Monday, January 31, 2011

U2: new album due in May?

Last summer, Bono told Rolling Stone that U2 have as many as four records ready to go. “We have “Songs of Ascent,” which is the meditative work that was meant to complement “No Line on the Horizon.” We've got a rock album. We also have a club-sounding album. And then we have the Spider-Man (musical) stuff.”

Well, looks like the first of the four may be on track for this spring.

U2 fan website @u2 has discovered a listing for a new album on the German version of Amazon.com here.

No details are provided, (the title is displayed simply as “New Album 2011″), Amazon does include a release date of May 27 in the listing.

While the band has not confirmed anything on this news, the information does sync up with what U2′s manager, Paul McGuiness, said in an interview to New Zealand website stuff.co.nz last November: “We are trying very hard to use this time in New Zealand and Australia to finish an album that will be released in the spring… It’s not so much recording as editing and polishing up lyrics and trying to getting it done by the date it needs to be delivered to the record company for release in May. It’s sounding great: lots of hits.”

Stay tuned.

U2 – Get On Your Boots
Ernst Happel Stadion - Vienna, Austria - August 30, 2010


See also:

U2 offers collaborations disc to boost fan club membership
Bon Jovi, U2, AC/DC top the list of Top 25 tours of 2010
U2 pay tribute to John Lennon

Whitesnake announce summer tour dates

Whitesnake return this year with a new album “Forevermore,” and, naturally, they’re hitting the road to bring the music to fans.

The band has just announced a bunch of live dates for the tour, kicking things off in May.

“Forevermore” is set for release March 9 in Japan, March 25 in Europe and March 29 in North America.

The first single/video clip, “Love Will Set You Free,” will be out on February 21.

Whitesnake
“Forevermore”
2011 Tour

May 14 - Columbia, MD - M3 Festival - Merriweather
May 20 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Biloxi

Jun 02 - Moscow, Russia - Megasport Arena
Jun 04 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Icearena
Jun 08 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
Jun 10 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
Jun 13 - Newcastle, UK - City Hall
Jun 14 - Glasgow, UK - Clyde Auditorium
Jun 16 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic
Jun 17 - Manchester, UK - Apollo
Jun 19 - Bournemouth, UK - BIC
Jun 20 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo
Jun 22 - Milano, Italy - Gods of Metal
Jun 25 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
Jun 27 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
Jun 28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Saska Arena
Jun 29 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle

Jul 01 - Belgrade, Serbia - Arena
Jul 03 - Bucharest, Romania - Romexpo
Jul 08 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Akademik Stadium
Jul 10 - Istanbul, Turkey - Kazlicesme Festival Site

Whitesnake – Still Of The Night
Live In The Still Of The Night DVD (2005)


See also:

Whitesnake reveal new album title
Whitesnake announce 2011 tour dates

Motley Crue: Vince Neil admits DUI was a mistake

Motley Crue’s Vince Neil is speaking up about his upcoming jail time.

"I made a mistake,” Neil tells People, “and I have to finally learn my lesson and go do a little bit of time."

"I've already learned my lesson,” he added.

Vince was dealt a soft sentence by Las Vegas authorities, who have given him 15 days in jail and 15 days house arrest, as part of his plea deal for his DUI arrest there last June.

The guilty plea helped Neil avoid a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail if he had been convicted at trial.

For some reason, Tess Driver, an assistant to the Clark County district attorney, feels that 15 days is enough for a repeat offender who had previously killed someone while drunk behind the wheel.

"He's getting a pretty solid sentence," Driver said.

Really?

Funny, I haven’t seen any references to Neil actually losing his license, or having it suspended, so it appears the Las Vegas authorities don’t take these matters very seriously.

Of his arrest, Neil said, "I just have to move on and get past it and get it behind me."

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe

Motley Crue – Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.) (1989)


See also:

Vince Neil allegedly owes more than $1 Million in unpaid taxes
Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 15 days in jail for DUI
Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 30 days on DUI plea
Motley Crue: Vince Neil’s DUI case rescheduled
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil’s DUI case headed to trial

New video: R.E.M. “Mine Smell Like Honey”

R.E.M. have just released the video for "Mine Smell Like Honey," the first radio single from the band’s forthcoming album, “Collapse Into Now,” due out March 8.

The video was directed by Dominic DeJoseph, who has directed music videos for R.E.M, including "Bittersweet Me," and "New Test Leper" (co-directed with Lance Bangs) from “New Adventures In Hi-Fi,” tour films for “Monster,” as well as music videos for Jenny Lewis, Tilly and The Wall, The Stills, Ryan Adams, The Dandy Warhols and Natalie Merchant.

“Collapse Into Now” is produced by Garret "Jacknife" Lee (Snow Patrol, U2), and was recorded in different cities -- Berlin, Nashville, New Orleans -- with breaks between to write and rewrite songs.

R.E.M. - Mine Smell Like Honey (2011)


See also:

Hear new R.E.M.: "Mine Smell Like Honey"
VIDEO: R.E.M.’s “Collapse Into Now” trailer
Hear Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder with R.E.M.
FREE R.E.M. download
R.E.M. finish new album
New R.E.M. to feature Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Bob Seger tops the hennemusic Hot 10

News of Bob Seger’s first concert tour in five years landed the Michigan rocker in the #1 position on the hennemusic Hot 10 this week.

With the tour set to start in March, fans await details regarding the exact cities and dates where Seger and his Silver Bullet Band will play; an announcement is expected shortly.

Seger, who turns 66 in May, is known for his legendary live performances at Cobo Hall over the years, and he will almost certainly play several hometown shows.

The HH10 is a list of the most-viewed rock news stories in the past week by hennemusic readers.

hennemusic Hot 10
week ending January 30, 2011

01 – Bob Seger announces 2011 North American tour
02 – VIDEO: Motorhead rock Conan
03 – Metallica guitarist jams with Tool in Hawaii
04 – NME Awards: Axl Rose named finalist for Villain Of The Year
05 – Van Halen begin recording new album
06 – VIDEO: Jack White, Wanda Jackson rock Conan
07 – Metallica: The Big 4 to announce US tour on Tuesday
08 – Aerosmith begin work on new album without Joe Perry
09 – Bret Michaels recuperating at home after heart surgery
10 – Ozzy, Black Sabbath discussing reunion, new album


A rare, live tv appearance by metal legends Motorhead came in as the #2 most-viewed story of the week; Lemmy and crew have just launched a North American tour in support of their latest, “The World Is Yours,” due February 8.

Kirk Hammett of Metallica’s jam with Tool in Hawaii a few weeks back is still a hot item for Met’ fans, and so is the news that Van Halen are in the studio working on their first album with David Lee Roth in more than 25 years.

Other big rock news this past week included features on Guns N’ Roses, Wanda Jackson with Jack White, the Big 4 Festival announcement, Aerosmith starting writing sessions for a new album without Joe Perry, and Bret Michael’s heart surgery.

Bob Seger – Night Moves (1976)


See also:

American Idol: Steven Tyler tops hennemusic Hot 10
hennemusic Hot 10: Van Halen hits #1 for 2nd week in a row
Van Halen leads hennemusic Hot 10

VIDEO: Ozzy Osbourne in new Disney movie

Ozzy Osbourne has probably been animated for most of his life, but now it’ll be on the big screen in a new Disney film.

“Gnomeo & Juliet” is a take on William Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet"; it features two garden gnomes in forbidden love. The couple looks to find lasting happiness and avoid tragedy as they are caught in the middle of a feud between neighbours.

Opening February 11, the film stars James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as the leading couple, along with Michael Caine, Jason Statham and others. The soundtrack features classic Elton John tracks.

Ozzy plays the role of Fawn, and we get our first glimpse of his character in a clip that aired during an interview Ozzy did last Thursday for KTTV (FOX 11)’s “Good Day LA.”

Ozzy Osbourne – interview
FOX 11 TV – Good Day LA – January 27, 2011


Gnomeo & Juliet – trailer (2011)


See also:

Ozzy Osbourne: OzTV from Kansas City and San Antonio
Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber in Super Bowl commercial
Ozzy Osbourne: new OzTV webisode from Dallas
Ozzy, Black Sabbath discussing reunion, new album
VIDEO: Ozzy and Slash talk to Fox News about touring together

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Stone Sour's Corey Taylor addresses Velvet Revolver rumors

Lotsa rumours floating around that Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor could be the new singer for Velvet Revolver.

In a new interview with Billboard.com, Taylor would neither confirm nor deny that is the “known singer" who's working under wraps with Velvet Revolver.

"To be continued!" Taylor told Billboard with a long, hearty laugh, before declining to say anything further.

No word from the VR camp, despite comments that they expected to announce the new singer this month.

Taylor has been doing double duty between Slipknot and Stone Sour, and does fit the profile of a "known" artist whose style is a little "heavier" than what previous singer, Scott Weiland, brought to the band…qualities referenced by both Slash and Matt Sorum in recent weeks.

As for the future of Slipknot in the wake of bassist Paul Gray's sudden death in May, Taylor is more forthcoming but hardly definite.

"I go back and forth," he acknowledges. Though the group has three Sonisphere Festival shows this summer in Europe and is tipped to play at this year's Rock in Rio festival, Taylor says that "there are moments when I'm like, 'Let's keep going for (Gray),' and there are moments when I'm like, 'It's not the same without him.' Right now my main concern is baby steps. We lost a huge piece of our band. We lost a huge member of our family -- in my opinion the biggest -- and it's a different vibe now. So right now I'm just taking it step by step, and I can only hope that the other guys in the band are as well."

While other Slipknot members have spoken about starting a new album, Taylor says he's not nearly in that headspace.

"There's a lot of things I've got to figure out about myself before I can even contemplate that," he explains. "There's a big part of me that wonders if I'm the guy for that band anymore. I'm in such a different place in my life...musically, spiritually. I'm not the angry kid anymore. A lot of things don't mean the same to me anymore, and there's a lot of things I don't feel like saying anymore. Does it make sense anymore? We'll just have to see."

In the meanwhile, Taylor is having no problem staying busy. Stone Sour -- which also includes Slipknot guitarist Jim Root -- will be on the Nightmare After Christmas tour with Avenged Sevenfold until Feb. 13, then head to Australia for Soundwave Festival shows in late February and March. On March 24 it kicks off the first Avalanche Tour with Halestorm, Theory of a Deadman, Skillet and Art of Dying.

Check out more on this at Billboard here.

Slash with Corey Taylor – It’s So Easy
The Music Box - Los Angeles, CA - March, 28, 2009


Camp Freddy with Corey Taylor – Ace Of Spades
House Of Blues – Los Angeles, CA – September 10, 2009


See also:

Velvet Revolver: Matt Sorum discusses plans for 2011
Velvet Revolver record demos with new singer
Matt Sorum: Velvet Revolver “real close” to finding new singer

VIDEO: Foo Fighters debut new album at secret club show

Those Foo Fighters are sure sneaky.

Dave Grohl took to Twitter Friday afternoon, posting several hints and pictures of himself driving up California’s Hwy 101 just hours before posting the news:

Tonight! 1/28 @foofighters w @the_bronx. 8pm Velvet Jones,Santa Barbara.One $20 ticket per person cash only. 21+ w/ID. Bam.

The last-minute, secret club show gave the Foos a chance to play their full new album before a packed house of 300 fans at a Santa Barbara club.

The set featured the full new album front front-to-back, before kicking in to a career-spanning second half.

Johnny Firecloud at Antiquiet has a full review of the evening that you'll want to check out here.

Consequence Of Sound have posted the full setlist:

Foo Fighters
Velvet Jones
Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011

Bridge Burning
Rope
Dear Rosemary
White Limo
Arlandria
These Days
Back & Forth
Matter of Time
Miss the Misery
I Shoulda Know
Walk
All My Life
Times Like These
Generator
My Hero
Learn to Fly
Watershed
Up in Arms
Big Me
Enough Space
Monkeywrench
Hey JP
Everlong

Pretender
I’ll Stick Around
This is a Call

Here’s a couple of videos from Friday’s show – one featuring a song from the forthcoming Foo album, and one Foo classic.

Foo Fighters – These Days
Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011


Foo Fighters – Times Like These
Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011


See also:

Foo Fighters producer talks about new album
VIDEO: Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl shows off garage studio
Foo Fighters documentary to be released alongside new album
Hear new Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters: This Video Sucks contest

Sammy Hagar updates plans for 2011

The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, shares the following update with fans:

Happy New Year Redheads,

Here we go again. Made any New Year's resolutions? I have. Mine is: Don't work so damn hard. Hello? Already blown that one.

1) Got my book coming out in March and I've gotta work on that.

2) The movie is almost ready so that's more work.

3) This year The Wabos will be in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio, Tahoe of course. Oh, did I forget we will be in Mexico sometime in the fall? Working vacation there, amigo. And we are playing some place else, I can't remember, but I'll let you know.

4) Finally starting a Chickenfoot record this week. But I can't really call that work 'cause when Chad and Mike and Joe are around it's so damn good, so much fun, so soulful, basically playing the blues...it's good work when you can get it. When the Foot gets a track done we will put something on Chickenfoot.us, so check us out...

Peace
Sammy

Chickenfoot Chickenfoot

Chickenfoot – Bad Motor Scooter
Get Your Buzz On Live DVD


See also:

Sammy Hagar on recording the new Chickenfoot album
Chickenfoot returns to the studio January 29
VIDEO: Sammy Hagar jams with Joe Satriani
Sammy Hagar fan documentary being filmed for 2012 release

Queen: first 5 albums to be reissued in March


As part of the band’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, legendary rockers Queen will be reissuing their first 5 albums this Spring.

On March 14, the groundbreaking albums "Queen," "Queen II," "Sheer Heart Attack," "A Night At The Opera" and "A Day At The Races" will again see the light of day, remastered and each will be released as a standard CD as well as a deluxe two-disc set which will feature new bonus content.

Each deluxe album will be released on iTunes featuring bonus tracks plus additional sleeve notes, unseen pictures and videos. The albums also set the scene for their band's forthcoming "Stormtroopers In Stilettos" global exhibition that launches in London on February 25.

From the pure raw rock of "Queen" through to the majestic anthems on "A Day At The Races," the first five albums highlight the diverse talent, musical ambition and already global success of a band made up of some of the best songwriters, musicians and performers of all time.

"Queen" - recently nominated by Dave Grohl as his favourite album of all time, was recorded in the same studio that David Bowie was recording "Ziggy Stardust." Because they didn't have any money, the album was recorded on Bowie's downtime, so Queen were literally recording at 3 a.m. after Bowie had gone to bed. "Queen" is their heaviest album, influenced by The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and contains some of their hardest-rocking songs, and also some of their most imaginative. Like all subsequent Queen albums, no two songs sound the same and there are mixtures of light and shade, the band teasing one minute with a lullaby, then blowing your head off.

"Queen II" is the real beginning of Queen as we know it. It's the first time we hear the multi-layered overdubs, the harmonies, the varied musical styles (ballads, folk, blues, thrash metal, pop and rock, it's all there). It also includes their first hit single "Seven Seas of Rhye," which led to the first of many iconic performances on "Top of the Pops." The band recorded "Queen II" in just over a month in 1973 ahead of its release in 1974. The album cover was shot by legendary photographer Mick Rock and inspired by a Marlene Dietrich portrait. The image was later brought to life in the revolutionary "Bohemian Rhapsody" video.

"Sheer Heart Attack"
- Roger Taylor's favorite Queen album, was released in 1974 and reached No. 2 in the U.K. Prior to this, Queen were mostly considered a heavy rock band, but this album experimented with a variety of musical genres, including music hall, heavy metal, ballads and ragtime. At this point Queen started to move away from the progressive tendencies of their first two releases into a more radio-friendly, song-orientated style, illustrated by "Killer Queen," which was their biggest hit at that point reaching No. 2 in the U.K. It also went to No. 12 in the U.S. Billboard chart, the first of many hits there. A song about a high-class call girl, it contains the guitar solo that Brian May is most proud of and won Freddie Mercury his first Ivor Novello Award.

"A Night at The Opera," named after the Marx Bros. film, is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Exceptional on every level, musically, lyrically and artistically, Queen took the strongest elements of their previous two albums to make the ultimate winning combination. The most expensive album ever recorded at that time, it delivered rock, opera, heavy metal, romance, ballads, pop, sci-fi folk, music hall, "trad jazz" and even the national anthem. The album contains perhaps the most famous rock song of all time, "Bohemian Rhapsody," which went on to spend fourteen weeks at number one, be voted "Song of the Millennium," become the only song in history to reach Christmas No. 1 twice and sell a million copies on two separate occasions. Queen also recorded the first official pop promo for "Bohemian Rhapsody" as they were on tour and could not appear on "Top of The Pops" and this video paved the way for MTV and VH1.

By 1976, Queen were back in the studio recording "A Day At The Races," which was written and recorded by Queen at their happiest, riding on the crest of a wave and loving every second. The album is an infectiously jubilant piece of music, full of love, optimism and good old-fashioned rock and roll. Like "A Night at the Opera," it again borrowed the name of a Marx Bros. movie, and its cover was similar to that of "A Night At The Opera," a variation on the same Queen crest. It reached number one on the British chart and features the classics "Tie Your Mother Down," Freddie Mercury's personal favorite composition "Somebody To Love," and "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy."

"Queen" track listing:

01. Keep Yourself Alive
02. Doing All Right
03. Great King Rat
04. My Fairy King
05. Liar
06. The Night Comes Down
07. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
08. Son And Daughter
09. Jesus
10. Seven Seas Of Rhye


Bonus tracks:

01. Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
02. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
03. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
04. Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
05. Liar (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
06. Mad The Swine (June 1972)

"Queen II" track listing:

01. Procession
02. Father To Son
03. White Queen (As It Began)
04. Some Day One Day
05. The Loser In The End
06. Ogre Battle
07. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke
08. Nevermore
09. The March Of The Black Queen
10. Funny How Love Is
11. Seven Seas Of Rhye


Bonus tracks:

01. See What A Fool I've Been (BBC Session, July 1973 - 2011 remix)
02. White Queen (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
03. Seven Seas of Rhye (Instrumental Mix 2011)
04. Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974)
05. See What A Fool I've Been (B-side version, February 1974)

"Sheer Heart Attack" track listing:

01. Brighton Rock
02. Killer Queen
03. Tenement Funster
04. Flick Of The Wrist
05. Lily Of The Valley
06. Now I'm Here
07. In The Lap Of The Gods
08. Stone Cold Crazy
09. Dear Friends
10. Misfire
11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
12. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)
13. In The Lap Of The Gods . . . Revisited


Bonus tracks:

01. Now I'm Here (Live at Hammersmith, Dec 75)
02. Flick of the Wrist
(BBC Session, Oct 74)
03. Tenement Funster (BBC Session, Oct 74)
04. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (A capella Plus)
05. In The Lap of the Gods..Revisited (Live at Wembley July 86)

"A Night At The Opera" track listing:

01. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)
02. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon
03. I'm In Love With My Car
04. You're My Best Friend
05. '39
06. Sweet Lady
07. Seaside Rendezvous
08. The Prophet's Song
09. Love Of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save The Queen


Bonus tracks:

01. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 75)
02. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A cappella)
03. I'm In Love With My Car (Guitar & Vocal version)
04. You're My Best Friend (Backing Track)
05. '39 (Live at Earls Court, June 77)
06. Love Of My Life (South American Live Single June 79)

"A Day At The Races" track listing:

01. Tie Your Mother Down
02. You Take My Breath Away
03. Long Away
04. The Millionaire Waltz
05. You And I
06. Somebody To Love
07. White Man
08. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
09. Drowse
10. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)


Bonus tracks:

01. Tie Your Mother Down (Backing Track)
02. Somebody To Love (Live at Milton Keynes, June 82)
03. You Take My Breath Away (Live in Hyde Park, Sept 76)
04. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (Top of the Pops July 77)
05. Teo Torriatte
(Let Us Cling Together) (HD Mix)

Queen Queen

Queen – Liar (1973)


See also:

Queen to celebrate 40th Anniversary in 2011

The Clash: London Calling coming to Rock Band 3 on Feb 1

The Clash’s iconic 1979 album “London Calling” is coming to Rock Band 3.

Paste Magazine reports the full album will be available as downloadable content on February 1, and will feature pro-mode guitar and bass tracks to help players actually learn the ins and outs of guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon’s parts.

It will also include a special Pro-Instrument-Destruction-Mode, in which players can wildly swing their plastic axes around, inspired by the album’s famous cover shot.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (Feb. 1):

• “London Calling” X
• “Brand New Cadillac”
• “Jimmy Jazz”
• “Hateful”
• “Rudie Can’t Fail” X
• “Spanish Bombs” X
• “The Right Profile”
• “Lost In The Supermarket”
• “Clampdown” X
• “The Guns of Brixton”
• “Wrong ‘Em Boyo”
• “Death Or Glory”
• “Koka Kola”
• “The Card Cheat” X
• "Lover’s Rock”
• “Four Horsemen”
• “I’m Not Down”
• “Revolution Rock”

Note: “Train In Vain” is already available, so not included in the track listing above.

The album will cost $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points), with individual tracks going for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) each.

Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for an additional $0.99 per song.

The Clash The Clash

The Clash – London Calling (1979)


See also:

Clash guitarist reforms Big Audio Dynamite
The Clash: London Calling film in the works

Aerosmith: record sales are up since American Idol premiere

Having never watched the show, Steven Tyler had only some idea of what he was getting into when he decided to get involved with American Idol, but he knew one thing: it would raise Aerosmith’s profile to its highest in many years.

Looks like Tyler was on to something.

FOX411 reports Aerosmith’s sales are up since the show’s premiere last week.

Aerosmith’s 1998 power ballad, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” is currently #22 on Apple’s iTunes chart, and not one, but two versions of the band's 1973 hit “Dream On” are charting, at #77 and #115, respectively.

“Steven Tyler is such a character on the show, and that’s sure to boost interest in his work,” Richard Rushfield, author of “American Idol: The Untold Story” tells FOX411. “Just like we’ve seen in the past, when people appear on ‘Idol,’ it gives their sales a bit of a jump. Clearly, (Tyler’s band mates) didn’t see the potential that being part of the show could have for the band in a positive way.”

“So far, Steven Tyler has been a pretty striking presence on Idol,” added Rushfield. “He’s a wild character, and he’s pretty much pushed Simon Cowell out of people’s minds in just two weeks.”

Aerosmith Aerosmith

Aerosmith – Dream On
MTV Unplugged
Ed Sullivan Theatre, NYC – aired August 11, 1990


See also:

Aerosmith begin work on new album without Joe Perry
American Idol: Steven Tyler tops hennemusic Hot 10
Aerosmith start working on new album
Steven Tyler: American Idol is like early days of Aerosmith

Friday, January 28, 2011

Foo Fighters producer talks about new album

By now we know the Foo Fighters have a new album coming and that it was recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage, and not the expansive Foo HQ complex with its own state-of-the-art recording facility.

Now, producer Butch Vig fills in more details behind the project in a new interview with MTV News.

“[Dave] mentioned to me,”
said Vig, “when they played Wembley [Stadium in the U.K.] at the end of last tour, they were like, 'Holy sh--, I can't believe how big we are.' ... And he was thinking what to do next, and so he said, 'I want to do something really primal sounding.' And had me up to his house, and when I got there — this was nine months ago — he opened up his garage door and went, 'I want to record the record in here.' And I said, 'Uh, OK ... '

"So, literally, we got a drum kit and put it in there, and he started banging on it, and I was like, 'Wow, it's really intense sounding,' because it's a small garage, just drywall, you know?" Vig continued. "And then he said, 'Cool, well, here's another thing: I want to do it on tape, 24-track tape. I don't want to use any computers.' And I said, 'Look, I totally understand this, [but] it's going to be a lot of work, because you guys have got to play really good.' Because you can fix anything with computers, Auto-Tune everything until it becomes perfect, and he said, 'I want the record to sound rawer and somewhat imperfect. As good as we play, that's how good the record will sound.' And, you know what? It sounds great. They're f---ing badass players. It's an honest record. It sounds real."

With a special guest appearance by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, the new Foo album reunites Grohl, Krist and Vig after all these years.

"When Krist came up to Dave's house, we sort of sat down and it was like, 'Holy sh--, man, we hadn't been in a room together — the three of us — in almost 20 years,'" said Vig, who produced Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind." "So Krist did his bass overdubs, and he added a little accordion part at the start and end of the song, and then we just sat around and shot the sh-- for three or four hours. Dave and I were sipping on some wine, and Krist started drinking some bootleg whiskey, and it was great. ... One story would lead to another story, and it was an amazing experience, just to be there, to open up all these things you may have forgotten about. It was really a pretty special part of the album."

Read more of Vig’s interview at MTV News here.

Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench
Wembley Stadium – London, UK – June, 2008


See also:

VIDEO: Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl shows off garage studio
Foo Fighters documentary to be released alongside new album
Hear new Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters: This Video Sucks contest
Foo Fighters play new songs at secret club show
Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl to appear in Muppets movie

Vince Neil allegedly owes more than $1 Million in unpaid taxes

Vince Neil continues to find himself in trouble.

First, despite being a repeat offender, his drunken driving has landed him a soft sentence of only 15 days in a Las Vegas jail, with an additional 15 days of house arrest.

Now comes word that the Motley Crue singer allegedly owes over $1 million in unpaid taxes.

The Detroit News reports that the IRS filed a $740,171 lien against Neil and his wife, Lia, in April 2010, while another $371,050 demand was filed against the couple for income taxes in December. The address on the lien is Neil's 6,800-square-foot mansion in Las Vegas, which was featured in an episode of MTV's “Cribs.”.

All this explains Vince’s New Year’s Day tweet:

“Dear IRS...F**K YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! Love, Vince Neil.”

You can see a copy of the IRS lien here.

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe

Motley Crue – Wild Side
Carnival Of Sins DVD


See also:

Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 15 days in jail for DUI
Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 30 days on DUI plea
Motley Crue: Vince Neil’s DUI case rescheduled
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil’s DUI case headed to trial
New court date for Motley Crue singer’s DUI case

Ozzy Osbourne: OzTV from Kansas City and San Antonio

OzTV is in high gear these days, cranking out a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Ozzy Osbourne’s current “Scream” tour.

Two new episodes have been released, following Oz and crew through their gigs this week in Kansas City and San Antonio.

OzTV – Kansas City, MO – January 22, 2011


OzTV – San Antonio, TX – January 24, 2011


See also:

Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber in Super Bowl commercial
Ozzy Osbourne: new OzTV webisode from Dallas
Ozzy, Black Sabbath discussing reunion, new album
VIDEO: Ozzy and Slash talk to Fox News about touring together
Ozzy Osbourne: new OzTV webisode available

Judas Priest working on new material

Last month, metal fans were shocked by the announcement of a farewell tour by Judas Priest.

The latest news from the British metal gods may cause more confusion for Priest fans: the band is working on new material.

A posting on guitarist Glenn Tipton’s website late last week talked about pre-tour meetings to discuss the stage production and setlist, then added,

“To put everyone’s mind at rest, this is by no means the end of the band; in fact, we are presently writing new material, but we do intend this to be the last major world tour.”

The news was confirmed on Priest’s site this week:

“The guys are working together on writing new material - all is going really well - more details later!”

So, while this may be sending fans a mixed message, there is room for interpretation; I read the news as suggesting a few possibilities, including:

(a) Priest will record a new album before the tour
(b) Priest will not record pre-tour but will introduce new songs into the set
(c) This may be the final tour, but the band may continue making music into the future
(d) Insert your option here

I’m strictly guessing here, but any of these options seems possible given the messages being delivered by the band at this point.

You’d have to think that a farewell tour would result in a live recording of some kind, so if the band followed option (b) above, the addition of new material may help market the new product.

Looks like we’ll have to wait for the band to clarify further, as promised.

Stay tuned…

Judas Priest Judas Priest

Judas Priest – Metal Gods (2004)


See also:

Judas Priest: Rob Halford talks about farewell tour
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford talks about ‘coming out’ 12 yrs ago
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford rocks Chicago TV
Judas Priest announce farewell tour

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pink Floyd: David Gilmour’s son charged following UK protest


Police filed charges against the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on Thursday for his role in last month's violent protest against the British government's decision to raise university tuition fees.

The AP reports Charlie Gilmour, 21, shocked many in Britain when he was photographed swinging from the Union Jack attached to the Cenotaph, Britain's most important war memorial, during the Dec. 9 demonstration.

The picture of Gilmour swinging from the flag featured prominently in the country's tabloid press and ran over captions reading "vile" and "shame."

Gilmour was originally arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, theft and "attempted criminal damage of the Union flag on the Cenotaph."

Police said Thursday that they weren't charging Gilmour with attempted criminal damage to the flag. They are however filing charges of violent disorder and "theft of a mannequin leg."

Police said they also had cautioned or charged 11 other protesters in relation to the disorder and other protests that hit London in the run-up to the government approved the controversial tuition hike.

Although most student protesters marched peacefully, the demonstrations often descended into violence amid clashes with riot police. The December 9 march was particularly fraught, with some protesters even attacking the luxury car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.

Gilmour has apologized for what he called a "terrible insult" to Britain's war dead. But he drew widespread ridicule when he claimed not to have known he was swinging from the Cenotaph.

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd – Us And Them
Pulse DVD


See also:

Pink Floyd: David Gilmour’s son released on bail
Pink Floyd: David Gilmour’s son arrested following London riots
Pink Floyd: David Gilmour’s son apologizes for London memorial protest

Nominate hennemusic for Best Canadian Music Website

Canada’s national broadcaster, CBC Radio, is searching for Canada’s Best Music Website as part of Searchlight 2011.

If you have a moment, I invite you to nominate hennemusic for this honor.

You can nominate hennemusic one of three ways:

* commenting on CBC Radio 3’s blog here
* emailing feedback@cbcradio3.com
* tweeting them @cbcradio3.

Nominations are open until midnight on February 2.

Hope you can give us a shout out on this one; your support is appreciated!

Cheers!

Bruce Henne

Neil Young to receive Humanitarian Award at Canada’s Juno Awards

Neil Young will be honored with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at Canada's 40th annual Juno Awards March 27 in Toronto, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced.

”We are thrilled to salute Neil Young’s committed and compassionate legacy,”
said Melanie Berry, President & CEO of CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. “As a driving force behind one of music’s most successful fundraising events, Farm Aid, and a key participant in Live 8 right here at home, plus many other deserving causes and programs, his tenacity and spirit is highly regarded among his peers and serves as an inspiration to all of us.”

The impact of Neil Young’s music, as well as his philanthropy, has touched millions of lives and spans generations. Young is a five-time JUNO Award winner and was inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2009 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2010 was named the MusiCares Person of the Year by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The awareness raised by Farm Aid led to subsequent action by the U.S. Congress to pass the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, helping to save hundreds of family farms from foreclosure. In 2010, Farm Aid celebrated its 25th Anniversary, having successfully raised more than $37 million, making it one of the most successful charitable events in history.

In between recording 37 studio albums over more than 40 years, Young has also managed to devote himself to yet another excellent cause very close to his heart. In 1986, he co-founded The Bridge School with wife Pegi Young, to create an organization and school to help educate children with severe speech and physical impairments. The Young family has three children, two of whom were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Having encountered difficulty in finding a suitable school that met the needs of their children, Young rallied his fellow musicians and organized the first Bridge School Benefit Concert in 1986 to raise funds necessary to build the school.

In 1987, The Bridge School opened its doors within an elementary school in Hillsborough, CA, and has since expanded its educational program to include early childhood intervention, international outreach through Teachers in Residence, and successfully completed construction of a permanent detached facility in 1995.

On the occasion of the school’s 20th Anniversary, Neil organized a special Benefit Concert featuring a star-studded line-up that included Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Brian Wilson, Foo Fighters, Trent Reznor, Death Cab for Cutie, Gillian Welch and Devendra Banhart. One week later, The Bridge School hosted its first “Heart of Gold” Gala with Sir Elton John providing an evening to remember.

Although he adopted residency in the U.S., Young never relinquished his Canadian citizenship, and continued to find time to support worthy causes at home. He’s joined fellow Canadian musicians in the recording of “Tears Are Not Enough,” to help raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia; closed out the Canadian leg of Live 8; and recently took to the stage for “Summer Sessions” to raise funds for Sarah McLachlan's Foundation, which offers free music programs to children in underserved communities.

Young joins past recipients of The Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, including Bryan Adams, McLachlan, Paul Brandt, Tom Jackson and Bruce Cockburn.

Neil Young Neil Young

Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
Live At Massey Hall 1971



Bob Seger announces 2011 North American tour

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band will launch a new tour "to major cities across North America" starting in March, Seger's first time on the concert trail since his tour of 2006-07.

The exact cities and dates will be announced shortly, although a map that flashes in a brief video announcement (below) shows Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York and Missouri.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has a deep well of hits to draw from, but he'll also give fans a taste of some new music from a release he's been preparing for some time.

It was a year ago that Seger phoned in to Dick Purtan's show for his farewell broadcast, and Purtan teased out the news that Seger would be hitting the road soon.

There were rumblings in the fall that he was gathering the "usual suspects," mustering his troops for a major tour, but the month of embarkation was bumped back a few times.

Seger, who turns 66 in May, is known for his legendary live performances at Cobo Hall over the years, and he will almost certainly play several hometown shows.

His most recent album release was "Early Seger Vol. 1," a compilation of remastered and unreleased tracks personally selected by the rocker, in November 2009.

Seger has amassed more than 50 million in record sales, and in an era when those kind of numbers are way down, he's kept it up; in 2010, he was honored as having the No. 1 Catalog Album of the Decade for his "Greatest Hits," which sold 9 million units.

Bob Seger – 2011 North American Tour announcement



KISS to start recording new album in March

KISS will be hitting the studio in March to begin work on a new album, according to guitarist Tommy Thayer.

“The great news is that we are going in the studio again in the next month or two,” Thayer told BackstageAxxess.com during the recent NAMM convention. “We are starting to work on writing some songs now, and we’re gonna really approach it a lot like we did with "Sonic Boom," and keep it all in the band in terms of the writing, with no agenda besides writing great rock and roll songs that we love, then rehearsing them and then going in and putting them down on tape and recording them. Just the way we did with the last record, which really felt good to us, so we're gonna go do it the same way this time.”

2009's "Sonic Boom" was the band’s first studio album in more than a decade. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley produced that album, and he will perform the same duties on this one.

“Paul knows more what a KISS record should sound like than anybody, to be honest with you, so he is going to lead the charge and produce it again and we are all really excited about it,” Thayer said. “I know we are going to start working on it really soon in terms of the writing and rehearsing and we’ll probably be in the studio by March, so sometime this year I’m sure you’ll see a brand spanking new KISS album that’s gonna kick some butt!”

KISS KISS

Kiss – Modern Day Delilah
Epicenter Twenty Ten Festival
Fontana, CA – September 25, 2010


See also:

KISS: new music update from Gene Simmons
KISS - Backstage tour of Sonic Boom Over Europe
Kiss: Paul Stanley jams with Chris Isaak (2002)
Kiss: Gene Simmons joins daughter on stage in Whistler

VIDEO: Motorhead rock Conan

Motorhead kicked off their North American tour this week in support of their latest release, “The World Is Yours,” due out February 8.

The band is getting all kinds of attention for the documentary “Lemmy,” with rockers, fans, and even Lemmy himself thrilled with the results.


Motorhead stopped by Conan O’Brien's show Wednesday night to perform “Get Back In Line,” the lead track from the album.

Motorhead – Get Back In Line

Conan – January 26, 2011


See also:

Motorhead: Duff McKagan raves about new film, “Lemmy”
Motorhead: Metallica rave about new film, "Lemmy"
No Slash, Lemmy statues in U.K. hometown…yet
Motorhead bassist, Sex Pistols guitarist rock New Year’s Eve with Camp Freddy

Zakk Wylde and William Shatner to cover Black Sabbath classic

You might want to make sure you’re sitting down when you read this one.

William Shatner is teaming up with Black Label Society guitar hero Zakk Wylde to record a cover of the Black Sabbath classic “Iron Man,” for Shatner’s new album.

You read that right.

Shatner’s in the studio working on the record and, judging by a few of his Twitter posts, he’s clearly a Zakk fan.

"Just watched tracks being laid down by Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society for my upcoming record SEEKING MAJOR TOM. My best, Bill."

"Zakk is one of the great guitarists who played with Ozzy Osbourne. A master playing a cover of IRON MAN. He's fantastic! I’m energized. MBB."

"Seeking Major Tom" is being produced by Adam Hamilton, and early reports suggest the disc could contain as many as 20 songs, including a version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." The CD is scheduled for release later this year.

Some video of Zakk wailing in the studio under the watchful eye of Shatner has surfaced.

Zakk Wylde and William Shatner – studio session


Here’s a classic Shatner performance of an Elton John hit, alongside a Family Guy parody/tribute.

William Shatner – Rocket Man
Science Fiction Film Awards (1978)


Stewie Griffin – Rocket Man
Family Guy


See also:

VIDEO: Zakk Wylde on Californication
Zakk Wylde promos new heavy metal handbook
Zakk Wylde publishes heavy metal handbook in May
Ozzy Osbourne’s Top 10 Metal Picks of 2010

Sammy Hagar on recording the new Chickenfoot album



"It's time to 'Zeppelin-ize' our music."
- Sammy Hagar



Chickenfoot hit the studio this weekend to get to work on their sophomore album, and Sammy Hagar can’t wait to get started.

"I am so ready to make this record," Hagar tells MusicRadar. "I'm beyond ready! The songs we've got, the riffs that have been flying around - we're going deep."

According to Hagar, "We've got stuff planned that we never could have dreamed about when we first got together. We're talkin' heavier than ever, bluesier, more emotional - I get goosebumps just thinking about it."

Chickenfoot (which also includes guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Chad Smith) will track the album at Hagar's Marin County studio, The Foot Locker, formerly known as Red Rocker. "We did a lot of the first album here," he says, "and we finished up at Skywalker Studios. This time, I'm pretty sure we'll be able to do the whole thing here. Five of songs on the first album were all tracked here, and they're some of my favorites."

Hagar thinks things will come together pretty easily for the group of rock veterans.

"The last record took us about three months," he says, "and I think we'll knock this one out in half that time. We don't have these laborious sessions where we go over every phrase and suck all the energy out of the songs. Everybody is so musically capable in this band that we're able to turn on a dime. We're almost like a jazz band. Somebody says something, and off we go."

Chickenfoot will be co-producing the album with Mike Fraser, who mixed the band’s debut.

When asked how the new record might differ from its predecessor, Hagar points to a song called “Come Closer,” which he says is the first time Satriani composed music to the singer's existing lyrics.

"Usually, I write words to the music; this time we did it in reverse, and it's amazing." Hagar also mentions two acoustic numbers that Satriani has been working on. "These things are stone-cold blues," he says. "I'm listening to my Robert Johnson anthologies to get in the proper spirit. What I want to do is get real authentic with the blues like Zeppelin did. I want to take the blues and really rock it out. It's time to 'Zeppelin-ize' our music."

On the subject of a release date, Hagar says it's "a little early to predict that. But I do want to hit the road later this year." One possible kink touring-wise centers around Smith, who will most likely be performing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers when they release their album in the summer.

"It's a conflict," Hagar admits. "But what can you do? Chad is going to make an incredible record with us. If he can't tour we us, we'll have to get a temporary replacement." He names Jason Bonham, Matt Sorum, Vinnie Paul and Abe Laboriel Jr as possible candidates. "Any one of them would be amazing. But like I said, they'd be temporary - I can't stress that enough. Chad Smith is a member of Chickenfoot, and that's that."

Check out more on Chickenfoot at MusicRadar here.

Chickenfoot – Bitten By The Wolf
Get Your Buzz On Live DVD


See also:

Chickenfoot returns to the studio January 29
VIDEO: Sammy Hagar jams with Joe Satriani
Sammy Hagar fan documentary being filmed for 2012 release
Sammy Hagar issues year-end update
Chickenfoot update from Michael Anthony
Sammy Hagar confirms autobiography release date and Canadian Music Week appearance

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 15 days in jail for DUI

Things went exactly as expected for Vince Neil in a Las Vegas courtroom on Wednesday, as the Motley Crue singer’s previously arranged plea deal was made official.

Last week, we told you that Neil and his legal team had made a deal for Vince to plead guilty to DUI in exchange for serving two weeks in jail, followed by another two weeks of house arrest - for a total of 30 days.

Reuters reports that, with his guilty plea and a 15-day sentence, Neil avoids a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail if he had been convicted at trial, said Tess Driver, an assistant to the Clark County district attorney.

Neil will start serving his jail sentence on February 15, and after he gets out, he will serve 15 days of house arrest, Driver said. He will also pay a $585 fine.

"He's getting a pretty solid sentence," Driver said.

It’s hard to take Driver’s official comments seriously when you consider Neil is not only a repeat offender, but the man responsible for the death of Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley while being drunk behind the wheel in 1984. Neil pleaded guilty to those charges, as well, was sentenced to 20 days in jail and ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution.

20 days for a death and 15 days for a DUI 26 years later – that’s some confusing and hard to defend math, either way you slice it.

Motley Crue – Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.) (1989)


See also:

Motley Crue: Vince Neil gets 30 days on DUI plea
Motley Crue: Vince Neil’s DUI case rescheduled
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil’s DUI case headed to trial
New court date for Motley Crue singer’s DUI case
Vince Neil DUI update
Vince Neil mug shot
Vince Neil in jail