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Day in Rock Report for 09/26/2017


Today's Day in Rock Stories


Foo Fighters Top The Charts With Concrete And Gold

(hennemusic) The Foo Fighters have scored their second US No. 1 album with the release of their ninth album, "Concrete And Gold." The Foo Fighters previously led the Billboard 200 with "Wasting Light", which debuted at No. 1 in 2011.

Billboard reports the new studio project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with opening week sales of 127,000 equivalent album units, of which 120,000 were in traditional album sales, according to Nielsen Music.

The biggest-selling album of the week, "Concrete And Gold" also marks the fifth rock record to lead the Billboard 200 in 2017, following sets by LCD Soundsystem ("American Dream"), Brand New ("Science Fiction"), Arcade Fire ("Everything Now") and Linkin Park ("One More Light").

"Concrete And Gold" was co-produced by the band and Greg Kurstin (Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Sia) and mixed by Darrell Thorp (Beck, Radiohead). Read more here.

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Gene Simmons Addresses Box Set Price Controversy

(Radio.com) KISS legend Gene Simmons knows a thing or two about making money. So it was no surprise when word came down that he was selling his massive upcoming 38-pound box set, The Vault, with escalating price tags depending on which 'experience' was purchased, topping out at a cool $50,000 for home delivery by the man himself.

According to a new interview, however, Simmons claims that the $50K price tag is "fake news," ultimately calling it a mistake made by the people controlling the box set's website.

The revelation came during a video interview with podcast The Cassius Morris Show after Morris inquired about the price for home delivery of the box set. Simmons accused the host of spreading "fake news," and challenged him to show evidence that the site has the delivery option listed at $50,000.

Simmons seems genuinely surprised when Morris does indeed pull up the website with the hefty price tag, going on to leave a profane message to the site controllers demanding that it be updated. "You've helped me get our guys, because they've been asleep at the wheel," Simmons tells Morris. "So I'm going to email them now."

Simmons then proceeds to send that message while still on camera, using the dictation function to write it. "Holy f--k- guys," he dictated. "People still believe this is a $50,000 box set. And that's because of your front page. Again, get rid of 'producer and home experience' off the front page, for f---'s sake." Read more here.

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Unusual Chester Bennington Video Shared Online

(Radio.com) While Linkin Park continues to put together the massive Chester Bennington celebration concert set for the Hollywood Bowl next month, the band has shared a lighthearted video highlighting the singer's joyous sense of humor.

"Cherishing all the times Chester made us laugh. Taking a look back at some of our favorite LPTV moments," the band posted with the video on Instagram.

The clip captures Bennington backstage at a 2012 show in Holmdel, New Jersey strumming an acoustic guitar and making up a song about unicorns and lollipops.

The video is made even funnier as guitarist Brad Delson points out the backstage shenanigans are happening with less than three minutes before the band is scheduled to hit the stage.

The clip ends with Bennington and Joe Hahn breaking into a quick rap about unicorns and rap. Watch it here.

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Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Announces Book Tour

(hennemusic) Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson will promote his forthcoming memoir, "What Does This Button Do?", with a series of book-signing events in both the UK and the US next month.

Due October 19 via HarperCollins, the project sees the rocker share - for the first time - details of his years with the band, the early days, his childhood within the eccentric British school system, going solo, realizing his dream of flying jumbo jets and his recent battle with tongue cancer.

Billed as "A Conversation With Bruce Dickinson", the in-store events will feature the singer reading excerpts from the book and discussing it further by answering questions from the audience.

A group of three UK appearances will begin in London on October 17, with stops in Edinburgh (Oct 20) and Manchester (Oct 22), with seven US events set to begin in Huntington, NY on October 30.

In addition to the memoir, Dickinson will issue "Soloworks: The Vinyl Collection", a box set covering his solo catalogue, on October 27. The package includes the rocker's six album solo output from 1990 to 2005 reissued via the package and individually on heavyweight, black 180g vinyl. See the dates
here.

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The Doors Expand 'Strange Days' For 50th Anniversary

(hennemusic) The Doors will release a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their album, "Strange Days", on November 17. Available as a 2CD, 1 LP or digital download, the 50th anniversary edition of "Strange Days" was produced by the album's original engineer Bruce Botnick.

The band's second album - and second of 1967, following their self-titled debut - delivered a pair of US Top 30 singles in "People Are Strange" and "Love Me Two Times", while the project reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

The package includes the original stereo mix of the album on CD for the first time in a decade, with sound that's been remastered for the first time in 30 years. The second disc features the album's original mono mix, which has been remastered for this set and is making its CD debut.

The reissue is rounded out with liner notes by music journalist David Fricke, as well as a selection of rare and previously unseen photographs from the era.

The "Strange Days" set follows a similar 50th anniversary reissue of The Doors' self-titled debut earlier this year. Read more here.

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Singled Out: Set The Charge's Everything But Me

Set The Charge just released their brand new studio album "Sky Goes On" and we asked Anthony Vincent to tell us about the song "Everything But Me". Here is the story:

Everything But Me was written when I was 20 years old. The song was originally titled "Too Free" it was a couple of keys lower and performed on an acoustic guitar in a 90s alternative esq style. I wrote the lyrics pretty quickly, not about anything in particular but back then I felt like I was speaking about my struggles of not being able to find my way with music, especially with the pressures of needing to make money and figure out what to do as a "career". Years later, I stuck with music, I found my way, but the lyrics oddly suite 30 year old me more than it did 20 year old me.

I rediscovered this song again while sifting through old songs in my hard drive and i presented it to the guys to be a song on the album. We took it, made some adjustments and made it work. We decided to release it as a single because the plan was to do a 20 style version of our single so that we could promote our album through my ten second songs youtube channel. And I figured what better song to translate into a multiple style version than "Everything But Me" ? Having the lyrics say "I feel I've become everything but me" as I'm singing in different voices. Seemed fitting lol

I don't want to go into detail of what the song means to me because I think for the most part people can put two and two together. I also think it's important to say as little as possible, so that the music can not only speak for itself but also speak to you.

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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Cheap Trick Announce Details For First Christmas Album

(hennemusic) Cheap Trick will release their first holiday-themed album, "Christmas Christmas", on October 20. The Christmas album release news follows comments by bassist Tom Petersson this past July, when he revealed the group's plans for the holiday package.

Produced by the band and Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell, Fastball), the project delivers updated versions of Christmas tunes recorded by rockers like The Kinks, The Ramones, Slade and Chuck Berry, among others.
The set also includes three new songs by Cheap Trick, including "Merry Christmas Darlings", "Our Father Of Life" and the title track.

"We've actually just finished recording a Christmas record about two months ago," said Petersson. "The Christmas record will be released around Halloween, and it came out great! We did one standard, and then all sorts of different songs on there, it's really cool.

"We've got a few originals, and we covered songs from artists that we really like which have done Christmas songs we think are really cool, you know, Roy Wood and that sort of thing.

"The only confusing thing about recording this record, is that every song had the word Christmas in it, so we could never keep it straight during recording, trying to figure out which song was which; 'Ok guys so let's do the Christm�.. the sleigh song next.'" Read more here.

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Jackson Browne Announces Acoustic Tour

(Radio.com) Jackson Browne will hit the road next year for an acoustic tour. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will kick off his acoustic trek on January 6, 2018, in Georgia before visiting six cities in Florida.

Multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz will join Browne for the seven-city stint, which is scheduled to conclude on January 24th in Sarasota, Florida at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Pre-sale tickets for Browne's acoustic tour begins September 26 at 10 a.m. EDT while tickets to the public go on sale this weekend. See the dates for the unplugged trek here.

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Dave Matthews Band's Boyd Tinsley Reflects On Concert For Charlottesville

(Radio.com) On Sunday afternoon Dave Matthews Band, Justin Timberlake, Chris Martin, Arianna Grande, and Stevie Wonder responded to the violence that took place in Charlottesville with a night of music, joy, and love.

Billed as a Concert for Charlottesville, the benefit show took place at University of Virginia's Scott Stadium and was free to the public, with ticket priority going to C-Ville residents and UVA students.

With the exception of Matthews himself, who moved to Virginia from South Africa, every member of the band was born and raised in Charlottesville. "We were a majority black band from the beginning, but no one ever thought about that. The color didn't matter because we all played with different musicians of all colors in Charlottesville anyways," violinist Boyd Tinsley told Mix 104.1 before the show. "The only time we ever thought about it was when it was brought up in interviews. It's never been an issue. I'm not saying Charlottesville is the most perfect place on earth, but it's pretty close."

"When it comes to race and growing up, that wasn't something that was really on my mind. Because it's a very diverse place," Tinsley continued. "Even as a kid in the Seventies and Eighties, it was still a very progressive place." Read more here.

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The Darkness Release 'Southern Trains' Music Video

(hennemusic) The Darkness are streaming a new music video for the track "Southern Trains", as the latest preview to their forthcoming album, "Pinewood Smile." The "Southern Trains" video features the group performing the song via Snapchat footage.

"This song has genuine realness in it, innit," says frontman Justin Hawkins about its reflection on the UK railway system. "Dan and I had to endure the Southern Trains 'services' during the making of this album. The only difference between a normal day on Southern Trains and a day when they're all on strike, is that on strike day the ArseClownery is deliberate.

"They are utterly incapable of running a reliable service. Fact. The rest of the world is laughing at us. I hope this song goes some way towards facilitating change..."

Due October 6, "Pinewood Smile" was recorded in Cornwall, UK with producer Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse). The set delivers the group's first record with drummer Rufus Taylor - son of Queen legend Roger - who joined the lineup in two years ago after the departure of Emily Dolan Davies following her work on 2015's "Last Of Our Kind."

"Pinewood Smile" was first previewed with the lead single, "All The Pretty Girls", and it's follow-up, "Solid Gold." Watch the video
here.

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Neil Young's Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Speech Streaming

(Radio.com) Classic rock legend Neil Young was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on September 23 at Massey Hall in Toronto. Young was introduced by Randy Bachman of Canadian band Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Young began his speech by saying, "Songs are like animals. You really have to be careful with them and sneak up on them and don't scare them. They're like rabbits coming out of a hole."

"You're not gonna stand there with a gun," he continued. "The rabbit will see you and go back down the hole. So you put the gun down and go and sit behind a rock and wait for this song rabbit to come out of the hole and start sniffing around. So you start sniffing around too, trying to be like the rabbit."

Later in his speech, he added that, while he's widely regarded as an international artist and has earned much of his success in America with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crazy Horse and as a solo artist, he has always considered himself a Canadian.

"I'm terribly proud to be Canadian. I know I've traveled a lot� but I've always been a Canadian Citizen. I've never been a citizen of anywhere else even though I love the USA." Read more and watch Young's acceptance speech here.

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Warren Haynes Reveals Guitar He Would Save From A Burning Building

(Gibson) Warren Haynes recently shared his thoughts with Music Radar as part of the site's ongoing "10 Questions" feature. Asked which of his guitars he would save from a burning building, Haynes replied, "My '59 Les Paul. I think every '59 Les Paul is pretty great, but this particular one is exceptional. It has this unique vibrancy and unique tone. I've played a lot of them --and some amazing ones, obviously --but this one I'm very lucky to own."

Haynes also revealed that the oldest guitar in his collection is a 1929 Gibson acoustic. "I got it a couple of years ago," he said. "It's an archtop like the one Robert Johnson is holding in one of those photographs, but slightly different. It's like an L-1."

Asked what advice he would share with his younger self, if that were possible, the acclaimed guitarist said, "Don't eliminate any genre of music from your influences. I've always � kind of studied different types of music and I think that was a valuable lesson that I learned a long time ago�. [Also], tell your younger self not to be hung up on chops and techniques and learn how to say more with fewer notes." Read more here.

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Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Performs On The Tonight Show

(hennemusic) Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong performed the "Revolution Radio" track, "Ordinary World", on NBC-TV's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 22 and video from the program is streaming online.

As Rolling Stone notes, "Ordinary World" was originally written for and appeared in the 2016 film of the same name, which starred Armstrong in the lead role of an aging musician; Green Day later repurposed the acoustic number as the closing track on the band's latest record.

"After all of the chaos that's on the album - whether it's pop culture or whatever new apps we're using - everything gets so complicated," the rocker told the magazine. "At some point you want something simple. That's sort of what 'Ordinary World' is about." Watch the performance
here.

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