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Rock’s Top Five April Fool’s Hoaxes

Photo: Mazur/WireImage You have to wake up pretty early in the morning to trick your pals at Rock Daily, which is why we didn’t bite when we stumbled upon these totally fake stories today. Here’s a quick survey: By now, Trent Reznor has made it clear he loathes ex-Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell’s latest solo album, the Timbaland-produced disco-rock amalgamation Scream. This morning, Reznor upped the ante with a Twitter post proclaiming, “I’ve been busy. Brand new FULL LENGTH NIN record available now.” A click on the accompanying link redirected fans to nin.com/strobelight — a Casio-saturated site promising a free download of Nine Inch Nails‘ Timbaland-helmed new studio effort Strobe Light. The faux record, the site claims, includes “Everybody’s Doing It” (featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Bono and Jay-Z), “Coffin On the Dancefloor,” “Even Closer” (featuring guest spots by Justin Timberlake and Tool’s Maynard James Keenan), “Laid, Paid and Played” (with Fergie and Ministry’s Al Jourgensen) and “Still Hurts,” which boasts a duet with Alicia Keys. A press release posted on Kid Rock’s official Website this morning claimed the rocker had “acquired the naming rights to the home of the Detroit Tigers.” Hey, the dude tied the knot with Pamela Anderson, trounced Tommy Lee at the VMAs, and can’t even sit down for a short stack without getting arrested — stranger things have happened. The release, which was also distributed via e-mail to members of the media, revealed Rock had purchased the naming rights for “an undisclosed sum,” and that Comerica Park would be renamed Kid Rock Park. “This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and with the banks in trouble it seemed like the right time for me to reach out to the fine people at Comerica Bank,” Rock is quoted as saying. Perhaps more believable, but still far-fetched, was a news post claiming that, contrary to recent reports, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine would be joining Metallica — the band he was booted from back in 1983

Published: 2009-04-01
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News

Soundgarden Nearly Reunite At Tom Morello Justice Tour Stop in Seattle

Photo: Natkin/WireImage Rock Daily spotted some reports about a near Soundgarden reunion last night in Seattle at one of Tom Morello’s Justice Tour stops. RS Reader Chris Senn writes in with an eyewitness account of what went down at the Crocodile Cafe after the MC5’s Wayne Kramer, Morello’s Nightwatchmen, Steve Earle and Morello’s new Street Sweeper had taken their turns onstage: “Of course, with Tom Morello and Wayne Kramer in the building it’s a given the audience is in for some kind of incarnation of ‘Kick Out the Jams.’ For lead vocals they brought out Mark Arm, lead singer of Mudhoney while Morello and Kramer faced off in a guitar duel front and center stage. Shortly after this an additional guitarist showed up quietly, playing at the side of the stage. Although it’s been over a decade since Soundgarden broke up and his signature beard is now gray, there’s no mistaking Kim Thayil! When Thayil was playing I could see Matt Cameron peeking around the backstage curtain. That’s when it was obvious something was up because Cameron wasn’t announced on the bill. After the song they were playing at the time ended, whatever it was, Tom Morello had the announcement those at the Croc had been waiting for. ‘I haven’t been this fucking excited about something in a long time,’ Morello exclaimed, almost bubbling over with joy, ‘It’s like I won some type of contest or something.’ Then came the introduction: Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron and Tad Doyle as Tadgarden!! The Soundgarden bandmates, playing for the first time together since the band broke up in 1997, didn’t take long to hit a groove. Tad Doyle, a veteran of the Seattle scene with a voice as rough as he looks and the size of about two Matt Camerons, screamed at the top of his lungs while bounding around the stage with reckless abandon. Their way too short three song set rocked nonetheless. They tore through ‘Nothing to Say,’ and Morello joined them on ‘Spoonman.’ Kim Thayil displayed his signature guitar licks

Published: 2009-03-25
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News

Chris Cornell Brings Sexy Back But Gets Upstaged By Timbaland

Photo: Getty The idea was for Timbaland to warm up the crowd, but the super-producer’s hour-and-a-half set on Friday night at Denver’s packed Ogden Theatre was so boisterous, intimate, funky and funny that the headliner, singer Chris Cornell (Timbo’s latest client), never really had a chance. Barely moving more than a raised eyebrow, Timbaland conducted his hot seven-piece band from James Brown-style groove workouts like “Oh Timbaland” to his underrated house-party anthem “Bounce.” Barely singing, rapping or even speaking much throughout the songs, the deadpan Timbaland’s main job was to be a presence, holding the crowd’s attention so his super-tight “junkyard band” could do most of the work. Although he tossed out a few songs from his album due in February, he mostly stuck to last year’s Shock Value, including the closing “Throw It On Me,” which recalled OutKast’s propulsive “B.O.B.” and couldn’t help but transition into “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Expectations were therefore high for Cornell, the former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman. For a few minutes between sets, the crowd seemed especially pumped up for him. Would he perform with Timbaland’s band? Would the singer known for punk and metal anthems turn into a funk balladeer? Would he do the splits? Unfortunately, most of Timbaland’s band packed up their gear and walked off the stage. That was an omen. Cornell’s new sound had the feel of ’80s Peter Gabriel, with two metal guitarists roaming the stage and a drummer playing rigid house-music beats as two keyboardists created a swirling, soothing synth sound to match his high-pitched vocals. Cornell exclusively did songs from Scream, opening with “Part of Me,” which set a mild hip-hop rhythm to the chorus “That bitch ain’t a part of me.” Fortunately, Cornell has enough sex appeal to hold just about any crowd’s attention. He and his low-slung jeans admirably redeemed the new material until the very end. At that point, he did his two best songs, “Watch Out,” a

Published: 2008-10-20
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows

Coachella Day Two: Portishead, Death Cab, M.I.A., Malkmus, Kraftwerk

Saturday’s late-afternoon primetime sets began just before 5 p.m. at the Outdoor Theatre, where Stephen Malkmus was holding court with the Jicks. After joking about the environmental crisis, he half-heartedly crooned Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” adding, “I would have played that if I was over there,” gesturing towards the slightly larger Main Stage. After doodling one of his many lengthy solos during “Elmo Demo” (from the band’s new Real Emotional Trash), Malkmus, outfitted in a giant floppy hat, told the crowd, “That was one was for me. It felt so good to say something so stupid.” Informing the crowd the next track, “Hopscotch Willie,” was actually for them, the band broke into an extended desert jam, with power drummer Janet Weiss playing so integral a role, Malkmus spent the majority of the show turned sideways to partially face her. “These guys are so fucking good, I can’t believe I get to front this shit,” the former Pavement leader concluded. As the mid-day heat finally started to abate, strains of Death Cab for Cutie’s “The New Year” rang out across the Coachella field. Singer-guitarist Ben Gibbard rocked back and forth on his heels in front of several thousands fans at the Main Stage as his band debuted tracks from their new album Narrow Stairs (including winding, dark single “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “Long Division”), which sounded even broodier rubbing up against poppier older favorites like “We Laugh Indoors” and “The Sound of Settling.” Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis carries some glam with her in the form of passionate torch songs and fine threads. Over at the Outdoor Theatre she sang the tortured “I Never” with the lyrics “I’m only a woman of flesh and bone/and I wept much, we all do,” as guitarist Blake Sennett plucked out a romantic Fifties pop melody.

Published: 2008-04-27
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News, Coachella

Soundgarden

Soundgarden pictures from Rolling Stone

Rock List: Reader’s Picks for the Next Velvet Revolver Singer

Courtney Love Plots Hole’s Return With European Gigs, New Websites

Weekend Rock List: Next Velvet Revolver Singer

Rock’s Top Five April Fool’s Hoaxes

Soundgarden Nearly Reunite At Tom Morello Justice Tour Stop in Seattle

Chris Cornell Brings Sexy Back But Gets Upstaged By Timbaland

Coachella Day Two: Portishead, Death Cab, M.I.A., Malkmus, Kraftwerk