marco's Secret Songbook at Metalworks. There's a lot of progress on the new Triumph website, and build-up of merch and other stuff. No - no gigs or touring in the immediate future."

However, Triumph fans in the Toronto-area can see Rik live up close n personal this Saturday: "I'm doing a promo guest thing at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on January 8, singing a few Triumph songs with the house band at around 10:30 p.m., if it all goes off on time. This is in support of CARAS and the Junos 40th anniversary, as they are having a theme night party celebrating the '80's." more on this story

22nd Century Ask Where's Howie?

(Two Bit Thug) Following up on 2009's successful debut CD "The Twenty Second Century, 22nd Century have released "Where's Howie?!!".

Produced by legendary rock producer John Webster (credits: Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Scorpians, Motley Crue) and mastered by Todd Simko (Pure), Where's Howie was recorded in Vancouver's Mushroom studios and released Jan 6, 2011 on Bugnut Records.

The 10 song CD includes covers of Martha and the Muffins "Echo Beach" and The Angel's (aka "Angel City") No Secrets which charted in Australia as high as #8 in 1980. more on this story