Dave Grohl Explains What Is Killing Music

Grohl was also quick to dismiss the journalistic cliche that his beloved rock & roll is dead: "There's always gonna be rock'n'roll bands, there's always gonna be kids that love rock'n'roll records, and there will always be rock'n'roll. I travel all over the world and play music, and it's easy to think rock'n'roll has gone away when you're in a country like America. We just got back from a trip Down Under, we did a tour of Australia and New Zealand where we were pulling 40,000-50,000 people a night, selling out stadiums. To me, that means rock'n'roll is alive and well." He's not done!

Red Hot Chili Peppers Tour Postponed By Injury

We have bad news for Red Hot Chili Peppers fans. The group have been forced to postpone their North American tour due to multiple foot injuries sustained by lead singer Anthony Kiedis.

Kiedis recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery.

Tickets for the postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled dates. The band is touring in support of most recent album I'm With You. more on this story

Velvet Revolver One-Off Reunion Opens Door To More?

(Rock News Desk) Velvet Revolver's reunion with sacked singer Scott Weiland is a deliberate attempt at grabbing headlines, admits guitarist Dave Kushner. But now they've confirmed a one-off show together in Los Angeles this week, there's the possibility to working together again in the future.

Kushner understood a reunion with Weiland would generate headlines, and admits that was his prime motive in calling the singer up. "If you're gonna do this, you want to raise some serious money, then put all caution aside. Because we hadn't played with Scott in a long time, I said 'look, let's just do three songs.' It's not too much of a commitment."

But the guitarist accepts the show will put thoughts of a more permanent arrangement into many people's heads, especially since VR have tried without success to replace the singer since he returned to Stone Temple Pilots. "As for more shows, everyone's got other commitments," Kushner says. "But I think everyone's like, 'Let's get this thing done and get through this'. Then we'll see." more on this story

Steven Tyler Talks New Aerosmith Album

(hennemusic) Steven Tyler provided an update on the new Aerosmith album during an American Idol press conference for the Television Critics Association on the weekend.

"All of it's been written but I've got to lay lyrics on it and I haven't had a lot of time," said Tyler, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

"What I've listened to so far knocked me out. I know a good song and I know what gets played on the radio. I'm not that pretentious to say we've got hits, but we've got something and that's all that matters." more on this story

Experience Hendrix Tour Adds Dates and Taj Mahal and The Doors Krieger

The Experience Hendrix Tour has been expanded not only with new dates but with some extra star power from Taj Mahal, Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and Eric Gales.

Here is the official word with more details: These unique concerts bring together an all-star line-up of musical greats playing homage to the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.

In addition to the performances initially announced concerts will now take place in Denver, Wichita, Tulsa, Colorado City, Springfield, MO, and Orlando, Florida. Demand for tickets has now created unprecedented second show on March 25 in Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. more on this story

Biohazard Giving Away New Album

Biohazard will be giving away their new album "Reborn In Defiance" as a free download starting next week. We were provided these details:

The first such promotion ever launched, the record will be available for free download off of Revolver Magazine's website revolvermag.com starting January 20th 2012 as well as through the technology offered by Repudo.com.

Fans can check into Biohazard "Containment Zones" (record stores, venues, and more) across the United States using the Repudo app on their smart phones and download the new record directly to their phones or send it to their email inbox. more on this story

Nickelback, Seether, My Darkest Days and Bush Tour

Nickelback have announced a massive North American tour which will also feature Bush, Seether and My Darkest Days.

The trek kicks off on April 10th in Moline, Illinois at the i wireless Center and dates are confirmed through June 26th at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.

Nickelback will perform songs from the recently released seventh studio album, Here And Now, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 following its November 21, 2011. more on this story

Refused Reunite

(Rock News Desk) Legendary hardcore band Refused have plans to reunite at this year's Coachella Festival in April.

It will be the hardcore veterans' first show since splitting in 1998. The band say: "In the fourteen years since our band came apart, there have been offers, but a reunion has just seemed irrelevant to us. Too much other sh*t to do. Finally, after a decade and a half hiatus, the four of us suddenly started making new music in assorted constellations.

"Coachella got in touch and one of us basically said 'let's just do it one last time.' We wanna do it over, do it right, for the people who have kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes. More rock news

Cotton Mather's Lost Album To Be Released

Cotton Mather fans who have wanting to get their hands on the group's hard to find 1997 album Kontiki will be getting a Valentine's Day gift from the band as they have announced plans to finally give the album a proper release.

"People have certain assumptions when they hear 're-release,'" says Harrison. "But, if our US label at the time only printed two thousand copies and sent it to rarified writers and overseas, was it ever released in the US at all?"

Truly, it seems that most everyone that got to hear Kontiki, an album that has since gone on to be considered an influential, albeit hard-to-acquire classic, were those it actually influenced. In the US, early supporter Britt Daniel of Spoon talked about Kontiki as an inspiration and Little Steven Van Zandt of the E-Street Band gave it generous play on his nationally syndicated radio show. While the record never had a chance commercially in America, in the UK the album was an instant smash in the press, earning raves from Mojo, Uncut and The Guardian upon its European release. When Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis discovered the record, they talked about it in interviews, and ultimately invited Cotton Mather on tour. more on this story

Deftones and Far Supergroup Crosses Set New Release and Live Dates

(Banana 101.5) Crosses, the side project featuring Deftones frontman Chino Moreno, Far's Shaun Lopez, and Scott Chuck, will be following up their debut EP with yet another short form release later this month and will be playing some live shows.

Last August Crosses quietly surfaced with a free download of their debut EP '†††.' The debut was just the first chunk of 16 completed songs the band plans to release via EP, they also contributed the track 'The Years' to the soundtrack for the popular 'Batman: Arkham City' video game.

Now Crosses have dropped the unusual trailer for the next EP release '††' — which will be available January 24th. It has also been reported that Deftones have a new album planned for 2012, as does Moreno's other side project Team Sleep. Crosses also have some live dates

Alice In Chains Working On New Album

(hennemusic) As previously reported, Alice In Chains are hitting the studio this year to record a new album.

Rolling Stone now reports guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell confirms the band will be working on the follow-up to 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue," which was their first album featuring new singer William Duvall.

"We started writing last year," Cantrell told the magazine at the recent Dimebash tribute in L.A., the annual show in honor late guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. More from Jerry here.

Dream Theater Deep Purple Supergroup Flying Colors Set Debut

Flying Colors, the new supergroup headed up by Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and Steve Morse (Deep Purple) will release their self-titled debut album in the UK on Monday March 26th, followed by a US release on Tuesday March 27th.

The group also features Dave LaRue, Neal Morse and Casey McPherson and began with a simple idea: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way.

Portnoy shares, "This album has bits and pieces of what you'd expect from each of us. However, the sum of all its parts led to brand new, unchartered territory for all involved." more on this story

Neil Peart Gives New Rush Album Update

(hennemusic) In a new essay by Rush's Neil Peart entitled "At The Gate Of The Year," the drummer reflects on his life as he enters his 60th year, recounting some of his stories from 2011 during a time of reflection over the recent holiday season.

Along the way, Neil provides some enthusiastic insight into the recording process for the forthcoming Rush record, "Clockwork Angels." Here's a sample of Neil's Rush news update: Most recently, I had been recording in Toronto with my bandmates, from mid-October until early December. We completed the songwriting and arranging for the album, Clockwork Angels, we started back in late 2009—before going "on hiatus" for the Time Machine tour, and playing 81 shows in North America, South America, and Europe. (Some hiatus.)

While Alex and Geddy were finishing the writing and arranging in one smaller room of the studio, over in the big room I was working with The Mighty Booujzhe, recording my drum parts. As we prepare to start mixing in the New Year, it is too early to say anything about the results. (I once described mixing as "the end of waiting," while Geddy calls it, "the death of hope.") More here.

Alter Bridge Fan Left Empty Handed

(Rock News Desk) A young Alter Bridge fan says his first-ever rock concert experience has been ruined after he bought a live recording of the show after the event, but got home to find the memory stick was blank.

When his dad complained to the company behind the sale, they claimed they'd mailed a replacement FIVE DAYS before the show they attended.

Eddie Trainer of Glasgow, Scotland, took his son Elliot to see the band on November 27 last year. Elliot, who was 16 at the time, purchased a £20 live recording on USB stick in the venue from Aderra Media Technologies. When they arrived home Elliot discovered the stick was blank. Find out what happened next.

Pelican To Release New Music This Spring

Pelican have set an April 10th released date for a new four song EP called Ataraxia/Taraxis. We were sent this background on the release:

With members now residing in separate cities, the EP represents a new chapter in the band's evolution with a reenergized focus on composition and the utilization of the recording studio as a creative tool in the songwriting process, yielding one of the most diverse efforts in the band's prolific discography.

The four new songs highlight the manifold sonic strengths of the band by delving into moments of triumphant melodic rock, smokey doom, ambient soundscape, acoustic desert-folk, and minimalist electronics. In contrast to the EP's origin as the product of four different recording studios, including stints with engineers Sanford Parker (Twilight, Circle of Animals, Nachtmystium) and Aaron Harris (ISIS), the carefully crafted track listing boasts a cohesive narrative flow, lending the release an epic feel worthy of a full album. more on this story

Tigertailz Lose A Member

(Rock News Desk) Tigertailz have announced that they have parted ways with bassist Sarah Firebrand. The band has this to say about the split:

"The last thing the band needed right now was another line-up change, but unfortunately as a band we're not functioning and a change was needed to move forward. We would like to thank Sarah for all she's done and wish her all the best for the future. Our priority is the longevity of Tigertailz and to raise as much money as possible for the Amser Justin Time charity which helps people suffering from pancreatic cancer."

Firebrand says: "I am very disappointed at the decision, but I would like to thank the band for giving me this opportunity. I'm especially delighted to have been part of the 20th anniversary Bezerk live album. I look forward to my next exciting musical adventure." More rock news

John Fogerty Says Other Members Killed Creedence Clearwater Revival Reunion

(Rock News Desk) John Fogerty was prepared to open the door for a reunion of Creedence Clearwater Revival, but says it was his former bandmates, and not him, who prevented it happening. And now there's no chance of the much-vaunted gathering taking place.

CCR split in acrimony in 1972 and rhythm guitarist Tom, John's brother, died in 1990 without having made peace with his sibling. The last time all four members played together was at Tom's wedding in 1980, but in the following decade relations worsened through a series of legal actions.

While survivors Stu Cook and Doug Clifford had campaigned for a reunion in the past, they appeared to go off the idea. So when Fogerty started sending positive signals, the pair seemed not to believe there was no ulterior motive. It all plays out here.

Joe Bonamassa and Slash Receive Guitar International Awards

(Gibson) Guitar International feted Gibson heroes Joe Bonamassa and Slash last week with major awards. Joe Bonamassa was voted Guitarist of the Year in honor of his new album Dustbowl and Black Country Communion's world tour and live DVD.

"Though still a young 34 years of age, this guitar slinger has accomplished more than most players could imagine to achieve in a lifetime, and 2011 was a testament to the hard work, dedication and hours spent in the practice room and on the bandstand by this guitar great," Guitar International said in a statement.

And our man Slash was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. "A guitarist who has revived his career (twice, with his recent solo albums after Velvet Revolver's demise), played with Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and many more music icons, and held his commitment to rock over his entire career certainly deserves Guitar International's Lifetime Achievement Award. And with his impeccable track record, one can only assume Slash has much more rock 'n' roll in the tank." more on this story

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Announce American Dates

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds have announced plans to return to the North American this Spring for select tour dates.

The new dates will kick off in Washington, DC on March 28th and will include performances on April 14th and 21st at this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The festival takes place over two weekends in Indio, California. Other acts confirmed for the 14th and 21st include Radiohead and The Shins. more on this story

Twin Atlantic Spring Tour

Twin Atlantic will follow their North American tour with The Swellers and You Me At Six with a UK headlining tour.

They are hitting the road in support of their debut album, "Free" which was the biggest selling record by a UK rock band in 2011 according to the tour announcement.

"Our tour at the end of 2011 was incredible but we feel like we still have room to grow. It's been a slow and steady race for us over the last few years and this tour will mark our 5 year anniversary as a band! The fans that we have gathered over that time is something we are really proud of and we can't wait to have you all, along with new intrigued human beings, in the same room again so we can experience the feeling that makes being in this band so damn exciting. Perhaps new music? Perhaps a bigger show? Perhaps exploding planetsand flying cats dressed like babies? It's all a work in progress to make this our best tour yet! Ridiculous tour name to follow." - Twin Atlantic. more on this story