Jack White Tops The Beatles

Knocking the Beatles' "Abbey Road" off the top spot - a position it had held the previous three years - "Blunderbuss" sales are the highest for a new album (not a catalog album) since Soundscan began specifically tracking vinyl in 2008. more on this story

Ozzy Osbourne Airport Idea Grounded

(hennemusic) Reports that Birmingham Airport could be renamed after Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne have been played down by the airport, according to TravelMole.

Last week, the Birmingham Mail reported that a name change was being considered, following in the footsteps of other airports such as Liverpool John Lennon Airport and John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.

Birmingham Airport confirmed that it would be a decision for the airport itself, with a spokesman adding: "We've no plans to rename the airport so not quite sure where the story's come from but we're certainly not in discussions." more on this story

Guns N' Roses Guitarist Offers Ironic Advise To Rock Hopefuls

(Gibson) Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has some simple advice for players trying to break into the music business: be on time.

In an interview with Metal Hammer, the Guns N' Roses six-stringer said punctuality, preparedness and a sense of calm go a long way toward making a musician indispensable. "By 'on time' I mean 'be early,'" he said. "Make sure you're there for when you need to be — wait in your car, communicate, let them know ten minutes early that you'll be there in five minutes, and walk in five minutes later."

Thal added that by being prepared he means "knowing more than you need to." "If you're going to lay down guitar parts," he advised, "know the drum grooves and where all the accents and up-beats and fills and breaks are. Know the bass lines. When the bassist doesn't show and they freak out, you [can] say, 'I know the bass part. I can lay it down.'"

Thal went on to stress the importance of "being a soothing presence in the room." "When everyone is contagiously breaking into panic and stress mode, you'll be their voice of reason without even trying," he said. more on this story

God Forbid Plan Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert

God Forbid announced that they will be taking part in a Hurricane Sandy relief concert on January 11th.

The concert will be taking place at The Boneyard in Atlantic City and is part of the Revive The Shore Part III concert series.

New Jersey natives God Forbid were personally affected by the storm which made landfall on October 29th and affected millions and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and communities in its path.

God Forbid frontman Byron Davis had this to day, "We would like to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. With that being said we should take this time and reflect on how tragedy can turn ones world upside down; we need to be grateful for the ones we have in our lives and remember those who have lost everything."

"This benefit show gives us the opportunity to let our fellow New Jerseyians know that we have not forgotten them and will honor their struggles with pride. For one night, we will all come together for remembrance and fun to raise contributions that will help re-build communities and people's spirits that were affected around the Jersey Shore. We are looking forward to seeing New Jersey stand together united. See you there!"

Eddie Vedder Says Pearl Jam Are 'Halfway There' On New Album

(hennemusic) Pearl Jam have been working on new music, on and off, over the past year or so and have purposely not set a timetable for a new album, as the band members continue to work on solo projects and tours.

Now, in a new interview with Rolling Stone - centered around his involvement with the West Memphis Three – frontman Eddie Vedder was asked for an update on Pearl Jam's latest recording project.

"Um, maybe halfway there," explains Vedder. "We're taking our time. I was talking to Jeff [Ament] today, we were texting, he's got his group up there. He's heading to the West Coast, I'm heading east. And we're out here like, you know, like Johnny Appleseed. He's covering part of the country. I'm doing the other. And at some point we'll join forces again for sure, but the band is as healthy as ever and I'm sure it's good to get a little break from each other, but it's nice to – we'll be ready to go when we're ready to go."

As for a "sound" or direction to the tracks completed so far. Find out what he had to say here.

Dave Grohl Plans Sundance Jam

(hennemusic) Dave Grohl's directorial debut, "Sound City," will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18 before its theatrical release next month.

The documentary chronicles the story of the Van Nuys, California studio of the same name, where music legends recorded major projects throughout the years – including Nirvana's 1991 smash, "Nevermind," which featured Grohl on drums.

Now, the rocker has announced that he's bringing a collection of musicians, billed as the Sound City Players, to Sundance for a concert at Park City Live on the night of the premiere.

There's no word who will join the head Foo Fighter on stage, but there's a serious collection of players in the film who may be a part of the performance. more on this story

The Wildhearts Plan 20th Anniversary Tour

(Classic Rock) The Wildhearts will play a short UK tour in April to celebrate 20 years since the release of debut album Earth Vs The Wildhearts.

They'll appear in Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham and Wolverhampton where they'll perform the 1993 record in full.

Mainman Ginger is joined by guitarist CJ, drummer Ritch Battersby and bassist Random Jon Poole for the shows. more on this story

Allman Brothers Band Lineup More Live Performances

The Allman Brothers Band have announced two more big appearances this year apart from their annual Beacon Theatre run.

Eric Clapton has invited them to perform at his annual "Crossroads" benefit concert which will be staged on April 12-13 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

They will also headline two nights at their very own Wanee Festival that will take place in Live Oak, FL on April 19- 20. more on this story

High On Fire Added To Metal Alliance Tour

High On Fire have been added to the lineup for this year's Metal Alliance Tour of North American.

The tour will be headlined by Anthrax who will be performing their 1987 album "Among The Living" in its entirety.

The trek kicks off on March 23rd in Las Vegas and will also feature Exodus, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail. more on this story

Murderdolls' Eric Griffin Returns With Synical

Murderdolls' Eric Griffin's new group Synical have released their debut album, "Quit While You're Behind," via Deadlight Entertainment.

The group features record producer Brian Haught(L7) and Griffin who is also a former member of Wednesday13, Genitorturers and a current member of Davey Suicide.

The album features guest appearances by Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour, ex Soulfly), Alex Carapetis (NIN, Julian Casablancas), and Raccy Shay (Murderdolls).

Anthrax Guitarist Scott Ian Plans Spoken Word Tour

(Gibson) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian will follow in the footsteps of fellow heavy music icon Henry Rollins by hitting the road for a spoken word tour later this year, on the heels of a successful one-off date in 2012.

Ian will perform at 16 dates in the UK in May and June for Metal Hammer magazine. "I've seen Rollins do it all these years," Ian explained to Decibel magazine. "I saw Rollins, maybe on the first time he ever did a tour I went to see what it was going to be about …it's something that I always wanted to do and I finally had the opportunity this year."

Ian said the first show, in London, went so well that he jumped at the chance to do more. "Y'know it's weird, I know a lot of people are terrified but I don't find public speaking terrifying for some crazy reason. Maybe there is something wrong with me!" more on this story

Cinderella Frontman Tom Keifer Launching Solo Tour

Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer will be launching his very first solo tour in North America next month.

The trek is set to kick off on February 9th in Winston-Salem, NC and the announced dates conclude on February 28th in White Marsh, MD.

The tour will be in support of Keifer's debut solo album, which is expected to be released by Merovee Records this spring. more on this story

David Bowie Helped Revive Peter Frampton

(Gibson) Peter Frampton's career hit the doldrums in the wake of Frampton Comes Alive!, the monumental album that made his a star. In a just-published interview with M – Music & Musicians, Frampton thanks David Bowie for helping him get back on track.

"The '80s were a difficult period for me," Frampton says. "[That continued] until my dear friend David Bowie got me out on the road for the Glass Spider tour and on his Never Let Me Down record, and reintroduced me as a guitar player around the world. I can never thank him enough for believing in me, and seeing past the image of the satin pants and big hair to the guitar player he first met when we played together in school. I enjoyed touring with David so much I just wanted to go back out and play, because I hadn't really played out that much in the '80s."

Frampton later added that he's continuing to write new music for the Cincinnati Ballet, with whom he teamed up for a production to be staged in April. more on this story

Hawthorne Heights Launch Skeleton Club With 4 Free Songs

Hawthorne Heights are giving fans four free song downloads when they join the group's new "Skeleton Club."

The free club membership is setup to give fans access to pre-orders, merchandise, VIP packages, tickets and more. The free songs will only be available for a limited time.

Fans that wish to join can visit the group's Facebook page, click on the "Free Music" tab and enter their email address for access.

Hawthorne Heights will return to the Warped Tour this summer for the first time in six years, where they will join Woe Is Me, I See Stars, Go Radio, The Story So Far, Like Moths To Flames, Big Chocolate, Stick To Your Guns, Hands Like Houses, Anarbor, letlive, The Black Dahlia Murder and more. more on this story

Ramming Speed and Sexcrement Launching 2013 New Years Bangover

Ramming Speed and Sexcrement are teaming up to launch a mini-tour dubbed the "2013 New Years Bangover".

The tour will kick off on January 9th in Providence, RI and will make stops in Boston, New Brunswick, Philadelphia and conclude in New York.

The five dates trek will be undertaken "to celebrate the oncoming twelve months of cheap whiskey and pounding headaches," according to the announcement. more on this story

Love & Death and Thousand Foot Crutch Plan War Of Change Tour

Former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's new group Love & Death will be hitting the road with Thousand Foot Crutch for the War Of Change Tour.

The trek will kick off on February 21st in Columbia, MD and will also feature The Letter Black and The Wedding.

Love & Death will be touring in support of their debut album, "Between Here & Lost," which will be released on January 22nd by Tooth & Nail Records. more on this story

Darsombra Announce Wintour 2013

Darsombra will be hitting the road next month to launch their Wintour 2013 of the Southern United States.

The tour is set to kick off on February 15th in Richmond, VA and will make stops in North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Darsombra will be touring in support of their latest album, Climax Community LP. more on this story

Atreyu's Brandon Saller Releasing Hell Or Highwater Debut

Hell Or Highwater, featuring Atreyu's Brandon Saller, have set a February 5th release date for their debut album "Begin Again."

Ahead of the album release, Hell or Higwater will be hitting the road with The Darkness for their North American tour on January 10, 2013.

Saller had this to say, "We are exited to announce that we have partnered with the Chicago based record label, Pavement Music for the release of our debut album 'Begin Again'. 2013 promises to be a big year for Hell or Highwater. We're excited to be a part of the Pavement Music family." more on this story

Lars Chriss Mixing Covered Call's New Album

Covered Call have recruited producer/engineer Lars Chriss (Lion's Share) to mix their new studio CD, Impact.

The new album will mark the recording debut of their new singer Göran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum, Madison), and new bass player Andy Loos (Lion's Share, Glory).

"To hear Göran belt out the vocals made me shiver. It was exactly what I pictured the songs like," says founding member and drummer Ronny Svanströmer. more on this story

Paul Leavitt Producing The Persevering Promise Album

The Persevering Promise are planning to release their Pavement Entertainment debut this summer.

The group will begin recording the album in April at the Valencia Studios in Baltimore, MD.

They have recruited Paul Leavitt (Darkest Hour, All Time Low, Dead To Fall) to record and produce the effort.

Motorhead Preview New Headphones With Promo Video

(hennemusic) Motorhead will unveil the official U.S. launch of Motorheadphones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 8th at 4pm (CES – South Hall – Booth $35801).

The band has offered up a new video featuring drummer Mikkey Dee promoting the CES appearance, which will see Lemmy Kilmister will host an exclusive press conference to introduce the new product.

Motörheadphönes has had unprecedented success throughout Europe prior to making their US debut. The new product features professional audio quality, tooled to reproduce rock music or any played music. Motörheadphönes give smooth warm bass, bombastic drums and clear mid-range plus distinct high-end because of the 40mm neodymium high power speakers that takes 6-10 times more power than a standard headphone. Read more and watch the video here.

Fullforce Release Video Awesomeness

Fullforce has released a new music video for their song "Awesomeness" on YouTube.

The "Awesomeness" video was filmed and edited by Stefan Elmgren and you can watch it here.

The band had this New Year message for fans, "2012 was a great year for Fullforce. We have recorded and released our second album (Next Level) brought to you by pure inspiration and love for metal. The feedback has been great both from you and also media and we're looking forward to see you on the road in 2013!!"

Jack Osbourne Posts Photo of Ozzy With Granddaughter

(hennemusic) Ozzy Osbourne can be seen spending some quality time with his granddaughter, Pearl, in a new image posted by proud parent Jack Osbourne.

Jack tweeted a photo on New Year's Day, writing, "Pearl making her granddad laugh!"

Jack and wife Lisa Stelly welcomed Pearl on April 24, 2012. Pearl is Ozzy's fifth grandchild – he has two each from daughter Jessica and son Louis from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley – and Sharon's first. see the photo here.