02/26: Van Halen in Trouble?- Fan Hits As I Lay Dying- Larry Norman RIP- R.E.M. and The Cure Sasquatched- Bisc1-- more top rock music news stories of the day

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Today's Full Report and Breaking Stories for 02/26/2008

antiMusic reports: This week we feature a band that straddles the line between hard rock and hardcore, gathering devoted fans out of most everyone that hears them. We're talking about the band Taint. Candlelight Records just released their new album, "Secrets And Lies," and we were fortunate to catch up with frontman Jimbob and ask him to tell us about his favorite tracks on the CD. Here is Jimbob with today's song "Born Again Nihilist":

'Born Again Nihilist' came from a rehearsal jam. I'm proud that influences such as Guns N' Roses and Slade reared their heads in the writing of this song. We're children of classic rock, and are proudly letting it's wearing it's stamp on our sleeves. Extended solos and stompy riffs are fun after all.

The CD is in stores now but you can grab a preview and learn more about the band - right here.

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Van Halen in Trouble? Or Just Another Silly Rumor?

antiMusic reports: In today's edition of fun with Van Halen rumors we hear some interesting tales of Wolfgang taking on a biker gang single-handedly at bar in North Carolina, causing the band to cancel two concerts. Ok we made up the biker gang thing, but the rumor making the rounds had the young Van Halen getting into a bar fight. Something the bar says didn't happen. The band did pull shows last Friday and this Monday. We're waiting to hear back from their rep to see if they have a public comment, but here is one of the stories that is circling around for your entertainment. (Maybe the band will use this rumor in a video if they make a new album? Imagine Wolfgang staring as Bruce Lee!)

TicketNews.com has this :"Van Halen's fan website reports what it calls a rumor: 'We have had two unsubstantiated reports from the Charlottesville area that the members of Van Halen were in a bar called Rapture on Thursday the 21st, and it was reported that Wolfgang got into an altercation with someone, which precipitated fighting within the band at the nightclub. It reportedly got heated and apparently this caused the abrupt postponement of the shows in Charlottesville and Atlanta.'"

Charlottesvillenewsplex.tv had additional info on this. The bar in question confirmed that members of the band's road crew did go there- not members of the band, let alone the underage Wolfgang. "But the bar says there was no altercation and Rapture had nothing to do with why Van Halen canceled the show. Van Halen says that the concert has just been postponed and they will reschedule." - Read the full TicketsNews.com article.

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Fan Hits As I Lay Dying

antiMusic reports: Seems like a fan in Sydney was using As I Lay Dying's Nick Hipa for target practice and connected with the guitarist's head. Nick issued the following statement on the band's Myspace:

So last night I got hit in the head by an empty glass Maker's Mark bottle. While it did stun and disorient me, I am completely fine. Lucky for me the bottle was huge so it didn't break and I have no need for stitches. I'm sorry we had to stop our set but I was quite discombobulated for a good while, and more importantly the EMT dude wouldn't let me play because my head was bleeding quite a bit... or some sort of mumbo jumbo like that.

I am happy to say that aside from having a bulbous lump and cut on top of my skull, I'm in good health and feeling like a gladiator. Thank you to everyone who has been expressing concern though, I really appreciate it : ) Nick - Myspace Blog

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Nikki Sixx Diaries The "Needle-Induced Fantasies Of An Attention-Starved Junkie" Says Motley Producer

Blabbermouth reports: Former Motley Crue producer Tom Werman has slammed CR�E bassist Nikki Sixx's book "Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star" as "totally deluded" and "stunningly inaccurate."

In a letter to the New York Times, Werman took issue with Sixx's assertion that he chatted on the phone during the recording of "Theatre of Pain", "Shout at the Devil" and "Girls Girls Girls" while Sixx did all the work.

"As the producer of three M�TLEY CR�E albums over a four-year period, I found Sixx's allegation that in the recording studio he did 'all the work' with Vince Neil's vocals while I chatted idly on the phone not only humorous but pure fiction.

"If this distortion of reality is the result of Sixx's past heroin habit, then his diary is truly nothing more than a pipe dream, and the events to which this book refers may simply be the needle-induced fantasies of an attention-starved junkie."
- more on this story

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Larry Norman RIP

HER reports: Larry Norman, the singer, songwriter, and producer known as the "father of Christian rock music," died of heart failure on Sunday (Feb. 24) in his Salem, Oregon home. He was 60.

Norman was an eccentric visionary whose songs drew controversy from both the conservative religious establishment and the secular music press for his lyrical mix of radical religious, political, and social themes. His 1969 solo album Upon This Rock was the first Christian rock record, and his milestone 1972 release Only Visiting This Planet is considered one of the best albums in the genre. His music was an influence on such diverse artists as U2, John Mellencamp, and the Pixies.

"Larry was my door into the music business and he was the most Christlike person I ever met," former Pixies singer Frank Black said Monday upon hearing of Norman's passing. - more on this story

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Carole King Revisits Tapestry

CMJ reports: Carole King may feel that it's 'too late' for a variety of things, baby, but apparently re-issuing her multiple-award winning 1971 album Tapestry isn't one of them. Tapestry: Legacy Edition will be released on April 15 via Epic/Ode/Legacy.

It will feature a remastered update of the original album, as well as a second CD of previously unreleased live versions taped on tour in the mid '70s, featuring just King's voice and a piano. The reissue will also feature a 1,700-word essay by music journalist Harvey Kubernik.

Tapestry: Legacy Edition will mark the 50th anniversary of King's career in show business. She wrote or co-wrote hit singles for artists such as the Monkees, Aretha Franklin and Herman's Hermits before embarking on her own recording career. - more on this story

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Sevendust Nix Mayhem Tour

antiMusic reports: Sevendust announced on their Myspace page on Monday that will are dropping off of this summer's Mayhem Tour, which is being coheadlined by Slipknot and Disturbed. Here is what they had to say:

Due to changes in Sevendust's touring schedule, the band will NOT be appearing on the Mayhem Tour this Summer.

However, the band will be touring in full support of their forthcoming release "Hope & Sorrow, Chapter VII". Stay tuned for more details. Please spread the word to other Sevendust supporters! - more on this story

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R.E.M. and The Cure Sasquatched

Idolator reports: The latest festival-lineup announcement comes from the Sasquatch! Festival--held at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, Wash., and yes, the exclamation point's theirs--which will have R.E.M. and The Cure as its headliners, a one-two punch that will surely get the wallets of nostalgia-crazed twenty-, thirty-, and fortysomethings aflutter.

The roster for the three-day fest, which takes place over Memorial Day weekend, also includes R.E.M. tourmates Modest Mouse and the National, the Flaming Lips doing a "UFO Show" that features a replica of a flying saucer and premiering their long-in-the-works film Christmas on Mars, the Breeders, and a new collaboration between Mike Patton and Dan the Automator called Crudo. - Full lineup

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Rush Releasing Live CD

PR reports: Rush have announced early details of their upcoming new album, "SNAKES & ARROWS LIVE." The 2-CD live set will arrive in stores on April 8th. Rush will simultaneously release the new live CD with another four months of concert dates. This extended schedule will see the band traveling North America through mid-July.

"SNAKES & ARROWS LIVE" was recorded last October at the Netherlands' Ahoy Rotterdam arena during the renowned rock trio's lengthy world tour, and mixed by frequent collaborator Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Mick Jagger). The five month trek celebrated Rush's acclaimed 2007 studio release, "SNAKES & ARROWS," which includes the Grammy Award-nominated track, "Malignant Narcissism."

Produced by Live Nation Global Touring and SRO/Anthem, the 2008 leg of the "Snakes & Arrows Live Tour" will take off on April 11th at San Juan's Coliseo de Puerto Rico - Rush's first-ever concert appearance in Puerto Rico. - Tour dates and the tracklisting

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Finally A TV Talent Contestant We Can Take Serious

Gigwise reports: Ireland are set to ruffle a few feathers at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, after a puppet turkey won the country's nomination to sing at the Serbian ceremony.

Dustin The Turkey performed alongside five other nominees on Saturday night and won through after the public pledged their votes.

His tongue-in-cheek track 'Irelande Douze Pointe' was penned by Darren Smith and Simon Fine and pokes fun at Eurovision's voting system. Dustin himself is no newcomer to the music industry having released 14 singles and six albums in his career - more on this story

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BoDeans Tour

PR reports: Roots-rock group the BoDeans are touring this spring in support of their new album "Still," which will be out March 4th. The first leg of the tour kicks off at SXSW in Austin, TX, and will cover the eastern part of the country. The group plans to visit the western half of the U.S. in a forthcoming second leg of the tour early this summer.

"Still" is the eighth studio album from the BoDeans, and the band are releasing it via their own record label, He & He LP, with distribution through Koch. The disc was produced by T-Bone Burnett and features 12 new tracks full of the heartfelt lyrics, passionate harmonies, and ringing guitars they have become known for. The album's first single, "Everyday," is currently impacting Triple A radio as the band are wrapping up a national radio tour. - more on this story

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Wanna Be The Voice of Post Spineshank Band?

Metal Underground reports: The former members of defunct band Spineshank are once again on the hunt for a new singer. They are not, however, looking for a vocalist for Spineshank itself, but for someone to front their new project, for which no name has yet been released.

The guys are looking for someone with both screaming and clean singing capabilities, and have listed vocal influences they admire and would emulate as Mike Patton, Trent Reznor, Phil Anselmo, Rob Flynn and Daryl Palumbo.

If you have what it takes and you're interested in trying out, you can get some more information by contacting this email address: newsinger2600@gmail.com - more metal news!

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Bisc1 Traveling Circuits Tour

PR reports: New York City-based hip-hop artist Bisc1 has just announced the dates for The Traveling Circuits Tour. The tour will be in support of his upcoming album, When Electric Night Falls on Embedded Music. Joining him on the road are fellow artists Domer, Metermaids, Human?, DJ Halo, and Grimace.

The tour will begin today in New York City and then snake across the country to California and back. One of the highlights of the tour is Bisc1's spot in the highly anticipated Definitive Jux showcase at SXSW, where he will share the stage with El-P and Del The Funky Homosapien.

Along the way, Bisc1 will be keeping a video blog that will be updated daily on social networking site ascap-doesnt-want-labels-to-promote-their-artists-go-with-bmi-next-time.com, which will give fans a chance to see what life is like on the road for an up and coming artist. - dates

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Snoop Goes Ego Trippin in March

PR reports: Snoop Dogg readies for his highly anticipated album "Ego Trippin'" releasing on March 11th through Doggystyle/Geffen. Early buzz from industry insiders hint at a new sound that only an artist like Snoop could pull off - including collaborations with legendary producer Teddy Riley and artist Whitey Ford who bring out different sides of the veteran rapper. These unexpected pairings sparked creativity and magic in the studio which translated into an amazingly diverse and innovative album.

Tha Boss Dogg titled the album "Ego Trippin'" because this time around, he is doing just that. After 16 years in the game, Snoop consistently proves himself as not only an entertainer, but a pioneer in hip hop. On Snoop's ninth studio offering, the West Coast rapper is taking chances no other rap artist could pull off, and showing fans a new side we have never seen before. "Ego Trippin'" showcases groundbreaking material and if the first single is any indication - fans will embrace the new sounds. Snoop says, "I named the album Ego Trippin' because after staying relevant for 16 years, I can afford to take chances and have some fun. I always made music to win in my neighborhood but after all these years I needed to do something bigger - I had to get out of my usual gangster zone without losing who I am, this time around I am going to win worldwide."

Following the smash first single, "Sensual Seduction," produced by Shawty Redd and featuring Snoop crooning the lyrics, comes the highly anticipated second single, "Life of Da Party," produced by Scoop DeVille and featuring another West Coast champ Too $hort. - Listen to Snopp Dogg - "Life of Da Party" feat. Too $hort

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Day In Rock

Judas Priest Star Suffered Brain Damage From Stroke- Poison In Talks For 2026 40th Anniversary Tour- Pink Floyd Preview 1968 Classic from Pompeii Concert Film- more

Elton John and Brandi Carlile Release 'Who Believes In Angels?'- Robert Jon & The Wreck Announce New Album 'Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes'- more

Watch Ed Sheeran's 'Azizam' Video- Watch Miley Cyrus' 'End of the World' Video- Lil Yachty Teams With Veeze- HAIM Share New Song- more

Day In Country

Eric Church Bringing Three Unique Shows To Red Rocks- Lainey Wilson Celebrates National Bell Bottoms Day With 'Bell Bottoms Up'- more

Reviews

The Blues: Corky Siegel - Symphonic Blues No. 6

L.A. Guns - Leopard Skin

Quick Flicks: The Million Eyes of Sumuru

Bob James & Dave Koz - Just Us

Lordi - Limited Deadition