Zach de la Rocha Completes Solo LP, J.Lo Considers Spice Girls Collabo, iPhone Goes Overseas

Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha has finally ended his Chinese Democracy-esque journey by revealing that his first solo album is finished. The record, which de la Rocha started after leaving Rage in 2000, will feature Zach playing keyboards and former Mars Volta member Jon Theodore on drums. A source close to the recordings called it a cross-pollination of “Led Zeppelin and Dr. Dre.” While no decision has been handed down yet, some reports claim Britney Spears will temporarily relinquish custody of her kids to ex-husband Kevin Federline following allegations that Spears’ former bodyguard would testify regarding drug use, and the voluntary exile of her lawyer and manager. In what would be a career move only slightly less devastating than Gigli, Jennifer Lopez has expressed interest in joining the Spice Girls onstage during their reunion tour after striking up a friendship with Posh Spice. Apple’s platinum-selling iPhone will make its U.K. debut on November 9th. The phone will be available exclusively on wireless carrier O2 and will cost a meager £269 ($540). The principal members of Shudder to Think reunited onstage last night at New York’s Mercury Lounge, marking the first time since 1999 that the Washington, D.C. band has played together live. The group performed six songs, including two tracks from 1994’s Pony Express Record.

Published: 2007-09-19 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Afternoon News Roundup

The 20 Best Live Bands Playing Right Now

This weekend’s rock list, Best Live Band Playing Right Now, got an awesome and terrifying response from you all - thanks for all the nominations. After careful consideration, here is our final list. Now go see these guys! 1. White Stripes 2. Radiohead 3. Pearl Jam 4. Rage Against the Machine 5. U2 6. Metallica 7. Flaming Lips 8. My Morning Jacket 9. The Hold Steady 10. Arcade Fire 11. The Raconteurs 12. Wilco 13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 14. Red Hot Chili Peppers 15. Gogol Bordello 16. Kings of Leon 17. Muse 18. Dave Matthews Band 19. Tool 20. LCD Soundsystem Photo: AFP/STADLER/Getty

Published: 2007-07-24 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Maynard James Keenan’s Puscifer: Tool Leader Speaks on Enigmatic Side Project

When you say the name of Maynard James Keenan’s new recording project, Puscifer, it is “Pus as in Puss’n'Boots,” says the Tool singer on a recent afternoon at Electric Lady Studios in New York. “Not as in a boil,” he adds with a dry chuckle. Keenan, working on the record on a rare day away from Tool’s current world tour, explains that Puscifer “is my attempt to make music to inspire people. Heavy rock is sinking, the industry is dying. This is definitely not thinking man’s music” — elliptically referring to Tool’s dense, serpentine metal — “but groove-oriented music that makes you feel good.” The music Keenan previews at Electric Lady is suitably provocative, with a good-time roll. “Queen B” features a bee’s nest of overlapping, processed vocals — including Keenan’s own deep country baritone — over noir-ish hip-hop drumming, like Keenan’s previous side outing, A Perfect Circle, in Tennessee-midnight-radio dub. “Dojo” is marching percussion and sinister electronics with what sounds like the death gulp of a Duane Eddy-treble guitar. “World Up My Ass” is Keenan’s version of the 1980 Circle Jerks song — total psychic collapse as straight-up backwoods fun. “Country Boner” is delightfully offensive and something of an antique — a cover of a song by the Illinois garage band Electric Sheep, which featured pre-Tool guitarist Adam Jones and his high school buddy, Tom Morello, later in Rage Against The Machine. Keenan describes Puscifer as “more of a collaboration” than a group. Contributors include Primus drummer Tim Alexander, guitarist-soundscaper Jonny Polonsky and, on vocals, Lisa Germano and actress Milla Jovovich. And Keenan says the music could end up as more than just an album, which he expects to issue in October. “I’d like to release it in different ways — maybe two songs at a time, every three

Published: 2007-07-19 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News