Izzy Stradlin: "It's Old Hat"

I love this song!



Izzy Stradlin: guitar,vocals
Rick Richards: guitar,vocals
Duff McKagan: bass
Taz Bentley: drums

From Izzy Stradlin's 1998 album, 117 Degrees.

This Made Me Smile

Classic Rock

New Music: Coldplay, Def Leppard

Yeah, I know, Coldplay and Def Leppard in the same sentance? Sue me.

I grabbed the new Coldplay single this morning, and I'm really enjoying it.

If you hate Coldplay for some reason - that's fine - good for you.

If you are a fan - then I'm gonna bet that you're enjoying "Violet Hill" as much as I am.

The band is back to their 2002 A Rush of Blood to the Head form, and although I haven't paid much attention to them in the past few years, I have to say that now I'm pretty excited for their new album.

Sue me.

I know it's never been in vogue to like Coldplay (or Maroon 5, Nickelback, etc.) but I just don't see where all the hate comes from.

Yes, they sound like a less-depressing version of Radiohead. Is that a bad thing?

Personally, I like to think of them as a fusion between U2, Radiohead and Pink Floyd (all bands I enjoy).



As for Def Leppard, well I stopped paying attention to them somewhere between the release of Hysteria and the video debut for "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

That is to say, I WAS A BIG FAN of Def Lep from High and Dry thru Pyromania, those being the first two cassette tapes I ever purchsed.

Those albums really crystalized the '70s-2nd-wave-British-Heavy-Metal sound.

And the man responsible for that sound was none other than "Mutt" Lange.

Also responsible for the sound on AC/DC's Highway to Hell and Back in Black (the twin cousins of High & Dry and Pyromania), Lange is one of the most successful record producers ever.

He was also responsible for Shania Twain, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Huey Lewis and the News, Celine Dion, etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, Lange was rumored to be involved with the new Leppard project, but it wasn't meant to be (scheduling conflicts - yeah, right).

But still, the hype surrounding Sparkle Lounge was that it was a return to the Mutt Lange sound.

Well, I listened to the "record" twice today and I must say that it sounds a lot like Hysteria.

Now, Lange did produce Hysteria, so technically these claims are based in fact.

Me? I was never a big fan of that album - but if you were - then you might enjoy this new one.

-Mack

Hendrix's Wild Thing

Vivid Entertainment plans to release what it says is a film from the vaults of classic rock: a sex film supposedly of Jimi Hendrix.

The film shows a naked man who resembles Hendrix wearing a bandanna in his Afro, having sex with two brunettes in a dimly lighted bedroom.

His full face appears on screen for only a few seconds, with his eyes closed.

In other portions there are flashes of his profile. But his hands, bedecked with rings, roam large on the screen at times. The film has no audio.

But the identity of the man in the film, which has circulated among Hendrix aficionados for years, is fiercely disputed by experts and former associates.

Vivid Entertainment said that after an extensive inquiry led by private detective agencies, it stands by the Hendrix film as the real thing.

Mr. Hirsch said he became convinced that the tape was authentic after tracking down the man who shot it with an eight-millimeter camera; they reached a monetary agreement “for his approval for us to distribute this.”

But Mr. Hirsch and his lawyers declined to say how the man was located or to put a reporter in touch with him, saying they were bound by a confidentiality agreement signed at the man’s insistence.

No one was able to identify the women in the film, Mr. Hirsch added.

According to the sex-film distributor Howie Klein, who sold the tape to Vivid, the film surfaced when a collector discovered a tin labeled “Black Man” in a box of rock memorabilia bought at an unidentified auction in London.

Source: The New York Times

Who Killed Kurt?

I remember reading this special double-issue of High Times back in 1996 and being totally convinced that Courtney Love and El Duce killed Kurt Cobain.

Read it yourself and see what you think.

Below is an excerpt; you can scroll down to get the link to the entire article.
-M.A.

Who Killed Kurt Cobain?
by Tim Kenneally & Steve Bloom

(Original transcript from the article published in a High Times special issue in April 1996.)

The scenario, according to Grant, goes like this Kurt was planning to divorce Courtney and simultaneously leave the music business. He had spoken to Rosemary Carroll, one of the couple's attorneys about having Courtney taken out of his will. The note found with Cobain's body, Grant asserts, was a farewell to his fans not a suicide note. "It was not addressed to Frances [his daughter] and Courtney, as the police report claims and it doesn't say anything in there about suicide." says Grant.

Of course, Cobain's retirement would have resulted in untold future revenue losses. His decision not to headline the Lollapalooza '94 tour had already cost somewhere in the vicinity of $9.5 million. And, no matter how generous the settlement, a divorce would have led to a further depletion of Courtney's coffers, certainly amounting to less than what she stood to gain from inheriting the Cobain fortune. With that kind of money at stake, Grant contends, the situation was ripe for murder.

You can read the entire article here at JusticeForKurt.com

Weiland Headed to the Slammer

Scott Weiland has just been sentenced to 192 hours in county jail for his November DUI arrest. This is Weiland's second DUI offense. He has until May 28 to serve the sentence.

Scott, who was not present in court today, entered a no contest plea through his attorney, Anthony Brooklier. The former Velvet Revolver singer was also ordered to complete an 18-month alcohol program and pay almost $2,000 in fine. He will be put on a four-year summary probation.

Weiland was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol with a prior conviction, and with an allegation that he refused a chemical test as required by law. We are told he was over the legal limit of .08%, but not by much.

According to the police report, he failed the field sobriety tests and refused to take a blood or urine test. He was booked for DUI and released on $40,000.

Source: TMZ

FEAR - MORE BEER

Slash's favorite punk band.

Thanks (again) to the folks over at Rock is Dead/RIP you can rock-out once more to this out-of-print gem!

Outlook 2008

The good news is: it looks like we're gonna get a new Nine Inch Nails EP pretty soon.

Featuring 1/3 of the 1999 Guns N' Roses lineup (Robin Finck and Josh Freese), the EP is said to be "in the same spirit as Broken."

As you probably already know, you can download the first single, "Discipline," here.

Slash is gonna play on the new Ace Frehley disc, Pain in the Neck, due out in "early 2008."

Hopefully we'll hear a lot more from Slash in the coming year as he has promised not only a "solo" album, but one more Velvet Revolver disc.

In addition to the new record from VR, Duff McKagan will also be playing bass on the new Izzy Stradlin release which is due to debut on iTunes sometime this year.

And don't forget that Duff's other project, Loaded, is recording their new CD right now as well.

Current GN'R lead guitarist, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has promised his new solo disc for Summer 2008, and Ron seems like a pretty reliable guy, so that's good news, too.

Former GN'R lead guitarist, Buckethead released 30 albums in the last 12 months, but if that's not enough for you it has been announced that Science Faction, his new collaboration with Bootsy Collins and Bryan "Brain" Mantia will release their debut album on August 27.

Scott Weiland has promised a solo album in November, and a new Stone Temple Pilots album in the Spring.

As for that other disc we're waiting for? Well ...

Jaya the Cat - O'Farrell Medley

"The Tenderloin" is a dense residential, retail and nightlife neighborhood in downtown San Francisco.

"The 'Loin" has a rich history and a diverse international and artistic community but also significant poverty, homelessness, and crime.

It's known for its immigrant populations, its ethnic restaurants, bars and clubs, alternative arts scene, large homeless population, public transit and close proximity to Union Square, the Financial District, and Civic Center.



This video is a medley from Jaya the Cat's 1999 CD: O'Farrell

-MA

Spend the Day with Nine Inch Nails

April 2008: Spend The Day With Us: Watch This Video 2500 Times.



Source: NIN

There's No Logic Here Today

This is a video I made using demo # 2 of "Dust N' Bones" from the Use Your Illusion Outtakes.



I got the animated fractals from Fractal Recursions.

And, in case you missed the announcement here, the news is: Izzy is currently working on another new album - with DUFF McKAGAN guesting on several tracks!

The word for Izzy Stradlin is PROLIFIC.

I don't doubt that we'll be hearing that album sooner than we think.

Slash Sets the Record Straight

Guitar World spoke exclusively with Slash in New York on April 17, while he was in town to perform a benefit show with Tom Morello, Jerry Cantrell and Perry Farrell.

The guitarist discussed Velvet Revolver’s split with singer Scott Weiland:

“We had gotten to that point where we were resigned to the fact that we weren’t going to be working with Scott anymore, even before we left for the last leg of the tour,” says Slash.

“So when he said all that stuff onstage we were sort of surprised. Because we had no intention of breaking the band up. It might have been the last show for him, but it wasn’t the last show for Velvet Revolver."

On the fact that Weiland released a statement alleging “certain individuals” were singing along with him onstage:

“Scott was under the impression that our drum tech was singing during the set, which was why he walked offstage at that show. We convinced him that wasn’t happening, but then the next night he said that Matt was doing it. He was firmly convinced that was happening, which it wasn’t.”

On the future:

“We’ve been writing, and there will be a new album. I’ve been recording some stuff at home, and I know that Duff has gone over to Matt’s to work on things. We also have a bunch of stuff we’ve jammed on at soundchecks. We’ll get together sometime soon and begin laying stuff down.”

Source: Guitar World

New Music from AC/DC

To celebrate the release of Totally Baked - a stoner comedy executive produced by AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson - Johnson is offering free MP3 downloads of three original songs he produced for the film's soundtrack.

These songs, titled "Chain Gang," "Chase That Tail," and "Who Phoned The Law" are available to download now and for a limited time at Imeem.com.

New Music from Judas Priest

The title track of Judas Priest's double disc concept album, Nostradamus, can be streamed below.

Long in the works, Nostradamus takes epic storytelling to a whole new level, as it recounts the life of this mysterious, world-known 16th century French prophet.

"As in any concept piece, the lifeline needs to be of a solid source, taking the music over many levels of interest and perception," points out singer Rob Halford.

"Nostradamus contains new frontiers explored and defined. The sense of adventure and the journey we undertook bringing the man’s life alive with metal was a real labour of love."

"The Nostradamus album — above all others — is perhaps the one I'm most proud of," says Tipton. "Whilst in essence and character still very much Judas Priest, it has afforded the opportunity to explore areas of classical and operatic dimensions that the band normally wouldn't.

As a guitarist and writer it has inspired me to greater heights and opened new doors to intrigue and passion. From start to finish, it will take you through a magical experience filled with light, shade, drama, melody and emotion that reflects this unique man and his life."

"For me, 'Nostradamus' has been a musical journey without comparison," adds Downing. "The intrigue and mystery that surrounds this revered man has expanded my perception of heavy metal to the highest plateau and enabled me to reach the outer limits of my imagination and transport unique feelings and emotions to the instrument that allows me to express myself."

In addition to the regular jewel case double CD version of the album, collectors will undoubtedly be interested in hunting down a copy of a deluxe double CD housed in a 48-page hardbound book package. But that's not all — a super deluxe box-set version will also be available with triple vinyl, the double CD, an expanded booklet and a poster.

As to why they chose to make a concept album about Nostradamus, Tipton explains: "We didn't — he chose us. We feel it was meant to be!"

Nostradamus tracklist:

01. Dawn of Creation *
02. Prophecy
03. Awakening *
04. Revelations
05. The Four Horsemen *
06. War
07. Sands of Time *
08. Pestilence And Plague
09. Death
10. Peace *
11. Conquest
12. Lost Love
13. Persecution
14. Solitude *
15. Exiled
16. Alone
17. Shadows In the Flame *
18. Visions
19. Hope *
20. New Beginnings
21. Calm Before the Storm *
22. Nostradamus
23. Future Of Mankind

*Intro pieces of music/interludes going into the main track

The Subways

The Subways
"Girls & Boys"




I love this video.

It's the new single from the co-ed British 3-piece - The Subways.

It looks low-budget, but so artfully composed that it's simply stunning.

The crowd is moshing like crazy and the high-contrast, stark, black & white cinematography is so beautiful.

And it Rocks.

It's a rock video.

That makes me happy.

-MA

Duff Playing on New Izzy Stradlin Album

Duff has a great new website/forum for his 'Loaded' project.

It's pretty cool. He spends time on there and answers questions.

Today, he revealed that he will be playing on a few tracks on the new Izzy Stradlin album.

Awesome.

Source: Duff-Loaded.com

Thyme

Heres the new leak of Thyme.

What do you think? Real? or Fake?

Cool? or Lame?



Thanks to NewGNR.com for the photos!

How GN'R Fans Challenged Axl Rose

About a month ago, two executives at Cadbury Schweppes were playing Guitar Hero III at work and began pondering how cool it would be if Axl Rose finally got off his ass and released Guns N' Roses' long-awaited, 14-years-in-the-making album Chinese Democracy.

Greg Artkop and Sean Gleason had a eureka moment playing Guitar Hero III.

"It would be great if Chinese Democracy came out," Sean Gleason, senior VP of the brand action team at Cadbury Schweppes, told his gaming partner, Greg Artkop, Cadbury's director of corporate communications, who told Mr. Gleason he could find some tracks online. But that wasn't good enough. Mr. Gleason wanted the whole album, and that's when the light went on and he had the idea of trying to coax Axl into finally finishing it.

"We thought we actually could do something about it, and we talked to some folks and said, Why don't we see if we could goad him into releasing the album by getting more and more people demanding it?" he said.


You can read the entire article here.

Daughtry STILL in the Top Ten

#10. Daughtry - (This Week) 24,705 - (Total) 3,966,481

Released November 21, 2006, Daughtry was the fastest selling rock album in Soundscan history.

17 months later and it's still in the top ten.

Track 7: "What I Want" features Slash on guitar:

Mötley Crüe - The Saints Of Los Angeles (Music Video)

I think it's so cool that Motley Crue is trying so hard.

It's actually refreshing to see a band going at full steam like this.

New album, new festival tour, new book, new ... Video.

Yeah, they actually spent the cash to make a really cool new Motley Crue video that stacks up to the rest of their video canon.



I don't know that I'm going to personally BUY anything from these guys, but it's still really cool that Tommy Lee and co. have become "household names," and it only took them 23 years past their commercial peak to do so.

Rock on Crue.

-MA

Do You Like Weezer?

Did You Know?

You can listen to their new single, "Pork and Beans," here.

Tom Morello, Slash, Dave Navarro, etc. Jam Out

Tom Morello kicked off his seven-city “Justice Tour” last night by calling every able-bodied rock legend in Los Angeles for a surreal night of music and social awareness at the Troubadour. “This is what happens when I go through my Blackberry,” Morello joked to the crowd before Stuart Copeland snuck behind the drums and Perry Farrell grabbed the mike for a thundering version of the Police’s “Message in a Bottle” just twenty minutes into the evening. It was the start of a marathon night that would showcase unforgettable collaborations by rock royalty for more than three and half hours.

The concert featured early acoustic performances by Morello, Pete Yorn, Jerry Cantrell and the MC5’s Wayne Kramer. Morello — acting as master of ceremonies and orchestrating the chaos — then brought out what would serve as the nucleus of the evening’s house band: Travis Barker on drums, Flea playing bass and a rotating lineup of Steve Vai, Slash, Dave Navarro and Morello sharing guitar duties. The dream team backed up Cantrell for a version of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak” and rocked out covers such as Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

Throughout the evening Morello spoke about the tour’s goal of promoting local social activism and tackling problems endemic to each host city. While the activism is integral to the tour, Morello is quick to point out that the mood is celebratory and he views each night as “a freedom party.” Sen Dog and B-Real of Cypress Hill didn’t need any help celebrating as they arrived onstage (joint in hand) to knock out “Insane in the Brain” and “Rock Superstar.” Morello closed out the show with a poignant rendition of the Woody Guthrie classic “This Land is Your Land” (like he did at SXSW) that had every voice in the packed club singing backup.

Source: Rolling Stone

Jane's Addiction Reunion

Bassist Eric Avery has finally signed on, because show is "honoring the past instead of trying to re-create it."

By Chris Harris

After much deliberation, Eric Avery, the original bassist for seminal rockers Jane's Addiction, announced on Tuesday night that he's decided to share the stage with his former bandmates at least one more time — on April 23, during the first-ever US NME Awards.

The show will mark the first time he's performed with Jane's — which also includes frontman Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Stephen Perkins — in public since the group first split in 1991.

The band will be honored with the Godlike Genius Award during the ceremony, which is set for the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. Avery's publicist did not disclose how long the band's set will last or which songs it will be playing. It remains to be seen whether this performance will lead to a full-fledged, true reunion tour.

Avery has declined previous offers to reunite with the band — first for its reunion tour in 1997, when his spot was filled by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, and again in 2001, when Chris Chaney filled in; the band split yet again in 2004.

He explained his reasons for signing on this time in a statement issued Tuesday, in which he said he'd "chosen to reject the prospects of reuniting in the past for personal and philosophical reasons. I have always considered reunions to be a way to make a quick buck, and it sells short my own experience of it the first time around. The reason I started to even consider this is because it's honoring the past instead of trying to re-create it."

In a recent interview with MTV News, Avery didn't seem optimistic about the prospects of a reunion. "Life was telling me that I wasn't supposed to be doing that," he said. "I certainly didn't want to drag my past out and try to put the dreadlocks back on and re-create something. I feel that Jane's is really a vibe and a time. It wasn't like we were the Beatles. We didn't have crafty pop songs where it sort of didn't matter who played them because they're just really great songs. We were sort of a time and a vibe, and I didn't just want to be a shallow version of my former self.

"I keep thinking maybe that will change," he continued. "Maybe I will become desperate enough for money, or maybe I'll suddenly want to play those songs again, but so far, it just hasn't happened. I like Jane's remaining what it was for me."

Source: MTV

Duff Discusses Guns N' Roses Reunion

Mike Kerwick of NorthJersey.com conducted an interview with Loaded/Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan.

A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On being sober:

“You thought you were missing something if you didn’t go out one night. You might miss the greatest party ever. That’s just really kind of a teenage way of looking at things. I actually know people that still kind of think that way. They’re in their 30s and 40s. Poor fuckin' people. My life has become a lot richer since I’ve been sober."

“I’m living a full life. I got an education and I read and I’m fascinated by things. I kick-box. I water-ski. I ride a motorcycle. More importantly than all that other shit, I have two little girls and a wife who look to me for everything.”

On playing with his former Guns N’ Roses bandmates in Velvet Revolver:

“I think there’s definitely some weird chemistry that Slash and I have tapped into. I almost feel like some sort of weird old soul thing. We never talk about music, never have. We never talk about what we want a song to sound like. To me that would just be goofy.”

On possible reunion of Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup:

“It would have to be kind of a cool groovy situation, a feel-good situation, for us to do it. You know, I think it could happen someday, somehow, because of the fact that we’re all still alive. It’s really not something I waste any time thinking about. As far as my music goes, I have a great band, I love what we do. I love the records we made.”

On repeating Guns N’ Roses’ amazing success:

“It’s never gonna happen again. We were at the right place at the right time for a generation that needed it. It just doesn’t happen. People ask, ‘Well, is VR going to match the success of Guns N’ Roses?’ Oh, hell no. Nobody will. Nobody ever will. Unless in 10 years there’s some need for a rock band that comes along and captures their imagination.”

Source: BJ + VR

Slash: We Gave Scott the Cold Shoulder

Kerrang! magazine has published an exclusive interview with Slash about the Velvet Revolver's decision to part ways with singer Scott Weiland.

Slash, regarding how the band felt when Scott announced to the crowd in Glasgow, that they were witnessing the last tour by Velvet Revolver:

Slash: "He [Scott] didn't know that we were already planning on extraditing him. When we started touring the second record, it just felt like we were losing Scott as far as our connection went.

During the tour with Alice in Chains [in August 2007], he was just out to lunch. When he came back, he was supposed to go to rehab, so we postponed our Austrailian tour but he didn't really go to rehab. That was the final blow. We had a lot of commitments, like the tour in the UK, which we didn't want to go back on, so we wanted to finish those before telling him."

On how the band got along during this last UK tour:

Slash: "We basically didn't speak a word that whole time. We gave him the cold shoulder in the UK like nobody's business. There were a couple of arguments around the stage, but other than that, nobody spoke to him. I imagine he was quite uncomfortable. No wonder he didn't have a good time. Then he told everyone in Glasgow that the whole band was over. We were like, 'Oh, well, I guess we've got a surprise coming for you, Scott.'

"For the most part, I don't really remember seeing much of him, We flew to Dubai together, I think, when we played recently. Well, I think I remember him being on the plane, anyway. We sort of got used to him not being around. He's never really been part of the mechanics of the group — he's always been separate and doing his own little thing."

On whether or nor Weiland resented the shared history in GN'R that Slash, Duff, and Matt Sorum shared:

Slash: "There was some underlying fucking theme that was going on but I'd be lying if I said I could put my finger exactly on it. I definitely get the feeling there was some sort of resentment going on."

On whether there is any truth to the rumor that Weiland was called "J.A." — Junior Axl — by the band behind he back:

Slash: "No, I never called him that. There were a few similarities though. What became really irritating was that I had the same problem with Scott as I had when I toured with Axl. I just couldn't get the guy onstage on time. That I can't accept. I will not do it again. I will not be in a situation where a guy is making the audience wait half an hour or an hour or more. It's criminal. I don't know who someone thinks he is when tries to get away with that sort of thing."

Regarding being "cursed" when it comes to singers:

Slash: "I know, it figures. At this point, three times charmed, right? We're looking forward to finding a new singer, though, and we're in a much stronger position to do that than when we started. Now at least people know what we're doing, they know we're a rock 'n' roll band and that we're sucessful enough that you're going to have to be on your game if you're going to hook up with us. I just want to find this guy so we can write some songs."

Source: Kerrang!

The Godfather

Tokyo, February 22, 1992

Judas Priest - Nostradamus

Over two years in the making, Judas Priest will finally unveil its 16th studio album, Nostradamus, June 17 via Epic in North America and a day earlier internationally.

A double-disc set that tells the story of the 16th century prophet, Michel de Nostredame (whose name is often "Latinized" as Nostradamus), the release is Priest's first-ever concept album, and was recorded throughout 2006 and 2007 at Old Smithy Studio in the UK

"Making Nostradamus was a new experience for us in Judas Priest, insomuch as this was going to be a conceptual writing and recording event," Priest singer Rob Halford tells Billboard.com. "His life is well-documented, so for us it was all about taking the significant episodes he went through, and then with the right emotion, create music and lyrics that would convey them."

On the album, Halford, guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis spread their stylistic wings, experimenting with symphonic orchestration and choirs.

Three configurations of "Nostradamus" will be issued. The most common will be a regular jewel-cased double CD, but there will also be a "CD deluxe hardbound version," which features a 48-page booklet, while a "super deluxe version" will include three vinyl records (in addition to the CD deluxe packaging, plus a poster).


While there have been some European dates announced in support of "Nostradamus" (the chief one being a performance as part of this year's Download Festival in England, which also features Kiss and Motorhead, among others), there will soon be an announcement about Priest's plans for a US tour.

In the meantime, Halford dropped a hint as to what's in store for the group's later headline dates. "As we recorded and listened to the music, and much like a lot of Priest songs, you cannot help but see images in your mind. We constantly thought about special effects and visual elements that will connect musically that we want to use onstage when we will perform all of Nostradamus live," he says. "Again, like every song we compose, the transition from studio to concert is one we think about and make sure we can deliver the goods."

-Greg Prato, Billboard

Links:
Billboard
Judas Priest Official Site

Now That You've Been Broken Down

When I find out all the reasons
Maybe I'll find another way
Find another day
With all the changing seasons of my life
Maybe I'll get it right next time
An now that you've been broken down
Got your head out of the clouds
You're back down on the ground
And you don't talk so loud
An you don't walk so proud
Any more, and what for



6 April 1992 - Myriad Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

This Just In

Scott Weiland is a Douche.

Anthrax Opens For Maiden, Pleases Satan

Story by: Michael Tedder

Though Ozzfest is heavily rumored to be on hiatus or seriously downsized this summer, fans of classic heavy metal will still have a handful of opportunities to see some of the figureheads of the form.

Anthrax has signed on to support two dates of Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back In Time tour on May 30 and 31 at Irvine, California's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

These shows, along with a warm-up date at Chicago's Double Door, will be Anthrax's first shows with new vocalist Dan Nelson, who joined the group in 2007.

"I saw [Maiden] two weeks ago and sang every word," said Frank Bello in an endearing statement of metal brotherhood. "They're better than ever!! I can't wait to play with them again!! Good times!!"

After playing the shows, Anthrax is expected to continue working on the follow-up to 2003's We've Come For You All.

Tour Dates For Anthrax :
05/28 - Chicago, Il - Double Door
05/30 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
05/31 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Source: CMJ

Motley Crue's Big Announcement

Motley Crue will make their big announcement today at 4pm.

Stay here to watch the press conference LIVE.

Slash: "I Wanted Axl to do a Solo Record"

Metal Hammer, November 1995

MH: Doing your own thing - as have Izzy and Duff, who have also done their own albums - has obviously been very beneficial for you in lots of ways. Do you think it might be good for Axl if he did something like that?

SLASH: I wanted him to. You have to know Axl to understand what I’m getting at.

Axl’s the kind of guy who over-thinks everything. Sometimes it’s fucking classic, and sometimes it’s just...whatever. And that’s cool.

But there was a point there where Axl goes: “I’m gonna do a solo record, and I’m gonna get Trent Reznor and Dave Navarro, and the drummer from Nirvana...” and so on.

And it’s like, he doesn’t even know half of these people. He’s just pulling them out of the sky. And I was like, “Cool! Do your thing. That way you’ll get it out of your system, and when you get back we’ll just be Guns N’ Roses.”

I wished he had done it, because then it would have really fucking taken some of the air out of the bullshit that we’ve been going through.

Source: Metal Hammer

Kiss My Ankh

Vinnie Vincent Tribute Album Announced

As revealed during the March 15th episode of "Talking Metal on Fuse," SplitScreen Entertainment has announced its upcoming tribute album, KISS MY ANKH: A Tribute To Vinnie Vincent.

Though Vinnie himself has not released any new material in over a decade, KISS MY ANKH will pay tribute to the undeniable musical legacy of the former Kiss guitarist.

Vinnie's compositions are widely regarded as a highlight of the Kiss catalog and remain a staple of the live Kiss set list.

Included on the tribute will be selections from the three Kiss albums to which Vinnie contributed, as well as the two albums he released with the Vinnie Vincent Invasion.

Participating artists and track listings will be announced as they are confirmed.

KISS MY ANKH: A Tribute To Vinnie Vincent is scheduled for a Summer 2008 release.

Source: Split Screen

Approach Path to Hong Kong

Look familiar?


Source: YouTube

Winehouse Album Delay

Plans for Amy Winehouse to release a new album this year have been shelved.

The singer's label Island Records booked a trip for her in the Bahamas last month, where she would begin recording her next LP with producer Saleem Reli. However, Winehouse pulled out of the arrangement at the last minute, meaning that plans for a new release this year will no longer go ahead.

"Island wanted to get her away from it all and thought it would be great surroundings for her," a source told The Sun. "It was a very expensive trip and it was hoped they would make some decent progress recording the album. But Amy pulled out at the last minute.

"The album was planned for late 2008, but her label is now privately admitting it’s unlikely to happen until 2009. She's not the kind of artist you can just stick in the studio for a month and get an album done. And I now think early 2009 would be a good result."

Amy's last album, Back to Black, was released in 2006.

Source: Digital Spy

Black 'N Blue

According to our friends at Rock is Dead/R.I.P., this album is "one of the best hard rock releases of all time.

One of a select few records from other L.A. Bands that I think set the stage for Guns N' Roses to do what they did a few years later with Appetite.

The Guns were just sitting in the background absorbing new music like this at the time.

They latched onto this aggressive style, added a little bit more classic rock into it (like Aerosmith, Stones etc.) & took the world by storm.

The success of this band was a little more ill fated though. 4 releases, no hits, & dropped from the label. This is thier debut. Probably their best. The lead guitar player (Tommy Thayer) has since took the role of Space Ace in KISS."

Source: Rock is Dead/R.I.P.

It's The Final Countdown!

I don't know if these guys are trying to be bad or not.

But they are really very awful.

For some reason, Europe's "The Final Countdown" is amazingly well known - does anyone know why? Who ever was in charge of marketing and promotion for Europe must have been a genius. This song's been used everywhere from Olympic Skating to Arrested Development. Trey Anastasio even did a lousy cover of it.

Full disclosure - Europe's The Final Countdown was the first compact disc I ever bought. The salesman who sold me my CD player convinced me to buy it for the "sound quality."

-MA

Some Pussy-Assed Writer From NME

Not much new info in this article, but you'll get a chuckle from it - and it's good reading nonetheless.

Source: The Guardian

Is It All Over? Does Anyone Care?

Metal Hammer, November 1995

MH: How long can Guns afford to leave releasing a new album before people start to lose interest?

SLASH: Thinking about how people are gonna react, or how long we can be away and so on, is really only an afterthought considering just getting the band together to make what I consider a good record, and take it from there.

If we have to start all over again, fine, so be it. I have no problems with that; I’m just doing it now, with another band. As long as the integrity and the quality of the band is naturally there, where we don’t even have to sit there and think about it, that’s what I’m into.

I’d love to be on the road right now doing my fifth album or whatever, but the way things are and the way Guns N’ Roses has always been - which is that it’ll be done when it’s done - the most important thing is to do a cool record.

And if we have to work that much harder to establish the fan base or whatever, that’s going to have to be the way it is. If we were gonna be working on an annual basis - every year: “Here’s a record” - and star turning out crap, that would be more disappointing.

But I have to tell you one thing: I do want to get a Guns N’ Roses record out as soon as possible, so we can do a tour and so that I can then go back and do another Snakepit record afterwards. It’s developing into being such a good band.

Source: Metal Hammer

The Crue is Back!

You can stream the new Motley Crue track here, and in my opinion - it's Fucking Awesome.

I cannot get this song out of my head -- Crue is back!

Source: Spinner

Flashback 2006

It's that time again. It's not a regular event or anything, but it seems to happen every three years or so: Axl Rose sticks his head out of his LA hermit-mansion and promises the world some new material.

Remember this?

Chinese Conspiracy !!??

Paste magazine has just uncovered a shocking conspiracy regarding Axl Rose's $14M opus, Chinese Democracy.

Axl heard the tale of Beijing’s failed Olympic bid, and felt an immediate solidarity with the Chinese. Devastated by the mediocre sales and scathing reviews of The Spaghetti Incident that same year, the GN'R frontman understood what it felt like when the whole world craps on one’s dreams. An anonymous official in the Chinese government confirmed that Axl called Chinese President Jiang Zemin the very next day to express his sympathy, and make a vow that Guns N’ Roses would not release another album until China was awarded the Olympic Games.

Axl’s GNR bandmates were unaware of the promise for several years, until Slash overheard a telephone conversation between Axl and Zemin in 1996. An ardent supporter of the Dalai Lama’s crusade for Tibetan independence, Slash confronted Axl and announced he was quitting the band after several hours of bitter arguing.

You can read the entire article here.

SOURCE: Paste

Hookers and Blow

Dizzy Reed's band Hookers and Blow will be playing at the Crossroads in Palmer, MA tonight.

Also on the bill is Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate (and Ratt).

Dizzy will be performing a mix of covers as well as, for the first time new music from The Still Life soundtrack, which he recently scored.

For more information visit Dizzy's MySpace.

Watch Hookers and Blow perform "Used to Love Her"

AC/DC Disc Due

AC/DC is currently in the studio with producer Brendan O’Brien working on their first album in eight years says, according to Supersuckers (whose own album has been delayed as their own producer engineers for O’Brien and AC/DC).

SOURCE: Rolling Stone

I Heart the C-5 Galaxy

South Texas Rock Fest vs. Rocklahoma

The south TEXAS ROCK FEST looks like a lot of fun.

It's going to be held in San Antonio on July 11-13. The lineup reads like a list of names you'd see on the 1987 Headbanger's Ball:

Queensryche, Y&T, Skid Row, Pretty Boy Floyd, Tesla, Dokken, LA Guns, Faster Pussy Cat, Helix, Ozz Knozz, The Godz, Firehouse, Jackyl, Jokester, Bang Tango, Mad Margritt, House of Lords, Zero Hour, Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Bullet Boys, Axe

The organizers are promising that more bands will be added soon.

I'm telling you - if you want to see some tits - then this is the festival for you. It's gonna be a blast. Bang Tango? Come on, how cool is that?

It's the same weekend as Rocklahoma, so you can't go to both. They feature pretty much the same lineups, so let me break it down for you.

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Skid Row
Rocklahoma - Sebastian Bach

advantage: Rocklahoma

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - 3 days
Rocklahoma - 4 days

advantage: Rocklahoma (I think)

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Headliner: Queensryche
Rocklahoma - Headliner: Bret Micheals

advantage: south TEXAS

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Stephen Pearcy of Ratt
Rocklahoma - Cinderella

advantage: south TEXAS

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Dokken
Rocklahoma - Lynch Mob

advantage: Rocklahoma

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Y&T
Rocklahoma - XYZ

advantage: south TEXAS

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Bang Tango, Bullet Boys, Jackyl, Helix
Rocklahoma - Triumph, Extreme, Lita Ford, Night Ranger

advantage: Rocklahoma

south TEXAS ROCK FEST - Average July Temp: 95 Degrees
Rocklahoma - Average July Temp: 82 Degrees

advantage: Rocklahoma

VERDICT: Rocklahoma, but just barely. I still think that Texas has more attractive women.

Thoughts?

south TEXAS ROCK FEST

"Seems to Me"

With all the talk about a Guns N' Roses reunion I thought I would share with you another song from Izzy's absolute masterpice of an album - Fire.

This one is called "Seems to Me." The lyrics speak to me of forgiveness for Axl Rose, and hope for the future. Then again, maybe I'm just crazy (I am).

Anyway, it's a great song, and I hope you enjoy this video.

In addition, I found another (kind of) good review for the album from Edmonton's own VueWeekly.

See you at the reunion shows.

-MA

The See Five

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is an American military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It was designed to provide strategic heavy airlift over intercontinental distances and to carry outsize and oversize cargo. The C-5 Galaxy has been operated by the United States Air Force since 1969 and is one of the largest military aircraft in the world.


The C-5 is a large high-wing cargo aircraft. It has a distinctive high T-tail, 25 degree wing sweep, and four TF39 turbofan engines mounted on pylons beneath the wings. The C-5 has 12 internal wing tanks and is equipped for aerial refueling. It has both nose and aft doors for "drive-through" loading and unloading of cargo.


The C-5 features a cargo compartment 121 feet long, 13.5 feet high, and 19 feet wide, or just over 31,000 ft³. The cargo hold of the C-5 is actually a foot longer than the length of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers' flyer at Kitty Hawk. The nose and aft doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment to permit faster and easier loading. Ramps are full width at each end for loading double rows of vehicles. The volume of unusable space in a C-5's tail assembly (aft of the ramp) is larger than the available cargo space of a C-130 Hercules.

It has an upper deck seating area for 73 passengers. The passengers face the rear of the aircraft, rather than forward. Its take off distance is 8,300 ft and landing distance is 4,900 ft. Its high flotation landing gear has 28 wheels to share the weight. The "kneeling" landing gear system that permits lowering of the parked aircraft so the cargo floor is at truck-bed height to facilitate vehicle loading and unloading.


The C-5 has a MADAR (Malfunction Detection Analysis and Recording), a system that records and analyzes information and detects malfunctions in more than 800 test points. The C-5 is also known as "FRED" (Fucking Ridiculous Economic/Environmental Disaster) by its crews due to its maintenance/reliability issues and large consumption of fuel. The C-5 requires an average of 16 hours of maintenance for each flight hour based on 1996 data.

The Galaxy is capable of carrying nearly all of the Army's combat equipment, including bulky items such as the 74 ton armored vehicle launched bridge (AVLB), from the United States to any location on the globe.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

Trent Reznor on NPR Today at 2pm

Wednesday April 9, 2008
Psychic TV
Host David Dye welcomes Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor to the World Café. Hot on the heels of the politically-charged, futuristic opus, Year Zero, Nine Inch Nails have just released Ghosts, an ambitious 36-track instrumental soundscape.

Listen Live

I ***** the Candles on the Shelf

Buckner Throws Out First Pitch!

All is forgiven! Bill Buckner tossed out the first pitch and Hub heroes from championships - and Stanley Cups - past welcomed the Red Sox back home today for a ring-bearing, banner-raising opener.

The Celtics, Bruins, and Patriots sent titans of Boston titles - from Bill Russell and Bobby Orr to Tedy Bruschi - to mark the crisp-but-glorious day.

“It’s a privilege to be here,” said Chief Master Sgt. Bill LaPointe of the Mass Air National Guard, attending his first opening day. “You can tell the fans are fired up and having the world champions here is great.”

His fellow flyboys buzzed the park in F16s after the national Anthem.

Then, in a historic display of Fenway compassion, Bucker wiped away a tear and threw out the first pitch to former teammate Dwight Evans. It was a strike right across the plate for the now-exorcised goat of the 1986 World Series collapse.

SOURCE: Boston Herald

Ambre’s Not Wearing Underwear

video.vh1.com

Civil War EP (B-Sides Pt. V)

The Civil War EP was a maxi-single CD released in 1993.

My copy of it has 3 tracks:

1. Civil War
2. Garden of Eden
3. Exclusive Interview with Slash

In the interview Slash talks about "coming up", making-it-big, and working hard.

You can download the entire 7 minute interview here

Faces Reunion

Ron Wood wants reunite the band he quit in the 1970s to be a Rolling Stone. The guitarist's former bandmates, including Rod Stewart, Kenney Jones and Ronnie Lane, are reportedly keen for a comeback.

And Wood, who is currently between Rolling Stones tours, has given the idea his backing.

"Yeah, I have heard rumors about us reuniting. There just aren't enough hours in the day are there? We'd love to do it if we could, yeah. It could happen."

Last year, drummer Jones claimed a reunion had "every chance of happening."

Watch "Stay With Me" live from 1972



SOURCE: Starpulse

The Triumphant Return of Stone Temple Pilots

According to The Associated Press, the reunited Stone Temple Pilots on Monday revealed the details of their 65-city tour, set to begin May 17 in Columbus, Ohio.

As previously announced, the trek will kick off with a headlining appearance at the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

"The story's not finished," singer Scott Weiland told The Associated Press. "There's more to be revealed and more to be told."

Guitarist Dean DeLeo said the band plans to record a new album after the tour, which is set to wrap in November.

The Grammy-winning rockers celebrated their announcement with a private show in the Hollywood Hills.

The band performed a half-dozen hits during a 30-minute set, including opener "Big Empty", "Vasoline" and "Interstate Love Song."

"Big Empty" (courtesy of "ohthehorror13"):



SOURCE: Blabbermouth

Happy Birthday Izzy

Izzy - We Love You - Happy Freakin' Birthday, Man!

Dust N' Bones


14 Years


Sweet Caress


Infrastruck


Iz, You rule. Now call Axl!

Weiland Books Vegas Club Date

SOURCE: ClubZone

Holy Reverse Polarity, Robin!

04 april 2008: welcome back!posted by trent reznor at 5:08 pm pst, from los angeles.

I called it.

source: nin.com

7 Days to Go ...

DINNER PARTY
9/8c TV-PG
04.10.2008

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER - Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) find they have run out of excuses and are forced to go to Jan (Melora Hardin) and Michael's (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) house for dinner. When Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) are also invited to dinner, Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) jealousy gets the best of him. Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, Mindy Kaling and Creed Bratton also star.

SOURCE: NBC.com

Infrastruck - Izzy Stradlin - Fire

Infrastruck.

This is my favorite song on Fire ... the Acoustic Album.

You should really BUY it.

Do I need to remind you that you can get it on iTunes?

Right now?

For ten bucks?


Anyway, Check out this video of "Infrastruck"



-Mack Arillo

Don't forget: More Guns N' Roses B-Sides are Coming Soon ...

Preview the New Motley Crue Song

"This album has the vibe of Dr. Feelgood, Girls Girls Girls, and Shout at the Devil," promises Nikki Sixx of the band's first new album since 1997.

The still-yet-untitled album borrows heavily from Crue's autobiography The Dirt and attempts to recapture the glitter rock sound with song titles like "Down at the Whisky" and "White Trash Circus."

"There's also a lot of humor because, let's face it, we're ridiculously funny,'" says Sixx.

You can also preview a sample of the new Motley Crue song "The Saint Of Los Angeles" below:



SOURCE: Rolling Stone

Bands I Hate (Pt. I)

One band I won't be following here is The Counting Crows.

I hated them in 1993, and I hate them now.

Here is my top ten reasons why.

10. The lead singer's fake dreadlocks are a slap in the face to Rastas worldwide.
09. That song "Brown Ear" is painfully annoying.
08. Nobody in the band is a good musician.
07. That song "Rain King."
06. They don't "Rock."
05. The lead singer is like a cross between a fratboy and a hippie.
04. They dress like pussies.
03. Their awful, awful cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."
02. All of their song are incredibly melodramatic.
01. The singer's voice, duh.

BONUS REASONS: He's fat. They call themselves "Counting Crows," not "The Counting Crows." You know, like "Chasing Amy," "Finding Nemo," "Drowning Mona." Ugh. 1993 wasn't really that great, let's move on.

Black Crowes, Sheryl Crow, The Crow, Counting Crows ... enough already. Talk about the commodity form, huh?

I thought they were gone, but they're back.

Somebody please wake me up when their tour with Maroon 5 is over and I don't have to read about them anymore.

Thanks,
MA

Human Being

Today's recommendation comes from
Rock is Dead, RIP.
The New York Dolls - (I'm a) Human Being (LIVE).

The NY Dolls were a major influence on tons of other bands - I'll let you guess who.

(Thanks to trio over at Rock is Dead for sharing their collection of out-of-print records with us).

There's A Guy on My Block

He Lives for Rock



By the way, more Guns N' Roses B-Sides Coming Soon ...

-MA

Weiland Officially Out

According to Rolling Stone, Velvet Revolver no longer have a lead singer.

“This band is all about its fans and its music and Scott Weiland isn’t 100% committed to either,” Slash reportedly said (the group’s split with Weiland was confirmed by Sanctuary management). “Among other things, his increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on.” Last week, Weiland and drummer Matt Sorum engaged in a war of words via the press and blog posts, and yesterday Billboard reported that Weiland will announce a full set of tour dates with his old band, Stone Temple Pilots, on April 7th.

Last week Weiland told a Glasgow crowd that the band was on its last tour. When Sorum blogged about the incident, Weiland responded angrily via Blabbermouth, lambasting his bandmate while boasting of his own record sales (”35 million copies worldwide”) and professionalism “regardless of how many drugs I’ve ingested into my system.” Weiland voluntarily entered rehab in February, which forced the cancellation of some concert dates. Just yesterday Slash was quoted as saying the band will make a third album with or without Weiland, insisting, “We don’t know how or when but the core four guys will continue.”

SOURCE: Rolling Stone

You can read the Official Press Release here.