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Michael Brandvold is working on a article about band websites and fan clubs and would love your input, you don't need to answer every question, would be great if you did, answer whatever you can here

Ozzy Osbourne Teams With Justin Bieber

(Gibson) Metal maestro Ozzy Osbourne and teen heartthrob Justin Bieber have teamed for a TV commercial set to air during this year's Super Bowl. As reported by USA Today, the two singers will appear in a 30-second Best Buy ad slated to run during the third quarter.

Best Buy says the pairing of Osbourne and Bieber marks an attempt to raise the company's profile as an Internet technology expert and service provider, while still maintaining its reputation as a consumer-friendly retailer.

"Justin Bieber is the biggest star out there, but that's not why he's in the spot," said Drew Panayiotou, Best Buy's marketing chief. "He symbolically represents something important to the brand message." Ponder that head scratcher and read more here

Jimmy Buffett Hospitalized For Stage Fall

(Gibson) Jimmy Buffett has been hospitalized, following an incident on Wednesday (January 26) in which he fell from the stage during a concert in Australia.

Rolling Stone.com reports that the performer was playing "Lovely Cruise" during his encore in Sydney when he fell into a gap between the stage and the crowd.

Audience members have said that Buffett was walking along the edge of the stage when a flash of light went off, causing the disoriented singer to fall. According to reports, he was unconscious for five to 10 minutes and suffered a gash on his head from hitting a piece of metal. more on this story

Lars Hints At 2nd U.S. Big 4 Show For Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax

(Gibson) Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said that the idea behind the recently announced Big 4 Festival came from a Rage Against the Machine reunion concert he saw a couple years ago at Coachella (the same California site of the metal legends' April 23 event).

"It was a fantastic vibe out there," he told RollingStone.com. "Coachella seemed like the right place to do it. If this thing works, hopefully we can do an additional show somewhere else."

Slayer guitarist Kerry King would be up for that, and more: "I'm chomping at the bit to do a full-blown tour at stadiums across the country." So far, The Big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) have three dates scheduled together in 2011 – the California festival, plus appearances at Knebworth in Britain and Sonisphere in France. The shows follow seven festival appearances that the bands made in 2010. Ulrich said that the relatively paltry amount of shows is by design. more on this story

Zakk Wylde and William Shatner Cover Black Sabbath Classic

William Shatner has dropped a couple of tantalizing tweets suggesting that he and Zakk Wylde have recorded a cover of the Black Sabbath classic, "Iron Man."

As reported by MusicRadar, Shatner posted the following statement on his Twitter: "Just watched tracks being laid down by Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society for my upcoming record SEEKING MAJOR TOM." Shatner followed with a tweet that read: "Zakk is one of the great guitarists who played with Ozzy Osbourne. A master playing a cover of 'Iron Man'. He's fantastic! I'm energized."

For a sneak peek into the Shatner/Wylde collaboration, check out a video, recently posted by Seeking Major Tom producer Adam Hamilton here

Kings of Leon Vs Glee Round 2

(Gibson) The ongoing feud between Kings of Leon and Glee creator Ryan Murphy continues to reach new heights. Six months ago, Murphy revealed that the Nashville-based band had refused to allow their hit single, "Use Somebody," to be featured on the show. Still reeling from the snub, Murphy recently told The Hollywood Reporter that Kings of Leon are impeding "arts education."

"They're self-centered [expletive], and they missed the big picture," Murphy said. "They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It's like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music."

In response, Kings of Leon tried to both blunt the criticism and tone down the rhetoric. "This whole Glee thing is a shock to us," frontman Caleb Followill told THR. "It's gotten out of hand. At the time of the request, we hadn't even seen the show. It came at the end of that record cycle, and we were over promoting ["Use Somebody"]. This was never meant as a slap in the face to Glee or to music education or to fans of the show. We're not sure where the anger is coming from. We just said no to a license for a TV show, which we do a lot."

Vince Neil Guilty, Headed To Jail

(hennemusic) Things went exactly as expected for Vince Neil in a Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday, as the Motley Crue singer's previously arranged plea deal was made official.

Last week, we told you that Neil and his legal team had made a deal for Vince to plead guilty to DUI in exchange for serving two weeks in jail, followed by another two weeks of house arrest - for a total of 30 days.

Reuters reports that, with his guilty plea and a 15-day sentence, Neil avoids a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail if he had been convicted at trial, said Tess Driver, an assistant to the Clark County district attorney. more on this story

The Decemberists Go No 1

The Decemberists have scored their first-ever no. 1 after their new album, The King Is Dead, entered the Billboard chart in the top position.

The album scanned 93,567 units in the U.S. in its debut week, landing it at the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart, and has also given the band their highest career chart position in territories all over the world. The King Is Dead was released on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe.

The Decemberists played the last of their 3 sold-out shows at New York's Beacon Theatre last night and will hit other major markets in North America before heading across the pond in March. more on this story

Singled Out: Astral Doors' Victory

Today Patrik from Astral Doors tells us about "Victory" from their new retrospective album "Testament of Rock: The Best of Astral Doors". Here is the story:

Our song "Victory" has a pretty interesting story behind it. It all started about two years ago when I came up with the intro/theme riff. I realized it was pretty catchy and would be perfect for sports events. With the riff as the foundation to it all, I built a complete song around it. I did a simple recording of it and sent it to the guitar player in the band, Joachim Nordlund. Joachim and I arranged the song and made a real recording of it.
By now I had big plans. I wanted to give the song to my favourite Swedish hockey team, Leksands IF to have as their own hymn. Said and done; I sent them the song; they loved it and pressed 1500 singles to sell in their merch shop. It didn't take long before all singles were sold.

However it felt a bit sad, that this great song wasn't on any of our albums, so when we got the chance to release a Best Of-album, we decided: now is the time. The only thing was that the vocals on the song were sung in Swedish. Not so fun for people that can't speak or understand Swedish. We had to make an English version. Said and done. On "Testament of Rock"-The Best of Astral Doors, the exclusive English version, is the worthy closer of the entire album.

Now I just hope that "Victory" will be played at hockey arenas all across North America. It's a pretty bombastic song. A little bit of "Queen meets Dio" or something. Not exactly the 70's rough rock style we use to play, but still a proud moment in the history of Astral Doors. Hope you'll enjoy it!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself (as you watch the video) and learn more about the album right here!

Manchester Orchestra Set Release of New Concept Album

Manchester Orchestra will release their third album, Simple Math, on May 10, 2011 via Columbia Records and Favorite Gentlemen Recordings.

Simple Math is a concept record. From this platform, some bands might dive into the world of fantasy; front man Andy Hull instead presents his own reality, holding back nothing. It's a story about a 23-year old who questions everything from marriage to love to religion to sex. It's chock full of monster riffs, vigorous string arrangements, deep hooks and has miles of melodies that encase a compelling coming-of-age story told in the first person, intimately written and sung by Hull.

"This record is two duelling conversations between me and my wife, and me and my God," says Hull. "Sometimes even for myself, it's difficult to decipher which one I'm actually talking to. Everything I've written in the past has been about those things. This album is the most realized form of my questioning." more on this story

Bret Michaels Recovering At Home After Heart Surgery

(hennemusic) Bret Michaels is now recuperating at home after being released Wednesday from a Phoenix hospital following heart surgery to repair a hole in his heart.

The Arizona Republic reports Monday's operation at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center was a success, and now the Poison rocker must lay low for a few weeks to recover fully.

"Bret's procedure had excellent results," said Dr. Mansour Assar, interventional cardiologist at St. Joseph's, in a statement. "Because of the successful outcome and Bret's determination, I believe he will be able to return to normal activity within weeks." more on this story

Rush's Neil Peart Releasing New Book This Spring

(Gibson) Rush drummer Neil Peart will release his fifth book on May 1st, entitled Far and Away: A Prize Every Time.

The book is a collection of stories from nearly four years of band tours, and road trips. The book also will feature full-color pictures to appeal to both Rush fans and motorcycle enthusiasts.

In addition to being one of the most revered drummers in rock, Peart also is an accomplished writer, having penned four very personal travelogues from epic trips around the globe – biking, motorcycling and driving by car – all heavily colored by his own journey of self-discovery. His most recent book, Roadshow: Landscape with Drums, A Concert by Motorcycle, recounted Rush's 30th Anniversary tour through nine countries. more on this story

Watch Motorhead Rock Conan

(hennemusic) Motorhead kicked off their North American tour this week in support of their latest release, "The World Is Yours," due out February 8.

The band is getting all kinds of attention for the documentary "Lemmy," with rockers, fans, and even Lemmy himself thrilled with the results.

Motorhead stopped by Conan O'Brien's show Wednesday night to perform "Get Back In Line," the lead track from the album. Check it out here

All Shall Perish Issue Update on Album Progress

All Shall Perish are almost finished with their fourth album and follow-up to their 2008 release, Awaken the Dreamers.

Guitarist Ben Orum had this to say about the bands new material: "Guitars, bass and drums are complete for the new All Shall Perish record.

"This week we wrap up vocals and then mixing begins with Zach Ohren! I have never been this excited about a release. This is going to be All Shall Perish's finest hour." more on this story

Sammy Hagar Talks New Chickenfoot

(hennemusic) Chickenfoot hit the studio this weekend to get to work on their sophomore album, and Sammy Hagar can't wait to get started.

"I am so ready to make this record," Hagar tells MusicRadar. "I'm beyond ready! The songs we've got, the riffs that have been flying around - we're going deep."

According to Hagar, "We've got stuff planned that we never could have dreamed about when we first got together. We're talkin' heavier than ever, bluesier, more emotional - I get goosebumps just thinking about it."
more on this story

3 Doors Down's NHL All Star Weekend Plans

(42 West) 3 Doors Down will perform twice this weekend for NHL All Star Weekend in Raleigh, NC.

As part of All-Star Live @ the Amphitheater series, they will perform a free show on Friday, January 28th at the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater.

3 Doors Down will also perform on Sunday, January 30th at the NHL All-Star Game at RBC Center during first intermission. The performance will be televised live by VERSUS in the U.S. and CBC and RDS in Canada. more on this story

Josh Freese Sets New Release

Josh Freese (drummer for A Perfect Circle, Devo, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, The Vandals, Guns'n'Roses, The Replacements and Sting amongst others) has set an April 1st release date for My New Friends.

My New Friends, is both a follow-up and an extension of his 2009 release Since 1972. Let us explain.

Since 1972 quickly became a widely discussed release as much for its unique marketing strategy as it was for the music itself with outlets worldwide reporting on the unique, tiered pricing plan that ranged from $7 for an album download to a $75,000 package of goodies that included Freese joining the purchaser's band for a month, going to his house to pick clothes out of his closet and a flying trapeze lesson with Robin Finck from Nine Inch Nails. more on this story

Bobby Poe RIP

(Gibson) Bobby Poe, who led the rockabilly band Bobby Poe and the Poe Kats in the 1950s, passed away on Saturday at the age of 77.

Poe was a Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee, based on the Poe Kats' own recordings and their work as the backing band for Wanda Jackson, including on the classic "Let's Have a Party."

After his career as a singer and guitarist, Poe became an artist manager in the 1960s. Among the acts whose careers he oversaw was The Chartbusters, the Washington, D.C.-based group whose one-hit-wonder story partially inspired Tom Hanks for the film That Thing You Do! Poe also co-managed an early Roy Buchanan band called The British Walkers. more on this story

Ted Nugent Gets Lightning Rod Award

(hennemusic) Ted Nugent, producer and host of "Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild," was honored by the Outdoor Channel on January 20 during the Golden Moose Awards.

In recognition of his tireless contributions in promoting the outdoor lifestyle, Nugent received the first ever Lightning Rod Award.

In presenting the award, Outdoor Channel's Chief Operating Officer, Tom Hornish, stated that Nugent is "on the radio or TV on a near daily basis promoting hunting and the outdoors to the entire nation. And he's not afraid of a little controversy!" more on this story

The Soulless Eye April Release

The Soulless will release their new album, Isolated, via Earache Records in April.

The Soulless, who recently changed their name from Ignominious Incarceration, have finished recording the new album at Outhouse Studios in Reading, England with producer John Mitchell (Architects, Funeral For A Friend, Enter Shikari).

The Soulless frontman Andy Wardle comments: "We have just finished recording at Outhouse Studios in Reading. The process went really well, we had a lot of fun and we couldn't be much happier with the results. The studio video is a brief look into what we got up to. It includes clips of some of the coolest riffs, biggest choruses and key lyrics. Also revealed at the end is a sneak peak at the artwork and album title, plus bonus footage of our mad dancing skills. more on this story

Foo Fighers A Garage Band

(hennemusic) If you're someone with the bucks that Dave Grohl has kicking around, you can take home recording to a whole other level. But you're still recording in a garage.

Shunning modern digital gear and his own fancy studio, Grohl brought the Foo Fighters, and producer Butch Vig, to his garage to record the band's seventh studio album.

Grohl shot a video tour of his garage for NME, who will present him with the "Godlike Genius" award at next month's NME Awards ceremony. Watch the video here

Apocalyptica Premiere New Video

('stache) AOL Noisecreep have premiered Apocalyptica's new video for their latest single "Not Strong Enough" .

The song which includes vocals by Doug Robb of Hoobastank is the follow-up to the hit single "End of Me," which featured vocals by Gavin Rossdale. Watch the new video here

Other guests on their latest album, 7th Symphony, are Lacey from Flyleaf, Gojira's Joe Duplantier, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. Aside from the vocal tracks, the album features the group's most dynamic symphonic instrumentals to date. more on this story

Don & Bunk From Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention Fame Hitting The Road

(Glass Onyon) Don Preston and Bunk Gardner, both original members of the legendary Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa, are gearing up to tour east coast once again with The Don & Bunk Show.

The duo will be playing a full range of Zappa's music from Freak Out to Zoot Allures. The evening will be full of the zany antics, wild improvisations and strange electronic music the early Mothers were famous for, along with the expert mastery of their instruments.

"We're doing this tour because I think Zappa fans need to come and hear how Zappa's music was performed by the originals," says Don Preston. "Hey people! We're still doing it!" more on this story

Patti Smith Penning Mystery Novel

(Gibson) After winning a National Book Award for her non-fiction book, Just Kids, last year, punk poet Patti Smith is working on a detective story.

Apparently, she'll be moving from writing about herself and Robert Mapplethorpe in New York City to a novel set in the U.K.

"I've been working on a detective story that starts at St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London for the last two years," the singer/author said while speaking at the Royal Geographic Society in London recently. more on this story

Periphery Explain Forthcoming EP

Periphery's new Icarus Lives EP is now officially set for an April 19th release.

This offering features a brand new unreleased track, a series of remixes and video clips. Its official track listing and explanation as to how this EP came together is below.

Thomas Murphy (bass) states: "Hello to all of our fans out there. We wanted to let you in on some exciting news! We will be releasing our second effort in the form of The Icarus Lives EP later this spring. We like to think of it as a supplement to our first album. It will contain a version of 'Icarus Lives!' with newly recorded vocals and the fantastic music video by Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci of Killswitch Productions, alongside several remixes of the song by the band, winner of our Icarus remix contest (Pete Graves from the UK) and a special guest to be named at a later date. We have also included a tweaked version of our song 'Jetpacks Was Yes' and the brand new music video by Eric Haviv at FUGO studios. more on this story

Captain, We're Sinking Giving Away Songs

Captain, We're Sinking are offering the songs from their split 7" with Timeshares and their new With Joe Riley 7" for free download through SoundCloud.

The split was released in October through seminal punk label Kiss Of Death Records, while the With Joe Riley 7" was released this month on up and comer Evil Weevil Records. You can download the tracks here.

The band has also begun writing for their sophomore full length due out later this year. In the meantime, they'll be heading out on the road in February with Orlando favorites Nightlights and playing Stay Sweet Fest in April. more on this story

Illness Sidelines You Say Party Tour

(High Rise) You Say Party have been forced to pull out of their upcoming co-headline tour with Young Galaxy.

Singer Becky Ninkovic has been battling bronchitis and has been advised to rest forcing the band to cancel their participation in the tour.

A number of the dates have already been rescheduled with Young Galaxy being joined by fellow Montreal residents Winter Gloves. A full list of confirmed dates will be announced soon.

Goreaphobia Apocalyptic Necromancy Coming

Goreaphobia are currently putting the finishing touches on new album which they have titled Apocalyptic Necromancy, and plan to release later this year.

The follow-up to Mortal Repulsion, released in 2009, the 12-track long player was recorded, mixed and mastered by drummer Jim Roe and features new guitarist VJS (Kult ov Azazel, Crimson Moon, Demoncy, etc.).

Comments guitarist Alex Bouks of the band's latest output: "All of us in the Goreaphobia camp are real excited about finishing the new record. The new tunes will once again contain 1000% occult metal nihilism! The only way I can describe our new endeavor is that's it's very diverse and takes us back to the band's roots. Jim has once again recorded and mixed the record at his home studio, Neanderthal. Apocalyptic Necromancy also marks the debut of our new guitar player VJS. There's a highly positive and magical vibe for the band at the present time. For me, this record is a true progression from the song writing and production on Mortal Repulsion.We hope to have it out soon for all our long time and newer fans."

Mary Magdalan Writes Song At The Site of Charles Manson Murders

(Smack Records) Mary Magdalan is back into the studio recording her follow-up to her controversial double album 'R.I.P.'. Armed with over 50 demoed songs Mary is once again teaming up with producer DJ Ray aka Gzus, who produced both of her previous albums. "A lot has gone on in my life since my last album" says Magdalan. "So I wanted to make sure that this album speaks of that".

The album is the next chapter in the Mary Magdalan phenomenon, which started with her reality based concept album 'Pity Girl'. The new album is a representation of the rebirth of Mary Magdalan, where her last chapter R.I.P. was her walk through purgatory. "We were able to write and arrange our best music to date" exclaims DJ Ray about the new offering from the group.

The album is being recorded in a secret location in the Hollywood Hills, which is where she recorded her debut album 'Pity Girl'. "I wanted to create a picture for Mary to turn into sound, so when I saw the panoramic view of Hollywood that the house had, I knew I had found the prefect location to record the album", exclaims DJ Ray. With songs that have tentative song titles as "Nasty", "Hollywood" & "S.L.U.T." the album already reeks of that Hollywood sound reminiscent of great Hollywood bands in the past. "Hollywood is where my sound was born. Its where I met Dj Ray and started making this music. So we wanted to capture some of that magic for our new record' says Mary of her new album. "I was able to write directly underneath the Hollywood sign the other day. It really opened up my writing. I also wrote this other beautiful song called 'Bent' in front of the Sharon Tate house" remarks Mary of her writing inspirations. The Tate house is notorious for the Manson Family Murders that shook Hollywood to its core in the 70's. more on this story

Metalocalypse's Dethklok Release Signature Guitar

(PR) Now, thanks to a partnership between Gibson Guitar and Adult Swim, Metalocalypse fans can pick up their very own Dethklok "Thunderhorse" Explorer, the band's new signature guitar from Gibson USA.

That's right: a real guitar. Gibson craftsmen collaborated with series co-creator – not to mention Berklee College of Music grad and Billboard chart-topping musician – Brendon Small to come up with the design of the limited-edition product that was unveiled to industry insiders at last week's NAMM 2011 show in Anaheim, Calif.

Available beginning next month at Gibson Guitar dealers throughout the U.S., the Dethklok "Thunderhorse" Explorer is a top-flight metal guitar patterned after the animated band's lead guitarist, Skwisgaar Skwigelf's weapon of choice. It features a gloss Silverburst finish with cream top and fingerboard binding. more on this story

Free AC/DC Tribute for Tucson Following Shooting

We typically stay away from regional news but Tucson has been in the spot light and it looks like they are moving forward with this news: AC/DC music returns to the Rialto Theatre on February 12, 2011 as 2nd Saturdays regroups following last month's tragic events in Tucson that led to the cancellation of the popular urban street festival.

The national touring AC/DC tribute band, TNT, performs a free show at 7 p.m. after their scheduled event in January gave way to a musical vigil for Congresswoman Giffords and the other victims of the tragedy in Tucson.

The Scott Avenue outdoor stage hosts the soulful Americana sounds of female band Tammy West & The Culprits from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the classic rock of 2nd Saturday mainstays Five Way Street from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Award-winning singer-songwriter Kevin Pakulis Band rocks the outdoor stage from 8:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. more on this story