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Sebastian Bach, Jermaine Jackson to Compete for Nashville Fame on “Gone Country 2″

Next week marks a very special occasion for us at Rock Daily: the season premiere of CMT’s Gone Country 2. On the reality series, John McCain fan John Rich of Big & Rich invites a bunch of very non-country B-list celebrities to his Nashville mansion to try and convert them into marketable country stars. Last season ended with Julio Iglesias Jr.’s stunning victory over favorites Bobby Brown and American Idol’s Diana DeGarmo. Leading the charge for this season’s cast is Sebastian Bach, who crossed genres brilliantly on MTV’s Celebrity Rap Superstar and stands as the early favorite. Also ready to rock a cowboy hat are Chris Kirkpatrick of ‘NSYNC (and VH1’s Man Band), Jermaine Jackson and this season’s prerequisite American Idol reject, Mikalah Gordon. Rounding out the cast is actors Lorenzo Lamas (who you’ll recognize from those terrible action movies HBO airs at roughly 3:15 in the morning) and recently rehabbed Sean Young of Blade Runner and Ace Ventura “Finkle is Einhorn” fame. The season two premiere will air next Friday, August 15th, at 8 pm.

Published: 2008-08-07 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Rock Reality Show Recaps

News Ticker: Green Day, Regeneration Tour, AC/DC, Big Boi

After months of dodging, Green Day finally admitted that they are the Foxboro Hot Tubs. Billie Joe Armstrong revealed that the band got its name from “a place we used to sneak booze and chicks into late at night.” Eighties mainstays the Human League, Dead Or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls and Belinda Carlisle will band their ridiculous hairstyles together for the inaugural Regeneration Tour. The country-crossing affair spans from August 1st to the 29th. AC/DC is currently in the studio with producer Brendan O’Brien working on their first album in eight years says, according to Supersuckers (whose own album has been delayed as their own producer engineers for O’Brien and AC/DC). OutKast’s Big Boi is set to debut his new ballet “big” for the first of six performances tonight at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. The rapper reportedly also plans to premiere his new solo single “Sir Lucious Leftfoot Saves the Day” to close out the evening.

Published: 2008-04-10 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Afternoon News Roundup

Dave Matthews Band Announce Huge Summer Tour

Photo: Natkin/WireImage It’s not summer unless the Dave Matthews Band are roving the country, and the Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King band promise to deliver again in 2010 with a massive four-month tour starting Memorial Day weekend in Hartford, Connecticut. The band will also stage a two-night stand at New York’s Citi Field in mid-July, a three-night affair at George, Washington’s the Gorge in early September and pretty much visit every corner of the continental U.S. DMB will be supported by

Published: 2010-01-26 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Dave Matthews Band, On Tour, Rock News

Levon Helm, Jefferson Starship, Country Joe to Play Woodstock 40th Anniversary Show

Levon Helm Band, Jefferson Starship and Country Joe McDonald are among the acts that will descend on Bethel, New York, on August 15th to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, Billboard.biz reports. Mountain, Ten Years After, Canned Heat and Big Brother and the Holding Co. will also play the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, a venue built on the site of the original Woodstock, which ran from August 15th-17th, 1969. Helm appeared at the 1969 fest with the Band, while Jefferson

Published: 2009-05-04 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Hype Monitor: Amesoeurs, Ha Ha Tonka, Funeral Mist

Photo: Metastazis.com The Band: Amesoeurs The Buzz: French band blends post-punk with black metal to jarring, fascinating results. Listen If: You like Joy Division, you just wish they were familiar with the concept of distortion. Key Track: “Heurt,” a meteor shower of riffs hammering Neige’s wispy, wistful vocals The Band: Ha Ha Tonka The Buzz: Occupies the sweet spot between country and indie, writing ornery songs with big hooks. Listen If: You want your alt. country to be heavy on the alt. Key

Published: 2009-04-23 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Breaking

FLATLANDER MEANDER

JIMMIE Dale Gilmore is on a tour bus with the Flatlanders -- the country band he formed with Joe Ely and Butch Hancock in Lubbock, Texas, almost 40 years ago. And even though he's nearly 64, Gilmore is a big fan of the bus. "The bus we're...

Published: 2009-04-07 Provider: New York Post Keywords: music news, new music, music charts, new music releases, record labels, latest music, music reviews

After Bruce Springsteen, Who’s Next for the Super Bowl?

Photo: Mazur/WireImage After decades of sugar-coated pop debacles, the NFL has served up a parade of legends during halftime of the big game. In recent years, the Super Bowl has delivered Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, U2, Tom Petty, Aerosmith and now Bruce Springsteen. But where does the NFL go from here? It’s a tall order to fill: applicants must be legendary but still active, rocking but not raucous, and as big as the game itself. So who’s left? Oddsmakers are already lining up favorites for next year’s Lombardi Trophy (The Patriots? Really? No love for your new champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers? Your loss, Vegas.), so we thought we’d set the odds for next year’s halftime show. The NFL could go country (Tim McGraw? Taylor Swift?) or pop (Kelly Clarkson will soon return to us), but you have to presume they’ll stick with what works — big rock from big names. We have, of course, completely pulled these names and numbers out of thin air, plus gambling’s illegal just about everywhere, so keep your money in your wallet. The Who Pros: Legendary band with a sound louder than the game itself. Cons: None. They’re the Who. Odds: 3/2 Bon Jovi Pros: A catalog full of arena rock sing-along jams and status as one of the biggest bands in the world make them a solid choice. Cons: Bon Jovi coming on the heels of Springsteen might cause a full on Jersey meltdown. Odds: 2/1 AC/DC Pros: These kings of arena rock are mainstays over stadium PA systems across the NFL. Cons: Brian Johnson’s howl might scare your kids. Odds: 3/1 John Mellencamp Pros: Heartland rock would play great on the most American stage of them all. Cons: He’s done the World Series… Would the NFL double dip? Odds: 4/1 Metallica Pros: The biggest hard rock band of the last 20 years. Cons: Are they too metal for the mainstream? Odds: 5/1 Van Halen Pros: Reunited hard rock legends with a busload of stadium-ready anthems. Cons: If you thought Springsteen’s crotch-first slide was a bit much, wait until Diamond Dave ge

Published: 2009-02-04 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Fricke’s Picks: A Better Bang

The first American full-length album by the Norwegian trio BigBang, From Acid to Zen (Oglio/Grand Sport), is a mixed bag of then and now: seven tracks pulled from the group’s most recent Norwegian releases, 2005’s Poetic Terrorism and 2007’s Too Much Yang, both Number One albums there, plus recut versions of two older numbers and two new songs. It’s a shotgun buffet, like those early U.S. LPs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones that combined album tracks and singles from unrelated sessions, and it succeeds the same way: like an instant greatest-hits record. Singer-guitarist-songwriter Øystein Greni has the right history in his genes — his dad sang in a Norwegian band that opened for Led Zeppelin in 1968 — and he grounds songs like “Early December,” “Hurricane Boy” and the brilliantly titled “From Acid to Zen” in the eternal power-chord charge and fish-hook riffs of the Stones and the Who. But Greni also has a knack for wringing fresh excitement from the familiar: the country-angel harmonies and ice-Byrds guitar in the new version of “Wild Bird,” the improbable dream of Badfinger and Hüsker Dü in “The One.” For Greni, who co-produced the new tracks with Phil Nicolo, From Acid to Zen is a big step in a bigger gamble. After more than a decade of Pearl Jam-like success in Norway, Greni recently moved to Los Angeles, determined to break America the hard way. He, original drummer Olaf Olsen and new bassist Øyvind Storli Hoel now play clubs here with a set list that still rules Scandinavian festivals and is basically this album in your face: proven hits with forward thrust. Related Stories: • Fricke’s Picks: A Family Affair • Fricke’s Picks: Rebel Yellers • Fricke’s Picks: Mercury Rev

Published: 2008-10-27 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Fricke's Picks

On the Charts: Sugarland Beats Out Miley For Top Spot

The Big News: A week after running-up to Miley Cyrus, country band Sugarland overtook the teen sensation to claim the number one spot as their Love on the Inside pushed 171,000 in its second week. Cyrus’ Breakout settled for second, selling another 162,000 copies. The top five was rounded out by the usual suspects, with the Mamma Mia soundtrack, Kid Rock’s Rock N Roll Jesus and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III claiming the remaining places. Weezy’s TC3 also pushed past the two million sales after eight weeks on the charts. Debuts: Praise rockers Third Day led a relatively weak crop of debuts, selling 74,000 to lock up sixth place. The fourteenth installment of the venerable Kidz Bop series grabbed eight. System of a Down side project Scars on Broadway took 17 with their self-titled debut, Rick Springfield managed to claim 28 with his new album Venus in Overdrive and Alice Cooper’s Along Came a Spider crept in at 53. Last Week’s Heroes: Same last week’s heroes as last week, except they sold a lot less copies this time around. The top five all stayed in the top five with some reshuffling. Despite a 45% drop in sales from the previous week, Sugarland still somehow claimed the top spot, likely because Miley Cyrus dropped 56% in sales. Only Kid Rock managed to stave off any percentile decrease with sales up 3% and a firm hold on the four slot in its astonishing 43rd week on the chart. [Photo: Miller/Getty]

Published: 2008-08-06 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Chart Roundup

Smoking Section: The Walkmen, Steve Miller, Billy Joel

“The Rat,” released by the Walkmen in 2004, is one of the greatest songs of this century. So the S.S. was stoked to get an early listen to their killer upcoming disc, You & Me, which has an equally awesome banger, “In the New Year.” The Walkmen recorded You & Me over two years at home in New York, and also in New Jersey, Philly and Mississippi. “It’s always exciting to come up with a big rocker that just works,” singer Hamilton Leithauser says about “New Year,” “because we don’t even like playing rock that much. That could be the problem: We spend so many hours playing slow waltzes.” Other You & Me cuts (”Canadian Girl,” “Red Moon”) will sound amazing live when the band storms through the U.S. in August and September. “It took everything we had to finish the record,” the singer says. “But we’re really happy with it.” We asked Leithauser for the skinny behind “The Rat.” “We were just screwin’ around,” he says. Drummer Matt Barrick kicked off a breakneck groove, and the boys joined in. “We threw some chords on it, I wrote the words in five minutes, and then we all started slammin’!” ***** We finally hit up one of Les Paul’s Monday-night gigs at the Manhattan jazz club Iridium. At age 93, Paul is still shredding. It was a special night — he welcomed his godson, Steve Miller, who sat in for “Fly Like an Eagle.” We hung with Miller during the gig (interrupted by a waiter saying, “Abracadabra!” while delivering a burger) and rolled back to his hotel, smoking stogies into the wee hours. Miller, 64, is rockin’ the USA once again, selling out sheds across the country. “The band gets hotter and hotter,” he says. “The shows have been a lot of fun.” Though he hasn’t released a fresh album since 1993’s Wide River, Miller told us of his desire to put out a new disc. After a trio of shows in March at the Fillmore in S.F., Miller was in the studio cutting 41 old blues gems. “Nothing but great tunes,” he says. “Like ‘Pretty Thing,’ by Bo Diddley; ‘No More Doggin’,’ by Rosco Gordon

Published: 2008-07-28 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Smoking Section

Coachella 2008 Preview, Plus the 2008 Festival Guide

Tomorrow marks the launch of the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the annual three-day sojourn into the desert for some of the biggest names in rock. This year’s eclectic lineup features highly-anticipated performances from the Raconteurs, Prince, Roger Waters, Jack Johnson, Portishead, My Morning Jacket and dozens of others. Hit the jump for each day’s can’t-miss sets, and check out Rolling Stone’s ongiong coverage of Coachella 2008, featuring reviews, interviews and guest bloggers live from the desert, and for the rest of the info on all of this summer’s biggest and best festivals from around the country, check out the 2008 RollingStone.com Festival Guide. • The 2008 RollingStone.com Festival Guide • 2008 Coachella Festival Coverage Friday • Jack Johnson: The laid-back surf rocker has a knack for creating collective euphoria at festivals. • The Breeders: Songs from Mountain Battles should sound stunning in the open air. • Santogold: The buzzworthy MC’s eclectic mix of sounds will keep crowds moving. • The Raconteurs: Jack White’s big, groovy side project is just hitting its live stride. Saturday • Prince: It’s a rare chance to see the Purple One in a festival setting. • Portishead: It’ll be a while before the group tours properly, and their low-key tunes will add some melancholy to the desert evening. • Stephen Malkmus: Malkmus has become something of a guitar hero as of late. • M.I.A.: Every day needs a little dancing and danger to shake things up. Sunday • My Morning Jacket: The best live band in the business will unleash Evil Urges in the desert heat. • Roger Waters: The Pink Floyd legend will aid anybody interested in chemical alteration at the festival. • Duffy: This could be the singer’s great coming out party, a la Amy Winehouse in ‘06. • Justice: Finish off the festival by sweating out the

Published: 2008-04-24 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Festivals, Coachella

12 Shades of White: The Many Guises of Jack White

When we posted our full report from Jack White’s private gig in Nashville last night where he debuted his new band Dead Weather, it got us thinking about the many roles White has played throughout his career — onstage, behind the scenes and onscreen. So we put together some photographs charting the Detroit rocker’s many White Stripes styles (from his simple red-and-white phase to his fringed cowboy outfits), the swashbuckling country gentleman he became while working with Loretta Lynn, plus his big-screen debut in Cold Mountain, that infamous mugshot, the Raconteurs and more. Check it out here: • 12 Shades of White: The Many Guises of Jack White

Published: 2009-03-12 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News