Ace: Definitely the fastest song on "Cheat The Gallows". I'm proud of this one, because it's rocking and heavy, yet very melodic and...musical. In the beginning it used to be just three or four minutes long. Then we added the coda part, then another coda, and after that we put an intro on top of those. I had the opening riff lying around for years, so we added it to the intro and Damon wrote the melody and the lyrics.

Damon: This is a really successful yet unconventional band composition. It started as a song called "Scared To Die", almost with the same type of arrangement; heavy intro, then fast riffage. Some of the chords reminded me of a lost Bigelf track named "Evil Eye", so I rearranging some of that to fit in. Funny, I remember Ace always being extra excited about this particular song and as fate would have it, one night before rehearsal he was playing this wicked riff and I said, "Holy ----, what is that?" Later, we scraped the intro for Ace's riff and the real identity of the song started to appear. Lyrically it wasn't clicking for me though, I needed some inspiration. That came in the form of a title, "The Evils Of Rock & Roll" was a band name my friend John Scaglione came up with, it was the name of a side project we had. This was the focus I needed, so I nicked it and the words just spilled out(Thanks John!). Only later did I realize the wordplay coincidence to "Evil Eye". Creepy.

After his death, Nancy had a .44 ct colorless LifeGem diamond created from his cremated remains. She wears it in a white gold solitaire ring. Pickett was diagnosed with leukemia 5 years ago, and he and his daughter Nancy talked openly about death. "I saw a show about turning cremated remains into diamonds," said Nancy, "I immediately called my father and told him that I wanted to make a diamond from his cremated remains; he loved the idea."

Being replaced by Eddie Van Halen's then-16-year-old son Wolfgang was a bitter blow, but it didn't compare to the sting Anthony felt when he clicked on the group's website and discovered that "they took my pictures off the old record covers and replaced them with Wolfgang. Even the first album cover.

It debuts at No. 12 on Mainstream Rock, No. 15 on Active Rock, No. 37 on Modern Rock and No. 7 on Rock

Should we just call it the Jacksons that no one cares about tour? The big news that the Jackson 5 would tour next year has hit a major road block: the star of the group is opting out. No Michael Jackson = No Jackson 5? .

Actor Joaquin Phoenix wants to be known in the future as Musician Joaquin Phoenix. That's right - at the ripe old age of 34, the Oscar-nominated star is eyeing his last days in front of movie cameras in favor of standing behind microphones. Phoenix stated his intent to quit acting at Monday night's (27 October) Paul Newman benefit for Camps For Kids in Los Angeles. more

A Spanish musician who builds and plays his own drums has contracted anthrax by inhaling spores from imported animal hides. The unnamed drummer is said to be "critical but stable" in a London (UK) hospital. more

Alan McGee, who founded the Creation record label, signed Oasis and went on to manage bands including The Libertines and The Charlatans, has said he has quit the music business. more

Social Distortion and Motorhead will be headlining the upcoming Musink Tattoo & Music Festival in Costa Mesa, California. The festival will be a 25-date tour, which takes place from January to March 2009. more

The Acacia Strain have confirmed details for the band's forthcoming DVD shoot, which will take place just in the band's second hometown of Worcester at the Palladium on December 28. Tickets are already available for only $10 on the Mass Concerts website:, or by phone at 1-800-477-6849, with 100 limited Special Golden Tickets available for $50.

George Strait will receive the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade award in recognition of his nearly 25-year career. more

Guns N' Roses have just released a new widget which has a countdown to the November 23rd release date of their long-delayed Chinese Democracy album. The widget also features an audio stream of the title-track new single. Best Buy will exclusively carry the album in the U.S. and Canada. Want the widget? grab it here.

Singer and songwriter Randy Newman has postponed his 18-date European tour because of physical pain from stenosis in his lower back and neck, a statement on the singer's Web site said on Thursday. more

The sagging economy continues to weigh heavily on the digital music space, with eMusic now laying off 10% of its workforce. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company cited the financial crisis in its decision.more

T-Pain has released a brand new video for the song "Karaoke" featuring DJ Khaled. The Bank Head directed video was shot on location at the Miami Beach Studio Karaoke Bar and features some hilarious cameos from Akon and Kanye West. check it T-Pain's third album THR33 RINGZ hits 11.11.08 on Nappy Boy/Jive/Zomba.

Speculation over who may lead the new MySpace Music joint venture heated up after tech news site CNET reported that MTV digital executive Courtney Holt has been offered the position.more

An exclusive version of Leona Naess' new album Thirteens, is now available on iTunes. The iTunes exclusive is available at the special low price of $7.99, and has a bonus version of the song "Leave Your Boyfriends Behind" featuring a duet with Ryan Adams. Naess is currently on tour with fellow songwriter Ray LaMontagne. iTunes link

Kings of Leon will be heading Dare 2 Dream, a benefit concert and silent auction early next year in Chicago. Proceeds from the event will benefit pediatric cancer research at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital. more

UK Death metal legends Bolt Thrower have announced that they will be appearing at next year's Maryland Deathfest. more

The Get Up Kids's beloved 1997 debut, Four Minute Mile, is headed for a vinyl reissue December 9, 2008. The LP reissue will be pressed on exclusive blue vinyl. more

Ashtray have planned a special live album titled Operation Ashtray. The disc will feature an entire set of Operation Ivy covers recorded at Danny from The Secretions' "Lame Ass Birthday Bash." The entire event was a benefit for The American Cancer Society. more

Terrin Durfey of Boilermaker, The Jade Shader and Pinback has passed away after a long battle with cancer. more

We just got word of a special show happening this Saturday, November 1st at The Joint in Beverly Hills: The Day Of The Dead Celebration hosted by Stanton LaVey the grandson of Anton LaVey. The show is set to feature Happenin' Harry & The Haptones All Star Band featuring members of Guns N Roses, Train, L.A.Guns, Msg and more plus "Special Surprise Guests." Also appearing will be Swedish rockers Snake Of Eden, plus Franki Doll & The Broken Toys and Happenin' Harry's All Star Tribute to Black Sabbath. More info here

Be sure to tune in to Sounds Eclectic, hosted by Nic Harcourt on KCRW this Sunday at 7:00 pm (PST) to hear new tracks from Andy Yorke's solo debut, Simple. Nic will be playing cuts like "Rise and Fall". show site.

An alternate juror reportedly fell in the parking lot of the Los Angeles court this morning (October 30) and injured his foot.

The title track and first single, "Cosmic Universal Fashion," was written in an online collaboration between Hagar and a young Iraqi band in Baghdad, with the music video produced in the same spirit as the classic Van Halen video for "Right Now." The album also features a rousing cover of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)."

Capturing the spirit of the holidays the Garza Brothers recorded a compilation of both originals as well as classics on this both ethereal and energetic album which was recorded in just one week back in May at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studio in Austin, TX. The album was both produced and engineered by Grammy-winning Manny Marroquin (Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys.)

This partnership marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world's premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band, the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles.

The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

Los Angeles federal prosecutor Craig Missakian declined to say why the U.S. attorney's office has changed the charges from a felony to a misdemeanor, a move limiting Cogill's maximum prison exposure from five years to one.

Steeped in reverb-soaked guitars, lilting melodies and pensive percussion, the unique musical collaboration of Interpol's Sam Fogarino and Swervedriver's Adam Franklin, is a spiraling mix of an album that sees both veteran musicians entering musical territory not explored in their previous projects.

The song "My Turn" went through a couple versions of itself before landing where it did. In it's original "less aggressive" form it was mainly a song that the band really liked but probably not as a single. After listening to it over and over and constantly getting the sense the something was missing we decided to re-track the guitars and vocals but this time with a more frantic, urgent, aggressive energy. Once we did the song just clicked for us and for all those who listened to it. It's like we finally let the song be what it wanted to be.

Lyrically the song was inspired by a poem my older brother had written. I think it was about finding true love. When's it going to be my turn to find my true love? I saw it as something else. I took key phrases that I liked, re-worded others and wrote what was missing and there it was. My version of "My Turn." An ode to all of us who have at one point felt like no matter what we do we still get the ---- end of the stick. When's it going to be my turn to get what I want? To reach the top? To feel I've gotten what I deserve?