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On this day in 2000, Spencer Goodman was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas. Goodman was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the wife of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham in 1991. Ham was present for the execution. Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Metallica Tool Jam

(hennemusic) Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett joined Tool in Hawaii last Friday for their show at Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

Hammett jammed on "Lateralus," which segued into a portion of Metallica's "Orion," before returning to complete the title track from Tool's 2001 release.

Check out video of Tool performing Lateralus/Orion/Lateralus with guest Kirk Hammett of Metallica here.

Def Leppard Cat Fight

(Gibson) In a recent interview, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell expressed a certain degree of boredom regarding his live guitar parts, saying, "I've been in Def Leppard for 20 years and, if I'm honest, it's not a terribly challenging job for me as a guitar player. Phil Collen plays most of the widdly guitar parts and I do what I do."

Collen was tracked down at this weekend's NAMM show by Guitar International and offered his own thoughts on the subject. "It's all my [material]. Vivian joined a band that I helped create. He's coming into my house! It's not all the good parts, it's the Def Leppard sound that me and Steve [Clark; the late Def Leppard guitarist] created. We got together with "Mutt" Lange and there was already a sound in place. Also, we play all the hits live, which were written before Viv was in the band."

Asked whether he had any hard feelings over Campbell's comments, Collen assured fans, "No, not at all. It's just the way it falls. I can't help that all my (expletive) sounds great!"

Van Halen Headed To The Studio

(Gibson) The rumor mill has been churning for months, but it appears Van Halen are heading into the studio to record a new studio album with Grammy-winning producer John Shanks (Bon Jovi, Keith Urban, Pink, Celine Dion).

Melodicrock.com is reporting the band will be joined in the studio by original frontman David Lee Roth for their first new studio album since 1998's Van Halen III. It will be Roth's first new album with Eddie and Alex since 1983's 1984.

There is no word about a completion date for the album nor any subsequent tour, though Melodicrock.com reports that Eddie is not interested in touring without new music in his quiver. more on this story

The Beatles Sell 5 Million Digital Songs

(hennemusic) Some wondered if The Beatles would make an impact with the addition of their catalogue to iTunes, largely because the music has been bought – in various formats – several times over the years by fans as technology has changed.

The latest news to confound the naysayers is that The Beatles have sold 5 million songs, and a million albums, through iTunes in just 2 months.

Apple Insider reports that Apple revealed to The Loop on Friday that the current best-selling album is "Abbey Road," priced at $12.99, while the most popular song is "Here Comes the Sun" from the same album, which costs $1.29 individually. more on this story

David Crosby and Graham Nash Team Up For Spring Tour

David Crosby and Graham Nash are teaming up for a spring tour which kicks off in the U.S. with a March 25 show in Long Beach, CA.

While Crosby and Nash's legendary vocal harmonies will be the centerpiece of the show, they will be accompanied on the road by an ace-backing band featuring James Raymond (keyboards), Dean Parks (guitar), Kevin McCormick (bass), and Steve DiStanislao (drums).

The tour will mix acoustic and plugged-in performances. "Touring with a full band gives us the opportunity to do selections from our catalogue that Graham and I haven't performed live together before," says Crosby. "We will also be introducing some brand new songs we've written, that have never been heard onstage or on record." more on this story

Jack White and Wanda Jackson Going Late Night

(hennemusic) Jack White is scheduled to join Wanda Jackson for a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman this Thursday night, January 20.

White produced and played lead guitar on Jackson's new album, "The Party Ain't Over," set for release January 25.

Jackson is known as the First Lady (or Queen) of Rockabilly, having mixed country with rockabilly on her records for years; in the late 50s, she became one of America's first major female country and rockabilly singers. Jackson went on to have success with country music in the late 60s and early 70s. more on this story

Steven Tyler On American Idols Paying Their Dues

(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler was front and center on The Late Show with David Letterman Monday night, as he continues his press rounds to promote the new season of American Idol, which kicks off Wednesday.

As for the Idol process and tv "contests" to gain national attention, Tyler said he prefers the old way of paying dues. "Y'know, we [Aerosmith] had to play every state in America in 3 years. By '74, we'd played it three times around.

"And I always thought that to become an American Idol, or any kind of Idol, you have to pay your dues. But, y'know, today's a different world, and they're out there – it's just that we had to pick through 120,000 to find these 20 – so, I think we're doing alright." more here including video

Rush Time Machine Tour Expands Again

(hennemusic) Rush have announced a series of U.S. dates throughout June on the Time Machine Tour, which features 1981's "Moving Pictures" performed in its entirety.

The tour kicks off on March 30 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the Bank Atlantic Center; as of this new tour update, it's scheduled to end July 2 in Seattle, WA. (unless more dates are added, of course).

Basically, from March 30 through April, Rush will be playing across North America; the month of May includes dates through the U.K. and Europe; and June sees a return to America, starting with some indoor shows before hitting some amphitheatres along the West Coast. more on this story

Singled Out: Oh No Oh My?

Today Greg Barkley from Oh No Oh My? tells us about "Again Again" from their brand new album "People Problems". Here is the story:

"Again Again" started out as a demo I made in 2007. The verse had twice as many words than what would seem natural (which gave it a talk-singing vibe), the chorus was entirely different, and the song ended in dueling keyboard solos that I thought was killer but the rest of the band -- not so much. We jammed it and worked on it for a while but were eventually frustrated by the lack of direction and disputes about the end. The song was put out of mind until 2009.

While I was working on new songs for 'People Problems,' I decided to approach "Again Again" a little differently. I recorded another demo with just my vocals and an acoustic guitar, and then added a super fuzzed out lead guitar. The quality wasn't very good but it was just the inspiration the song needed, so when we all worked on it together everything gelled and the arrangement fell right into place.

I know it sounds backwards but I like to write the lyrics after the song is arranged and the melody written. In practices, I will mumble my way through a song with unfinished lyrics until I start coming up with certain phrases I like. When I record on our demos I'll make up words to fit the melody I'm coming up with. It usually is pretty terrible but every so often I'll listen back to the demos and hear a line or two I really like, and sometimes it's better than what I've been working on for days! After recording scratch vocals for "Again Again" Daniel asked me if I sang "reaches fingers down my throat" in the chorus - I said "yeah probably," and he replied "that line is awesome! Keep it!" Not only did I keep it, it helped to shape the rest of the lyrics.

Now that you know the story behind the song, learn more about the album right here!

AC/DC's Fatal Salt Lake Tragedy

(Gibson) Tragedy hit Salt Lake City on this day in 1991. AC/DC were playing the downtown Salt Palace, a huge event for Utah's rock and roll fraternity. Fans lined up for hours, many waiting overnight to purchase the prized tickets. The venue sold over 13,000 tickets for the show, with more than 4000 of those labeled as general admission, or festival style, seating. Those 4000 had no assigned seats, a factor that would lead to tragedy as the concert got underway.

12 years earlier in 1979, 11 people were crushed and trampled to death at The Who's concert in Cincinnati. After that horrible tragedy, many venues banned festival style seating. History, however, would repeat itself this night in Salt Lake City as the crowd surged, and those in the front fell down, pushed by the heaving weight of bodies behind them. Three fans, Jimmie Boyd Jr., 14, Curtis White Child, 14, and Elizabeth Glausi, 19, were killed.

15 years later, Cathy Free spoke to some fans who were at that AC/DC show in Salt Lake City about their memories of the terrible events on January 18 for People magazine. read more here

Blur To Continue

(Gibson) In a new interview with Gigwise, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree said that the Britpop heroes had definite plans for the coming year.

Though he declined to say exactly what those plans are, he did say that the group — having reunited with guitarist Graham Coxon in 2009 — were "trying to put something in place."

"We've got all our mates back and that's the main thing," said Rowntree. "That's the one thing we don't want to lose. So, yes, this year I would say something is definitely going to happen. Quite when, I don't know, and quite what, I don't know – but yes, we're all back together again and great mates." more on this story

Chic's Nile Rodgers Fighting Aggressive Cancer

(Gibson) Chic's Nile Rodgers is fighting what he calls an "aggressive cancer." The legendary songwriter, producer and guitarist has announced on his website:

"On October 27, 2010, I found out I had aggressive cancer. In an instant, everything in my happy-music universe imploded. It was like Jaws was savagely eating me from the inside out. My biopsy showed that I had to make some important decisions... fast. After consulting with numerous doctors, I decided to have radical surgery to try and remove the cancer in its entirety.

"I told only a handful of people because I didn't want to worry anyone, especially my family, around the holidays. I did everything as usual - as best I could - until one day I couldn't. My hand had sudden muscle loss and a number of stressful events followed. I've just returned home from the hospital and want to explain my recent disappearance to everybody and share my appreciation of life, music and people." more on this story

The Rise, Fall and Rise of J.D. Fortune in INXS

(hennemusic) We've been talking about J.D. Fortune's return to INXS for a while now, and the story has always been told as a series of "miscommunications," some partly due to Fortune being in Canada while the band is based in Australia. Turns out it was way more than that. Fortune has finally come full circle with the real story behind his departure from INXS.

The process started, really, with an interview on Entertainment Tonight Canada back in 2009. The story that aired shocked many, as Fortune told of his dismissal from the band, his drug addictions, including cocaine, and his ultimate return to Canada only to find himself living in his car – the same place he was when he signed up for the "Rock Star: INXS" TV series.

When ET Canada asked how bad the drugs had gotten, J.D. admitted, "It got as bad as it needed to for me to numb out the fact that I knew this was going to come to a screeching halt." more on this story

Glasvegas Frontman Pulls a Kanye

(Gibson) Glasvegas frontman James Allan spared no restraint when asked about the group's new album, Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\. Speaking on XFM, the Scottish singer called the album "the biggest record I've ever heard in my life."

The album was recorded with cutting edge producer Flood (Depeche Mode, U2, The Killers) and written in the very un-Scottish environment of Santa Monica, California.

"Whatever picture we've got from Santa Monica I'm really glad that we've got that one," he said. "But I don't think we'd have had that exact picture and I don't think we'd have had those sentiments expressed the way they were expressed in Santa Monica if we'd have been in, say, Glasgow." more on this story

Kasabian Sitcom

(Gibson) Kasabian's Tom Meighan will turn actor for a prime role in a new British sitcom, Walk Like a Panther, which will be set in Yorkshire and based around the British wrestling scene of the '70s.

According to NME.com, Meighan will star alongside Stephen Graham, who played a skinhead in the acclaimed Brit movie, This is England, as well as Al Capone in Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire. Celebrity chefMarco Pierre White is also set for a cameo appearance.

The comedy is set in the '70s with Meighan portraying a struggling wrestler looking to be discovered.
more on this story

Rick Astley, The Human League, Kim Wilde, Howard Jones and more for 80s Music Festival

(Noble) Rewind The 80s Music Festival is to launch a new weekend event at Scone Palace in Perthshire, Scotland from 29th-31st July 2011.

The festival will boast the biggest live outdoor line-up of 80s recording artists and performers ever.

The Scottish edition of "Rewind – The 80s Music Festival" boasts 25 of the most iconic 80s artists. The Saturday 30th line-up features Tony Hadley, Rick Astley, Billy Ocean, Bananarama, ABC, Hue & Cry, The Bluebells, Go West, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, T'Pau, The Beat, Doctor & The Medics, and Cutting Crew more on this story

Burzum Set North American Release

Burzum have announced the North American release of their eighth album, Fallen, on April 5.

The album is the second to be released via Varg Vikernes' imprint Byelobog Productions (via Candlelight for the territory). Fallen features seven new compositions by the controversial Norwegian musician, each adding another storied journey to the celebrated BURZUM legacy.

Vikernes says of the new album, "Musically, Fallen is a cross between Belus and something new, inspired more by the debut album and Det Som Engang Var than by Hvis Lyset Tar Oss or Filosofem. The sound is more dynamic. We mastered the album as if it was classical music and I was more experimental than I was on Belus in all respects. Lyrically it is similar to the debut album, in the way that it is more personal and focuses on existential issues. But the mythological undertone known from Belus is still there. I have also included some ambient tracks, a short introduction and a longer conclusion." more on this story

Ronnie Wood Recalls Being Evicted With Jimi Hendrix

(Gibson) Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has been recalling the time he lived in a London flat with Jimi Hendrix.

According to Musicrooms.net, Ronnie neglected to house train his pet dog and the rock and roll pair were evicted.

Ronnie said: "I shared a flat with Jimi in Notting Hill Gate for a couple of weeks. He was quite a gentle flatmate. He gave me a dog, a basset hound called Loopy. We were living with Pat Arnold, who was the singer in The Ikettes, but she threw me and Jimi out because the dog kept s***ting everywhere." more on this story

Adam Ant To The Rescue

(Gibson) British new wave legend Adam Ant has approached British Prime Minster David Cameron about helping deprived youth in the U.K. According to the Daily Express, the singer has offered his services in helping poor kids to both Cameron and London mayor Boris Johnson.

He told The Sun newspaper: "I'd like to help the Mayor and Prime Minister. I'd like to advise them on the kids out there who are getting a raw deal, you know?

"If I had my way, I would make everyone watch Wall.E. I would have all the kids out on the street, running around, howling, kicking each other. I would be quite happy to go into tough areas in the East End where they are shooting and knifing people and play them a few things to reach out to them." more on this story

Creation Records Head Looks Back

(Gibson) Alan McGee, the bigger-than-life mastermind behind the wildly influential Creation Records label, has been waxing nostalgic of late, in the wake of the success of the recent film, Upside Down, which documents the rise and fall of the coolest label of the '90s. McGee sat down with Live4ever and looked back on the bands that were the key to the label's success. The single most pivotal player, according to McGee, was Bobby Gillespie, the Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-drummer-turned-Primal-Scream-frontman.

"Gillespie was key to Creation," said McGee. "Without him I wouldn't have had Primal Scream, who really are the flagship Creation band, and he told me about Jesus and Mary Chain and the Fanclub. I found Oasis, My Bloody Valentine and Ride."

The label's biggest commercial success was Oasis, whom McGee famously discovered at a club in Glasgow. "I just thought they were a great band. I signed them really at the end of the day on '…Walrus,' as it was a great version, but who was to ever think they would become that massive?" more on this story

Tribute to Dickey Betts

(Gibson) Dickey Betts was already a powerhouse player on the Deep South's music scene before he threw down with Duane Allman, but it is their union, and the formation of the Allman Brothers, that etched his place in rock history.

The Allman Brothers Band became a major concert draw in the south shortly after forming in March 1969. That same year they released their debut album, The Allman Brothers Band. And while Duane gets most of the glory, it was Dickey who was actually the musical lynchpin in many ways. He was already playing close guitar harmonies, an Allmans' signature, in his own earlier bands, and Dickey hipped Duane to the sonic joys of Gibson Les Pauls and SGs, which were already his staples. He even sold Duane his first, famed cherry '61 Gibson SG.

For an earful of Dickey's influence, check out the debut album's "Dreams." It's a swinging, seven-minute blues waltz in 12/8 time with a lyric that gives way to Duane's coricidin bottle slide on, likely, that fabled SG. Duane's solo is followed by the butter-toned, vibrato-laden blues voice of Dickey's '57 Redtop Les Paul. The tune climaxes with the aforementioned harmonized unison guitar lines — first played in the Allman Brothers by Duane and Dickey, but employed by every one of the group's guitar teams since. Check it out here along with a lot more

70s Rocker Michael Stanley Releases New Album

(Glass Onyon) From the mid '70s to the mid '80s, the Michael Stanley Band enjoyed a strong and fiercely loyal following, touring with some of the superstar bands of that period including Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Foreigner and The Doobie Brothers.

The latest CD from Michael Stanley Shadowland, his 22nd album, released on ItsAboutMusic.com, features thirteen new Stanley originals as he continues a musical journey that spans over forty years and just keeps getting better!

Discovered by New York record producer, Bill Szymczyk, in 1973 Michael Stanley released his debut album 'Michael Stanley' (Tumbleweed Records), and second LP, 'Friends & Legends' (MCA) to critical acclaim. Both albums featured guest appearances by Todd Rundgren, Joe Walsh and David Sanborn. During this time he formed a trio with two area musicians, Daniel Pecchio and Jonah Koslen, who played Stanley's solo songs as well as new material live. In 1974, out of work, Michael's close friend, Joe Walsh (another Cleveland area musician) suggested he pursue music full time. It was a turning point for Stanley, who along with Pecchio and Koslen brought in drummer Tommy Dobeck and the The Michael Stanley Band was born! more on this story

Classic L.A. Punk Scene Captures on New DVD

History Lesson Part 1: Punk Rock in Los Angeles in 1984 is coming to DVD on March 22 and features classic raw punk footage and interviews with The Meat Puppets, The Minutemen, Twisted Roots and Redd Kross.

It has been said that Los Angeles and San Francisco were the last major metropolitan cities in which punk music scenes developed and once it hit California, punk changed shapes numerous times, spread to every corner of the United States and became a permanent fixture in popular culture.

In 1984, a teenage Dave Travis decided to capture punk rock in Los Angeles on video tape, a fascination and hobby that he would continue until 1997, logging in hundreds of hours of Los Angeles area shows and interviews. In "A History Lesson Part 1, Travis presents live footage filmed in the spring of 1984 featuring the Meat Puppets, Minutemen, Twisted Roots and Redd Kross interspersed with interviews of members from each group which examines and puts a perspective on the early years of "psychedelic" punk rock in Los Angeles and Phoenix, AZ. Each song by each group is presented from start to finish. more on this story

The Crimson Armada Plan Next Album

The Crimson Armada will hit the studio this spring with producer Brian Hood (A Plea For Purging, Hope for the Dying) to record the follow up to 2009's Guardians.

Their 2011 Artery Recordings debut, Conviction, will be released this summer and the band will hit the road on a national tour soon after.

"Artery is a strong name in this industry," said vocalist Saud Ahmed. Anticipating the bright future of the band, Ahmed adds, "We are excited to finally have people behind us who believe in what we stand for and are ready to back us and help us become the band we are meant to be. We are happy to call Artery our home." more on this story

Atticus Metal Tour Dates

Darkest Hour will be co-headlining the third annual "Atticus Metal" tour with Born of Osiris.

Blood Runs Black and The Human Abstract will provide support on the outing .

Sleeping Giant will be special guests on all westcoast dates and look for other special openers on other shows depending on the region. more on this story

Fans To Fund Jon Lindsay Album

(PR) Jon Lindsay's debut solo album, Escape From Plaza-Midwood (Chocolate Lab Records), came out in 2010 with a series of MP3 exclusives at Fuse.tv, Magnet Magazine and AOL Spinner. Rave reviews from Shuffle, Blurt, Power of Pop and Performer calling it "the best record to come out of the Southeast over the past decade" helped rocket Jon from sideman to a nationally recognized solo artist.

Come 2011 and Jon's hard at work on his follow-up album, Summer Wilderness Program. Times being what they are, Jon's calling upon his friends and fans to help him fund the new album, which he's again co-producing with Chris Walldorf at Walldorf's Sioux Sioux Studio in Charlotte, NC.

Jon is teamed up with Kickstarter.com to raise the money with pledges amounts ranging from $1 to $1000 with rewards of MP3s, the new album, private performances and many others. Jon is hoping to raise $9000 by March 16 or as per Kickstarter's business model, no money will be collected. Jon is hoping to rally the press that clearly loved his debut to help him get the word out about the new album and the fundraiser. more info here

Jill Marie Abbott Memorial This Week

The Metal Den has learned that Jill Marie Abbott, the one time girlfriend of ex-Pantera vocalist Philip H. Anselmo and close friend of the band's late guitarist, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, who was found mysteriously dead on
December 24, 2010 in the Oakland Hills, has been cremated.

A Catholic memorial service for Jill is being held on this coming Thursday (Jan 20) -between 2:00pm – 5:30pm – at Fremont Memorial Chapel located at 3723 Peralta Blvd in Fremont, California.

There will be a minister to facilitate and run the service. There will be refreshments served at a reception following the service. This will all be on site more on this story

Universal Order of Armageddon Set New Release

(Submitted) This February, Universal Order of Armageddon will release their double 7" Live WFMU via Gravity Records.

These songs are recorded and played live on the Pat Duncan show on WFMU in New Jersey at the start of their 1993 U.S. tour.

The band had forgotten about the recording and were reminded by an old friend. The recordings were remastered by Richard Simpson. more on this story