Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Dead at 47

Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in his salivary glands. His illness forced the cancelation of the band's summer tour and their album Hot Sauce Committee. However, he was well enough to help the group complete and release Hot Sauce Committee Part Two in 2011. Word spread last month that Yauch's illness had taken a turn for the worse when he was not present at the Beasties' induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. more on this story

Rock Is Dead?

(Gibson) According to Jack Black, rock is dead… or at least on extreme life support. The actor/rocker was inspired by a dearth of quality rock bands to write "Rock is Dead" on Tenacious D's new album, Rise of the Fenix, according to Rolling Stone.

"When you think about rock at its origin, and you think of The Beatles and millions of kids screaming as loud as they can and running as fast as they can towards The Beatles, there's no one who is that kind of lightning rod, who commands that kind of power and has that kind of creative magma," he said. "I contend that the last band to really have that kind of power, I'm gonna say, was Nirvana. Who since Nirvana has been as big as Nirvana, in that way?"

That's not to say that Black isn't still a huge rock fan and that he doesn't have some modern favorites. "My counterpart Jack White, whatever he does is always worth checking out – and his archnemesis, the Black Keys, are also tremendous," Black said. "The Foo Fighters. I loves me some Foos. But it does get thin after that." more on this story

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx: The New Howard Stern

(Gibson) Rockers aren't known for being morning people, but Nikki Sixx is about to take over morning radio at a legendary rock station. Dallas-based radio station 97.1 The Eagle KEGL-FM and Premiere Networks have dropped the news that Nikki Sixx's syndicated radio show, Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx, will move to mornings starting on Monday, May 7. Sixx will air a customized version of the radio show for Dallas-Ft. Worth listeners weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m.

Sixx says he can sense an emotional reaction from his listeners when he's on the air. "Radio is an opportunity to say something into a microphone, and whether you play a song or say something provocative or funny, it makes people have an emotional reaction," Sixx told Gibson.com. "They feel something. They feel good. They feel bad. They feel angry. They feel disappointed. You have an opportunity to change something, and for me, that's where radio has always been a bit like magic.

"When I turn on the radio, it creates a mood, and I really enjoy that. Kerri Kasem, my co-host, and I do seven shows in four days, and it's very organized. It's a lot of work, and it's the most fun I've had outside of playing rock and roll. We laugh every day. No matter what you're going through, you have to deliver. If you're going through a high, you have to control that, and if you're going through a low, you have to control that, because that part of your life is personal and you always have a responsibility to entertain them." more on this story

Sex Pistols Reject Olympics Offer Over Censorship

(hennemusic) The Sex Pistols have turned down a request by the organizers to perform at the closing ceremony of the upcoming London Olympics.

Pistols frontman John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) tells Billboard the reason they passed was due to censorship.

"They came after us for that, but their approach was wrong," says Lydon. "Censorship mattered more than the content of the Pistols. If you're going to be celebrating what is great about Britain, the honesty of the Sex Pistols is one of those things. If you censor the words of any one song, you're killing the honesty and I couldn't tolerate that. From my point of view we said we didn't want nothing to do with them. Such is the world we live in." more on this story

Rush Honored For Lifetime of Artistic Achievement

(hennemusic) Rush are in Canada's capital, Ottawa, this week to receive a very prestigious honor. The legendary band are among the winners of a 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Award, a recognition of lifetime artistic achievement.

Each artist honored receives a cash award of $25,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and a commemorative medallion struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The Canadian Press reports Rush members Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart joined their fellow recipients on Thursday for a visit to the House Of Commons to watch their Members Of Parliament (MPs) in action. more on this story

Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger For Saturday Night Live Finale

(hennemusic) Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger will host and perform on the May 19 season finale of Saturday Night Live.

Billboard reports Jagger's appearance will mark the rocker's first time leading the late-night NBC comedy show and will be his third time as the musical guest.

Jagger previously made a cameo in a skit in which Jimmy Fallon played his reflection, and appeared as Keith Richards on a "Weekend Update" skit with Mike Myers – who was playing Mick. more on this story

Aerosmith's Joe Perry Explains CSI Songs

(hennemusic) Music by Aerosmith's Joe Perry was featured on this week's CSI. Perry wrote two instrumental tracks for the episode, titled "Dune And Gloom."

Joe did some advance press for the show on when he visited KCAL9 Wednesday to talk about the experience.

"I met Phil Conserva from CSI about a week and a half ago," says Joe, "and we talked about music in general, and then he said he had this particular episode that started off with a truck scene and a lot of enery and he wanted to get some music that matched it." Read more and watch the clip here.

Unreleased Levon Helm Song For Charity

(Gibson) An unreleased track from Levon Helm, the legendary drummer/vocalist with The Band who passed away on April 19, is now available for download.

The Daily Express reports that "Toast to Freedom" was recorded shortly before his death. It's available for download with all proceeds going to charity.

The track was recorded at Helm's studio in Woodstock and features vocals from Ewan McGregor, Kris Kristofferson and Carly Simon. more on this story

Slash Feels Liberated With New Band

(hennemusic) Slash launches a series of US dates last night in Baltimore to promote the May 22 release of his sophomore solo effort, "Apocalyptic Love."

Slash's band – Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz - have formed a cohesive unit and are now going by the handle "Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators." The guitarist tells the Orlando Sentinel about the vibe and experience of working on the project. "This has been really liberating for me," says Slash. "The first solo album was the first time, really, that I was on my own to stretch my wings without the democratic, diplomatic situation you have to have in a band. That went right into working with these guys."

"It's nonconfrontational, nondramatic," he added. "I've never been in a situation like that where there's no reason to have an issue about anything. I haven't had this much fun in a band situation since Guns started." more on this story

Alanis Morissette Returning With New Album

(Gibson) Alanis Morissette is back with her first studio album in four years, Havoc and Bright Lights, out August 28. The album's first single, "Guardian," is set to reach iTunes on May 15.

So, what should fans expect this time around? "This record, as always, is a snapshot of what I currently obsess about, care about, and what strikes me at four in the morning in my most introspective moments," Morissette said of the new disc in a statement. "It is my emotional, psychological, social and philosophical commentary through song."

She's even "giddy" to share the new songs with her followers. "I am giddy and nervous and beaming for the chance to begin to share it all with you...," Morissette wrote on her official website. "Let these fun games begin again." more on this story

Alice Cooper Band Veteran Dick Wagner Looks Back

Former Alice Cooper guitarist/musical director Dick Wagner is featured guest on the latest edition of The Decibel Geek Podcast.

In this long form discussion, the veteran guitar maestro reflects on what it's been like being on the inside of rock history for 40+years. Appearing on more than 200 albums and garnering more than 35 Gold and Platinum albums, Wagner has quite a story (or in this case, many stories) to tell as he gives us a glimpse of the fantastic historical essays that await you in his recently released (and soon to be hardcover-released) e-book entitled Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes from the Heart of a Rock and Roll Musician.

Wagner gives us the inside story on Alice Cooper's (and his own) substance abuse trouble in the 1970's and early 1980's. You'll hear about Alice's state of mind during the recording of 1983's bizarre DaDa album as well as the strange fitness routine Cooper incorporated into his daily life when the two first met.

From Aerosmith's Get Your Wings to KISS' Destroyer & Revenge albums, Wagner has appeared on some very well-loved tracks without receiving credit for his playing. Does he harbor any ill-will for not receiving his just desserts? You'll hear his unfiltered take in this interview.

Dick also shares his take on what he and the Alice Cooper band thought of a young upstart named KISS surpassing them on the charts.

This episode features some stories from Wagner's personal archive that must be heard to be believed. Stories of all facets of pop culture colliding at specific times. Strange bedfellows indeed.

Listen to it here

Michael Schenker Reunited With Scorpions Bandmates For Temple of Rock Tour

Michael Schenker will launch his Temple of Rock tour of the UK next Wednesday, May 9th.

These shows mark 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

The Rocket Summer Expands Tour and Releases Free Live Album

The Rocket Summer has expanded the upcoming North American tour plans and released a free live album.

The tour is in support of the forthcoming full-length album Life Will Write The Words, out Tuesday, June 5.

The second leg will kick off Tuesday, June 19 in St. Petersburg, FL--with support from The Scene Aesthetic and special guests States--including a June 25 stop at New York's Highline Ballroom. more on this story

August Burns Red World Tour Plans

August Burns Red are taking their live show to Europe, South America and Philadelphia this summer.

The band will play a string of European Festival and headlining dates throughout the summer that will see them hit 13 countries in 4 weeks before returning stateside to support the Refused at Philadelphia's Riot Fest, followed by a return to South America.

"I can say with all sincerity that ABR has never looked forward to a European tour as much as we are looking forward to our upcoming run in June/July," says guitarist JB Brubaker. "We haven't done the 'festival circuit' since 2009 and that was one of our favorite overseas tours to date. I'm pumped to have the opportunity to play alongside some legendary bands and in front of some massive crowds!" more on this story

Elton John Pens Forward To New Rick Wakeman Book

(Glass Onyon) Elton John penned the forward to the new book, 'Caped Crusader, Rick Wakeman In The 1970s,' which was written by Dan Wooding.

The book, the authorized biography of Rick Wakeman, who is arguably the world's greatest rock keyboardist, is lavishly illustrated with dozens of photos from Wakeman's extraordinary career which includes the time his career took off when he joined the folk group, Strawbs, in 1969, and played on three of their albums.

But the ultimate accolade - the biggest break of Rick's career at that time - came shortly afterwards when a giant picture of Wakeman filled the front page of the Melody Maker in London, England, with the headline, "Tomorrow's Superstar?" more on this story

The Darkness To Deliver New Album This Summer

The Darkness have set a August 21st released date for their comeback album, Hot Cakes.

Hot Cakes was produced by the band's Justin and Dan Hawkins with long-time collaborator Nick Brine and mixed by Bob Ezrin.

The Darkness kick off an Australian tour this week (May 4) before returning to the U.S. May 18 for select dates and three festival appearances: Saturday, May 19 at InfieldFest (Baltimore, MD), Sunday, May 20 at Rock On The Range (Columbus, OH) and Saturday, May 26 at Rocklahoma. more on this story

B Sides

Singled Out: Barren Earth's As It Is Written

Today Kasper Mårtenson from Barren Earth tells us about the song "As It Is Written" from their sophomore album "The Devil's Resolve". Here is the story:

Our second album, The Devil's Resolve, has been out for about 6 weeks now. Many questions have been asked about the album as a whole, but many questions have also popped up concerning a certain individual song, namely 'As It Is Written'. This particular track stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, with its 7:30 length it is the longest track on the album. Secondly, with its lengthy prog interlude it is arguably the album's most adventurous song. And thirdly, with its inclusion of a bag pipe it manages to add unexpected colours to the album's sonic palette.

The main theme of As It Is Written was written long before Barren Earth was even in existence. I actually remember playing the melody to our bass player Olli-Pekka Laine already back in 2003 saying that I'd like to do something with it. But it wasn't until 2010 that I actually got serious with it and started writing the rest of the piece.

The first part of the song has a relatively normal structure in terms of having a verse, a pre-chorus and a chorus. But once the first part was completed, I decided to take the track into a completely unknown territory. I felt the opening half was strong, and knew I wanted to return to those same themes towards the end of the song, but in between I wanted something totally different.

At this point I stopped thinking in terms of riffs or sequences, and concentrated more on the melody itself. With conscious avoidance of repetition it was a question of seeing how long a melody could be carried. I didn't quite succeed in relinquishing all repetition, since there clearly are certain repetitive fragments, but by and large it starts at point A and ends about 50 seconds later at point B, after which it is then repeated with full force by the whole band, as opposed to the solo piano the first time around. Call it prog, if you like.

After the middle part is over, the song returns to the familiar territory of the opening section. But in an attempt to keep things interesting, I decided that instead of overtly repeating the main melody in the end, I'd rather put a keyboard solo there. And so I did, although much to my chagrin many people seem to think that it's a guitar solo. No it bloody isn't! It's a freaking Mini-moog!! The confusion is probably due to me using a pitch-bending technique usually more associated with guitarists than synthetists. Nevertheless, a synthesizer solo it is. And certainly the longest that I've ever played, at least on record.

I had a vision on what kind of vocals I wanted. Originally I wanted growling on the verse, clean singing on the pre-chorus, and then growling again for the chorus. But presenting this idea to Sami Yli-Sirniö he said: 'You can't be serious.' He had a totally opposing view on how the vocals should go, and proceeded to give a demonstration. Over the years I've come to trust Sami's vision, so I decided to try it his way. And it bloody worked! Thanks Sami, you were right.

Because the main theme of the song has a pretty strong Scottish folk feel to it, the song's working title was 'Scotland'. Actually, we still refer to it as Scotland, not as 'As It Is Written'. While rehearsing it, it wasn't long before somebody suggested, tongue in cheek, that we get a bag pipe player. But when the song was reaching its final stages we came more serious about the pipes, and sure enough decided to get hold of a bag pipist.

With the inclusion of the bag pipes I knew there was a risk of sounding cheesy. But now I find it safe to say, that we managed to avoid the realm of the cheesiness, and the bag pipe is just the right addition for the piece.

The song is dedicated to Scotland. Hawp ye lik' oor tribute!

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

Van Halen Going To The Dogs

(hennemusic) Van Halen have gone to the dogs. David Lee Roth has issued videos of his herding sheepdogs, which the singer trains and enters in national competitions. Roth also shares stories and some footage of his pals during the band's current live show in support of "A Different Kind Of Truth."

Eddie Van Halen was spotted in New York a couple of months ago with his traveling companion, a Pomeranian named Kody.

Now, Kody Van Halen has his own Facebook page. The site is filled with tales (tails?) and images of the Pom on tour with Eddie, including plenty of shots of the two of them catching naps on the road. more on this story

The Sheds Release Self Doubt Video

The Sheds have released their new music video for the song "Self Doubt," a track from their Self/Doubt EP.

The video also features cameos from members of the band Hundredth and Casey Jones.

The Sheds will be a part of the Tonight We Unite Tour 2012 featuring The Casualties, Nekromantix, Down By Law, Lower Glass, Brats and more. Watch the video here.

Maps & Atlases Deliver Remote & Dark Years Video

Maps & Atlases have debuted their new music video for the song "Remote & Dark Years", which comes off sophomore full-length Beware & Be Grateful.

The video was directed by George Salisbury, the principal art director and video director for the Flaming Lips. Watch it here.

Maps & Atlases will embark on a headlining tour this spring in support of Beware & Be Grateful. They hit the road on May 11th in Chicago. more on this story

Job For A Cowboy Deliver Imperium Wolves Lyric Video

Job For A Cowboy have released a new lyric video for their new song "Imperium Wolves."

The tracks comes off the band's latest release, Demonocracy, released in North America on April 10. Watch it here.

Job For A Cowboy will be part of the Summer Slaughter Festival 2012 with Cannibal Corpse, Between The Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Cerebral Bore. more on this story