MusikBLITZ

UNCLE KRACKER'S HAPPY HOUR TOUR

2010-02-08T12:41:00.004-05:00

Uncle Kracker is hitting the road this March and April for a round of headlining dates in support of his latest release, Happy Hour, and his brand new single, "Smile." The Happy Hour tour dates are as follows:

March 11: The Machine Shop—Flint, MI
March 12: Intersection—Grand Rapids, MI
March 13: Streeters & Ground Zero Nightclub—Traverse City, MI
March 14: Peabody’s Downunder—Cleveland, OH
March 17: Memorial Hall—Hutchinson, KS
March 18: People's Court—Des Moines, IA
March 19: Austin's Saloon/Fuel Room—Libertyville, IL
March 20: The Rock—Maplewood, MN
March 22: Majestic Theatre—Madison, WI
March 23: Blue Note—Columbia, MO
March 25: Bluebird Nightclub—Bloomington, IN
March 26: McGuffy’s House of Draft—Dayton, OH
March 28: Northern Lights—Clifton Park, NY
March 30: Toad's Place—New Haven, CT
March 31: Crocodile Rock—Allentown, PA
April 2: Starland Ballroom—Sayreville, NJ
April 4: Recher Theatre—Baltimore, MD
April 6: The Hat Factory—Richmond, VA
April 7: The Handlebar—Greenville, SC
April 8: Amos’ Southend—Charlotte, NC
April 9: Crossroads—Wake Forest, NC
April 10: Cattle Annies—Lynchburg, VA

Want more Uncle Kracker? Visit: UncleKracker.com and MySpace.com/UncleKracker.

AMERICAN CARNAGE TOUR: MEGADETH, SLAYER & TESTAMENT

2010-02-08T12:17:00.005-05:00

Megadeth, Slayer and Testament are gearing up for this summer's American Carnage North American tour. This is the first time that all three bands have toured the U.S. together since 1991's epic Clash of the Titans tour.

The three metal bands were originally slated to begin touring together this past January, but had to postpone the dates after Slayer vocalist/bassist Tom Araya decided to undergo surgery to treat the severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms he'd been dealing with. Araya is currently recovering and is said to be doing well.

Here are the American Carnage North American tour dates:
July 23: Pavillon de la Jeunesse—Quebec City, CAN
July 24: Parc Jean—Drapeau, Montreal, CAN
July 26: Metro Centre—Halifax, CAN
July 27: Moncton Coliseum—Moncton, CAN
July 29: Molson Amphitheatre—Toronto, CAN
July 30: John Labatt Centre Center—London, CAN
Aug. 11: Glens Falls Civic Center—Glens Falls, NY
Aug. 12: Izod Center—East Rutherford, NJ
Aug. 14: Tsongas Arena—Boston, MA
Aug. 15: Susquehanna Bank Center—Camden, NJ
Aug. 16: Chevrolet Theatre—Wallingford, CT
Aug. 18: Tower City Amphitheatre—Cleveland, OH
Aug. 19: Joe Louis Arena—Detroit,MI
Aug. 20: UIC Pavillon—Chicago, IL
Aug. 21: Roy Wilkins Auditorium—Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 23: Cap Fed Park at Sandstone—Kansas City, KS
Aug. 25: Magness Arena—Denver, CO
Aug. 26: Tingley Coliseum—Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 27: Dodge Theatre—Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 29: Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre—San Diego, CA
Aug. 30: Long Beach Arena—Long Beach, CA
Aug. 31: Cow Palace—San Francisco, CA
Sept. 1: Arco Arena—Sacramento, CA
Sept. 3: Wamu Theatre—Seattle, WA
Sept. 4: Washington County Fairgrounds—Portland, OR

Megadeth

Slayer

Testament

Tickets purchased for the postponed shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates for the same venues. Complete information regarding ticket sales and more information about the bands can be found at: Megadeth.com, Slayer.net and TestamentLegions.com.

GRAMMY WINNERS!

2010-02-01T12:54:00.002-05:00

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards were held January 31 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show was filled with great performances from the likes of Beyoncé, Pink, Lady GaGa and Bon Jovi. Which awards did your favorite artists earn? Here’s a select list of the top winners:

BEYONCÉ
Song Of The Year: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Halo”
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “At Last”
Best R&B Song: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am... Sasha Fierce

TAYLOR SWIFT
Album Of The Year: Fearless
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “White Horse”
Best Country Song: “White Horse”
Best Country Album: Fearless

THE BLACK EYED PEAS
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Gotta Feeling”
Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D.
Best Short Form Music Video: “Boom Boom Pow”

KINGS OF LEON
Record Of The Year: “Use Somebody”
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Use Somebody”
Best Rock Song: “Use Somebody”

LADY GAGA
Best Dance Recording: “Poker Face”
Best Electronic/Dance Album: The Fame

JASON MRAZ
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Make It Mine”
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Lucky” (with Colbie Caillat)

MAXWELL
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: “Pretty Wings”
Best R&B Album: Blacksummers' Night

JAY-Z, RIHANNA & KANYE WEST
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Run This Town”
Best Rap Song: “Run This Town”

GREEN DAY
Best Rock Album: 21st Century Breakdown

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Working On A Dream”

AC/DC
Best Hard Rock Performance: “War Machine”

JUDAS PRIEST
Best Metal Performance: “Dissident Aggressor”

JAMIE FOXX & T-PAIN
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Blame It”

JAY-Z
Best Rap Solo Performance: “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”

EMINEM, DR. DRE & 50 CENT
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: “Crack A Bottle”

EMINEM
Best Rap Album: Relapse

KEITH URBAN
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: “Sweet Thing”

LADY ANTEBELLUM
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Run To You”

CARRIE UNDERWOOD & RANDY TRAVIS
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: “I Told You So”

For the complete list of winners, visit: Grammy.com/nominees.

SHIROCK & HOLLISTER CO. WANT TO GIVE YOU FREE STUFF!

2010-01-27T18:23:00.002-05:00

Want to win a shopping spree at Hollister Co.? Like pop-rock music? Then you need to enter the "Win A Hollister Co. Valentine's Day Shopping Spree from Shirock"!

The Nashville-based quintet—whose debut album, Everything Burns, is currently available on iTunes and on CD in Hollister stores—has teamed up with the clothing company to give fans the chance to win gift certificates to Hollister plus Shirock t-shirts, CDs and other prizes.

To enter the contest, just friend Shirock on Facebook and sign up to follow Shirock on Twitter before Valentine's Day, February 14. On V-Day, the band will randomly send out three "Contest Alert!" tweets from their Twitter account directing contestants to find the winning phrase on their Facebook page. The first person to locate the winning answer to the Tweeted contest question and then tweet it back to the band wins!

TV ALERT: VH1's TOP 40 OF 2009

2009-12-17T12:54:00.002-05:00

Show: Top 40 Of 2009
Premiere Date: Friday, Dec. 18, @ 9 PM
Channel: VH1

What was your favorite music video of 2009? Was it Beyoncè's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"? Or maybe it was Green Day's "21 Guns"? What about Taylor Swift's "Love Story"? See VH1's top picks for the year in a special 2-hour program that also features musicians, industry insiders and pop culture experts dishing the dirt behind the most memorable videos and explaining why these 40 clips are the very best of ’09.

For additional showtimes and more details, visit: http://www.vh1.com/shows/top_40_videos_2009/series.jhtml.

MILEY COVERS POISON!

2009-12-16T13:24:00.002-05:00

Teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus has recorded a cover of rock band Poison's classic ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" for an upcoming album.

Seventeen-year-old Miley says that "Every Rose…"—which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1988 (four years before Miley was even born!)—is her favorite song of all-time and that she has been a Poison fan for most of her young life. She even says that the first non-Billy Ray Cyrus concert she ever attended was Poison in Nashville.

Poison frontman Bret Michaels was in the NYC recording studio as Miley laid down her vocals—and he may even make a guest appearance on the track!

TV ALERT: CHRISTMAS IN WASHINGTON

2009-12-16T12:12:00.004-05:00

Show: Christmas In Washington
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 20, @ 8 PM
Channel: TNT

Join host George Lopez and a bevy of musicians as they bring holiday spirit to the nation’s capital. The 28th annual Christmas In Washington concert, an hour-long event taped at the National Building Museum, features performances from Justin Bieber ("Someday At Christmas"), Mary J. Blige ("The Christmas Song"), Neil Diamond ("Joy To The World"/"Winter Wonderland"/"Cherry, Cherry Christmas" medley), Sugarland ("Gold and Green"), Rob Thomas ("A New York Christmas") and Usher ("Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"). President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are among the night’s honored guests.

Host George Lopez

Neil Diamond Performs

Singers Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) & Mary J. Blige Mingle

Vocalists Usher, Justin Bieber & Rob Thoms Hang Out

For more information and additional airtimes for Christmas In Washington, click here.

SCOTT WEILAND'S ARCHANGEL AUCTION!

2009-12-08T15:48:00.004-05:00

Singer Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots/ex-Velvet Revolver) is auctioning off personal items and memorabilia via his ArchAngel Organization. All of the proceeds from this special auction will go to the family of Scott's late brother, Michael Weiland, who passed away in 2007 after struggling with addiction.

"The overall idea is to grow this into something more, while still helping my brother's family, and to also reach out and help families who are or have recently been through the same painful and seemingly hopeless situation," says Scott. "For now, however, this is what we can and what we are able to do. Have fun with it and know that 100% of the profits are going to help my sister-in-law and my nieces, Sophie and Claudette."

Weiland is auctioning off a Dean acoustic guitar signed by the members of Stone Temple Pilots and personal items of clothing, including designer suits and pieces worn on stage. The eccentric singer personally signed most items.

The 2-week auction can be accessed by visiting: SoftDriveRecords.com/ArchAngel.

SOUNDTRACKS FOR YOUR SOUL

2009-12-04T16:21:00.010-05:00

If you've seen any good movies or TV shows lately, chances are you also heard some great music in key scenes. Here's our guide to recently released soundtrack albums that we think you'll love:

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakuel Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Rhino Records): The furry little singers are back and they now have competition from a female trio. The 15-song record features cute and fun covers of popular hits sung by both the Chipmunks and the Chipettes like Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold," Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," Peaches & Herb's "Shake Your Groove Thing" and Foreigner's "I Want To Know What Love Is." Additionally, Honor Society, Queensberry and Charice make guest appearances.

Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (Columbia Records): Viewers of Fox's smash hit Glee have already downloaded more than 1 million songs performed by the cast. Now, 17 of the tunes performed on the show during the first half of its inaugural season have been collected on one awesome CD. Hear stars Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Diana Agron (Quinn) and Mark Salling (Puck) sing songs like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin,'" Kanye West's "Gold Digger," Rihanna's "Take A Bow," Celine Dion's "Taking Chances," Heart's "Alone," Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" and many other popular tunes.

Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (Columbia Records): Due out Dec. 8, the second CD featuring the cast of Glee has the actor/singer’s belting out songs like Diana Ross and Lionel Richie's "Endless Love," The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You," John Lennon's "Imagine," Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You."

NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack—Vol. 2 (CBS Records): NCIS has been a top rated program for seven seasons now and it's no wonder that top artists wanted to fill up its second soundtrack. "California," a never-before-released Bob Dylan song, and NCIS star Michael Weatherly's "Bitter and Blue" are just two notable tracks on this compilation , which also features Norah Jones, Joss Stone, John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow and Otis Redding.

Pirate Radio (Republic Records): A movie about a rock 'n' roll radio station broadcasting from the ocean in the 1960s has to have a superb soundtrack to accompany it! This 2-disc set highlights classic musicians like The Kinks, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, The Beach Boys, Smokey Robinson, The Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie.

Saw VI: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Trustkill Records): The sixth film in the popular horror franchise features 18 tracks from some of metal's heaviest acts, including songs from Hatebreed, Lacuna Coil, Mushroomhead, Chimaira, Suicide Silence, Shadows Fall, Type O Negative and Kittie.

Soundtrack 90210 (CBS Records): There are 14 brand new songs (plus a remix of the show's theme) on this collection of tunes, all of which will be featured in episodes of The CW drama this season. Adele with The Racounters, N.E.R.D. featuring Santigold, Jet, The All-American Rejects, Anberlin and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus are among the artists who contributed music.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Atlantic Records): The second film in the wildly popular series about vampires and werewolves is filled with music by bands like The Killers, Muse (one of New Moon author Stephenie Meyer's favorite bands), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, OK Go and Grizzly Bear. Death Cab For Cutie's "Meet Me On The Equinox" is the soundtrack's lead single.

Push Play: Long Island’s Midnight Romeos Score!

2009-11-23T16:30:00.002-05:00

Learn all about the new pop band Push Play, by reading CherylBLITZ's article for the publication Aspire by clicking here!

ALICE COOPER IS "KEEPIN' HALLOWEEN ALIVE"!!!

2009-10-27T16:13:00.004-04:00

Alice Cooper and Halloween go hand-in-hand. So the King of Shock Rock should have a special anthem to commemorate the holiday, right? Right!

Coop's brand new single, "Keepin’ Halloween Alive," features his signature snarl backed by upbeat, garage-punk music. The digital-only release (from Shout! Factory) was co-written and co-produced by Alice and Piggy D. (a.k.a. Rob Zombie's bassist).

"At home, my family all gathers around an old spooky tree decorated with skulls and bones in the living room and we exchange gifts," says Cooper about his family's tradition. "It's our holiday. We even all have matching black-and-orange Halloween sweaters! I wanted a theme song for people like me—and, for us, Halloween never ends. In the chorus, I say, 'I'm keepin' Halloween alive, baby, 3–6–5'—and I mean it!"

Check out the special website KeepinHalloweenAlive.com for more information about how to purchase the song, see a video with the tune's lyrics and even watch a very funny Public Service Announcement from Alice himself.

TV ALERT: VH1 HIP HOP HONORS

2009-10-12T19:15:00.004-04:00

Show: VH1 Hip Hop Honors
Premiere Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13, @ 9 PM
Channel: VH1

The sixth annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors debuts this month! This year, the music channel celebrates the 25th anniversary of Def Jam Records with stars like Mary J. Blige, DMX, Eminem, Fabolous, Jimmy Fallon, Gym Class Heroes, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Method Man, ONYX, Public Enemy, Redman, Chris Rock, Kid Rock, The Roots, Rick Ross, Warren G., Young Jeezy and more.
Visit VH1.com for more information and additional air times.

MUSIC BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!

2009-10-01T15:07:00.012-04:00

Whatcha reading? Nothing? Why not? A slew of non-fiction books about music/musicians have come out recently that will surely captivate your mind for hours! Whether you're looking for a juicy (auto)biography, fun photos or a lesson in music history, there's definitely something out there for all music lovers! Here's MusikBLITZ's top picks:

Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott by Zac Crain (Da Capo Press): This unauthorized biography chronicles the life of the late, great guitarist—from his Texas youth to worldwide success with the bands Pantera and Damageplan to the tragic onstage shooting that ended his life.

Elton John: The Bitch Is Back by Mark Bego (Phoenix Books): Sir Elton's astounding five decades in the music biz is chronicled in the pages of this book, including "all of the addictions, the self-doubts, bad toupées, affairs and scandals—but also with the triumphant later years, the coming-to-terms with his sexuality and the establishment of a happy and healthy private life."

Got The Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn by Fieldy (William Morrow): Bassist and founding member of Korn Reggie "Fieldy" Arvizu tells the all-too-common tale of drugs, alcohol and womanizing that nearly destroyed both him and his successful band in this memoir. Among his revelations: how he nearly killed a girlfriend during a drug-fueled jealous rampage and how he was almost kicked out of Korn for his out-of-control behavior.

Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music by Greg Prato (ECW Press): This tome is said to be the "definitive" story of the Seattle music scene of the late '80s/early '90s. The book contains over 130 interviews conducted specifically for the book with artists like Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Velvet Revolver/Loaded's Duff McKagan, Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell and more.

Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom by Joey Kramer (HarperOne): Aerosmith drummer Kramer is the first of the Boston Bad Boys to have his own memoir published and, in the book, readers find out about "the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity."

Mötley Crüe: A Visual History, 1983-2005 by Neil Zlozower (Chronicle Books): In this 275-page all-color hardcover, legendary rock photographer Zlozower captures the Crüe's rise from Hollywood punks to international rock gods. Hundreds of photos (onstage, backstage, hanging out and in the studio) and dirt from the band and those "in the know" are included. Plus, Mötley bassist Nikki Sixx penned the foreword.

Neil Diamond Is Forever: The Illustrated Story Of The Man and His Music by Jon Bream (Voyageur Press): In stores Oct. 15, this tome utilizes pictures and words to retrace the history of the hugely popular singer. Filled with more than 300 photographs and pieces of memorabilia (concert programs, posters, backstage passes, ticket stubs and more), the book also includes a complete album discography, comments from celeb admirers (Paul McCartney, Barry Manilow, Kid Rock, Taylor Swift, etc), previously unpublished quotes from Diamond himself and so much more.

The Official Heavy Metal Book of Lists by Eric Danville (Backbeat Books): The 231-page book features over 150 lists about the most rockin' genre of music out there. Find out the names of Alice Cooper's snakes and all of Spinal Tap's dead drummers and learn which metal stars have sex tapes! Members of Guns N' Roses, Motörhead (Lemmy penned the foreword), Sepultura, Vixen, Biohazard, Gwar and more cast their ballots within the book too.

Precious Metal: Decibel Presents The Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces edited by Albert Mudrian (Da Capo Press): Decibel magazine editor-in-chief Mudrian goes behind-the-scenes—inside the recording studios where some of the heaviest metal albums were created—scoring in-depth interviews with band members about their creation processes for this paperback. Tales about Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell, Slayer's Reign In Blood, Cannibal Corpse's Tomb of the Mutilated, Monster Magnet's Dopes To Infinity and Opeth's Orchid are among the featured albums.

Snake Eyes: Confessions Of A Replacement Rock Star by Stacey Blades (BookSurge Publishing): As the guitarist in Phil Lewis' version of L.A. Guns, Blades has had to put up with constant comparisons to his predecessor (band namesake Tracii Guns). But he's also had to deal with an identity crisis, sordid relationships, drugs, alcohol, endless bands, constant dead ends and deaths. This is his story.

The Velvet Underground: A Walk On The Wild Side by Jim DeRogatis (Voyageur Press): The first complete illustrated history book on the influential punk/alternative band—formed by Lou Reed and John Cale and once managed by Andy Warhol—comes out just as the group honors the 45th anniversary of its founding. Interviews with band members, excerpts from Warhol's memoirs and photos (many of which have never-been-seen) are included.

Visit Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, Borders.com or your local book store to purchase these books.

NewsBLITZ: CELEBRITY FIT CLUB 7 CAST ANNOUNCED!

2009-09-28T12:48:00.006-04:00

Once again, VH1 is helping out-of-shape stars get healthy—Celebrity Fit Club 7 is now filming!

Nutritionist Dr. Ian Smith and trainer Harvey Walden will return as mentors along with a new life coach, Rhonda Britten. The eight contestants competing for svelte new bods are:

Kevin Federline: Britney Spears' notorious ex-husband who once possessed a (backup) dancer's bod.

Shar Jackson: Curvy actress (most known as Moesha's Niecy) who is another of Federline's exes.

Bobby Brown: Former R&B king (both solo and with New Edition) who lost his shape after marrying and divorcing Whitney Houston.

Nicole Eggert: Once a Baywatch babe, she is now far from wearing that perfect red swimsuit.

Kaycee Stroh: The voluptuous one from the High School Musical flicks.

Sebastian Bach: Heavy metal singer (formerly with Skid Row) once known for wearing super-tight leather pants.

Tanisha Thomas: The BBW from Season 2 of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club.

Jay McCarroll: The chubby, gay winner from the first season of Project Runway.

Celebrity Fit Club 7 is slated to air sometime in 2010.

Visit VH1.com for updates.

ZO2 EXCLUSIVE MINI INTERVIEW!

2009-09-17T16:48:00.004-04:00

Rockers ZO2 have a new album out, Casino Logic, and recently wrapped up the second season of their hot IFC show Z Rock. When Paulie Z (vocals/guitars) and David Z (vocals/bass) had a spare second, they chatted with CherylBLITZ for Aspire magazine's Fall issue, which is out now (or you can click here to read the article online). As a bonus for MusikBLITZ readers, here are a few fun responses from Paulie and David that did not make it into the Aspire article:

MusikBLITZ: Sometimes when the lead guitarist is also the lead singer, he just stands in front of the mic and is very boring to watch—but you guys are not like that at all!
PAULIE: It’s all about the tushy. And the hair. Hair has a lot to do with it too. I remember when we first started playing The Cutting Room [in New York City], we had shorter hair and, I didn't realize this at the time, but visually it makes such a difference. Now Dave's got the long hair and I've got this big 'fro that when it gets wet, it really moves. It's amazing how much that adds to the show, just whipping it back and forth. It's great!
DAVID: And we know this because we get compliments almost as much on our hair as we do on our songs.
PAULIE: That's one of the bigger reasons people come to our shows.
DAVID: Girls love it!

MusikBLITZ: So do you have any special hair care tips then?
DAVID: Buy a Chi flat iron—they're the best.
PAULIE: If you have naturally curly hair and you want to keep it nice, you've got to condition every day! Shampoo, maybe, once a week and put in some conditioner after you dry your hair; lightly dry it and when it's a little damp, put in a quarter's worth of conditioner and leave it. That's one of the keys.

MusikBLITZ: On Z Rock, you guys are always at Hill Country Barbecue. How much do you love that place?
PAULIE: I actually went there recently and two guys were in the place who were fans of the show and said, "I can't believe you're actually here. We came because we saw you eat here on the show and now you're here!" That's so cool! I said, "Yeah, it's all true." They have our picture on their oven. I drew a caricature of us. When you walk in and order food, right behind the butchers you'll see a ZO2 caricature.

MusikBLITZ: Where else do you recommend dining in New York, Paulie?
PAULIE: I'm so into food!

1. Silver Spurs, on Broadway and 9th Street [in Manhattan], is the best burger in our opinion. Get the Bunkhouse cheeseburger—it's incredible!

2. Gino's Italian restaurant in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is amazing!

3. Fushimi is an incredible Japanese-French fusion restaurant also in Bay Ridge.

4. Max Brenner's on Broadway right off of 13th Street is for when you want something quick/a little bit of comfort food with a nice, cool atmosphere; get some crepes, amazing salads and things like that.

5. Gray's Papaya for hot dogs. [Various Manhattan locations]

6. Katz's has the best pastrami in the world!

7. Rosario’s Pizza is one of the best pizza joints. It’s on Orchard and Stanton [in Manhattan].

ZO2's David Z, Paulie Z and Joey Cassata with Dave Navarro.

For more on ZO2, visit there official website at: ZO2.com.

NewsBLITZ: ROB ZOMBIE RETURNS TO MUSIC!

2009-09-15T17:37:00.004-04:00

Rob Zombie is returning to his musical roots—and the concert stage—after taking some time off to write and direct the films Halloween and Halloween II!

Zombie's first headlining tour since 2007—The Hellbilly Deluxe 2 Tour—kicks off Oct. 29 in Phoenix with the Nekromantix and Captain Clegg & the Night Creatures (who were in Halloween II) serving as opening acts.

On tour, Rob will be playing fan favorites as well as new tracks from his upcoming Geffen Records release Hellbilly Deluxe 2—Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool. This CD serves as a companion to 1998's original Hellbilly Deluxe disc, which was Zombie's first solo venture after the demise of White Zombie. Rob's backup group is comprised of his longtime bandmates John 5 (guitar), Piggy D (bass) and Tommy Clufetos (drums).

"I am bouncing off the walls like a mental patient," says Zombie "That tells me it's time to take it to the stage and let the demons loose."

Rob Zombie Tour Dates:
Oct. 29: Dodge Theatre—Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 30: The Pearl—Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 31: Hollywood Palladium—Hollywood, CA
Nov. 1: The Grove—Anaheim, CA
Nov. 3: San Jose Event Center—San Jose, CA
Nov. 5: Great Salt Air—Salt Lake City, UT
Nov. 6: The Fillmore—Denver, CO
Nov. 8: Brady Theater—Tulsa, OK
Nov. 10: Austin City Music Hall—Austin, TX
Nov. 11: Verizon Wireless Theater—Houston, TX
Nov. 13: Palladium Ballroom—Dallas, TX
Nov. 14: The Uptown—Kansas City, MO
Nov. 15: The Pagent—St. Louis, MO
Nov. 16: Murrat—Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 17: Civic Theatre—Akron, OH
Nov. 19: Eagles Auditorium—Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 20: Roy Wilkins Auditorium—Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 21: Val Air Ballroom—Des Moines, IL
Nov. 22: Aragon Ballroom—Chicago, IL
Nov. 24: Broadbent Arena—Louisville, KY
Nov. 25: Lifestyles Pavilion—Columbus, OH
Nov. 27: The Fillmore—Detroit, MI
Nov. 28: Sound Academy—Toronto, CAN
Dec. 1: Hammerstein Ballroom—New York, NY
Dec. 2: House of Blues—Boston, MA
Dec. 3: Mohegan Sun Arena—Uncasville, CT
Dec. 4: Electric Factory—Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 5: 9:30 Club—Washington, DC

For all things Rob Zombie, visit his official website: RobZombie.com.

NewsBLITZ: MEGADETH SUPPORT NEW ALBUM, ENDGAME, WITH TOUR!

2009-09-14T21:54:00.004-04:00

Megadeth's new album, Endgame, hits stores on Sept. 15 and the band is launching a major tour to bring the new music to the masses!

For the first batch of dates, Machine Head, Suicide Silence and Arcanium will all serve as support acts for Dave Mustaine and company. Starting Dec. 5, Warbringer will replace Machine Head on the bill.

Megadeth tour dates are as follows:
Nov. 14: The Orbit Room—Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 15: Peoria Civic Center—Peoria, IL
Nov. 17: Eagles Ballroom—Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 18: The LC Pavilion—Columbus, OH
Nov. 20: Madison Theater—Covington, KY
Nov. 21: The National—Richmond, VA
Nov. 22: Valarium—Knoxville, TN
Nov. 23: The Fillmore—Charlotte, NC
Nov. 25: Revolution—Fort Lauderdale, FL
Nov. 27: Hard Rock Live—Orlando, FL
Nov. 28: House of Blues—Myrtle Beach, SC
Nov. 30: The Pavilion at Concrete Street—Corpus Christi, TX
Dec. 1: Sunken Gardens—San Antonio, TX
Dec. 2: Palladium Ballroom—Dallas, TX
Dec. 3: Bricktown Events Center—Oklahoma City, OK
Dec. 5: The Beaumont—Kansas City, MO
Dec. 6: Pop's—Sauget, IL
Dec. 7: Great Hall at River Center—Davenport, IA
Dec. 8: Fargo Civic Auditorium—Fargo, ND
Dec. 10: Shrine Auditorium—Billings, MT

Additionally, fans can catch Megadeth performing live this Thursday, Sept. 17, on NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

For more information about Megadeth, Mustaine and music, visit: Megadeth.com.

NewsBLITZ: VANS WARPED TOUR AT THE MOVIES!!!

2009-09-14T14:27:00.004-04:00

This Thursday, September 17, you can catch some of your favorite Vans Warped Tour bands from the last 15 years...at the movies!

The Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration theatrical event will be shown at more than 460 movie theaters across the country. The 2-hour film—recorded at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater on Sept. 6—features exclusive performances, behind-the-scenes footage, red carpet access and more from 3OH!3, The Aggrolites, All-American Rejects, Bad Religion, Blink-182, The Decaydance All Stars (Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz along with Panic! At The Disco's Brenden Urie, Spencer Smith and Ian Crawford), Ice T, Katy Perry, NOFX, Ozomatli, Pennywise, Rise Against and Underoath.

"I consider Warped Tour to be an essential summer rite of passage for bands and crowds alike," says Wentz. "I have met some of my best friends there and was introduced to new music, baby wipe showers and dry shampoo for the first time. More than anything, I look forward to it every summer as a daylong escape for one hot day. And it's especially cool that people are going to see the Warped Tour in a new setting—movie theaters—with the Anniversary special."

For a list of theater locations near you showing Vans Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration, visit:
http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/ConcertsAndMusic/WarpedTour.aspx.

CONCERT REVIEW: VANS WARPED TOUR 2009

2009-09-14T12:43:00.006-04:00

Words & photos by Jeannie Blue

This past summer, the Vans Warped Tour celebrated 15 years of its annual "Punk Rock Summer Camp" with a super-hot excursion across North America. Teens flocked to parking lots and fields to catch a glimpse of their favorite bands strolling around a carnival of booths promoting various worthy causes (breast cancer awareness, animal rights, safe sex, etc.); selling band merchandise; or retailing their favorite skating garb. Meanwhile, the rest of us simply sated ourselves with the eclectic bevy of groups on the daily roster, with this year's talent ranging from classic acts such as Bad Religion, Flogging Molly and Anti-Flag to newcomers like 3OH!3, Escape The Fate and A Day To Remember. Here's a glimpse at some of this year’s action as witnessed at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on July 18, 2009:

AIDEN
Winners of the most crazed fan reaction of the day, Wil Francis and company rocked through a goth-tinged set that included crowd favorites like "Scavengers of the Damned." Preaching to the masses about his lack of religious fervor, Francis also sported a homemade t-shirt complete with an upside down cross and the word “Believe.” Okay, so perhaps they’re not the most original cast of characters, but Aiden still put on a thoroughly enjoyable set.
ANTI-FLAG
Even though the band is one of the Warped Tour's most veteran acts, Anti-Flag still managed to put on a powerful set as they promoted their ninth studio album, The People or The Gun.
BAYSIDE
Anthony Raneri and his born and bred Long Island cohorts thoroughly enjoyed their homecoming during this stop of the Warped Tour. Bayside rocked a set that included standouts from their four studio albums, including "Tortures of the Damned," "Duality" and "Devotion and Desire." The large crowd seemed perfectly content with the band's performance, though the rabid energy present in other sets throughout the day was decidedly lacking here.
FLOGGING MOLLY
Mixing Celtic folk and punk rock, Flogging Molly performed a very fun and entertaining late day set. The 7-piece band of multi-instrumentalists delighted the masses with songs like "Seven Deadly Sins" and "Drunken Lullabies." Grab a Guinness and catch this band if you can!

GALLOWS
Hardcore punks from the streets of England, Gallows are obnoxiously energetic—as were their fans. Circle pits abounded in the massive crowd, as lead vocalist Frank Carter urged concertgoers on by jumping down into the audience and remaining there for half of the band's set. Entirely unfazed by his departure, the remaining members continued to launch through a banging set of heavy punk rock. Visually and sonically enthralling, the band left no fan disappointed.

NOFX
Yes, NOFX played music during their half-hour set, but it was the banter between vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and lead guitarist El Hefe that was the highlight of this performance. Racist jokes, funny tales and plenty of insults brought a special element to the punk act's show. Example: "Why did Hitler commit suicide? He got the gas bill!!!"
SENSES FAIL
One of the best, most raw and in-your-face performances of the day came from Senses Fail. Frontman Buddy Nielsen is not known for mincing words, and he did not disappoint during the day's set. The group's three full-length albums—Let It Enfold You, Still Searching and Life Is Not A Waiting Room—were all represented, much to the delight of the audience. Taking a break between songs, Nielsen assured his disciples that he would not talk any smack about other bands on the tour, despite the fact that some of his contemporaries were doing just this during their own stage times. Kudos to a band that don't have to bring others down to elevate their own sound!

SHOOTER JENNINGS
The son of legendary country musician Waylon Jennings, Southern rocker Shooter was a bit out of place playing a Warped stage. In fact, when he started his set, less than 20 people were there to cheer him on. More people did come around (possibly to catch a glimpse of his famous fiancée, The Sopranos' Drea de Matteo; who didn't appear to be on hand), but his mellow set just didn't hold up to the more rambunctious acts on the bill.
3OH!3
If you're looking for fun, upbeat, danceable music with ridiculous lyrics, you can trust that 3OH!3's Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte are going to entertain your socks off with tunes like "Don't Trust Me." Throw in a special appearance by rapper Lil Jon and their set was definitely one of the most talked about and well-attended of the day.

NewsBLITZ: DAYLIGHT DIVISION RISES

2009-09-10T16:10:00.002-04:00

Reality show winner and former member of Rockstar Supernova Lukas Rossi has joined forces with guitarist Marcos Curiel (P.O.D.), bassist Joe Loeffler (ex-Chevelle) and drummer Dave Buckner (ex-Papa Roach) in the new anthemic rock group Daylight Division.

The quartet has been hard at work, crafting tunes since June with Jay Baumgardner producing and mixing. Two tracks—"Live Again" and "Where I Want To Be"—can be found on the group's MySpace page. The band is beginning discussions with labels in hopes of releasing their debut record in 2010.

"Some may call this project a 'supergroup,' but it feels more like a band of mavericks," says the foursome. "Our sound isn't necessarily what you would expect given our collective musical pedigree. It's a common ground we found the old-school way—getting in the same room and jamming. It's exciting to bring in musical influences we all share, but haven't had the opportunity to draw on before now. It's exciting to be part of something totally new."

Keep up with Daylight Division by visiting:
MySpace.com/DaylightDivision
Twitter.com/DaylightDiv

DOKKEN DOES NOT LIKE CHICKEN & WANTS TO DESTROY IT!

2009-09-09T18:08:00.003-04:00

Check out these new commercials for Norton Internet Security 2010 featuring '80s rockers Dokken!!!

The first ad shows what happens if you have Internet protection (from Dokken; LOL!) and the second one shows Dokken unleashing their wrath on those without protection.

Creative ads indeed!

TV ALERT: BEHIND THE MUSIC

2009-09-09T16:48:00.004-04:00

Show: Behind The Music
Premiere Date: Thursday, Sept. 10 @ 10 PM
Channel: VH1

VH1’s critically acclaimed series is back with six brand new episodes! According to VH1, the network has "re-imagined the Behind The Music series to now focus on some of today's top artists who've had a major impact on the music world, from rock to hip-hop to pop. This installment of innovative artists we're profiling are sure to captivate a whole new generation of viewers. In addition to the dramatic storytelling that made Behind The Music a worldwide hit, the series will celebrate the subjects as artists and will also feature originally shot vérité footage of each artist, which will anchor each story in the present day."

Here is the Behind The Music schedule for the next six weeks:
Lil Wayne: Sept. 10 @ 10PM
Pink: Sept. 17 @ 8PM
Bobby Brown: Sept. 24 @ 10 PM
Bret Michaels: Oct. 1 @ 10PM
T.I.: Oct. 8 @ 10PM
50 Cent: Oct. 13 @ 8PM

LIL WAYNE

Photo Credit: Jonathan Mannion

PINK

Photo Credit: Andrew MacPherson

NewsBLITZ: R.I.P. LIT DRUMMER ALLEN SHELLENBERGER

2009-08-14T11:19:00.005-04:00

Some really sad news to report today: Lit drummer Allen Shellenberger passed away on Thursday, Aug. 13, after battling brain cancer for more than one year. Allen, 39, was surrounded by family, friends and his band members during his last moments.

Shellenberger was a founding member of the Orange County-based pop-punk band Lit, who had a string of hits in the late '90s and early '00s including "My Own Worst Enemy," "Miserable," "Zip-Lock" and "Lipstick and Bruises." In May 2008, he was diagnosed with a malignant glioma brain tumor and immediately underwent clinical trials, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The drummer's final performance with Lit took place last fall.

Lit's A.Jay Popoff, Jeremy Popoff and Kevin Baldes had this to say about their longtime friend and bandmate: "To know Al was to know laughter. He had a heart of gold and would do anything for everyone. Words cannot begin to express how much he will be missed. This was our brother and not a day will go by that we won't think about him. Right now, we're trying to find the balance of mourning his loss and celebrating his life. Allen has experienced more in his 39 years than most people dream of in ten lifetimes. This is a tremendous loss for us, our fans and also for Allen's family who took such good care of him during his battle with cancer."

Watch a tribute to Allen right now:

Visit Lit's Official MySpace: MySpace.com/LitLounge.

TV ALERT: LIVE & LOUD FRIDAYS

2009-07-16T17:00:00.005-04:00

Show: Live & Loud Fridays

Premiere Date: Friday, July 17, at 9PM
Channel: VH1

VH1 has teamed up with LiveNation.com to present Live & Loud Fridays for the next few weeks. Each half-hour program will take an inside look at one of the biggest tours currently making music all across America and will feature live performances, behind-the-scenes snippets and artist interviews (conducted by Michele Merkin). Viewers will also be presented with information about each tour—such as how to purchase tickets for upcoming shows.

The schedule of featured bands for VH1 And LiveNation.com Present Live & Loud Fridays is as follows:
July 17: Def Leppard & Poison
July 24: Nickelback
July 31: The Fray
Aug. 7: Creed

Check out the series' website by clicking here.

DVD WATCH!

2009-07-05T12:17:00.004-04:00

Keep away from the heat this summer by staying indoors, cranking up the AC and watching the hottest rock artists on DVD. Here are four discs that have come out recently that MusikBLITZ recommends:

Black Label Society's Skullage (Eagle Rock Entertainment): This 115-minute disc from heavy metal guitarist Zakk Wylde's main band features live footage (including acoustic performances of "The Blessed Hellride," "Spoke In The Wheel" and "Stillborn"), several of the band's music videos, interviews with Wylde (about the late Dimebag Darrell, the motivation behind his music, his guitars and more), a visit to Zakk's home and other great stuff. Also available is a 2-disc Skullage package with the DVD and a CD featuring 13 of BLS' biggest songs. Visit BlackLabelSociety.com for further information on the group.

The Doors' From The Outside (MVD Visual): This new documentary, available July 14, tells the story of the legendary band by those who personally knew the group, including Jim Morrison's widow Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (who rarely speaks on film about her relationship with Jim and the band), Village Voice editor Richard Goldstein who was a close friend of the quartet, blues musician Mark Benno (who played on a few tracks on the L.A. Woman album) and a bevy of journalists and others who were affected by The Doors' music as it was happening. Additionally, From The Outside contains rare footage of The Doors performing live and in the studio, seldom seen photographs, news clips, location shots and much more. Check out TheDoors.com for details about the group.

Ted Nugent's Motor City Mayhem (Eagle Rock Entertainment): This new live release, available on both DVD and Blu-ray, features the singer/guitarist's 6,000th concert. Shot on July 4, 2008 at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Nugent's hometown of Detroit, the program features performances of nearly two dozen of his classic songs (like "Stranglehold" and "Cat Scratch Fever") and guest appearances from Derek St. Holmes, Mitch Ryder, Johnny Bee and Ted's original guitar teacher Joe Podorsek. "The whole night was a barrage of wonderful, powerfully stimulating outrages," says Ted. "It was nonstop mind dazzling intensity." Updates on The Nuge can be found online at: TedNugent.com.

White Lion's Bang Your Head Festival 2005 (Frontiers Reocrds): This DVD captures the melodic metal band's gig at one of Europe's largest music festivals back in June 2005. "We took the stage to a thunderous roar from the massive headbanging crowd and leapt into our set," says frontman Mike Tramp. "The show was one-of-a-kind." In addition to the concert (featuring favorites like "Broken Heart," "Little Fighter," "Wait" and "Radar Love"), the disc has bonus clips from a U.S. tour and a full-length interview with Tramp. TrampsWhiteLion.com is the site to go to for news on the band.

NewsBLITZ: STAND BY IRANIANS WITH JON BON JOVI & RICHIE SAMBORA

2009-06-30T15:50:00.003-04:00

Bon Jovi's Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora have teamed up with Iranian singer Andy Madadian, legendary musician/producer Don Was and others on a cover of the classic Ben E. King song "Stand By Me" as a "musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran."

The song, recorded in Hollywood on June 24, 2009, features stanzas in both English and Farsi.

"[The song] is not for sale," explains Was. "It wasn't intended to be on the Billboard charts, wasn't meant to be a hit record or even pressed on a CD. It's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people. The whole idea was to get it into Iran and tell them...to carry on, that the world is watching and we're with you."

The video for the song, filmed in the recording studio, is below and can also be found on MyDamnChannel.com.

TV ALERT: BRYAN ADAMS & JASON ALDEAN ON "CMT CROSSROADS"

2009-06-25T17:23:00.004-04:00

Show: CMT Crossroads (with Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean)
Premiere Date: Friday, June 26, at 9PM
Channel: CMT

The popular series CMT Crossroads—which unites a country artist with one from a different genre of music (past episodes featured Def Leppard rocking with Taylor Swift and Bon Jovi grooving with Sugarland)—has come up with another exciting pairing: Pop rocker Bryan Adams and country singer Jason Aldean! Watch as the duo team up on Adams hits like "Summer Of '69," "Run To You" and "Heaven" (see clip below) and Aldean tunes like "She's Country" and "Hicktown." Bryan and Jason will also swap amusing stories and discuss their love of music.

Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean performing "Heaven":

Bryan Adams More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

For more information about CMT Crossroads and additional air times for this episode, visit CMT.com.

NewsBLITZ: TWISTED SISTER TO SIGN COPIES OF "STAY HUNGRY" IN NEW YORK!

2009-06-23T16:19:00.005-04:00

Can you believe that it's been 25 years since Twisted Sister first brought classics like "We're Not Gonna Take It," "I Wann Rock" and "The Price" to the masses? Now, the breakthrough album featuring those tunes, Stay Hungry, is being re-released and the New York-based band has planned two hometown celebrations to honor the record!

On Tuesday, June 30, Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero will first stop at J&R Music World's Lower Manhattan location at 12:30PM to sign copies of Stay Hungry. Additionally, Broadway star Constantine Maroulis (who performs "I Wanna Rock" in the musical Rock Of Ages) will be on hand to present the five members of Twisted Sister with gold plaques for their single "We're Not Gonna Take It." For more information on this event, visit Jr.com/information/liveEvents.jsp.

That night, at 7:30 PM, Twisted Sister will make their second appearance of the day at Looney Tunes in West Babylon, Long Island. Details about this meet-n-greet can be found at LooneyTunesCDs.com.

Twisted Sister circa 1984

NewsBLITZ: ROB THOMAS TO TOUR IN SUPPORT OF "CRADLESONG"

2009-06-23T14:05:00.006-04:00

This fall, singer Rob Thomas will celebrate new album Cradlesong (out June 30) with a 2-month North American tour! The jaunt—featuring opening acts One Republic and Carolina Liar—will kick off September 23 in Hollywood, Florida, and end with a multi-night stand at New York City's Beacon Theater beginning November 11. This is only the second full-fledged solo tour for the man who usually fronts the group Matchbox Twenty.

Cities Rob Thomas will be performing in this fall are as follows:
Sept. 23: Hollywood, FL
Sept. 25: Orlando, FL
Sept. 26: Clearwater, FL
Sept. 28: Raleigh, NC
Sept. 29: Charlotte, SC
Sept. 30: Atlanta, GA
Oct. 4: Houston, TX

Oct. 5: Grand Prairie, TX

Oct. 7: Oklahoma City, OK

Oct. 9: Council Bluffs, IA

Oct. 10: Milwaukee, WI

Oct. 11: St Paul, MN

Oct. 14: Vancouver, BC

Oct. 15: Seattle, WA

Oct. 17: Reno, NV

Oct. 18: San Francisco, CA

Oct. 20: Los Angeles, CA

Oct. 21: San Diego, CA

Oct. 23: Temecula, CA

Oct. 24: Las Vegas, NV

Oct. 25: Tucson, AZ

Oct. 27: Denver, CO

Oct. 29: Kansas City, KS

Oct. 30: Hammond, IN

Oct. 31: St Louis, MO

Nov. 2: Detroit, MI

Nov. 4: Toronto, ONT

Nov: 6: Atlantic City, NJ

Nov. 7: Uncasville, CT

Nov. 9: Boston, MA

Nov. 10: Washington, DC

Nov. 11, 12 & 13: New York City, NY

For more information on Rob and his tour, visit RobThomasMusic.com.

NewsBLITZ: SLIPKNOT/ANTHRAX/BLACK DAHLIA MURDER ANNOUNCE TOUR

2009-06-23T13:46:00.004-04:00

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Slipknot's landmark self-titled debut, the band is launching a 2-week tour later this summer with Anthrax and Black Dahlia Murder serving as support acts.

The tour dates are as follows:

Aug. 22: White River Amphitheater—Seattle, WA

Aug. 23: Toyota Center—Kennewick, WA

Aug. 24: Four Seasons Arena—Great Falls, MT

Aug. 26: Metra Park Arena—Billings, MT

Aug. 28: Quest Arena—Boise, ID

Aug. 29: The E Center—Salt Lake City, UT

Aug. 31: Colorado Springs World Arena—Colorado Springs, CO

Sept. 1: Casper Events Center—Casper, WY

Sept. 3: Fargodome—Fargo, ND

Sept. 4: Mayo Civic Center—Rochester, MN

Sept. 5: Eagles Ballroom—Milwaukee, WI

For more on Slipknot, visit the band's official website by clicking here.

NewsBLITZ: FREE MUSIC FROM 13TH PLANET RECORDS

2009-06-11T16:43:00.003-04:00

Who wants some free music?

Now, thanks to Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records and VampireFreaks.com, you can download a free digital EP featuring unreleased songs, remixes and videos from Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Prong, False Icons, Stayte and Ascension Of The Watchers.

Click here for your free music!

NewsBLITZ: THE BLACK CROWES NEW ALBUM(S) + TOUR!

2009-06-09T16:34:00.005-04:00

The Black Crowes are gearing up to release two new studio albums and launch a new tour to support it!

The first new record, Before The Frost..., comes out Sept. 1 via Silver Arrow/Megaforce. Inside each album, buyers will find a unique download code to obtain a free copy of the Crowes' second effort, ...Until The Freeze. Both albums were recorded over five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y, in front of an intimate audience comprised of the band's fans, making them a part of the albums.

Fans not in attendance at the special recordings, will have the chance to see The Black Crowes—Chris Robinson (vocals), Rich Robinson (guitar/vocals), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Adam MacDougall (keyboards) and Luther Dickinson (guitar)—on their 2009 Stuck Inside Utopia Tour beginning Aug. 25. Concertgoers can expect a two-hour-plus performance of music culled from all of the Crowes' releases.

Dates for The Black Crowes' 2009 Stuck Inside Utopia Tour are as follows:
Aug. 25: Wolf Trap/The Filene Center—Vienna, VA
Aug. 26: Cape Cod Melody Tent—Hyannis, MA
Aug. 27: Bank of America Pavilion—Boston, MA
Aug. 29: Borgata Event Center—Atlantic City, NJ
Aug. 30: Ram's Head Live—Baltimore, MD
Aug. 31: American Music Theatre—Lancaster, PA
Sept. 2: Rumsey Playfield @ Central Park Summerstage—New York, NY
Sept. 4: Theatre at Westbury—Westbury, NY
Sept. 5: Stone Pony Summerstage—Asbury Park, NJ
Sept. 6: American Music Festival—Virginia Beach, VA
Sept. 8: The Klein—Bridgeport, CT
Sept. 9: Penn's Peak—Jim Thorpe, PA
Sept. 11: Saranac Brewery—Utica, NY
Sept. 12: Casino Rama—Rama, Ontario
Sept. 13: Centennial Hall—London, Ontario
Sept. 16: Lupo's—Providence, RI
Sept. 17: Higher Ground—Burlington, VT
Sept. 18: Ulster Performing Arts Center—Kingston, NY
Sept. 24: Oklahoma State Fair—Oklahoma City, OK
Sept. 25: Big Spring Jam—Huntsville, AL
Sept. 26: Ryman Auditorium—Nashville, TN
Sept. 28: The Lyric—Oxford, MS
Sept. 29: Tennessee Theatre—Knoxville, TN
Sept. 30: The Fillmore—Charlotte, NC
Oct. 2: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium—Asheville, NC
Oct. 3: Chastain Park Amphitheatre—Atlanta, GA

"The Black Crowes fearlessly continue to search for the self made utopian ideals that makes rock 'n' roll music the last true real American adventure."
—Chris Robinson

For more information, go to The Black Crowes official website.

NewsBLITZ: AEROSMITH'S BRAD WHITFORD SITS OUT TOUR

2009-06-09T15:30:00.004-04:00

When Aerosmith launch their tour with special guests ZZ Top on June 10 in St. Louis, the band will be hitting the stage minus one member—guitarist Brad Whitford. The 57-year-old is taking time off to recuperate from a recent, undisclosed surgery. Guitarist Bobby Schneck—who has played with Green Day and Weezer—will fill in for Whitford on the tour, which ends in Detroit on Sept. 16. In a press release, Aerosmith's Whitford, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer say that they "regret any inconvenience to their fans and thank everyone for their support."

TV ALERT: Z ROCK'S SECOND SEASON PREMIERE

2009-06-06T12:31:00.004-04:00

Show: Z Rock
Premiere Date: Sunday, June 7, at 11PM
Channel: IFC

The second season of the rock 'n' roll comedy Z Rock kicks off Sunday night. The series follows Brooklyn musicians Paulie Z, David Z and Joey Cassata during the days as kids' party band Z Brothers and during the nights as rock outfit ZO2.

Look out for special appearances this season from the likes of Joan Rivers, Hall & Oates' Daryl Hall, Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro, Blues Traveler's John Popper, The Ramones' Marky Ramone, Constantine Maroulis, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and J.J. French, Frank Stallone, The Real Housewives Of New York's Bethenny Frankel, Howard Stern Show producer Gary Dell'Abate and That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk.

Here's a sneak preview of Z Rock:

NewsBLITZ: RATT & EXTREME TOUR TOGETHER!

2009-06-05T12:32:00.003-04:00

Hard rockers Ratt and Extreme are teaming up this summer for their first ever tour together!

Ratt, who will close the shows, will be playing their popular album Out Of The Cellar—featuring hits like "Round & Round," "Wanted Man" and "Lack Of Communication"—in its entirety on the tour to mark the record's 25th anniversary. The band is currently in the process of recording a brand new disc that they plan on releasing in the fall via Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records.

Extreme's latest release, Saudades de Rock, came out in 2008. The band behind such songs as "Hole Hearted" and "Rest In Peace" have recently had their 1990 No. 1 hit "More Than Words" featured in blockbuster movies Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Love Guru. Additionally, young rock fans are being exposed to the music of Extreme via Guitar Hero's inclusion of the group's song "Play With Me" on the video game.

Drummer Bobby Blotzer of Ratt is stoked about having two amazing guitarists on the same bill. "[Ratt's] Warren DeMartini and [Extreme's] Nuno Bettencourt on [the] same stage, same night? 'Nuff said! We'll see you there," he exclaims.

The Ratt/Extreme tour dates are as follows:
July 12: Midnight Rodeo—Amarillo, TX
July 13: Scout Bar—San Antonio,TX
July 14: Dos Amigos—Odessa, TX
July 16: Marquee Theater—Tempe, AZ
July 17: Wiltern Theater—Los Angeles, CA
July 18: Hard Rock—Las Vegas, NV
July 19: House Of Blues—Anaheim, CA
July 22: Ogden Theater—Denver, CO
July 23: Crossroads—Kansas City, MO
July 24: House Of Blues—Chicago, IL
July 26: Ches-a-rena—Cheswick, PA
July 28: Nokia Theater—New York City, NY
July 30: The Capital One Bank Theatre @ Westbury—Westbury, NY
Aug. 2: Crock Rock Festival—Allentown, PA
Aug. 6: Starland Ballroom—Sayerville, NJ
Aug. 7: Hampton Beach Casino—Hampton Beach, NH

TV ALERT—IRON MAIDEN: FLIGHT 666 DOC ON VH1

2009-06-03T18:17:00.006-04:00

Show: Iron Maiden: Flight 666
Premiere Dates: Saturday, June 6, at 9PM on VH1 Classic
and Palladia; 12AM on VH1


The documentary Iron Maiden: Flight 666 premieres this
Saturday night, June 6, on VH1 Classic, Palladia and
VH1. The film centers around the first leg of the
legendary heavy metal band’s 2008 Somewhere Back In
Time World Tour, which had them play 23 sold-out
shows on five continents in just 45 days. And how
did they travel around the world for this tour? On
a customized Boeing 757—Ed Force One—piloted by
lead singer Bruce Dickinson!

"Having what is basically a flying 'splitter bus'
with all our gear and crew on board allowed us to
undertake a touring schedule the likes of which has
never been attempted before," says frontman/Astraeus
Airline Captain Dickinson. "By being independent of
flight and freight connections and schedules, we could
literally go where we wanted when we wanted. And so
we did. It was quite a journey—exhausting at times
with jet lag taking its toll—but our fans everywhere
were magnificent which made all the effort and planning
and time well worthwhile. It really was a unique
experience until, that is, we did it again earlier this
year!"

Iron Maiden: Flight 666 chronicles the rigorous tour life
of a classic band, capturing behind-the-scenes footage
from both on and off the stage. The film won the SXSW
Festival Award for Best Music Documentary.

John McMurtrie/Iron Maiden Holdings Ltd.

NewsBLITZ: PAUL MCCARTNEY TO ROCK CITI FIELD!

2009-06-03T14:41:00.004-04:00

Music icon Paul McCartney will be the first artist to play a full-length concert at the recently-opened Citi Field in Flushing, New York.

Photo By Kevin Mazur

The home of the New York Mets will be transformed into a concert venue on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18, for the legendary Beatle. McCartney first played Flushing at the Mets' old home, Shea Stadium, with The Beatles back on Aug. 15, 1965 to more than 55,000 fans, marking the first time a sporting arena was used for a concert. Last summer, he appeared as a special guest during Billy Joel's farewell concerts to Shea.

"I am really excited about playing Citi Field," says Sir Paiul, who promises to perform all the hits from his extensive catalog (including Beatles, Wings and solo tunes). "The Beatles were the first to play at Shea Stadium and, along with Billy Joel, I was the last to sing at the old Shea. So to be the first to play this stadium is incredible. I am really looking forward to a buzzing show."

"There's no more appropriate artist in the history of rock 'n' roll to play the first concert at Citi Field," says New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon. "The era of big-time rock 'n' roll concerts started with Paul and The Beatles at Shea and we're thrilled to continue that tradition at our new home."

Tickets for this historic events go on sale Monday, June 15, at 10AM online at 507TIXX.com and by phone at 718-507-TIXX.

NewsBLITZ: NEW ROCK BABY BORN!

2009-05-28T17:15:00.005-04:00

Congrats go out to My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and his wife, Mindless Self Indulgence bassist Lyn-Z, on the birth of the couple's first child! Daughter Bandit Lee Way was born on May 27 at 2:57PM in Los Angeles and weighed 6 lbs., 5.6 oz. at birth. "Everyone is healthy and happy," says the couple's rep.

NewsBLITZ: GG ALLIN & TESCO VEE MEMENTOS

2009-05-27T18:05:00.004-04:00

Fans of GG Allin and the Meatmen's Tesco Vee can now collect limited-edition "Throbblehead" figurines of their heroes thanks to Aggronautix (along with MVD Entertainment Group and DKE Toys).

Each "Throbblehead" is 7-inches tall, individually numbered, made of lightweight polyresin and comes in a tri-windowed box. There are 2,000 of the GG Allin "1991" figurines available and only 1000 of the Tesco Vee figures.

The feces- and blood-splattered GG Allin figure has been approved by his brother, Merle Allin. "I had been thinking about doing a GG figure for a while, so when the guys [at Aggronautix] came to me with the idea, I was into it," he says. "We got it right—the doll looks really good and I'm happy with it."

And how does Tesco Vee feel about his collectible? "As a toy collector of two decades—and classic bobble head collector—imagine just how geeked I became when informed that yours truly would enter the pantheon of 'Throbblehead' punk rock losers along with poopy soulmate GG Allin."

To purchase either or both of these $14.95 "Throbbleheads," visit Aggronautix.com.

BUCKCHERRY'S "HIGHWAY STAR" VIDEO

2009-05-26T16:27:00.002-04:00

Buckcherry has recorded its own version of the Deep Purple classic “Highway Star” as the anthem for TNT's 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage. The revamped tune will be featured during NASCAR telecasts on TNT and in the network's marketing campaign.

"We are big fans of Turner Sports, specifically their NASCAR coverage," explains Buckcherry singer Josh Todd. "We are stoked to be chosen as the featured band of the season. 'Highway Star' is a killer rock song and the video we made for it is bigger and badder than anything we have done before. We are looking forward to working with Turner as the campaign runs on TV, radio and online and to getting to the race in Daytona during a break in our touring this summer."

Watch the high-energy video for "Highway Star" here:

The song "Highway Star" will be available for purchase via iTunes beginning June 16th.

And, you can catch Buckcherry performing live at the Daytona International Speedway on July 4 as part of TNT's pre-race coverage of the Coke Zero 400.

HEY NEW ARTISTS—WIN A MYSPACE RECORDS CONTRACT!

2009-05-26T14:38:00.003-04:00

Think you have what it takes to win a recording contract with MySpace Records? If so, you need to enter the Rock The Space contest right away!

Sponsored by MySpace, MySpace Records and Toyota Motor Sales, the Rock The Space contest is open to unsigned bands and solo artists. To enter, visit MySpace.com/ToyotaMusic (before July 1) to submit an original song via MP3. All who enter can then create a viral music widget (with an easy embed code) to spread their music across MySpace and the web. Additionally, MySpace users can add the music widgets to their profiles and post comments on the Toyota Music profile.

In July, five finalists will be selected to be featured prominently on the Toyota Music profile. Then, the MySpace community will vote on a winner, who will be announced in September. In addition to the MySpace Records recording contract, the winner will also receive $10,000 worth of musical instruments from Fender and the winner's song will be available for download on the MySpace Music Home Page.

"Rock The Space allows the MySpace Music platform to do what it does best—enable new music and new artists to be discovered," says Jeff Berman, President of Sales and Marketing for MySpace. "MySpace is excited to offer these artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to take part in their journey from the very first step."

For more information, to enter or to hear some of the submissions, visit MySpace.com/ToyotaMusic.

NEW ALBUM RECOMMENDATIONS!

2009-05-17T17:31:00.009-04:00

Here are MusikBLITZ's top picks from all of the new releases that have come out in April and May:

The Devil Wears Prada's With Roots Above and Branches Below (Ferret Music): "[The album] is much more mature [than our previous two releases]," says singer Mike Hranica of the Christian metalcore band. "I know that's cliché and it's what everyone says, but we've really grown as songwriters. There are songs that are heavier than anything we've ever written.... You'll find lots of orchestral add-ins on the record and the production quality on this record is really special." The Devil Wears Prada will spend the summer performing live as part of the Vans Warped Tour.
Great White's Rising (Shrapnel Records): The "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" rockers are back with a brand new album featuring 11 hot blues-influenced tracks. Produced by keyboardist Michael Lardie, Rising also showcases the talents of other original band members Jack Russell (vocals), Mark Kendall (lead guitar) and Audie Desbrow (drums).
Heaven & Hell's The Devil You Know (Rhino): The first album of all new material in 17 years from legendary Black Sabbath members Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler (along with new drummer Vinny Appice), comes on the heels of the quartet's highly successful 2007 reunion tour. "The band had gotten too good to just walk away," says Dio. "We wanted to show people that we were still capable of giving them new music that measured up to what we'd done in the past."
Hedley's Never Too Late (Fontana International): The Canadian pop/rock outfit's first U.S. release contains 12 songs, including Hedley's seven No. 1 hits from their two double platinum Canadian albums Hedley (2005) and Famous Last Words (2007). Singer Jacob Hoggard, who placed third during the second season of the reality competition Canadian Idol, fronts the band who has opened for such diverse acts as Bon Jovi, Nickelback and Sum 41.

Into The Presence's Into The Presence (Razor & Tie): This experimental mid-tempo rock record featuring drummer Tim Alexander (Primus/A Perfect Circle) and frontman/guitarist Luis Maldonado (a studio/session player who, at 12 years old, studied classical guitar at the University of Arizona) was a longtime coming as the two met over a decade ago and had hoped to work on a major project together ever since. The disc was recorded at Alexander's Arizona home studio with APC's Paz Lenchantin playing bass and her sister Ana Lenchantin on cello.

Lenny Kravitz's Let Love Rule (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition): Kravitz celebrates 20 years after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album with this special 2-CD collection. The original album—featuring songs like "Let Love Rule," "Freedom Train" and "Mr. Cab Driver"—has been re-mastered and includes 18 bonus tracks (13 previously unreleased demos, rare B-sides and live tracks).

The Last Vegas' Whatever Gets You Off (Eleven Seven Music): Dirty, sleazy, fun, party rock songs in the spirit of the '80s hair metal bands is what you get when you listen to The Last Vegas' debut. The Chicago-based band was handpicked by Mötley Crüe during Guitar Center's On-Stage promotion to open up for the Crüe this past winter and the group also received a record and management deal. As an added bonus, Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx co-produced the effort along with Sixx:AM's DJ Ashba and veteran producer Marti Frederiksen.
Duff McKagan's Loaded's Sick (Century Media Records): The 11-year-old punk rock band lead by the ex Guns N' Roses/current Velvet Revolver bassist has finally released its sophomore full-length record. The Seattle-based group—McKagan (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Squires (guitar), Jeff Rouse (bass) and Geoff Reading (drums)—started when McKagan became "sickened by all the crap music going around at the time… So, I put together Loaded to play rock music the way I wanted to do it. We had no great game plan or philosophy. We just wanted to get into the rehearsal room, begin writing songs and play music we felt."

Prong's Power Of The Damn MiXXXer (13th Planet Records): This collection features alternate takes of songs from industrial metal act Prong's 2007 CD Power Of The Damager remixed by industrial, metal and experimental artists such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Revolting Cocks and Anthrax’s Rob Caggiano.

Queen's First EP (Hollywood Records): The legendary British band first released this EP in the U.K. on vinyl in 1977. Now it's getting a numbered, limited-edition release in America. The EP features "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy," "Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…)," "Tenement Funster" and "White Queen (As It Began)," four tunes recorded in the mid-1970s by the band's original lineup of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon.

Billy Sheehan's Holy Cow! (Mascot Records): The much-revered bassist (Mr. Big/David Lee Roth/Talas) delivers a new rock album showcasing his amazing talents on both bass and vocals. Contributing to their friend's record are musicians Ray Luzier (Korn), Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top), Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) and Doug Pinnick (King's X).

Jeff Scott Soto's Beautiful Mess (Frontiers Records): This is the first new album in four years from the soulful vocalist who has worked with the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Journey. "This is the album I always wanted to make," Soto says. "Beautiful Mess is all about songs and the singer, not guitar solos and big riffs. The songs are also more soul and R&B laced, as well. I wanted the diversity it has, but I didn't want it to sound confusing to old fans while I am trying to gain new ones."

Various Artists' True Blood—Music From the HBO Original Series (Elektra/Atlantic Records): This CD features music heard during the first season of the much-loved series about vampires in Louisiana, including Jace Everett's sultry theme song "Bad Things," tunes from the Bayou State's natives (like Dr. John, Lucinda Williams and Slim Harpo) and an exclusive new song written expressly for the series, "Bleed 2 Feed," by Lafayette-based swamp rocker CC Adcock.

NewsBLITZ: GET STRYPER'S NEW ALBUM, MURDER BY PRIDE, TRACK-BY-TRACK BEFORE IT'S RELEASED

2009-05-13T15:50:00.004-04:00

Stryper's new studio album, Murder By Pride, won't be released in its entirety until July 21. However, BIG3 Records is making one new track from the record available each week from now until then via iTunes!

Fans can go to iTunes every Tuesday to purchase a new track. Each song, though, will be sold for one week only; the following Tuesday a new track becomes available. If you make a purchase every week, you will have the full album by July 21.

Here is the release schedule for Murder By Pride:
May 5: "Eclipse of the Son"
May 12: "Murder By Pride"
May 19: "4 Leaf Clover"
May 26: "The Plan"
June 2: "Alive"
June 9: "I Believe"
June 16: "Love Is Why"
June 23: "Mercy Over Blame"
June 30: "Run In You"
July 7: "Everything"
July 14: "My Love (I'll Always Show)"

Besides the 11 songs listed above, Murder by Pride also includes a cover of the Boston song "Peace of Mind," which is already on iTunes.

This fall, Stryper will embark on a 25th Anniversary Tour, hitting 50 cities in North Ameica. The band will play two separate sets during each concert—the first will feature new Stryper material and include current bassist Tracy Ferrie along with original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet and Oz Fox; and the second set will feature all four original Stryper members, including original bassist Tim Gaines, and they will be wearing the yellow and black jumpsuits that made them (in)famous while performing the songs fans have come to know and love over the last 25 years.

For tour dates and other information, visit Stryper's official website.

NewsBLITZ: CALL ME INVINCIBLE TOUR

2009-05-13T14:59:00.003-04:00

Women rock this summer as legendary artists Blondie and Pat Benatar share the stage together for the first time on the Call Me Invincible Tour! The female rock icons—along with all-female quartet The Donnas as openers—will take on a month's worth of tour dates during July and August.

Blondie—known for hits like "Call Me," "Heart Of Glass" and "The Tide Is High"—is led by the iconic Deborah Harry who calls Benatar a "friend" and "a fearless female rocker who has entertained me and her wealth of fans." She adds: "Being able to bring our two shows to fans across the country is very exciting!"

"Deorah and I have been friends forever," elates Benatar, the voice behind hits like "Love Is A Battlefied," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "Heartbreaker." "I'm thrilled that we're finally getting an opportunity to tour together—it should be a blast!"

Call Me Invincible Tour 2009 Dates

July 21: The Mountain Winery—Saratoga, CA
July 22: The Concerts at Wente Vineyards—Livermore, CA
July 25: Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino—Lemoore, CA
July 26: Pacific Amphitheater—Costa Mesa, CA
July 28: Dodge Theater—Phoenix, AZ
July 29: Isleta Casino-The Lakes—Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 1: Mud Island Amphitheater—Memphis, TN
Aug. 2: Chastain Park Amphitheater—Atlanta, GA
Aug. 4: The Filene Center—Vienna, VA
Aug. 5: Meadowbrook-US Cellular Pavilion—Gilford, NH
Aug. 7: Bethlehem Musikfest—Bethlehem, PA
Aug. 8: Bank of America Pavilion—Boston, MA
Aug. 11: Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center—Canandaigua, NY
Aug. 13: Asser Levy Park—Brooklyn, NY
Aug. 15: Riverbend Music Center—Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 17: Ravinia Pavilion—Highland Park, IL
Aug. 20: Austin Music Hall—Austin, TX
Aug. 21: Beau Rivage Resort—Biloxi, MS
Aug. 23: The Arena Theater—Houston, TX

NewsBLITZ: COLLECTIVE SOUL AND GAVIN DEGRAW TO CO-HEADLINE SUMMER TOUR

2009-05-13T12:38:00.003-04:00

Collective Soul and Gavin DeGraw are teaming up for a summer co-headlining tour.

"We are excited to gt back out on the road this summer, and are delighted it's with Gavin," says Collective Soul frontman Ed Roland, whose band is known for hits like "Shine," "The World I Know" and "Gel." "The band has always been big fans [of Gavin's], and we look forward to some great shows." In August, Collective Soul will release a brand new album for new label Loud and Proud/Roadrunner Records.

DeGraw—who released the album Free this past March—has this to say: "Collective Soul is a great group of guys with a great sound. I partied with them in the fabulous city of Atlanta. It's going to be an exciting tour and I am looking forward to it."

Collective Soul/Gavin DeGraw tour dates:

June 22: House Of Blues—Cleveland, OH

June 23: Piere's—Fort Wayne, IN

June 24: The Egyptian Room—Indianapolis, IN

June 26: Des Moines Arts Festival—Des Moines, IA

June 29: The Beaumont Club—Kansas City, MO

July 7: Spirit Bank Event Center—Tulsa, OK

July 9: Snowden Grove Amphitheater—Southhaven, MS

July 10: World’s Largest Block Party—Chicago, IL

July 11: Lifestyle Communities Pavilion—Columbus, OH

July 13: House of Blues—Myrtle Beach, SC

July 14: House of Blues—Lake Buena Vista, FL

July 15: Revolution—Fort Lauderdale, FL

NewsBLITZ: STIMULATE THIS!

2009-05-11T20:10:00.005-04:00

The Stimulate This! Tour will roll across the USA this summer delivering maximum rock at a minimal price. On the bill? Staind, Shinedown, Chevelle and Halestorm.

By working with some of the venues the tour will be hitting, most tickets will remain under $40—and venues with lawn seats may sell those tickets for as low as $10! Also, there will be special promotions at many of the venues such as discounts on concessions, store discounts at local retailers and online rebates for band merch.

And, Atlantic Records will be giving away a pair of tickets to five lucky fans in each city who can give a good reason as to why they need a free night of music. Details on this contest will be available soon at AtlanticRecords.com.

"Wall Street got its bailout—now it's time for rock fans to get theirs," says Staind frontman Aaron Lewis. "This summer, we want to give our fans one night where they can forget about everything else and experience a great rock show!" Adds Shinedown singer Brent Smith: "It's our job...our privilege to offer fans an escape. Teaming up with these other great bands, we're doing what we can to help lift everyone's spirits in these tough times.... The power of music can do that!"

Stimulate This! Tour Dates:
July 1: Peoria Civic Center— Peoria, IL
July 2: Harriet Island—St. Paul, MN (* No Shinedown)
July 4: DTE Energy Music Theatre—Detroit, MI
July 7: Roanoke Convention Center—Roanoke, VA
July 9: Merriweather Post Pavilion—Columbia, MD
July 10: Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion—Gilford, NH
July 12: Saratoga Performing Arts Center—Saratoga Springs, NY
(* WHRL Big Day Out Festival)
July 14: Bank of America Pavilion—Boston, MA
July 16: Chevrolet Theatre—Wallingford, CT
July 17: Asbury Park Convention Hall—Asbury Park, NJ
July 21: Eastern Kentucky Expo Center—Pikeville, KY
July 22: Southeastern KY Agricultural & Expo—Corbin, KY
July 24: Roberts Stadium—Evansville, IN
July 25: Dubuque County Fair—Dubuque, IA (* No Chevelle or Halestorm)
July 26: Swiftel Center—Brookings, SD
July 28: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena—Rapid City, SD
July 29: MetraPark Arena—Billings, MT
July 31: Mayo Civic Center—Rochester, MN (* No Shinedown)
Aug. 10: The Amphitheatre at Clark County—Ridgefield, WA
Aug. 13: The Fillmore Auditorium—Denver, CO
Aug. 14: Santa Ana Star Center—Rio Rancho, NM
Aug. 15: Lonestar Amphitheater—Lubbock, TX
Aug. 18: Laredo Entertainment Center—Laredo, TX
Aug. 28: Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre—Toledo, OH
Aug. 30: Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing—Philadelphia, PA

MOTHERLOVER VIDEO

2009-05-11T14:22:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, here's the new hilarious Saturday Night Live video everyone is talking about, "Motherlover," starring Justin Timberlake:

NewsBLITZ: SUGAR RAY REUNION ALBUM + TOUR

2009-05-05T15:20:00.003-04:00

The recently reunited Sugar Ray—featuring all original members (singer Mark McGrath, Craig “DJ Homicide” Bullock, drummer Stan Frazier, bassist Murphy Karges and guitarist Rodney Sheppard)—has finally announced details about their new album and summer tour!

Music For Cougars—the "Fly" band's first album of new material in more than six years—will come out July 21 via Pulse/Fontana/Universal. "Boardwalk," the album's lead single drops this month. Other songs on the disc include "She's Got The...(Woo-Hoo)," "Love Is The Answer" and a remake of the Eddie Hodges' tune "(Girls Girls Girls Are) Made to Love."

"We have realistic views of how the music industry is today," McGrath tells Billboard.com. "I know people aren't sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for a Sugar Ray record. But that wasn't the point. It was purely because we love to make music.... I think the biggest success of Sugar Ray is that after 21 years and all the booze, drugs, women, money, having no money—all those things have come into play and we're still together. That, to me, is the biggest reward." Read more of McGrath's comments to Billboard.com by clicking here.

Sugar Ray's tour dates are as follows:

July 24: Dakota Magic Casino—Hankinson, ND
July 25: Taste of the Torches Resort—Lac Du Flambea, WI
July 26: Taste of Lincoln Ave.—Chicago, IL
July 28: Hall—Detroit, MI
July 29: House of Blues—Cleveland, OH
July 30: Bottle & Cork—Dewey Beach, DE
July 31: Sonar—Baltimore, MD
Aug. 1: Spiediefest—Binghampton, NY
Aug. 3: Northern Lights—Albany, NY
Aug. 4: Paradise—Boston, MA
Aug. 6: Columbus Park—Stamford, CT
Aug. 7: The Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza—New York, NY
Aug. 8: 9:30 Club—Washington, D.C.
Aug. 10: Norva—Norfolk, VA
Aug. 11: Amos' South End—Charlotte, NC
Aug. 12: The Loft—Atlanta, GA
Aug. 14: Culture Room—Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Aug. 15: Downtown Orlando/Orange Ave.—Orlando, FL
Aug. 16: Jannus Landing—St. Petersburg, FL
Aug. 18: Cannery Ballroom—Nashville, TN
Aug. 19: House of Blues—New Orleans, LA
Aug. 21: La Zona Rosa—Austin, TX
Aug. 22: House of Blues—Houston, TX
Aug. 23: House of Blues—Dallas, TX
Sept. 11: Showbox—Seattle, WA
Sept. 12: TBA—Portland, OR
Sept. 14: Empire—Sacramento, CA
Sept. 15: Grand Ballroom—San Francisco, CA
Sept. 16: The Catalyst—Santa Cruz, CA
Sept. 18: Taste of Newport—Newport Beach, CA
Sept. 19: Pozo Saloon—Santa Margarita, CA
Sept. 20: Ventura Theater—Ventura, CA
Sept. 22: Rialto Theater—Tucson, AZ
Sept. 23: The Marquee—Phoenix, AZ
Sept. 25: House of Blues—Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 26: Hard Rock—San Diego, CA

Visit Sugar Ray's official website for more information and links to the group's MySpace and Facebook pages.

TV ALERT: ROCK WEEK ON AMERICAN IDOL

2009-05-05T14:10:00.002-04:00

Show: American Idol
Premiere Dates: Tuesday, May 5, at 8PM and Wednesday, May 6, at 9PM
Channel: Fox
It’s Rock Week on American Idol! And, tonight, the final four contestants—Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey and Kris Allen—will be mentored by the one and only Slash! Yes, the guitar great (ex-Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver) with the mop top will be sharing his musical knowledge with the young singers.

Then, tomorrow night, former AI contestant Chris Daughtry returns to the Idol stage to debut his brand new tune “No Surprise.” The song is the first single from the band Daughtry’s as-yet-untitled sophomore effort, which is slated to come out July 14 via 19 Recordings/RCA. "American Idol fans have been so loyal to this band, we wanted to give them the first listen to our new single," Chris says. Also, on Wednesday, the recently reunited No Doubt will perform!

For more on American Idol, click here.

NewsBLITZ: HEAVEN AND HELL TO TOUR IN AUGUST!

2009-05-04T19:27:00.003-04:00

Heaven and Hell—Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice—just released new album The Devil You Know and have now announced a late summer North American jaunt to support the CD.

Photo By: Chapman Baehler/Rhino Entertainment

Progressive metal band Coheed and Cambria—who recently released the Neverender box set—will open each show (except in Seattle where Neurosis will handle the job).

Tickets for most shows go on sale this upcoming weekend.

Heaven and Hell tour dates are as follows:

Aug 7: Thunderbird Arena—Vancouver, BC
Aug 8: WaMu Theater—Seattle, WA
Aug. 10: Event Center Arena—San Jose, CA
Aug. 11: Greek Theater—Los Angeles, CA
Aug. 12: Dodge Theater—Phoenix, Az
Aug. 14: Journal Pavilion—Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 15: Red Rocks—Denver, CO
Aug. 18: PNC Pavilion—Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 19: Charter One Pavilion—Chicago, IL
Aug. 21: Meadow Brook Pavilion—Detroit, MI
Aug. 22: Nautica Pavilion—Cleveland, OH
Aug. 23: Merriweather Post Pavilion—Baltimore, MD
Aug. 25: WaMu Theater @ MSG—New York City, NY
Aug. 27: Chevrolet Theatre—Wallingford, CT
Aug. 28: Band Of America Pavilion—Boston, MA

For more information on Heaven and Hell, click here.

REGIS GOES METAL!

2009-04-29T15:56:00.004-04:00

Regis Philbin let his inner metalhead out this morning on Live! with Regis and Kelly. Check out his headbanging performance of Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" with Constantine Maroulis and the rest of the cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages:

How could you not love Reege!?!

NewsBLITZ: ROB HALFORD'S METAL GOD APPAREL

2009-04-27T20:20:00.005-04:00

Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford has launched his own clothing line—Metal God Apparel.

Metal God Apparel is currently offering 12 pieces—11 T-shirts and one ladies' long sleeve thermal—featuring unique designs on each. The tops can be purchased for pre-sale right now (original prices are $55 and $65), however the items will not be shipped until June 15.

Pray For Rock & Roll Tee

Sacred Women's Thermal

The edgy apparel line will soon offer more items for men and women as well as youth and teen stuff.

According to the company, Metal God Apparel uses "cotton tees integrating the newest fashion technology resulting in an extremely attractive, lightweight, soft-to-touch, active wear for today's global music audiences."

Visit MetalGodApparel.com for more details.

MUSIC CHOICE GETS RID OF ARENA ROCK

2009-04-27T17:09:00.005-04:00

Music Choice recently switched up its line-up of channels and got rid of my favorite station: Arena Rock!!!

They replaced it with a new channel called Retro Rock. At first, I was doing okay. I heard Slaughter, Twisted Sister and the Scorpions. But then...oh God no...it was Bush, The Screaming Trees and other bland, generic acts from the '90s. I was very upset!

People that love rock music from the 1980s DO NOT like rock music from the 1990s. Everyone is aware of this...except the folks over at Music Choice.

The company claims to have "analyzed the results from an independent study, reviewed ongoing customer feedback and researched music industry trends to develop its new channel line-up." However, these results are certainly inaccurate.

I filled out the "Comments Form" on Music Choice's website to complain about this new channel and to request that they bring Arena Rock back. If you'd like to do the same, click here.

At least I still have Hair Nation on Sirius!

NewsBLITZ: CREED REUNITES!

2009-04-27T12:50:00.005-04:00

After months (years!) of speculation, Creed's original lineup is reuniting for a new album and tour.

The Florida-based band—Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall—has sold close to 35 million albums worldwide since their debut in 1997 and was the first act to have seven consecutive number one rock radio singles.

"We're all very excited to reconnect with our fans and each other after six long years," says guitarist Tremonti.

Drummer Phillips adds: "Our career as Creed came to a very abrupt and unforeseen ending. After reflecting on some of the greatest personal and professional moments of our lives, we've come to realize that we are still very capable of continuing that career and our friendship on a grander scale than ever before."

Bassist Marshall continues: "This is a development we are all happy about. It has been a long time since the four of us have taken the stage together and, without hesitation or reservation, this is something all of us are in to. The anticipation to get back out there is electrifying."

"It's amazing how life can change and bring you full circle," states singer Stapp. "Time gave us all a chance to reflect, grow and gain a deeper appreciation of our friendships, artistic chemistry, passion for music, and sincere love for our fans! It's rare in life to get a second chance to make a first impression and we embrace the opportunity. We all believe the best is yet to come!"

People.com is reporting that the new record Creed is working on is tentatively titled Full Circle. One of the songs Stapp already penned is "Milan Song," written about his 2-year-old daughter. "She's my twin soul, my light," Stapp says. "I do whatever she wants."

Creed reunion tour dates are as follows:
Aug. 6: Pittsburgh, PA
Aug. 8: Darien Lakes, NY
Aug. 9: Hershey, PA
Aug. 11: Saratoga Springs, NY
Aug. 13: Philadelphia, PA
Aug. 15: Wantagh, NY
Aug. 16: Holmdel, NJ
Aug. 18: Boston, MA
Aug. 20: Hartford, CT
Aug. 21: Washington, DC
Aug. 22: Virginia Beach, VA
Aug. 25: Detroit, MI
Aug. 26: Cleveland, OH
Aug. 28: Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 29: Indianapolis, IN
Aug. 30: Chicago, IL
Sept. 1: Milwaukee, WI
Sept. 2: Columbus, OH
Sept. 4: Raleigh, NC
Sept. 5: Charlotte, NC
Sept. 11: Atlanta, GA
Sept. 12: Birmingham, AL
Sept. 15: Orlando, FL
Sept. 16: West Palm Beach, FL
Sept. 18: Lafayette, LA
Sept. 19: New Orleans, LA
Sept. 20: Bossier City, LA
Sept. 22: Dallas, TX
Sept. 24: San Antonio, TX
Sept. 25: Houston, TX
Sept. 27: Las Vegas, NV
Sept. 29: Glendale, AZ
Sept. 30: Irvine, CA
Oct. 2: Salt Lake City, UT
Oct. 3: Denver, CO
Oct. 6: Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 7: Omaha, NE
Oct. 9: Tulsa, OK
Oct. 10: Kansas City, MO
Oct. 13: St. Louis, MO
Oct. 14: Nashville, TN

For more information on Creed, click here.

New Seanda Paul Song - it's definitely Summertime

2009-04-27T12:30:00.002-04:00

Check it out: "So Fine," the premiere track off Sean Paul's upcoming album IMPERIAL BLAZE in stores and online Tuesday August, 18th. Listen to the track on his site, AllSeanPaul.com and play a fun game with me and my co-workers - we're trying to figure out what he's saying when he sings fast. I definitely think i heard the word SWINE. But maybe I'm just so freaked out about the swine flu epidemic that it's on the brain :(

NewsBLITZ: NEW YORK DOLLS TOUR DATES

2009-04-27T12:14:00.002-04:00

The legendary proto-punk glam rock band the New York Dolls have announced some new tour tour dates starting next month. The 36-year-old band—featuring original members David Johansen (vocals) and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar)—will be supporting their May 5 Atco release Cause I Sez So.

New York Dolls tour dates are as follows:

May 20: Belly Up Tavern—Solana Beach, CA

May 21: Henry Fonda Theater—Los Angeles, CA

May 22: House Of Blues—Anaheim, CA

May 24: Grand Ballroom—San Francisco, CA

May 26: Berbati's Pan—Portland, OR

May 27: El Corazon—Seattle, WA

May 28: Richard's On Richards—Vancouver, BC

May 31: Bluebird Theater—Denver, CO

June 2: Diamond Ballroom—Oklahoma City, OK

June 3: House Of Blues—Dallas, TX

June 4: House Of Blues—Houston, TX

June 5: Emo's—Austin, TX

June 7: House Of Blues—New Orleans, LA

June 9: State Theatre—St. Petersburg, FL

June 10: House Of Blues—Orlando, FL

June 13: Center Stage—Atlanta, GA

Rockers and Dope

2009-04-25T19:05:00.000-04:00

From todays Page Six (I don't know if I I'm laughing or filled with fear):

ELTON John, during a party in the 1970s before he became sober, allegedly took so much Valium, he jumped into a hotel pool and shouted, 'I'm going to die,' " according to "Everybody Must Get Stoned: Rock Stars on Drugs," out this week from Citadel. The author, who calls himself R.U. Sirius although his name is Ken Goffman, reports: "His grandma commented: 'I suppose we're going to have to go home now.' " In the book's other "twisted highlights or lowlights" of rock 'n' roll:

* Iggy Pop and the Stooges between 1969 and '70 injected "massive amounts of drugs, mostly heroin. When setting up a hit, the Stooges would squirt the blood out of their syringes and shoot it all over the walls and ceilings."

* A friend of Jim Morrison recalls that the Doors frontman -- who would later die of an accidental overdose -- would "lean up against the bar, order eight screwdrivers, put down six Tuinals on the bar, drink two or three screwdrivers, take two Tuinals," be pleasured by a groupie, and then down more booze and drugs.

* When Dee Dee Ramone gave the Sex Pistols star Sid Vicious speed, "Vicious pulled out a syringe, stuck it into a toilet filled with puke, and then loaded it with speed and shot himself up."

* Ozzy Osbourne once told High Times he was poolside when he offered a stranger coke. "He goes, 'No, no, no.' I'm whacking this stuff up my nose . . . [and] I say, 'What do you do?' "He says, 'I work for the government . . . for the drug squad.' I sez, 'You're [bleep]ing joking.' He shows me his badge. I [bleep]in' flipped -- flames were coming out of my fingers, man. He says, 'Oh, you're all right. I'm the guy that got you the coke.' "

TV ALERT: THAT METAL SHOW SEASON FINALE

2009-04-24T15:43:00.004-04:00

Show: That Metal Show (with guests Ronnie James Dio & Geezer Butler of Heaven & Hell)
Premiere Date: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Time: 11PM
Channel: VH1 Classic

Hosts Jim Florentine, Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson

The season finale of That Metal Show is this Saturday night, April 25, and the cohosts are welcoming legendary musicians Ronnie James Dio and Geezer Butler to the show. The singer and bassist of Heaven & Hell will be discussing their brand new album The Devil You Know.

"We don't know exactly when we will be doing new shows," says Eddie Trunk on his website about the future of That Metal Show. "I'll let you know when we roll again—probably closer to Sept."

Why Can't Motley Crue Kiss Dr. Feelgood GOODBYE?

2009-04-22T21:08:00.005-04:00

I know I harp on this way too much, but guys it ain't 1987 anymore so please let "Dr. Feelgood" die. It lived an amazing life but it's time to let go! Yeah yeah, I realize it's possible that it somehow ties in with the finale of "Bones" - where Crue will perform the song on May 14th. Ehhh.

David Duchovny is Back to CaliFORNICATING

2009-04-20T22:19:00.003-04:00

Filming of Californication Season 3 has begun! While Hank Moody is stuck in Hell-A, I'm hoping to catch some filming in NYC where Karen is here "working" (which will likely lead to her fucking someone else and throwing a wrench in the relationship again). As for David Duchovny in the real world my guess is he and Tae Leoni went on that romantic getaway last month because once he gets back into the Hank Moody role full swing, it'll be back to full time fornication addiction again.

PAPA ROACH FEATURE

2009-04-20T16:03:00.002-04:00

Check out CherylBLITZ's article on the awesome Papa Roach, for Aspire College Magazine, right now by clicking here!

NewsBLITZ: AEROSMITH & ZZ TOP TEAM UP FOR TOUR!

2009-04-13T16:34:00.003-04:00

Another exciting tour has been announced for this summer: Classic rockers Aerosmith and ZZ Top will spend three months out on the road together!

The tour—sponsored by the Guitar Hero: Aerosmith video game—kicks off in St. Louis on June 10. Select tickets for the jaunt will go on sale this Friday, April 17, at LiveNation.com.

"I have always been a huge fan of ZZ Top," says Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. "I toured with them with the Joe Perry Project and those shows were unforgettable. With ZZ Top on this bill, it will definitely kick us into overdrive."

See the ad below for tour dates:

NewsBLITZ: BON JOVI DOCUMENTARY HITS TRIBECA FILM FEST

2009-04-10T17:21:00.003-04:00

Bon Jovi: When We Were Beautiful, a documentary about the much-loved rock band, will premiere as a work in progress screening at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. The initial screening will take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Two additional screenings will take place on Thursday, April 30, and Saturday, May 2, 2009.

The documentary, directed by filmmaker and photographer Phil Griffin and produced by Academy Award and Emmy-winning producers @radical.media, captures the band on the road and behind-the-scenes during their 2008 Lost Highway World Tour, including Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Tico Torres and David Bryan's historic concert in New York City’s Central Park and their two sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden.

“Nothing says rock ‘n’ roll more than Bon Jovi,” says Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “This compelling documentary gives you a glimpse behind-the-scenes of one of the great rock bands and unveils how they have stayed on top for the past 25 years. Jon has been a stalwart supporter and remarkable friend to our Festival, making it incredibly exciting to premier the Bon Jovi Story at Tribeca.”

Adds director Griffin: “Throughout the process of working with Bon Jovi, I was amazed at the candor and humility Jon and his band showed me. The result is not a neatly wrapped up bundle of staged interviews and musical interludes, but rather a series of open and sometimes difficult conversations, explored against a backdrop of music spanning 25 years. It is a film about the peace of Tico, the complexity of Richie, the drive of Jon and the brutal honesty of Dave. It is their willingness to share their stories that gives us what I hope is a very human story—that humanity is what I believe has seen this band stand the test of time.”

Visit the Tribeca Film Festival's website for more details.

NewsBLITZ: AC/DC ADD MORE U.S. SHOWS TO WORLD TOUR!

2009-04-07T16:00:00.004-04:00

AC/DC continue touring behind their latest album—the double platinum Black Ice—this summer with 9 additional U.S. concerts. Here are the tour dates:

July 28: Gillette Stadium—Foxborough, MA
July 31: Giants Stadium—East Rutherford, NJ
Aug. 16: Palace of Auburn Hills—Detroit, MI
Aug. 18: Van Andel Arena—Grand Rapids, MI
Aug. 30: Tacoma Dome—Tacoma, WA
Sept. 2: HP Pavillion—San Jose, CA
Sept. 4: Staples Center—Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 6: Sports Arena—San Diego, CA
Sept. 8: Honda Center—Anaheim, CA

For more information, visit AC/DC's official website.

NewsBLITZ: HARD ROCK CAFE NOW OPEN IN DA BRONX!

2009-04-06T19:30:00.004-04:00

On April 2, a brand new Hard Rock Cafe began serving food and drinks in The Bronx at the brand new Yankee Stadium. On hand for the opening day festivities were New York musicians like guitarist Ace Frehley (ex-KISS), Run-D.M.C.'s Darryl McDaniels and Anthrax's Scott Ian and Frank Bello along with Yankee slugger/musician Bernie Williams.

MusikBLITZ could not make it to the event, but our good friend Ken Pierce of PiercingMetal.com has full coverage on his site. Check it out by clicking here.

Ace Frehley is "Back In The New York Groove"
Photo By PiercingMetal.com

NewsBLITZ: THE CUTE LEPERS' GUITARIST DIES

2009-04-06T18:30:00.006-04:00

MusikBLITZ is sad to report that 24-year-old guitarist Travis Criscola of the Seattle-based mod-revival, power pop infused punk band The Cute Lepers passed away on March 28.

The Cute Lepers' founder/frontman Steve E. Nix posted the following message on the band's MySpace page explaining the situation:

"Early the morning of March 28, in Cincinnati, our friend and bandmate Travis Criscola passed away in his sleep. He was 24. Travis was guitarist in The Cute Lepers for the last six months and was the perfect addition to the band as it developed. He was our friend. His company was always a pleasure. I don't think I ever heard him say a negative word about any one. He was smart, polite and considerate; always interested in learning more about music and playing guitar...he really loved music. He was passionate about music in a way that only other like-minded musicians recognize and relate with. When Travis joined the band he would not think twice about jumping on the bus from Olympia and making the two hour ride to Seattle for a spur of the moment rehearsal, and then riding the bus two more hours to get back home. In fact, Travis was doing this three times a week up until we left for Europe to start our tour. His character and his commitment made him the very best we could hope for in a bandmate and a friend. We're gonna really miss him.

We feel that it's appropriate and absolutely not in bad taste to disclose the cause of death of our friend. Travis combined alcohol and pills, then went to sleep and never woke up. It was an accident. Travis was not any kind of a habitual drug user. I'm a man who has left drugs and alcohol alone for over a decade and I just won't work with people who are mixed up with narcotics. It is rare to find a rock 'n' roll musician in his early 20s who doesn't get caught up in hitting the bars and going to parties on tour, and Trav was just one of those ones who made a really bad decision. He naively took some type of pills on top of the beer he was drinking and that's it. I believe that it would be a disservice for us to leave out this information. People would wind up hearing distorted versions of the truth anyways. Also, our hope is that other young musicians, or anyone it may apply to who reads this will learn from our tragedy and perhaps wise up a bit. We're currently traveling across the country back home to Seattle with heavy hearts. Trav's family and his beautiful, longtime girlfriend are in our prayers."

"I'm shocked and saddened by this tragic news," says Joan Jett, co-founder of The Cute Lepers' label, Blackheart Records. "I love this band and their music."

Additionally, Blackheart Records released a statement saying that it is "deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden loss.... Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones."

TV ALERT: THE WOMEN OF THE SUNSET STRIP

2009-04-03T17:53:00.006-04:00

Show: VH1 Rock Doc—Do It For The Band: The Women Of The Sunset Strip
Premiere Date: Friday, April 3, 2009
Time: 11PM
Channel: VH1

VH1 Rock Doc—Do It For The Band: The Women Of The Sunset Strip tells the story of the women who knew some of the finest musicians from the '80s hair metal scene before they broke big.

"Viewers will get a first hand look at what it was like to live life in the fast lane as the women reveal secrets and share stories about a time when the only rule was that there weren’t any," says VH1.

"Cherry Pie" video vixen Bobbie Brown narrates the program about the chicks who clothed, bathed, fed, housed and loved metal men like Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, Slash, Axl Rose, Blackie Lawless, Jani Lane and others.

Visit VH1's website for more information.

NewsBLITZ: CATCH UP ON "Z ROCK" BEFORE NEW SEASON!

2009-04-03T13:22:00.004-04:00

Everyone watched IFC's fabulous hit comedy Z Rock last year, right? Well, the second season is slated to premiere on June 7 and to bring fans—and new viewers—up-to-date, IFC is re-airing the wild first season Tuesday nights at 10:30PM (the DVD of the first season comes out June 9).

The new season of the semi-scripted show about a New York City-based trio (the totally cute Paulie Z, David Z and Joey Cassata)—who spend their days as kids' party band The Z Brothers and their nights as rock act Z02—will consist of 10 new uncensored, uncut and commerical-free episodes. According to a press release, "season two will continue its satirical look at the trials and triumphs of the rock 'n' roll dream, giving viewers a backstage pass into the band's struggles to become rock stars, which are often interrupted by the sobering realities of everyday life." An unfortunate run-in with the law, a troupe of musical midgets and a live birth are just some of the situations the threesome will encounter.

Previous celebrity guests like Joan Rivers, John Popper and Dave Navarro return to Z Rock for the sophomore season. Additionally, Daryl Hall, the All-American Rejects, Mini Kiss, Chris Jericho, Bonnie Bernstein, Bethenny Frankel and Melissa Rivers will all make appearances.

Check out a preview of the second season here.

For more on ZO2, including info about their great album Ain't It Beautiful, visit the band's official website.

Also, visit IFC's Z Rock page.

CALIFORNICATION News!

2009-04-03T00:49:00.002-04:00

I'm ashamed that i'm a week late, but the amazing Kathleen Turner will be joining the cast of Californication for season three, debuting this fall. According to EW.com, "She's Ari Gold without the poison sushi allergy penis!" Turner will play the ball-breaking, potty-mouthed boss of Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) - Hank Moody's agent and BFF. Looks like that gives us a little insight into what's to come. I'm glad to hear that Runkle won't be a car salesman for much longer.

Also, we need a female character (who's not a drug addict or whore) with balls on this show. CAN'T WAIT!

TV ALERT: OSBOURNES: RELOADED

2009-03-31T15:06:00.006-04:00

Show: Osbournes: Reloaded
Premiere Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Time: 9:25-10:00 PM
Channel: Fox

The family that reinvented television, The Osbournes, is back for another round with a new variety show on Fox, Osbournes: Reloaded.

"It's got bits of reality, comedy, sketches and musical performances," says executive producer James Sunderland. "It's going to be outrageous!"

Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly host the show and appear in funny skits (like working at a fast-food drive-thru and visiting other families that share their surname). There will also be some special guests.

For more on Osbournes: Reloaded, click here.

FOLLOW MUSIKBLITZ ON TWITTER!

2009-03-30T20:37:00.003-04:00

Follow CherylBLITZ on Twitter so you can immediately find out when new postings have been added to MusikBLITZ (along with other musings). Go here: http://twitter.com/CherylBLITZ.

NewsBLITZ: METAL & HARDCORE PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK

2009-03-30T19:25:00.006-04:00

Massaschusetts-based music photographer Jeremy Saffer has compiled 156 of his impressive photographs of metal and hardcore artists into one 120-page tome, Bring The Noise.

The hardcover book features a foreword written by Eighteen Visions bassist MickDeth and color photos of bands such as Lacuna Coil, Bleeding Through, All That Remains, Dimmu Borgir, Bring Me The Horizon, Norma Jean, Earth Crisis and Behemoth. Some of these shots have never-been-seen before.

"I'm really excited," says Saffer. "For me, it holds many amazing memories of photo sessions I've done throughout my career. Everything from shooting Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil in a bathtub full of black water and doing the first U.S. photo shoot Carcass has done in over 10 years, to covering the first shoot Earth Crisis did since their break up in 2002, and the many other amazing shoots I was lucky enough to do in my first few years as a photographer. This book sums up my career thus far, so I'm really pumped on having a bunch of diverse work from different genres of heavy music all collected in one book. This is a chance for people to really see what I've done thus far, from all the angles of my career."

Many musicians have praised Saffer's pictures:

"His photos speak to me; I admire his work, and all he captures with his lens," says Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta.

"The word 'talented' absolutely belongs to Mr. Saffer," describes Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia.

"A lot of us take pictures, but Jeremy takes photographs," states David Ellefson, formerly of Megadeth. "Even though his subjects are some of the biggest icons of rock who are worthy of a thousand words to tell their story, Jeremy says it all in one snap of a shutter."

Bring The Noise officially comes out April 21, but Saffer is already taking pre-orders—complete with a $10 discount and packaged with a limited-edition Bring The Noise/Jeremy Saffer guitar pick collection. Click here to place your oder now.

NewsBLITZ: JUDAS PRIEST & WHITESNAKE TEAM UP FOR TOUR!

2009-03-30T15:25:00.004-04:00

In a rather odd pairing, British bands Judas Priest and Whitesnake are teaming up for a summer U.S. tour.

Judas Priest will be performing their classic album British Steel in its entirety on the jaunt. This will be the very first time the whole record—originally released in April 1980 and featuring "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight"—has been played live. "We're really excited and looking forward to presenting the album live on stage—fans will be able to enjoy a taste of true heavy metal when it was in its early, raw state," says the band. Priest—singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis—will perform other favorites as well.

Whitesnake—singer David Coverdale, guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich, bassist Uriah Duffy, keyboardist Timothy Drury and drummer Chris Frazier—will be supporting the much-praised 2008 album Good To Be Bad. "We're delighted to have the opportunity to play [America] again," says Coverdale. "We'll be prominently featuring songs from [Good To Be Bad] along with all the songs everyone knows by heart."

Judas Priest/Whitesnake Tour Dates:

July 3: Taste of Minnesota @ Harriet Island—St. Paul, MN
July 7: Comcast Center—Mansfield, MA
July 8: CMAC—Canadaigua, NY
July 9: Molson Amphitheatre—Toronto, ON
July 11: PNC Bank Arts Center—Holmdel, NJ
July 12: Nikon @ Jones Beach Theater—Wantagh, NY
July 14: Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre—Cleveland, OH
July 15: Moondance Jam—Walker, MN
July 21: PNC Pavillion @ Riverbend Music—Cincinnati, OH
July 29: California Mid State Fair—Paso Robles, CA
July 31: Sleep Train Pavillion—Concord, CA
Aug. 1: 98 Rock Jamboree @ Sleep Train Amp—Marysville, CA
Aug. 2: Gibson Amphitheatre—Universal City, CA
Aug. 4: SDSU Open Air Theatre—San Diego, CA
Aug. 5: Pacific Amphitheatre/OC Fair—Costa Mesa, CA
Aug. 7: Dodge Theatre—Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 8: Thomas & Mack Center—Las Vegas, NV
Aug. 10: Sandia Casino—Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 11: Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Morrison, CO

NewsBLITZ: FALL METALLICA DATES!

2009-03-25T17:46:00.001-04:00

MusikBLITZ has been providing readers with a ton of summer tour dates. Now, thanks to Metallica, we can offer you fall concert dates!

Yes, the mighty metal men are coming back to North America, starting in September, with a 26-city jaunt in support of last year’s Death Magnetic.

Metallica Tour Dates:

Sept. 14: Sommet Center—Nashville, TN
Sept. 15: US Bank Arena—Cincinnati, OH
Sept. 17: Conseco Fieldhouse—Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 19: Bell Centre—Montreal, QB
Sept. 28: AT&T Center—San Antonio, TX
Sept. 29: American Airlines Center—Dallas, TX
Oct. 1: Bank Atlantic Center—Fort Lauderdale, FL
Oct. 3: St. Pete Times Forum—Tampa, FL
Oct. 4: Phillips Arena—Atlanta, GA
Oct. 12: MTS Centre—Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oct. 13: Target Center—Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 15: Quicken Loans Arena—Cleveland, OH
Oct. 17: JPJ Arena—Charlottesville, VA
Oct. 18: Charlotte Bobcats Arena—Charlotte, NC
Oct. 26: Air Canada Centre—Toronto, ON
Oct. 29: Scotiabank Place—Ottawa, ON
Oct. 31: Colisee Pepsi—Quebec City, QB
Nov. 9: Van Andel Arena—Grand Rapids, MI
Nov. 10: HSBC Arena—Buffalo, NY
Nov. 12: Times Union Center—Albany, NY
Nov. 14: Madison Square Garden—New York, NY
Dec. 5: Mandalay Bay—Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 7: Idaho Center—Nampa, ID
Dec. 8: ARCO Arena—Sacramento, CA
Dec. 10: Honda Center—Anaheim, CA
Dec. 12: HP Pavilion—San Jose, CA

P.S.—For all you gamers out there, Guitar Hero: Metallica hits stores on March 29.

NewsBLITZ: THE OFFSPRING RETURN TO THE ROAD!

2009-03-25T16:12:00.009-04:00

After a nearly-four-year hiatus from the touring scene,
The Offspring is returning to concert venues across
North America this May.


A bevy of The Offspring's contemporaries will serve
as supporting acts:
Alkaline Trio and Street Dogs (May 19-June 9)
Shiny Toy Guns and Street Dogs (June 10-17)
Dropkick Murphys (June 19-30)
Pennywise (July 2)
Sum 41 (July 7-18)

The Shit Is Fucked Up Tour Dates:
                 
May 19: Austin Music Hall—Austin, TX
May 20: Nokia Theatre—Dallas, TX
May 22: City Market—Kansas City, MO
May 25: Gateway Arena—Sioux City, IA
May 26: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center—Rapid City, SD
May 28: Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Morrison, CO
May 30: Pearl Concert Theater—Las Vegas, NV
June 1: Mesa Amphitheatre—Phoenix, AZ
June 3: Open Air Theatre—San Diego, CA
June 5: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater—Irvine, CA
June 9: WaMu Theater—Seattle, WA
June 10: UBC Thunderbird Arena—Vancouver, BC
June 12: The Stampede Corral—Calgary, AB
June 13: Northlands-Hall D—Edmonton, AB
June 15: Prairieland Park—Saskatoon, SK
June 17: MTS Centre—Winnipeg, MB
June 19: Roy Wilkins Auditorium—St. Paul, MN
June 20: Charter One Pavilion at Northerly
           Island—Chicago, IL
June 21: Time Warner Amphitheater at Tower
           City—Cleveland, OH
June 23: The LC Pavilion—Columbus, OH
June 24: PNC Pavilion at Riverbend—Cincinnati, OH
June 26: Summerfest—Milwaukee, WI
June 27: The Lawn—Indianapolis, IN
June 28: Freedom Hill—Detroit, MI
June 30: CMAC—Canandaigua, NY
July 2: The Molson Amphitheater—Toronto, ON
July 3: Woodstock en Beauce Festival—
           St-Ephrem de Tring, QC
July 7: Starland Ballroom—Sayreville, NJ
July 8: Roseland—New York, NY
July 10: Tsongas Arena—Boston, MA
July 11: Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion—
           Gilford, NH
July 14: Charlotte Boutique Amphitheatre at
           The Music Factory—Charlotte, NC
July 16: Hard Rock Live—Orlando, FL
July 17: The St. Augustine Amphitheatre—
           St. Augustine, FL
July 18: Pompano Beach Amp—Pompano Beach, FL

More details can be found on
The Offspring's official website.

NewsBLITZ: VANS WARPED TOUR 2009

2009-03-25T15:12:00.004-04:00

Get ready punks—the 2009 Vans Warped Tour is coming to town!

The 15th installment of the popular festival will hit 46 towns between June 26 and Aug. 23. Tickets will go on sale April 1 on the revamped official Warped Tour website.

This year, the big news is: there will only be one main stage instead of two. "We went to one main stage for a couple reasons," explains tour founder and producer Kevin Lyman. "Many of these bands have been around for a long time and have lots of songs to choose from, so this year, instead of limiting them to five or six songs, they will have 40 minutes to play all your favorite songs from the past and a couple of new ones. " Additionally, the much-lauded Old School Stage will return to some cities

3OH!3, A Day to Remember, A Rocket to the Moon, A Skylit Drive, Alexisonfire, Anti-Flag, Attack Attack!, Bad Religion, Bayside, Big D and the Kids Table, Black Tide, Bouncing Souls, Breathe Carolina, Breathe Electric, Brokencyde, Cash Cash, Channel 3, Chiodos, Dance Gavin Dance, Dear and the Headlights, DI, Dirty Heads, DOA, Escape the Fate, Every Avenue, Fishbone, Flipper, Flogging Molly, Forever the Sickest Kids, Gallows, Guttermouth, Hit the Lights, I Set My Friends on Fire, In This Moment, Innerpartysystem, Ivy League, Jeffree Star, Kiros, Less Than Jake, Lights, LoveHateHero, Madina Lake, Manic Hispanic, Meg & Dia, Millionaires, NeverShoutNever, NOFX, Outernational, P.O.S., Punk Rock Karaoke, Runner Runner, Saosin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Senses Fail, Shad, Shooter Jennings, Silverstein, Sing it Loud, Streetlight Manifesto, TAT, The A.K.A.s, The Adicts, The Architects, The Ataris, The Devil Wears Prada, The Dickies, The Duane Peters Gunfight, The Exploited, The Goodnight Anthem, The Main, The White Tie Affair, There For Tomorrow, Therefore I Am, Thrice, Total Chaos, TSOL, TV/TV, UK Subs, Underoath, Valencia, Vanna and Westbound Train are some of the acts slated to perform this year.

VANS WARPED TOUR 2009 DATES:
June 26: Pomona Fairplex—Pomona, CA
June 27: Pier 30/32—San Francisco, CA
June 28: Seaside Park—Ventura, CA
June 30: Cricket Pavilion—Phoenix, AZ
July 1: NMSU Practice Field—Las Cruces, NM
July 2: AT&T Center—San Antonio, TX
July 3: The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park—Houston, TX
July 5: Superpages.com Center—Dallas, TX
July 7: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre—Indianapolis, IN
July 8: Post Gazette Pavilion—Pittsburgh, PA
July 9: Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre—Cleveland, OH
July 10: Arrow Hall—Toronto, ON
July 11: Parc Jean Drapeau—Montreal, QC
July 12: New England Dodge Music Center—Hartford, CT
July 14: Merriweather Post Pavilion—Washington, DC
July 15: Toyota Pavilion—Scranton, PA
July 16: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center—Buffalo, NY
July 17: Susquehanna Bank Center—Camden, NJ
July 18: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—Uniondale, NY
July 19: Monmouth Park Racetrack—Oceanport, NJ
July 21: Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts—Boston, MA
July 22: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre—Virginia Beach, VA
July 23: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre—Charlotte, NC
July 24: Central Florida Fairgrounds—Orlando, FL
July 25: Cruzan Amphitheatre—Miami, FL
July 26: Vinoy Park—Tampa, FL
July 28: Lakewood Amphitheatre—Atlanta, GA
Ju;y 29: Riverbend Music Center—Cincinnati, OH
July 30: Marcus Amphitheatre—Milwaukee, WI
July 31: Comerica Park—Detroit, MI
Aug. 1: First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre—Chicago, IL
Aug. 2: Canterbury Park—Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 3: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre —St. Louis, MO
Aug. 4: Sandstone Amphitheatre—Kansas City, MO
Aug. 7: Idaho Center Amphitheatre—Boise, ID
Aug. 8: Utah State Fairgrounds—Salt Lake City, UT
Aug. 9: Invesco Field—Denver, CO
Aug. 12: Race City Speedway—Calgary, AB
Aug. 14: Thunderbird Stadium—Vancouver, BC
Aug. 15: Gorge Amphitheatre—Seattle, WA
Aug. 16: Washington County Fairgrounds—Portland, OR
Aug. 19: Save Mart Center—Fresno, CA
Aug. 20: Shoreline Amphitheatre—Mountain View, CA
Aug. 21: Sleep Train Amphitheatre—Sacramento, CA
Aug. 22: Cricket Amphitheatre—San Diego, CA
Aug. 23: Home Depot Center—Los Angeles, CA

MARCH NEW ALBUM RECOMMENDATIONS!

2009-03-24T16:45:00.006-04:00

Here are MusikBLITZ’s top picks from all of the new releases that have come out in the month of March:

The Answer's Everyday Demons (The End Records): Irish rockers The Answer got a big career boost last fall when they opened up for AC/DC's North American tour. Now the quartet’s debut U.S. album—which debuted at No. 25 in the U.K. and No. 8 on Japan's international chart—is in stores. "The future of classic rock is in good hands," says Classic Rock magazine about The Answer.

Burn Halo’s Burn Halo (Rawkhead Records/Warner Music): Former Eighteen Visions singer James Hart's new band bleeds sex, drugs and pure rock 'n' roll. The album’s raunchy first single, "Dirty Little Girl," and the track "Anejo" both feature a guest appearance by Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates. The Alternative Press even loves this band saying: "The songs are way more Mötley Crüe than Nickelback... The first single is dynamic and attractive, chock full of gritty guitar riffs and throbbing drums—and it doesn’t leave you feeling dirty for listening to it.” In April, Burn Halo will hit the road as part of the Sno-Core Tour along with Static-X and Saliva.

Dope’s No Regrets (E1 Music): According to frontman Edsel Dope, the Chicago-based band’s fifth CD is "a record for the fans [that] also has enough hooks, energy and good times to engage a new group of disciples with each and every listen." Lead single "Addiction" has guitar God Zakk Wylde shredding on it. Currently, Dope is on tour with Wylde's Black Label Society and Sevendust.

Filter’s The Very Best Things—1995-2008 (Rhino Records): This 14-track compilation features the band's greatest hits, rare radio edits and soundtrack songs such as "Hey Man, Nice Shot," "Take A Picture," "(Can't You) Trip Like I Do" and "Welcome To The Fold."

Papa Roach's Metamorphosis (DGC/Interscope Records): "This record has a huge rock edge with tinges of punk and metal," says frontman Jacoby Shaddix about the band's fifth album. "It has that groove and aggression we''e always had, but there's also a new flare." Adds bassist Tobin Esperance: "The sound of the new record is electric. It's balls-to-the-wall, organic rock 'n' roll with raw, in-your-face emotion. On the flip side, there's melody, vulnerability and honesty." Singles "Hollywood Whore" and "Lifeline" have already garnered major attention.

Queensrÿche's American Soldier (Atco/Rhino Records): Concept album kings Queensrÿche examine the consequences of war from the perspective of soldiers on their latest progressive metal opus. Each song was inspired by an iterview singer Geoff Tate conducted with a veteran. "My father was a career military man, but until very recently he never spoke about what he went through," explains Tate. "I think that reticence is true of a lot of veterans, which means most people never truly understand what it means to be a soldier at war. Hearing what he and some of our fans have endured made me want to share their stories with the world. This is an album about the soldiers, for the soldiers, as told by the soldiers themselves." Fans can hear snippets of songs by calling the Queensrÿche hotline at 206-260-1215.

Static-X's Cult Of Static (Reprise Records): The industrial metal band returns with their sixth album. "Over the years my voice has been destroyed from excessive touring—and I love it," exclaims frontman Wayne Static. "The vocals on the new record are raw and brutal." Highlights include first single "Stingwray" (inspired by the car Wayne's wife, former porn star Tera Wray, drives) and album opener "Lunatic" (originally found on the Punisher: War Zone movie soundtrack, the song has now been rerecorded and features a guitar solo from Megadeth's Dave Mustaine). If you pick up Cult Of Static at Best Buy, you get two bonus tunes and a membership card that allows one to access a special third track and also have the chance to win concert tickets and meet-n-greet passes.

Sum 41's All The Good Shit: The Best Of Sum 41—2000-2008 (Island Records): Fourteen tracks have been culled from the band's five releases for this collection, including tracks like "Fat Lip," "In Too Deep," "Pain For Pleasure" and a live version of "Hell Song." (Two additional tracks can be found on albums purchased at Best Buy.) Plus, All The Good Shit comes with a bonus DVD showcasing 13 of Sum 41's music videos.

Various Artists' Now That's What I Call Power Ballads (UMVD): The latest release in the popular franchise has 18 of the most beloved ballads from the '80s. Favorites from the likes of Poison, Journey, Heart, Cheap Trick, Slaughter, Extreme, Tesla and Warrant are all on this compilation.

Various Artists' Punk Goes Pop 2 (Fearless Records): The eighth album in the "Punk Goes..." compilation series, which debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Top 200, features creative punk-rock takes on some of today's hit pop tunes. Bands like Alesana, Silverstein, Escape The Fate, Bayside and Four Year Strong revitalize songs by Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Katy Perry and more. Check out the music video for A Static Lullaby's cover of Britney Spears’' "Toxic" here.

NewsBLITZ: BRET MICHAELS GETS HIS OWN BEHIND THE MUSIC!

2009-03-23T17:32:00.006-04:00

Last week, VH1 announced that it's bringing back it's popular documentary series Behind The Music. Lil Wayne and Scott Weiland were officially announced as just two of the subjects that the show will focus on.

However, MusikBLITZ has learned that one of the other subjects is none other than Mr. Rock Of Love Bus, Bret Michaels. VH1's film crew was on hand March 21 to capture the singer's live show at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J. And, Bret's show even started a bit later than planned due to interviews he was doing for the program.

New episodes of Behind The Music will begin airing in July.