Velvet Revolver and Scott Weiland Reunion?

The singer said he looks back fondly on his tenure with Slash and the boys. "That was a magical thing, too. That was right when I was getting off dope and those guys were all sober and clean, and I had a very special kind of kinship because we'd all experienced the same things," he said. "It felt like us against the world: 'We're gonna play just pure rock 'n' roll.' And I think we did a really good job of it. It was a great band to see live, and I think we made two exciting albums." more on this story

Eddie Van Halen Nervous About New Album

(hennemusic) Back in January, Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt was in L.A.'s Henson Studios for a songwriting session when he had a chance encounter Eddie Van Halen.

"As I was about to enter the room, my ears demanded that my feet stop in their tracks," writes Nuno in the upcoming Neil Zlozower book, "Eddie Van Halen," due this fall. "What caused me to stop was a familiar sound from the room across the hall. This sound was desperately trying to break through the double-thick walls of the studio. It was faint, but even so, there was no mistaking the power of the sound that was seeping through those walls, because there can only be one Edward."

"I ran into Edward an hour later in the hallway," Nuno writes, "and after receiving a hello and a warm hug from the man who changed the world, I asked, 'How's it coming along in there?' And Ed said, 'It's cool. . . . I'm a little nervous, though.' I said, 'Nervous? You!? Eddie Van? The Master? Do you have any idea what you have done? The gifts you have given us for over thirty years? You single-handedly changed the history of how we play guitar!'" more on this story

Beach Boys Reuniting For 50th Anniversary

(Gibson) The Beach Boys are definitely planning on celebrating their 50th anniversary with a new album. According to Billboard, the singer says the album should happen in 2012.

"Where we're at right now is Brian's [Wilson] written some songs, I've written some songs [and] we're talking very seriously about getting together and co-writing and doing some new music together," Love said. "He's been doing his own touring, we've been doing ours and so we haven't really been able to lock into that, but it looks like this fall we will. It just makes a lot of sense with a milestone such as 50 years to get together and do something."

As for a possible live performance featuring Love, Wilson, Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine, he said: "I think that there's definitely more than a possibility that will happen, but to what degree I don't know. It's a little early to say, but I definitely think it would be more than worthwhile. It would be really special to commemorate that milestone with some personal appearances." more on this story

Body of Missing Drummer Found- Rolling Stones Star Lands TV Show- Nirvana Unbanned- Slayer Fun Fun Fun- Red Hot Chili Peppers Surprise- Axemaster Return- more

(Lambgoat) Sadly, though not suprisingly, the body of Cipher drummer (and Long Beach, NY math teacher) Daniel Bobis has reportedly been located. Thus concludes the search for Bobis, who had been missing following a surfing mishap in Indonesia last weekend. A Bobis relative delivered the news via Facebook more

(NME) Rolling Stone and Faces man Ronnie Wood has landed his very own television program. The Ronnie Wood show will launch on Sky Arts next February and is said to be a continuation of his award winning Absolute Radio show more

(Jam!) Nirvana have had the cover art of their classic album Nervermind restored on Facebook.com following reports the image of a naked baby violated the website's terms and conditions. more

(NME) Plans to dedicate bridge to Kurt Cobain are shelved However, a small piece of land on the Wishkah River will be named the Cobain Landing more

(MU) Austin360.com reports Slayer will be performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest. The three day festival takes place at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas on November 4-6, 2011. more

(MU) Axemaster has officially reformed and begun songwriting for the band's next release. Original Axemaster members Joe Sims and Brian Henderson have returned to the band and they have also recruited new vocalist Tony Webster (Archetype, ex-Mo Rage) for the upcoming release. more

(FMQB) The Red Hot Chili Peppers played a surprise gig in Big Sur, CA Wednesday night, their first with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and live percussionist Mauro Refosco as part of the lineup. more

(BMN) Hellyeah — featuring Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera, Damageplan), Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne), Tom Maxwell (Nothingface) and Bob "Zilla" Kakaha (Damageplan) — is continuing work on its third album at Abbott's home in Arlington, Texas, where he has a studio set up. The group states via Twitter, "We are finishing up the music this weekend and starting on vocals next week! Our heaviest record yet! Hellyeah!" more

(Lambgoat) The first batch of dates has been announced by organizers of the Crush 'Em All Tour II, slated to feature After The Burial, Veil Of Maya, Misery Signals, and Within The Ruins in addition to several other bands appearing on select dates. more

(MU) Patterns is back after a hiatus and is writing a new album. The band's first album, "The Chosen," is currently available for free download at their Facebook page more

Exhumed will tour North America this fall with Goatwhore and Cephalic Carnage. more

On this day in 1966, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker made their live debut as Cream at The Twisted Wheel, Manchester, England.

On this day in 1966, Datebook published Maureen Cleave's interview with John Lennon in which he said, "We're bigger than Jesus now." American Christians reacted with outrage, organizing "Beatle bonfires" and burning the group's records.

On this day in 1973, Led Zeppelin lost $180,000 in cash when a thief made off with their safe deposit box from two Madison Square Garden concerts in New York City.

On this day in 1974, Mamas and the Papas singer Cass Elliot died in her sleep from a heart attack after playing a sold-out show in London, England. She was staying at Harry Nilsson's London flat when she died. Her only solo hit was "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Find out what else happened on this date in music history here

Corey Taylor Tells Slipknot Fans To Be Patient

(Rock News Desk) Corey Taylor has asked Slipknot fans to be patient while they deal with their "turmoil" following their first shows after the deal of bassist Paul Gray. And he says it's vitally important to wait for the right moment to consider making a new album, because doing it sooner would destroy the band.

They recently completed a three-week European tour after the forced hiatus in the aftermath of Gray's tragic death in May 2009. They're in the early stages of arranging a US tour for early next year and they'll also appear at Rock in Rio this September.

Taylor has repeatedly refused to commit to new studio work, insisting many more issues have to be dealt with before the move can be made. Now he says: "If we make the wrong choices for the wrong reasons then it could all go like that. I don't want to be a part of that." more on this story

Avenged Sevenfold Warned Portnoy

(Rock News Desk) Avenged Sevenfold warned Mike Portnoy not to quit Dream Theater – especially if he was planning to stay with them, because they'd already decided he wasn't the "right fit" to become a full-time member.

The band admit they were delighted when he joined them as temporary replacement for tragic Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan, who died in 2009. But they felt stuck in an uncomfortable situation when he decided to quit his own band half-way through their world tour. "When Mike first came in he was sincere in the fact he was there help us fulfill Jimmy's legacy," Guitarist Zacky Vengeance tells Guitar World. "We'll always be so thankful – and truthfully he was really the only man for the job.

"But I think he was also searching for new things to do. I know for a fact he was starting to lose his romance with Dream Theater, and that had been going on from before he knew us. more on this story

Cheap Trick Demand Safety Following Stage Collapse

(Rock News Desk) Cheap Trick have called for outdoor concert organisers to guarantee they're doing more to protect band and fans after their near-death experience at the Ottawa Bluesfest earlier this month.

They were performing on the main stage on the final day of the two-week event when a freak storm arrived over the festival site. They abandoned their set mid-song and were only half-way down the stage steps when a powerful gust of wind brought the roof, awning and lighting rig down around them.

Frontman Robin Zander revealed they only survived because their equipment truck had broken the construction's fall and left them a five-foot gap through which they escaped. Their truck driver was the only person seriously injured in the incident, sustaining a broken pelvis and pierced abdomen. Now manager Dave Frey has demanded event organisers learn lessons to avoid a more tragic similar event taking place. more on this story

Def Leppard Make Emotional Live Return

(Rock News Desk) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott admits his first show after the death of his dad was a difficult experience – and he's thanked his fans for supporting him while he was "off his game."

Joe Senior died on July 7 at the age of 81 after a long illness. He'd persuaded his son not to postpone his planned tour so Elliott Junior hit the road until he was called to his father's deathbed, leading to the postponement of some concerts.

But Def Leppard were back in action this week, and Elliott has acknowledged the support of his followers during his difficult time. "Last night was the first show I've ever done without a father, and can I say to the people of Cincinnati, Ohio: 'Thank you for making it that little bit easier to deal with.'," He says. "I'll admit I ran out of gas – I had nothing left to give. It was emotional, but it was over 100 degrees on stage too, which didn't help. more on this story

Bret Michaels Doesn't Regret Working With Miley Cyrus or Sublime

(RockAAA) Bret Michaels has dismissed suggestions that duetting with Miley Cyrus or covering a track by rap rockers Sublime was a risk – instead insisting they were simply opportunities he felt would give him the chance to step outside his comfort zone.

The Poison frontman told the Beaver Country Times: "With both of those, I didn't think "Wow, I'm taking a really big risk here, artistically." I thought, "Wow, wouldn't it be cool do this." So I didn't see covering Sublime or working with Miley as a risk.

"I saw both of those tracks as an opportunity to evolve as an artist and stretch myself. I consider myself truly lucky because I have the kind of fans who support and encourage me when I step outside of the box and do something unexpected." more on this story

Massive Box Set For The Smiths

(Gibson) Nearly everything The Smiths ever recorded is going to be included in a giant box set, due this fall from Rhino. Music-News.com reports that the collection will include all eight of the alt-rockers' albums (four studio releases, three singles collections and one live record) remastered by guitarist Johnny Marr and Frank Arkwrigh for both vinyl and CD.

The Smiths Complete – Deluxe Collectors Box Set also will feature reproductions of all 25 of the band's 7-inch singles, posters, artwork, extensive liner notes and a DVD collecting every music video. Only 3,000 copies of the set, due out October 3, will be made.

Smiths fans who aren't necessarily completists will have the opportunity to by remastered versions of each of The Smiths' eight albums on their own, on either CD or vinyl. The new editions will feature no bonus material. more on this story

The Who's Quadrophenia Director's Cut Box Set Coming This Fall

Universal are planning a November release for The Who's Quadrophenia: The Director's Cut box set. Here are the details:

After the 1971 album Who's Next, Pete Townshend returned to the "rock-opera" concept, so dramatically realized through "Tommy," with another ambitious double-album masterpiece.

Based around the story of Jimmy, Quadrophenia tells the tale of a young mod and his struggle to come of age in the mid-1960s. The story also takes its influence from the band's early fans from the original mod era, and its themes of teenage angst and disaffection still resonate strongly today. more on this story

Mutemath Fall Tour

(WBR) Mutemath will be playing intimate venues across North American on their Odd Soul Introduction Tour this fall.

The Odd Soul Introduction Tour kicks off on September 7th and concludes with a homecoming show in New Orleans on October 21st.

During the tour the band will be unveiling songs from their upcoming album, Odd Soul, which will be released on October 4th by Teleprompt/Warner Bros. Records. Mutemath will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the night of release. more on this story

Toto's Bobby Kimball And Survivor's Jimi Jamison Team Up

Toto's Bobby Kimball and Survivor's Jimi Jamison have teamed up for a duets album that will be release on October 14th in Europe and October 18th in North America.

"We always talked of doing something like this, musically we like the same stuff and we've been in the same kind of bands and when the opportunity arose we jumped on it" said Jimi Jamison.

"I've always wanted to do a CD with Jimi because he is one of my best friends, we work well together and we have fun together" added Bobby Kimball. more on this story

Sammy Hagar To Be Honored

(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar: Hometown Hero. That's how the sign outside Sammy's place could read after he is honored by his hometown this fall.

The Mill Valley Patch reports Hagar is one of 7 residents of Mill Valley, California – a part of Marin County – to receive a 2011 Milley Award.

The Milleys were created by Abby Wasserman in 1988 to honor one local person a year for their creative achievements. By 1995, the Art Commission realized that Mill Valley suffered from an overwhelming abundance of great artists, and expanded the event to include five recipients. more on this story

Former Black Sabbath Singer Used Vacuum To Learn Music

(Gibson) Tony Martin, singer with Black Sabbath on five albums – Eternal Idol, Headless Cross, TYR, Cross Purposes and Forbidden – recently spoke to Gibson.com about his life in the music business.

Well known for his interest in creating new sounds, Martin says he learned a lot from him mom's Hoover: "The most famous of my musical explorations was harmonizing with my mother's Hoover! I learned a lot about note interaction just by using the constant drone note from the vacuum."

As a young guitar trader, however, he showed no real flair: "My original first pride was a Gibson 335 semi, which I am gutted to say I sold for £2 sterling when I was 14. Clearly had no idea what I was holding!" more on this story

Red Sox Pitcher Hits Dropkick Murphys Star With Tomato Fastball

Dropkick Murphys' Ken Casey was knocked off his feet by a tomato fastball thrown by Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon during a charity event in Boston.

It happened during the Rotten Tomato Karaoke Party charity event in Boston last week, hosted by The Claddagh Fund and Dropkick Murphys. Watch video here

Celebrities in attendance--many of whom sang their favorite songs for the crowd while being pelted with rotten tomatoes--at the July 21 event at The Barking Crab included: Dropkick Murphys' Ken Casey, Tim Brennan and Scruffy Wallace, Jonathan Papelbon (Boston Red Sox), Shawn Thornton (Boston Bruins), Micky Ward (boxer, The Fighter), Josh Reddick (Boston Red Sox right fielder), Alida D'Angona (Miss Massachusetts USA 2010), Heidi Watney (NESN sports reporter), Scot Pollard (former Boston Celtics player), various New England Revolution soccer players, Jamie Bissonnette (chef/owner Copa & Toro, reality show Chopped), Jason Santos (chef/owner Blue Inc., reality show Hell's Kitchen) and radio DJ Adam 12 (WFNX, Boston).

Ted Nugent Loves the Lem! Loves that Motorhead!

(Gibson) Detroit rock and roller Ted Nugent is on the road with a variety of names this summer — everyone from ZZ Top to Derek St. Holmes — playing casinos, amphitheaters and the Chicago House of Blues. In the midst of all the touring, the 62-year-old musician has revealed he's actually a big fan of Motorhead.

"Love the Lem! Love that Motorhead!" he excitedly told The Other Paper, in reference to Motörhead frontman Lemmy. "Our VH1 Supergroup performed 'Ace of Spades,' and my fire-breathing guitar made it spectacularly angry and animal."

On the subject of reality TV, Nugent says doing each show is simply a blast. "Our award-winning Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel continues to obliterate all things status quo," he said. "You gotta witness it as often as possible. Killer TV. Literally." more on this story

Tiger Army's Nick 13 Hitting The Road With Juliana Theory's Brett Detar

(SS) Tiger Army frontman Nick 13 has announced additional dates for his upcoming North American tour.

Audra Mae will tour in support in August and former frontman for The Juliana Theory and thriving Americana artist Brett Detar will support in September and October.

Nick 13 is hitting the road in support of his self-titled countrified solo debut album which entered debuted on Billboard charts at #2 on the Heatseekers and at #22 on the Country Albums. more on this story

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Reunion DVD and Blu-Ray

(MVD) Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 23th. Here is the synopsis:

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) reformed for the first time since 1998 for their final show to headline the High Voltage Festival on Sunday, July 25th 2010. And what a show it was!

2010/2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of Emerson Lake and Palmer. ELP was a predominant force that laid the foundation for all progressive rock. more on this story

The Browning Streaming New Song Online

The Browning are giving fans a taste of their upcoming album by streaming their brand new track, "Not Alone," online right now.

"Not Alone" is the first song to be released off the band's debut on Earache Records, Burn This World, due to hit North America on October 4th and UK/Europe October 3rd. Listen here.

The Browning's Jonny McAbee comments: 'With our new album "Burn This World", we wanted to push our electronics and metal to a level that hasn't been done before. Releasing "Not Alone" first is perfect because it shows how aggressive this album is, how our music has progressed, and how much our electronics have evolved.' more on this story

Ozzy's Gus G Gushes About New Judas Priest Guitarist

(Gibson) Ozzy Osbourne is taking a breather from the road, and his new six-stringer, Gus G., is using the down time to tour with his Greek power metal group, Firewind. Firewind recently played alongside Judas Priest in Greece, and Gus G. used the opportunity to gush about new Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner.

"Priest are doing great and are putting on such a great show," Gus G. told Rock AAA. "Richie [Faulkner] is doing a great job, and I'm very glad he got the job [to join the band.] He's a ripper, is doing great on stage, people seem to really love what he is doing and he deserves it."

As for whether it's tricky to switch between playing the straight-ahead metal in Ozzy to the prog-rock textures of Firewind, Gus insists they come from "the same roots." more on this story

Matt & Kim Hitting The Road With Blink-182

Matt & Kim have mapped out some tour plans including the Honda Civic Tour dates with Blink-182.

Matt & Kim's tour officially kicks off September 7th in the Twin Cities, but leading up to that fall launch, you'll find the duo on festival stages throughout August.

Matt & Kim will appear at the Music To Know Festival in East Hampton on August 13. From there they will head to LA for the Sunset Strip Music Festival, then back east for the Silopanna Music Festival in Annapolis. more on this story

Evile Album Preview

Evile are giving fans a preview of their new album, Five Serpent's Teeth, ahead of the September 26th release date.

A 15-minute preview of the album, featuring one-and-a-half minutes of each song from the album, is available here.

Evile lead guitarist Ol Drake comments: "I was delighted to hear iTunes upped their track preview length to 1:30, but everyone doesn't have iTunes. A fan of ours, Austin H, put all the previews into one video on YouTube. more on this story

Original Beatle Gets His Own Streets

(Gibson) Original Beatles drummer Pete Best will finally have not one, but two Liverpool streets named after him. According to the Liverpool Echo , Best, who was fired by The Beatles in 1961 to be replaced by Ringo Starr, is now honored with Pete Best Drive.

His mother, Mona, is also honored with Casbah Close, named after the Casbah café she ran (a key music venue for young bands in Liverpool) in the early '60s. The campaign to honor Pete Best with a road has been going for 36 years, after Gene Grimes of the Beatles Appreciation Society first wrote to the Liverpool council.

Best said: "Gene has always been a very good friend and supporter and he said he wanted to get a street named after me. I said thanks but didn't give it any more thought. more on this story

The Day The Doors Couldn't Get Much Higher

(Gibson) On this day in 1967, The Doors started a three-week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Light My Fire." The group's first U.S. #1 only reached #49 on the U.K. chart. Gibson takes a look back: In the early part of 1967, The Doors were floundering. Sure, they had been signed to a record deal and then recorded and released an album featuring most of the songs they had honed in concert, but the band's future looked a bit bleak. Their debut album was flopping, as was their lead single, "Break on Through (To the Other Side)," which stalled at a lowly #126 on the Billboard charts. If things didn't turn around, it's possible The Doors could have been shown the door at Elektra Records.

But, the band and Elektra president Jac Holzman wanted to put out another single in the spring. Everyone seemed to think "Light My Fire" had hit potential. It was the first song guitarist Robby Krieger had ever written. Reportedly, Krieger was trying to write something about one of the elements (fire, air, water, earth). Frontman Jim Morrison assisted a bit on the second verse and organ player Ray Manzarek came up with the distinctive organ intro.

"Light My Fire" looked like a lock for the next single, except there was one problem – it was nearly seven minutes long. In 1967, a seven-minute pop hit was still unheard of; "Hey Jude" and "MacArthur Park" were still a year away. There was no way Elektra was going to sign off on a single with an extended instrumental break of organ and guitar solos. more on this story

Hear New ZZ Top Song Flyin' High

You can now hear the brand new ZZ Top song Flyin' High but before you give you the link to check it out, here some interesting back story about who had the opportunity to hear it first.

hennemusic reports: Last month, new music from ZZ Top was circling the globe in the hands of Astronaut Michael Fossum on his way to the International Space Station via a Russian spacecraft.

The opportunity to debut the song "Flyin' High" in space was too good to miss. "We figured it'd be the perfect song to pass along to the astronauts," guitarist Billy Gibbons tells Mojo. Check it out here

Skeletonwitch To Premiere New Song This Weekend

Skeletonwitch have announced premiere of a new song called "The Infernal Resurrection" on this weekend's edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show.

The track comes from the band's forthcoming album, "Forever Abomination," which will hit streets October 11th, 2011.

Skeletonwitch recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Hatebreed) and will be participating in a fall North American tour along with Arch Enemy, Devildriver and Chthonic. more on this story

.... MorleyView: Joe Bouchard Part Three: Blue Oyster Cult<

In this, the final installment of this three-part interview, Joe looks back at the band that started it all off for him, Blue Oyster Cult. - Read the full Joe Bouchard Part Three: Blue Oyster Cult MorleyView