Day in Rock for 03/19: Sony BMG RIP?- Cops Charged For Pulling Gun on Singer- Yet Another Music Festival Announced- Dio To Ride For Dime- more top rock music news stories of the day

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Today's Full Report for 03/19/2008

antiMusic reports: Don't let the youth of Black Tide fool you, these kids actually bring some credible old school metal to the plate with their major label debut, "Light From Above". The disc hits stores this week, so we thought it would be a good time to ask the band to pick their favorite tracks from the offering and tell us a bit about them. Here is Gabe with today's song:

"Enterprise" is a song that actually came about in the studio. I sat down and wrote all the guitar parts, but I had no idea what to do with it. I showed it to our producer, Johnny K. He loved the music, so we decided to make the theme of the song "world domination".

We recorded the rough version of the music, and then I grabbed a pen and paper, and sat in the studio blasting the music and wrote the words to it. Enterprise!!!!!

Check out some tracks from the album, grab some tour dates, and learn more about the band - right here

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Sony BMG RIP?

idolator reports: Even though a Sony BMG representative hinted that the company may reissue its back catalog on vinyl over the weekend, the fate of the company itself seems unclear. Billboard reports that Bertlesmann CFO Thomas Rabe and CEO Hartmuth Ostrowski were heard murmuring about whether or not they'd continue in their joint venture with Sony once the deal is up next year:

On the same query over the future for the Sony BMG alliance, Ostrowski chimed in with a handful of scenarios. "We might take over 100%, or sell our 50% to Sony so that they have 100% or we might continue the joint venture," he said. "All three outcomes are possible."

Bertelsmann and Sony's five-year retention period for the joint venture is due to expire in the summer of next year. "However, that doesn't mean that we then have to really do anything. Instead, it has to be decided by a partner. In the meantime, we will continue to develop our business jointly," says Rabe. - more on this story

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Smells Like Greed Spirit : Love Oks Cobain Shoe

antiMusic reports: Note to shoe companies: It seems it's now ok to use Kurt Cobain to pimp your products as long as his widow signs off on it (we assume she has to get paid). That's the impression we get from an Idolator story that Converse will be issuing a Cobain shoe. Here is part of the Idolator story:

Because there aren't enough "Commodify Your Dissent" jokes out there, the Daily Swarm is reporting that Converse plans to release a line of Kurt Cobain-inspired sneakers as part of the company's 100th-anniversary celebration.

Unlike the Doc Martens campaign from last year, this line of footwear is approved by Courtney Love, perhaps because Cobain loved One-Stars so much, he decided to die in them. - more on this story

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Cops Charged For Pulling Gun on Singer

AP reports: Two fired police officers accused of holding country singer Steve Holy at gunpoint during an argument at his home were indicted on charges that could bring them up to 20 years in prison. Randy Anderson and Paul Loughridge were indicted Monday on one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Anderson was also indicted on one count of kidnapping.

Holy, a friend and the two officers were allegedly drinking and playing foosball during an impromptu gathering at Holy's home early on Dec. 27 when an argument broke out, officials said.

Holy told police the officers pointed their guns at him and the friend and ordered them on the ground. Before the officers left, the police report said, Anderson told Holy that he'd kill him if he said anything. - more on this story

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Bonham Vocalist Daniel MacMaster Dead At 39

Sleazeroxx reports: Bonham Vocalist Daniel Stewart MacMaster, age 39 years, passed away in Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center, on Sunday, March 16, 2008 due to complications from Pneumonia.

Daniel MacMaster released two albums with Bonham, and as their vocalist he cracked the Top 40 with the band's 1989 album Disregard Of Timekeeping, thanks in part to the single "Wait For You".

In 2006 Daniel released a solo album called Rock Bonham...And The Long Road Back on Suncity Records. - more on this story

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Busta Rhymes Gets Easy Rap from Judge

antiMusic reports: Busta Rhymes ain't goin' to jail as some feared, instead he got off relatively easy for the assault rap he pleaded guilty to in January. He was fined and sentenced to three years probation, but the judge did give him the following warning when handing the sentence: "If you mess up, you're going to jail. I've given you a chance."

According to Jam! "The 35-year-old Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was also ordered to perform 10 days of community service; pay a US$1,250 fine, plus court costs; and enroll in a drunken driving program."

Busta was charged for assaulting his former driver and a fan. Jam! reports that "Rhymes pleaded guilty in January on the day he was set to go to trial on the assault and driving offences related to four separate incidents." - Read the Jam! report for more info

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The Raconteurs Surprise CD Announcement

antiMusic reports: The Raconteurs aren't letting their new album gather any dust(or undergo any critical scrutiny). No sooner had they finished mastering it, they announce an almost immediate release. The band shocked the music biz on Monday with the announcement that their new album will hit stores next Tuesday. Here is what they had to say: The Raconteurs are happy to announce that in one week's time their second album, entitled "Consolers Of The Lonely", will be available EVERYWHERE Tuesday, March 25th.

"Album" meaning: full length vinyl, CD and digital formats; and "everywhere" meaning: local mom and pop Indie retailers, corporate superstores, supermarkets, iTunes, Amazon, the band's own website and any other location that could get the record up and going this quickly (some places couldn't move this fast, so they will join in as soon as they can).

It contains 14 new recordings and is being released globally on Third Man Records in conjunction with our marketing/distribution partners, XL Recordings and Warner Brothers Records. - more on this story

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Yet Another Music Festival Announced

antiMusic reports: If our Canadian friends were feeling a bit left out on the (over)abundance of music festivals this year, fear not you are getting an all new one this July with the requisite contingent of marquee names performing. Filter has the story:

Coldplay, Jay-Z and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are set to headline the inaugural Pemberton Music Festival. The three day extravaganza will take place from July 25-27 in the mountains near Vancouver, BC.

The brainchild of Live Nation and Good Boy Production, the Pemberton Festival will be a two hour drive from Vancouver, but the area's majestic settings will play as the perfect stage accompaniment. - See the full line up here

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Great White Manager Getting Out of Jail

BW*BK reports: The band manager who said he could never forgive himself for sparking a nightclub fire that killed 100 people is preparing for a fresh start away from Rhode Island upon his release from prison on Wednesday (March 19th).

Daniel Biechele, who set off pyrotechnics as tour manager for the rock band GREAT WHITE that ignited one of the nation's deadliest nightclub fires, will serve out the final two years of his sentence on parole in his home state of Florida while living with the high school sweetheart he wed just weeks before reporting to prison.

"I actually feel sorry for him because that's something he has to carry - that burden - for the rest of his life," said James Gahan, whose 21-year-old son, Jimmy, died in the fire. - more on this story

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You Can't Keep Down Down

antiMusic reports: Our metal sister site just published a great new interview with Down's Jimmy Bower where he discusses the band's latest album but also some rather heavy topics. Here are some parts of the interview conducted by Thrashpit editor Mark Hensch. *?: The new album is called III: Over the Under. In my opinion, this title reflects the overcoming of difficult times. What does the title mean to you? Jimmy Bower: There's been a lot of personal tragedies man besides Dimebag ["Dimebag" Darrel Abbot, a friend of Bower's who was shot onstage in 2004] and things that have happened with me. This record was a good way of moving on and getting on with things. We put a lot of emotion and time into the record and we're really proud of it. It definitely stands for us moving ahead DESPITE the bad things that have happened to us.

?: What are some of the more personal things that have happened to you perhaps? Jimmy: In 2005 my girlfriend passed away. She was from Grand Rapids and I actually met her here at the Orbit Room. She overdosed. For me that really sucked. It also woke me up and I've gotten clean since then. 2005 was a really bad year with that happening in March. After that summer came and with that the storm happened [Hurricane Katrina]. With all that happening after Dimebag got shot, it was just a lot to swallow in one year. This record proves you can get out of those adversities and do something with them. It is about staying positive and standing tall despite sh*t happening.

Thrashpit: Both Down and many of your bands (particularly Eyehategod) deal extensively with the subject of substance abuse. What are the most important things you've learned about alcohol and drugs over the years? Jimmy: You don't need drugs to be yourself. It took me years to figure that one out. It is sad how kids get mixed up in the drugs. It all starts at home---if you're looking for drugs or doing drugs, you're looking for something you never got, a feeling you never got. If people nowadays gave their kids that sense of love when they're young, maybe they wouldn't find it in a tinfoil bag of drugs or a bunch of pills. If you know what love is, you probably have it. I don't regret all those years with drugs---it was a great learning experience---but I can write great music when I'm not loaded on them as well. My playing now is like night-and-day different since getting clean. I'm more focused and better at getting things started too. - Read the full interview

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All The Motley Hype Over a Tour?

antiMusic reports: Yesterday we posted part of a Blabbermouth story dealing with a rumor of what Motley Crue's history changing announcement on April 15th might be. The rumor dealt with a rumored tour. Today we received the following message from their management/record company 10th Street Entertainment:

Recently, rumors regarding the April 15 announcement have leaked onto the internet. These rumors contain information that is blatantly false and completely unfounded. THIS FALSE CONTENT IS TO BE REMOVED FROM YOUR SITE IMMEDIATELY. Any false rumors which are not removed are subject to potential future litigation.

Our first thought is to ask if any First Amendment lawyers want to take a shot at this? The Blabbermouth story we quoted from clearly labeled this rumor as a rumor and later said they are based on unconfirmed reports. Had they sent out a message simply saying that the rumors were not true and asked us to correct the story, we would have no problem with that. But when they start threatening litigation is where we have an issue. As a result of this we will no longer cover 10th Street artists including Blondie, Buckcherry, Debbie Harry, DJ Ashba, Drowning Pool, Everclear, Hanson, Jonny Lives!, Marion Raven, Meat Loaf, Motley Crue, Papa Roach, Royal Underground, Sixx: AM, or The Exies. (We may make an exception if one of their artists overdoses or catches on fire from smoking while applying their hairspray.) We hate to boycott any artists due to the actions of their label or management, but to be threatened with litigation for covering them and reporting rumors clearly labeled as rumors, it's just not worth it. Besides there are plenty of more current artists to cover. So for the record we are thru with the Crue.

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Muse DVD Screenings

PR reports: With the April 1st release of Muse's new live DVD, HAARP, the band have set up five special screenings of the new DVD around the country for fans and press to attend which will coincide with the release of the DVD.

Muse will release a super-limited HAARP DVD/CD Special Edition containing full video and audio sets from the band's command performances at Wembley Arena on June 16th and 17th 2007. The set also contains a rare set of 3 postcards and exclusive backstage footage of the band. With only 1,000 copies available, this is a must have for any Muse fanatic and is only available online at the Warner Bros. record store!

Filmed at London's Wembley Stadium on June 17, 2007, the DVD captures the exuberant spectacle of the band performing in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 75,000 ecstatic fans. The CD features audio from the band's show on the previous night, June 16th. The power-trio's performance style can be described as a potent blend of Pink Floyd's arresting stage show with the bombast of U2 firing on all cylinders! Both discs include tracks from their latest album, Black Holes and Revelations, including Modern Rock chart hits "Knights of Cydonia," "Starlight," and "Supermassive Black Hole." - screening locations

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Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Unplugged Tour

PR reports: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is back in the studio recording the follow-up to their hugely successful Platinum debut DON'T YOU FAKE IT. On the touring side, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is heading back out on the road with their first ever acoustic tour � "Unplugged and Unaffected", an intimate series of shows that runs from April through May, and will also be headlining "The Bamboozle Festival" on May 3rd at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ; and Walt Disney World's "Grad Night" on April 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th, a celebration for high school seniors at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The band is also set to announce their first ever European tour, set to take place immediately following Bamboozle.

Even with their schedules heating up, charitable interests still remain a core factor for the band. Since the July, 2006 release of their Platinum debut album DON'T YOU FAKE IT, RJA has been an active force in raising funds and awareness for a wide array of organizations and social causes that are close to their heart, including: teen suicide prevention and mental health parity; a far-reaching awareness and fundraising commitment to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence; addressing hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients; and in the formation of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Guardian Angel Foundation, among others. - more on this story

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Premature Gnarls Barkley

antiMusic reports: Attention Gnarls Barkley fans, you won't have to wait until April 8th to get a hold of the group's sophomore album, in fact you can walk into your favorite record retailer and grab it right now [provided they got the shipment already].

For those not immediately familiar with the group, it's a project put together by Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green. The new album, "The Odd Couple," wasn't expected until next month but they decided that March 18th sounded better. Perhaps they thought it would be a good hangover cure, or the fact that it was leaked online had something to do with it. It's available at iTunes right now and retailers have the green light to sell it as soon as it arrives at the stores, which could be as soon as today according to Billboard.

"They felt the timing was right to just go for it," says a statement on the band's site. "With the shifting seasons, furtive romantic entanglements and fierce college basketball rivalries, the latter half of March can be confusing. People need to be soothed and inspired now." - Read the Billboard report for more info

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The Roots Rising Down in April

PR reports: Grammy award winning hip-hop trailblazers The Roots are set to release Rising Down on April 29th via Def Jam Recordings. Garnering critical praise throughout their career, The Roots have firmly established themselves as a band with uncompromised artistic control and integrity. With Rising Down, the band's 10th album release, The Roots continue to take bolder steps adding new depths and range to their repertoire.

The Roots co-founder ?uestlove states, "This is probably our most political album to date dealing with addiction, nihilism, hypocritical double standards in the prison system and overall life in Philadelphia . I'd say it's more mature and intense than all of our efforts but not a 'downer' as most people expect us to do." - more on this story

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Fall Out Boy Eye World Record

PR reports: Fall Out Boy announced today that they are attempting to set a Guinness World Record, for the first band to play a concert in all seven continents, in a time frame under 9 months. The band kicked off the record in Johannesburg, South Africa late last summer, then toured through Europe, Asia, Australia and North America last fall.

The South American show will take place in Santiago Chile on March 23, followed up by King George, Island in Antarctica on March 25, where they hope to receive the Guinness World Record.

In case one missed the band on one of the seven continents, fans can check out Fall Out Boy live on their new CD+DVD two-disc package ****LIVE IN PHOENIX, out April 1st. The core of the program will be their full-length Honda Civic Tour concert of June 2007 from the Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix, featuring a 22 song performance on the DVD and 15 live tracks on the CD. In addition, the DVD layer will include all eight of Fall Out Boy's Island Records videos in chronological order, along with behind-the scenes footage from the tour. A bonus feature on the CD layer will be a studio recording of Michael Jackson's "Beat It." Grammy-award winning artist John Mayer appears on "Beat It" with the legendary guitar solo.

For fans who want to watch **** LIVE IN PHOENIX on the big screen, there will be screenings on March 30 in select markets, including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego and Detroit (for tickets and more info, go to - www.dandeentertainment.com

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