Nickleback Song Rip-off?
MTV reports: [Saliva frontman Josey Scott] and former pal Chad Kroeger are responsible for the hit single "Hero," off 2002's "Spider-Man" soundtrack, and both appeared in the video. For services rendered, Scott was paid $5,000, though he claims they had a handshake deal stipulating that he would receive $40,000 for his studio time, and another $40,000 for the video. 

"They [screwed] me on that song," Scott said. "I want the whole world to know it. They made millions off that song and threw me $5,000? That was foul, that was wrong, and that's bullsh--. They would have paid a janitor more than that. ... I can't even pay for my flights and my hotels with $5,000. What the f--- am I gonna do with $5,000? That's bullsh--." 

Because Saliva and Nickelback shared a manager, Scott said, he didn't think it was necessary to have everything written down in a contract. But even if there had been a written agreement between them, "the Memphis way" dictates that there probably wouldn't be some pencil-necked lawyer on Kroeger's doorstep right now serving papers. 

"We don't work like that in Memphis," Scott explained. "You renege on a contract, you don't see subpoenas and lawyers getting in on it. You see my ass getting on the plane with a baseball bat and going to see who's got my money." [see full story for more] - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: MTV also has news on Warped Tour Launch Electrifies Without The Lightning, Jay-Z's Retirement Was Supposed To Give Just Blaze Time To Breathe, Heavy Hitters Attend Premiere Of Will Ferrell's 'Anchorman', For The Record: Quick News On Courtney Love, R. Kelly, Christina Aguilera, Jamie Foxx, Mobb Deep, Donnas & More click here to check it out

French Attack Slipknot
Blabbermouth reports: Headlining the last day of the Fury Fest Festival in Le Mans (France), SLIPKNOT had to endure the hostility of French so-called music 'fans'. Before going on stage, a majority of the audience (hardcore and black/death metal fans) organized themselves in order to sabotage the SLIPKNOT show. It started before the band went onstage with a non-stop 'SLIPKNOT, enculé' (Translation: SLIPKNOT, f***ers). 

"When [drummer] Joey Jordison went on stage, the battle started: a large part of the audience started throwing anything [they could find] on stage (the security crew allowed bottles in the venue!). Pretending to defend the integrity of music, those so called 'fans' ruined the show. SLIPKNOT played 48 minutes (they were supposed to play 90) and it must be said that it's a very courageous move as any band would have left the stage after one song. 

"During 'People = ----' chorus, Corey sang (it depends who you talk to !) 'You are full of s***' or 'people throw me s***'. As Rock Hard France is a sponsor of the Fury Fest, we can only condemn the attitude of all these so called 'fans.' The SLIPKNOT show for the opening of METALLICA (23rd June) at Le Parc Des Princes was perfect. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Iron Brandy
Blabbermouth reports: A loop of the intro guitar and bass line from IRON MAIDEN's "The Clansman", off the group's 1998 "Virtual XI" CD, is sampled in a song from former teen-pop star BRANDY. The track, titled "Cool (Thought I'd Be)" (also known as "I Tried"), is featured on the singer's newest album, "Afrodisiac", which was released Tuesday (June 29) through Atlantic Records. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Vader Car Crash
Blabbermouth reports: Polish death metallers VADER were involved in a "serious car accident" on Monday (June 28), according to a posting on the band's web site. "VADER had just finished up the first part of their European tour and had been driving down A1 towards Torun (Poland) when the other bus hit them, throwing the bus out on the opposite lane. Cracked car, destroyed trailer, but fortunately the band, staff and equipment managed to escape unharmed." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: Blabbermouth also has news on VADER Confirmed For CANNIBAL CORPSE/NAPALM DEATH Tour, Report: Members Of KISS On Hand To Unveil New Paint Schemes, W.A.S.P. Live In Paris: Photos Posted Online, THE OLD DEAD TREE: Drummer Needed, Tour Planned, REQUIEM AETERNAM Complete Work On New Album, Does ANDREW W.K. Own More Than One T-Shirt? and more click here to check it out

Libertine Enters Plea
NME reports: LIBERTINES guitarist PETE DOHERTY has pleaded not guilty to possession of an offensive weapon. 

Doherty made a brief appearance at Thames Magistrates Court (June 29), where he's facing the charge. 

By pleading not guilty Doherty will now have to return to the same court on August 10 for a preliminary hearing. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: NME also has news on Pet Shop Boys to play free show in London, Har Mar Superstar gets inspiration from Motley Crue for new album, The Thrills name new album, The White Stripes distance themselves from new documentary, Courtney Love angers judge at latest court appearance and more click here to check it out

Love 5 Hours Late To Court
Reuters reports: Courtney Love showed up five hours late to a New York court hearing on a reckless endangerment charge on Monday, drawing a sharp rebuke from the judge, who warned the dazed-looking rocker that she narrowly missed being deemed a fugitive. 

A visibly annoyed New York Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson admonished the 39-year-old singer that she was about to issue a bench warrant for Love's arrest for being tardy. 

"I want to make it clear to you that you are supposed to be in court at 9:30, not 3 o'clock," Jackson said. "Three o'clock is not acceptable. The rule applies to you, the same as it does to everyone else." 

Taking a box of cigarettes from her purse as she stood in the courtroom, and seemingly bewildered in pink spike heels, Love barely mustered an apology to the judge, replying, "Sorry." [see full story for more] - Click Here for the Full Story 

Courtney is a mini-series waiting to happen. 

Green Day Concept Album
RIFTrock reports: "Green Day's forthcoming American Idiot will be a concept album that follows a character named Jesus of Suburbia as he comes of age. 'I developed the character from personal experiences [over the years],' says singer Billie Joe Armstrong. 'But [the album is] definitely set to the political and cultural climate that's going on right now.' - Click Here for the Full Story 

Social D-VD
RIFTrock reports: Social Distortion are currently planning on releasing a live DVD titled Live In Orange County. The DVD contains a live performance from the band's show on January 19, 2003, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. The DVD will includes interviews, two brand new songs, backstage footage, a photogallery, and more. Live In Orange County will be released by Time Bomb Recordings on July 27th. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: RIFTrock also has news on Why Metallica Film Not Relased Everywhere, Andrew WK Answers Burning Questions, My Chemical Romance Summer Dates, The Thrills new album update, Soul SirkUS makes a huge debut, Modest Mouse announce new single, The Donnas work on new album and more click here to check it out

Back In Black 20 Million Served
Electric Basement reports: AC/DC's Back In Black has now sold over 20 million copies in the U.S. along according to Billboard.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Double Diamond?
 
 

Papa Roach Set Date
IAYM reports: Contrary to recent reports suggesting a September release date, Papa Roach's new album "Getting Away With Murder" is now due out in stores on August 31st through Dreamworks. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Snapcase Split
IAYM reports: Snapcase appear to have split up, with three of the members (guitarist Frank Vicario, drummer Ben Lythberg and bass player Dustin Perry) working on a new as-yet-unnamed project together. They've written nine new tracks so far, and are hoping to start playing shows by the end of summer.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: IAYM also has news on Finch/Recover/Counterfit tour, Brant Bjork/Mondo Generator European tour dates, Murder By Death/These Arms Are Snakes tour, The Black Dahlia Murder/Cattle Decapitation/Goatwhore/Watch Them Die U.S. tour, Paper Fist Recordings and more click here to check it out

Moore Music Video Director?
ArrowFM reports: Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore will direct a new video for Neil Young's 1989 song "Rockin' in the Free World." The song is featured during the closing credits of Moore's new film "Fahrenheit 9/11." Thank God no songs from "Greendale" were in it. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Pink Korn
ArrowFM reports: Seems as if rap/metal group Korn is covering Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." The song will be featured one of the band's upcoming greatest hits collections. Behind Limp Bizkit's horrendous cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" and Britney Spears' cover of the Stones' "Satisfaction," this will stand as the worst covers of all time. Must I ask again, "What has happened to music these days?!" - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: ArrowFM also has news on Keith Richards Pays Tribute To Old Friend In L.A., Battle For Hendrix Estate Gets Ugly, Rock Scraps For A Lazy Tuesday, Rush's Lee Weighs In On Lifeson Trouble, Mamma Hits The Road With Van Halen and more click here to check it out

Modest Mouse Headlining Tour
Pitchfork reports: So what do you do if you have a successful album out, a s***-hot video on MTV, and then all your summer plans fall through when your grand tour featuring Morrissey, The Flaming Lips, and Wilco is cancelled? Why, you take a page from all the losers that weren't on Lollapalooza, and you book your own damn tour. 

The humble rodents in question have already recovered from the abrupt cancellation of Lollapalooza, and rebounded with nine tour dates, and a promise of more to come. For the moment, the tour starts on July 16th with stops in California, Indiana, Quebec, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, with the last date confirmed more than two months later in Austin... [see full story for more including dates] - Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: Pitchfork also has news on Libertines reveal new LP tracklist, Rogue Wave prepare for Sub Pop debut, Black Keys announce new LP tracklist, Pixies' announce still more North American shows; fall tour climbs to an insane 47 dates, Clash's London Calling gets expanded and more click here to check it out

Silly Cheesy News
New York Daily News reports: [Nothing like a cheese non rock related article for mid week] MACON, Ga. - A teenager dressed as pizza mascot Chuck E. Cheese was pelted with pizza and threatened with a beating by an angry parent who said the mascot wasn't paying enough attention to her child, police said. 

Macon police reported that the 17-year-old female employee was dressed as the character � a gray cartoon-like rodent with large front teeth � when a 31-year-old Macon woman threw a piece of pizza at her Sunday afternoon. - Click Here for the Full Story 

The Donnas With Butch
liveDaily reports: The Donnas have begun work on their fifth album. The group is recording the as-yet-untitled set in Los Angeles with producer Butch Walker (Avril Lavigne, Sevendust), and a fall release date is targeted. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Avril US Invasion
liveDaily reports: Dates are beginning to surface for Avril Lavigne's fall tour on the U.S. arena circuit, which will support her recently released sophomore album, "Under My Skin." 

The initial batch of shows begins in Philadelphia on Halloween, followed by November stops in Boston, Denver and the Phoenix area. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Source: liveDaily also has news on Bow Wow Wow adds more shows, TV appearances, BoDeans back 'Resolution' with summer tour, Prince reschedules Chicago-area shows, Kittie sharpens claws for album release, expanded tour, Britney Spears, Loretta Lynn, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles and more click here to check it out

Bow Wow Wow Reunion No Doubt
press release reports: Modern Rock legends Annabella Lwin and Leigh Gorman of Bow Wow Wow have announced they will team up with Modern Rock superstar drummer Adrian Young of No Doubt for a string of dates this summer. The trek begins on July 15 in New York City. This will mark Bow Wow Wow's return to the east coast in over 6 years. To celebrate the launch of the tour, Bow Wow Wow and No Doubts Adrian Young will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday, July 13 as well as ESPN's "Cold Pizza" show on Tuesday, July 20. 

Bow Wow Wow reformed in the fall of 2003 to help KROQ radio celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Performing alongside The Cure, Hot Hot Heat and Duran Duran at the third installment of KROQ's Inland Invasion concert series, it proved to be the stations fastest selling event ever. After having a blast on stage in front of 30,000 + people, Bow Wow Wow decided to continue doing what they do best�playing killer live shows. [see full story for more]- Click Here for the Full Story 

Squad Five-0 Major Release
press release reports: "Late News Breaking," the major label debut from soulful and ragged guitar rockers Squad Five-0, [was released yesterday] June 29th. 

The album's title, borrowed from a Joe Strummer song, acknowledges the various current events that inspired the veteran indie band's latest collection of songs. While the tracks are united by their passion, and by an abiding love of guitar rock in all its forms, the subject matter comes from the perspectives of five unique people. 

Drummer Dave Petersen takes on the evils of apathy in glammed-up garage rocker "Always Talkin', Never on the Run," and unchecked gentrification in the snarling "Secret Society." But frontman Jeff Fortson's reggae-kissed "Don't Hesitate" is raw in its romantic yearning, and guitarist Adam Garbinski's "Lay It Down" and "Left Alone" are beautifully tattered and pointed.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Soul SirkUS
press release reports: What is Soul SirkUS and why has their website (www.soulsirkus.com) received over 100,000 hits in only two days from fans all over the world? 

Soul SirkUS is a group of melodic hard rockers born out of the ashes of Planet US, a band originally featuring guitarist Neal Schon and drummer Deen Castronovo of Journey along with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen. 

When Hagar and Anthony left the band to return to their roles in Van Halen, Schon and Castronovo joined forces with singer Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen, Talisman; also provided lead vocals for the feature character in the movie "Rock Star") and bassist Marco Mendoza (Ted Nugent, Whitesnake) to create Soul SirkUS and pick up where Planet US left off. 

Thanks to the Internet, word about the band is spreading like wildfire and those 100,000 people from around the world are already eagerly awaiting the band's forthcoming debut album, which should be released by early 2005. [see full story to add to that 100K total] - Click Here for the Full Story