The White Stripes Break Up

Meg and Jack White had bad news for fans of The White Stripes on Wednesday: they have decided to break up. Here is the what they had to say:

The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, Their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.

It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.

Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the white stripes' intense and incredible career.

Third man records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from The White Stripes in their vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular channels.

both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn't met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who've shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly. 

With that in mind the band have this to say:

Slash To Play The Super Bowl?

 With a TV audience expected to top 100 million viewers, all eyes will be on the Black Eyed Peas this Sunday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Rolling Stones Deny 2011 Tour Plans

Well, that didn't take long. The Rolling Stones issued a statement on Wednesday denying recent headlines that the band will be touring this year. Here it is:

In light of recent reports surrounding the 'Breach of Contract' Court Case in America between Live Nation Entertainment and former LiveNation chairman Michael Cohl, The Rolling Stones wish to clarify their position regarding representation and touring.

Following the end of the 2007 A Bigger Bang world tour, The Rolling Stones became free from any contractual arrangements or agreements with Michael Cohl. He is neither their representative nor their tour promoter.

 Also, the Stones confirmed today they have no firm plans to tour at this time.

Foo Fighters Film To Debut at SXSW

James Moll, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary The Last Days, has just finished his first foray into rock and roll. Moll will debut a new documentary on the Foo Fighters at this year's SXSW festival. The film chronicles the band's 16-year history, rising from the ruins of Nirvana to become one of the greatest stadium acts of the last two decades.

Dave Grohl recalled in the press release, "In October of 1994, I walked into Robert Lang's Seattle studio with a guitar, a drum set, a bass, and 14 songs I thought nobody would ever hear. Five days later, I walked out with the first Foo Fighters record. 16 years and seven studio albums later, with the help of Academy Award-winning director James Moll, we're finally able to tell the story of how that one demo cassette turned into the band that we are today. This is our side of the story. From the first rehearsal, to the completion of our new album, it's all there."

Metallica Planning New Album

Unless the band is feeling like they're on a roll, and unless that band is Metallica .

"There is a really good vibe in the band at the moment," drummer Lars Ulrich tells the Danish tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet, during an interview at the band's headquarters in San Rafael, California  last month. "Previously, Metallica would hang us by the throat when we came home from a mammoth world tour, but this time it's different.

Therefore it does not appear to be a long time before we start work on a new album. I think we'll be ready in March and April - when the creative process reaches a boil we'll go into the studio." 

Johnny Rotten Vs Green Day

Rare Pearl Jams Coming

As previously reported, Peral Jam are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band all year long. Among the festivities: a destination  festival in the summer, the release of Cameron Crowe's documentary on the band and the re-release of Pearl Jam's Vs. and Vitalogy albums.

The band's second and third album will be released on March 29 and will each feature three extra tracks, according to Antiquiet.com. Vs. will contain "Hold On" (originally included on the rarities collection Lost Dogs), "Cready Stomp" (an unreleased track rumored to be a Mike McCready instrumental) and "Crazy Mary" (a duet with singer-songwriter Victoria Williams, put out on a Sweet Relief compilation).

 Vitalogy, meanwhile, will include alternate takes of some the hit album's best-known songs. "Better Man" (delivered in a sparse, organ and guitar only version) is featured on the album, as is a demo of "Nothingman" and a different version of "Corduroy." 

What If Axl Called Slash?

  Slash has been asked a million times about his thoughts of a Guns N' Roses reunion with all the original members- he and Axl Rose  have not been on good terms for many years — but when a reporter put it to him in a different way, Slash was taken by surprise:

What if Axl called your cell tomorrow morning and apologized for everything and promised to do whatever it takes to make a reunion work?

"All things considered, that would be a call I would be surprised to get," Slash said. "If that really happened, I would have to clean out my junk drawer, too, but I don't see it happening. But if it did happen, I would do whatever it takes to at least have a conversation about it."

Rock On The Range have announced a heavy weight lineup for their 5th annual event which will take place on May 21-22 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus Ohio.

The festival will also include performances from Danzig, Hollywood Undead, Bullet For My Valentine, Black Label Society and Alter Bridge.

In addition, Juliya of Fuse TV will return as the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.

"Three years ago my other band Ashes Divide was fortunate enough to play Rock On The Range as a support act; to return to the same festival and headline this year with A Perfect Circle is truly an honor," says Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle.

"We are honored that Rock On The Range has asked us be one of the headliners," says M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold. "Not only is it an amazing show to be apart of, but it holds a deep spot in our hearts. Rock On The Range was the last American show we played with our best friend and drummer, The Rev. We are looking forward to continuing his legacy of rock n roll insanity that night! See you all there."

"If you suffer from stimulus overload, the fifth anniversary of Rock On The Range may be too much for you," quips Del Williams, co-executive producer of the event for Right Arm Entertainment. "Virtually all of the bands that make up the top of the Active Rock charts are performing at America's biggest Rock festival. When you look at the acts on the bill, and think of the massive list of songs that live in the body of that lineup, it's easy to get overwhelmed with excitement."

Motorhead Set To Release 'The World Is Yours' On February 8th

 Legendary metal group Motorhead are set to release their 20th studio album, 'The World is Yours', February 8th. Written and performed by the band's Lemmy Kilmister, Philip Campbell, and Mikkey Dee in California and Wales, 'The World is Yours' was produced by longtime collaborator Cameron Webb, who also worked on 'Motorizer', 'Kiss Of Death' and 'Inferno'. 

'The World is Yours' continues to feed the world-wide addiction to everything Motorhead that propelled 2008's 'Motorizer' to smash both the band's own sales records and the Billboard Top 100 chart. 
 
Motorhead are currently on the road on a U.S. tour that will wrap up in Los Angeles at Club Nokia on March 11th. After that the band will take on Australia and South America in April/May before returning to Europe for a summer tour. For a complete list of dates visit www.imotorhead.com. 

Since there can never be enough Motorhead, the tour will coincide with the US premiere of LEMMY, the critically acclaimed documentary about Motorhead's iconic founder which has already been tearing up the worldwide film festival circuit.  

 SLAYER's Kerry King On The Big Four: "I'm Chomping At The Bit To Do A Full-Blown Tour"

METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX announced plans to invade the massive Empire Polo Field in Indio, California, for a one-day festival by The Big 4 originators of thrash metal on April 23rd. The concert, which follows an historic seven-date tour of Europe  last year, will be the first joint US appearance by these four horsemen of thrash. 

It seems the feuds of the past are a distant memory. “Most of the egos and sandbox issues from the '80s and '90s have dissipated,” Metallica  drummer Lars Ulrich tells Rolling Stone. “We actually enjoy each others' company and are comfortable celebrating the past while continuing our path into the future. It's cool. Who would have known that anybody actually still gives a shit? We're very fortunate.” 

When Ulrich saw RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE erupt at the desert venue during the Coachella Festival  in 2007, it left a powerful impression. “It was a fantastic vibe out there,” he recalls. “Coachella seemed like the right place to do it. If this thing works, hopefully we can do an additional show somewhere else.” (This summer, The Big 4 also return to Europe for two festivals: Knebworth in England, and Sonisphere in Amneville, France.) 

“I'm chomping at the bit to do a full-blown tour at stadiums across the country,” said Slayer guitarist Kerry King. Indeed, during last year's stadium tour through Europe, demand from around the world was so great that the penultimate concert in Bulgaria was broadcast into hundreds of movie theaters via satellite, and then issued on DVD. The fall release of The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria is already certified double-platinum. At that concert, members of all four acts jammed onstage together through a thundering, euphoric cover of DIAMOND HEAD's 'Am I Evil'.  

Rare Queen Tracks To Be Released

 Queen will re-release their first five albums on CD and MP3 on March 14 via Island  Records. Each album will be available as a single-disc album or a two-disc deluxe edition with a treasure trove of rare bonus material, according to a post on guitarist Brian May's website. Also included in the special editions: "additional sleeve notes, unseen pictures and videos."

Collectively, the deluxe versions of the albums will feature 27 extra tracks. For instance, Queen features five demos, Queen II includes a live version of "White Queen" and a B-side version of "See What a Fool I've Been," and Sheer Heart Attack  features BBC session recordings and a live take of "Now I'm Here."

A Night at the Opera features more live stuff ("39" and "Love of My Life") as well as an a capella version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Then, A Day at the Races includes a Top of the Pops performance of "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" and a live version of "Somebody to Love." 

KISS Plan Next Album

 KISS will be hitting the studio in March to begin work on a new album, according to guitarist Tommy Thayer.

"The great news is that we are going in the studio again in the next month or two," Thayer told BackstageAxxess.com during the recent NAMM convention.

"We are starting to work on writing some songs now, and we're gonna really approach it a lot like we did with "Sonic Boom," and keep it all in the band in terms of the writing, with no agenda besides writing great rock and roll songs that we love, then rehearsing them and then going in and putting them down on tape and recording them. Just the way we did with the last record, which really felt good to us, so we're gonna go do it the same way this time."  

Ozzy Wants To Record The Ultimate Black Sabbath Album

 Though deep in the trenches of a massive solo tour, Ozzy Osbourne still has thoughts of his once and future band,Black Sabbath . Speaking on Los Angeles' KLOS, Osbourne talked about the possibility of another Sabbath album.

"I often get asked this question," said the Prince of Darkness, who will be playing at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on February 1."

'Will there ever be a [new Black Sabbath studio] album?' One thing I can say for definite [is that] we are all talking, we are all friends. But the pressure on my half is, it's been 30 years since we did a studio album. If it's not something extra, extra special, the people are gonna go, 'We waited 30 years [for this??!]' But before my life's over, I would love... my dream is to do the ultimate Black Sabbath album. I would love to do that."

Neil Young honoured with humanitarian award

Appetite for Destruction continues to outsell most new album releases, so will people still be listening to Glee's auto-tuned karaoke in 25 years... or even 5 years? Something to ponder as you read about the ironic attack from the man who gave us this decade's answer to Cop Rock and the Partridge Family.

After Slash called Glee "worse than Grease" in Entertainment Weekly, Glee creator Ryan Murphy lashed out at the guitarist via Rolling Stone. "Usually I find that people who make those comments, their careers are over; they're uneducated and quite stupid," Murphy said.

Bret Michaels To Be Released From The Hospital Today

 Bret Michaels  will be sidelined for while, but things seem to be according to plan following his heart surgery on Monday.

Radaronline reports Michaels will be released from St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center today.

Doctors have ordered the Poison frontman to 'totally rest' as he starts to recover from his heart surgery  

Nine Inch Oscar for Reznor?

 He's already won a Golden Globe this year. Now, Trent Reznor has a chance to take home an Oscar.

The Nine Inch Nails  frontman is among the nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards, which were announced today (January 25). Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross were nominated for their score for The Social Network. Also nominated in the Original Score category: A.R. Rahman  for 127 Hours, Hans Zimmer for Inception, Alexandre Desplat for The King's Speech and John Powell for How to Train Your Dragon.

Overall, The Social Network was nominated for eight awards, including Director (David Fincher), Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin), Actor in a Leading Role (Jesse Eisenberg) and Best Picture. The awards will be handed out February 27 on ABC.  

Rock and Metalheads Take On Frank Sinatra

Start Spreading the News: Metal Singers Take on Sinatra

 If you ever wondered what “It Was a Very Good Year” would sound like coming out of Dee Snider, here’s your chance.

Some of metal and rock’s greatest vocalists are trying their hand at being Ol’ Blue Eyes on a new album. SIN-atra features members of Anthrax, Twisted Sister and Cheap Trick singing some of Frank Sinatra’s most legendary hits.

The album is due out on March 28 and features vocals by Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Prist, Yngwie Malmsteen), Geoff Tate (Queensryche) and Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple, Black Country Communion).

SIN-atra track list:

1.      “New York, New York” – Devin Townsend
2. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple)
3. “Summerwind” – Geoff Tate (Queensryche)
4. “It Was a Very Good Year” – Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)
5. “Witchcraft” – Tim “Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest)
6. “Fly Me to the Moon” – Robin Zander (Cheap Trick)
7. “The Lady is a Tramp” – Eric Martin (Mr. Big)
8. “I’ve Got the World on a String” – Dug Pinnick (King’s X)
9. “Love and Marriage” – Elias Soriano (Nonpoint)
10. “Strangers in the Night” – Joey Belladonna (Anthrax)
11. “High Hopes” – Franky Perez (Scars on Broadway)
12. “That’s Life” – Jani Lane (ex-Warrant) 

Cdn receives first Beatles degree 

A Canadian woman has become the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in Beatles studies.

Former Miss Canada finalist, Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy was one of the first 12 students to sign up for the Liverpool Hope University course on the Fab Four when it began in 2009 and was the first to graduate, the university said on Wednesday.

“I am so proud of my achievement,” Zahalan-Kennedy said. “The course was challenging, enjoyable and it provided a great insight into the impact the Beatles had and still have to this day across all aspects of life.”

The launch of the unique MA in Beatles, Popular Music and Society was a world first when it took its first class. Zahalan-Kennedy was the first to accept her degree in person from the university.

The course looks at the studio sound and composition of the Beatles and how Liverpool helped to shape their music. The MA examines the significance of their music and how it helped to define identities, culture and society.

Mike Brocken, founder and leader of the Beatles MA at Liverpool Hope University, said the postgraduate degree makes Zahalan-Kennedy a member of a select group of popular music experts.

“Mary-Lu now joins an internationally recognised group of scholars of Popular Music Studies who are able to offer fresh and thought-provoking insights into the discipline of musicology.”

Jack White Reveals He Almost Chose Religion Over Music

Liam Gallagher's dandruff snorted by fan