Van Halen Album Details and Tour Dates

The first single and music video from the album, "Tattoo," is set for release next Tuesday, January 10th. more on this story

Dave Grohl Teams With Ratt Members

(Banana 101.5) Dave Grohl has been known to show up and beat the skins for different bands from time to time. His latest guest spot has him working with members of Ratt on a project that is currently being kept under wraps, kind of.

Dave Grohl was in one of the biggest rock bands (if not THE biggest) of the 90′s with Nirvana, in the mid 2000′s his other band Foo Fighters became one of the biggest rock bands of that decade — a trend which has carried over into this one as well. Now Dave is attempting historical dominance by working with members of one of the biggest rock groups of the 80′s. Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy dished on the project via Twitter:

"Warren and I are recording an original song (Grohl song idea open to Ratt madness). Not for a Ratt record. We'll let [Dave] tell you about it when he's ready." more on this story

Saliva Replace Josey Scott

(Banana 101.5) Josey Scott's has left Saliva to pursue a career in Christian music, but the band has decided to continue on without him and have found their new frontman.

Saliva have announced the addition of Burn Season drummer Bobby Amaru — who is also a singer/songwriter and producer. The band already has three demos with Amaru and plan to shop them around to labels soon.

Guitarist Swinny says the new lineup hits the road in February to let fans hear their new singer who "has a great voice and will not only bring some fresh blood into the band but; will also put a new spin on the Saliva sound." more on this story

Zakk Wylde In Guns N' Roses?

(Gibson) It could have been one of the most interesting heavy music collaborations in rock history: Zakk Wylde as a member of Guns N' Roses. And beyond that, it would have been a Les Paul-toting guitar dream team. And it very nearly happened in the mid-1990s. The rhythm guitar slot in Guns N' Roses was in a state of flux after the departure of Izzy Stradlin, the tenure of Gilby Clark and the is-he-or-isn't-he-a-band-member status of Axl Rose's friend and former Hollywood Rose bandmate Paul Huge. Meanwhile, Zakk Wylde's role as Ozzy Osbourne's right hand man had officially come to an end when Ozzy's No More Tours tour wrapped up in 1992 and the Ozzman entered a short-lived retirement.

Zakk released one album with his Southern rock-influenced band Pride & Glory before returning to Osbourne's employ for the recording of the album Ozzmosis. But by the time Ozzy's Retirement Sucks tour for Ozzmosis rolled around, Joe Holmes was in the lead guitar chair and Zakk was on the path that would eventually lead to the formation of Black Label Society.

So what would a Zakk/Slash guitar duo sound like in the context of Guns N' Roses? "It sounded like the riffs I write and the way I write, mixed in with the way the guys write, you know what I mean," Wylde says. "It would have been like, when I was jamming with Slash and all the guys, even if I'm in the band there's only one guy that's playing the solos to 'November Rain,' 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and all those classic songs. I'm not going to do anything there. But the future stuff that we would have been writing, it would have been cool! Because I love Slash's playing and I'm buddies with him. It would have been cool, but with those guys there was nothing happening, so we were jamming but it wasn't going anywhere." But the story doesn't end there.

Pink Floyd The Wall Reissues Filled With Rarities

Earlier this week Pink Floyd fans received bad news when rumors of the band reuniting for the 2012 Olympics were shot down but today we have big news for fans:

EMI have set a February 28th release date for 'Immersion' and 'Experience' editions of Pink Floyd 'The Wall,' as the final installment of the recent 'Why Pink Floyd?' reissues and extended releases. 'The Wall' remains Pink Floyd's biggest-selling release after 1973's legendary 'The Dark Side Of The Moon.'

Released in November 1979, 'The Wall' topped the album charts in the US, France, Germany, Sweden and Australia. "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2" – Pink Floyd's first UK single since 1968 – became a Number 1 hit, selling more than one million copies within weeks of its release. more on this story

The Doors To Premiere Previously Unreleased Song On Monday

(MSO) The Doors will premiere their first new, completely unreleased song in 40 years, "She Smells So Nice" on Monday January 9th via their official Facebook page.

The bluesy track captures the band barreling through the full-throttle original. Bruce Botnick, the album's co-producer with the band, recently made the discovery while reviewing the L.A. WOMAN session tapes. The song will premiere on the band's Facebook
page (here) on Monday and will then be serviced to radio the following day.

Next up in news from The Doors: On Friday, January 20 at 7:30 PM there will be a one-time special screening of "Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman" (Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA with special surprise guests. Jac Holzman--who signed the group to Elektra Records--and Los Angeles rock radio veteran Jim Ladd will present the film and take questions about the group's final album and legacy afterwards at a public Q&A session. more on this story

Black Country Communion Plan Third Album

(Gibson) Black Country Communion will enter the studio in June to record the band's third album for release in late 2012. The hard blues-rock group comprises Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian, Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham.

Since the band's formation in 2010, they have released the acclaimed Black Country (2010) and 2 (2011) albums.

In a new interview with Artisan News, singer-bassist Hughes stated that he expects the musical direction of the band to continue in the same vein as the band's second release. "We just did two albums back to back, both successful records. And our live DVD is out now. We're really, really happy with the progress of where we're going musically. So we're sort of on course now." more on this story

Van Halen Debut New Old Song at Club Show

(hennemusic) Van Halen returned to live action Thursday night with a rare, media-only club show at New York's Café Wha?

The event was to help promote their forthcoming new album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," due February 7; the project's first single, "Tattoo," is set for release next Tuesday.

The setlist featured mostly hits, with a few classics, and one new track, "She's The Woman." The new song has a real history with the band: it was one of the tunes recorded for the Gene Simmons-produced demos in 1976, and it was re-recorded a year later as part of the 1977 Warner Brothers demos. The original version of the song includes riffs that were later found in "Mean Street," from 1981's "Fair Warning" album. Check out both versions here.

Killers Releasing New Album This Year

(Gibson) The Killers' singer Brandon Flowers has confirmed the band will "definitely" release a new album in 2012.

Interviewed by the U.K.'s BBC Radio 1, Flowers revealed the band had already recorded some songs. "It's just whether it's [released in] the summertime or the wintertime," he said.

One song looking certain to appear on the album is called "Battle Born," with Flowers describing it as a "killer." The Las Vegas band's last release was their 2008 album Day & Age and they've been on hiatus since early 2010. Flowers released a low-key solo album called Flamingo in 2010, but said he's enjoying being back with the four-piece. more on this story

Chevelle Announce North American Tour

Chevelle have mapped out plans for a North American headlining tour that will feature support from Middle Class Rut and Janus.

The trek kicks off on Friday, February 24 in Grand Rapids, MI, and heads east, making a stop at Irving Plaza in New York City on Wednesday, February 29 and crossing the U.S. before wrapping in Oklahoma City, OK on Friday, March 16.

Chevelle are hitting the road in support of their recently released album, Hats Off To The Bull which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at no. 19. more on this story

Shinedown Find Their Vision With New Album

(Banana 101.5) Shinedown vocalist Brent Smith says that their new record 'Amaryllis' is the embodiment of what the band is all about.

Earlier this week, Shinedown dropped the first single from one of the most anticipated albums of 2012. While 'Bully' may not sound like the music you've come to expect from the band, vocalist Brent Smith told FMQB that 'Amaryllis' epitomizes the band:

"I've always seen Shinedown as its own entity – this living thing that's been growing and developing and evolving over the past 10 years. During the recording, the vision of what Shinedown is and where it's going became completely clear. 'Amaryllis' is the manifestation of that vision, the centerpiece of what Shinedown is." more on this story

Soundgarden Comeback Album Coming

(Banana 101.5) After taking a 16-year breather, Soundgarden is set to make one of the biggest comebacks of all-time in 2012

The band missed the initial goal of a fall 2011 release, but — as Cornell has stressed in several interviews — they know that it's important not to force the album and would release it when they felt it was done.

In November, Cornell told Billboard that they had just a couple of songs to finish and then would move on to mixing the album — both of which would happen over the holidays.

As far as the sound of their sixth album — expect it to sound different, which is technically the same with Soundgarden. more on this story

Michael Schenker Recruits Former Scorpions Members for Tour

Michael Schenker has recruited two former Scorpions members for his UK "Temple of Rock" tour which takes place in May.

This marks the first time Schenker's touring band will feature two ex-Scorpions members – Herman Rarebill (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass).

Vocalist Doogie White (ex-Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen) and MSG keyboardist, Wayne Findlay complete the line-up. more on this story

King's X To Launch First Church of Rock and Roll Tour

King's X will return to the North American road for the "First Church of Rock and Roll" tour this Spring.

King's X will launch the 4-week trek on March 28 in Austin, TX and extending through April 21 in Denver, CO.

It will be the first time the band - bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick, guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor and drummer/vocalist Jerry Gaskill - have played most of these cities since 2009, and will mark their first West Coast dates in support of Live Love In London , the live CD/DVD follow-up to latest studio release XV. more on this story

Ryan Adams Rocks Ratt Classic

(hennemusic) Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams continues to tour in support of his latest release, "Ashes & Fire."

Adams begins his next round of US dates on January 24 in Bethesda, MD, with shows booked into mid-February before he heads down under for gigs in Australia and New Zealand.

Ryan was a guest on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday recently, where he stopped by the chat about the album; he also performed three tunes live on the show – two from "Ashes & Fire" and a stripped-down acoustic cover of Ratt's 1984 smash, "Round And Round." Check it out here.

U2's Spider-Man Musical Makes Broadway History

(Gibson) Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark – the drama-packed musical toting a score from U2's Bono and The Edge – has broken Broadway records to score the title of the highest single-week grossing show of all time.

The Daily Telegraph reports the production took in roughly $3 million over a nine-show period, which breaks the previous single-week grossing record held by the Wizard of Oz-inspired musical Wicked, which grossed $2.2 million over eight shows in 2011.

First impressions are often deceiving, and that's the case with Spider-Man. The production, which is reportedly the priciest show in history with a projected cost of $70 million, was faced with a number of early hindrances, including serious injuries to cast members, economic problems and poor reviews. more on this story

Previously Unreleased Janis Joplin Live Album Coming

Columbia/Legacy Recordings have set a March 13, 2012 release date for Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968, a previously unavailable live concert recording of Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin.

The show was recorded June 23, 1968 by legendary soundman Owsley Stanley, a/k/a "Bear," who supervised the mastering of this release before his fatal car accident on March 12, 2011, in his adopted homeland of Australia.

The release of the album marks the one-year anniversary of his passing and is dedicated to Bear. "Care was taken to preserve and ensure the integrity of the music as well as to present an accurate snapshot of the masterful talent of one of the greatest singers of her generation and one of the hottest live bands in the San Francisco scene," wrote Bear's widow, Sheilah Stanley, in her dedication to Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968. "This is Bear's vision -- how he heard the band live, and how he wanted to transmit that to you... this truly is Bear's presentation of this phenomenal band and inspirational music." more on this story

Queen Documentary Release Date Moved

Eagle Rock has moved the release date for the DVD and Blu-Ray release of the Queen: Days of Our Lives documentary from January 10th to January 31st.

Here are the details along with a link to the trailer: Days Of Our Lives began as a two-part documentary produced by long-term Queen collaborators and life long fans Rhys Thomas (the comedian who famously broke the Mastermind all-time record points score with a specialist subject of Queen) and Simon Lupton, and directed by the renowned director Matt Casey. After 10 years of making Queen DVDs, Lupton and Thomas were asked by the band to produce the definitive 40th Anniversary documentary and after almost a year of painstaking research and editing, this was the result. Check out the trailer here.

Split over two episodes, Part One covering 1970-80, Part Two 1980 – present day, the documentary is a genuine rollercoaster of rock and roll history. more on this story

U2 Achtung Baby Documentary Coming This Month

A new documentary film about the making of U2's Achtung Baby, entitled From The Sky Down will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in North America on January 24th, 2012.

Here is the background and a link to the trailer: Early in 2010, U2 returned to Hansa Studios in Berlin to discuss the making of Achtung Baby. From The Sky Down, is a documentary film directed by Academy Award winning director Davis Guggenheim (It Might Get Loud, Waiting for Superman, An Inconvenient Truth).

Screened in the UK as part of the BBC's Imagine Series, From The Sky Down was the first ever documentary film to open the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. Now set for release on Blu-ray and DVD, From The Sky Down includes bonus footage of So Cruel, Love Is Blindness, and The Fly shot last May during the band's visit to Hansa Studios to mark the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby; as well as a Q&A with Bono, The Edge and Davis Guggenheim filmed at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011. more on this story

13-Year-Old Wins Robert Johnson New Generation Award

(Gibson) Matthew Davidson, a 13-year-old blues and rock guitarist, has won the 2011 Robert Johnson New Generation Award. The Shreveport Times reported that Davidson, who is from Shreveport, Louisiana, was chosen from among 25 artists by the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation.

As the winner, the guitarist and singer was given a Gibson Robert Johnson L-1 guitar, along with the opportunity to perform at a future foundation event.

"His style was kind of advanced for his age," said Steven Johnson, Robert's grandson and vice president of the foundation. "It was crisp; it was professional. His style with that electric guitar was amazing." more on this story

Man Overboard Announce Tour Plans Including Warped

(ESM) Man Overboard will be headlining the Pop Punk The Vote Tour with Handguns and Seahaven.

Daytrader and Candy Hearts will be splitting the opening slot on the tour. The tour will hit a city near you from February 15th through March 11th.

Additionally, the band will be on the Vans Warped Tour this summer. The band will be on the entire run of the tour this summer, joining bands like A Loss For Words, Polar Bear Club, Bayside, Every Time I Die and many more. more on this story

Corey Taylor Shares His Love For Stephen King

(Gibson) Stone Sour and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor knows a thing or two about writing. After all, he recently penned an autobiography, Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good, that landed on the New York Times bestseller list.

Taylor recently chatted with Artist Direct about his favorite reads, and he said Stephen King's The Stand is at the top of the list. C'mon, are you surprised?

"I'd have to say the unabridged version of The Stand with the extra 150,000 words," he said when asked to rattle off his No. 1 pick. "I pretty much read that once a year, and I have since I was … 20-years-old. It's one of my all-time favorite books, and it's such an adventure that it's almost like reading the script to a fantastic movie that you know will never get made. The Stand is definitely a favorite. How stoked do you think I was when Slipknot got mentioned in Stephen King's Cell?" What else is on his reading list?

The Day Carly Simon's Vain Song Hit The Top

(Gibson) On this day in 1973, Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" began a three-week run at #1 on the Billboard singles chart. Nearly four decades after Simon's blockbuster hit ruled the airwaves, people still don't fully know exactly whom she was singing about.

Could it be Mick Jagger? He sang (uncredited) backing vocals on the single. Could it be James Taylor? He and Simon were married not long before the song hit the charts. Could it be Warren Beatty? He and Simon had been in a relationship prior to the writing of the tune. Or could it be Cat Stevens? Nick Nolte? Kris Kristofferson? David Bowie? David Geffen? David Cassidy?

Although Simon has never revealed the subject of the tune to the public, she has been giving away clues "in drips and drabs" for more than 30 years. Plus, she's ruled out a few of the usual suspects.

For instance, she dispelled the rumor that "You're So Vain" has anything to do with Jagger, save for his work as a vocalist. In 2001, she said "The apricot scarf was worn by Nick [Nolte]. Nothing in the words referred to Mick." The scarf in question is referenced early in the song's lyrics – "Your scarf it was apricot…" Simon also ruled out Taylor back in 1973 – and even told Rolling Stone that James had asked his then-wife if the song was about him. more on this story

Singled Out: Case In Theory's The Day

Today Jonathan Posadas from Case In Theory tells us about "The Day" from their album "Cinematic". Here is the story:

The Day is your classic case of a love gone awry. It's crazy how some things that start off amazing could easily turn upside down in a blink of an eye because of things beyond your control. I touch base on how music and hearing certain songs can make things that much harder, which is ironic because on the opposite end, the right music makes everything that much better to any situation.

It's definitely one of our music unique songs musically starting with a smooth spacey first section that transitions into a faster dancey breakdown and ends with a very powerful chorus section that ends with the words, "It's to be continued." This song wasn't written about anyone specific, instead it's song written for everyone that could relate to it.

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