Man Changes His Name To Led Zeppelin II

Zeppelin was in a courthouse dealing with the paperwork surrounding the split from his third wife when he decided to fill in one more form. He tells STL Today: "They changed my life forever, and that's my whole reason for doing this." more on this story

Hear Alice Cooper's Whisky a Go-Go Concert Online

(hennemusic) Alice Cooper worked to create a buzz for last week's launch of his new album, "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" (the sequel to his classic 1975 concept album), with a Thursday night club gig in Los Angeles.

Alice treated fans to a special performance at the legendary Whisky a Go-Go, revisiting the club for the first time since Alice Cooper the band performed there live in 1969 with Led Zeppelin.

"I feel like I've spent the last two years giving Alice Cooper awards," joked Rob Zombie as he introduced the show. Read more and listen to songs from the show here.

Making of Chickenfoot III

(hennemusic) The Chickenfoot marketing team have recently tuned in heavily to the concept of video podcasting, as the band is currently offering an every-other-day video series giving fans some background behind each song on the forthcoming album, "Chickenfoot III," due September 27.

The 10-part song series is now being doubled-up with a 3-part EPK (electronic press kit) explaining the making of the new album. Ok, so what's the difference, you ask?

Well, instead of discussing individual tracks on the new record, the EPK has the guys speaking more about the feel and vibe of the overall project. Check it out here

Slash Gets Smashed With Mash

(Gibson) Slash's U.K. homecoming has not all been love. The guitar great appeared on TV show Soccer A.M. to talk about sports. And the show's regular "joker" then smeared his face with mashed potato. Slash took the prank well. "Slash Smash Mash" headlines were obviously part of the plan.

After news of the incident circulated, Slash commented on his Twitter account: "Ha! Funny how stuff gets exaggerated on Twitter. No one threw anything at me. Just a prat w/a face full of mashed potatoes."

Also, Slash will release a live album, Made in Stoke, in November. The ex-Guns N' Roses guitar star was born in the northern English city, his family relocating to the U.S. later. Slash played a homecoming gig this summer which has been recorded for a two CD/DVD package. The DVD features five bonus tracks, as well an interview with Slash.
more on this story

Stone Temple Pop Evil

(Banana 101.5) Pop Evil tackle the Stone Temple Pilots' grunge staple from the 1994 album 'Purple' -- 'Interstate Love Song'.

Pop Evil is preparing to hit the road for a 23-date tour with 3 Doors Down, and Theory of a Deadman. Their album 'War of Angels ' is in stores now and they are enjoying the success of the first two singles 'Last Man Standing', and 'Monster You Made'. Their song 'In The Big House' — a song inspired by the Michigan Wolverines football program — has also generated a lot of buzz for the up-and-coming rockers.

While the Pop Evil is busy making a name for themselves, they still found time time to rock a live cover of Stone Temple Pilots' 'Interstate Love Song', check it out here

Trapt Release End of My Rope Video

(Banana 101.5) When it came time to make a video for Trapt's latest single 'End of My Rope', the band went the road less traveled and pulled the footage from their performance at this year's Rock on the Range.

Vocalist Chris Taylor Brown tells Noisecreep that the band is currently focusing on writing and have some tour plans for later this year.

He also eluded to the possibility of new music from Trapt very soon. Check out the extremely letterboxed video for 'End of My Rope' here

Journey Guitarist In The Middle of White House Crashers Divorce

(TMZ) Tareq Salahi has officially filed for divorce, and claims he has been humiliated in the extreme by Michaele and her lover, Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who stooped so low that he sent Tareq a picture of a penis.

According to the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tareq is citing adultery and abandonment as the reason for the divorce.

Tareq says in the papers, "the paramour [Neal] sent to my email account ... a email with an attachment of a [a male sex part]" -- presumably his.

Tareq blasts his wife, claiming, "She continually exposes our friends and acquaintances to her adulterous relationship and has flaunted the same throughout the community, the nation and indeed the world, and thus caused me to suffer great harm, humiliation and embarrassment."

Tareq says his wife has been banging Schon "for a period of months."

And he also blames the band, claiming Journey has been paying for her travel accommodations and other expenses.

Tareq says the couple has a prenup. more on this story

Anniversary of a Radiohead Classic

(Gibson) On this day in 1992, Radiohead filmed the video for their new single "Creep" during a show at the Venue, in Oxford, England. Gibson looks back: One tends to think of Radiohead as a band completely non-reliant on radio airplay or record sales. They're the band that let's you decide if you want to pay for their albums, for Pete's sake. And how much you'll pay, at that. But that's the Radiohead of this millennium. Back in 1992, the Abingdon, Oxfordshire quintet was just another band trying to get a break, and they needed airplay and record sales desperately.

The group had originally formed back in their schoolboy days at the all-boys Abingdon School under the name On a Friday. When school ended and the band went their separate ways to university, they kept in touch and played together on holidays and occasional weekends. After college, On a Friday reconvened in earnest in 1991 and began gigging and recording demos. After guitarist Jonny Greenwood put a demo in the hands of an EMI record exec while working in a local record shop, the band was signed to a rather staggering six-album contract (you certainly don't see that in the new millennium). But the band came out of the gates with a resounding thud when their Ep Drill failed to enter the U.K. Top 100 and, more than ever, they were in desperate need of a break.
So the band reconvened with new producers Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade (Dinosaur Jr.) to record what the band later referred to as "our greatest hits as an unsigned band." One song that the band didn't immediately throw at their new producers was a tune Thom Yorke had written back at Exeter University. It was a claustrophobic, paranoid fever dream about a stalker too weighed down by his own self-doubt to ever approach the object of his obsession. It was called, appropriately, "Creep." When the band first noodled around, rather spontaneously, with the song in the studio, their producers' ears perked up. Yorke shrugged the track off as "our Walker Brothers song." Kolderie and Slade mistook the remark to mean that it was a cover, so even though "Creep" sounded better than anything else they'd worked on, to that point, they set it aside to get back to work. more on this story

Phil Collins, Peter Criss and Don Henley Among Top Singing Drummers

(Gibson) Gibson profiles 10 drummers who've also proven themselves to be superb rock singers. Here are a few highlights: 6. Phil Collins (Genesis): Collins'success lies in his superb musicianship. Confronted with the departure of frontman Peter Gabriel in 1974, Genesis auditioned hundreds of replacement singers, without satisfactory results. Little did they know that Gabriel's rightful successor was lurking behind the drum kit. Subsequently, as his tenure in Genesis wound down, Collins staked out a career as one of adult contemporary music's most successful pop artists.

4. Peter Criss (KISS): Reportedly it wasn't his drumming style, but rather his "Wilson Pickett-style" voice that gained Peter Criss entry into KISS as a founding member. Indeed, on such songs as "Black Diamond," "Hard Luck Woman" and, of course, "Beth," Criss stakes out vocal terrain that's as exemplary as his skills at the drum kit. His autobiographical 2007 solo album, One for All, showcases all aspects of his multi-faceted talent.

2. Don Henley (Eagles): Such Eagles hits as "Witchy Woman," "Hotel California" and "The Long Run" would possess an altogether different vibe were it not for Don Henley's distinctive voice. Following the Eagles' breakup in 1980, the veteran drummer staked out the most successful solo career of any of the former members of the band, scoring such monster hits as "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "The Boys of Summer." In 2008, Rolling Stone honored Henley with the #87 slot in the magazine's list of al-time greatest singers. more on this story

Steel Panther Cover Game Commercial Jingle

(superLOUD) Comedy/sleaze/glam rockers Steel Panther are going viral lately with a video for "Crossfire," a song that's based on a board game commercial from the early 90's.

Released to Youtube at the end of August, it already has 2.7 million hits and is still climbing. Uploader Freddiew had this to say about the video:

"An ode to the greatest board game/commercial combo of all time. May it rest in peace, unless Milton Bradley brings it back which would be AWESOME!" Check it out

Rob Lowe To The Rescue

(TMZ) Rob Lowe is saving lives -- doggy lives. Sources close to the actor tell TMZ -- Rob, his brother Chad, and his son Matthew have been volunteering with OneDogRescue.org for the past six months ... coordinating adoption events, renting mobile spay/neuter clinics, and even buying toys for the pooches.

We're told Rob's son is especially involved in the rescue process -- regularly visiting the pups, and even checking up on them in foster homes to make sure they're doing ok.

ODR works primarily with special needs dogs -- like "Kenny G" -- who broke his front legs when his abusive owner threw him out a window more on this story

Jennifer Aniston's Neighborhood Besieged

(TMZ) Jennifer Aniston's neighborhood has been thrown into complete disarray -- traffic congestion, fender benders, loud noises, arguments -- and we're told ... it's all over Jen.

According to sources, once the actress moved into her Hollywood Hills home this summer -- crazed photogs have descended on the surrounding community like a plague of locusts.

We're told the paps have been stirring up constant mayhem for weeks -- creating traffic problems, blocking driveways, and even causing a few minor car accidents ... and the neighbors have had enough.

We're told several complaints have been filed with the LAPD about the unwelcome guests -- and in response, cops have drastically increased their presence in the surrounding areas, trying to keep the peace.

Calls to Jen's reps weren't returned. more on this story