The Moon Is A Magnet: This is an older tune of mine. I love odd time signatures- this one is in nine. I usually count it five then four then five then four... so fun to play. I was honored to have a man who is comfortable with complex time signatures play on this one: Jeff Coffin, (of B�la Fleck and the Flecktones fame) I love the bass clarinet. Such a beautiful instrument played by a true master.

The trick with this song is that through the time signature is fairly out there, the melodic changes are pretty strict. So it feels like the jazzy notes will work but they won't. I remember showing this song to Jeff and hearing the song with new ears, I'm not sure where it came from, but it's a great, odd piece of music that feels almost like a cover sometimes.

BRITNEY SPEARS is in secret talks to play the VIRGIN MARY in a quirky retelling of the Nativity Story. U.S. reports suggest the troubled pop superstar is being considered for a part in new film Sweet Baby Jesus.

Far less hyped, Genesis put on a reunion tour this year as well which grossed $129 million beating out boybander Justin Timberlake's $126.8 million drawing FutureSex LoveShow tour.

Here is how the rest of top 10 came out according to Billboard: Kenny Chesney ($71.2 million), Rod Stewart ($70 million), Cirque Du Soleil's Delirium ($59.4 million), Roger Waters ($53.2 million), Tim McGraw/Faith Hill ($52.3 million), Christina Aguilera ($48.1 million) and Rascal Flatts ($41.6 million).

Piles - real name David Lee Gay Jr. - was detained, along with several other associates, on Wednesday (12Dec07) after cops seized over 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of the drug from his property in Tampa, Florida.

For those that scratch their heads at the (c)Rock Hall and how they select nominees and inductees, Fox News columnist Roger Friedman pointed out in an editorial in October that Rolling Stone and Rock Hall founder Jann "Wenner's nominating committee consists largely of his current and former employees from Rolling Stone (Nathan Brackett, David Fricke, Jim Henke, Joe Levy, Brian Keizer, Toure, and Anthony DeCurtis)."

"The group is the injured party here," Twisted Sister agent Steve Green said Thursday. "They're entitled the whole $50,000."

Danny Peykoff, one half of the Newport Coast couple who organized the show, said he was "shocked, surprised and upset that a band � ya know, if this were a for-profit show I would totally understand, but this was a show for the troops. They're already out here (for a House of Blues show). The injured party here is the injured soldiers coming back from Iraq. Not the rock stars. They didn't spend a dime for this. That to me is un-American."

However, further research into the matter revealed that this was not the case, and that the injuries was caused by Schulz getting caught up in a brawl. Initial reports suggest that the crowd became so overwhelmed with the mediocrity of the situation that, in what scientists call 'The Collective David Gray Effect', where the mind and body become all too aware of the collective dullness of the immediate moment, that the only effective therapy is to lash manically out at the bored soul standing nearest you.

The Van Halen camp sent over some info on that: Alex Van Halen talks in an exclusive interview with Modern Drummer magazine about helming the heavy artillery in the iconic band. The extensive 21-page story hits newsstands on February 5.

Baby has been pictured hobbling about after spraining her ankle when he hit the deck during their Las Vegas.

The show at Staples Center will go on sale to the public beginning early January, but LP Underground Fan Club members will have first access to tickets beginning 12/20.

Chiodos have just been added to the tour, in addition to Coheed and Cambria.

2008 will see Rush tour in over 40 cities throughout the United States and Canada making stops in many where they haven't performed in well over a decade including: Orlando, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Austin, Jacksonville and Winnipeg to name a few.

If you missed the story a couple days ago, there is more big news. The PR: Anthrax is excited and proud to introduce their new singer, Dan Nelson. Nelson is a virtual unknown, having fronted several local bands in the Long Island/New York area in the past. Says drummer Charlie Benante, "Rob [Caggiano] called me and said, 'I have a singer, you should check him out.' We gave him a shot, and he floored us."

Writing on their official website Jimmy Chamberlain announced: "The tour was a rock rampage and now we are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide.