Crazy Town Singer In A Coma

Shifty is scheduled to appear in court this week for a pre-trial hearing -- after his February coke arrest. We're told he was extremely anxious about the possibility of going to jail. more on this story

Axl Rose Vs Slash

(hennemusic) Slash is on the promo trail talking up his forthcoming solo effort, "Apocalyptic Love," set for release May 22. Along the way, the guitarist continues to face questions about Guns N' Roses' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, which happens next Saturday. And he's getting tired of it.

"This is a subject I'm dead sick of talking about," Slash tells Rolling Stone. "Everyone has been asking me what's going to happen, and they know as much as I do. I feel you're totally obligated to be present and I would love to f**king play, but it's just something that's not gonna happen for whatever reason."

Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler are all committed to going to the Cleveland ceremony, but it's unclear whether guitarist Izzy Stradlin or Axl Rose will be present. One sticking point for Axl may be the presence of Slash, whom he called a "cancer" in 2009. "He hates my guts," says Slash. "It's over a lot of different stuff; I don't even know. There's just no communication between us. I talk to Duff and Steven, but when it comes to old Guns N' Roses, there really isn't anybody that makes decisions." more on this story

Rock Hall of Fame KISS-off

(hennemusic) The annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony happens next week, which puts the Cleveland institution on a lot of people's minds this time of year. Among of the outspoken critics of the Hall are KISS, a band that's been eligible for induction since 1999, but has a lone nomination in 2010 to their name. If the band were inducted, would they show up?

"Gladly," says Paul Stanley, "because it means something to the fans. The fans want us in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame so, of course, we'll do it for them."

Stanley added, "but when you don't even know who's voting for these people, it's a great marketing ploy: you have a bunch of people who came up with this title – 'Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.' Who are these people who do the voting? It's obviously not the people, because when you look at some of the nominees you don't even know who they are." more on this story

Ozzy Releasing Limited Edition Randy Rhoads Live Album

(hennemusic) Fans of Ozzy Osbourne and vinyl will be pleased to hear the two are coming together on Record Store Day – Saturday, April 21.

Ozzy's vinyl releases for Record Store Day 2012 are: * "Live" 12-inch 180-gram audiophile vinyl LPs (two-disc set): A limited, numbered collector's edition recorded live on the 1981 "Blizzard Of Ozz" tour with legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads

* "Believer" live seven-inch single: A limited, numbered collector's edition on polka-dot vinyl featuring "Believer" (live) + "Goodbye to Romance" (2010 guitar and vocal mix) more on this story

10 Years Album and Tour Coming

10 Years fans will have a rockin' summer with the band releasing a new album and hitting the road on a new tour.

10 Years will release their new album, Minus the Machine on July 17, their debut release on their own Palehorse Records label (in conjunction with Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group.)

10 Years frontman Jesse Hasek explains the decision to release the album independently, saying "We wanted to create an album that has no boundaries." He continues, "When you feel like you're being told to go through motions and jump through hoops, it takes the heart out of it. It's better to do what comes naturally and then figure out the after-effect." more on this story

Slash To Play Album Release Show

(hennemusic) Slash's sophomore album, "Apocalyptic Love," hits the streets May 22 and, on the day of its release, the guitarist has just announced that he'll play a club show in New York.

A fan pre-sale for the Irving Plaza concert will begin this Wednesday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m., with the regular on-sale set for Friday April 6 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available at SlashOnline.com

The NY gig is part of Slash's mini-tour of the States next month to help launch the new project; dates start May 3 in Baltimore. more on this story

Peter Blake Updating Beatles Sgt. Pepper Album Cover

(Gibson) To celebrate his 80th birthday, Sir Peter Blake is producing a new version of the iconic album cover for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which he came up with in 1967.

According to the Daily Express, the new collage-style artwork features current figures like Paul Weller, Danny Boyle, Elvis Costello, John Hurt, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dame Helen Mirren and Kate Moss. Sir Paul McCartney also makes an appearance.

Blake said, "I chose people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends." more on this story

Marilyn Manson Plans Limited Edition For Record Store Day

(Gibson) Marilyn Manson will release a new single titled "No Reflection" as an exclusive seven-inch vinyl disc in Europe on April 21 for Record Store Day.

Only 1,500 copies of the disc will be pressed, featuring the album version of "No Reflection" from the forthcoming CD Born Villain, as well as a single edit.

Born Villain will be released on May 1 in the U.S. and a day earlier internationally, via Cooking Vinyl and Manson's own label, Hell, Etc. more on this story

Jimmy Little RIP

(Gibson) Australian music pioneer Jimmy Little has died peacefully at the age of 75 after a long illness.

Born on March 1, 1937, Little was the first Australian aboriginal artist to achieve mainstream success, and was one of the first artists signed to Festival Records. His hit "Royal Telephone" in 1963 was followed by "One Road" in 1964. The song was written for Little by Bee Gee Barry Gibb.

Little's career enjoyed a resurgence in 1999 with the release of Messenger, an album featuring covers of classic Australian rock songs from the 1980s, including "Under the Milky Way" by The Church, "Into Temptation" by Crowded House, "Cattle and Cane" by The Go-Betweens and "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. more on this story

Atheist Joins Death To All Tour

Atheist will be joining the Death To All Tour 2012 which has just added more dates to the trek.

Death To All Tour 2012 - In benefit of Sweet Relief (sweetrelief.org). This 7 city tour will feature a majority of Death's musicians, as well as special guests. This tour is to celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, as well as to raise awareness of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund – a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems.

Here is the official statement about the tour from Atheist's Kelly Shaefer: "We could not be more honored to be direct support on the upcoming Death To All Tour! It's gonna be a blast to gather with all our old and dear friends form the early days of extreme metal, and also to help celebrate the music from the godfather of Death metal, Chuck Schuldiner. Any fan of Death/extreme metal, I'm telling you now, sell everything to attend one or more of these shows. It's going to be legendary and you can bet on that! We will be doing the Orlando, Atlanta and Dallas shows, so we hope to see all the Southern metal-heads out in force. Thanks to Anton and the organizers for asking us to be a part of this monumental moment in extreme metal history! See you all there!" more on this story

System Of A Down's Serj Tankian Plans Harakiri Album Release

System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian is planning to release his third solo album, Harakiri, this summer.

Tankian is currently in his Serjical Strike Studios in LA putting the finishing touches on his third solo studio album and we were sent these details:

He tried to approach writing a little differently this time around. "I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record. We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results." more on this story

Godsmack's Sully Erna Unplugs Metallica Hit

(hennemusic) Godsmack frontman Sully Erna is currently playing some solo dates before the band regroups to hit the road again late next week.

Some video of Sully's Sunday night show in Huntington, NY has surfaced, including his acoustic cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters."

Erna is out promoting the upcoming release of "Avalon Live," a live DVD/Blu-ray featuring the singer performing material from his 2010 solo effort, "Avalon." Check out video here.

Primus, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bruce Hornsby Lead Gathering of the Vibes

(Sub) The 17th annual Gathering of the Vibes is set to take place from July 19th through 22nd at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Ct and will feature Primus, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Weir & Bruce Hornsby with Special Guest Branford Marsalis, Mickey Hart Band, Sound Tribe Sector 9, The Avett Brothers, along with Yonder Mountain String Band, 7 Walkers, The Greyboy Allstars, and Steel Pulse.

Vibes favorites Dark Star Orchestra, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Bridgeport's own Deep Banana Blackout will return to the stage in 2012. Over 40 bands will perform on multiple stages located throughout the 370-acre beachfront venue.

"The Vibes is a seminal gathering of the tribes, and should be supported by those who spawned it," shared Mickey Hart, founding member of The Grateful Dead. more on this story

Garbage Live Chat and Video Premiere Today

Garbage will be hosting a live online chat today as well as premiering the music video for their new single.

The music video for the group's new single "Blood For Poppies" will premiere today, April 3rd, on AOL Music. The track is the first single from the band's forthcoming album, Not Your Kind Of People, which is due out on May 15th.

Garbage will participate in a live Ustream chat where the band will answer questions from fans about the video and forthcoming new album, followed by the world premiere of the video live from Los Angeles. The chat starts at 1:00pm PST. more on this story

David Lynch Delivers Crazy Clown Time Video

(Vice) Yesterday David Lynch premiered his self directed video for "Crazy Clown Time," the title track from his debut solo album.

Lynch describes the setting for the video as "an intense psychotic backyard craziness, fueled by beer" and Film Comment calls the track "Crazy Clown Time" "a giddy, half-told story of a party gone awry and women with torn shirts."

The premiere of "Crazy Clown Time" marks the latest from the Noisey YouTube channel. You can watch it here.

Billy Sheehan Explains Why Mr. Big Unplugged

(Gibson) The new Mr. Big album, Live From The Living Room, came about as a result of acoustic promotional appearances in Japan to talk up the band's latest studio album, What If?

Speaking to BraveWords.com's Mitch Lafon, Billy Sheehan said acoustic mode was not entirely unknown to the band – after all, they hit #1 with their 1991 single "To Be With You."

"When we go out to do promo tours and stuff, we end up doing a lot acoustically and we hang out backstage with acoustic guitars and such, so we end up playing a lot," Sheehan said. "This is not completely foreign to us – singing and playing acoustic instruments quietly is something we do a lot of off stage. You have to step back and think through what you're going to do because there's no giant amp behind you." more on this story

Great White Set New Album Release

(Gibson) Great White will release a new album, Elation, on May 18 via Frontiers Records. The album is the first to feature new lead singer Terry Ilous and bass player Scott Snyder, alongside original members Mark Kendall (guitar), Michael Lardie (guitar/keys) and Audie Desbrow (drums).

Elation is Great White's 12th studio album. "This is a new birth of the band," Desbrow said. "I wanted to call the album 'Tabula Rasa' which means rebirth, but we went for 'Elation' because of the euphoria in the atmosphere. It's a fresh and healthier start than ever before. I'm like a kid in a candy store."

Guitarist Kendall agrees: "This is the most excited I've been since I was nine-years-old and got my first guitar." more on this story

Gary Clark Jr. To Play Summer Music Festivals

Gary Clark Jr. has been invited to perform at this summer's major North American music festivals, according to Warner Bros. They sent over these details:

The appearances include a prime slot at the eclectic Bonnaroo (where he also appeared during the day last year), to the alternative mainstays Coachella and Montreal's Osheaga Festival, to the indie rock-driven Sasquatch!, to the NOLA Jazz & Heritage Festival, plus many other top-line festivals whose line-ups will be announced in the coming weeks.

With an unpredictable and musically varied live set that changes depending on Clark's mood, the Austin native has been wowing fans of all stripes during an incredibly successful year spent touring the U.S, Europe, and the U.K., performing everywhere from sold-out clubs to massive stadiums with Eric Clapton. more on this story

Landmine Marathon Added To Nasum's Farewell Tour Dates

Landmine Marathon will be supporting Nasum on several of the band's upcoming Farewell Tour dates.

Landmine Marathon will be playing three shows starting on May 28th and concluding on May 30th.

In regards to the Farewell Tour, paying tribute to the late Mieszko Talarczyk, Landmine Marathon bassist Matt Martinez stated: "We are honored and excited to take part in The Grind Finale of Nasum. Mieszko was such an important and powerful contributor to the world of extreme music. It is going to be great to take part in this farewell to the grind powerhouse that is Nasum!" more on this story

The Agonist Set June Album Release

(CM) The Agonist's third studio album, Prisoners, is set to be released via Century Media Records on June 4th in Europe and June 5th in North America.

The effort was produced by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) and mixed by Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Suicide Silence),

In regards to this upcoming album, the band comments: "Creating 'Prisoners' was the most challenging under-taking to date for The Agonist. Years of emotion, passion, thought and experience went into making this album, and I think people will be able to hear, feel and think right along with us when they listen to 'Prisoners'." more on this story

The Day Charlie Brown Was Banned

(Gibson) On this day in 1959, The BBC banned "Charlie Brown" by The Coasters from their airwaves. Gibson takes a look back: On this date in 1959, the BBC struck a decisive blow in the battle against hooliganism by banning the song, "Charlie Brown," by The Coasters. With keen awareness, the Powers-That-Be saw that the song's protagonist is hailed for throwing "spitballs" and intuited that this song would send British classrooms into chaos should it ever make it onto the country's airwaves. And so, the United Kingdom was saved from that "clown," Charlie Brown. But despite the fatherly stewardship of the Beeb, The Coasters' reign of hi-jinks was hardly at an end.

The group was formed in October 1955 out of the ashes of the Los Angeles-based vocal group, The Robins (of "Smokey Joe's Café" and "Riot in Cell Block #9" fame). Atlantic Records made an offer to the songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, two 22-year-olds with a full five years of hits under their belts, including "Kansas City," "Hound Dog" and "Hard Times." The duo had formed Spark Records in 1953, which prominently featured The Robins. When Atlantic bought out Spark, the label offered Leiber and Stoller the opportunity to produce their own records (and even offer them to other labels).

When Leiber and Stoller moved to Atlantic, the idea was that they would continue to record The Robins. Unfortunately, only two Robins were willing to fly to Atlantic: lead man Carl Gardner and R&B vet (and former Air Force boxing champion) Bobby Nunn. Leiber and Stoller paired them with comedy singer Billy Guy and doo-wop vocalist Leon Hughes. The group also featured a guitarist, Adoph Jacobs, who later made a name for himself as a jazz and blues player, working with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Larry Williams, among others.

Out of the gates, The Coasters were a hit. Their spot-on comedic delivery—and deceptively tight harmonies—made them the kings of the malt-shop jukebox and high-risers on the pop and R&B charts. Beginning with the R&B hit, "Down in Mexico," the group picked up steam with steadily higher-performing singles, with the double-sided "Young Blood"/"Searchin'" reaching the Top 10 in 1957. more on this story