Puddle of Mudd Singer Arrested For Drugs

He was arrested at around 3:00a and booked under felony possession of a controlled substance and made bail to the tune of $10,000 hours later. more on this story

Adam Lambert Shoots Down Queen Tour Report

A UK publication started a frenzy on Friday when they reported that Queen have tapped American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert to front the band and they would be playing headlining the Sonisphere festival this summer.

The report carried various quotes from Lambert which do make it sound like he has joined the group, but after the news broke Lambert took to his Twitter account and claimed his quotes were taken out of context.

"Oooh them clever reporters takin my quotes outta context…. I haven't confirmed any guest appearances. I was talking about the Ema's," and followd up with "That being said, I'm truly flattered by your jump to such glorious conclusions mr journalist!!" He later asked for a definition of a word he was reported to have used in his conversation with the publication, "Anyone know what 'shirk' means?," Lambert joked. more on this story

Black Sabbath Reunion To Continue Without Ward

(hennemusic) Black Sabbath made headlines this week when drummer Bill Ward issued a public statement advising fans that he will not participate in the band's reunion unless he is presented with an agreement that reflects his contributions to the group's success and longevity.

Ward basically told fans that he's not getting what he feels is fair share of the Sabbath financial pie and that he deserves better than what band management have put on the table for him.

Now, the other three original Sabbath members – Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler – have responded to Ward's public news with a statement of their own. "We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans," said the trio. "We have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open... We are still in the U.K. with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll... See you at Download!!!" more on this story

KISS Vs Angry Birds?

(Gibson) Gene Simmons has revealed that KISS is in negotiations with the team behind Angry Birds for a spin-off version of the popular computer game.

Speaking to Industry Gamers, Simmons said he's confident the talks "will become a deal." He also said KISS is talking with Sony Games about other video game projects. "We are really trying to take [video games] to areas that haven't been done before," said Simmons. "[Until now], we have stayed out of the marketplace because the ideas simply weren't exciting enough."

Simmons went on to say the gaming industry has impacted the music industry "in more ways than even it understands." "The more you control the music and the visuals, the more it becomes important," he said. "It becomes a part of you. Guitar Hero is pretty addictive. Once you play it, it's going to be tough not to want to get up in the middle of the night either alone when nobody is looking, or with your friends." more on this story

Howard Stern Plans Van Halen Special

(hennemusic) Van Halen release their new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," in North America on Tuesday.

The Van Halen News Desk reports Howard Stern will be presenting an extended radio special about the band on the day of the record's release.

On Tuesday, Stern will run a special called "The Whole Truth: The Howard Stern/Van Halen Special" - which is essentially a 5-hour uncensored history of Van Halen on The Howard Stern Show…the good, the bad and the ugly. more on this story

Tenacious D Releasing First Album Since 2006

(Gibson) Comedy-metal titans Tenacious D are set to release their first album since 2006. Singer-guitarists Jack Black and Kyle Gass have announced that Rise of the Fenix is due to come out in May, according to NME.

The record will be the D's third album, following The Pick of Destiny in '06 and the group's self-titled debut in '01.

They'll follow up the album's release with a couple of planned festival appearances, including May's Sasquatch Festival in Washington and June's Download Festival in England. more on this story

Paul McCartney Streaming Live Performance This Week

(Gibson) Paul McCartney has a busy week ahead of him. In the midst of it, he'll perform a bunch of songs from his new album and stream the concert for all to hear via iTunes, according to NME.

On Thursday, the former Beatle will play songs from Kisses on the Bottom, his new album of (mostly) covers that is being released Tuesday (in the U.S.) and Monday in other parts of the world. The performance will take place at Capitol Records, where Kisses was recorded.

In addition, McCartney is getting his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday. Macca also will be honored at a Friday gala as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year and play on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards telecast on Sunday. more on this story

Jack White Set for Solo Tour Dates

(hennemusic) Jack White has confirmed the first two live dates in support of his upcoming solo debut album, "Blunderbuss," out April 24.

Jack will be headlining the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, AL on May 18th, followed by another headline slot a week later at Sasquatch! May 26th at The Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, WA.

Jack will also be performing at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 on the weekend of June 23-24 in London. While all tickets will be free, quantities will be are limited. more on this story

Ian Anderson Releasing Sequel To the Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick

Ian Anderson plans to release a sequel to the Jethro Tull classic 'Thick As A Brick' that coincides with the original album's 40th anniversary.

Anderson will also embark on a 19-date UK tour to commemorate the anniversary of 'Thick As A Brick,' with the new sequel album set for release on April 2nd in the UK and April 3rd in North America.

Noble sent over this information about the release: In 1972, Ian Anderson wrote and recorded the Jethro Tull Progressive Rock classic album 'Thick As A Brick.' The lyrics were credited at the time to the fictitious child character, Gerald Bostock, whose parents supposedly lied about his age. The record instantly became a number one Billboard Chart album and enjoyed considerable success in many countries of the world. more on this story

Def Leppard Hope To Release New Music This Year

(Gibson) Phil Collen says that during his three decades with Def Leppard, the band always has retained their team spirit. In a wide-ranging interview with Music Radar, the guitarist was asked what he learned in the wake of the car accident, 27 years ago, that robbed Leppard drummer Rick Allen of his arm.

"What I soon learned about the band was that it was always about the people in the band, not just about the business," Collen said. "When bands lose that personal element, when they stop looking out for one another, that's when they run into all kinds of problems. We were a team – still are. We don't have egos and any of that crap."

Collen was also asked if plans were in place for a new Def Leppard album. "Recording, yes, but it'll probably [just] be a Def Leppard song or two," Collen said. "We're going to go on tour this summer, so we're going to try to have a new song together. Coming up with material shouldn't be a problem – I wrote two new songs this week. A whole album won't happen this year. I can be pretty sure on that." Music Radar interview is here

Bryan Adams 20/20/20 Tour

Bryan Adams will hit the road in Canada in April for his first tour of his home county in over 20 years.

Adams hasn't turned his homeland with a major tour since the Straight from the Heart tour in 1992.

His first tour in Canada tour in 20 years will feature 20 concerts in 20 cities and kicks off on April 11th in St. John's, Newfoundland, before winding up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 22. more on this story

Steven Tyler Addresses National Anthem Controversy

(hennemusic) Aerosmith's Steven Tyler took some heat when he performed the national anthem at last month's AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.

Online criticism was quick and harsh, but Tyler says he meant to sing the national anthem like that and doesn't know what all the fuss is about.

"I don't know. As I said before, I put emphasis on, 'In the land of the free' and I went up," Tyler tells the Associated Press. "Oddly enough I hit the note so I don't know what they are talking about. I emphasized 'free' which was for freedom. It was well thought out prior to. I wasn't messing with American tradition." more on this story

Lou Reed Set For From Vu To Lulu Tour

Lou Reed is hitting the road this summer for his "From Vu To Lulu" European tour.

The tour will start in Luxembourg on Wednesday 6th June and will take in several festivals, including Switzerland's Caribana Festival, France's Montereau Festival, Berlin's Citadel Music Festival and Slovakia's renowned Pohoda Festival. Lou will also perform several concerts in France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany.

The tour will feature a 5-piece band, including Lou Reed, Tony 'Thunder' Smith (drums), Rob Wasserman (bass), Kevin Hearn (keyboards), and Aram Bajakian (guitar). Lou and band will perform material from Reed's entire cannon of songs ranging from the Velvet Underground to his recent Metallica collaborative album LULU. more on this story

Lacuna Coil Unplugged Show This Week

Lacuna Coil will perform an acoustic set and meet-and-greet with their fans at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago this Friday, February 10th.

They are appearing at the event to celebrate the recent release of their new album, Dark Adrenaline.

The special event will take place after their performance at Gigantour that night (tickets will be given on a first come, first serve basis; you must be 21+ to receive entry into the club). For more information, please visit the official event page on Facebook here.

Joe Bonamassa DVD and Blu-Ray Coming Next Month

Joe Bonamassa: Beacon Theatre Live From New York is set to be released on on DVD and Blu-ray on March 27, 2012.

The home video showcases the sold-out two-night performance at New York City's legendary Beacon Theatre.

Special guests include vocal powerhouse Beth Hart, legendary singer/songwriter John Hiatt and classic rock star Paul Rodgers. Produced and directed by Kevin "Cave Man" Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Black Country Communion). more on this story

Indie Rock and Music Festival For Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

(Gibson) This year, the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue will spotlight indie bands in addition to its swimwear models. As reported by Billboard.com, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2012 will spotlight 17 model videos at SI.com, backed by a corresponding number of up-and-coming independent artists.

In addition, they are planning a related two-day music festival in Las Vegas, titled Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Beauties & Beats. Ten of the 17 selected artists will participate in the Vegas festival, and all 17 will be paired with a different model in the online version of the magazine.

In addition to the print edition, the Swimsuit Issue is offered on several auxiliary platforms. "We've dabbled in music a bit in the past with previous issues," said MJ Day, senior editor of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. "But now, with four digital platforms, we thought it would be such a great way to integrate and basically enhance the Swimsuit experience." more on this story

Jeff Loomis To Tour With Protest The Hero and Periphery

Former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis will hit the road this March for a North American tour with Protest The Hero, Periphery, The Safety Fire And Today I Caught The Plague.

Loomis reveals the players he's brought in to accompany him on the stage include Joe Nurre - guitar (Shaded Enmity), Gregory Macklin - bass (System Divide, Ordinance) and Anup Sastry - drums (Intervals, Skyharbor).

"My good friend, Joe Nurre from up here in Seattle, will be playing guitar with me out on this run with Protest the Hero and Periphery. Some of you might have seen him play with Nevermore on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise last year. I was lucky enough to find this killer drummer online. His name is Anup Sastry, I've seen him do these perfect drum covers on his Youtube page. I reached out and learned he plays in a few great bands as well. You should check out all the stuff he's done. Anup is based out in the DC area and brought in a friend of his, Greg Macklin, to do bass. Those guys are going to be getting together out there to start practicing the set. Joe and I will do the same over here and then a couple weeks before the tour, Joe and I will fly over Maryland and we'll all rehearse until we get things perfect. I can't wait to get out there and start playing live again. See you soon." more on this story

Rocco DeLuca Touring With Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Rocco DeLuca has announced a special series of dates with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

429 Records will release DeLuca forthcoming project "Drugs 'N Hymns," next month.

The album was produced by DeLuca and features guests such as the Echo Park Jubilee Tambo Flower Unsung Heroes Choir. more on this story

Cannibal Corpse To Lead Summer Slaughter Tour

Cannibal Corpse are set to headline the upcoming Summer Slaughter Tour of North America.

While the festival's full schedule and routing are still to be announced, the band is honored to be confirmed for the main slot of the trek.

Stated bassist Alex Webster: "We are very proud to be a part of this year's Summer Slaughter, the biggest and best extreme metal festival tour in North America. All fans of the heaviest forms of metal will find something for them on the bill. It's going to be brutal... see you in the pit!"
more on this story