Aug. 25, 2010

1970-Elton John made his first live appearance in the U.S., at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Aug. 24, 2010

Neil Young has titled his new album Le Noise. It's due out on September 28th and was produced by Daniel Lanois, who is the only other musician on the album. Young also plans to release an I-Phone and I-Pad app for the album in October.

Aug. 24, 2010

Eric Clapton will release a deluxe version of his new album, Clapton. Available on the same day as the regular CD, September 28th, but only through his website http://www.ericclapton.com/claptondtc/, the deluxe version will be pressed on a 24-karat-gold CD with a bonus track of "You Better Watch Yourself." It will also come with an 11-by-14-inch lithograph of EC's iconic guitar Blackie and a CD-sized hardcover book, which holds the CD and has 16 pages of photos from the recording sessions. It will retail for 40 dollars.

Aug. 23, 2010

Paul McCartney wrapped up the summer leg of his Up and Coming tour Thursday in Pittsburgh. There are rumors that he will be back on the road in October and November with dates in Chicago, Detroit and Louisville, Kentucky.

Aug. 23, 2010

Two of the four original members of Black Sabbath have said they'd like to work again with Ozzy Osbourne. You can now add Ozzy to the list. He tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "We're talking and that's a good sign. We're not at war with each other ... I'm trying to get things done right, talking at least." Ozzy adds that he has spoken to drummer Bill Ward, who is open to the idea, and last week bassist Geezer Butler said the same thing. Only guitarist Tony Iommi has yet to comment.

Aug. 23, 2010

Last week was a rough one for Aerosmith. First Joe Perry accidentally nudged Steven Tyler off the stage in Toronto, and then, two nights later, Tyler accidentally clocked Perry over the head with his microphone stand, cutting the guitarist. Perry writes on his Twitter page, "Living through [my recent] motorcycle accident, getting bashed on the head with [the] mic stand [and] almost flying off end of ramp, I know I'm gonna see this through." As for reports that Perry intentionally pushed Tyler off the stage, a spokesperson for the band says, "Joe wanted his fans to know that he would never deliberately push Steven off the stage." Perry writes on Twitter, "It's a contact sport, but when they make me out to be the villain it pisses me off. At least now you just gotta use your own eyes and ears."

Aug. 20, 2010

Bret Michaels has filed a five-million dollar lawsuit against a Syracuse, New York, promoter for postponing a concert without his knowledge. According to the complaint, Michaels was set to perform in Syracuse on August 5th. But when he and he crew showed up there was no stage at the venue. The promoter, Michael Banks, claimed the show wasn't going to happen since Michaels scheduled an appearance on NBC's America's Got Talent that same night -- even though the show had been taped.

Aug. 18, 2010

Peter Gabriel will be the guest on the first episode of Guitar Center Sessions, which premieres Saturday at 8 p.m on DirecTV. The show was taped live at the GuitarCenter store in Hollywood, California.

Aug. 18, 2010

Eric Clapton will release his new album, Clapton, on September 28th. Five songs will hit radio on Tuesday, including the first single, "Run Back to Your Side." The BBC premiered "Diamonds Made From Rain," a ballad with Sheryl Crow on background vocals, yesterday.

Aug. 17, 2010

The life of John Lennon is being celebrated in yet another box set collection. The John Lennon Box of Vision, in celebration of what would have been his 70th birthday, contains a 166-page hard-bound book with all of his album artwork, brilliantly restored in pristine new LP-size art prints. There is also a full color discography with an exclusive essay and textual guide; newly restored reproductions of classic Lennon album advertisements; and a CD storage system built to hold all of his official CD releases. Less than 75-hundred numbered copies will be made available worldwide. It retails for $125 and will be available on October 5th.

Aug. 16, 2010

Pink Floyd singer-guitarist David Gilmour is the executive producer of a Syd Barrett career-retrospective album, which is due out in the U.K. in October. Called An Introduction to Syd Barrett, it brings together some of Barrett's Pink Floyd songs and his solo material. No word on when or if it will be released in the U.S. Gilmour replaced Barrett in Floyd in 1968. Barrett died in 2006

Aug. 13, 2010

45 years ago Sunday, the Beatles performed their historic concert at Shea Stadium in New York City.

Aug. 13, 2010

One of the last big festivals of the summer kicks off Saturday in San Bernardino, California as Ozzfest rides again. This year is slimmed down compared to past versions, as it will only visit six cities. Ozzy Osbourne will be joined by Motley Crue, Rob Halford, DevilDriver and Nonpoint on the main stage. The second stage will feature Black Label Society and Drowning Pool. --Steve Reynolds

Aug. 13, 2010

A day after we broke the story that a Paul McCartney tribute album is in the works, we've gotten some more details. In addition to Paul Rodgers, the album also features appearances by KISS -- who've recorded "Venus and Mars" / "Rockshow" -- Billy Joel, Garth Brooks and B.B. King. McCartney's band recorded the backing tracks. No word on when it will be released.

Aug. 12, 2010

Ozzy Osbourne is not a fan of toupees. In his health column for the U.K.'s Sunday Times he writes, "I'd just shave it all off, although it's easy for me to say, I suppose. Then there's the option of buying [a wig]. But that comes with all kinds of other risks." He concludes by telling a story about how he once took a toupee off of someone and used it to mop up some beer. "It was like he was keeping a dead cat up there. So if I put him off wearing that thing ever again, I probably did him a favor."

Aug. 12, 2010

Def Leppard, who've been on the road for the better part of the past five years, are taking a year off. Singer Joe Elliott says they need the time to "freshen it up...even if it's just hanging out with the family." Elliott recently released a new album, My Regeneration, a collection of songs originally done by Mott the Hoople-related artists such as Ian Hunter, Mott and the British Lions.

Aug. 11, 2010

Whitesnake are re-building their lineup while recording a new album. They've replaced drummer Chris Frazier with former Foreigner drummer Brian Tichy, but are still looking for a replacement for bassist Uriah Duffy. Frontman David Coverdale says, "These things happen... Often it is not necessarily any one person's fault -- it just unfolds that the relationship has naturally run its course."

Aug. 11, 2010

Director Martin Scorsese, who's worked Rolling Stones music into a few of his movies, including Goodfellas and The Departed, is using their 1965 song "She Said Yeah" in a commercial he's directed for Bleu De Chanel men's cologne.

Aug. 10, 2010

ArtistDirect.com reports that Steve Miller is joining the faculty at USC's Thornton School of Music as an artist in residence.

Aug. 10, 2010

The estate of the late Jimi Hendrix is releasing more recordings before the end of 2010. RollingStone.com reports that the deluxe offerings will include Hendrix's performance at Woodstock. Also on the way are highlights from the "Little Wing" rocker's appearances on UK radio and television.

Aug. 9, 2010

Van Halen is indeed working on a new album with singer David Lee Roth. The announcement was made by Warner/Chappell Music, which has extended its administration agreements for the band's catalog with Eddie and Alex Van Halen. The press release says the album will be out next year.

Aug. 5, 2010

Styx is the latest act to play an entire album in concert, except in their case they're doing two. Starting October 14th in Indiana, they'll be doing '77's The Grand Illusion and '78's Pieces of Eight in their entirety. Among the hits on those albums are "Come Sail Away," "Renegade," "Blue Collar Man" and "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)." Singer-guitarist Tommy Shaw says, "This is the most unique Styx concert ever. It's a hybrid experience of enjoying the artistry of the vinyl album and the energy and of our live performance. Some songs have never been performed live!"

Aug. 4, 2010

Aug. 2, 2010

Brian Johnson says that AC/DC fans should expect a new LP in the near future. The rock frontman told the UK's BBC Radio 2 that the Aussie rockers will, quote, "probably bring a live album out" soon.

July 28, 2010

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton tells us that if they had decided to move forward without singer Steven Tyler earlier this year they would have looked upon it as a side project and not Aerosmith. As for finally coming to the decision to carry on with Tyler, Hamilton says, "Luckily the thing that became possible was what was in the back of our heads the whole time, which was, 'We've got this beautiful band. Let's back it out of the garage and hit the highway.'" Aerosmith, with Tyler in tow, will take the highway to Irvine, California, tomorrow night, with Cheap Trick in the opening slot for that show only.

July 27, 2010

Are The Cars reuniting? The band recently posted a picture on their Facebook page of them performing in a studio, but provided no details. Keyboard player Greg Hawkes tells the Boston Globe, "I hate to be vague, but I really can't say. It's a crazy world."

July 22, 2010

Sting has racked up another Top 10 album. Symphonicities, the album of his songs performed with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, bows at number six on the Billboard album chart with 36,000 copies sold last week.

July 20, 2010

Warrant rocker Jani Lane has just one week to turn himself in to begin a 120-day jail sentence in connection with his second DUI arrest in as many years. E! Online says the rocker's sentence was handed down on Monday. Lane hit a parked car on the evening of May 10 and later failed a breathalyzer test

July 20, 2010

"Enchanted" actress Amy Adams is reportedly on board to play Janis Joplin on the big screen. Film producer Wyck Godfrey, whose most notable project is "The Twilight Saga," let the detail slip while talking about the upcoming "Twilight" film in an interview with Fearnet.com last week. He mentioned a Fernando Meirelles Janis Joplin movie "with Amy Adams playing Janis Joplin."

July 12, 2010

The Heaven and Hell tribute to late singer Ronnie James Dio on July 24th at London's High Voltage festival will be their only one. Proceeds from their performance will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.

July 9, 2010

KISS had the cameras rolling during their 35th anniversary tour Down Under in 2008, and the result is KISSteria, a one-hour special that will premiere on A&E on July 20th following the 100th episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
KISS start their North American tour on July 23rd in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

July 9, 2010

John Fogerty's baseball bat-shaped guitar "Slugger," which was damaged during the Nashville flood in May, has been restored and will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame following this year's induction ceremony on July 25th.

July 8, 2010

Peter Frampton and Yes were forced to cancel last night's show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, because the storm that canceled Tuesday's show in Oklahoma damaged some of their equipment.

July 8, 2010

July 7, 2010

Roger Daltrey tells Billboard that The Who are hoping to tour again next year, possibly revising Quadrophenia. He says, "We're just working out what to do next. We've got ideas ... We're looking on probably being out there, hopefully if all goes well, in the spring of next year...

July 7, 2010

The Doobie Brothers have made good on their promise for a "major announcement" this week -- they'll release a new album, World Gone Crazy, on September 28th.

July 6, 2010

Prior to joining Los Lobos on stage last week in Chicago, Robert Plant was joined by the East Los Angeles band earlier in the day for the filming of the video for the first single from his new album, Band of Joy.

June 29, 2010

Chrissie Hynde will be announcing the itinerary soon for the first U.S. tour by her new group JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys. She tells us the dates -- which will include the first shows she's ever done with Lucinda Williams -- will not feature any Pretenders material. But fans of that band shouldn't be concerned, they're still together and have dates scheduled in Australia and New Zealand this winter. She says one reason she's kept The Pretenders going all these years is as a tribute to her late bandmates guitarist James Honeyman Scott and bassist Pete Farndon, both of whom died in the early 1980s of drug-related causes.

June 24, 2010

R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe," The Band's self-titled second album and Patti Smith's Horses are among the 25 recordings that have been added into the Library of Congress' Recording Registry, which preserves "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" works.

June 24, 2010

Gregg Allman, who suffers from Hepatitis C, underwent a successful liver transplant yesterday morning at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

June 23, 2010

Even though Supertramp doesn't want founding member Roger Hodgson to be part of their 40th anniversary tour this year, Hodgson is still willing to join them should they change their mind. He says, "I know that it means a lot to the fans to see me on stage with Supertramp again, and I feel it's the right thing to do. None of us would be here if it weren't for the fans. It is because of them that I have offered, and the offer is still on the table. It's my way of saying thank you for their support of our music all these years." In the meantime, Hodgson continues to tour on his own with a festival show in Austria on Saturday and Canadian dates in July.

June 14, 2010

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June 9, 2010

Ratt have canceled their European tour as singer Stephen Pearcy has to undergo a hernia surgery this week. Pearcy is expected to make a full recovery in time for the band's U.S. tour, which starts in July and includes a stint opening for The Scorpions.

June 9, 2010

Since Dire Straits singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler broke up the band in 1995, he hasn't shown much interest in any sort of reunion, but Billboard.com says a special edition of the group's "Brothers In Arms" will be released later this year, (25th year) and that could lead to some live concerts.

June 9, 2010

Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley will publish his autobiography, No Regrets, next summer. He says, "I think Sinatra said it best -- 'Regrets I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.'" In addition to his time in KISS, Frehley will write about growing up in The Bronx, New York, and his battles with addiction.

May 21, 2010

We'd known for a while Heart was working on a new album, But we didn't have details until now. The title is Red Velvet Car, the label will be Sony's Legacy division and it goes on sale August 31st.

Apr. 28, 2010

Cheap Trick will do another Las Vegas residency this summer, once again performing The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This time they'll take over the Paris Las Vegas Theater for 20 shows, starting on June 11th and running through July 31st.

Apr. 16, 2010

Asia will release their next album, Omega, on May 4th, and they'll support it with a U.S. tour in August. Asia start a European tour on Wednesday in Finland.

Apr. 1, 2010