AVENGED SEVENFOLD Drummer Found Dead

According to The Orange County Register, AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer James Owen Sullivan (a.k.a. The Rev) was found dead at his home on Monday (December 28). He was 28 years old.

James Owen Sullivan, a drummer and backup vocalist for the Southern California band Avenged Sevenfold, was found dead at his home on Monday, authorities have confirmed.

Sullivan, who went by the stage name The Rev, appears to have died of natural causes, Huntington Beach police Lt. John Domingo said. Police were notified by firefighters who had responded to Sullivan's home about 1 p.m.

Sullivan was 28. The Orange County Coroner's Office is investigating the death.

Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach in 1999. Sullivan was a member from the beginning.

Since then, the five-man group has put out four albums and won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. The group's self-titled fourth album hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007. According to a message posted by Zacky Vengeance on the band's MySpace page, the group was hard a work on a fifth album.

By Monday evening, whispers about Sullivan's death had spread to the band's fan sites on the Internet, which quickly filled with messages of condolence.

John Frusciante has left Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Band working with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer


It would appear that John Frusciante is no longer working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers - so says a source close to the band in an exclusive interview with MusicRadar.

"Josh Klinghoffer has been playing with the group for a couple of months now," says the source. "Optimistically, the Peppers are trying to lock down a replacement for John, who has apparently quit.

"Mentally, John checked out a long time ago. He's interested in doing his own thing, his own albums - the whole big rock band machinery just doesn't appeal to him anymore."

The news that Frusciante has quit can hardly be viewed as surprising. During a podcast interview with MusicRadar earlier this year, the guitarist was lost for words during a routine question about the status of the group. He paused for nearly 30 seconds (later edited) before awkwardly stating that the Peppers had "no plans."

Frusciante also refused to be introduced to be as 'guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers,' preferring instead to be called, simply, 'guitarist.'

Klinghoffer's a well-liked LA player

Oddly enough, Klinghoffer is not only friends with the Chili Peppers but with Fruscinate as well. "Josh has been on everybody's radar for quite some time," says the source. "He's extremely popular within a certain circle of LA musicians.

"The big thing right now that the band will have to consider is, Can Josh write great songs? Can he help push them forward? Everybody knows he can play, but the Peppers need somebody who can come up with amazing material and get them moving again."

Get Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello together to pick the best albums and songs of the decade and you're bound to have a wild cage match of o

Get Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Tom Morello together to pick the best albums and songs of the decade and you're bound to have a wild cage match of opinions, right? Not as much as you might think.

U2 showed up, in various forms, on everybody's lists. Oasis (one of Ulrich's all-time favorite bands), Muse and System Of A Down also made strong showings.

For those who might think that these hard-hitting monsters of Metallica and Rage Against The Machine limit their listening habits to shredologists, you've got another thing coming: The Dixie Chicks and Amy Winehouse figure in with Morello's choices for the decade's best. (Somewhat shockingly, he names one of his own albums, One Man Revolution, which he recorded under his alter ego of The Nightwatchman, as a top pick as well. The man digs himself - go figure.)

The rest of the complete, handwritten lists can be viewed at Metal Sucks.

Classic Rock Awards 2009

"It's quite an experience to be in a room packed with almost every one of your heroes" said Joe Bonamassa in accepting the Breakthrough gong at last night's Classic Rock Awards. It's a sentiment we have to admit to sharing.

On arrival at last night's awards – hosted at London's regal Park Lane Hotel – MusicRadar was greeted with an awesome barrage of celebrity the likes of which we'd never seen.

Look, there's Slash! There's Ronnie Wood! Pete Townshend! Brian May, Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Ginger Baker! These were people whose music we'd grown up listening to – bona-fide rock legends we'd idolised as kids, now all together under one roof.

The atmosphere was genuinely electric. An hour in and all the star guests had arrived - the party was now in full swing. Drinks were being quaffed, old bandmates reunited and glamorous young women apparently hired to look glamorous, young and, well, like women were being, erm... politely accosted by a '60s rock 'n' roller we shan't name. (His girlfriend kept an eye on him though – we guess you can't always get what you want.)

Marshall Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2009 – full list of winners

Best New Band
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Mean Fiddler
Winner: Chickenfoot

Album Of The Year
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Universal Catalogue / Lost Tunes
Winner: AC/DC Black Ice

Band Of The Year
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Guitar Hero
Winner: Iron Maiden

Best Reissue
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Live Nation
Winner: Black Sabbath Reissues

DVD / Film Of The Year
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Play.com
Winner: Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Event Of The Year
Voted for by readers of Classic Rock magazine
Sponsored by Alchemy
Winner: Download Festival

Outstanding Contribution
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Monitor Audio
Winner: Ronnie Wood

Tommy Vance Inspiration Award
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Rhino
Winner: John Bonham

Innovator
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Eagle Rock
Winner: Ginger Baker

VIP Award
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Dannoff Premium Vodka
Winner: Doc McGhee

Metal Guru
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Bravado
Winner: Biff Byford

Spirit Of Prog
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Planet Rock
Winner: Dream Theater

Marshall 11 Award
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Marshall
Winner: Billy Gibbons

Childline Rocks Award
Winner: Steve Harley

Classic Songwriter
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Sony Music
Winner: Paul Rodgers

Classic Album
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Provogue
Winner: Aerosmith Rocks

Breakthrough
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Rock Radio
Winner: Joe Bonamassa

Comeback Of The Year
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by EMI Music
Winner: Mott The Hoople

Living Legend
Chosen by a Classic Rock Judging Panel
Sponsored by Marshall
Winner: Iggy Pop

courtesy @ musicradar

Yamaha unveils DTX-Multi 12 percussion pad

PRESS RELEASE: Drummers, Producers, DJs, and beginners and experts alike will all welcome the superb newDTX- Multi 12from Yamaha. The most powerful all-in-one percussion device ever created, it brings the professional power, sound and creativity of the acclaimed high end DTX range to musicians at a highly affordable price.

The understanding of musicians needs are immediately apparent when you power up theDTX-Multi 12and with its powerful inbuilt module and 12 on board percussion pads the device is completely self-contained.

It's bursting with many of the high end features that characterise the DTX range and will be the choice of professional drummers the world over. A perfect tool for live performance, production or practice it's expected the instrument will have much broader appeal beyond the drumming fraternity.

Feature packed, theDTX-Multi 12boasts over 1200 stunning voices in high quality covering drums, percussion and keyboard sounds, many drawn from Yamaha's professional Motif synthesizer range and many completely new. Up to 200 custom set ups can also be created and stored with ease to suit any musical context using all internal sounds and 42 types of effects.

Alternatively additional sounds can be loaded and stored into the onboard 64MB of memory and allocated to any pad for total customisation

For established drummers theDTX-Multi 12will bring a huge new sound set and performance capability to current set-ups and compliment any musical setting. The unit is designed to easily integrate into an existing acoustic set up or act as a stand alone unit. DTX- Multi 12will also prove invaluable to composers thanks to the included Cubase AI 5" software which facilitates quick and easy computer connectivity.

Performing at the highest level for pro players, a wide range of play modes ensure it can adapt to any style, up to four voices can be assigned to a single pad for simultaneous or sequential playback and a wide range of dynamic options are made available.

Versatility is enhanced with 128 on-board phrase patterns covering a wide variety of styles and users can also record their own patterns and assign them to pads. A sophisticated click track function also allows players to control the unit instantly, ideal for live shows.

TheDTX- Multi 12is perfect for computer musicians too, functioning as an excellent input device connectivity is simplicity itself via a single USB cable. The included Cubase AI5 DAW software facilitates the recording and extensive editing of MIDI data, it can also function as a high quality sample playback device with 64MB of flash ROM on board.

For live use, the pads feel great and allow creative freedom, they can be played with sticks, hands, fingers and palms, totally responding to every dynamic nuance and for added creative power Hi-Hat controllers and kick pedal pads can be added if you wish to use theDTX-Multi 12as a compact stand alone electronic drum kit.

We are really excited about the launch of this product which will bring the many possibilities electronic drums can offer

'The DTX-Multi 12 is the perfect tool to bring the many possibilities electronic drums can offer to any acoustic drummer or percussionist' explained product manager Gavin Thomas 'This launch is testament to Yamaha's extensive research into players demands and the first of many new exciting products currently in development'.

WATCH: Foo Fighters' New Video

The alt-rock giants release the Tom Petty-esque "Wheels," off their upcoming greatest hits package.
By Peter Gaston (spin.com)

Foo Fighters - New Music - More Music Videos

Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters have been drifting further and further into the mainstream over their 15-year existence, but their latest single and video, "Wheels," culled from their upcoming Greatest Hits package, is their most straightforward salvo yet. Watch the video below.

The song, which leaked last week, feels far more Kings of Leon than Queens of the Stone Age. Its midtempo strumming brings to mind some of the brawnier stuff coming out of Nashville these days.

It also has the nostalgic feel of a band looking back on a remarkable career that included a rise from the ashes of one of rock'n'roll's most iconic bands. "When the wheels touch ground, and you feel like it's all over," Grohl sings, "there's another round for you." Here's hoping that's true for Foo Fighters.

Greatest Hits arrives Nov. 3, and will also feature a second new song, "Word Forward."

And if you're craving heavier rocking from the Foos camp, catch Dave Grohl in the thumping power trio Them Crooked Vultures, and bassist Nate Mendel in the reunited Sunny Day Real Estate.

Roland V-Compact Series TD-4S in my living room :D

The Roland TD4S is an electronic drum set that is a pleasure to play. With Roland's patented mesh V-Pad snare, the TD4S drum set is ideal for practice, thanks to its Mix in function, Coach Mode, and Quick Rec. Roland TD-4S electronic drums are also a great choice for the project studio, with improved sound quality and expressiveness, and MIDI output for sequencing or triggering other sounds.

TD-4S Drum Module
With 4 times the wave memory of its predecessor, the Roland TD-4S Drum Module is loaded with great drum and percussion instruments and kits. Drum kits can be customized with virtual tuning and muffling for the kick, snare, and toms. Natural ambiance effects can be adjusted as well. Custom Controls
Drum sounds onboard the Roland TD-4S can be customized to suit your personal style. Just like with a real acoustic drum set, the TD-4's kick, snare, and toms can be tuned up or down quickly across a wide range. The amount of muffling can be user-customized as well, from '70s-style choked funk to open-cannon stadium rock.

Coach Mode
The Roland TD-4S is equipped with Roland's acclaimed Coach Mode, which helps you build speed, stamina and accuracy. Five skill-building exercises are onboard, including the new Warm Ups that lets you practice different exercises consecutively for 5, 10, or 15 minutes. The Tempo Check also helps you keep consistent time by lowering the metronome volume when you are playing accurately or vice versa, and raising the click volume when you are playing out of time.

Quick REC
The TD-4S drum set's "Quick REC" feature allows you to immediately record and play back your performance. It's a great tool for listening objectively to what you've played, and charting your progress. And don't forget the TD-4's built-in metronome for keeping yourself in time. If you record with the internal metronome on, the TD-4 Electronic Drum Set can even evaluate your accuracy afterward during playback.

Roland V-Compact Series TD-4S Electronic Drum Set Features:

* Center mounted TD-4 sound module
* Wave-expanded sound module with 125 instruments and 25 kits
* Patented mesh head for the snare
* Velocity sensitive toms and cymbals with choke capability
* Tuning and Muffling for the kick, snare, toms can be adjusted via the buttons and dial on the front panel
* Coach Mode with new exercises such as Warm Ups and Tempo Check for building your accuracy and endurance
* Quick Rec function for recording your performance with just one button
* Mix In connector for playing along with external audio sources
* Compact, lightweight, and stable drum stand
* Cable harness and DB-25 connector for fast and clean cable connection

Includes:
* (1) TD-4 Percussion Sound Module
* (1) PDX-8 Mesh Snare Drum Pad
* (3) PD-8 Dual-Trigger Tom Pads
* (2) CY-8 Dual-Trigger Cymbal Pads
* (1) CY-5 Dual-Trigger Cymbal Pad
* (1) KD-8 Kick Trigger Pad
* (1) FD-8 Hi-Hat Control Pedal
* (1) MDS-4 Drum Stand
* Bass drum pedal not included

You don't have to break the bank to get professional drum sounds!!
wheeew dreaming when i put this gear in my living room :D xD

DOWNLOAD Unreleased Live Nirvana Song!

Unreleased Live Nirvana Song!
Get a rendition of "Scoff," recorded live in 1990 and featured on Sub Pop's 20th anniversary reissue of Bleach.

For Nirvana fans seeking a distraction from the war over Kurt Cobain's Guitar Hero avatar, Seattle label Sub Pop has just the thing: An unreleased live version of "Scoff," recorded Feb. 2, 1990, during a gig at Portland, OR's Pine Street Theatre. Download the track below!

"Scoff" appears on 20th anniversary reissue of the trio's debut album, Bleach, which arrives Nov. 3 on CD and 180 gram white vinyl, with a complete live recording of the 1990 gig with their original drummer, Chad Channing. Jack Endino, the original producer behind Bleach, re-mixed the original tapes of the live show for the special reissue.

"The release is a tribute to the vision of Kurt Cobain," Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic wrote on his Seattle Weekly blog. "Jack [Endino] and I got test pressings earlier this summer and the vinyl sounds killer. It's going to be pressed on white vinyl -- just like the first issue. I put the tone arm down and the bass growl of "Blew" is there in all its Grunge glory."

"Considering it only took about 30 hours in the studio, and the equipment we used, I'm glad it sounds as good as it does," Endino told Novoselic.

Actually, "Scoff" sounds great: Cobain's guttural vocals and chugging guitar hit hard and with a clarity many other live recordings lack, no doubt a testament to Endino's studio wizardry -- but, more importantly, Nirvana's ability as a live band. Download "Scoff" below.
Nirvana, "Scoff" Live At Pine Street Theatre (DOWNLOAD MP3)

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor Admits He Tried to Sing for Velvet Revolver

Photo: Webber/WireImage.

Slipknot singer Corey Taylor has finally confirmed rumors that he tried out for Velvet Revolver’s vacant lead singer slot, telling Altitude TV, “I had a meeting with those guys, we did some demos together, and it just didn’t work — for whatever reason.” Since Scott Weiland’s departure from Velvet Revolver in April 2008, everyone from Lenny Kravitz to Sebastian Bach to Chris Cornell to obscure Canadian singers have been rumored to be the permanent fill-in for VR, but Taylor is among the first to reveal that he actually tried out for the job.

“It was just really cool. It was one of those things where it’s like I could have got to jam with legends, man, in my opinion,” Taylor said, adding that he’s still on good terms with the band. Slash had previously said in passing that Taylor had worked with VR, and while it seemed like Taylor might take over as lead vocalist, the band decided against it, Blabbermouth writes.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, even though Slash is currently hard at work at his own solo album, he’s still devoted to the singer search. “We (VR) know the right guy is out there somewhere,” Slash wrote in a MySpace post in August 2009. “It’s possible somebody could turn up before I do my tour and we could start working on new material sooner than later, in a perfect world.”

Mike Byrne: New Pumpkins Drummer

Billy Corgan has announced that nineteen year-old Portland, Oregon, drummer Mike Byrne has joined the Smashing Pumpkins and will make his debut with the band on their next album and tour. “I’m super excited to be playing with the band,” says Byrne. “Dream come true, man.”

Byrne, who’s played in indie Portland bands Moses, Smell The Roses, and the Mercury Treeheard, heard about the Pumpkins’ open call for a new drummer on the Internet this past April and submitted his materials. Byrne was immediately called to attend an audition in Los Angeles, where Corgan liked what he heard.

Byrne has been playing drums since he was eleven and formed his first band, Mercury Tree, at fifteen. His influences include post-rock bands like Mogwai, Maserati, and Maps And Atlases as well as the Pumpkins. “It was a really good time in my life to hear the Pumpkins’ music when I was thirteen. It just connected with me and it was sort of a window into something really different and eclectic. The band was a little bit more willing to take risks than a lot of the groups I had been listening to.”

“I was astounded by how many great drummers wanted the chance to try out for The Pumpkins,” said Corgan. “We counted over a thousand submissions, and what made Mike stand out was that he just seemed to have that X-factor that all the great drummers have, a stunning blend of power, speed, and grace. I’m excited to work with him moving forward; he truly deserves this opportunity. I believe in my heart he will push me to be a better musician.”

For more on the Smashing Pumpkins, visit www.smashingpumpkins.com.

MUDVAYNE Release New Album In December, First track avalable on streaming

"Beautiful And Strange", a brand new song from MUDVAYNE, is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The song will appear on the group's new self-titled album, which is due on December 22 via Epic. The artwork for the CD will be printed entirely in blacklight-reactive ink (see video below), making it only visible under a black light (a source of light whose wavelengths are primarily in the ultraviolet).

"Mudvayne" has been described by drummer Matt McDonough as "the best" CD "the band has recorded since our second album, 'The End Of All Things to Come'." The effort will be released in three different formats — a standard jewel case edition, a deluxe version packaged with a black light and a super deluxe edition that features a larger black light, a special edition blacklight-reactive poster and more.

MUDVAYNE's forthcoming album was produced by Dave Fortman's (SLIPKNOT, EVANESCENCE) right-hand man, Jeremy Parker, and is "a little more retro for MUDVAYNE" from a songwriting point of view, according to singer Chad Gray. "We've been kind of making this natural progression, and I think for this one, we just sort of naturally regressed," he told Noisecreep. "We took the smarter songwriting guys that we've become and mixed it with the not-smart songwriting guys that we were ... I mean, we used to just take 20 parts, cram it together, and call it a song. Over time, playing in a band, you kind of know what to expect. It doesn't really make it easier, but you kind of have this thing in your head that you kind of know where you're going. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel before entering the tunnel. It's faint, and dim, but it's there."

MUDVAYNE's fourth studio album, "The New Game", has sold more than 200,000 copies in the United States since it came out in November 2008, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD shifted 48,000 units in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.

thx to blabbermouth

Radiohead are recording new album

Joe Bosso, Fri 9 Oct 2009, 12:11 am BST


Remember when Thom Yorke said Radiohead were done making albums? Turns out that isn't the case at all. In fact, the band's co-guitarist Ed O'Brien says the group is booked to start recording a full-length disc this winter.

"We were misquoted," O'Brien says in an interview with NME, referring to a piece that ran earlier this year in which Thom Yorke said, "None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again...It'll kill us."

Although the group did release online tracks such as Harry Patch (In Memory Of) and These Are My Twisted Words, many took Yorke's words at face value.

O'Brien, however, states the case loudly and bluntly: "We will be making an album!" In fact, he says the whole group shares an affection for the tangible feel of physical CDs and vinyl.
Nothing like the real thing

"We love the artwork; that's really important, the physicality," he said. "And we all like vinyl. That's not going to go away. I still like CDs as well. I got the Speech Debelle CD the other day - I nearly downloaded it from iTunes but I thought, 'No. I want the physical thing.'"

O'Brien doesn't go into specifics as to what kind of album Radiohead are going to make make (he says These Are My Twisted Words "could have been the darker side of In Rainbows"), but he laughs at the idea of the group recording in Oxfordshire during the harshest of months.

"Typical Radiohead," he says. "We're going into the studio in winter. It's always miserable! Are we at the whim of the seasons? We are! When you're in a studio in the countryside, the music you make is definitely affected by what season it is."

Eigenharp the instrument of the future

Eigenlabs' Eigenharp is an instrument like no other. It has remarkably sensitive keys that you can press; strip controllers that you can rub; and a breath pipe that you can blow into. To call it unique almost feels like an understatement.

Yesterday, MusicRadar was invited along to The Hospital in London for one of several Eigenharp launch events. As you'll see in the video above, we got the chance to speak to its creator and to quiz someone who's actually learned to play it.

Will you want one? Almost certainly, but whether you'll be able to afford the £3,950 asking price for the flagship Alpha model is another matter entirely. There is, however, an entry-level option in the shape of the Pico. At £349, we'll wager that this will be finding its way into a stocking or two this Christmas.

Marshall launches MA Series amplifiers

PRESS RELEASE: For the best part of 50 years the sight and sound of a Marshall valve amplifier has been the envy and dream of many a guitarist. Legendary artists such as Slash, Jeff Beck and the late great Jimi Hendrix, plus rising stars like Ray Torro (My Chemical Romance) and Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom) continue to inspire with their raw talent and mighty valve-powered Marshall backlines. So when it comes to tone, it's clear that professional guitarists love valves.

Now Marshall invites you to experience valve tone for yourself with our most accessible range of valve-driven guitar amplifiers ever – introducing the all-new, all-valve MA Series.
Heart of tone

With a classic ECC83/EL34 pre and power amp combination at its heart, the UK designed and engineered MA range is indeed built on solid pure-valve foundations. The MA Series provides both head and combo versions in either 100 Watt or 50 Watt outputs, all sharing the same trusty feature set.

The dual channel design provides an abundance of tonal possibilities, while the straightforward front panel layout and individual EQ sections means achieving the sounds you want couldn't be simpler.

With single coil pickups the Clean channel delivers clear bright notes, whilst switching to humbuckers and cranking the volume pot leads to natural signal break up, ideal for both cutting Indie-style rhythm and vintage rock riffing respectively.

Hit the Channel selection switch and the uniquely voiced Overdrive channel lets you experience the full potential of Marshall valve power, from glorious bluesy crunch to hard driving rock and all points in-between. Engaging the Overdrive's Boost function provides extra gain for both pounding metal madness and fret-burning solos alike.
The right balance

The difference between your overdrive and 'boosted' sound is governed by the MA's Crunch Balance control. Increasing the Crunch Balance moves your normal overdrive sound closer to that of your 'boosted' tone. Alternatively, backing off the Crunch Balance control decreases the amount of gain

and volume in your unboosted overdrive tone only, allowing the jump from say crunch to metal instantly, via either the front panel or the included 2-way footswitch. Used in this manner, the Crunch Balance has the ability to create a pseudo third channel from the Boost function, further increasing the MA Series' tonal spectrum and versatility.
Finishing touches

Additional tonal fine tuning is provided by a Master section consisting of Presence, Resonance and Reverb, and if pedals, FX boards and stomp boxes are your thing, then a serial FX loop is also included across the range.

The 2x12" MA100C (UK RRP £663) and 1x12" MA50C (UK RRP £548) combos both contain the newly developed AX-75 speaker, custom-voiced to match the tone, feel and response of the whole MA Series perfectly. These speakers can also be found in the new full-sized M412A and M412B 4x12" speaker cabs.

Finally, both the MA100H (UK RRP £599) and MA50H (UK RRP £480) heads feature semi-transparent baffles and illuminated chassis, allowing your valve-powered tone to literally shine. Whether you're finally realising a full Marshall stack dream, searching for a rugged gigging workhorse, looking for your first valve amplifier, or all three, the Marshall MA Series provides the answer.

Now is the time to discover valve tone. "Information taken from official press release"

New Michael Jackson Soundtrack Single “This Is It” Out October 12th

Details about the soundtrack for the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It have been revealed, and the biggest news is that the two-disc collection will feature two versions of a brand new Jackson song titled “This Is It.” The song, which will feature in the film’s closing credits, includes background vocals by Jackson’s brothers. The previously unreleased track will be released as a single on October 12th, two weeks before the This Is It film hits theaters for a two-week limited engagement starting with advance screenings on October 27th.

“This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows — that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts,” said John McClain, a co-producer of the This Is It film and soundtrack and a co-executor of Michael Jackson’s estate. The soundtrack, like the film, will be released on October 27th. Disc one of the This Is It album will contain the original album masters of the hit songs included in This Is It, sequenced in the order that they appear in the film. The first disc will close out with the two versions of “This Is It.”

Disc two will feature previously unreleased versions of some of Jackson’s most famous songs, plus an unreleased spoken word track of a poem written by Jackson titled “Planet Earth.” The set will also come with a 36-page commemorative booklet stocked with photos of Jackson’s last rehearsal for his planned This Is It concerts. As Rolling Stone previously reported, a brief clip of Jackson rehearsing “Human Nature” was unveiled on the This Is It official YouTube page. The trailer for the film premiered during this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

(courtesy : Rolling stone)

Joe Satriani: how Jimi Hendrix changed my life

Joe Satriani, Thu 17 Sep 2009, 9:25 pm BST



"The day Jimi Hendrix died, I can still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful day in suburban Long Island. I was 14 years old, I was on the Carle Place High School football team, and I was standing outside the gym, all suited up and ready to go onto the field for practice. Everything was right in the world.

"Suddenly one of my teammates came up to me - he had just been home for lunch so he saw the news on TV - and he said, 'Hey Joe, you know that guy you like so much, Jimi Hendrix? I heard he just died.'

"I'm pretty sure I was about the only kid in school who knew who Jimi Hendrix even was. Through my older siblings, I was getting turned on to all the great music that was happening at the time, and I really loved Hendrix. So this kid, my teammate, thought I should know.

"The minute he told me, my whole life flashed before my eyes. I don't think this kid expected the impact it would have on me. It was such a blow. I was devastated, shattered, in a fog of emotion. Without so much as taking another step towards the field, I turned around, went back into the gym and I told my coach, 'Jimi Hendrix just died, and I'm quitting the team to become a guitar player.'

"I was anticipating an argument - the coach was a former marine and a pretty tough guy - but he just stared at me. Maybe I looked so crazy or despondent, I don't know, but he simply said, 'Well, all right. Go right ahead.'

"Jimi Hendrix died today and I'm going to devote my life to playing the electric guitar" a then-14-year-old Joe Satriani to his family at the dinner table


more

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK NEWS

Summit Entertainment, Chop Shop Records and Atlantic Records have announced the release of "THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK," the musical companion to the highly anticipated second installment in Summit's film franchise. Due in stores and online October 20th, the entire soundtrack features songs that will appear in the movie, highlighted by Death Cab for Cutie's brand new single "Meet Me On the Equinox." "THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON" is slated to open in theatres nationwide on November 20th.

In just one week, "Meet Me On the Equinox" has already exploded onto the modern rock charts, landing at No 26. The song, which is the soundtrack's first announced track, debuted in full on September 13th at MTV.com in conjunction with MTV's Video Music Awards.
The video companion to the song, which was shot in Toronto by director Walter Robot, will premiere soon.

"We wrote 'Meet Me On the Equinox' to reflect the celestial themes and motifs that run throughout the TWILIGHT series, and we wanted to capture that desperate feeling of endings and beginnings that so strongly affect the main characters," said Death Cab for Cutie bassist Nick Harmer. "This song marks the first attempt that Death Cab for Cutie has ever made at contributing new, unreleased material for a film. It just seems a perfect synergy that a band from the Northwest would create a song for a series of novels set in the Northwest. We are not only proud to be a part of the TWILIGHT legacy but also honored to join so many other fantastic artists that have leant their amazing creativity to this soundtrack." more..

Slash pays tribute to Les Paul

Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has paid tribute to the electric guitar pioneer Les Paul, who died today (13 August) aged 94.

Slash is one of the players most-identified with the iconic Gibson Les Paul, and over the last 25 years there are few players who have done more to continue to popularise the design.

Slash has his own signature range of Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls.

Slash said: "Les Paul was a shining example of how full one's life can be, he was so vibrant and full of positive energy.

"I'm honoured and humbled to have known and played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man."

Les Paul passed away at 94

Les Paul, one of the most revered guitarists in history and the father of the electric guitar, passed away last night, August 12th at the age of 94. Paul’s manager confirmed to Rolling Stone that cause of death was respiratory failure, and a statement from Gibson indicates Paul was suffering from severe pneumonia and died at a hospital in White Plains, New York.

An inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy Hall of Fame, Paul is credited as the inventor of the electric body guitar and the pioneer of recording techniques like electronic echo and multi-tracking. Paul also had a celebrated career as both a solo artist and with singer Mary Ford, his wife until 1964. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Les Paul to our list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and his influence on guitar greats who followed him is undeniable. “He was one of the most stellar human beings I’ve ever known,” Slash posted on his Twitter today, referring to Paul as his “friend and mentor.” Chickenfoot guitarist Joe Satriani released a statement that reads, “Les Paul set a standard for musicianship and innovation that remains unsurpassed. He was the original guitar hero, and the kindest of souls.”

In the early ’50s, Paul and Ford had a string of hits including Mockin’ Bird Hill,” “How High the Moon,” “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise” and “Vaya Con Dios.” Paul also began experimenting with the electric guitar, building the Les Paul Recording Guitar, an instrument that allowed for “hot” pickups and “fatter” tone than the Fender on the market. Paul linked up with Gibson Guitars and his six-string became one of the guitar maker’s signatures.

Around this time, Paul also made the first-ever eight-track recording, as well as the dual-pickup guitar, the 14-fret guitar, and various types of electronic transducers used both in guitars and recording studios. For his achievements as a technician, Paul was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005, joining Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1915, a fact noted in the name of the 1980 Les Paul documentary The Wizard of Waukesha. Last November, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honored Paul with its annual American Music Masters Concert, where Slash, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Richie Sambora and the Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye paid tribute to Paul (watch footage from the event, below). Kaye told the audience, “Before Les, guitars were only amplified. Les made them truly electric.” During his acceptance speech, Paul joked, “Everybody thought I was a guitar until I played here tonight.” One thing is for certain: Les Paul is responsible for changing the way rock & roll sounds and he will be greatly missed.

11 legends of the Flying V and Explorer

Gibson's original Flying V and Explorers - and the many copies they've spawned - are some of the flashiest guitars you can strap on.

Here's MusicRadar's countdown of 11 of the guitarists who have made the dramatic shapes their own.


1. James Hetfield

On the Kill ’Em All album, Hetfield was using a V copy with Gibson truss rod cover, then the rhythm king’s white ‘More Beer’ and ‘So What’ (named after the permanent marker scrawl on their bodies) 1984 Explorers became veterans of every Metallica session from 1984’s Ride The Lightning until 1991’s Black Album.

Unlike his other guitars, neither have EMG pickups – and the ‘More Beer’ features Seymour Duncans.


2.Hendrix's psychedelic Flying V
Hendrix owned three Vs: an originally black specimen he hand-painted with a eye-catching psychedelic, floral design, and which he toured in 1967 and 1968 (reissue pictured), a sunburst example from 1969 that now resides with the Hard Rock Cafe, and a 1969 lefty version created for him by Gibson (also the first V to feature an inlaid pearl logo). Did he use one on All Along The Watchtower? Some experts believe so. MORE