Slash Shoots Down Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Reunion Hopes

A staff member at Envision Radio Networks leaked the news recently while posting under musical director Paul Shaffer's twitter account; an Envision management type called the tweet "inadvertent" while not denying its accuracy. more on this story

Gene Simmons Slams Rihanna

(hennemusic) The KISS/Motley Crue summer tour double bill was officially announced this week at a press conference in Hollywood.

The veteran hard rockers will hit more than 40 cities across the continent starting July 20 in Bristow, Virginia, with shows scheduled through to September 23.

Dubbed "The Tour," the show will feature 90-minute headlining sets by both bands, with KISS bassist Gene Simmons declaring the trek the real thing. "Both Motley and KISS are united in one crusade: we are sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them," said Simmons. "What you're going to hear on stage is live music. All the bombs are real, all the music is real, the guys you see onstage playing their instruments are playing their instruments. No karaoke singers allowed. No fake bulls**t. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.' This is real stuff." more on this story

Rolling Stones Movie Details

Eagle Rock Entertainment are helping the Rolling Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary with the upcoming release of a new documentary. We were sent these details:

The film features remarkable revelations from the world's most legendary band. This is the first film to ever trace the evolution of the Rolling Stones' from 1963, making it the ultimate Stones experience. The film will be showcased in September as part of the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary celebrations.

"We are thrilled to continue our relationship with the Rolling Stones and help to bring this extraordinary documentary film to millions of fans," said Terry Shand, Eagle Rock chairman and CEO. more on this story

Kasabian Streaming Live Tonight

Kasabian are in the midst of their first North American tour in five years and will be streaming a live show from New York City tonight. Here are the details:

Kasabian kicked off their first North America live dates in five years on March 12th at South Side Music Hall in Dallas, TX. The near 20 date tour comes in support of their recently released fourth full length album Velociraptor!, which came out this past September on Columbia Records.

The band is also the second act selected to take place in a series of streamed concerts resulting from a partnership between Youtube and Bowery Presents and viewable on either Bowery Presents Youtube page or Kasabianlive.com this Thursday night (3/22) from their show at Terminal 5. Check out a preview for the show here.

Joe Walsh Streaming New Song

(Sub) Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh returns with Analog Man, his first solo album in two decades to be released on June 5th, 2012 from Fantasy Records/Concord. Analog Man is both modern and timelessly soulful, packed with Walsh's beloved wit, charm and chops; it delivers an incredibly raw and intimate sound.

"It's been 20 years and I have a lot to say," said Walsh. "These songs come from the heart." Walsh, best known for his powerful guitar licks, joined the Eagles in 1976 and is credited for bringing a harder rock sound to the band with the acclaimed Hotel California, The Long Run and Eagles Live. A singer-songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Walsh has entertained for more than four decades, not only as a solo artist, but as part of admired bands like The James Gang and Barnstorm.

As a self-proclaimed Analog Man, also the album name and title track, Walsh refers playfully to the new digital age; one in which he has adapted to, but notes in the song, "I am what I am – I'm an Analog Man." Walsh developed the album over the last 10 years, drawing on personal experiences to breathe life into each track. "I just really feel like it's all come together and finally I feel like a complete person and a complete musician," said Walsh. "I think there is some confidence in there that I never had. That's what I was hiding." Walsh credits his wife of four years, Marjorie, for encouraging him to be the man and artist he is today and fondly dedicates this album to her. more on this story

Unusual Interview For Jack White

(Gibson) Jack White not only launched his new album, Blunderbuss, in London this week but he was interviewed by the Mayor of Lambeth, who was decked out in her mayoral robes, chains and all. Mayor Christiana Valcarel told White, "You are a genius, man, you are a talent."

According to Terry Staunton of Music Radar, White talked about the making of the album and how living in Nashville affected the project.

"If I didn't live in Nashville, I don't think I would have ended up making this record. I've been producing other people for my record label Third Man for the last three years, and through that I've collected a humungous family of people – pedal steel players, violinists, harpists, everything there is in town," he said."

"It was a new challenge for me, and if I hadn't been in Nashville, where there's such a plethora of people you can choose from, it would have been a very different record. There's so much talent in that neighborhood." more on this story

Gym Class Heroes Spy Mystery Video

(FTM) Warner Sound, the new Youtube Channel from Warner Music, has posted the first video in one of their new series called Staged.

Staged takes lyrics from one of Warner Music's favorite songs and dramatically re-interprets them in a short film.

The first one is from Gym Class Heroes: Moscow, 1963: An American secret agent �nds himself outmatched in a high stakes poker game. While he must rely on his deadly skills and dangerous charm, his sinister rival and a gorgeous femme fatale have plans of their own.

Starring: Brandon Olive as Hero, Amy Vorpahl as Femme Fatale and Special Guest Star Creed Bratton as Villain. Watch it here.

Nonpoint Preview New Music Online

(Banana 101.5) Nonpoint announced the departure of guitarist Zach Broderick and founding bassist Ken MacMillan last Novemeber, shortly after announcing a new record deal with Razor & Tie and just days prior to announcing their replacements. With new guitarists Rasheed Thomas and Dave Lizzio and new bassist Adam Woloszyn in tow, the band quickly began work on a new album with a projected spring 2012 release.

With the first official day of spring behind us, it appears that Nonpoint still may hit their goal as they excitedly posted on Facebook that today (March 21st) would be the final day of recording: "Today the record will be finally tracked. Yesterday they started mixes, I got to hear a test mix and I was very blown away. I know a lot of you and impatiently waiting but the wait will be worth it. We hope to be able to let you hear a track but picking that track will be the most difficult!!!!"

As for the former members of Nonpoint, they've joined forces with guitarist C.J. Pierce and drummer Mike Luce of the now singer-less Drowning Pool to form Voodoo Corps. Check out a demo teaser of the new Nonpoint here.

Randy Rhoads Family, Friends and Fans Gather To Mark 30th Anniversary

(Gibson) More than 350 friends, family, fans and rockers have gathered to pay tribute to Randy Rhoads. It is now 30 years since rock guitarist Rhoads, sideman to Ozzy Osbourne, was killed in an airplane crash. Rhoads was just 25 years old.

The 30th anniversary marking his death (March 19) and celebrating his life attracted well-wishers to a marble mausoleum bearing the Rhoads name at San Bernardino's Mountain View Cemetery. Rhoads's professional life was all too brief, but his talent continues to inspire.

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello said he was a huge fan. "In fact, I named my first son, Rhoads," Morello said. "His commitment to the instrument and his musicality were very inspiring to me."

Kelle Rhoads, Randy's older brother, said the annual memorial was difficult, but because people came from all over, the family wanted to continue doing it. The memorial gatherings for Rhoads still happen each year. "So many musicians have passed on, yet Randy's life is still celebrated," said Kelle, who played drums in his brother's first band, called Violet Fox after their mother's middle name. more on this story

The Flaming Lips Tap Nick Cave, Coldplay, Ke$ha For Special Release

(Gibson) The Flaming Lips like the unobvious. The Wayne Coyle-led band now have a new project called The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends. It includes disparate playmates such as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Ke$ha and many more.

Some of these tracks have already appeared on previously released, extremely limited edition color vinyl 12" EPs released in past months. But soon there will be a full double album.

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends will be pressed on two high-quality, multi-color vinyl discs housed in separate custom art jackets. Apparently, no two discs will look exactly alike. The double album will be limited and released exclusively for Record Store Day. more on this story

KISS Rock Classics On Kimmel

(hennemusic) KISS rocked a couple of their classic songs on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show on Tuesday night.

The current version of KISS played two classics from the band's original lineup days: "Detroit Rock City" and "Calling Dr. Love".

The band's appearance was designed to promote their upcoming summer tour with Motley Crue, which will hit more than 40 cities across North America starting July 20. Check out video of the performances.

Slash Documentary Goes Online

(Gibson) The seventh and final installment in a series of "webisodes" featuring behind-the-scenes footage from Slash can be seen online. The cameras have been constantly rolling for the making of Apocalyptic Love, the second solo album from the Gibson Les Paul legend.

The album drops May 22 on Slash's own label, Dik Hayd International, distributed through EMI, and follows his 2010 debut album, Slash, and his November 2011 first-ever live solo album, the two-CD/DVD set Made In Stoke 24/7/11.

The debut Slash album debuted on The Billboard 200 chart at #3 (#1 on the Rock chart, #1 on the Independent chart, and #1 on the Hard Music chart) and, digitally, the album also became the #1 overall digital album and hit #1 on iTunes in 13 countries.

For the sophomore album, Slash – along with Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) – teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the first Slash disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album. Watch it here.

All-Star Tommy Bolin Tribute Coming Next Week

A new tribute to Tommy Bolin, Great Gypsy Soul, will be released on 429 Records on March 26th in both a widely available single CD format and double CD with 39 minutes of bonus material available only at Amazon.com.

Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes (a key supporter of the project), Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Glenn Hughes and Myles Kennedy all contribute to this project.

A special event will be hosted by Amazon.com on Sunday, March 25th just prior to wide release-Amazon will offer a one day $3.99 "Daily Deal" special on the single CD in their MP3 store. more on this story

Janus Maps Out Spring Tour Dates

Janus are heading back out on the road for a handful of headlining shows before joining up with Cavo for a month-long trek.

It all kicks off with a hometown show in Chicago at the Cubby Bear on March 28. Dates with Cavo begin April 7.

Janus will be touring in support of their sophomore album, Nox Aeris, which is due out March 27 on Realid Records. more on this story

Bob Wayne Sets May Album Release

(CM) Bob Wayne will release his fifth studio album, Till The Wheels Fall Off, in North American on May 22nd.

Bob Wayne is beyond thrilled to get his new music out to fans and get back out on the road. "Till the Wheels Fall Off....it's not just a clever name!!! It's a way of life!! I'll be going to shows, supporting live music and hitting the Highway till the wheels fall off this Mother trucker!!"

Bob Wayne teamed up once again with Andy Gibson of Hank III for production on Till The Wheels Fall Off. Gibson produced Bob Wayne's previous foot-stomping album, Outlaw Carnie (2011). more on this story

Coffinworm Plan Special Reissue

San Francisco-based label The Flenser will be partnering Coffinworm for the first-ever vinyl release of their now-classic 'Great Bringer of Night' demo from 2009.

A release date was not provided but we were sent these colorful details: Coffinworm play ugly music for hateful people. The doomhauling quintet first came crawling out of the primordial ooze of Indianapolis' D.I.Y. underground in 2007, and have kept themselves busy doing the devil's work ever since. Their virgin offering, 2009's self-released three-track demo, demanded attention, and got it, as the press and fans of the heavy started to discover 'Great Bringer of Night.' Coffinworm had given volcanic birth to a wretched, heaving slab of noxious, blackened death sludge of the lowest order, one that eventually led to their signing with Profound Lore and invitations to perform a number of high-profile live actions across the country. Hellish, depraved, and heavy as a neutron hammer, Coffinworm had truly created a monster.

It all began here, though, and The Flenser have committed to dragging this filthy gem out into the sunlight to give it the treatment it so richly deserves, and adding the original versions of two extra songs that had found their way onto the band's Profound Lore debut. Sludge, tortured doom, snarling black metal, knuckle-dragging death metal and a few handfuls of crusted-over punk meld together into one of the nastiest, most misanthropic, most wonderfully ugly albums you'll ever hear, ripe for fans of Burning Witch, Eyehategod, Noothgrush, Darkthrone, and Corrupted. more on this story

Devin Townsend Releasing DVD Box Set

Devin Townsend will be releasing a new DVD box set, By A Thread -Live in London 2011, on June 18th in Europe and June 19th in North America through HevyDevy Records / InsideOut Music.

The set contains the unique, sold-out UK shows from last fall where he performed all four Devin Townsend Project albums: Ki, Addicted, Ghost, and Deconstruction.

By A Thread - Live in London 2011 contains all four shows on four DVDs, plus a 5-CD set (the four albums and one disc with all of the encores).

The Day Pink Floyd Took Another Brick In The Wall To The Top

(Gibson) On this day in 1980, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)," started a four-week run at no. 1 on the U.S. singles chart. Also no. 1 in the U.K. Gibson takes a look back: By the end of the '70s, Pink Floyd had been around for more than a decade, morphing from Syd Barrett's psychedelic project into a progressive rock behemoth fronted by Roger Waters and David Gilmour. Although they had become hugely successful around the world, the band had never really conquered the pop charts and, seemingly, weren't interested in such a pursuit. Their expertise was geared to album-oriented rock (i.e. the classics The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here) and dense, winding, multi-part epics (such as "Echoes" or "Dogs"). But that was about to change.

Following Pink Floyd's 1977 In the Flesh tour, Waters began working on material that dealt with abandonment and isolation – partially inspired by uncaring concertgoers and his own personal history. The bassist and songwriter's desire to build a wall between him and the audience was channeled into Floyd's 1979 album, The Wall, a dark rock opera that marked a departure from the band's recent albums (certainly in structure, if not in tone).

In working on the album, Waters decided to create three parts of a song that would become "Another Brick in the Wall." Sharing the basic melody and refrain, the three parts came at different points in the story, all bringing the main character (named Pink) to isolate himself from other people. Originally, all three parts were meant to be relatively brief, with one verse and one chorus each. Parts 1 (about the death of his father) and 3 (about drugs and the end of a relationship) kept to that idea, but Part 2 ended up a little different. The middle composition, dealing with an imaginary children's revolt against abusive schoolmasters, grew in stature during the recording process.

The credit for this goes to Bob Ezrin, a producer who had worked with Alice Cooper, KISS and Peter Gabriel and was brought in to helm The Wall sessions. Upon hearing the rough version of "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)," Ezrin recognized that the song had the potential to be a hit. His suggestion was met with harsh resistance from Waters and the band. more on this story

Singled Out: Electric Sun's Don't Look Back

Today Electric Sun tells us about the song "Don't Look Back" from their EP The Gilded Cage. Here is the story:

It might have been the first song written for The Gilded Cage, which set the tone musically and lyrically for the EP's mood. I describe the sound of the song as loud, fuzzy, and crisp.

The lyrics came secondary, and reflected the size and positivity of the melodies. I wanted a feel-good/anthemic track that is as appropriate in front of 200 people in a NYC club as a chanting European soccer-sized arena crowd. Ole Ole!

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