80s Star HIV-Positive

The disclosure is Bell's first step in a larger plan of speaking out and educating young people about HIV and AIDS, his spokesperson said. 

HIV-positive does not mean that you have AIDS," Bell said in a statement. "My life expectancy should be the same as anyone else's, so there is no need to panic. There is still so much hysteria and ignorance surrounding HIV and AIDS. Let's just get on with life." 

The singer said he's known his HIV status since June 1998[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Love Delays Trial

MTV reports: Courtney Love was scheduled to start her trial on Tuesday on felony drug-possession charges in Los Angeles, but the case was postponed until January 12.- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

James Brown Eyed Peas

MTV reports: The Black Eyed Peas have landed some legendary musical help for their upcoming album. 

Soul icon James Brown has contributed to the track "They Don't Want Music" for the Peas' fourth album, Monkey Business, which is being mixed now and will hit shelves in early 2005. Brown recorded his contribution before he announced that he'll undergo surgery for prostate cancer this month [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: MTV also has news on On The 'Hazzard' Set With Jessica Simpson, Johnny Knoxville, Dimebag Memorial To Take Place In Arlington, Texas, On Tuesday, Studio Where Eminem Worked On Shady LP Up For Auction, Madonna's Tour Biggest Grosser Of The Year and more click here to check it out
 

Rose Snubs Guns

Brides of Destruction.com reports: The following comes from the Brides of Destruction message board. The first part is a fan's question and second is Tracii Guns' response. 

[question]Hi Tracii, All of us from the Guns N' Roses Mygnr.com fan forum (biggest GnR fan club online) just want to know, as Axl is currently STILL searching for a lead guitarist to fill in for the 2005 Chinese Democracy tour, whether there is any chance he has already contacted you about the job or if he did, whether you would accept/decline and reasons for it. 

[answer]I sent Axl and email. I let him know I had a year off and That I would be willing to go kick some ass with him. I got no reply

In related news, Tracii says that BOD will carry on without Nikki Sixx. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Dimebag Farewell From Fans

AP reports: Thousands waited in line in near-freezing temperatures Tuesday night to pay tribute at a memorial service for slain rock star "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. 

Messages such as "RIP Dime" and "Honk, honk for Dimebag, Peace in the after life" were scrawled on cars in the convention center parking lot. A high-pitched guitar solo blared from a pickup. 

"A legend died on Wednesday night. I guarantee I'll be telling my kids about this day and the day that he died," said Skyler Smith, 18. "My heart was broken." [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Anselmo Barred From Funeral

Blabbermouth reports: BLABBERMOUTH.NET has confirmed that former PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo did NOT attend the the funeral of DAMAGEPLAN/ex-PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott — apparently because he was told that he was "not welcome" at any of the events honoring the late musician that was slain last week at a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Anselmo's former PANTERA/DOWN bandmate Rex Brown (bass) DID attend. [see full story for more, including a list of stars that did attend]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Eddie Van Halen / Zakk Wylde Tribute Dimebag

Blabbermouth reports: The Associated Press is reporting that guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde delivered profanity-laced tributes at a public memorial service Tuesday night for slain heavy metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. 

"I'm here for the same reason as everyone else, to give some love back...," Van Halen told the crowd of several thousand people. 

"This guy was full of life. He lived and breathed rock 'n' roll," he said. Wylde and Van Halen shared the stage, downing shots of liquor and talking about their fellow guitarist. 

"A whole part of my life is gone," Wylde said. "It's all about family. It's all about God." 

The crowd saved its loudest applause for Abbott's brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who patted a life-sized cardboard cutout of his brother holding a guitar.[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Meshuggah Eye April Release

Blabbermouth reports: Nuclear Blast Records has set an April 11, 2005 tentative European release date for the new MESHUGGAH studio album, "Catch 33". 

In a recent interview with the Chronicles of Chaos extreme music webzine, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake said of the upcoming CD, "It's not a proper full-length if you will, more like an experimental full-length. Like [the recently issued EP] 'I', it will be one single song, but at full-length.[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Sevendust Lose One

Blabbermouth reports: As of Tuesday morning, December 14, 2004, guitarist Clint Lowery has left the current SEVENDUST tour due to "personal issues," according to an official statement. "SEVENDUST has made the decision to continue its present tour for its deserving fans and deliver a show one has come to expect from the SEVENDUST moniker," the statement continues. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: Blabbermouth also has news on Report: Fans Mourn Slain Ex-PANTERA Guitarist At Memorial Service, Former CRIMSON GLORY Singer Signs With BLACK LOTUS RECORDS, MOTORHEAD Confirmed For SWEDEN ROCK Festival, GOD FORBID: New Video To Debut On 'Headbanger's Ball', SLIPKNOT's Royal Affair and more click here to check it out
 

Michael Vs Elton

Ananova reports: George Michael has hit back at Elton John after he criticised his latest album, Patience, and told him to "get out more". 

Michael hit back after Sir Elton said in an interview: "George is in a strange place. There appears to be a deep-rooted unhappiness in his life." 

After reading the article in Heat magazine, Michael wrote an angry letter to the editor, published in this week's edition... "He makes millions playing those old classics day in and day out, whereas my drive and passion is still about the future and the songs I have yet to write for the public." [George goes after Elton and his "scene", see the full story for more] - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Buy Britney's F

Ananova reports: One of Britney Spears' primary school assignments which is littered with mistakes is being auctioned. 

The report - about children's book Raymond's Run - has missed out words and grammatical errors and has been scribbled over in green crayon. 

The undated work goes on sale at Christie's in New York on Friday and is expected to sell for 1,000 dollars, reports the Splash news agency. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: Ananova also has news on Band Aid 20 on track for Xmas top spot Mariah designs underwear, Charlotte wants to quit smoking, Kylie falls during performance, Elton cancels second gig and more click here to check it out
 

Doherty 86ed

XFM reports: Reports claim that Pete Doherty was kicked out of the 'Top Of The Pops' studio where Babyshambles were recording a performance of their new single ‘Killamangiro’ after the singer started brawling with a member of the audience. 

The Sun reports that the band were rehearsing the track on Thursday (December 9) at BBC studios, when a member of the watching audience, named as Oli Res-Horsely shouted out “How much crack have you had?” 

Doherty then allegedly took offence at the remark, dived off the stage and “wrestled Oli to the ground.” Security then arrived and pulled the two men apart. Oli was taken backstage and Doherty was allowed to complete his performance. 

However TOTP producer Andi Peters decided that having the band perform live would be too much of a liability and banned the group from the studio, meaning producers were forced to use footage taken from the rehearsals. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Solo Moody

Chart Attack reports: [Former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody] is setting up to record his debut solo album this January. A solo album in the true sense, Moody is planning to not only sing on the album, but also play almost all the instruments. While Moody is keeping tight-lipped on what the album will sound like, his recent work with Lavigne and Clarkson suggests an Evanescence-like goth-pop-rock vibe. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Testament DVD

BW&BK reports: TESTAMENT will issue their first official DVD through Escapi on March 8th, 2005. 

The DVD, Seen Between The Lines (first released on VHS in ‘91), features fully remastered live footage of the band shot on their 1991 World Tour. [see full story for more including bonus details]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

AC/DC Double DVD

BW&BK reports: Legacy/Sony have a new AC/DC double-DVD listed on their April release schedule which is set to feature the following previously released video collections plus numerous extras: Fly On The Wall (1985 - featuring the videos for 'Fly On The Wall', 'Danger', 'Sink The Pink', 'Stand Up', 'Shake Your Foundations'); Who Made Who (1986 - featuring 'Who Made Who', 'You Shook Me All Night Long', 'Shake Your Foundations', 'Hells Bells', 'For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) live in Detroit '83) and Clipped (1991 - 'Thunderstruck', 'Moneytalks', 'Are You Ready', 'Heatseeker', 'That's The Way I Wanna Rock N Roll'). - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: BW&BK also has news on Musicians, Fans Mourn Dimebag Darrell At Memorial, NAPALM DEATH Apologize For "The Bad Smells", GOD FORBID Debut New Video On Headbangers Ball, MOTORHEAD To Bring Bomber Staging To Sweden Rock 2005, THE OSBOURNES Offering Up Biggest Reward In Criminal History and more click here to check it out
 

MegaDVD

The PRP reports: A new DVD featuring the bulk of Megadeth's videos for their singles entitled "Video Hits" is currently expected to see a January 11th release date through Capitol. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Glassjaw on Hold, Not Over

The PRP reports: Contrary to the rumors, members of Glassjaw have confirmed that they in fact have not broken up and are instead taking some time off as a result of band frontman Daryl Palumbo's Crohn's Disease once again flaring up.[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Red Chord Recording

Lambgoat reports: Massachusetts outfit The Red Chord will enter the studio on January 6th to begin recording their debut for Metal Blade Records. Recording will take place with producer/engineer Zuess at Planet Z Studios in Hadley, MA. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Indie Sales on the Rise or Decline?

Reuters reports: The holiday mood at independent music retailers is one of cautious optimism, despite Nielsen SoundScan numbers showing that overall sales at U.S. indie merchants were down 7.1% from last year as of Nov. 28. 

In fact, that figure represents a major improvement compared with years past: In 2003, indie merchants were down 14.9%, and in 2002 they were down 21.1%. Further, most indie retailers Billboard contacted saw a slight sales increase this year or stayed on par with their 2003 totals. 

"We had the least amount of major-label releases in our top 100 ever this year," says Dan Matherson, owner of Philadelphia's Repo Records. Matherson says sales at his store are up by two or three percentage points. [see full story for a lot more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Three Days Grace Prep Soph CD

Totalrock reports: Canadians Three Days Grace are to start work on a new album, their second, in February. It will be produced by Gavin Brown (who worked on their self-titled debut) and should be out by the Summer. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Labyrinth Release

Totalrock reports: Italian metal masters Labyrinth are to release new album ‘Freedom’ through Arise Records in March. The label will also be re-issuing the band’s 1996 album ‘No Limits’ around the same time. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Ozzy Royal Cancellation

Totalrock reports: Ozzy Osbourne has been forced to pull out of the Royal variety Performance, because of a shoulder injury. This is a hangover from his quad bike accident earlier this year.[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: Totalrock also has news on Beautiful London, Dunnery On The Road, U2, Pretenders Make Hall Of Fame, Two Crazy Shows, Waysted UK Date Changes and more click here to check it out
 

Manic Street Preachers Nix Dates

Xfm reports: After the cancellation of last night’s (December 13) show at the Cardiff International Arena, the Manic Street Preachers have also been forced to pull out of their show at the Glasgow SECC also due to illness. 

A statement from the band last night (December 13) explained that singer James Dean Bradfield has been struck down with severe flu, and cannot play the events [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

3 Doors Down 05

Day in Rock reports: Got some tidbits on what 3 Doors Down plans in the new year to promote their new CD "Seventeen Days" which hits stores on 2/8/05. First some facts on the CD. Producer: Johnny K (Disturbed, Drowning Pool) - Mixed by: Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Linkin Park) - "Landing In London" features Bob Seger. 

Now here is how the band will keep busy in 05: February 2 week small market US tour - March European promo tour - April small market US tour - May off-June European festival run - July and August - Massive major market US tour - October/November - Pan Pacific region tour 

Click the full story link to check out the first single for the new CD. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Ike Reilly Dates

press release reports: The Ike Reilly Assassination Tour Dates
12.15.04 - NYC, NY - Pianos
12.16.04 - NYC, NY - Siberia Bar
12.17.04 - Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club
12.18.04 - Ypsilanti, MI – Elbow Room
12.19.04 - Cincinnati, OH - The Comet 
[see full story for more dates. You have to check out Ike!]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

QR UK

press release reports: QUIET RIOT will commence their 2005 world tour in England, where the group has not performed in twenty years, with the following dates: 

2/11/05 BRADFORD, UK - RIO
2/12/05 LONDON, UK - THE UNDERWORLD
2/13/05 NOTTINGHAM, UK - ROCK CITY
2/14/05 DUDLEY, UK - JB'S

 Additional tour dates for Europe will be announced shortly. [see full story for mp3s from the forthcoming " Live & Rare - Vol. 1" CD]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Alston's Kobie Wins ASCAP Award

press release reports: Kobie Jackson, the main song-writing force behind the Repossession Records hard rock band alston, has caught the attention of the people at ASCAP. The single "Ordinary", from the upcoming album "Voodoo For Fun And Profit" was chosen out of thousands of tracks to win the Heinekin/ASCAP Pop/Rock songwriting award and accompanying grant. 

Don't worry - come next year, you will know what all the hype is about![see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Hustler Rockers

press release reports: Lizzy, the Lead singer for the L.A. band Starwood is in the January issue of Hustler Magazine along with Josh Todd formally of Buck cherry and Buzz Osborne from the Melvins. All three singers are in the erotic entertainment section reviewing porn and discussing their links with porn stars.- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

American Hi-Fi / Goldfinger Delays

press release reports: American Hi-Fi's new album Hearts On Parade has been pushed back to a March 29th release. To preview songs from the album, head to http://www.myspace.com/americanhifi. 

Also, a quick note, the release of Goldfinger's new album Disconnection Notice has been bumped back to a 2/15 release.- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

My Chemical Romance TV Debut

press release reports: My Chemical Romance will have their first-ever network TV appearance this Friday the 17th. They'll be playing live on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, which airs on NBC and starts at 12:35am. - Click Here for the Full Story 
 

Best of 2004 Countdown

Over the next three weeks we will be unveiling our writers' picks for the best of 2004. 

Every day we will be posting a new Top 5 list from one of our writers, selected at random. At the conclusion we will reveal the master list. We also want to let you take part and will be accepting nominations for a readers choice list. 

Today Scott Slapp gives us his Top 5 of 2004. (click the full story link to read his comments on the CDs and for related links for release and to submit your picks for the readers choice list - and see past days lists you may have missed!) 

Scott Slapp's Top 5 of 2004: 

1. Courtney Love -America's Sweetheart 
2. Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin 
3. Gene Simmons - Asshole 
4. Ashlee Simpson - Autobiography 
5. Busted - Busted 

(Scott had the following disclaimer for his list: I selected these titles as the best of the year because they are the anti-releases of 2004. I wasn't old enough in 1990 but if I had been, I would have selected Poison, Warrant and the Motley Crue's because they had dragged music down to a point so far that it opened the door to Nirvana to come along and kick popular music in the ass. The same goes for this year. So here is to these amazingly bad CDs in hopes that they bring us something cool in 2005!) 
[see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 
 

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