Archive for January 9th, 2013

The Black Keys Sign on for Grammy Performance, Announce New Album Start Date

Theo Wargo, Getty Images The Black Keys were one of the top nominees when the Grammy Award nominations were announced last month and the band has confirmed they will take the stage to perform  at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles. The group is among the first confirmed performers for music’s biggest night. They’ll join alterna-rockers fun. and Mumford & Sons , pop star Rihanna and country favorite Taylor Swift in playing this year’s ceremony. The band received five nominations — Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for ‘El Camino’ and Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for ‘Lonely Boy.’ In addition, singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach also earned a solo nod as Producer of the Year. While ‘El Camino’ has been a stellar record for the band and the group still has plans to promote it on tour, the duo are also trying to stay ahead of the game and have set aside some time to record for their next studio album this month. Speaking with Uncut magazine (excerpted by NME ), Auerbach stated, “We’re going to start making the new album in the second week of January and we’re hoping to have it done by some time in March. Then we have a couple of weeks of touring, then we’re going to take the summer off, which we haven’t done in a while.” Although there is studio time blocked out, the vocalist admits, “The record isn’t written yet. We’ll do it when we get in the studio. This is when we both work best, when we’re dying to make an album. All of our records take place in the studio, in that we make stuff up while we’re there.” As for the touring that Auerbach spoke of, he’s referring to the handful of shows they have scheduled for the spring with the Flaming Lips . The short, four-date run consists of performances in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and the Black Keys’ home base of Nashville. The Black Keys / Flaming Lips 2013 Tour: 4/28 — Kansas City, Mo. — Sprint Center 4/30 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Consol Energy Center 5/2 — Atlanta, Ga. — Aaron’s Amphitheatre 5/3 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena [button href=”http://loudwire.com/the-black-keys-patrick-carney-married/” title=”Next: The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney Gets Married” align=”center”]

Randy Rhoads’ Family Files Lawsuit Over Coffee Table Book

Paul Natkin, Getty Images The family of late and legendary Ozzy Osbourne / Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads have taken legal action over a coffee table book titled ‘Randy Rhoads’ that has allegedly been published using unauthorized materials. According to a fresh press release, the family of Randy Rhoads entered into an agreement with producer Peter Margolis in 2007 to construct a documentary film on the life of Rhoads. Although the deal had been made, Margolis himself was not granted ownership of any ideas or materials that would be used for the documentary, including photos, videos and sound recordings. The Rhoads family is now accusing Margolis, along with book co-authors Andrew Klein and Steven Rosen and publishing company Velocity Publishing Group Inc. of using the unauthorized materials for the ‘Randy Rhoads’ coffee table book. Margolis and Klein were expected to work with Dakota Films for an official Randy Rhoads documentary, with Margolis reportedly promising the film would be completed within three years. Margolis had reportedly claimed, as of early 2012, that the film was completed, but family members who watched portions of the documentary claim it was “edited poorly and unprofessionally,” adding that the quality of the film was “abysmal.” Rhoads’ mother, Delores, and sisters Kathryn and Kelle, now claim that the ‘Randy Rhoads’ coffee table book, which was co-authored by Andrew Klein and rock writer Steven Rosen, contains more that 50 instances where unauthorized materials were used. The Randy Rhoads Estate has reacted by filing a lawsuit against Peter Margolis, Andrew Klein, Steven Rosen and Velocity Publishing Group Inc. The family claims the long process and alleged “betrayal” has been especially hard on Randy Rhoads’ mother, Delores, who is now in her 90s. “He was a saint … He was an angel, and too good for this world,” says Delores Rhoads. “His death’s always on my mind. Every year at the anniversary of his birth and death, fans from all over the world gather at his grave site to honor his passing. We will never forget him. His musical legacy lives on in the minds and music of his many fans.” Stay tuned for future updates on the legal proceedings as news breaks. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/randy-rhoads-videos-that-rock/” title=”10 Randy Rhoads Videos That Rock” align=”center”]

Anthrax, Opeth, Hatebreed to Headline 2013 New England Metal & Hardcore Festival

Liz Ramanand, Loudwire The New England Metal & Hardcore Festival celebrates its 15 year of anniversary with a massive lineup for the 2013 installment, including headliners Anthrax , Opeth and Hatebreed . The three-day festival will be held once again at The Palladium in Worcester, Mass., on April 19, 20 and 21, not to mention a pre-party on April 18. The festival’s founder, Scott Lee, of MassConcerts, states, “I am excited with how far we have come and am ecstatic for this to be on our 15th year! It has been a long, interesting journey. We always try to make it a memorable event and we really hope you all enjoy the festival this year.” Other bands confirmed for this year’s festival include Suicidal Tendencies , Shadows Fall , Municipal Waste , Katatonia , the  Contortionist  and much more. See the current lineup below. Stay tuned for many more acts to be announced in the coming weeks! New England Metal & Hardcore Festival XV Lineup: Anthrax Hatebreed Opeth Suicidal Tendencies After The Burial Alpha & Omega Antagonist AD Ark of the Covenant Black Breath Born of Osiris The Contortionist Dead by Wednesday Death Before Dishonor Ensiferum Erra Exodus Expire Fit for an Autopsy Heidevolk Hellsot Holy Grail I Declare War Incendiary Katatonia Legion The Mongoloids Mother of Mercy Municipal Waste No Mercy Power Trip Rude Awakening Saving Grace Shadows Fall Suburban Scum Those Who Fear Trap Them Trollfest Twitching Tongues Tyr Within the Ruins Xibalba ?

Singer Adam Gontier Leaves Three Days Grace, Replaced by My Darkest Days’ Matt Walst

Ethan Miller, Getty Images / Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Shocker alert! Frontman Adam Gontier has resigned from  Three Days Grace  just weeks prior to their upcoming co-headlining tour with Shinedown. The band has replaced Gontier with My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst for the trek. A brief posting at the band’s website reveals that Gontier has left the group effective immediately citing a health issue for his exit. The band’s bassist, Brad Walst, stated in a press release, “We were surprised and distressed by Adam’s sudden departure. We are however very excited for this upcoming tour and to have my brother Matt stepping in as lead singer.” Three Days Grace, with Matt Walst on vocals, are still on schedule to kick off their co-headlining tour with Shinedown on Feb. 1 in Moline, Ill. At present, the tour runs through March 30 in Fargo, N.D. No further info was given as to the health issue that led to Gontier’s exit. The news comes as a major surprise, as Three Days Grace are one of rock radio’s most successful bands over the past decade, and recently scored a chart-topping single with ‘Chalk Outline’ off their latest album ‘Transit of Venus.’ They’re currently heating up radio again with their new single ‘The High Road.’ The move also puts My Darkest Days ‘ future in a different perspective. The band revealed just last week that guitarist Sal Costa had left the group , but that they were beginning work on their next studio album. With Matt Walst jumping over to Three Days Grace in Gontier’s absence, it is not known how that will affect My Darkest Days. Three Days Grace have also posted audio of Matt Walst performing with the group to give an idea of what the singer switch will sound like. Listen below: Listen to Matt Walst Performing With Three Days Grace [button href=”http://loudwire.com/three-days-grace-chalk-outline-in-the-studio-exclusive-video-premiere/” title=”Next: Watch Three Days Grace Perform ‘Chalk Outline’ in the Studio” align=”center”]

Halestorm vs. Lacuna Coil – Cage Match

Photos: Halestorm Official Site / Katja Kuhl Halestorm fans definitely brought the heat in the last Cage Match, as ‘Freak Like Me’ beat out Trapt for a major win. But can they do it again against today’s opponents? Lacuna Coil enter the matchup with their new single ‘End of Time’ off of their latest album ‘Dark Adrenaline.’ The band is also gearing up to join Sevendust on a U.S. tour. Go here for a full list of dates and cities. So will Halestorm and their faithful freaks continue on the path to victory with ‘Freak Like Me’ or will Lacuna Coil bring a stop to their reign with ‘End of Time’? Two very talented bands go head to head, so get in on the action and vote for your favorite track in the poll below. Both Lacuna Coil singer Cristina Scabbia and Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale are competing for the title of Rock Goddess of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Awards; after you vote in the Cage Match, go  here  to cast your vote for Rock Goddess. (This Cage Match will run until Friday, Jan. 11, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Listen to Halestorm, ‘Freak Like Me’ Listen to Lacuna Coil, ‘End Of Time’ Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. Email Me When Cage Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the daily winner of the Cage Match, as well as our top stories of the day. Email Rules of Cage Match: Fans can vote once per hour for their favorite song. If a song remains the reigning champ for five straight cage matches, it is retired to the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame. With so many great songs out there, we have to give other bands a chance!

Dave Grohl to Perform With Corey Taylor + Others During Sundance Film Festival Set

Theo Wargo / Kevin Winter, Getty Images The ‘Sound City’ soundtrack is definitely star-studded, so when Dave Grohl revealed that he would have several guest stars join him for a concert celebrating the premiere of his ‘Sound City’ documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, there was naturally a lot of questions about who would be part of the Sound City Players . Now, after a little bit of arm twisting, it’s so far been revealed that Corey Taylor , Taylor Hawkins and Alain Johannes will be among those joining Grohl in Park City, Utah, for the gig on Jan. 18. Grohl has been updating fans about his band practices, but finally bowed to a little pressure with a Facebook update that stated, “Pics or it didn’t happen, you say? Right now, band practice.” Accompanying the quip was a studio photo of Grohl performing with his longtime Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and Queens of the Stone Age multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes. In addition, the Salt Lake Tribune  confirmed the participation of Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor. According to the paper, Taylor himself revealed his participation. The singer has enjoyed the Sundance experience in the past, taking the stage with the all-star covers band Camp Freddy several years ago. The fact that Grohl is performing with either Hawkins or Johannes should come as little surprise given the length of the relationship and association the singer has kept up with both musicians. Plus, the fact that both artists appear on multiple cuts on the ‘Sound City’ soundtrack makes them a natural fit for the show. For those trying to connect the dots with other potential guests, Hawkins appears on songs that feature Stevie Nicks , Rick Springfield and Fear’s Lee Ving on the soundtrack, while Johannes contributes to tracks featuring Ving and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme . Dave Grohl Rehearsing With Taylor Hawkins and Alain Johannes Facebook: Sound City Movie [button href=”http://loudwire.com/dave-grohl-sound-city-documentary-sundance-premiere/” title=”Next: Watch the ‘Sound City’ Trailer” align=”center”]

Kyng Frontman Eddie Veliz Talks Life on the Road, Writing New Music + More

Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Rock trio Kyng  had a busy 2012 and if last year any indication of how this year will be then Kyng have a eventful road ahead of them. Loudwire recently checked in with the band’s frontman Eddie Veliz, who talked all about the ups and downs of life on the road, while also looking back at the release of their debut album, ‘Trampled Sun,’ and mentioning plans for a new album. Kyng have been on the road nonstop, what do you love most about touring? It’s awesome – you get to meet a bunch of people in the first couple rounds and then the next time you come around you consistently run into these people, like you – even though you didn’t recognize me. I was like “Hey! It’s you,” and you were like, “Who are you?” but now you’re cool – yeah it’s all that, we get to come back and they’re more excited. The sucky part, but also good part, is that everywhere we go we have friends and all they want to do is feed us and get drunk. It’s like, “Let’s go eat ribs” and barbeque galore and it’s nonstop and we’re just getting fatter and fatter. It’s good and bad. What do you not like about touring? Just being away, being away from home – we don’t have all the luxuries of your typical rockstar. We sleep in our four star or four wheel home which is the van and it’s just us out on the road – it’s a lot of work. We’re just kicking butt, selling out our merch, checking out gear, performing and driving and that could take a toll for sure. We just start getting beat up after every tour. You have toured with so many great bands, including your recent trek with Megadeth… Who? Who’s that, I don’t know about that – that’s so weird. Yeah the whole Megadeth thing was outrageous. We’ve been so lucky getting super cool tours with bands that we actually grew up listening to, like the whole Clutch thing, the whole Orion thing, the Megadeth thing – it’s crazy. How is it happening, I have no clue, but I’m glad it is. Luckily on the tour with Seether, who are awesome dudes, they gave us all the amenities we needed like, “Our techs will help you out, use our dressing rooms, whatever you need.” They welcomed us with open arms, that was the first time we met them and we’re like brothers. Kyng’s debut disc ‘Trampled Sun’ had its one year anniversary in the fall. Not as the band’s frontman, but as a pure music fan, what do you love most about the album? The thing I love most about this record is that every song on that album had its own identity – it’s like a bunch of super heroes, they’re all different and they all have they’re own little superhero powers. The song ‘Takes It Toll’ is much different from ‘Shoreline’ and ‘Bleed Easy’ is much different from ‘Pushing and Pulling.’ We’ve gotten word back from friends and family and fans who are like, “I just take that album in and listen to it in its entirety” and I think that’s attributed to the fact that all the songs are different – a lot of the songs aren’t going in one direction and it’s not just straightforward. One thing about this album is that my favorite song on the disc constantly changes, because there are so many different elements and moods on this record. I love that about certain albums, there’s Chris Cornell’s ‘Euphoria Morning’ does that to me. I listen to that all the time and every time I listen to it, different songs on that album become my favorite. I really wanted to accomplish something like that and it just so happens, thankfully, somewhere along the lines our first album is kind of like that for some people. What are some 2013 plans for Kyng? We’ve been writing like crazy, Tony [Castaneda] and I – getting some new music for the new album. We really want to get something out – I don’t know when it’ll be out but I want to be in the studio and finished a ton of music to just start touring away. We got about four or five songs in the can, we’ve recorded about three and they’re sounding really good, we’re just picking up where ‘Trampled Sun’ left off. When would you have to like it out by? Man if it was up to me, we would’ve had one out already. I wanted one so fast – I wanted to do that whole Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath thing – when they hit the scene they had two albums out in the same year. I would have loved to have done that but obviously people were like “You’re dumb, don’t do that.” We took our time, we went out and toured as much as possible, we didn’t have time to get into the studio. If it was up to me, I’d want to be in the studio now and get one out as soon as possible. Do you usually write on the road? Music writing, it’s so weird, I’m able to hold and retain songs in my head and I’ll pull out my phone and record riffs just to have them there and once I get home, I’ll get songs and put them together and show the guys. I’m constantly writing all the time whether it’s for Kyng or just for myself – I have a ton of acoustic songs, a ton of riffs and melodies and lyrics and things just gathered up. It’s easy for me to just sit down and write a song but to make it perfect, that’s the problem. It’s quiet writing on the road because all you can do is hum to yourself — you’re in a van just driving down the road. There’s no amps plugged in so you just have to hum into your phone and save it and just keep adding until you have enough parts to pick apart. It’s great though. So Kyng doesn’t have a driver, huh? No, it’s literally just us. It’s funny because everyone’s always wondering, when people come and hang out with us, they’re like “Is that person with you? Is this person with you?” No it’s just us three – Tony, Pepe [Clarke] and I. We take turns driving, I usually take the night shifts, Pepe’s in the morning and Tony’s in the middle of the day, we sell our own merch and play shows and do our thing. I saw someone saying somewhere, “Hey those Kyng dudes are making a ton of money,” and it’s like you are so far from the truth. We have zero crew, we have no bus — it’s literally us and a sack of coins but we do what we love to do and that’s all that really matters to us. We’re rich in stories, my friend. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/megadeth-kyng-deliver-powerful-performances-at-new-york-city-show/” title=”Check Out Photos of Kyng Performing in New York City with Megadeth” align=”center”] Watch Kyng Perform ‘Falling Down’ in Concert