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To End the Year we are looking back at some of the top stories of 2008

. 2008 News Rewind: Aug
Dave Matthews Band Death - 08 Rewind
TMZ reports: TMZ has learned LeRoi Moore, the sax player in the Dave Matthews Band, has died. He was 46.

Moore was seriously injured in an ATV accident June 30 outside Charlottesville. He had a punctured lung and broken ribs. Moore went back into the hospital last month due to complications.

Moore died in Los Angeles this afternoon, after taking a turn for the worse. We're also told the band will performed Tues night as scheduled at the Staples Center in L.A. - more on this story

More on Dave Matthews Band - Dave+Matthews+Band" >Dave Matthews Band CDs -

Hagar Slams Van Halen - 08 Rewind
Blabbermouth reports: Ex-Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar recently spoke to Ralph Sutton of the nationally syndicated rock radio show "The Tour Bus" about his former band's reunion with frontman David Lee Roth and their decision to replace bassist Michael Anthony with guitarist Eddie Van Halen's 17-year-old son Wolfgang.

"They just keep going, making more and more mistakes," Hagar said. "The reunion with Dave was the greatest thing they could have done, but why didn't they just keep Mike one more time?!

"They just can't do the right thing by the fans. I don't know why that band� There's just something quirky to where they� It's almost like they wanna just push 'em [the fans] as far as they can and see if they'll still come back." - more on this story

More on Van Halen - Van+Halen" >Van Halen CDs -

Metallica in Muddy Mess Over Sound of New Music - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Deja vu: Metallica releases new music and rampant complaints about the sound quality follow. Metallica are embroiled in a new controversy reminiscent of the infamous "St Anger" backlash over the sound of Lars' drums which many said sounded like he was banging on pots and pans not drums. Now the new Metallica single "The Day That Never Comes" is under fire for sounding like mud.

Blabbermouth has an extensive report on the issue, here are some highlights: Norwegian music industry magazine Faro Journalen downloaded one of the versions Universal Music released to the press via its digital promotional database. The magazine then sent the file to Lasse Svendsen, editor of Norway's hi-fi magazine Lyd & Bilde (Sound & Vision). Svendsen was shocked by what he heard.

"Oh my God, this is unfortunately a classic example of how bad things get when studio technicians and musicians gets to play with expensive compressors and limiters," he said. "The file is a 313 kbps AAC sound file, which isn't necessarily that bad, but someone has chosen to maximize the volume with a compressor, so much so that the whole sound file just sounds like mud. The cymbals sound like broken glass, the drums like trees cracking, and the guitars � which are mixed equally loudly � sound like someone shoved a screwdriver into my ears." - more on this story

More on Metallica - Metallica" >Metallica CDs -

More Naughty Miley Cyrus Photos Surface - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: The child soft porn keeps coming from Miley Cyrus. The person that reportedly hacked her cell phone has released a new batch of racy photos with more promised in the future.

According to 2Snaps.tv the hacker, TrainReq, " was smart and didn't leak all the Miley Cyrus pictures he stole from her e-mail at once. He knows how to build anticipation and suspense." The blogger was excited at the prospect of more child softporn pix of the Disney star, "I am guessing since these latest Miley candids feature new and improve positions, including a never before seen butt shot, that there are even more and better ones to come. Hopefully this becomes a regular two-week, Monday morning kind of thing"

Fox News reports: Someone needs to keep Miley Cyrus away from the cameras... at least the personal cameras anyway. The "Hannah Montana" sensation is embroiled in yet another photo scandal, with the latest photos showing the 15-year-old pulling up her shirt to reveal her stomach and white underpants. But that's not all: The latest round of racy pics also features Cyrus showing-off her lil' bod in an itsy-bitsy bikini. - more on this story

More on Miley Cyrus - Miley+Cyrus" >Miley Cyrus CDs -

Guns N' Sex Parties for Axl - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Welcome to Axl's funhouse, he's got fun and sex games! Apparently there was a lot of hanky panky going on at Axl Rose's loft during Guns N' Roses' heyday. This according to a new biography of the group.

Page Six previewed the book and reports that the biography contains some rather lurid stories about Axl's "fun and game" where he reportedly "held debauched sex parties at his home � with all female visitors ordered to 'get naked or leave.'"

In "Watch You Bleed", Stephen Davis' new bio of the California rockers, Rose recalls, "There was a lot of indoor and outdoor sex . . . People would show up at all hours and we'd talk the girls into climbing into our loft, and somebody would hit the light and go, 'All right! . . . Get naked or leave!' This one girl, she [bleep]ed almost the whole band, friends of the band, and the band next door. Two days later, she comes back and goes, 'Axl, I'm having your child.'[the book sucked!!! too many errors to take seriously but this controvery probably helped sell a few copies to disappointed fans. ] - more on this story

More on Guns N' Roses - Guns+N'+Roses" >Guns N' Roses CDs -

Velvet Revolver Pay Up Over Song Theft - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: According to Rolling Stone, Velvet Revolver has reportedly settled a song theft case brought U.K. musician Tony Newton. Newton claimed that Velvet Revolver lifted the riff and melody for "Dirty Little Thing" from his band Voodoo Six's track "Cyber Baby."

"I genuinely couldn't believe it, because it wasn't as if it was close� it was basically the same riff," says Newton in the Rolling Stone report. "Anyway, I called my publishers to check whether they knew anything � which, of course, they didn't � and then basically left it with them."

Good thing he did as he'll reportedly get a whopping 20 percent of all royalties from the "Contraband" album, not to mention the actual single dating back to 2004. As if that's not enough, he'll also be paid all future royalties for the use of the song. - more on this story

More on Velvet Revolver - Velvet+Revolver" >Velvet Revolver CDs -

My Chemical Romance On Hold - 08 Rewind
FMQB reports: After spending the past few years promoting their album The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance has decided to put the band on the backburner for a while and pursue other interests before writing a new album.

Singer Gerard Way has been working on his comic book series The Umbrella Academy, while brother Mikey Way has been penning his own comic book as well.

Guitarist Frank Iero is starting a new band called Leathermouth, guitarist Ray Toro is getting married and drummer Bob Bryar is spending his time off in Chicago. - more on this story

More on My Chemical Romance - My+Chemical+Romance" >My Chemical Romance CDs -

Zeppelin Stars Working on New Music? - 08 Rewind
Blabbermouth reports: According to Fargo, North Dakota radio station 107.9 The Fox, drummer Jason Bonham revealed this past Friday morning (August 22) on a Detroit radio station that he is leaving Foreigner at the end of this month.

Since Jason filled the seat once occupied by his late father John Bonham at the Led Zeppelin show in London last December, does this raise the likelihood of a full-fledged Led Zeppelin reunion?

Jason, who was born in England and now lives in Florida, said, "I've been over [to England] a couple of times. I've been working with Jimmy [Page] and John Paul [Jones] and trying to do just do some new material and some writing. I don't know what it will be, but it will be something." - more on this story

More on Led Zeppelin - Led+Zeppelin" >Led Zeppelin CDs -

Crue Fest Hype Failed To Fill Seats - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Today's music business 101 lesson is that overblown hype does not sell inflated concert tickets. Case in point is Motley Crue's stab at a packaged summer tour, which was hyped as "colossal" and "one of the biggest music announcements of the year."

According to Blabbermouth, Billboard has revealed the attendance records for a number of stops for this summer's Cruefest; the fest the package tour featuring Motley Crue, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Trapt and Sixx: AM. Save for Detroit Rock City, almost all of the of the venues were only half-filled when this tour rolled through the various towns.

The July 15th stop at the 15,601 capacity DTE Energy Music Center in Clarkston, MI was the only sellout reported. The Houston, TX show at 11,666 capacity Toyota Center came close to selling out as well with a reported 10,347 in attendance, but the bigger venues on the tour didn't produce the results the hype led us to expect. In fact, the tour played to half capacity venues for most of the tour. - more on this story

More on Motley Crue - Motley+Crue" >Motley Crue CDs -

Bon Jovi Accused of Ripping Off Song - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Baseball fans are more than likely familiar with the Bon Jovi song "I Love This Town," from the overexposure it has received on behalf of the nation's pastime. But Boston musician Bart Steele says that Bon Jovi stole the tune from him and he's not happy about it. He tells us, "I got raped...my baseball anthem became the baseball promo song for the world...except I got cut out of the deal!" [he later filed a lawsuit]

Boston Magazine recently ran a rather detailed feature story on the controversy, below are a few excepts hitting a few of the key points, followed by a link to read the full article. Before we get to that, listen and decide for yourself.Bon Jovi's song "I Love This Town" - Bart Steele's song "Man, I Really Love This Team".

Excerpts from the Boston Magazine feature: Bart Steele, struggling musician, former stockbroker, lifelong Red Sox fan, wanted a universal tune, one that reached well beyond Fenway Park. So, early in that September of 2004, he decided to distinguish his ditty from every other Sox tribute by giving it a Nashville sensibility and thus, he figured, even broader appeal. - more on this story

More on Bon Jovi - Bon+Jovi" >Bon Jovi CDs -

Disturbed Blowout Leads To Hospitalization - 08 Rewind
SCNow.com reports: A bus with crew members from the popular hard-rock band, Disturbed, ran off the side of Interstate 95 in Florence County on Thursday morning after blowing a tire, S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins said.

At least eight people were on the bus when it ran off the shoulder and down an embankment near the 156-mile marker in a northbound lane, Collins said.

One person was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and no band members were on board, bus driver Fred Huffman said. - more on this story

More on Disturbed - Disturbed" >Disturbed CDs -

Isaac Hayes Likely Died of a Stroke - 08 Rewind
Jam! reports: Isaac Hayes apparently died of a stroke, officials with the sheriff's department said Tuesday.

The deep-voiced soul singer died Sunday after he was found unconscious at his Memphis residence.

No autopsy was performed, but paperwork filed by Hayes's family physician, Dr. David Kraus, lists the cause of death as a stroke, sheriff's spokesman Steve Shular said Tuesday. - more on this story

More on Isaac Hayes - Isaac+Hayes" >Isaac Hayes CDs -

Slipknot Rejects Blame In Teen Slaying - 08 Rewind
Blabbermouth reports: Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has spoken exclusively to Blender magazine regarding reports that the schoolboy who stabbed a fellow student to death with a sword in South Africa Monday morning (August 18) wore a mask that resembled the one worn by Taylor.

Eighteen-year-old Morn� Harmse slashed the neck of 16-year-old Jacques Pretorius at the Nic Diederichs technical high school in the town of Krugersdorp, with students who witnessed the fatal attack saying that Harmse looked and acted like he was "possessed by the devil." Pretorius died at the scene. Harmse also stabbed two gardeners, and authorities discovered three more swords and four other masks in his school bag. The additional masks reportedly were patterned after those worn by Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan and DJ Sid Wilson.

Taylor told Blender: "Obviously, I'm disturbed by the fact that people were hurt and someone died. As far as my responsibility for that goes, it stops there, because I know our message is actually very positive." He continued, "You have something like this happen, it could have been Marilyn Manson, it could have been any number of people who make art that is startling visually, on the darker side. It could've been Pat Boone, for Christ's sake. At the end of the day, there are always going to be mental disorders and people who cause violence for no other reason than the fact that they're f*cked up and lost. And all we can do is try to learn from it." - more on this story

More on Slipknot - Slipknot" >Slipknot CDs -

Slash Slams GNR Leaker As Axl Seeks Source of Leak - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has spoken out about the arrest of a blogger who leaked 9 tracks from Axl's alleged "Chinese Democracy" album. "I hope he rots in jail," Slash told the Los Angeles Times. "It's going to affect the sales of the record, and it's not fair. The Internet is what it is, and you have to deal with it accordingly, but I think if someone goes and steals something, it's theft."

What about the leaker? Blabbermouth had this about what Kevin Cogill (a.k.a. Skwerl) faces as well as a statement from the GNR camp: He faces up to three years in prison and $250,000 in fines. On Wednesday he became the first Californian charged under a 3-year-old federal anti-piracy law that makes it a felony to distribute a copyrighted work on computer networks before its release.

Guns N' Roses released a statement: "Presently, though we don't support this guy's actions at that level, our interest is in the original source. We can't comment publicly at this time as the investigation is ongoing." - more on this story

More on Guns N' Roses - Guns+N'+Roses" >Guns N' Roses CDs -

Shooting At Dupri Party - 08 Rewind
TMZ reports: Several huge stars were sent running for their lives when a gunshot was fired at Jermaine Dupri's afterparty in an Atlanta nightclub, this according to a source inside the club.

According to law enforcement sources, things got violent when club patrons heard private security hired to work inside the club were double charging people to get into the VIP area -- where stars like Usher, Diddy and Nelly were partying.

Cops say pushing and shoving broke out, and as the masses were being thrown outside, that's when a shot rang out. A security guard was treated for a shot in the arm, but has already been released from the hospital. - more on this story

More on Jermaine Dupri - Jermaine+Dupri" >Jermaine Dupri CDs -

The Inevitable KISS Pez Dispensers - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: What took them so long? They have condoms and coffins but if any band was just crying out to be made into Pez dispensers, it's KISS. The wait is now over.

You can now enjoy your Pez candy and line Gene's pockets at the very same time! Does he really need the cash? Maybe not, but it could help him pay for better writers for his "reality" show.

But don't get all excited just yet, these are a bit of a rip off. You won't get actual classic Pez heads made to resemble the likeness of the original KISS members. You'll get generic orange caps on regular plastic dispensers with what look like stickers on them containing KISS album art. -

More on KISS - KISS" >KISS CDs -

Iron Maiden Reject Award Nomination - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: We've been known to make fun of music awards from time to time. Not only are most awards shows pointless but many times the organizers and voters of these awards are utterly clueless. Just ask the headbanging thrashers in Jethro Tull.

Recently Iron Maiden was nominated for a Best Live Return Award in the Vodaphone Live Awards. The only problem is the fact that Iron Maiden never went away and have been selling out arenas world wide for a few decades now with no let up. So when the clueless organizers of these awards announced this nomination the band quickly said thanks, but no thanks.

They advised their fans "please don't go looking to cast your votes for us. As we are not quite sure where we are returning from, we have asked them to remove us from the nominations and they have done this." - more on this story

More on Iron Maiden - Iron+Maiden" >Iron Maiden CDs -

Courtney Love Making Final Album - 08 Rewind
Rockdirt reports: Dirty Harry of Nylon TV went to Courtney Love's home, talking with the singer about her new album, how she "literally gets crucified every day" which she blames to sexism, and her plans to exit music after this album in favor of apparel and television production.

As for Frances Bean Cobain, the daughter she shares with late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, Love said, "I have a teenage daughter now, so it's really, really crucial that I have a great home life and she's so beautiful, she's so vulnerable and was born very famous. She'd have to step over my dead body to get into the music industry, but I don't think she wants to anyway. If anything she'll act, she'll direct... I think she'll end up running Hollywood, and she's got my sh** list, so that's awesome."

At one point in the clip, a man is seen running through Courtney's house, who is identified only as "member of the new Hole", suggesting the new album will be the first release from the band since 1998's 'Celebrity Skin' (though no indication if any of Courtney's prior bandmates will be part of the project). - more on this story

More on Courtney Love - Courtney+Love" >Courtney Love CDs -

McFraud for Blink Star - 08 Rewind
TMZ reports: What if you could get your fast food fix without having to talk to a pesky human being? Sounds kinda awesome, huh?

Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus, super-sized golf legend Phil Mickelson, and as many as a hundred others thought so, too--but after investing a ton of $$$, they're definitely not lovin' the idea now.

In a lawsuit filed today in L.A., Hoppus alleges that a "company" called Missicom took him for millions, supposedly to install self-service cashier terminals in McDonald's joints in Cali. No terminals ever materialized. Mark now wants $2 mil in damages. - more on this story

More on Blink-182 - Blink-182" >Blink-182 CDs -

Country Star Hit With Beer Can - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Be careful what you ask a country music audience for from the stage, you just might get more than you expected. Ask Pat Green. TMZ has the story: Country star Pat Green wanted a beer on stage the other night -- he got one, all right.

Green was singin' after a NASCAR race Saturday when he asked all his rowdy friends, "Anyone got a beer?"

Well, someone delivered a full unopened can -- right between his eyes. Michigan state troopers say he was knocked out cold, but his rep says that just a bunch of suds. - more on this story

More on Pat Green - Pat+Green" >Pat Green CDs -

Feds Hold Band At Gun Point - 08 Rewind
PR reports: The members of Cradle To Grave have been forced to cancel their recently announced tour of the West Coast after the group was detained by the US Department of Homeland Security for suspicion of either sneaking drugs in or attempting to seek work illegally, despite the fact that the band had valid working papers in thier possession. The band was detained for more than 5 hours at the Blaine, WA border facilities, where bored security agents strip searched one of the members, and refused to listen to the band members' own account of why they were there.

Singer Greg Cavanagh was held for four hours, then refused entry to the US because of suspicion of "rampant drug use, voluminous encounters with prostitutes and satanism" after the border agents reviewed the band's MySpace page.

At one point, guitarist Denis "Sasquatch" Barthe was held at gun point by 5 officers. He was asked to lay down on the ground, was handcuffed and returned to Canada in a U.S. Border Protection vehicle. After almost five hours of screaming, door-slamming and accusations, the rest of the band was asked to return to Canada. - more on this story

More on Cradle To Grave - Cradle+To+Grave" >Cradle To Grave CDs -

Mega Pain for Megadeth Frontman - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine drops some painful news on fans in his latest update. Here is part of what he had to say: I have been struggling with my back for some time, and have been doing yoga, stretching, acupuncture, faith healing, "laying" on of hands, injections, chiropractic, and everything else you can imagine. Two years ago, almost, I went out to my friend in Ohio and went to the OSU Medical center and had MRI's done on my neck and spine for 1 3/4 hours.

The next day the Doctor (and I say that reluctantly) said that I had stenosis, and acted like it was just indigestion and went on talking to someone else. Needless to say I was pissed by his cavalier attitude and when he told me that there was nothing I could do except take two Aleve and get used to it I felt doomed.

After two more years of destroying my neck and back on tour and ruining my liver from the medication I finally went to the Kieran Jobe Clinic in Anaheim and my Dr. Orr Limpisvasti did more x-rays, and requested I get another series of MRI's done. I was also to be fitted with a brace, and a traction unit, and Physical Therapy. AGAIN WITH THE F**KING PT! This time it's for six months. I went there on Thursday to find out the results of the MRI. This was the day that I find out if I go under the knife or not. Thursday was the day I found out the damage. And oddly enough, ever since I went to the dude Todd Bentley that everyone is saying is a healer; my back has been feeling better. It could be psychosomatic, but I digress. The Doctor came in the room and turned on the lightbox (what they use to view x-rays) and gave me the news. I have been diagnosed with degenerative disk disease and arthritis in my neck and that is what's causing all of the problems in my back. - more on this story

More on Megadeth - Megadeth" >Megadeth CDs -

Staind No Match for Boyband - 08 Rewind
antiMusic reports: Aaron Lewis finally has something legitimate to whine about: his band Staind has been beaten by a boyband! As if that wasn't bad enough, it looks like the band's string of No. 1 chart debuts has ended with a No. 3 bow for their latest effort.

Blabbermouth has the story: According to Hits Daily Double (the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS), Staind's new album, "The Illusion of Progress", is poised to sell around 95,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release to debut in the Top 3 of The Billboard 200 chart. Hollywood's teenpop heartthrobs Jonas Brothers will occupy the No. 1 in their second week on the chart.

The new Jonas Brothers album sold 525,000 copies in its first week, entering the chart on Wednesday (August 20) at No. 1. Even if they sell half that amount in their second week, Staind guitarist Mike Mushok said, "Half of that is more than what we'll sell, and it's good for those guys." Mushok added, "All I can say is, we've been here for 10 years, and this is our sixth record. I feel proud to be able to say that. If it's not No. 1, it's not No. 1 � what are you going to do?" - more on this story

More on Staind - Staind" >Staind CDs -

Idol Adds New Judge But Keeps Clueless Paula - 08 Rewind
Billboard reports: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will join "American Idol" as a judge for its eighth season in January 2009.

DioGuardi, whose work includes Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away," Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" and "We Rock," from the recent Disney Channel musical "Camp Rock," will serve as the fourth judge on the panel, alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.

DioGuardi will make her debut tomorrow as part of taping the eighth season audition rounds in New York. - more on this story

More on American Idol - American+Idol" >American Idol CDs -

Pink Floyd Honored - 08 Rewind
Jam! reports: Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf presented the 2008 Polar Music Prize to American soprano Renee Fleming and Pink Floyd band members Nick Mason and Roger Waters for their contributions to popular music and opera.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said at the ceremony Tuesday that the British rock band had made "a monumental contribution . . . and captured the mood and spirit of a whole generation in their reflections and attitudes."

The audience gave the prize winners a standing ovation when they arrived to receive the awards, each worth about C$164,000. The ceremony was held in the Stockholm Concert Hall. - more on this story

More on Pink Floyd - Pink+Floyd" >Pink Floyd CDs -

R. Kelly Fraud Bust - 08 Rewind
NME reports: R Kelly has been named in a fraud case, which saw over a million dollars deposited to the singer's account by a South African woman.

Busiswe Zakwe, of Durban, South Africa, says she deposited $1.5 million dollars to Kelly's bank account after convincing people to invest in a tour of South Africa by Kelly. When the singer did not come to South Africa, she reportedly absconded with the cash.

Police raided her office after receiving complaints that she had conned people out of $1, 300 each - more on this story

More on R. Kelly - R.+Kelly" >R. Kelly CDs -

Recap of the top stories from July
 
 

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