Light This City Week: Day 2

Preview songs from the album, learn more about it and the group and more right - here!

Velvet Revolver Dropped By RCA?

House of Rock reports: As the long awaited release of Axl Rose's version of Guns N Roses' mythical 14 years in the making album 'Chinese Democracy' looms next week, Blabbermouth.net is reporting that they have received word from a reliable source that RCA Records (a Sony BMG label) has dropped Velvet Revolver, the band featuring former Guns 'N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum.

Velvet Revolver released two full-length albums through RCA/Sony BMG — 2004's "Contraband", which has sold 1.98 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan; and its follow-up, "Libertad", which has shifted 301,000 units in the U.S. since its July 2007 release.

Velvet Revolver has been looking for a new frontman since dismissing Scott Weiland back in April. Rumored candidates have included ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, former MTV VJ Steve Isaacs (The Panic Channel) and ex-Spacehog vocalist Royston Langdon, who apparently had several successful rehearsal sessions with the band. - more on this story

Another Jane's Addiction Reunion Show

Filter reports: LA's own Jane's Addiction will be playing in their original form this Thursday at the relatively tiny venue, El Cid, in Silverlake.

The show serves as an apology to fans and family who were unable to attend their packed gig at La Cita in downtown LA last month.

Tickets will be available at the door, but plan on getting there extra early to ensure a good spot. Stay tuned for a potential Fall tour possibly in the works. - more Filter News

Mental Health Issues Sideline Vines Tour

Reuters reports: Australian rock band The Vines have canceled all their upcoming shows due to a deterioration in the mental condition of singer Craig Nicholls.

Nicholls, 31, was diagnosed four years ago with Asperger's Syndrome, a highly functioning form of autism, after his behavior became increasingly erratic.

"Craig Nicholls' mental condition has deteriorated extremely rapidly over the past month to the point where he requires immediate help over an extended period of time," the band said in a statement on their website. - more on this story

Weiland Gets Personal In New Interview

antiMusic reports: Our friends over at L.A. Weekly just posted a great new interview and video with Scott Weiland, shot this past Friday in his personal studio in Los Angeles. LA W's web editor Erin Broadley tells us a little bit about what was covered:

Weiland discussed the emotional turmoil that went into making his new solo album, influenced much by the death of his brother in 2007, his mother's recent battle with cancer and the legalities of separating from his wife, Mary Forsberg, with whom he has two kids. During one of the more poignant moments in our conversation, Weiland -- lost in thought, his eyes far away -- spoke of his children and how hard it is to miss any of their growing up because of touring demands.

"It pains me when I am gone for a month, even, and I come back and there's differences -- big positive amazing differences, beautiful differences -- that I haven't been a part of because I've been working... to make the money, out there on the road." - Check out the full interview

GNR Release Better Song- Great White Fire Settlement Delay- Neil Finn and Friends- Kravitz Dancin- Rainbow Reunion?- Kanye Mixed Up and more

antiMusic reports: A bit of a slow news day but here are today's quick music news stories: Guns N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy' release date is less than a week away (November 23rd.) If the title track didn't grab you, try on the second single for size. You might find it a "Better" motivator to pick up the new album. Listen here.

Victims of The Station nightclub fire aren't going to get any of their settlement money in time for Christmas. It appears, in fact, that it will be next spring at the earliest, that any funds will be distributed. more
Neil Finn has drafted members of Radiohead and Wilco, as well as his son Liam, for a sequel of sorts to his 2002 live album "Seven Worlds Collide." The as-yet-untitled studio project will be taped "over the next few months" in the New Zealand city of Auckland. more

My Dying Bride has announced that the title of their new studio album will be, "For Lies I Sire." No release date has been confirmed just yet but the band has revealed the tracklisting which can be viewed here

Lenny Kravitz is set to premiere the video for his brand new single "Dancin' til Dawn" on Yahoo Music on this Tuesday, November 18th. They didn't bother to provide a link.

Prescription drugs may have been what killed the obsessed fan who allegedly overdosed near Paula Abdul's house last week. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ "multiple prescription bottles" were found by Paula Goodspeed's body in her car. No word yet what type of drugs the prescriptions were for. more

In a posting on Deep Purple website The Highway Star, apparently a press release from Russian promoters Prestige Concert states that Jürgen Blackmore, son of ex Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is forming a new band. According to the release, the new band will be called Over The Rainbow, featuring all ex Rainbow memberssee the rumored lineup

Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed North American, Latin American, Australian/New Zealand and South African rights to a new documentary focusing on Led Zeppelin guitar player Jimmy Page, U2 guitarist The Edge and WHITE STRIPES axeman Jack White. The film, titled "It Might Get Loud", first screened in May at the Cannes Film Festivalmore

Kanye West released his new mixtape exclusively on imeem on Monday. If you give a damn, check it out here

Barry Manilow will be releasing his new album, The Greatest Songs Of The Eighties, in stores a day early on Monday, November 24th on Arista Records.

Heather Locklear has just been charged with one count of driving under the influence of drugs....prescription medications. more On the plus side this shows that her and Richie Sambora didn't have such big differences after all.

After The Burial has added singer Anthony Notarmaso to their line-up. Notarmaso replaces Grant Luoma, with whom the group parted ways this summer.more

Jesse McCartney will premiere the video for his second single, It's Over off his album "Departure", exclusively via MySpace on Tuesday, November 18. his Myspace

According to Pink Floyd fan-site Brain-damage.co.uk a regular spot on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show is his look at classic albums. Coming under his spotlight on December 3rd, at 7pm, is his two-hour look at Dark Side Of The Moon.more

Lee Greenwood, known for writing and performing "God Bless the U.S.A." will soon be garnering air miles to and from the nation's capitol. Greenwood has accepted a Presidential appointment to the National Endowment for the Arts council and will serve a six-year term.

On Saturday night, Miami's legendary Fontainebleau celebrated its $1 billion re-opening, hosting the celebutard-studded Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. You can check out an exclusive video featuring Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, Diddy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Heidi Klum and the Victoria's Secret Angels here

Paper Route have just confirmed dates supporting Passion Pit for the new year. Catch them on tour now with Low vs Diamond and Barcelona followed by a short UK tour. - more

Prince In A Legal Stink

Reuters reports: A perfume company that went into business with musician Prince to make a "3121" fragrance, named after his 2006 album, sued Prince on Monday for $100,000 for failing to help promote the perfume.

According to the lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, Prince and his music publisher Universal Music Publishing Group reached a licensing agreement with perfume company Revelations in December 2006 to use Prince's name and likeness and the name "3121" to market two fragrances.

According to the agreement, Universal would earn 50 percent of the net profits from the sale of the fragrances. In exchange the label would arrange the cooperation of Prince for marketing opportunities, the lawsuit said. [What's in this for Prince?] - more on this story

Travis Barker Back In the Studio

Music Radar reports: Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is back in the studio less than two months after being involved in a harrowing plane accident.

Barker appeared via satellite from his studio in Los Angeles yesterday (16 November) for MTV's Total Finale Live. "Thanks for all the support," the drummer said. "I feel better every day."

The appearance was Barker's first on-camera interview since a private plane skidded off a South Carolina runway in September, killing four and leaving him and bandmate DJ AM severely burned. Barker said he hopes to make music with AM again soon. - more on this story

Guns N' Roses CD Savaged By BBC

BW&BK reports: BBC News / Entertainment reporter Mark Savage has issued a review on Guns N' Roses' long awaited new album, Chinese Democracy. An excerpt is available below:

Rose has already predicted the reaction to these songs. "I'm trying to do something different," he told Rolling Stone in 2006.

"Some of the arrangements are kind of like Queen. Some people are going to say it doesn't sound like Guns N' Roses." Actually, he's wrong about that. This does sound like a Guns N' Roses album, but it's a sadly compromised one.

"The filthy swagger is gone - perhaps understandable now that Rose is 46. But Chinese Democracy also misses the clean, tuneful riffs that Slash and Izzy Stradlin used to provide."
- more on this story

Springsteen Dreaming On New CD

Columbia Records reports: Bruce Springsteen's new album "Working on a Dream" has been set for a January 27 release on Columbia Records.

"Working on a Dream" was recorded with the E Street Band and features twelve new Springsteen compositions plus two bonus tracks. It is the fourth collaboration between Springsteen and Brendan O'Brien, who produced and mixed the album.

Bruce Springsteen said, "Towards the end of recording 'Magic,' excited by the return to pop production sounds, I continued writing. When my friend producer Brendan O'Brien heard the new songs, he said, 'Let's keep going.' Over the course of the next year, that's just what we did, recording with the E Street Band during the breaks on last year's tour. I hope 'Working on a Dream' has caught the energy of the band fresh off the road from some of the most exciting shows we've ever done. All the songs were written quickly, we usually used one of our first few takes, and we all had a blast making this one from beginning to end." - Tracklisting

Richie Sambora Goes Hollywood And Is Working With Kid Rock and T.I.

Music Radar reports: Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora is to write the soundtrack for upcoming Hollywood action movie The Tournament.

The film stars Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Mission Impossible III) and Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Beach).

As well as "scoring some movies and TV shows" as he put it, Sambora has also been working with Kid Rock and rapper TI. - more on this story

Jacko Accused To Shorting Sheikh

AP reports: The son of an Arab monarch took the King of Pop to court Monday, charging that Michael Jackson took $7 million as an advance on an album and an autobiography that he never produced.

Lawyers for Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa say their client paid Jackson expenses as an advance on the book and joint recording project with the sheikh, who is an amateur songwriter. Jackson claims the money was a gift.

Al Khalifa, 33, was due to testify at London's Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday. Jackson's lawyer Robert Englehart said he was seeking permission to have Jackson testify by video link from Los Angeles. - more on this story

Wanna Play With Jack Black?

PR reports: Launching November 19th 2008, NXE (New Xbox Experience) connects you effortlessly to friends, family and the world's largest online entertainment center, allowing you to play games, watch movies, and share moments on the couch or around the world.

To help kick-off NXE, Estonian breakout pop-star Kerli, hip-hop superstar T-Pain, rockers All American Rejects and Hinder, as well as Jack Black's brainchild, Tenacious D will participate in the fully interactive Game With Fame sessions. Game With Fame connects artists with fans through their favorite games and allows each artist to play fans directly.

Allowing optimum expressivity, NXE boasts customized avatars, virtual party hosting, as well as remote capabilities. Promoting shared entertainment experiences NXE features Party Video and LIVE Party/Photo applications, allowing users to directly video chat, instant message and send photos. As a one-stop shop for all entertainment needs, NXE puts a plethora of interactive entertainment options at your fingertips! Users can utilize NXE Overview Video, which highlights a broad variety of available gaming options, view over 10,000 feature films via Netflix, as well as view all of the above options through the only gaming console to provide HD and standard-definition resolution. - Find out more about NXE here

Singled Out: The Spring Standards

antiMusic reports: Welcome to Singled Out! where we ask artists to tell us the inside story of their latest single. Today Heather Robb from alt-country rockers The Spring Standards tells us about "In the Underground " from their brand new release "No One Will Know". We now turn it over to Heather for the story:

James Cleare first brought his idea for "In the Underground" to us earlier this year. He had the skeleton of the song fully finished and we went right to work flushing out the arrangements. We started by adding vocal harmonies in the verses and choruses and the chunky block harmonies in the bridge section. After the vocal parts were arranged we turned to the instrumentation. James Smith came up with the bass line, we figured out the drums together, and we added the organ to the chorus to give it a different color from the rest of the song.

Originally there was an outro section that went into a totally different kind of jam. There was a wailing organ part and the whole rhythm shifted. We played the song that way until we did some pre-production work with Rhett Miller (the co-producer of our EP), and he suggested we try something different. We experimented with a few ideas, but finally settled on an adjusted version of those block bridge harmonies. We realized we liked the harmonies so much, we wanted to book-end the song with them, and that's how we came up with the intro. This song definitely had a full evolution before it made its way onto the record, and it continues to grow each time we play it.

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

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