Eddie Van Halen Has Emergency Surgery

"Van Halen's scheduled November 2012 tour of Japan is currently being rescheduled and the band looks forward to seeing and playing for their fans in 2013." more on this story

Rolling Stones Playing Four Shows This Fall?

Fans of The Rolling Stones may just get their wish to see the band play some concerts this year for their 50th anniversary.

Frontman Mick Jagger got fans hopes up earlier this year when he hinted that the band may be playing again this "autumn" and now it looks like it might just be happening.

A source has told Billboard.biz that the legendary group will be playing four shows in November; two at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and two at the O2 Arena in London. You can read more details here.

Megadeth Star Competing On The Amazing Race

(hennemusic) Former Megadeth bassist James Lomenzo is set to compete in the new season of "The Amazing Race."

Lomenzo, 53 (pictured above on the left), will compete with teammate Mark "Abba" Abbattista, 45, a friend and entertainment lawyer.

Lomenzo has recorded and/or toured as a member of several high-profile acts, including White Lion, Slash's Snakepit, David Lee Roth, Black Label Society and Megadeth. more on this story

Kid Rock Giving Away New NFL Anthem

(Banana 101.5) Kid Rock has unleashed his new track 'In Detroit,' which was recorded to be the new anthem for the Detroit Lions which is being offered as free download.

Rock recorded the new track, 'In Detroit,' for the Detroit Lions, who are expected to have one of their best seasons in years.

After victories, you can just imagine the crowd screaming along with Rock's new battle cry — "That's how we do it in Detroit!" Check out the track

Lamb Of God Launch Auction for Randy Blythe's Legal Defense

Lamb Of God and their friends in the metal community are auctioning off equipment and memorabilia to raise money for LOG frontman Randy Blythe's legal defense against manslaughter charges in the Czech Republic. The band sent over these details:

While Lamb Of God singer Randy Blythe is back home in America after five weeks in prison in the Czech Republic, his legal problems are far from over. Manslaughter charges are still hanging over Blythe and at some point over the next few months he will have to return to Prague and stand trial. Faced with continuing massive legal bills, Lamb Of God has decided to create an eBay auction of equipment and memorabilia to raise money for Randy's legal bills. All equipment was either used on tour or in the recording studio or in a video. The auction features items provided by all five members of Lamb Of God.

In addition, a number of musicians have offered equipment to be used in the auction. Guitars have been donated by Machine Head's Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel as well as Slash and Five Finger Death Punch. Megadeth's David Ellefson and Five Finger Death Punch's Chris Kael have each contributed a bass and the members of Five Finger Death Punch also have contributed a signed skateboard.

Justice Now, the site set up for donations, will remain open for those wishing to donate to Randy's defense fund. The band appreciates all of the support Randy has received since his arrest on June 28th and is thankful for all of the donations that have been made in these tough economic times. As stated before, without the fans, there is no Lamb Of God.

Memorabilia auction can be found here and the donation site can be found here.

Linkin Park Put You In Their New Video

If you have ever wanted to be in a music video, Linkin Park is making your dream come true with their new interactive video for their new single "Lost In The Echo."

The track comes from their new album, Living Things, and premiered yesterday on a special website the band set up. Their camp sent over these details:

Co-directed by Tool's Jason Zada, renown commercial and video director, and interactive director Jason Nickel, creators of the award winning Take This Lollipop viral video, the interactive music video features the viewer's digital world through use of pictures from their own Facebook profile.

The video application asks permission for temporary access to the user's Facebook photos and incorporates them in the video. These photos are integrated into the storytelling through stunning visuals, set against the song. Check out the video here.

Socratic Bassist Injured Trying To Stop Carjacking

(Classic Rock) A rock bassist required pins placed in his leg after attempting to halt a carjacking in Linden, New Jersey, last week.

Lou Panico of the band Socratic went to the aid of a driver whose vehicle was being stolen in the car park of a guitar store.

Despite his efforts to prevent the crime, the thief succeeded in gaining control of the car, and drove over Panico during his escape. more on this story

Dio Bandmate Arrested

(Classic Rock) Former Rainbow and Dio bassist Jimmy Bain has been arrested after causing a car accident then failing a sobriety test.

Police found him in possession of Vicodin pills without a valid prescription. He's been charged with driving under the influence of drugs and released on $60,000 bail.

Bain, 64, also had an outstanding felony warrant for drugs charges, which was taken into account during his arrest. He's due in Los Angeles Country Superior Court on September 19. more on this story

The Smashing Pumpkins Map Out North American Tour

The Smashing Pumpkins have announced the dates and venue details for their fall tour of North America.

The tour is set to kick off on October 10 in Seattle, WA with stops in Los Angeles October 14, Chicago October 19 and New York City October 31, before concluding on November 4 in Connecticut.

During the concerts, the band will perform their new album Oceania in full for the first half of the show and then play fan favorites and past hits during the second half. more on this story

All That Remains Releasing New Album This Fall

Razor & Tie have set a November 6th release date for All That Remains' new studio album, A War You Cannot Win. The new album will be the band's seventh studio album to date and their follow up to For We Are Many.

The album sees ATR reunited with longtime producer Adam D (The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage). The record is the culmination of an intense writing period for the group that began shortly after 18 months of touring in support of their last album For We Are Many.

The band will tour heavily in support of the new album with a fall tour to be announced soon. more on this story

New Led Zeppelin Booking Coming Next Month

(hennemusic) A new Led Zeppelin book is due next week. "Trampled Under Foot: The Power And Excess Of Led Zeppelin," written by British music critic Barney Hoskyns, will be published September 6.

Hoskyns meticulously tracked down everyone involved with the band during its early years, at the height of its power, and during its dramatic decline.

The book is billed as the inside story of what went on behind the music, lifting the lid on the parties, the fights, and the unmitigated, unapologetic bad behavior of rock gods at the pinnacle of world stardom. more on this story

Chickenfoot Releasing Deluxe Version Of Their Debut

(hennemusic) Chickenfoot have announced that they will be re-releasing their debut album this fall as a deluxe edition with additional tracks.

Due October 16, the updated project will be issued as a deluxe double-disc version that will feature live tracks recorded on the band's "Different Devil" tour this past spring while supporting its sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III."

"'Chickenfoot' will always be special to me for exactly what it is," says singer Sammy Hagar. "Our former label went out of business and the album had been discontinued. You could not find the album anywhere, which is crazy! We got the masters back and our new label will re-release the first album and we thought we should include some live tracks from 'Chickenfoot lll'." more on this story

Duff McKagan Grants Sick 13-Year-Old Boy's Wish

(hennemusic) The Make-A-Wish foundation teamed up with Duff McKagan to help make a disease-stricken boy's rock dream come true.

NWCN Seattle reports 13-year-old Simone Capelli headlined Seattle's Hard Rock Café on Tuesday with some help from McKagan and local band Rewind. "Tonight is about making him feel like a rock star," said Wish Manager, Jessie Elenbaas.

The Make-a-Wish foundation took notice of Capelli because of his battle with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone Disease. "He is very fragile right now, but his prognosis is good. He is getting better," said Elenbaas. "I hope this night helps cushion what he's been going through." more on this story

Dave Matthews Band Radio Launching This Weekend With Live Broadcast

Dave Matthews Band will be launching their very own XM Radio Station this weekend with a live broadcast. We were sent these details

"Dave Matthews Band Radio" will launch on Saturday September 1st at 11:00 pm EST and will run through Sunday September 30th on Sirius channel 142 and XM channel 43 and will be available as a 24/7 channel online on channel 714 and through the Sirius XM Internet Radio App for smartphones and mobile devices.

"Dave Matthews Band Radio" will launch with an exclusive live broadcast of the Dave Matthews Band concert from the Gorge amphitheater in Washington state on Saturday, September 1st at 11:00 pm and will be rebroadcast throughout the month. more on this story

Motley Crue Writing New Music

(Gibson) Considering that Motley Crue haven't put out an album of new material since 2008's Saints of Los Angeles, it's safe to says it's about time to start thinking about the next Crue album. Right now, the guys are a little tied up touring with glam-rockers Kiss, but bass player Nikki Sixx says the band have at least started the writing process.

"It takes time to put together music," Sixx told Billboard. "Right now we're just writing music."

Of course, that doesn't mean the guys are going to pop out an album tomorrow. Sixx says it may take a while. "It's about finding the time to go home, be off the road, get everybody in a room and start riffing and see where it goes," Sixx said. more on this story

In The Studio For Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation

(hennemusic) In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of one of rock's historical comebacks, Aerosmith's "Permanent Vacation."

Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Tom Hamilton join host Redbeard for a look at Aerosmith's 1987 album, which featured the hits "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", "Rag Doll", and the monster power ballad "Angel", all of which added up to over five million copies sold.

After blazing through the mid-70s with their first four studio albums, Aerosmith lost their way. Years of hard drug abuse, personal and professional conflicts would break down the band by the close of the decade. The stakes could not have been higher or the outcome more uncertain for the band's sober reunion, the 1985 "Done with Mirrors," which stumbled out of the gate. more on this story

Chiodos Craig Owens Reschedules Solo Tour

Chiodos frontman Craig Owens has rescheduled his 'An Evening with Craig Owens and Friends' until October which will be preceded by a number of Chiodos reunions shows.

The solo tour will kick off in his home state of Michigan, on October 25 at The Crofoot's Pike Room in Pontiac, MI.

Owens explains, "It feels great to finally have these shows rescheduled and announced; A huge sigh of relief. To me, there is nothing worse than having to cancel dates and let down the people who spent their hard earned money and time planning to come and see you. So, it's very important for me to make sure that I follow through on making it up to the fans giving them the show we both looked forward to having." He continues, "A lot really has happened over these past few months. In fact, so much has happened that I feel like each month has been about six months long. In that time though, I have personally accomplished more then I have in years previous - again, personally speaking. I have found a way to live a happier and better life; finding the balance in everything around me and still working very hard at maintaining it." more on this story

Joe Bonamassa Compares New Black Country Communion Sound To Jet Engine

(Gibson) The news Black Country Communion album will be called Afterglow and is set for release on October 29.

Planetrock.com reports Joe Bonamassa saying that the "sound is like a jet engine. It's a rock band, it's a really powerful rock band."

Glenn Hughes added: "There are signatures that people will understand of what we are, but there also nuances and a little quirkiness in the songs that are new to us. It's a deeper album musically, for me, but it does not step away from the genre of which we are." more on this story

Heart Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson Releasing Autobiography

(hennemusic) Heart sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson will publish their autobiography, "Kicking And Dreaming," on September 18.

The story of Heart is a story of heart and soul and rock 'n' roll. Since finding their love of music and performing as teenagers in Seattle, Washington, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been part of the American rock music landscape. From 70s classics like "Magic Man" and "Barracuda" to chart- topping 80s ballads like "Alone," and all the way to their forthcoming 2012 album, "Fanatic," Heart has been thrilling their fans and producing hit after hit.

With the help of bestselling music biographer Charles R. Cross, the Wilsons recount a journey that has taken them from a gypsy-like life as the children of a globe-trotting Marine to the frozen back roads of Vancouver, BC, where they got their start as a band, to the pinnacle of success—and sometimes excess. more on this story

B Sides

Singled Out: Ballyhoo!

Ballyhoo! kick off their North American tour tomorrow night in California. To celebrate we asked lead singer/ guitarist Howi Spangler to tells us about the song "Walk Way" from their latest album "Daydreams". Here is the story:

I was driving to rehearsal in the Winter of 2010, I drive in silence a lot. It's the only quiet time I have these days. The words and melody just came to me…

"Girl, we just can't take much more, you know we make each other miserable"...

It got stuck in my head and I had nothing else to go with it. I started thinking about ex-girlfriends, one of which that was on track to ruining my life about 10 years prior. I was thinking about how so many people stay in relationships that aren't working...and how most of those relationships will never work. But the comfort of having some sort of "life" is enough to keep it going. You've got two people that both hate where they're at, but they don't do anything to change it. Just sort of going through the motions.

-"Here we are again in fisticuffs just like last week. You got your brass knuckles and I got a machete."

These are the opening lines to the song. We find ourselves at the end of a rocky relationship. These things always start out great: you feel amazing and it's someone new and its exciting. Eventually, the honeymoon ends and you start showing who you really are. Of course, there are happy relationships, but I like to sing about the bad ones. :)

-"All the love letters stuffed into a Molotov cocktail."

Sh*t is hitting the fan and it's time to make a decision. This is where people make their mistakes and end up sticking around for a lot longer or until one of you dies. Not very romantic, I know. I just loved the visual appeal of that line. It would make a great t-shirt too.

-"Let's just call it what it is..."

Why can't we all just realize what's happening and move on? It doesn't have to end in bloodshed. Those are my thoughts there. I would rather not drag out a break up, just let it die. There is only so much time in the world and it'd be nice to spend it happy with someone that makes you feel good about yourself. Let's high five and be done with it.

I hated the situation I was in back then and I needed a change. We both did. I hope she's happy, but I don't care to see her again.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!

Hoobastank TV and Free Song

Hoobastank are set to perform on late night TV tonight and are also giving away a song from their new album.

The band will be performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight, Thursday August 30th. They will be promoting their forthcoming album, Fight or Flight, which comes out on September 11th.

The band are also giving away a free download of the one of the album tracks, "No Destination", on their official website.

Aerosmith's Brad Whitford Talks Tour Gear

(hennemusic) Premier Guitar hooked up with Aerosmith's Brad Whitford last month when the band's Global Warming tour rolled into Milwaukee for its July 7 concert date.

Whitford and PG's Jason Shadrick took an extended look at the guitarist's collection of touring gear that includes guitars, amps, and effects from Fender, Gibson, Echopark, Marshall, Bogner, 3 Monkeys, Pigtronix, TC Electronic, Eventide, and more.

The summer tour was to pre-promote Aerosmith's forthcoming new album, "Music From Another Dimension." Watch the video here.