Jimi Hendrix, Elvis and Kurt Cobain For Hologram Resurrection?

More rock news including Dream Theater and Def Leppard album news and more. more on this story

Slash Is Done With Guns N' Roses

(hennemusic) Less than two weeks after Guns N' Roses were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Slash has offered his thoughts on the event.

Speaking with Rolling Stone from Europe, where he continues his worldwide promotion of the May 22 release of his sophomore solo album, "Apocalyptic Love," the guitarist talked openly about his pre- and post-induction impressions and that the Rock Hall experience has brought some closure for Slash.

"Yeah, I think it did that for all of us. I didn't have any illusions or delusions of GNR getting back together for anything," he says. "I maybe tried to see it happen for this one particular event, I didn't have high hopes for that, I didn't feel confident it was going to happen, but having done this one gig, and for the event itself, when it was all said and done, it really felt like closing the book on the whole thing." A lot more from Slash here.

Beach Boys Preview New Song

(Gibson) The Beach Boys have unveiled a clip of the first single from their forthcoming reunion album. Titled "That's Why God Made the Radio," the retro-sounding song harks back to the harmony-laden pop formula the band forged in the mid-'60s.

"It's a sentimental thing for me," says Brian Wilson, speaking in the clip." We've been together 50 years – that's a long time." Mike Love adds: "Conceptually, the album is not going to be anything outlandish or silly, like Smiley Smile. It will be like the Beach Boys circa '65. I'm trying to write lyrics that fit the music without making it sound like you're writing from a hospice."

The Beach Boys split acrimoniously in the '90s, and went on to tour in separate configurations. Last year, they agreed to put aside their differences and stage a reunion tour. On Tuesday (April 24), the band's Brian Johnston announced the band will release a new studio album on June 5. To watch a clip featuring the new single, click here.

Deftones' Chino And Isis Members Form Palms

Deftones' vocalist Chino Moreno has teamed up with three former members of Isis (Aaron Harris, Clifford Meyer and Jeff Caxide) to form a new group called Palms who will be releasing their debut album this year.

"Clifford, Jeff and I started Palms a little over a year ago out of a desire to continue making music together after ISIS ended," explained Harris. "Chino joined shortly after and our sound took shape from there. We've worked really hard on this first release and are excited for people to hear it. It's nice to be back behind the drum kit, and with this line up."

"Being a huge ISIS fan I've always dug the moods these dudes convey with their sound," added Moreno. "I am excited to combine my sense of creativity with theirs, and to have fun doing so." more on this story

Great White Accuse Jack Russell of Lip-synching

(Classic Rock) Great White's Mark Kendall, Michael Lardie and Adie Desbrow have filed a counterclaim against frontman Jack Russell, alleging he forced them to mime shows on a European tour because he couldn't carry out singing duties well enough.

Russell last month served papers against his former colleagues for continuing to use the band name while he was working on a project called Jack Russell's Great White. Later he said: "That's not Great White – who are they kidding? I fired them all on December 10."

The three long-standing musicians hired XYZ singer Terry Illous to carry out a 30th anniversary tour and later decided to start creating new material, following a number of incidents which left Russell too ill to work.

Responding to their ex-singer's lawsuit, they've now filed their own 30-page document.... read their claims here.

Iron Maiden May Take Different Direction

(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith says the band might abandon their recent trend of writing long prog-rock style tracks, and return to creating material that could be released as singles.

Maiden's 15th studio release, 2010's The Final Frontier, featured 10 tracks of which The Alchemist was the shortest at 4.29 – but the average song lasted 7.40 with When The Wild Wind Blows clocking in at 10.59.

Smith says he's not sure how that happened, but it might be because he, Dickinson and bassist Steve Harris stopped composing separately. He tells VH1's That Metal Show: "On the last couple of albums Steve, Bruce and me have written together, which is a new thing. Steve used to bringing three, four, five completed songs. But now he's doing more arranging, production, overseeing. We sit down and write, and that's reflected in the slightly different stuff." More including his retelling of how the band's plane was diverted from the Japanese tsunami.

Jack Blades Wants To Record Album With Cheap Trick Frontman

(Classic Rock) Jack Blades had so much fun in a four-hour studio session with Robin Zander that he wants them to do a full album together.

The Night Ranger and Cheap Trick frontmen got together one afternoon to collaborate on a track for Blades' new solo record, Rock'n'Roll Ride.

But the afternoon went so well they came up with three songs – and now Blades, who also fronted 'supergroup' the Damn Yankees, wants to do more. more on this story

Dio Disciples Singer Apologizes To Fans After Festival Falls Apart

(Classic Rock) Dio Disciples singer Toby Jepson says he's sorry for fans after his band travelled 15,000 miles to play the Metal Open Air Festival in Brazil last weekend – only to discover 30 bands had pulled out and even the sound and light companies had gone home.

The three-day event was billed as South America's answer to the successful Wacken Open Air extravaganza in Germany.

But a stack of big names – including headliners the Rock-N-'Roll Allstars plus Saxon, Anthrax and Blind Guardian – subsequently refused to appear, reporting they hadn't been paid. Another headliner, Venom, said their South American work visas had been mistakenly sent to Africa! After a handful of acts including first-night headliners Megadeth had performed seven hours late, the plug was finally pulled. more on this story

Jack White To Score Disney's The Lone Ranger

(Gibson) Jack White has been hired to write, produce and perform the score for an upcoming film adaptation of The Lone Ranger, Variety.com has reported. The Walt Disney Pictures project is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who said, "Jack's an amazing songwriter with a unique style. We're thrilled to hear his fresh take on the 'William Tell Overture.'"

Bruckheimer said the idea to recruit White came from actor Johnny Depp and film director Gore Verbinski. "Gore hatched the idea and Johnny was thrilled with it," Bruckheimer said. "We're all very excited to have [White] on board."

White has never scored an entire film, but he did write a song for the 2008 James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, and performed a track for 2007's Cold Mountain. Starring Depp and Armie Hammer, The Lone Ranger is currently being filmed in New Mexico. The film is slated for release on May 31, 2013. more on this story

Singer Angry at Quiet Riot Over Firing While He Was In The Hospital

(Classic Rock) Former Quiet Riot singer Mark Huff insists he deserves more respect than the band showed by sacking him while he was fighting for his life.

He was diagnosed with a brain disorder after collapsing in January, four months after he'd signed up to front the band following the 2007 death of original singer Kevin DuBrow. By the time Huff left hospital two weeks later, he'd been dismissed – but he only found out through online news reports.

In a statement that caused controversy among fans, drummer Frankie Banali said: "Mr Huff's medical condition had nothing to do with the decision that was made, though it's unfortunate that it comes at such a time. A certified letter was sent informing Mark of the decision and why it was made. Unless he decides to make the reason public, which I believe would be counterproductive for him, I will not go tit-for-tat. If certain persons wish to villainies me that is their prerogative."

Now Huff tells Sleaze Roxx: "I had been signed on for the year. I had dates, I had flight itineraries and I was ready to go. This came out of nowhere. I understand people need to get back to work but I'm not happy at how they went about it." more on this story

Van Halen Release Limited Edition

(hennemusic) Van Halen have just released a limited edition 7-inch vinyl single of their new song, "She's The Woman."

The vinyl single will be available for free starting Friday May 4, with purchase of the band's new album "A Different Kind of Truth" at participating record stores around the U.S.

Van Halen continue their tour in support of the album; this week, the band plays Charlotte, NC (Wed), Nashville (Fri) and St. Louis (Sun). more on this story

Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam To Headline Music Midtown Festival

(Gibson) Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam are among the acts slated to headline this year's Music Midtown festival in Atlanta. The two-day event, which also features Ludacris and T.I. as headliners, will take place in downtown Atlanta's Piedmont Park.

Pearl Jam's appearance is expected to be the only U.S. concert the band will perform this year. Other acts on the bill include Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Florence and the Machine and The Avett Brothers. Tickets are priced at $55 for one day and $100 for both days, with VIP packages ranging from $250 to $1,000.

Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Live Nation Atlanta president Peter Conlon said, "The thing we didn't have time to do last year was [work on] diversification. This year we have a very diverse lineup. I also wanted an Atlanta feel because this is an Atlanta festival." more on this story

Phil Lesh & Friends, Gov't Mule Lead Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

Phil Lesh & Friends, Gov't Mule, and the B-52s are set to headline the 19th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.

The festival is set to take place September 14-16, 2012 and will also feature performances from Chris Robinson Brotherhood, MarchFourth Marching Band, Tab Benoit, Little Hurricane and The Lee Boys, with many more acts to be announced.

"We are extremely excited with the lineup this year in Telluride," said Steve Gumble, Festival Director. "The festival weekend boasts amazing and legendary musical talent with much more to come!" more on this story

The Acacia Strain Release New Song

The Acacia Strain self released their new song, "Servant In The Place of Truth," digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com this week.

With thier recent signing to Rise Records, the band wanted to put out something new in between labels for fans to enjoy. "As you can see, we aren't changing at all, only working harder to write the best tunes that we are proud of that the fans enjoy." states guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz. "We are really stoked on this song and are glad people are liking it."

The band will continue to write and will be recording over the next few months with a release scheduled for October on Rise Records. More importantly, where will they be recording and with who? Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz will be producing, engineering and mixing the album in his studio in Western Mass. more on this story

Singled Out: Well Excuse Me, Princess's Bang Head Here

Today Well Excuse Me, Princess frontwoman Jess Goldey tells us about their debut single "Bang Head Here". WEMP is a new band featuring members of My Turn to Win, District 9/Fahrenheit 451, Dominican Day Parade, and Gorilla Biscuits. Here is the story:

Right from the start it's blatantly obvious that "Bang Head Here" is about a boy I've had interest in at some point in my life. I actually wrote it about my ex-boyfriend and shortly thereafter he broke up with me. He lived in Florida and I lived in Philly, and he gave me some cowardly reason for wanting to break up (don't they always?) instead of just shooting me straight by saying he didn't have an interest in being in a relationship with me. He blamed it on his mom and dad not wanting to help him pay for college if he moved out of state, and said he wanted to do an aid-relief program that pretty much required a college degree so he needed to finish school. At the time I understood and supported that, but I realize now that it was just an excuse to make breaking up with me "easier" for him.

So here I was playing the role of idiot that thought, "Gee golly this boy sure is special!", and wrote this song about him and how amazing he was. He was the ambitious but stubborn type, so I made some hogwash up in my head that he just didn't want the hassle of trying to make our long distance relationship work. I thought if I could show him it would be fun and easy then we could be together and it would be perfect. I borrowed the last line of the song from Jawbreaker's "Ache" not only because it's fitting, but because he put that song on a mix CD he made and told me it was his favorite. I'd like to think that the lyrics to this song are extremely straightforward. "Hidden meanings" are cool for philosophy class but when I write/hear music I like it to be fairly straight to the point. Life would just be so much easier if everything and everyone were straight forward--always.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself here and learn more about the band right here!

B Sides

Queen Bring Some Rock To American Idol

(hennemusic) Queen were on hand to bring some rock to American Idol Wednesday night. The band's Brian May and Roger Taylor opened the show by performing a medley of Queen classics with the top 6 Idol contestants.

The group ripped through abbreviated versions of "Fat Bottomed Girls," "Another One Bites The Dust," "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions."

Each of the Idol hopefuls also sang a Queen track during the first hour of the show. Check out video here.

The Cult Release For The Animals Video

(hennemusic) The Cult have released the music video to "For The Animals," the new single from their forthcoming album, "Choice Of Weapon."

The album will be available May 22 in North America. Three days later, the band kicks off a North American tour, starting May 25 in San Diego.

The 20-date tour will include openers Against Me! and The Icarus Line. Until then, check out the new video here.

Mick Jagger Saved Joe Satriani's Career

(Classic Rock) Joe Satriani was ready to abandon the music industry when Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger hired him.

The guitar virtuoso was losing $8,000 a week on a failing tour in 1988 as he struggled to promote his album Surfing With The Alien – then Jagger added him to his touring band. The six-stringer has never looked back from there.

Satriani, now with supergroup Chickenfoot, tells Noisecreep: "They're some of the most fantastic memories I have in life – and it actually pretty much may have saved my career. Talk about a random event you'd never expect to happen. more on this story

Sebastian Bach Appears In Adults Only Season Finale

Sebastian Bach returns to Jason M. Burns's web TV comedy series "Adults Only" this week.

The season finale went online this week (on YouTube and funnyordie.com) and Sebastian Bach makes his second appearance in it.

You can view the season finale and previously released Adults Only episodes right here.

Sites and Sounds: Planes, Trains & (Really Fast) Automobiles

On the look out for some rockin' vacation events in the month of May? Look no further as antiMusic's travel editor Kevin Wierzbicki gives you the lowdown on three great events taking place next month!

Seaplane In The Desert? All kinds of aircraft can be spotted in the skies over the greater Phoenix area but you still might think you're hallucinating when you look up and spy a seaplane overhead. This is the very dry Sonoran Desert---what's going on? The plane---a nine-passenger Cessna Caravan jet-prop amphibious seaplane to be formal---is used by Island Air Express for their Desert Splash aerial sightseeing tour, an adventure that also includes the experience of a landing on water. Here's how it works: The seaplane departs from the private executive terminal at Scottsdale Airport and sets a course for the Apache Trail, the rugged canyon lands along the Salt River, flying over spectacular scenery on the way to Roosevelt Lake where the plane retracts its wheels and glides onto the water for an unbelievably smooth landing. The plane taxis around the lake for awhile then lifts off and heads to the Superstition Mountains, the supposed site of the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine---can you spot it? Passengers will see towering Weaver's Needle and the craggy Superstition formations known as "The Spires." It's also possible to see desert bighorn sheep, Indian ruins and a ghost town during the approximate 75-minute flight which is fully narrated. An array of add-on tours are also offered by Island Air Express; inquire by phone at (877) 588-8819. www.desertsplashadventures.com

National Train Day The 5th Annual National Train Day will be celebrated nationwide on Saturday, May 12. Signature experiences taking place at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, Union Station in Chicago, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and Union Station in Los Angeles include train equipment displays, model train displays, a kid's depot and Amtrak's high speed rail display. Amtrak will also have their K-9 security dogs on display in select markets. Those who enjoy the unique perspective of travel by rail and who have photos, videos and stories to share are invited to submit entries at www.nationaltrainday.com for a chance to win prizes.

Monte-Carlo Grand Prix Can you hear the engines revving? The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix takes place in Monte-Carlo, Monaco May 24-27. There is perhaps no more exciting place to watch a Grand Prix race than the celebrity-lined streets (and hairpin turns) of Monte-Carlo. If the timing of your visit to the Principality causes you to miss the actual race you can check out Top Marques Monaco 2012, a car show featuring displays from prestige car makers Aston Martin, Jaguar, Fisker, GTA Motor, Hamann, Identity Cars, Noble and Pagani. The Prombron by Dartz will also be on display in case you're considering purchasing a car with an interior of bulletproof nano-skin. For more info including hotel/race packages: www.visitmonaco.com