Posted yesterday at 8:00pm
 PiL OfficialIt’s been 20 long years since we got any new music from Public Image Ltd., but now the band has returned with a new single. RollingStone.com will stream “Deeper Water,” the first release from the band’s forthcoming studio album, This Is PiL.
"It was an improv, done in one take,” frontman John Lydon tells Rolling Stone about the track. "It's about bad influences, bad information, bad leadership. There's 'bristled bastards that will lead you to the shore, dash you on the rocks.' It’s a very difficult thing for me to trust people."
This Is PiL is set to hit stores on May 28.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 8:00pm
 Photo: Mark WeissREO Speedwagon will pay a special visit to a Hanover High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia, on Friday at noon ET. The facility was the site of a video shoot last summer that featured more than 1,000 students, teachers and other educational staff members lip-synching or performing along to the band's 1978 song "Roll with the Changes." The clip was shot to help celebrate the spirit of community and school system of the state's Hanover County.
While at the school, REO's members will be treated to a tour of the institution and then will take part in an assembly of students of the Arts and Media departments. They also will participate in a Q&A session with press members attending the event.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 5:00pm
 Dave Hogan/Live 8 via Getty ImagesBono apparently is set to surpass Paul McCartney as the wealthiest rock musician in the world. NME.com reports that the U2 singer, who owns a 2.3 percent stake in Facebook, is expected see his net worth increase significantly when the social-networking company goes public on Friday.
Facebook is valued at more than $100 billion, which will make Bono's share worth in excess $1.5 billion. In comparison, the former Beatles star's fortune is estimated to be slightly over $1 billion.
Bono bought his Facebook shares for about $90 million back in 2009 through his private equity company Elevation Partners. Not a bad return on the Irish rocker's investment.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 4:35pm
 Van-Halen.comVan Halen reportedly is postponing an entire run of North American summer concerts. All of the band's previously announced dates after its June 26 appearance in New Orleans have been removed from the tour section of the group's official website, and venues across the country are confirming the postponements.
Van Halen recently extended their trek through a September 25 stop in Milwaukee, but now, more than 30 concerts -- starting with a July 7 performance in Uncasville, Connecticut -- apparently will be either rescheduled or canceled.
When asked to confirm the postponements, a Van Halen rep told ABC News Radio that all of the band's summer dates currently appear on its website, which -- as previously mentioned -- end with the June 26 show.
A source at Uncasville's Mohegan Sun Arena commented to Rolling Stone that the July 7 gig was "selling pretty good -- I don't know why they would say it's being canceled." Meanwhile, a source close to the Van Halen tour tells the magazine that the group's members have been "arguing like mad."
Van Halen's tour in support of A Different Kind of Truth, the group's first studio effort featuring original frontman David Lee Roth since 1984, kicked off in February 18.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 2:00pm
 Travis ShinnOn Wednesday, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators posted the video online for their first single, “You’re a Lie,” from their upcoming album, Apocalyptic Love.
The video features footage of the band performing the track, mixed with some scenes of a woman of going through a nervous breakdown.
In other Slash news, the ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist has announced he'll be beaming his live concert from Irving Plaza in New York City straight to your computer for free on May 22, the same day that Apocalyptic Love hits stores. You’ll be able to watch the full concert online at Slash’s Livestream channel at 10:15 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 11:00am
 Photo: Jimmy KatzFounding Cream singer/bassist Jack Bruce's new jazz-fusion supergroup, Spectrum Road, kicks off its first official tour on June 5 at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, four days after its self-titled debut album will be released. The record pays homage late jazz drummer Tony Williams' Lifetime project, with whom Bruce played in 1970.
Spectrum Road may have begun as a tribute to Williams' Lifetime, but Bruce tells Billboard that he and the other members -- Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Santana drummer Cindy Blackman Santana and keyboardist John Medeski -- now are starting to forge their own original path.
"We just want [Spectrum Road] to be an entity," the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer explains. "None of us want to force it, but we want to take the next steps as if it were a band."
The 10-track album, meanwhile, includes the outfit's interpretations of eight Lifetime songs and two original compositions.
Bruce says of the Spectrum Road sessions, "We just treated it very much like a live show, like a live experience. We just went in the studio and played all at the same time and then did some overdubs."
Spectrum Road's U.S. trek is scheduled through a June 30 concert in Washington, D.C. The group also will spend most of July touring Europe. Bruce tells Billboard that the group is thinking about lining up additional shows as well.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 8:01am
 MPI Media GroupJohn Mellencamp's 2011 documentary, It's About You, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 5, but Showtime subscribers will have the chance to watch the flick a lot sooner. The movie will premiere on the cable channel Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
Several more screenings of It's About You also are scheduled on the network and its affiliated channels, Showtime 2 and Showtime Showcase, through June 7. In addition, the documentary will be available for viewing at Showtime's On Demand service from Friday until June 14.
It's About You centers on Mellencamp's 2009 summer tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, and also focuses on the recording of the heartland rocker's latest album, No Better than This. The flick was shot on Super 8 film, and was co-directed by respected photographer Kurt Markus and his son, Ian.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 5:00am
 MickJagger.comA video compiling all of the promo clips Mick Jagger has shot for his upcoming stint as host for this weekend's Saturday Night Live season finale has been posted online. The Rolling Stones frontman is seen alongside SNL cast member Kristen Wiig in the ads, during which he demonstrates his magical abilities, finds out how much he's taught the comic actress about sex and drugs and admits to actually being an Australian performance artist.
Check out the promo video at NBC.com. As previously reported, Jagger will be joined on the show by Jeff Beck, the Foo Fighters and Arcade Fire. Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted yesterday at 5:00am
 PR NewswireLast month, The Faces were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and while founding frontman Rod Stewart missed the ceremony because of an illness, the band's other surviving original members all were on hand to celebrate the honor. Those same three musicians -- guitarist Ronnie Wood, drummer Kenney Jones, keyboardist Ian McLagan -- also collaborated on a deluxe coffee-table book about the group, Faces: 1969-75, that was given its U.S. release to coincide with the band's Rock Hall induction.
The tome, which was put together by the U.K.'s Genesis Publications, features exclusive recollections by Wood, Jones and McLagan about their years in The Faces, as well as a variety of photos and memorabilia from their personal archives and many other sources.
Jones and McLagan each spoke with ABC News Radio recently about the book, revealing that they both became emotional as they pored over its pages.
Jones explains that when he got to look through "the first mock-up" of the book, "I just cried a couple times on a couple of occasions, because there was lots of emotional experiences that we went through all those years back and it all came flooding back."
McLagan, meanwhile, admits that reading the volume "brought tears to my eyes," specifically the coverage of late Faces bass player Ronnie Lane, who died from complications of multiple sclerosis in 1997.
In addition, the keyboardist notes that he enjoyed finding out how his band mates recalled certain incidents differently than he did.
"When I'm reading Kenney's take on an event and then my take on the same event sometimes, or Ronnie [Wood's], it's funny how our memories are different," McLagan says. "But it was great to read how they saw things."
He adds that he also was impressed by the many rare images of the band featured in the book, pointing out, "There were so many photographs I had never seen and there was pages of photographs from fans, just Polaroids or just little snapshots."
In general, McLagan says he thinks Faces: 1969-75 "is gonna make a lot of people happy…'cause it's really honest and open and very interesting."
To find out more about the book or order a copy, visit TheFacesBook.com.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday night
 Kevin Mazur/WireImagePearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament has issued a statement reacting to the sad news of Booker T. & the MG's bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn's death on Sunday. Ament posted a picture of his bass on PJ’s website, which shows Dunn’s name etched into the neck, along with a note paying tribute to the late bassist.
Ament wrote that Dunn was one of his “favorite and most influential bassists” and that he learned a great deal from watching him play. “In 1993, the band was lucky enough to open a bunch of shows in the U.S. and Europe for Neil [Young] and his band of Booker T., Steve Cropper, Jim Keltner and Duck,” wrote the bassist. “Our band watched every minute of this all-star band and lessons were delivered nightly. Duck played deeper and with more economy than most and profoundly effected how I play with PJ.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday night
 Photo: Joseph GuayForbes magazine has revealed the latest edition of its annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, and a select few veteran rock artists have landed on the tally.
Elton John finished in 17th place, making him the highest-ranking older musician on the list, which is based on entertainment-related earnings and media visibility over the past 12 months. John earned an impressive $80 million during that period, thanks in part to his busy tour schedule, as well as his successful animated flick Gnomeo and Juliet.
Paul McCartney, meanwhile, was 21st on the tally after bringing in $57 million over the past year. The Beatles legend's revenue sources include lucrative royalties from his back catalog and the modest yet consistent schedule of concerts he plays.
Also appearing on Forbes' power list is Bon Jovi, who wound up in 25th place after earning $60 million during the previous 12 months. The New Jersey band can thank an extremely profitable world tour, as well as frontman Jon Bon Jovi's participation in an Advil ad campaign, for making the last year such a successful one.
Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Celebrities list was topped by singer/actor/dancer/American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez, who brought in $57 million.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday evening
 RonnieWoodRadio.comIn a Rolling Stone magazine interview in March, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards revealed that The Rolling Stones likely wouldn't be mounting any kind of 50th anniversary tour until 2013. However, Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood now has hinted that the band may be preparing to play some shows as soon as the fall.
According to U.K. newspaper The Sun, the rocker declared during the Sony Radio Academy Awards in London on Monday, "It looks like we are going to be doing more stuff...I am keeping October/November free, that's what I've been told."
When asked whether The Stones might be working on some new tunes, though, Wood responded, "Are you joking?" while noting that the band had "only scratched the surface" on getting reacquainted with their old material.
Wood ended up being one of the honorees at the awards event -- his U.K. radio show received a silver prize in the Best Specialist Music Programme category.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday evening
 Photo: Travis ShinnSlash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are the next guests scheduled for the Guitar Center Sessions series, which airs on DirecTV. A sneak peak of the band’s episode has been posted online, featuring performances of “Not for Me” and “Fall to Pieces” from Slash's second solo album, Apocalyptic Love, due in stores on May 22.
Each episode of Guitar Center Sessions is filmed in front of a live studio audience and includes a performance as well as a Q&A segment, sponsored by the Guitar Center chain of music stores. Slash’s episode will premiere on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday afternoon
 Photo: Guy WebsterJust a reminder that The Beach Boys will make a special live appearance on the QVC network Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT as part of the channel's "QSessions" series. The legendary band will give an hour-long performance to promote their 29th studio album, That's Why God Made the Radio, which will be released June 5.
During the broadcast, fans will have the chance to order the new collection packaged with an exclusive-to-QVC bonus best-of CD titled 50 Years of Hits. Among the 11 classic tunes on the compilation are "Surfin' Safari," "God Only Knows," "California Girls" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice."
Last month, The Beach Boys kicked off a major world tour in celebration of their 50th anniversary. The band's current U.S. leg of the trek is mapped out through a July 15 show in Stateline, Nevada.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday afternoon
 JoeyRamone.comLate Ramones frontman Joey Ramone's second solo effort, …Ya Know? won't be released until Tuesday, but RollingStone.com is offering fans a free preview of the entire album now. The collection features tracks the singer recorded as demos that were subsequently fleshed out by Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh, as well as longtime Ramones producer Ed Stasium and a star-studded list of musicians.
Among the many stars who contributed to …Ya Know? are Joan Jett, The E Street Band's Little Steven Van Zandt, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, longtime Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye, and ex-Ramones drummer Richie Ramone. Little Steven also wrote the album's liner notes.
In related news, the 12th annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash concert is scheduled to take place Saturday at New York City's The Studio at Webster Hall. The event will feature a variety of artists performing all the songs featured on …Ya Know? The show's lineup includes surviving founding Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone and several punk luminaries who played on the album. Tickets are $40, with proceeds going to the Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday morning
 Photo credit: Mike ThutThe Jefferson Starship is getting ready to take off on a new series of tour dates around the U.S. The veteran rockers' stateside itinerary gets under way with a May 25 show in Three Oaks, Michigan, and the band has more than a dozen confirmed shows scattered across the country this year through a November 3 stop in New York City. In addition, The Jefferson Starship also has lined up a European tour leg in October, as well as a five-night engagement next January at the Rrazz Room, a club in their hometown of San Francisco.
Keep checking the band's official website, JeffersonStarshipSF.com, for all the latest updates to their tour schedule.
Here are all of The Jefferson Starship's confirmed U.S. tour dates:
5/25 -- Three Oaks, MI, Acorn Theater
5/26 -- Louisville, KY, Abbey Road on the River Festival
5/27 -- Columbus, OH, The Woodlands
6/20 -- Malverne, PA, Concerts Under the Stars
6/21 -- Springfield, VA, Empire
6/23 -- Newton, NJ, Newton Theatre
6/24 -- Warrendale, PA, Jergel's
6/27 -- Fall River, MA, Narrows Center for the Arts
6/28 -- New Hope, PA, New Hope Winery
6/29 -- Woodstock, NY, Bearsville Theater
7/1 -- Patchogue, NY, 89 North
7/29 -- Lake Forest, CA, Pittsford Park
8/19 -- Woodland Hills, CA, Warner Park
9/15 -- Toledo, OH, Valentine Theater
10/6 -- Petaluma, CA, Carousel Fund with THE FAMILY STONE
11/2 -- Plymouth, NH, Flying Monkey Performance Center
11/3 -- New York City, NY, The Concert Hall
1/1/13 -- San Francisco, CA, The Rrazz Room
1/2 -- San Francisco, CA, The Rrazz Room
1/3 -- San Francisco, CA, The Rrazz Room
1/4 -- San Francisco, CA, The Rrazz Room
1/5 -- San Francisco, CA, The Rrazz Room
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday morning
 MVD Entertainment GroupLed Zeppelin's Robert Plant is among the stars appearing in an upcoming concert video capturing a September 2009 benefit show held at London's O2 Arena. Welcome to Rockwell: A Night of Legendary Collaborations, which will be released on June 19 on DVD and Blu-ray, features Plant performing several songs, including the Zeppelin classics "Whole Lotta Love" and "Black Dog."
The video also boasts performances by Tom Jones and young soul singer Joss Stone, among others. The flick's finale is a star-studded rendition of The Beatles' "Let It Be" sung by Plant, Jones and the rest of the Rockwell concert's lineup. The show raised money for the Nordoff-Robbins music therapy charity.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday morning
 Dik Hayd InternationalSlash is ready for you to check out his new album. RollingStone.com got the honor of streaming online the entire deluxe version of the guitarist’s second solo album featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, Apocalyptic Love. The deluxe version of the album features 13 tracks, including the current single “You’re a Lie.”
In addition, Slash is offering fans around the globe the chance to check out the band perform the new songs live -- and you don't even need to buy a ticket. The band has just announced that they'll be beaming their live concert from Irving Plaza in New York City straight to your computer for free on May 22, the same day that Apocalyptic Love will hit stores. You’ll be able to watch the full concert online at Slash’s Livestream channel at 10:15 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Wednesday morning
 Apple RecordsA rare image of The Beatles taken during the photo shoot for the Abbey Road album is expected to bring in big bucks at a U.K. auction next week.
The pic, which shows the Fab Four walking across the Abbey Rd. crossing in the opposite direction than depicted in the photo used for the classic 1970 LP's cover, will be up for bid on Tuesday, May 22, at Bloomsbury Auctions in London. The print is expected to fetch between 7,000 and 9,000 pounds or about $11,200 to $14,400.
The picture was one of several snapped during the shoot by late photographer Iain Macmillan. Paul McCartney came up with the concept for the image.
"Macmillan had 10 minutes to do the shoot and he took six photographs of The Beatles walking backwards and forwards across the zebra crossing," Bloomsbury Auctions rep Sarah Wheeler explains about the shoot. "He was standing up a ladder to take the pictures."
Other photos being sold at the auction include a 1972 pic of The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and a 1983 image of The Police's Sting.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
Posted Tuesday night
 Razor & Tie RecordsOccupy This Album, the expansive and star-studded compilation benefiting the Occupy Wall Street movement and related campaigns, was released Tuesday. The collection, which is available as a four-CD set and a digital download, features 99 tracks by 99 artists. Among the album's many contributors are David Crosby & Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Willie Nelson, Deborah Harry, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Yoko Ono, Warren Haynes and filmmaker Michael Moore.
Crosby & Nash's contribution to the compilation is a live rendition of Crosby's 1971 solo tune "What Are Their Names" that was recorded during the duo's November 2011 performance for Occupy Wall Street supporters in New York City's Zuccotti Park. In a new Rolling Stone article, Crosby says of playing for the protestors, "It was pretty chaotic. But when they started singing with us, it felt like Woody Guthrie was standing right behind me."
The organizer of Occupy This Album, singer/activist Jason Samel, tells Rolling Stone that he hopes to put together a number of all-star concerts during the summer in support of the Occupy initiative, and both Crosby and Browne say they hope to take part, depending on their tour schedules.
"When the Occupy movement raises its banner again and makes a call, I'll show up," says Browne.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
|
|
