Take Out The Foo! Fighter Dave's Got A New Band

A couple of weeks ago we talked about Foo Fighters basking in the rays of some well deserved time away. The majority of you were like, "No way! They'll be back! This band is all about forever!" Turns out front man Dave's cheating. That does exist in Rock right? Every band is just another marriage. Would your spouse give you a couple years off to mess around with another player? You don't need TMZ or Ryan Seacrest on "E" to keep your breasts pressed to the flesh of the latest from music's press. RollingStone Magazine reports Grohl will play drums on a new Queens of the Stone Age album, following the departure of drummer Joey Castillo, bandleader Josh Homme told the BBC. You gotta love a guy that keeps it Rockin without the aid of a little blue pill. Seriously! Grohl's been knocking them out of the park since whapping the pads for Nirvana and then off he flew to the Fighters. Now...Dave's got a new gig playing on Queens of the Stone Age's 2002 album Songs for the Deaf. Grohl "and I have this wonderful musical relationship which we don't have with other people," Homme said. "It's a very cool and comfortable position." Homme said the band is close to finishing the new album, their sixth, which is due sometime in 2013. It's not clear whether Grohl will also join Queens of the Stone Age on tour, though it looks like he'll have some free time: he announced in September that Foo Fighters was taking a break.

When John Lennon Wrote...People Listened

Words typed on a computer screen or Smart Phone come a dime a dozen. Handwritten words are the new priceless. Seriously think about this... when was the last time a bunch of printing was put into play by your way of thinking? I'm talking...to physically sit down and ink out a collection of scribbles then immediately stuff it into a bright white envelope to be sent off to Never Never Land. I bet mine was somewhere between 1986 and 88. Radio stations hadn't hooked their Jock's up to the internet yet so carrying on a family like friendship with someone you officially declared your adopted Grandmother required handwritten letters. I can still hear Marie Hartline, "Honey... I haven't gotten that postcard you promised me. It doesn't have to be a picture of Charlotte. Take a recipe card, put one of your little paintings on the front and write me something on the flip side." Absolutely the most difficult thing in the world for this Rock Jock! Verbal communicators find tremendous amounts of enjoyment in sharing conversation. I assumed that's why Buffalo Wings were introduced! Nope! Marie was a 68 year old soon to be retiring stationary store manager from Salisbury, NC and to be her adopted Grandchild demanded a steady flow of handwritten thoughts. I'm talking a lot of jotting down which led to serious finger cramping! John Lennon loved writing letters! A mind overtaken by the constant demand of the music business with outrageously insane fans didn't stall the process of his love for keeping in touch with those he cherished. RollingStone Magazine reports a draft of a letter John Lennon penned to Eric Clapton 40 years ago in which the Beatle expressed his admiration for and desire to work with the guitarist will be up for auction in Los Angeles on December 18th, Reuters reports. "Eric, I know I can bring out something great, in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music," Lennon wrote in the draft, dated September 29th, 1971. "I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us, which I know will happen if/when we get together." The letter is likely to have special significance for Beatles fans, auctioneer Joe Maddalena said, given Clapton's close relationship with the group. Not only did Clapton play with Lennon and Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band, he also showed up on the George Harrison-penned "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and even almost joined the Beatles at one point. "There was a point in time when George Harrison thought about leaving the band and his replacement was Clapton, so this letter is a link of what could have been," Maddalena said. Organizers of the Profiles in History auction expect the letter to fetch as much as $30,000 – slightly less than the amount fetched last year by another rare Lennon item: his tooth, which sold for about $31,200 at an auction in England.

Time To Piss Off The Neighbors... Black Sabbath Is Back

Does it truly matter who's going to be President? Not when the latest word from Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath is, "We have six new songs recorded with nine more to go." Ozzy Osbourne and the English chums music critics hold responsible for masterminding Heavy Metal find themselves to be pretty distant from hanging up the strings and sticks. You don't need a Radio Jock to expose their sessions of success. Anytime anyone brings up Black Sabbath and Paranoid - the next step is to whip out an Ipod and prepare the soul for a date with extremely loud, gut generated metal boiling in a pair of Dr Dre Beats ready tear up what little ears you have left. The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame writes: With their riff-based songs, extreme volume, and dark, demonic subject matter, Black Sabbath embodied key aspects of the heavy-metal aesthetic. Yet in their own words, Black Sabbath saw themselves as a “heavy underground” band. That term denoted both the intensity of their music and the network of fans who found them long before critics and the music industry took notice. In a sense, though they’ve sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, they still are a heavy underground band. Although they became eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, they weren’t inducted until 2006. The truth is, they remain one of the most misunderstood bands in rock history. Back home in 2012 Sabbath sits pretty high on the confidence meter knowing nearly a dozen new songs an album are laid and find no need to rest. Guitarist Tony Iommi told Blairing Out in an interview. "We've written the 15 songs and we've played them all, but now at the moment we're recording them," Iommi said. He continued, "We're about six tracks in now at the moment." Drummer Bill Ward isn't a part of the Black Sabbath revival, and Iommi doesn't foresee Ward rejoining the group anytime soon. "We'll always have a heart for Bill, but I think it's gone past that now, because it's gone on so long, that I don't see that happening at the moment," Iommi said. The guitarist also mentioned producer Rick Rubin and his creative process. "He's just a vibe merchant, really. He vibes you up. He's not one who gets involved hands-on," said Iommi. "He leaves it to you to do it and he sort of says, 'Yeah, I like it,' you know, or, 'I don't like it.'" As a cancer survivor, Iommi also shared some thoughts on the late Ronnie James Dio and his Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. "It's great that there's somebody doing something about it and trying to get rid of this awful disease," said Iommi. "You can't praise it enough, things like this is what it needs to make people aware of what's going on." The interview

When Santa Shaves He Ends Up Looking Like Rod Stewart

So this is what it's like when old age hits you between the eyes! It's when legendary Rocker Rod Stewart's featured The Home Shopping Network pimping a new Christmas album. Not just that but he's set another all time sales record! The soccer ball kicking blonde that's had more fun checking out Hot Legs only to swoon his catch with promises of the First Cut Being The Deepest and how baby you gotta get upstairs before the nights too old cuz Tonight's the Night...still has what it takes to win women over. Maybe this is why they used to call him Rod the Bod Stewart...if there's money to be made he can sell the spots off the body of a leopard. His return to HSN on October 26th led to a whopping nearly 30,000 copies sold. It's his first-ever holiday CD, MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY. Did I fail to mention which artist he beat out? Himself! Stewart surpassed previous sales records set in 2010 with his exclusive debut of FLY ME TO THE MOON: VOLUME V, selling 26,000 CDs on the day of launch. He continues to be the largest selling music artist on HSN. HSN kicked off the holidays in style with Rod performing from a beautifully decorated, holiday-themed set that even included snow fall during Rod's lively performance of "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" A spectacular 20-piece orchestra led by legendary 16 time Grammy Award®-winning composer, arranger and music producer David Foster accompanied Stewart as he performed some of the world's most beloved holiday tunes and entertained viewers on HSN TV, HSN.com, Facebook, HSN Mobile and via Skype. "Rod is the ultimate entertainer and we congratulate him on another record-breaking debut on HSN," said Andy Sheldon, EVP of Television, Live Events and Creative for HSN. "The natural camaraderie between Rod and David made for a fun-filled and festive live concert event that was enjoyed by all." "It's been a true team effort between Rod Stewart, David Foster, Stiefel Entertainment, HSN and Verve Records to help successfully kick off the worldwide launch of MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY. We are thrilled with the results," said Mike Rittberg, VP Artist Development and Promotion for Verve Records. HSN has incorporated the title track from MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY into it robust multi-channel holiday marketing campaign, providing additional exposure and opportunities for sale throughout the coming months for HSN's millions of customers. Fans can still purchase the exclusive 2-disc bundle for $14.95 via HSN.com. It includes the new release, MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY and a "Best Of" CD that features Stewart's greatest hits, including Maggie May, Reason to Believe and Twistin' the Night Away. MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY is an album filled with holiday classics, including duets with Michael Buble on Winter Wonderland; Mary J. Blige on We Three Kings; and Cee-Lo Green for the title tune, Merry Christmas, Baby. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? is a "virtual" duet with Ella Fitzgerald featuring Chris Botti. The balance of the tunes on MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY include: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Blue Christmas, When You Wish Upon A Star, Silent Night and Auld Lang Syne. The album's one original track, Red-Suited Super Man, is composed by Rod Stewart, David Foster and Amy Foster and features Trombone Shorty. For more information about HSN Live Presents Rod Stewart and to order MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY please visit www.HSN.com/RodStewart and join in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. For more information on Rod Stewart please visit www.RodStewart.com, Twitter and Facebook. With his soulful and singular voice, narrative songwriting and passionate live performances, Rod Stewart has built one of the most successful and enduring music careers of all time. In a career spanning more than five decades, he has amassed sales of more than 150 million albums worldwide and has garnered countless chart-topping hits and industry accolades - including 18 Grammy nominations, two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2007, he was bestowed the title of a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the Queen of England. On the heels of resuming his two-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace this fall, Stewart released his highly-anticipated memoir, ROD: The Autobiography on October 23, followed by his first Christmas album, Merry Christmas, Baby on October 30.

The Rock Career That Keeps Giving!

I am without a doubt 100% guilty of the committed crime! I have purchased items and or visited museums or places of interest once belonging to Rock, Country and R&B singers that have passed away. My oh my has it ever become "Big Business" to kick the bucket! Michael Jackson might have had problems sleeping while alive but he can rest peacefully tonight knowing his departure racked up $145 million in 2012. No need for Elvis Presley to roll over in his grave, he made the family $55 million. My most recent dead musician stroll was through New York City dancing freely in front of EMI Records office and on the curbs like John Lennon who along with George Harrison continue to fill the bank with never stale Beatles royalties. Refocusing on Michael Jackson...it's not too difficult to see why the King of Pop has scored a third straight year of incredible nine figure earnings stemming from a handful of creative business deals. The MJ family continues to collect the cha ching thanks to other artists rerecording Michael's music. He had 50 percent stake in the Sony/ATV publishing catalog! The majority of the money came from the very place I planted a butt load of ticket money the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, a joint venture with Cirque Du Soleil. The two hour powerhouse of energy took in an earth shattering $160 million during its first leg. Bob Marley continues to pack a punch to the pocket. He's in a #3 with $17 million. Along with the 75 million albums the reggae legend has sold over the past 20 years, Marley's estate has diversified with the launch of the Marley Beverage company and House of Marley, which makes eco-friendly audio and lifestyle products. Other Top Dogs in the Dead Musician Money Making Business, Forbes Magazine points to the owner of a seriously outrageous daily journey I paid bunches of bucks to view...Mr. Jimi Hendrix! This shouldn't shock you but the world's greatest guitar designer and play Les Paul pulled some change from a few pockets and how about Tupac Shakur? He may be gone but he's makin money. We're talkin $3 million. Wait! Wait! Not every singer/songwriter/performer is gonna be livin an afterlife of stylin and profilen...Forbes reports that Whitney Houston missed making the dead celebs list because her recordings she still haven't earned back the $30-$40 million advance she received as part of her $100 million record deal in 2001, and the singer did not leave much unreleased material behind.

Joe Perry And Johnny Depp On Aerosmith Vocals

Groups that have spent one to three decades branding their mainstay with the use of "one" lead vocalist usually have a difficult time convincing fans to punch into the CD cuts featuring Billy the bass player or Jacinda from percussions. Bon Jovi will forever be Jon. Foreigner was once spelled Lou Graham. I can't imagine anybody but Robert Plant stretching notes from the Atlantic ocean to the Red Sea then calling it Led Zeppelin. Having been blessed or tortured by being a band of "one" doesn't steal from the other music maker's whose vocal harmonies can easily switched out for the lead spot: The Eagles, Three Dog Night, ZZ Top, KISS with Gene and Paul with an occasional salt and peppering from Ace and Peter. Would you tap into an Aerosmith cut if Joe Perry was given the opportunity to sing? That's like asking for an Eddie Van Halen reaction. What if Rob Thomas offered the microphone to a different member of Match Box 20? Do groups instantly lose that signature sound? Let me set you even more. RollingStone Magazine updates us on Joe Perry's appearance up front. But first you've got to understand where the song comes from... Politics doesn't come up a lot in Aerosmith songs, and that's just as Joe Perry likes it. But the guitarist has been outraged by the story of African warlord Joseph Kony, whose Lord's Resistance Army has been widely condemned for abducting thousands of children as soldiers and sex slaves in and around Uganda. Perry learned of the atrocity as a result of documentary footage that has gone viral (Jason Russell's Kony 2012), and found himself deeply inspired by the documentary filmmakers behind it. Perry sings "Freedom Fighter" himself, growling across jagged layers of rock guitar of the documentarians he calls "freedom fighters." Kony has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. In the song, Perry attacks the warriors behind him who are kidnapping children and spreading death: "The guns you carry and the bombs you make / Cause too many tears, too many hearts to break." It's one of two songs on Music From Another Dimension! to feature Perry on lead vocals. Actor Johnny Depp and producerJack Douglas are on background vocals. Bassist Tom Hamilton calls the track "a blazing rock song." "We don't really get into politics and stuff," says Perry, "but I felt so strongly about this guy [Kony], and the freedom fighters that are out there who do so much good by going to the front lines with cameras and tape recorders. They're freedom fighters, and it was a tip of the hat to those kind of people. I was really so moved." The final song is stripped down hard rock, with ricocheting guitars and keyboards."The hardest thing was picking the lyrics because I wrote so many verses for it," says Perry. "The music came as an afterthought because it had to have the drive and the power. I didn't really care if it sounded like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith or what – it had to have the drive to capture the freedom fighter thing." Check out the song

New Music From Guns And Roses Without Slash, Izzy and Duff

Guns N Roses... There's no need to sit in front of a 64 inch flat screen hooked up to VH1's That Metal Show to realize Axl and company slapped into place a serious impact on American music. I get it! I played it! I took the calls from Rock starved radio listeners that couldn't wait for MTV to quickly spin their playlist back to the beginning. Where I get off the GNR sweet child train is at gate 2012. My welcome to the jungle is null and void due to a continued respect for Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff MaKagen. Guns N Roses has soared through more members than the Kardashian's have had men. It's no Paradise City! The rock band love story is so thick with twists and turns Eddie Trunk from That Metal Show is green like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. LA cops would instantly pull his ass over and charge him with a RPWUIOPPFH: Rock poisoned while under the influence of other people's false high. Checking out GNR today is no different than catching The Osmond's without Donnie and Marie. Hmmm guess I'm exposing an open wound. How long did we wait for Axl to make music? Only to realize the machine keep ticking. RollingStone Magazine reports the man on the microphone said the next album won't take as long as the delay-plagued Chinese Democracy. When asked about the long wait for the band's 2008 album, Rose pointed to complications with personnel. Stop! Take ten deep breaths before fading back into the love triangle. "I had to deal with so many other things that don't have to do with music but have to do with the industry. There's such a loss of time," he said. "It was more about survival. There wasn't anyone to work with or trust. Someone would come in to help produce and the reality was they just wanted to mix it and get it out the door. They had a different agenda. [The next album] will come out sooner." Rose also had harsh words for ex-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour and former bandmates Slash and Duff McKagan, saying the trio damaged his ability as a writer. "To those three, it was all crap. It beat me down so much," he said. "At the time of the [Use Your Illusion] tours, Slash and Duff said, 'You're an idiot, you're a loser.' I didn't write for years. I felt I was hindered for a very long time. I was also trying to figure out what I wanted to say, when it's right to be venting and when you're digging a bigger hole. Lyrics on Chinese took a long time." Stop! Enter Casey Kasum with a long distance dedication...make sure it leads into Knockin on Heavens Door. The singer also played down a possible Guns N' Roses truce. "I feel that ball's not in my court," said Rose. "I'm surviving this war, not the one who created this war." Please cross fade into November Rain... Maybe it's just me. My morning pup tent went limp when everything 1990's GNR began to re-feed journeys already visited. Honestly did we need remixes of Live and Let Die, Sympathy For The Devil and Hair of the Dog? Butte, Montana you're on the air!