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Day in Rock Report for 05/26/2011



Stone Temple Steven Tyler for American Idol
(RockAAA) It was the moment American Idol viewers and rock fans had been waiting for all season: Steven Tyler finally took the Idol stage to perform.

Dressed all in white, Tyler pulled out the Aerosmith classic, "Dream On," for the biggest show of the season.

After playing judge and mentor all year, Tyler finally had a chance to shine, and while he was unable to convince his bandmates to join him, Steven did bring brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots along to get the job done. Check it out here

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Sharon Saved Ozzy's Life
(Gibson) Mike Fleiss, who co-directed the new documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne (produced by Ozzy's son Jack), recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the movie. Fleiss spoke about how the film is more about Ozzy the man than Ozzy the larger-than-life rocker.

"Ozzy's life is not all glamour and sold-out concerts and the rock star existence," he said. "He's lived a [expletive] hard, sometimes terrible existence. And the fact that he's still doing it, still up there rocking, it's a miracle. One of my favorite pieces in the movie is when the newscaster says, 'How is Ozzy Osbourne still alive?' To me, that's sort of the thesis of the whole movie in a weird way. It's like, 'How is he still alive?'"

Fleiss went on to answer his own question. "Sharon [Osbourne, his wife] saved his life, clearly," he said. "And I think he's just one of those rugged British gentlemen, you know. He's got a hell of a constitution. You can't really [expletive] him up too bad. The fact that he can still go out and play two-hour rock concerts is incredible� there's this 62-year-old man out there, jumping around, doing his little frog dance, and singing these incredibly challenging vocal lines for nearly two hours. I've got the utmost respect for him." more on this story

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Judas Priest Surprise American Idol Fans With James Durbin Jam
(RockAAA) Metal gods Judas Priest debuted their new lineup � including latest addition Richie Faulkner � on the American Idol finale Wednesday night.

Priest teamed up Idol contestant James Durbin for a double-shot of metal, playing two of their classics, "Livin' After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law."

Durbin rocked Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Coming," back in March, possibly the first time heavy metal has hit the Idol stage. All season long, Durbin encouraged Idol viewers to get behind the heavy with his slogan, "give metal a chance"; he was eliminated two weeks ago and ended up in fourth place. Check it out

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Silverchair Break Up
(Gibson) Silverchair have announced they are calling it quits, at least for the foreseeable future. In a lengthy statement posted on their Facebook page this morning, the veteran Australian three-piece said that "after much soul-searching � [we're] putting Silverchair into 'indefinite hibernation'."

"Back in 2009 we went into the studio to start work on a record," the statement reads. "Initially things were going well and as a result we did some shows in 2010 to maintain creative momentum. However, over the months that followed in the studio it became clear to us that we were moving in different directions. Despite our best efforts over the last year or so, it's become increasingly clear that the spark simply isn't there between the three of us at the moment."

Silverchair, which includes singer/guitarist Daniel Johns, bassist Chris Joannou and drummer Ben Gillies, released their last album, Young Modern, in 2007. In their statement, the band said the parting is amicable, and that they remain friends. "The three of us still truly care about each other," the statement goes on to say. "At the moment Ben's busy in the studio recording his own music, Chris is working on various business, musical and charitable ventures while Daniel is creating a film soundtrack and working on other musical projects. We hope you'll continue to take an interest in our individual work over the years ahead." more on this story

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Tactical Team Used For Vinnie Vincent Arrest
Rock News Desk uncovered more details about former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent's arrest for aggravated assault: Rutherford County Sheriff's Office reports their FAST (Felony Arrest Search Tactical) team were required to tackle VIncent after his wife reported he'd knocked her down four times and dragged her through broken glass.

Deputy Joseph May says: "On Sunday at approximately 6.44pm I responded to the office lobby in reference to a female who was covered in blood and possibly intoxicated. Upon arrival at 6.49 I made contact with Diane Cusano.

"Diane stated to me that she and her husband Vincent Cusano had gotten into an argument about a female he was talking to. She stated Vincent became verbally abusive, swearing and telling her to 'Get the f*** out of the house".

"Diane stated that Vincent then smacked her in the face. She stated he grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, then dragged her through a pile of glass from a broken plate. She stated he threw her on the ground a total of four times before he let her get up and she drove to the sheriff's office. The tale continues here

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New Staind Album Coming
(Gibson) Staind have confirmed they will release their new studio album later this year. As reported by NME.com, guitarist Mike Mushok told Michigan-based radio station WGRD that the album, titled Seven, marks something of a return to the harder-edged style of Staind's early albums.

"It's a modern-sounding version of a heavy Staind record," said Mushok. "It's completely different than the last record [2008's The Illusion of Progress]. It's more of a throwback to where we came from. [But] I don't think there's any rehashed riffs; I definitely think it's fresh."

Mushok went on to say the album, which the band began working on in late 2010, has been difficult to make. "It was a tough one," he said. "And it wasn't even the music or writing it; it's just that there were a lot of things going on, and it made for a long, drawn-out process, it seemed. But I'll tell you what � looking back, now that it's done, I'm really, really happy with it." more on this story

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Ex Iron Maiden Singer Running Free Again- Van Halen Ditches Myspace- KISS Late Night- O.A.R. Return- Ratt Tales- Fish Walk- Devildriver- Opeth- Fear Factory- more
(Metal Underground) Lock Up has announced that it will be pulling out of the forthcoming edition of the Maryland Deathfest event. A statement from the band reads. "We are days away from the festival and our visas have yet to show up." more

(BW&BK) As of June 15th, there will no longer be an official Eddie Van Halen MySpace page. Fans should follow his acrtvities via his Twitter and/or Facebook pages more

(AA) O.A.R. will release their seventh studio album, entitled King, on August 2nd, their first new studio recording in three years. more

(SleazeRoxx) Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy is hard at work on his upcoming solo album 'Sucker Punch' and has revealed that he is also working on a book. more

(Lambgoat) Breathe Carolina will headline the 2011 Scream It Like You Mean It Tour with support from Chiodos, I See Stars, The Color Morale, Tek-One and The Air I Breathe more

(BW&BK) According to KISSonline.com, "Paul Stanley of KISS will appear on the hit late night show, Lopez Tonight, Thursday, May 26. Paul is a huge fan of George and the show and might even join the band for a song. more

(Metalrage) Opeth have set "Heritage" as the title of their tenth album, due in September via Roadrunner Records. more

(Metal Underground) Devildriver has announced that it will be bringing its live show to South America this coming August. more

(BW&BK) Fear Factory have scheduled an in-store signing session on June 10th at 7 PM, at Soundcheck Hollywood in West Hollywood, CA. more

(Lambgoat) Cryptopsy has announced the return of former guitarist Jon Levasseur. The group has issued the following: "Jon Levasseur, former lead guitarist and major creative contributing force behind None So Vile, Whisper Supremacy, And Then You'll Beg... has returned to the band." more

TheGauntlet.com has reported that former Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'anno is out of jail. According to the Mail Online, Di'Anno (real name Paul Andrews) claimed he suffered severe nerve damage to his back that prevented him from working, but he was caught when Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators spotted a YouTube video of him jumping around on stage during a live show in 2006. Di'Anno was jailed on March 11th. more

(Metalrage) Pathology will enter Lambesis Studios in the band's hometown this summer with producer Daniel Castleman (Impending Doom, As I Lay Dying, Winds Of Plague) to begin recording its new album for a fall release. more

(Classic Rock) Fish is about to set off on a charity walk along the West Highland Highway. He starts on Friday, May 27 and aims to walk 90 miles in six days.more

(Lambgoat) The Greenery have announced "Spit & Argue" as the title of their debut full-length, which will hit the streets on July 19th more

(Punknews.org) The Horrible Crowes (featuring Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem and Gaslight guitar tech Ian Perkins) have completed recording their debut with producer Ted Hutt. more

(BW&BK) Armored Saint will be performing their first, and possibly only, shows for 2011 this summer. On July 9th, the band will once again be hitting the Sunset Strip in Hollywood more

(Metalrage) Despite the fact their frontman Twan van Geel recently joined the ranks of Legion Of The Damned as that band's new guitar player, Fleshmadesin have every intention of carrying on. more


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Lady Gaga All Gaga for Iron Maiden
(hennemusic) Great music can change anyone's life. Even Lady Gaga's. The pop star spoke with Rolling Stone recently about seeing Iron Maiden live in Tampa last month, and it was an eye-opening experience for her, to say the least.

"I went to see Iron Maiden the other night, and I actually watched the show from a box," Gaga tells the magazine. "And we were laughing as we walked � it was me and my two best friends� as we were walking into the box, we had a bunch of drinks, we were all going, 'This is so not metal, to be in a box.' [laughs]"

"So, we watched most of the show from the box and then we were gonna go meet the band," continued Gaga. "And we went down during 'The Number Of The Beast'. And when we got there, I grabbed Lady Starlight and I said, 'Let's go,' and we just booked it into the center of the crowd. And we were dancing and singing and everyone was just so into it. And it was one of the first times I've been able to just be at a rock concert in a long time." more on this story

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Kings of Leon Film Lord of the Rings?
(Gibson) At the Tribeca Film Festival, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill said that the new Kings of Leon documentary, Talihina Sky, could be more than a simple, two-hour movie.

"We're still filming," Followill told Spinner.com. "It's going to be like Lord of the Rings, but it'll be Lord of the Kings. It's going to be a trilogy for sure."

The film, directed by friend of the band Stephen Miller, chronicles the Kings' journey from boys growing up as Pentecostal Christians to being members in one of the biggest bands on the planet. "We're pretty open with our fans," he said. "They know what to expect, but I think there are some things in the film that they're not ready for." more on this story

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Prince Angers Dead Heads
This was submitted to us on Wednesday: Grateful Dead tribute Cubensis is "seeing purple" over being bumped by Prince's secret shows at W. Hollywood House of Blues.

The veteran Los Angeles band had been booked with a Bob Dylan tribute for a "Dylan's 70th Birthday Party" on May 25 but was told just the night before that their scheduled show was postponed by Live Nation in favor of a trio of intimate performances by Prince.

"We understand completely why the House of Blues would offer its club to the Purple One, " said Cubensis guitarist Craig Marshall, "but our concern involves why we heard about it so late, and the monumental task of getting word to our fans at the last minute that our show has been postponed."
more on this story

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Alter Bridge Demand Slash Give Their Singer Back
(RockAAA) Alter Bridge's Brian Marshall demanded that Slash give them back their singer in an interview with Grand Rapids rock radio station WGRD at Rock on the Range recently.

Joking with the station's Dave Kim when Kim asked him about plans for another Creed album, AB bassist Marshall said: "I wanna say this to Slash�. Give me my singer back, dude! We're talking [about Creed activity] but we just want to think about Alter Bridge right now, and continue this momentum"

And Myles Kennedy admitted that they were pleasantly surprised by the reaction to their latest album AB III which was released late last year after a gap of three years since the hugely successful Blackbird. He said: "The subject matter on the record was such that it might have been a negative. I'm not going to lie, yeah, big surprise, we had no idea. It's been a pleasant surprise. more on this story

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Singled Out: LoNero's Little Bastard
Today Bill Lonero from LoNero tells us about "Little Bastard" from their brand new album " J.F.L.," which hit stores this week. Here is the story:

This song was awesome to write. At the time I was very much into James Dean and his movies (still am). He lived his life his way and he lived it fast and died just as fast. I wanted to write a song that told how he lived but of course with no lyrics. Not very easy to do. I started with the title, "Little Bastard". That was the name of his Porsche Spyder. On the back of the car he had the words painted on it. Imagine in 1955 Hollywood when everyone was prim and proper, here comes this Porsche ripping around corners with a young James Dean behind the wheel and the words "Little Bastard" emblazoned on it. Today that seems tame but in those days it would have been tantamount to sticking the middle finger up at society.

I start the song with a harmonized riff that's high energy. This goes on for 8 measures. Then I wrote the rhythm for the verse. I knew I wanted a verse where the rhythm is nonstop and energetic but I didn't necessarily want a melody on top of it that was just as chaotic. So the melody on top is more open. To me the melody represents James Dean's rebelliousness and the rhythm is his life. Very fast and very chaotic.

Next comes the chorus. This I knew I wanted to be flowing. Almost like flying. I could have done the typical instrumental thing which is to play fast and nonsensical but I want the listener to travel along with the song not be left at the roadside scratching their head. For me this kind of chorus is more fun to play and more enjoyable to listen to. You can hum it and to me that's very important.

Next I go back to the verse but instead of it being a carbon copy of the first I shortened it and played a variation on it. This leads into the chorus again which is close to the first chorus in terms of phrasing.

The solo is next. I definitely wanted a solo that was chaotic and sounded like it could fall apart at any moment. When I recorded this solo it was pretty much spur of the moment improvised. I left all the string noises in it and finger slides. To me that's what creates excitement in a song. When you take a song and engineer it to the point where it sounds spotless and perfect then it has no life and just sounds blah. The end of the solo is an ascending tremolo picking riff that leads back into the intro riff.

At the end I recap the main melody with slight variations and an ascending riff that leads back into the chorus for twice as long as the previous choruses.

This sets up the end of the song that ends abruptly. I wanted the end to represent how James Dean's life ended. Fast but on his terms.

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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Seether Almost on Top
Seether scored their highest album debut ever with their new album, Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray, entering the Billboard Top 200 Album chart at No. 2 this week.

The album moved nearly 62,000 units in its first week of release, fueled by the hit single, "Country Song." The track is holding steady at #1 at three separate Rock radio formats (Active, Classic and Mainstream) and is rapidly approaching Top 10 status at Alternative Rock.

Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray was produced by the legendary Brendan O'Brien. more on this story

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Adelitas Way Announce and Album and Tour Plans
Virgin Records have set a June 7th release date for Adelitas Way's sophomore album, Home School Valedictorian.

Adelitas Way will support the effort by taking part in the second annual Carnival of Madness tour alongside Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, and Emphatic.

In preparation for that tour, the band will be playing dates with Seether in June beginning on the 2nd in Nashville, TN. more on this story

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Iron Maiden Inspire New Black Country Communion Song
(Gibson) In an interview to be published tomorrow on Gibson.com, guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa said he's thrilled to be in Black Country Communion because it lets him show off his hard rock chops.

"It allows me to be more unapologetically hard rock, to really explore my roots in British hard rock. Where sometimes I do that in my solo band and it's a bit out of place, you know, and people start giving you that weird look," he said. "But with this band, we don't have to apologize for it; this is just who we are and, you know, it sounds like 1974."

The rock supergroup includes Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater). After releasing their debut album last year, Black Country Communion are set to put out their new album, 2, in June. In the interview, Bonamassa talked about being inspired by Iron Maiden on a particular song on the new album. "With 'Hadrian's Wall,' I wanted it to be like� that very British title, you know? Almost like a song that Iron Maiden would write. You know, with old wars and stuff," he said. "And I love Maiden. I think they're one of the most popular underrated bands in the world. I say that meaning that, not many times is a band like that mentioned in the same sentence as a Zeppelin or Metallica or something like that, but then all of a sudden 60,000 people show up for the gig. [Laughs] So they're doing something right, you know?" more on this story

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Coldplay Puzzle Fans
(Gibson) Coldplay have been pretty active on their Twitter account lately, posting phrases that could be song lyrics, song titles or album titles, according to NME.com.

One message spelled out "Maybe the trees are gone" in giant letters. Another one was "Maybe the streets alight" and a third message said "I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song." Some appeared in flashing text while another was typed in bright colors.

Prior to these messages, Coldplay posted, "I turn the music up, I got my records on, I shut the world outside until the lights come on."

The band have yet to announced how, or if, these messages play into their forthcoming album, which they've been at work on with producer Brian Eno. more on this story

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Green Day Frontman Helping Teen Son Break Into The Biz
(Gibson) Billie Joe Armstrong's 16-year-old son, Joey Armstrong, has an album ready for release with his own punk band. As reported by Spin.com, the disc, titled Don't Be a Dick, was produced by � you guessed it � Billie Joe Armstrong. "The record has a lot of youthful punk rock attitude," said the Green Day frontman, who's releasing the album on his own Adeline Records label. "They're raw. It's well played, has great hooks and is catchy as hell."

In addition to the younger Armstrong, who plays drums, the group includes brothers Max Becker (bass) and Cole Becker (vocals/guitar), along with lead guitarist Travis Neumann.

The band calls themselves Emily's Army, in honor of the Becker's 15-year-old cousin, Emily, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as an infant. In fitting punk-rock manner, Armstrong and his young bandmates recorded the album in just four days at Oakland's Jingletown Recordings studio. The disc will be released on June 15. more on this story

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Bob Dylan Had A Death Wish
(Rock News Desk) The long-standing rumours of Bob Dylan having been a heroin addict appear to be true and it appears he also had a death-wish in the 1960s.

To mark the singer-songwriter's 70th birthday today an audio interview recorded in 1966 has been released. The two-hour conversation was conducted by Dylan's friend and biographer Robert Shelton on a private plane in 1966. On the tape Dylan says: "I kicked a heroin habit in New York City. I got very, very strung out for a while. I had about a $25 a day habit � and I kicked it."

Later he comments: "Death to me is nothing. It means nothing as long as I can die fast. Many times I've known I could die fast, and I could have gone over and done it. I'll admit to having this suicidal thing � but I came through this time. more on this story

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Classic ZZ Top Live Performance Coming To CD
(Innocent Words) For the first time on CD, on May 31, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release ZZ Top Live in Germany 1980. This 16-song Texas manifesto features guitarist Billy F Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist Dusty Hill, in an onstage explosion of barrelhouse jump blues and boogie.

The Grugahalle in Essen was rockin' on that night in 1980. ZZ Top, touring in support of 1979's Deguello, is totally energized on nine of Deguello's tracks, complemented by fan favorites from Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango (1975), as well as righteous roots-reverent covers of Elmore James and Elvis Presley. (The concert was filmed for German television's popular Rockpalast program and released on DVD as Double Down Live in 2009.)

Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Famers ZZ Top have never had a personnel change over the course of their 40-year career. These instantly-recognizable musicians are larger-than-life, their image clearly defined in American pop culture. They're known as much for their dedication to the blues as they are for their self-designed custom-made guitars. Whether kicking off the MTV generation in 1983 with their groundbreaking videos or continuing to put on world class shows today, ZZ Top are as pioneering now as they ever were, yet still mindful of all who came before them in the glorious longtime tradition of this great music. more on this story

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Juliana Hatfield Fan Funded Album Set For Release
Juliana Hatfield's Ye Olde Records have set a August 30th release date for her new album, Speeches Delivered To Animals and Plants.

peeches... is a successfully-conceived album based loosely on the concept of failure. It was entirely fan-funded via www.pledgemusic.com, wherein individuals pledged varying amounts in advance of the album's completion for different returns including Hatfield memorabilia, a guitar used on the recording of the new album, original Hatfield artwork, song workbooks, demos, and more.

Hatfield says, "I really think that PledgeMusic and similar sites are the future of music, especially for people like me who have devoted cultish fanbases but who have never sold a ton of records and don't really fit in anywhere at major labels. more on this story

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The Day The Music Died
(Gibson) In 2001, one of radio's greatest hits, "American Pie" was ranked in fifth place on the Recording Industry Association of America's Songs of the Century list. It was beaten only by "Over the Rainbow," "White Christmas," "This Land is Your Land" and "Respect."

"American Pie," is an epic, surreal ballad inspired by Buddy Holy's death in a plane crash in 1959. It's also an autobiographical account of growing up in America in the '50s and '60s and struggling to deal with the tremendous social changes that threatened to blow America apart.

The song was written by a young, well-to-do songwriter called Don McLean. His first album, Tapestry, was standard confessional troubadour stuff of the time. But then he came up with a song that started out very personal and wound up an anthem that spoke as much about America as it did a musician from Westchester County, New York. more on this story

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Guns N' Roses and Metallica Star Wars Head Banging
(hennemusic) Video of Star Wars characters dancing to hard rock songs by Guns N' Roses and Metallica, among other music, has surfaced.

The footage was shot during Star Wars Weekends, an annual special event at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park that celebrates the legendary Star Wars saga and the animated television series, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each weekend, visitors can join celebrities and characters for special shows, panels, presentations and more. Check out the videos here

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Ivy Plan New Release
(Innocent Words) Ivy will release their long-awaited fifth studio album this fall, title/release date TBA.

The upcoming release -- written, produced and mixed by the band in their own Manhattan studio -- is their first in six years and the follow up to 2005's critically acclaimed In The Clear.

Fans will get a taste of the new album when Ivy releases their first single, "Distant Lights," on June 7, 2011. A slow-building, hypnotic and danceable track, "Distant Lights" manages to sound simultaneously like classic Ivy and like nothing they've ever quite done before. Singer Dominique Durand says, "This record feels like a new beginning for Ivy. We have never been as excited about one of our records as we are about this one." more on this story

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Alkaline Trio Team Up With Smoking Popes For 15th Anniversary Tour
(Innocent Words) Alkaline Trio has announced their 15th anniversary tour, inviting Smoking Popes (one of their greatest influences) to join them.

Smoking Popes built a relationship with their legion of fans and fellow musicians by melding raw songs about bittersweet heartache with soaring melodies, power chords and punk spirit. Inspired by the Popes, Alkaline Trio emerged onto the scene and have built an immense cult following. Matt Skiba, vocalist of Alkaline Trio,said, "The Smoking Popes were a good band that only wrote good songs. They have always been a big influence on Alkaline Trio and are a huge reason a lot of us started bands in the first place."

The Smoking Popes and Alkaline Trio have recently released new albums. Smoking Popes released, This is Only a Test, which is their first ever concept album, exploring the life of a fictional high schooler. This is Only a Test is perfect proof that their sparkling lyricism and ineffable charm is still intact. The tour kicks off July 10th at the Slowdown in Omaha, Nebraska. more on this story

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Paul Simon Gets Metaphysical
(Gibson) As Paul Simon promotes his latest album, So Beautiful or So What, he discussed one song in particular with the Daily Telegraph. The metaphysical "Love is the Eternal Sacred Light" features God claiming the Big Bang was all a joke he made up once when bored.

In Simon's song, God is scanning radio stations while cruising down the highway. Simon comments on the song, saying, "God's not into pop music. He likes the gospel shows."

At 69, the songwriter says he's still looking forwards. "What's the other choice? Go away? Be quiet? This is what I am, this is what I do," he says. "I make up songs and try to make them interesting. Stand back and let me get on with it." more on this story

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Peter Bjorn and John All You Can Eat Tour
(Stunt) Peter Bjorn and John have announced their "All You Can Eat Tour" which is a six week trek that finds the Swedes spending some quality time with their fans as they embark on a city by city exploration.

Their longest US run to date, the tour kicks off in Chicago, IL on August 24th with the first of their mini-residences and will end on October 8th in San Francisco, CA with the last.

They'll also set up camp in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles for extended stays with several other stops along the way more on this story

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Robert Cray Added To Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Robert Cray has been added to the lineup for this year's Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.

The festival is set to take place Telluride Town Park in Telluride, Colorado on September 16, 17, 18th.

The 18th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival will also feature headliners Willie Nelson, The Flaming Lips, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Additional performances include Zappa Plays Zappa, moe., Marcia Ball, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Mavis Staples, Anders Osborne, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and many more. more on this story

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Murder By Death Announce New Member
Murder By Death have added occasional touring member, Scott Brackett, to their full-time line up.

"I started out as a hired gun for them," says Brackett, formerly of Okkervil River, "and we really hit it off; it would have been a shame to leave it at that. So when they offered me a spot, I couldn't say no. The opportunity to make a record and keep touring with them promises too much fun. MBD have been working their asses off for years and I really believe in them. They are great storytellers, solid players, and a class act all the way."

"We feel very lucky that we've had a long career, and that it isn't showing any signs of slowing down," said frontman Adam Turla. "New songs are pouring out and Scott joining the band adds new instruments and creative ideas we've never been able to mess with before." more on this story

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Joe Satriani and Steve Vai's Benefit for Cliff II
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have announced plans for a second benefit concert supporting music industry veteran and friend, Cliff Cultreri.

"A Benefit for Cliff II" will take place on Sunday, July 10th at the House of Blues, Hollywood, and will feature performances by both Satriani and Vai, as well as special guests and friends of the duo, including Dweezil Zappa, Orianthi, Brendan Small and Tony MacAlpine, among others.

In addition to this musical event, Satriani, Vai and others have graciously donated various items to be auctioned that evening.
more on this story

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Talking Danger Danger
(PR) Talking Metal podcast episode 347 has been posted on TalkingMetal.com and iTunes.

This episode includes an interview with Ted Poley from Danger Danger.

Interview topics include his new single, Dennis Leeflang, Danger Danger, the Ted Poley solo bands, the All Star Salute to Fat Chicks CD, Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, Paul Stanley, M3, Sonic the Hedgehog and Tony Harnell. Check it out here

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