Aerosmith (With Steven Tyler) and RATM for Music Fest- Green Day Soundgardenpolluza?- 2nd GNR Club Gig- The Knack Singer Dies- Behind the Leppard- and more

Are you ready to party with antiMusic this week in Beverly Hills? This week's Wednesday night Happenin will feature a great lineup including Run Through The Desert, the new group fronted by Yogi and also features members of The Wallflowers & Chris Cornell Band. Also on tap to play is Against All Will which features members of Puddle Of Mudd, Soulfly, and the Dead Kennedys. The night will of course be capped off with an all-star jam. Grab all the details over at Harry's Myspace
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Travis Barker Recruits Some Big Name Guests for Solo Album

While Blink-182 fans patiently await a new album from the reunited band, it appears that solo projects are all the rage with the members of the group. Travis Barker has recruited some big names for his forthcoming solo album.

The original announced guests made it sound like a hip-hop heavy effort with the likes of Lil Wayne, RZA and The Game making appearances but Barker now says that fans can expect an ecletic mix of music and announced an additional guest singer.

"I'm not singing or being an MC or anything," the Blink-182 drummer tells Spinner. He goes on to talk about the special guests for the album, "I'm rounding it out right now," he said. "I just love music. The more I can be around it the better, so with my album it's no one genre. It goes from everything from punk rock to hip-hop to some electro stuff on there to a metal song with Corey Taylor from Slipknot. It's been really fun and interesting up till now." - Read the Spinner report here

Could Duff McKagan Have Prevented Kurt Cobain's Death?

(Rock Radio) Duff McKagan was one of the last people to see Kurt Cobain alive in 1994 and he now wonders if one kind act might have prevented the Nirvana star's death. He and Cobain were on the same flight from Los Angeles to Seattle in days before Cobain was found dead. McKagan could tell the singer was lonely, and nearly invited him home – but didn't say the words.

In his regular Seattle Weekly column McKagan says: "We were both f'ked-up. We talked, but not in depth. I was in my hell, he in his, and we both seemed to understand. When we arrived in Seattle and went to baggage-claim, the thought crossed my mind to invite him over to my house then and there. I had a real sense that he was lonely and alone that night. I felt the same way.

"I was in a big rock band, and he was in a big rock band. We were standing next to each other. Lots of people stopped to gawk. I lost my train of thought for a minute – and Kurt said goodbye.

"I received a call two days later than Kurt had died." - he also apologized to Krist Novoselic for a 1992 incident

Unreleased Coverdale/Page Music May Be On Tap For Special Edition

(BW&BK) In 1993, Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page joined forces under the moniker Coverdale/Page and released a self-titled album.

Although there are no plans for the pair to record any new material or reunite for any shows, Coverdale reveals that "EMI have recently been making overtures to me about putting a 'special edition' together after they heard there were several unreleased tracks... but, time & resource is the problem...

We've been archiving lots of tapes, cassettes & videos at home recently & we have discovered a ton of the demos Jimmy & I made which could be very interesting for some people to hear... - more on this story

1349 Announce New Album

Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the release of the brand new album from Norwegian black metal legends 1349 in North America via an agreement with Indie Recordings. The new album, which promises a return to their more traditional raw, yet technical black metal sound, is slated for an April 13, 2010 release.

In support of the yet to be titled record, the band will be supporting Cannibal Corpse in April and May along with Skeletonwitch and Lecherous Nocturne. (Note, 1349 are not on the last week of the tour; the following are only dates featuring 1349.) More information regarding the release, as well as 1349 headline dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

The band, who were formed in 1997 from the ashes of the band Alvheim and features Frost of Satyricon on drums, and take their name from the year the Black Plague reached Norway, have toured with the likes of Celtic Frost, Carcass, Suffocation, Aborted, among others and will appear at this year's Wacken and Summer Breeze Festivals. 1349's record "Hellfire" received critical acclaim from music outlets worldwide and was considered an instant classic. - announced dates

Robert Plant Recording New Solo Album

(Nightwatcher) Robert Plant is apparently in the midst of recording a new solo album entitled 'It's Rude To Say No'. Zeppelin fansite Lemon Squeezings reports that Plant has been in Nashville working on the new record with producer Buddy Miller and that the new album will be released later this year.

The news comes via a reporter for the Herald Courier who was doing a piece on musician Darrell Scott, who apparently appears on the new record.

Scott is quoted as saying "Those two-plus weeks were some of the most memorable times I've ever had in the studio. ... The number-one thing is that Robert loves music." - more on this story

A New Sound Concept for Journey

(Rock Radio) Neal Schon says the upcoming Journey record will move away from their famous AOR sound and create a concept album instead.

The band behind iconic tracks Don't Stop Believin', Any Way You Want It, Who's Crying Now and many more feel they've gone as far as they can in that direction, and it's time to turn back to a more rock vibe.

Guitarist Schon tells Classic Rock Magazine: "I'm going for a conceptual record because I really feel we have the musicality to pull it off. We have everybody's attention. And the days of writing songs that are three-and-a-half minutes long for radio are over." - more on this story

Emerson, Lake, Sans Palmer Announce Unplugged Tour

Emerson, Lake and Palmer are playing a high profile reunion gig this summer but before that goes off, two of the band's principles will treat North American fans to a special unplugged tour. Here is the official Announcement: Keith Emerson and Greg Lake to tour USA in an exclusive intimate evening of musical retrospective highlighting the iconic music of Emerson Lake and Palmer, the Nice and King Crimson.

The two man show with keyboard legend Keith Emerson and the famed voice and guitars of Greg Lake is an intimate "unplugged" prelude to the highly anticipated reunion of Emerson Lake and Palmer at the High Voltage Festival in July, 2010 in the UK. It is unlike any show either of the two have performed before.

The fabric of the show is the iconic music composed by Emerson and Lake throughout their careers and audiences can expect new perspectives as well as new arrangements of classic favorites as Keith and Greg relate the stories of their songs and discuss the compositions and people that influenced the celebrated music the two created with the progressive rock bands that went down in history as the super groups that began a rock and roll era: King Crimson, the Nice, and Emerson Lake and Palmer. The show is completely new – the two have never performed together in this personal setting and audiences will be treated to an emotional perspective and a rare and personal insight into the music they love during an evening they won't forget, in an intimate theatrical setting far different from the theatrics of Emerson Lake and Palmer. - Dates and ticket info here

Metal Super Group Ov Hell Set Album Release

Prosthetic Records will be releasing black metal super group OV HELL's debut full length, "The Underworld Regime," in North America via an agreement with Indie Recordings, on April 13th.

This group of Satan's all-stars has been sharpening their teeth in some of black metal's most influential bands for many years. Known as key figures in bands such as Dimmu Borgir and Gorgorath, Shagrath and King have come together to bring forward a new chapter in Norwegian black metal history. OV HELL will carry on in the same tradition for which King and Shagrath are known, but the collaboration between the two will mark a new era for them both.

"The Underworld Regime" originally started off as what was to be a new Gorgorath album. After a lengthy legal dispute over the band's name, King and Gorgorath vocalist Gaahl took the album to be a God Seed release. Then Gaahl decided to leave the metal world, and Shagrath entered the picture to collaborate with King, and OV HELL was born. - more on this story

Judas Priest British Steel Revisited

(BW&BK) Sony Music have announced the release of a limited deluxe expanded edition of Judas Priest's seminal album, British Steel, on May 10th in the UK and May 11th in North America.

British Steel was the sixth studio album by Judas Priest. Released on April 14th, 1980 and produced by Tom Allom, British Steel was recorded at Tittenhurst Park in England - a mansion owned at the time by former BEATLE Ringo Starr, and previously owned by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

In 2009 Judas Priest performed the British Steel album in its entirety for the first time ever as part of their 30th anniversary USA tour. A filmed recording of the show on the August 17th, 2009 at The Seminole Hard Rock Arena, Hollywood, Florida - will be included in both the limited edition deluxe and deluxe releases. The show was captured in front of a vibrant American audience and in full 5.1 surround and stereo sound. Known for their high-energy and spectacular stage shows the band played the entire British Steel album in sequence as well as a number of other well-know tracks from their catalog. - more on this story

Rob Zombie Goes Top 10, Hitting The Road and Directing CSI Episode

Rob Zombie's album Hellbilly Deluxe 2 has debuted at no 8 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart with upwards of 48,500 units sold in its first week of release. The album also takes the top spot on the Hard Music chart, arriving at #1.

Rob Zombie and crew will soon be hitting the road to co-headline this year's Mayhem Festival kicking off in San Bernadino, CA at the San Manuel Ampitheater on Saturday, July 10th (please see below for tour dates).

In other Rob Zombie news, the accomplished filmmaker will make his television directorial debut with an episode of CBS' highly-rated show CSI: Miami set to air on Monday, March 1st at 10:00PM, EST. With more than 15 million albums sold, 7 Grammy nominations, the helming of 4 major motion pictures and dozens of music videos under his belt, Rob Zombie is a force to be reckoned with in today's entertainment landscape. Zombie's unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently his vision as a director and writer. - more on this story

Singled Out: Razer

Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Chris Catero from Razer tells us about "Superpaun" from their brand new album "Dark Devotion". We now turn it over to Chris for the story:

The song "Superpaun", the first single and video from our album "Dark Devotion", is a great example of when artists blindly lead themselves into something cool by simply dicking around at rehearsal! We were warming up and getting ready to rehearse, and while I was tuning my bass our guitarists Jeromy Graves and Paul Sullivan were mindlessly noodling around, paying absolutely no attention to each other whatsoever, and I happened to notice what they were playing was perfectly in time and key with each other. Now the two parts alone were kind of simple, stupid parts but together they were something cool! At this point is where I stepped in and engaged in what I refer to as "s*** farming", taking their crap and making something out it (this happens more often than it should haha!). I pointed out to them that they were playing together and to keep going while I threw out a beat to our drummer Eric Bongiorno that I heard in my head, played the bassline I was hearing and we were off to the races! I threw out the basic arrangement and keys/parts as we went along and literally within a half hour the song was done, and is pretty much what you hear on the album! All of us come from different schools of thought where specific parts are concerned and you'll notice very rarely in this song are we all ever playing the same part but rather complimenting each other's ideas. So with "Superpaun" we had one of those magical writing sessions where the synergy was really cooking in the idea department and the song just kind of wrote itself very quickly from a musical standpoint, everyone kind of instantly and simultaneously throwing in their part of the stew.

Now the lyrics have a very funny story attached to them, again there was this crazy, unique timing that created the perfect storm of writing a tune… Right after we had worked out the song and were talking over parts Paul's phone rang and we heard him telling someone that they had the wrong number. He hung up and said to us, "Ah it was someone looking for Super Pawn…", which is a chain of pawn shops in the Phoenix, AZ area. Not more than 10 seconds later Paul's phone rings again, this time he kind of smiles as he looks at the phone number and answers "Super Pawn…". Apparently it was the same woman thinking she was calling the Super Pawn as she had her wedding ring in hock and wanted to go get it…and of course Paul played along and told her it looked like it had been sold so she might want to come down there! Yeah he's that kind of bastard haha! We all busted out laughing and a bell went off in my head…that's the song title! I then proceeded to go off and write the lyrics, changing the pawn shop name to "Superpaun", using the old English spelling of a chess pawn and writing the lyrics about someone who exceedingly kicks ass at doing other people's dirty work regardless of what it is and for whom.

Poor woman…I wonder if she ever got her ring back?!??!? =)

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

Can A Pickle Be More Popular Than Nickelback?

Chart Attack had a fun report over the weekend about an online pickle that is gaining on Nickelback's popularity, here is part of that report: Chad Kroeger likes pickles. He's written songs about them and even tried to eat one for a case of beer at one time.

So it's only appropriate that a bored person would start a Facebook page called "Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback [sic]?"

Nickelback currently have about 1,400,000 fans on Facebook, but the pickle is closing in on that in a big way, since it already has about 960,000 fans. This is the latest "can this food get more fans than" Facebook pages. - more on this story

Riot Prevents Courtney Love Comeback Show

Courtney Love was supposed to play a gig with her new Hole band in London on Thursday night, however a Facebook organized 'Night of Mayhem' prevented Love from showing up to the gig.

Basically Love was prevented from leaving her home due to a destruction party at a near by abandoned mansion. The 'Night of Mayhem party organized on Facebook by squatters who were ordered out of the mansion by court order, turned into a riot when "hundreds of drunken revellers turned up at the address," according to the Daily Mail, who put the total tally at 2,000 people.

Classic Rock reports that Hole were supposed to play "two songs at Proud Gallery in Camden, their first gig" since Courtney Love resurrected the Hole moniker. But Love was a no-show, she explained on Twitter: "There was, as you'll read tomorrow in the London papers, a massive riot tonight outside my house, the cops wouldn't let me leave." - You can read about the riot and see pictures here

Axl Rose Blasts Online Fan

(SleazeRoxx) Things got heated on MyGNRForum.com last week when Guns N'Roses vocalist Axl Rose posted under the user name 'Dexter'. Axl lashed out at one of the forum moderators (and since relived of her duties) named 'Madison' with a profanity laced tirade. At issue is the accusation that someone in the Guns N'Roses camp banned fans from wearing Slash gear inside the Winnipeg, Manitoba show as first reported by TMZ.com.

Axl posted, "What the f**k do you know? That's right! You don't know jack f**king sh*t you f**king ignorant, know it all, f**king deluded, misguided, self important, self righteous, pious, small minded, clueless, loud mouthed, arrogant c**t.

"No one needs your opinions n' having to deal with your constant abuse of privileges or the miniscule amount of power you've had here you wield like an angry, lesbian, wannabe, high school parking lot rent-a-cop always mouthing off like you're some kind of authority which you're far from. I have to say it saddens me you continue to babble your horsesh*t to unsuspecting fans n' any names n' numbers you have are of people like you who try n' hurt others to promote themselves at their expense. That's the only real thing you got bitch." - more on this story

Foxy Shazam Major Label Debut Announced

Inimitable rock 'n' soul sextet Foxy Shazam has announced the release of their self-titled Sire Records album on April 13, 2010. Produced by John Feldmann, Foxy Shazam is the Cincinnati, OH band's major label debut.

To support the album, Foxy Shazam will be taking their good times mobile with a nationwide headlining tour beginning March 15th in Nashville, TN. Stops in New York, Los Angeles and a stint at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, TX will give fans a chance to experience their notoriously rambunctious live show. Prior to their US dates, Foxy will be heading across the pond to play the NME Awards show with Hole on February 17th.

Citing influences as varied as Marvin Gaye, Elton John and "Born To Run"-era Bruce Springsteen, Foxy Shazam has been creating unique, genre-defying music since they formed in 2004. From the anthemic "Unstoppable" to doo wop power ballad "Bye Bye Symphony" and the swooning "Connect Me," Foxy Shazam is an amalgam of blues, soul, and brash pop bound by a no holds barred punk-rock aesthetic. - more on this story

J-Roddy Walston And The Business New Album Coming This Spring From Vagrant

J-Roddy Walston And The Business have recently announced their signing to Fairfax/Vagrant. The group recorded at Sound City Studios last fall with producer Kevin Augunas (Jon Brion, Cold War Kids). The as-yet-untitled album will be released this spring.

"Vagrant already feels like home to us," said drummer Steve Colmus. "We can't wait for people to hear the new record, and to just get out and play the living hell out of some shows.

The Baltimore, Maryland-based five piece has toured numerous times with Vagrant labelmates The Hold Steady and Murder By Death. - more on this story

Rob Grad of Kik Tracee and Superfine Releases First Solo Album

Garage Recordings is proud to announce the release of the first solo CD, "No Apologies" from Rob Grad. The disc was release on Valentines Day.

He has been in two successful bands. His first, Kik Tracee, was signed to RCA records without even a demo. Their touring included opening slots with Bon Jovi, Joe Walsh, and Body Count. His second band Superfine was featured on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and soundtrack. The soundtrack has sold in excess of 200,000 copies to date.

After overcoming a serious illness, Rob Grad's "No Apologies" is as he says, "the most honest music I've ever made." A fan at a recent show referred to his unique sound as ".if Tom Petty and Peter Gabriel sat in with U2." - more on this story

Suffokate's New Album Coming Next Week

Suffokate are a true underground metal phenomenon and have built up a rabid, extremely loyal following upon releasing their self-financed debut offering in 2004.

Now the band are finally poised to turn the metal world onto their unique brand of brutality as the much anticipated, appropriately titled new disc, No Mercy, No Forgiveness, is now set for a Feb. 23rd release.

This album is pure, unfiltered heavy metal that will soon be hailed as one of the most devastating offerings of the year, so head over now to their revamped MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/suffokate to stream new tracks, check out the killer new pre-order packages and to view their amazing new video for "Not The Fallen." - more on this story

Mark Solotroff Archive Releases Continue

BloodLust! is pleased to announce the second release in the Mark Solotroff "Archive" series on March 1, 2010. In the planning stages for over two years, this series of seven CDs will cover all of Solotroff's solo output, released under his own name in 1995 and 1996.

All of these recordings were originally released on cassette by a small group of labels, including BloodLust!, G.R.O.S.S. [Japan], Less Than Zero [Italy], Old Europa Cafe [Italy], and Slaughter Productions [Italy]. Each release will include bonus material, consisting of either compilation tracks from the same labels, or newly created remixes. At the time that these recordings were made, Solotroff had switched gears between Intrinsic Action and Bloodyminded and he had recently completed the recording of the first 50 analog synthesizer-based Super Eight Loop cassettes.

This small body of work gave Solotroff the opportunity to put away the synths and to try something different. In 1995, the idea of using guitar effect pedals as ones primary "instrument" in making heavy noise was still fairly novel, and Solotroff made use of an arsenal of distortion, delay, flanger, phaser, and other pedals, running either radio frequencies [scanner or shortwave] or his voice through the complex chain of FX. The results fit squarely into what was, at the time, being discussed as a new American noise style that was developing away from the power-electronics scene, and which eventually evolved into the harsh noise subgenre of today. - more on this story

The Julien Kasper Band Set April Release

Toulcat Records announces an April 20 release date for Trance Groove, the new album from The Julien Kasper Band, led by eclectic guitar virtuoso Julien Kasper, with national distribution by City Hall Records.

Along with bassist Jesse Williams and drummer Zac Casher, on Trance Groove Julien Kasper has fashioned an exhilarating album combining funky grooves, catchy melodies, psychedelic soundscapes, soulful blues, epic rock guitar and even a stunning acoustic ballad – all on one album. The CD also features a guest appearance on Hammond B3 organ by T Lavitz (Dixie Dregs, Widespread Panic, Jazz is Dead).

Trance Groove is the third CD from Boston-based Julien Kasper, who is also a professor at the legendary Berklee College of Music, and it reflects his intense melding of a number of diverse elements into a whole that becomes his own unique sound. "Soul, groove, melody, tone and the element of surprise are my priorities as a composer and an improviser… as a guitarist I am coming equally from the schools of rock, jazz and blues," he told Guitar World in a feature published in 2007. - more on this story

Bear Hands Debut US Release This Week

Just when all the fuss is exploding on the Brooklyn indie art and pop rock scene, Cantora Records are ready to unleash Brooklyn's Bear Hands US debut single "What A Drag" on February 16th.

But this band doesn't sound like they are remotely influenced in the least by what's going on musically around them. They're breaking the mold making them a truly refreshing and stand out group, opening their own rift, letting everyone know there's a new sheriff in town. "What A Drag" will be available digitally, in addition to a 1000 limited run pressing of white vinyl.

It's been nearly 2 years since singer /songwriter/ guitarist Dylan Rau and guitarist Ted Feldman graduated from Wesleyan college with degrees in film and 3 years since their first uproar in a Chelsea rehearsal space with fellow band mates drummer TJ Orscher and bassist Val Loper. This is indeed quite the natural fit since Cantora is the label that is home to the cool Wesleyan sound featuring giants such as MGMT, the talented Francis and the Lights and uprising starlets Savoir Adore. - more on this story