This Week's Top stories

Here are the top stories from this week's Day in Rock and the top Day in Rock digest stories

Free Linkin Park- Roots Star in Car Crash- YOB Nix Tour- Whitechapel Split- L.A. Guns Reunion- Pearl Jam Fanholes- Nine Inch Dragon- Geezer Butler Working- more

The Day in Rock Digest for 1/11/11: Linkin Park have teamed up with a group of official bootleggers to make sure fans attending their upcoming shows get a live recording of the concert - for free. more

The Roots' Dice Raw has issued a statement following a car accident in North Philadelphia last Wednesday (Jan. 5). "My car got totaled, my face got all cut up, my ankle and knee are f**ked and I still can't walk" more

According to Startribune.com, Wednesday night's (January 12th) makeup date by Ozzy Osbourne at Minneapolis, Minnesota's Target Center is being billed as an Evening With concert, which means there will not be an opening act more

Whitechapel and drummer Kevin Lane mutually decided to go their own ways and the Internet is already abuzz with rumors as to the reasons behind the split. Kevin offered a statement to answer fans questions as to why the drummer and the band parted ways here

Steel Train will be performing their single "Bullet" on Conan O'Brien tonight, Tuesday January 11th. For a bit or irony, watch them play the song on Letterman here

Helix vocalist Brian Vollmer has revealed that Danko Jones, Sean Kelly and Gerry McGee are among the musicians that have agreed to be interviewed in the band's upcoming reality show. more

GZR, the band featuring bassist Geezer Butler, appear to be back in some sort of action. Six years after the release of their last album, 2005's Ohmwork, GZR are involved in writing new material. more

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has been tapped to compose the music for David Fincher's English language adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." more

Billy Morrison has issued the following update: "The season premier of Showtime's amazing show, Californication, aired on Sunday night, and it's as good as ever. I am honored to say that I can be seen on the show in a guest star role alongside David Duchovny and Rob Lowe on Sunday, February 13th in episode #406, entitled 'Lawyers, Guns And Money'." more

Catalepsy and Ender will soon be touring the East Coast together. more

Dew-Scented, who announed the departure of guitarist Martin Walczak last week, have named Michael Hankel (ex-Erosion, Holy Moses) as the touring rhythm guitarist for their upcoming European tour more

Moonsorrow will release their new album, "Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa", via Spinefarm Records next month more

YOB have posted the following update online, in which it announces its decision to cancel the forthcoming European tour and Roadburn festival appearance: 'We regretfully must announce that YOB cannot appear at the Roadburn festival in April 2011. We are heartbroken to not be in attendance. more

L.A. Guns have announced that bassist Scott Griffin has rejoined the band, taking over for his replacement Kenny Kweens. L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis states, "Hi guys and a Happy New Year to everyone! Just a quick update for ya's. Kenny Kweens has decided to leave the band. We wish the best for Kenny and we really enjoyed having him with us over the last year and a half. We are delighted to have return with us Scotty Griffin!!! We'll hit the road on the 18th with Scott bringing back his RNR Sleaze Swagger to the band. Be sure to catch us out on the road!!" more

Grateful Dead fans attending this year's Sundance Film Festival may want to catch a special performance by founding band member Bob Weir in support of director Jim Kohlberg's rock-and-roll infused "The Music Never Stopped." more

The Wonder Years entered the studio this past weekend to record their upcoming Hopeless Records full-length with producer Steve Evetts (Saves The Day, Lifetime, Every Time I Die). more

Details are scant at the moment, but it looks like A Loss For Words and Such Gold will be releasing a split sometime in 2011 more

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a ruling that reinstated an antitrust lawsuit alleging major record labels conspired to fix prices and terms under which music would be sold over the Internet. more

Pavement is slated to appear on the Jan. 20 episode of the Food Network's pastry-based reality show, "Ace of Cakes." more

Less Than Jake have revealed the details for some upcoming reissues of Losing Streak and Hello Rockview. Both are due out March 1, 2011 and will feature revised artwork and a bonus DVD of live video recorded at various shows in their native Florida. more

A reader sent us word that there is a bit of drama in Pearl Jam land. The head of the Pearl Jam Ten Club, Tim Bierman, reportedly called some fans "a**holes" during his weekly satellite radio address. Apparently some fans have complained about a recent doubling of the fan club fee to $40 bucks. And a browse of their message board finds that others were upset about a physical copy of the fan club single. This isn't the first time Bierman is said to have called fans a**holes. The first time was in response to complaints about tour posters and he reportedly said "I'm REALLY sick of a**holes who think they're critics. Try it yourself. Start your own band. Run your own fan club." Who knew fan club managers started bands? Of course, whenever you get any group of people together there are bound to be complaints but.... Grunge Report has audio of the controversial episode of the radio show here. -

We Came As Romans Guitarist Hospitalized- iPhone Goes Verizon- Steven Tyler Denies Idol Censorship- Another Green Day Musical?- Brand New Glassjaw Song- more

The Day in Rock Digest for 1/12/11: We Came As Romans guitar player Joshua Moore is currently in a Nebraska hospital battling bacterial meningitis, a potentially life-threatening illness.

Billboard has good news for folks who don't like dropped calls but want an iPhone (though the EVO has surpassed the Apple devise in many users eyes). Verizon Wireless announced it will begin selling Apple's iPhone, ending rival AT&T's three-year exclusive on the iconic device. Verizon will carry the existing iPhone 4, not some new iPhone model. more

In reference to a promotional clip for American Idol in which Steven Tyler comes close to saying an inappropriate word, Tyler was asked at the Television Critics Association if he will have to go on a five-second delay for the Fox show. "F---, no," he said. more

On January 1st, Glassjaw released an EP called Our Color Green, compiling 5 "new" songs the band has been playing live since during the long wait for a new album since 2002's Worship And Tribute. We cynically figured it would be another year or two before anything more surfaced, but a brand new (truly new) track, called Gold, can be heard here

Glassjaw has also added a few new dates to its forthcoming headline tour of the United States. more

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong feels inspired to write his own musical after enjoying the success of the band's American Idiot show on Broadway. He tells the New York Times, "I think I'd be interested in the future of really getting into writing specifically for a show, that's something I'd really love to do. more

Check out an interview with Alain Johnannes (Them Crooked Vultures, QOTSA, Eleven, Chris Cornell) on the Mark Strigl Podcast. He shares some great stories about Josh Homme, Soundgarden his solo Spark album and touring with John Paul Jones. Listen here

The Who's Roger Daltrey, former Grand Funk Railroad singer and guitarist Mark Farner, AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams, Mountain guitarist Leslie West, Free/Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, 3 Doors Down and others will come together on Monday night January 17, 2011 in New York for a benefit concert for Farner's 21-year old son Jesse, who was seriously injured in a fall last summer. more

The Wonder Years and Fireworks will co-headline a spring tour with support from Such Gold, Make Do And Mend, and Living With Lions. more

The Strokes' new album set for 'March 22' release Leaked record label memo lists US release date more

Tim 'Ripper' Owens has revealed the dates for his forthcoming headline tour of Europe. The former Judas Priest and Iced Earth vocalist will be hitting seven cities across eastern Europe on his 'Screaming Through The East' trek. more

Drummer Michel "Away" Langevin of Voivod tells myTELUS in a new interview that the band is planning on releasing a live album and a new studio CD in 2011. In addition, the group is scheduled "to tour in Chile, USA, Europe and Russia." more

Fake Problems have launched a contest to give two people free tickets for each and every show in their upcoming tour more

Govt Mule, My Morning Jacket, the Warren Haynes Band, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes are all on board for the 2011 Mountain Jam Music Festival. more

Francis Rossi has been forced to cancel his UK solo tour scheduled to run between February 1 and 8. Rossi requires urgent surgery for a hernia complaint. more

The Measure [SA] are breaking up. Over the course of 7 years, the band has released 18 records, on just as many record labels. The band recently release their final full length Notes on No Idea Records. more

The Kills to release new album 'Blood Pressures'. Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince's fourth effort will be out April 4th in the UK. more

Johan Sohlberg has left Bloodbound in order to "focus on his career and family" and has been replaced by Anders Broman more

Toxic Holocaust has just finished recording new full-length at Dexters Lab in Milford, CT which is expected to be released in late spring. more

On this day in 1974, The Steve Miller Band were at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with "The Joker," the group's first of three #1 hits. It reached #1 on the U.K. chart when it was re-released in 1990.

On this day in 1983, Swedish percussionist with Traffic, Reebop Kwaku Baah, died from a brain hemorrhage in Stockholm, Sweden. Baah also worked with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker's Air Force, Can and The Rolling Stones. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here -

Ronnie James Dio Didn't Have To Die

(Rock AAA) Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell singer Ronnie James Dio would still be alive today if he'd had a medical check-up while his bandmates had theirs, says friend and bandmate Geezer Butler.

Dio died of cancer in May last year after a six-month battle against the disease. But Butler says the frontman had stage-four stomach cancer by the time it was discovered – and it was already too late for him.

The bassist tells Noisecreep: "By the time Ronnie was diagnosed it was inoperable. The doctor hinted it was just a matter of time and there was nothing they could do. They said if he'd gone in for a check-up a year or two earlier they could have treated him." - more on this story

Velvet Revolver Recording With New Singer

(hennemusic) Velvet Revolver have been doing some studio work with their potential new singer.

Drummer Matt Sorum posted an update to Twitter on Monday: "Did 4 days with an amazing singer and VR and have 9 killer demo tracks. Going to make the decision one way or another this week."

At least publicly, this sounds like things are further along than the band has been with any of the many singers who have auditioned to join VR. - more on this story

One Armed Def Leppard Tribute

(hennemusic) It pays to put the word out. Just ask the Dallas-based Def Leppard tribute band, Pyromania – they were looking for a one-armed drummer for their lineup and now seem to have on in place.

According to the Dallas Observer, when they called the phone number listed on the ad, the newspaper got the following message:

"If you're calling about the Dallas-based Def Leppard tribute band Pyromania...we found our one-armed drummer, and I wanna thank everyone who auditioned, but the position is filled." - more on this story

Corey Taylor Vs The Music Industry

(Rock AAA) After a week in which the British Phonographic Industry appeared to say they had a right to make profits regardless of the quality of music they were putting on offer, record labels are in the firing line again.

Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has slammed big companies for signing low-quality acts, and says that's the reason he doesn't blame people for pirating music.

"A lot of people in the industry want to blame downloading for the state of the business. But I think if most music wasn't s*** to begin with people wouldn't be downloading it for free," Taylor tells Kerrang. "Seriously – who wants to risk hard-earned money on music that's maybe 98 percent crap? I'm not going to. I still buy new albums, but people ask what my favourite new album is and nine times out of ten I don't have one. Music is garbage." - more on this story

Jesse Leach: Leakswitch Enrage

(Rock AAA) Former Killswitch Engage singer Jesse Leach has erupted in impotent rage after his upcoming album, which he calls "the record of my career", was leaked on the net two weeks ahead of its release.

Times of Grace is his new band with Killswitch guitarist and producer Adam Dutkiewicz, and their debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man is due out next Monday (January 17).

But a preview version has made its way into the wild – and although Leach knows it was inevitable, he's still furious about the situation. - more on this story

Steven Tyler Says Joe Perry is MIA

(Rock AAA) Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler wants to get back to work on the band's long-awaited next album – but the Boston giants are finding it difficult to locate guitarist Joe Perry.

The Toxic Twins' volatile relationship took the band to the edge of collapse in 2009, with Perry actively inviting singers to replace Tyler after the frontman distanced himself from his colleagues. They settled their differences and went back on the road, but Tyler's decision to become a judge on the American Idol TV gameshow upset Perry once more.

Now the singer feels he's had enough of a break from rock music, but he can't find his lead axeman. "As far as Joe goes, the guy's got LSD – Lead Strummer Disorder. I think the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of unrecorded Joe Perry licks floating around in the ether," Tyler tells Rolling Stone. "We've been brothers for ever and he's just going through his thing. I don't know where he is. But Joe, just come down to LA at the end of January – I've have enough downtime." - more on this story

Sorum Discusses Velvet Revolver's Plans

(hennemusic) Drummer Matt Sorum believes Velvet Revolver has something to prove. While there's hints that the band is close to making the final call on a certain singer – they've recorded demos of 9 songs with him - Jon Wiederhorn of AOL's Noisecreep talked to Sorum about the band's plans for the coming year.

Sorum says of auditioning new singers: "We tried out some fairly unknown guys and some guys that have been out there a little bit. But the guy we're really excited about know is a pretty known guy. I don't want to say anything yet because we're still in the dating phase. We haven't consummated the relationship or made a gentleman's agreement. So I can't let the cat out of the bag until there's an official stamp of approval on the deal."

When asked if he and Slash have already written material for the next album, he said: "Yeah, we've got some tunes. We've got some great riffs. We're trying to strip it down a little bit. There's some good stuff. I would say we've probably got about four or five pretty good contenders with lyrics for stuff I'd be happy on a record. It's definitely rocking. But overall, we don't have too much music yet, because we're gonna just get in there and do it. The beauty about being in a band with these guys for so many years is we know what we've all got to offer on that front. So we don't have to pre-think things a whole lot. Even though we can dabble in ballads and play in other styles, we're pretty much comfortable being in a rock 'n' roll unit. We don't have to make ourselves something that we aren't. We're traditional in that sense." - more on this story

RIP MySpace?

(Rock AAA) Once the focus of online activity for bands of all shapes and sizes, MySpace took another step closer to oblivion after owners NewsCorp slashed the staff down to a skeleton crew.

Out of 1100 employees worldwide 500 will lose their jobs in the coming weeks as Rupert Murdoch's media empire seeks to sell the service off as a slimmed-down going concern.

The move follows MySpace China laying off two thirds of its staff last month, although the news only broke yesterday. - more on this story

Arctic Monkeys Begin New Album

(Gibson) Arctic Monkeys have begun work on their fourth album, which will be produced by James Ford. NME.com reports that the sessions began in late 2010 in London and are continuing now in Los Angeles.

Frontman Alex Turner and the band are hoping the put out the record in late spring of this year. The album, as yet untitled, will be the Sheffield foursome's follow-up to 2009's Humbug, which was a co-production between Ford and Josh Homme. Ford also worked on the Monkeys' second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, as well as Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future and Florence and the Machine's Lungs.

Expect Arctic Monkeys to tour in 2011, too. The band have already confirmed a headlining slot at Ireland's Oxegen Festival in July and are expected to participate in V Festival and other U.K. shows. - more on this story

Preaching Metallica

(Gibson) A pastor in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been preaching the good word of… Metallica? Yes, and 49-year-old pastor John Van Sloten recently wrote about the experience in his new book, The Day Metallica Came to Church: Searching for the Everywhere God in Everything. Blabbermouth.net reports that The Miracle Channel's Ufonic recently conducted an interview with the "pop culture pastor," during which he told the story of how he began using Metallica lyrics in his sermons.

"Some kid asked me at church to preach Metallica. I sort of said, 'Yeah, sure,' and told him I'd pray about it, which is how we slough people off, and then the next day someone from our church called me with Metallica tickets," Van Sloten said. "So my wife and I went to Metallica and had an experience there, in a very deep communal sense that these people are all sharing a lament and a feeling of injustice about how screwed up the world is. That got my heart into it so I went back and read all the lyrics and as I was reading their lyrics I would have a biblical truth or a scriptural passage come at the same time."

Van Sloten was inspired to begin employing Metallica songs, including "Creeping Death," in his work as a pastor at the Christian Reformed New Hope Chuch. "Metallica wrote ['Creeping Death'] based on the 10 plagues and the Exodus," he said. "Basically you are quoting the same episode. I saw these connections between biblical truth and Metallica as heavy metal truth. When you put them side by side, it convinced me that Metallica had to be preached." - more on this story

Jesse Leach's New Album Streaming Online

Times of Grace's new album, The Hymn of a Broken Man, is streaming in full online at ARTISTdirect.

Times of Grace brings back together Jesse Leach (original Killswitch Engage singer) and Adam D. (original and current KsE member, guitars now, drums then). Stream the album here

Roadrunner sent this info over: Times of Grace's The Hymn of a Broken Man hits retail on January 18th. They will kick off their first tour in February and plan to remain active and in your face through 2011. - more on this story

Blink-182 Discover That Nice Guys Finish Late

(Rock AAA) Blink-182 were so cautious about reuniting they wound up being too nice to each other to inspire any new music, says bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus.

The three-piece were more intent on preserving their relationship than being honest with each other, making it nearly impossible to develop a creative dynamic in the studio.

They reformed in 2009 after four years apart following a plane crash in which drummer Travis Barker nearly died, an event which brought the old friends back together. After a time they got over their initial over-sensitivity and the new record will be released later this year, along with a documentary detailing the process. - Mark explains

Green Day Set March Release Date

(Gibson) Green Day have a new live album, titled Awesome as [Expletive], coming out. The release, recorded during the band's tour to support 21st Century Breakdown, is due on March 15.

Green Day recently released a trailer for the album (watch it below), featuring a 2009 performance of "Know Your Enemy." Billie Joe Armstrong and pals also revealed that Awesome as [Expletive] will come as a two-disc, CD/DVD set. This is the second time Green Day have done this, having released the CD/DVD set Bullet in a Bible in 2005.

A track list has yet to be announced, but "Know Your Enemy" and other 21st Century Breakdown tracks are a good bet. So is the unreleased "Cigarettes," which was played during Green Day's summer 2010 tour, and accompanied Armstrong's first hints about the live album when they were in Denver. - more on this story

Elton John Hitting The Road

(Gibson) Elton John has lined up more U.S. dates, including two shows at Madison Square Garden in New York. Popmatters.com reports that Elton John and his band will perform his best-known songs as part of the Greatest Hits Live concert tour.

After Elton John's critically acclaimed album with Leon Russell, The Union, the pair have recorded a Celebrity Podcast for iTunes.

The two rock and roll veterans discuss their collaboration, working with T-Bone Burnett and their views on Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan and eight-inch high heels. - more on this story

Late Night Social Distortion and Full Album Stream

Social Distortion will perform on late-night talk show Conan on January 18 (11/10PM CT), the release date of their new album, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.

In anticipation of the performance and upcoming release, Social Distortion are streaming the new record in its entirety beginning today at SocialDistortion.com.

For every 100,000 streams of the new album, the price of Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes will drop on Amazon.com's preorder by one dollar (up to 500,000 streams). - more on this story

Free Mogwai

Check out Mogwai's "San Pedro," another track from their new album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.

The album will be released on February 15, 2011 on Sub Pop Records in North America, and through the band's very own label in the UK, Rock Action Records.

The track "Rano Pano" from the upcoming album will also be released as a 7" single on January 18th via Sub Pop, with the non-album track "Hasenheide" as the B-side. - Grab the song here

Bright Eyes Add Tour Dates

(Gibson) Bright Eyes will be releasing their latest (and possibly final) album in about a month. The People's Key is due internationally on February 14 and in the U.S. on February 15. To promote the new record, Conor Oberst and pals are hitting the road, and they've just announced a new batch of dates.

Bright Eyes already had New York's Radio City Music Hall, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium and London's Royal Albert Hall in their sights. Now they've added more European stops (Scotland, Germany and Sweden, among them) and more North American dates (including Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).

The band have also announced openers for much of the tour, who include Cursive, Superchunk, Mynabirds, Wild Flag, Felice Brothers, Middle Brother and Man Man on different stops. - more on this story

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Frontman Alexander Ebert Sets Solo Release

Vagrant sent over word that Alexander Ebert, lead singer of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, will be releasing his debut solo album Alexander on March 1st via Community Music (Rough Trade will release the album in Europe on February 28th).

The album will include ten brand new songs that Alexander wrote and composed entirely himself.

During breaks from touring with the Zeroes over the past year, Alexander began building and recording the pieces that would become the songs for this album alone in his bedroom. Before this album, all of the music he worked on had been collaborative, especially with the 10-person Magnetic Zeroes. "I wanted to be able to build an album basically with my hands, like building a house by myself," Alexander remarked of his inspiration for making this album without outside help. - more on this story

Slash Talks Hendrix

(Gibson) Slash has always worn his influences on his sleeve, be they Aerosmith or the Stones or Cream. One artist who had a massive impact on his formative years was Jimi Hendrix. With songs like "Purple Haze" and "Machine Gun" constantly spinning on his parents' turntable, young Saul Hudson soaked in the energy and the feel of Seattle's favorite son until it became part of his musical D.N.A. The Chapeaued Shredder sat down recently with The Quietus for an extended interview specifically about Hendrix and his enduring influence.

"I think the attraction with Jimi was just that he had this uninhibited, fluid guitar style that basically screamed," recalled Slash. "It had this over-the-top sound to it that just kind of drew me in. I think all of my favorite guitar players have a sort of manic quality to them."

He continued, "The thing about Jimi is that he was American born and with a talent from on high, but was discovered by an English crew that brought him over to London where everything was really happening and they appreciated him for what he was. It's sort of funny, because you think of all the really amazing rock guitarists that were coming out at that time… basically the English rock guitarists were all a bunch of white kids who wanted to be black and play that kind of guitar, and then there's this black kid coming from America who kind of brings it part and parcel from over there and everybody just stands back and says, 'Wow!' Everyone was tripping out on Jimi, who's really the sort of embodiment of that young lead guitar player, using a lot of distortion, a lot of feedback… it must have been interesting being, say, Jeff Beck at the time." - more on this story

Does It Offend You, Yeah? Set New Release

Does It Offend You, Yeah? are set to release Don't Say We Didn't Warn You on March 15 on The End Records/Cooking Vinyl.

Subsequently, the band will be touring the states supporting Linkin Park starting January 20th.

Says frontman James Rushent, "I think it's about time we have a f***ing mess. We want to perform music that, if we heard it, we'd go 'oh, who's that?' rather than 'here's another f***ing '60s soul artist.' [The 18 months spent recording the album] was stressful, panicky and hard work. It's the nature of how we work. It's like trying to put a jigsaw together where you don't know what the picture is at the end." - more on this story

Why Eddie Van Halen Attended Ex Wife's Wedding

(hennemusic) When Valerie Bertinelli married longtime boyfriend Tom Vitale on New Year's day at the couple's Malibu home, some people wondered why her ex-husband – Eddie Van Halen – was in attendance.

"I think it's really important that you never, ever, hate your ex more than you love your children, and I've never hated Ed, so I'm lucky," Valerie told Access Hollywood at the "Hot In Cleveland" Season 2 premiere on Monday night in Los Angeles.

"I think, as adults, we need to — because we're disrupting their lives and they don't have any say about it — we're the ones that have to be grown ups and behave and treat each other with dignity and kindness, because it's for our children's sake." - more on this story

Michael Stipe Nearly Died

(Gibson) R.E.M.'s enigmatic frontman Michael Stipe has revealed the incident that caused his fear of the outdoors. According to the Daily Express, Stipe almost died at 14 years of age on a mountaineering trip with the Boy Scouts.

He told the New York Post, "I nearly died at 14. I was a Boy Scout lost on top of a mountain. It was very cold, wet and horrific. My father thought I was dead. First stage of hypothermia is uncontrollable shivers. Then, hallucinations. Then you fall asleep – then you're gone. I had the first two stages."

Stipe believes that the harrowing incident scarred him for life and contributed to his fear of the outdoors. "When I got home I went inside and almost never came out," he said. "I've since developed a fear of the outdoors." - more on this story

Norma Jean Explosions II Tour With Of Legends and Impending Doom

Norma Jean have announced a new headlining tour, "Explosions II," which will kick off in Dallas on February 24th at The Loft and conclude in their home town of Atlanta on March 25th.

Of Legends and Impending Doom will be supporting Norma Jean, with Stick To Your Guns joining the package starting March 3rd.

"We will be playing a lot of songs that we haven't played in a long time and some that have never been played at all, old and new. It will be one of the most eclectic sets we've ever played for sure," said vocalist Cory Brandan. "I think of any headlining tour we've done to this point, this is the show to come to if you are a true Norma Jean fan. Doesn't matter what record is your favorite, we'll be playing something from it. We're very excited and are working really hard to make sure it's going to be excellent." - more on this story

Earth Crisis Working On Next Album

Earth Crisis have entered the studio to begin work on their next studio album which is expected to be released this summer.

Scott Crouse comments, "So we began tracking our 6th full length album this week!

"We are really excited to work with Zeuss on this one, we have no doubt he will do this recording sonic justice! Hmm, maybe that's what we'll call the record? Stay tuned for some videos of the recording process! -

Slash Joins Ozzy At Sunset Strip Event

(Gibson) On Monday afternoon, the Sunset Strip got a visit from the Prince of Darkness. Ozzy Osbourne visited the Strip's Guitartown and signed a one-of-a-kind, 10-foot-tall fiberglass Gibson Les Paul in front of the House of Blues.

The Ozzy guitar joins an impressive array of 25 giant Gibsons on Sunset Strip, honoring the rock stars, people and places that have made it such a legendary locale.

The signing also marked the launch of the second leg of Ozzy's U.S. arena tour, which includes a Los Angeles area performance at the Gibson Amphitheatre on February 1. Osbourne's longtime friend and occasional collaborator Slash, who will open that evening's concert, was also on-hand at the signing. - Check out photos here

Long Distance Calling Offer Up Free Song Download

(Freeman) Instrumental rockers Long Distance Calling have made their brand new track "The Figrin D'an Boogie" available as free download.

"Dear friends, a new year just started, so we figured it was high time for a small, belated gift to you. We are a little proud about presenting a first song from our upcoming album to you, it's a track called 'The Figrin D'an Boogie'. Some of you might have already heard it during our shows in the fall of last year. However, we cannot wait for your feedback now that you can check it out in its full glory and as often as you like. It is definitely a representation of what you can expect from the new album.

"Short before Christmas we even found the time to shoot a video-clip for the opening track 'Into The Black Wide Open'. It is still a bit tough to say when we will be able to show it to you, but you can already check out a few behind the scenes underneath. It got damn late and cold during the shooting, but it was worth it." - Check it out here

Rush To Record New Album

(hennemusic) The 2011 Rush schedule includes plans to record a new album in the fall, once the tour wraps up; guitarist Alex Lifeson shared an update on things with U.K.'s Guitarist magazine.

Alex Lifeson: "Originally the plan was to get back into writing and then recording this year but this tour was so successful with the demand for us to carry on and play a little bit longer. So we played with the ideas and as we got closer to the end of the tour we realized we were going to get a lot of push to continue it. And we wanted to, we didn't think we were going to have quite as much fun as we've had with it.

"The whole idea of doing 'Moving Pictures' and not sharing it, particularly in the U.K., was a real concern of ours. So Ged and I will get back to writing in the New Year. We'll get through the Christmas holidays and start writing through January and February. We only have two or three more songs that we feel we need for the album. So we can start reworking the material and get it in great shape. Then we'll prepare for the tour in March, finish in July, take the summer off then start work in earnest in September." - more on this story

Filming Done On Ozzy Osbourne Film

(hennemusic) Jack Osbourne has told Artisan News Service that his documentary – "Wreckage Of My Past: The Ozzy Osbourne Story" – has completed filming and is now in post-production.

"Wreckage Of My Past" is billed as "an intimate documentary that delves deep into the life of music icon Ozzy Osbourne. A sober Ozzy has reached a point of clarity as he looks back on a lifetime of unparalleled success, misdiagnosed disease, unrelenting fear and a recurring dependency on drugs and alcohol. This is a film about reconciling the past and looking toward the future."

The film is currently being shopped to film festivals, and should be in theatres this year. - more on this story

Nine Inch Nails May Tour Again

(Rock AAA) Despite playing Nine Inch Nails' farewell tour in 2009, Trent Reznor says he might bring the band back to the live arena in the future.

Reznor tells the New York Times "Will I tour again? Certainly. Will Nine Inch Nails play shows again? I'm not saying it's out of the question. But there's no tour planned."

In a light-hearted aside he refers to the tradition of farewells never quite being what they were meant to be in rock music, saying: "Gene Simmons called me up and told me, 'Just say it's your last tour – that always keeps the fans coming'. - more on this story

Mini Van Halen Guitars

(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen fans can now get their hands on miniature replicas of the legendary guitars made famous by one of the most-imitated players in music history.

Billed as "Eddie's Famous Axes Collection," miniature guitar maker Axe Heaven presents a collection of three of EVH's most famous guitars.

Here's the blurb from Axe Heaven: "We have handcrafted these legendary collectible miniature guitars with meticulous detail. All of the vintage details have been added, including front and back paint details, all-metal nut and bolt miniature tuning keys, screw details on the pick guards, and much more." - more on this story

KISS Garden Gnomes

(Gibson) KISS have never been shy of investigating and seizing marketing opportunities, from condoms to coffins, and soon fans will be able to adorn their gardens with little gnome versions of the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman and the Catman.

KISS offered a sneak peek of the gnome designs on their official website this week. The picture as presented on the site presents an artist's rendition of the four band members standing guard over a suburban garden in the dark. A little tweaking via image editing software reveals a little more detail, but not enough to determine whether the Catman and Spaceman figures are based on Peter Criss and Ace Frehley or Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.

The gnomes are being released by licensee Grilla Cover. Grilla Cover sources and manufactures licensed products for properties including the U.S. Army, Canadian Football League and Tattoo Johnny. - more on this story

Primal Scream Shoot Down Kylie Minogue

(Gibson) When Aussie pop Queen Kylie Minogue asked indie rockers Primal Scream to work on an album with her they turned the prolific hitmaker down.

According to Britain's Daily Express, Kylie met up with Bobby Gillespie and Co. after a gig in Australia and approached them about collaborating.

Gillespie, however, turned her down, explaining to Q magazine: "We met her twice – at a photo shoot and then she came to a gig in Australia. She was lovely. I think she was looking for us to write a song for her and make a record with her. But we were having problems even writing songs for ourselves at that point. So it never happened." - more on this story

70s Pearl Jam

(hennemusic) Pearl Jam are having some fun with the promotion for their new album, "Live On Ten Legs," due out next week.

The new live compilation features 18 Pearl Jam tracks captured over the course of the band's 2003-2010 world tours by recording engineer, John Burton.

Pearl Jam have released a third promo for the disc, and this one has a real 70s "K-Tel Records" vibe. The new promo was voiced by Eddie Vedder himself – check it out - here

Helmet, St. Vitus, Crowbar for Metalliance Tour

The 2011 Metalliance Tour lineup has officially been announced, the inaugural trek will feature Helmet, Saint Vitus and Crowbar.

The festival tour will run through the U.S. from March 17th through April 5th.

Helmet will perform their 1992 platinum-selling release of Meantime in its entirety. The Interscope Records release gave the band mainstream attention with songs like "Unsung" and "In The Meantime". With the
band's renewed success after getting back together in 2004, this tour will be one of the most anticipated of 2011. - more on this story

P.O.D., Dredg and members of Anthrax, Atreyu, and Papa Roach To Play One Love for Deftones Chi

One Love For Chi Returns to Slidebar with the 2nd Annual All-Star Jam & Charity Auction for Chi Cheng of Deftones - NAMM Weekend 2011

P.O.D., Dredg, Brian 'HEAD" Welch along with members of Anthrax, Atreyu, and Papa Roach just some of the artists scheduled to take the stage.

Since November 2008, bassist of modern rock pioneers DEFTONES, Chi Cheng, has remained hospitalized in what doctors have called a "minimally conscious" state. Since the accident, the One Love for Chi organization has banded together to help raise funds to meet the growing costs of Cheng's medical bills. Rooted in a network of musicians all closely connected with Chi throughout his prolific career, this second annual benefit pulls together some of music's biggest names, all to perform 'reach-out-and-touch-em' intimate performances, all in Cheng's name. - more on this story

Reel Big Fish Lose Member and Announce Dates With Aquabats

Reel Big Fish have announced the departure of a member and the resumption of their tour with Aquabats.

The tour will kick off on January 13th in Little Rock, AR and will include Suburban Legends and Koo Koo Kangaroo.

RBF then head overseas with Suburban Legends in tow, from February 4 to March 7. New Riot and The Skints will round out the bill on select dates. - more on this story

British Sea Power Explain Valhalla Dancehall

(Gibson) British Sea Power have just released their fifth studio album, Valhalla Dancehall. Featuring the single, "Living is So Easy," the album is a follow-up to the soundtrack for Man of Aran. Singer Yan (Scott Wilkinson) sat down with ClashMusic.com to discuss the disc, including its rather colorful title.

"The title evolved as a place to house what we'd done," Yan explained. "'Valhalla Dancehall' is this fictitious, imaginary place that we had to make up as a place that could house all these songs. Imagine all these different rooms and different things going on in them all at the same time. We're in the same house, but different rooms. So with the songs, we had a certain structure to fit into this word and atmosphere, but there wasn't really any limit to what could come out or what was possible. Each song kept getting longer and longer."

He went on to explain the evolving songwriting process that went into the creation of the album: "So writing the record was sort of productive, but a bit of a mess in a way, because we were trying to find new ways of working and new ways of making songs. And I think that every time a song was around and we'd start working on another song, we'd try to avoid going down that same route. I think that's why perhaps it's the widest collection of songs that we've done." - more on this story

The World According to Slash

(Gibson) In his fast-paced 45 years, Slash has weathered enough ups and downs to pick up some lessons and anecdotes worth sharing—so much so that the rock and roll guru wrote a memoir in 2007 about his life and 10-year tenure with Guns N' Roses. Coming from a guy who says he used to plow through "one and two bottles of Jack Daniel's a night" during the '80s, he had to dig deep to remember things clearly enough to write about them. Slash's engrossing autobiography is not the only place to learn about one of the world's best living guitarists. We've also mined his interviews from years past to come up with these 10 nuggets.

On serendipity, as stated in his 2007 autobiography Slash: "If it had been any different, if I had been born just one minute later, or been in the wrong place at the right time or vice versa, the life that I've lived and come to love would not exist. And that is a situation that I would not want to consider in the slightest."

On his L.A. upbringing, as told to the Los Angeles Times in August 2010: "In the 1970s, my family moved from England to the Laurel Canyon area, and my parents were very much dialed in to the whole Sunset Strip scene. They were both in the music business, and the whole reason we lived where we did was because of the recording industry. So I have very vivid memories of the Rainbow and the Roxy, and the Whisky was a huge point of interest at that time. And we practically lived at Tower Records. It was all so great; that's where I brought my band up. It was such a scene. I still live close to the Strip, just up the hill, and when people are visiting from out of town, the first place I send them is the Rainbow. I still go to the Roxy and the Viper Room every so often. The Rainbow and Viper Room are almost like in a time warp. They are cryptically unchanged. You see people you haven't seen for 20 years, and they pretty much look the same now as they did then. It's sort of a trip because I'm probably one of them." - Read the other 8 here

Coheed and Cambria To Play Debut Album in Full On American Tour

Coheed and Cambria announced their plans this spring to perform their debut album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, in it is entirety in 22 cities across the US and in Toronto, Canada.

The "Evening with" format will also feature a rare 30-40 minute acoustic set, as well as an extra set of songs from other albums.

In 2001, Coheed and Cambria solidified their lineup and began playing shows as a band. They also started work in singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez's bedroom on what would become their groundbreaking debut album on Equal Vision Records. In the ten years since, the band have released five studio albums, three live DVDs, and established themselves as one of the world's great rock bands with one of the fiercest followings known in any genre. - more on this story

Coldplay To Tackle Love and Addiction on New Album

(Gibson) Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has refuted reports that the group's next recording will be a concept album, instead describing it as "a thinly veiled account of what happens within the group" touching on "love, addiction, OCD, escape and working for someone you don't like."

Martin told BBC's Radio 1 that the album, the band's fifth, is "supposed to be about life, the good stuff and the bad stuff. Everything." He also noted that the album is about "two like-minded outsiders who meet in a very difficult environment and therefore have a journey together," and added that it contained "lots of uplifting stuff."

Drummer Will Champion added, "There's a phrase which my wife told me from a book, I can't remember which book, but a man is asked, 'Are you married?' And he says, 'Yes, of course I'm married. I have a wife, kids, the whole catastrophe.'" Champion then elaborated, "Catastrophe just means something big and seismic but not necessarily bad. It's all about embracing the whole thing. Appreciating the good and bad and realizing it's all part of life." - more on this story

Robert Plant Producer Pat Moran Dies

(Gibson) Record producer Pat Moran, who had worked with Robert Plant, Lou Gramm and Big Country, has died, according to ClassicRockMagazine.com.

Moran passed away after a decades-long battle with a debilitating disease. Moran worked as a producer and engineer on many high-profile recordings.

His résumé includes: Robert Plant's Pictures at Eleven and Principal of Moments, Lou Gramm's Ready or Not, Danny Wilde's Any Man's Hunger, Iggy Pop's Soldier, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars as well as work with Big Country, Jon Butcher Axis, Tom Cochrane, John Miles Transition and others. -

Guns N' Roses National Anthem Video

(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba was on hand for some ceremonies in Anaheim on Saturday.

Ashba performed the national anthem at the AMA Supercross (an FIM World Championship) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Ashba promoted the appearance on Twitter, saying. "I will be performing The National Anthem in front of 60,000 at Angel Stadium Jan. 8th for the AMA Super Motor Cross to kick off the Season!! Hope to see you all there! Come say hi!!" - Check it out here

Ricky Warwick Excited With Thin Lizzy Gig

(Rock AAA) New Thin Lizzy frontman Ricky Warwick still can't believe he's in the band that inspired him – and he still gets a shock when he realizes the iconic logo is behind him on stage.

The former Almighty singer, Def Leppard guitarist Viv Campbell and ex-Whitesnake bassist Marco Mendoza joined up with Lynott-era members Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton last year to start work on a 2011 tour. They're on the road now and receiving rave reviews – and Warwick believes Lynott, who died 25 years ago last week, would approve of how they're respecting his legacy.

"We all know it's not going to be the same. It's got to be different because Phil is irreplaceable," the frontman tells RockAAA "People keep saying to me, 'Those are really big shoes to fill' – but I'm not filling his shoes. There will only ever be one Phil Lynott and that's it. We can't replace him. What we can do is go out there and play his songs with a passion, a spirit and an energy and try to make them as vibrant as we can. And that's what we are doing." - more on this story

Sh*t Music Killing Music Biz?- Beastie Boy Not Cancer Free- New Remy Zero Song- Singer Hospitalized After Van Crash- Nikki 80-Sixx's Richards- More Disturbed Korn- more

The Day in Rock Digest for 1/10/11: Slipknot star Corey Taylor has defended fans who illegally download songs from the internet, insisting no one wants to pay for "garbage" modern music. "I think that if most music wasn't s**t to begin with people wouldn't be downloading this stuff for free." Say Amen and read more

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch released a statement on the group's email mailing list, stating that reports of him being cancer-free are "exaggerated". "I'm continuing treatment, staying optimistic and hoping to be cancer free in the near future." more

We Are Defiance (Tragic Hero Records) were involved in a van accident this weekend which left their vocalist briefly hospitalized. The group apparently flipped their van after encountering black ice near Madisonville, KY.more

After reuniting in 2010 in honor of their late drummer Gregory Slay, Remy Zero have released a new song titled "Til' The End," the first new music from the band in over nine years. more

A new batch of dates have been added to the current edition of the 'Music As A Weapon Tour.' The tour featuring co-headliners Disturbed and Korn with support coming from Sevendust and In This Moment will now reach an additional eight cities across the United States. more

The Black Keys made a celebrated stop on Saturday Night Live this weekend, rocking two tracks off their 2010 album Brothers. Enjoy Howlin' For You: more

Amon Amarth will be joined by The Black Dahlia Murder for a spring tour of Europe more

Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson has announced three solo shows in the U.S. next month more

For what it's worth: Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx's winter romance with Denise Richards is over, according to reports. more

Sick Of It All and Comeback Kid will be touring South America in March more

Autopsy will enter Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in early February with producer Adam Munoz to begin recording their new album, "Macabre Eternal", for a spring release via Peaceville Records. more

Sin IV Ages has parted ways with drummer Kim Gustavsson more

Just because MTV doesn't play music anymore doesn't mean there's not tons of live music on television these days. Find out what's playing this week here

Former Whitechapel drummer Kevin Lane is reportedly doing session work with the Knoxville, Tennessee-based experimental black/death metal band The Looking Glass Self. more

Vomitory have finished the recordings for their eighth studio album entitled Opus Mortis VIII. more

Bloody Sign has decided to split up after 15 years of devotion to death metal. more

Gods And Queens are set to release their new four song EP, via the Sons Of Vesta label this February. more

Mandatory Metal for Monday. Check out today's selection here

On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley made his first recordings for RCA Records at the United Methodist Television, Radio and Film Studios in Nashville. "Heartbreak Hotel" was one of the songs recorded during this session.

On this day in 1981, John Lennon's Double Fantasy album started an eight-week run at #1 on the U.S. chart. "Just Like Starting Over" was at #1 on the U.S. singles chart.

On this day in 2001, American guitarist-songwriter Bryan Gregory, died after suffering a heart attack in Anaheim, California at the age of 46. He was a founding member of The Cramps. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here -

Paramore's Hayley Williams Feels Victimized By Former Guitarist

(Rock AAA) Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has lashed back at former guitarist Josh Farro by saying she wrote most of the lyrics on the band's last album about him.

He says the band were made to feel like no more than a backing outfit for Williams. But she's responded by claiming she felt her "face was underneath a boot all the time" because of Farro, who she dated for a while – and she wrote the album on behalf of all bullied women in the world.

She tells MTV: "There are a lot of specifics I pulled from my experience with just feeling like my face was underneath a boot all the time. I felt so alone in that fight. I would never want another young woman to feel that way. There are a lot of girls I've talked to who go through the same thing in relationships and families. It just sicks to feel kinda victimised." - more on this story

Hear An Unreleased Phil Lynott Song

(Rock AAA) An unreleased Phil Lynott track has appeared online on the 25th anniversary of the Thin Lizzy star's death.

The Story of My Life features Snowy White on guitar and was recorded during 1981 sessions which spawned the unsuccessful single Trouble Boys.

At the time band members weren't clear on whether they were recording for the upcoming Lizzy album, Renegade, or working on solo Lynott material. - Check it out and read more

Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax Double Platinum

(hennemusic) Metal's "Big 4," Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, are sure on to something.

The four bands teamed up for a series of seven shows on last year's Sonisphere Festival through Europe, including one stop that made it into movie theaters and on home DVD.

"The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria" DVD and Blu-ray, containing footage of the June 22nd, 2010 Sonisphere cinecast from the Sofia, Bulgaria stop, has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. - more on this story

Slash, Tom Morello, Corey Taylor and Chester Bennington On Travis Barker Album

(Gibson) While Blink-182 are working on their reunion album, drummer Travis Barker has also been prepping a solo album. Barker got some all-star guests to contribute to Give the Drummer Some, which will come out in February, according to Blabbermouth.net.

Among those appearing on the album: Slash, Tom Morello, Corey Taylor (of Slipknot and Stone Sour), Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) and rappers RZA, Lil Wayne and Lupe Fiasco. The CD was produced by The Neptunes, DJ Khalil and Barker and is set for a February 22 release.

"I just love music. The more I can be around it the better, so with my album it's no one genre," Barker told Spinner.com last year. "It goes from everything from punk rock to hip-hop to some electro stuff on there to a metal song with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. It's been really fun and interesting up 'til now." - more on this story

Rammstein Vs Apocalyptica

(Rock AAA) Cello metal band Apocalyptica have been fined for infringing German outfit Rammstein's rights by making an inaccurate claim while marketing their 2007 album Worlds Collide.

The record featured a guest appearance from Rammstein singer Till Lindemann, but a sticker on the album cover stated the entire band could be heard.

Now a German court has agreed the misleading claim amounts to copyright infringement, and has fined Apocalyptica €45,000 (approximately £38,000 of $60,000). - more on this story

Metallica Still Hold Record

(Gibson) At the close of 2010, Metallica's Metallica (the "Black Album") remains the biggest selling album of the SoundScan era. The Metallica disc has sold 15,620,000 units since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.

The album boasted sales of 120,000 last year. Shania Twain's Come on Over ranks second in sales during the era, with Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill holding the third spot.

Nielsen's SoundScan further reports that U.S. album sales, in total, decreased by 12.7 percent in 2010, a slump that matches the drop in sales that occurred in 2009. Americans purchased 326,200,000 albums in 2010. - more on this story

Call for AC/DC, Metallica, Ozzy, The Who, Queen, Def Leppard Ban

(Rock AAA) Eccentric blog the Donnybrook Writing Academy has published a list of tracks including a stack of rock classics which should be banned from the airwaves.

The Who, Queen, Springsteen, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Metallica, Ozzy and Soundgarden all make the 'bottom 100′ alongside the Led Zeppelin and George Thorogood ones.

Author Colonel Hector Bravado says: "Some of these songs we love. Some of them, if they were people, we'd burn to death in front of their families. But what do they have in common? All have succumbed to the putrefaction of overplay. None of them should be played anywhere for any reason." - Check out the list here

Crosby, Stills and Nash Part Ways With Rick Rubin

(Gibson) Crosby, Stills and Nash are no longer working with producer Rick Rubin on their planned covers album.

According to the Daily Express, the trio have also reportedly split from Columbia, the label backing the album. The group's official statement says: "We have amicably parted ways with both Rick Rubin and Columbia."

Rubin, who produced critically acclaimed comeback albums for Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, was working with CSN on an album of songs by The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead. - more on this story

Of Mice & Men Address Austin Carlile Reunion and Lineup Changes

Of Mice & Men have issued a statement about the return of their original vocalist Austin Carlile as well as announcing another lineup change. Here is what they had to say:

So an entire year of touring on our debut album has come to an end and the approaching date of entering the studio to make our next album has come closer and closer, it's become time for us to decide the kind of album we want to make, for us, as well as for all of you!

With having recently made amends with our original vocalist, Austin Carlile, and not after discussing all of our previous disputes and issues we've had with each other (like any other relationship, its not always a friendly exchange of happy words) we've collectively decided to return to, or as close to, our original lineup as we could. - more on this story

RIP Y&T's Phil Kennemore

(hennemusic) For those that missed the sad news on Friday: (hennemusic) Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore has lost his battle with cancer, dead at 57.

Y&T leader Dave Meniketti made the announcement: It is with profound sadness and disbelief that I tell you that my best buddy for 37 years passed away this morning, January 7, 2011 at 1am at Stanford Hospital. Bravely and steadfastly battling the horrible spectacle of lung cancer, at the end he was surrounded by his family members, and the Y&T family up until his final breath.

All the beautiful things that I could say about my buddy Phil could never be summed up in a short sentence or two, and I promise that I will be back to say so much more about how I feel about him and his talents in due time. But for now, at 3am, after just having returned home from his passing, let me at least put this out there. - more on this story

Helloween's Michael Kiske Asked To Join Iron Maiden?

The latest episode of the Mars Attacks Podcast features the second half of the interview with Michael Kiske.

Items discussed during this interview are his thoughts on metal, and the many rumors surrounding the supposed love/hate relationship he has with metal and its fans. The rumors surrounding being asked to join Iron Maiden.

He admits to listening to Helloween albums he wasn't a part of, and his currently relationship with the members of Helloween. Aside from all of this, he goes on to discuss what the future holds in store for his project with Amanda Somerville and Unisonic. - Check it out here

The Hold Steady, Black Keys and Wolfmother on New Ron Howard, Vince Vaughn Film Soundtrack

Chop Shop and Atlantic Records have set a January 11th digital and a January 18th physical release date for The Dilemma Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

The soundtrack is from the upcoming Universal Pictures comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. The film, directed by Ron Howard and produced by Brian Grazer, opens in theatres across North America on January 14.

"The Dilemma—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" features a brand new track from Brooklyn-based band The Hold Steady. Titled "Just Saying," the song was written specifically for the comedy. The collection also includes tracks from The Black Keys, Band of Skulls, The Fratellis, Wolfmother and The Virgins. "The Dilemma—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" is produced by Chop Shop's Alexandra Patsavas and executive produced by Brian Grazer. - more on this story

The Beatles Still Top Sellers

(hennemusic) The Beatles made headlines in 2010 with the hugely successful launch of their music on iTunes, but there's a (literal) flip-side to the story: they were also the biggest-selling vinyl artist and album of the year.

Figures released this week by Neilsen Soundscan and Billboard place The Fab Four at the top of both the vinyl album and artist lists.

The Beatles sold 36,700 units of vinyl, solely on the strength of sales of "Abbey Road," which made up 35,000 of the total. The Black Keys were a very close second at 36,000 – just 700 copies behind the legendary British band. - Other rockers on the top 10 Artist list

King of Leon Beats Prince

(Gibson) It was a royal showdown at London's O2 Arena recently, when Kings of Leon's Nathan Followill took on Prince Harry in the ancient and hallowed game of table tennis. According to Followill, Princess Di's youngest was milling about backstage when he ran across the fearsome netted table.

"He picked up a ping-pong bat backstage and we went at it," said Followill, who was quietly urged to let the prince win.

He continued, "I'm not sure what the etiquette is when you play a prince at table tennis, but hey, I'm a king aren't I? A king trumps a prince. I think the other guys thought, 'Maybe you should let a real prince win.' But he is so tall and he's got military training, so I figured he can look after himself." - more on this story

The Sleeping, Bayside and Terrible Things Tour

The Sleeping are hitting the road this week with Bayside and Terrible Things for a short tour.

The tour kicks off on Thursday (January 13th) in Westchester, PA and will wrap on January 21st in Farmingdale, NY.

"This Bayside/Terrible Things Tour is something we are very excited about. Bayside are some of our best friends and we have known Fred and Josh from Terrible Things for a long time. We admire both of those bands as musicians and as people. It's always a great thing to share the stage with musicians that you highly respect. "-Said Vocalist Douglas Robinson - more on this story

Wildhearts Future in Doubt

(Rock AAA) Wildhearts mainman Ginger is bored with being restricted to playing rhythm guitar in Michael Monroe's band. But the future of his own outfit is completely in the hands of bassist Scott Sorry – and if they do get back together, Ginger has a stack of his own songs he'd rather never play again.

The enigmatic frontman admits much of the band's back catalogue holds nothing but unhappy memories for him. He also reckons some of them rank among his worst musical efforts.

Despite having toured with the Ginger Wildheart Mutation, he tells RockAAA that coming back to a set of his own tracks isn't always like visiting old friends. Ginger says: "It's pointless me playing a song I can't stand. I just think some of them are a bit crap. And sometimes the subject matter can turn me off. The audience don't always know what a song's about." - more on this story

Gold for The White Stripes

(Press Here) Under the Great White Northern Lights, the Emmett Malloy-directed documentary film that captures The White Stripes' cross-country Canadian tour from 2007, has been certified gold.

Under the Great White Northern Lights has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards: "Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package" and "Best Long Form Music Video."

Having first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2009, Under Great White Northern Lights documents the band playing to crowds in towns of all sizes across the Great White North - from traditional venues to matinee gigs at unusual locations such as a bowling alley, a boat and even on a city bus - culminating in a momentous 10th Anniversary show at the historic Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. - more on this story

Carson Recording With Producer Jamie King

Carson will be going into the studio January 23rd with producer Jamie King in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Jamie King has produced albums for bands such as Between The Buried and Me, He Is Legend, For Today, and Alesana. The band will tracking five songs for a current demo to submit.

The band came together in late 2009 after some members met in highschool and recruited others from other local schools. During the time of their coming together they were able to record and post a short demo up on their sites. Though Carson is influenced by many other female-fronted bands it is apparent that they are carving their own path in the rock alternative genre. With major influences including Thrice, Underoath, and Circa Survive they are sure to secure themselves a slot in the future music movement. - more on this story

Evile Support

(Earache) Evile have confirmed the main support bands for their upcoming UK tour, which kicks off on February 9th in Manchester.

Joining Evile on the road will be fellow British thrashers Elimination and Mutant.

Each show of the tour will also see one extra lucky band opening the show, as chosen by Evile themselves and the readers of Metal Hammer. - more on this story