Eddy Grant is hopping on a legal avenue, it seems. The reggae star is accusing the virtual group Gorillaz, the brainchild of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, with ripping off his 1983 song, Time Warp, and using the keyboard section as the basis for their recent single, Stylo."I am outraged that the Gorillaz have infringed the copyright of my song Time Warp, claiming their song Stylo to be an original composition," said Grant. "My song sits almost note to note with their release and is a blatant rip-off. "Time Warp is a very popular song and has been a staple of the DJ scene for many years, and I feel total disrespect from Gorilliaz and their management company, especially as they are an established act."Speaking to the NME, Grant intimated the matter wasn't just business, but personal: "Damon Albarn knows in his heart of hearts - it's unfortunate that we can't get into people's hearts - he knows that this is a song that he's loved, in his club days?I don't know the guy?but he knows this is a song he loves."Interestingly, both Grant and Gorillaz/Albarn share the same music publishing company, EMI, and the reggae artist was incensed that the suits didn't bring the issue to his attention before Stylo's release."It has to go back to the beginning, where it should have started, with a phone call from Damon to my publisher," said Grant. "My publisher would have contacted me - the publisher being, of course, the same EMI that looks after his [music]."In a properly configured relationship I would have gotten a call from EMI to say, 'Damon wants to use Time Warp,'" he continued. "'What arrangement can you guys come to? Would you claim 100 percent, would you claim 60 percent, or 70 percent of whatever it is?'"According to Grant, that phone call never came.So what do you think? Does this... ...sound like this? Related StoriesReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

You've got your KISS ketchup, action figures, toothbrushes, underwear, air fresheners, condoms, credit cards. And perhaps you've already purchased a KISS Kasket. But if you were hoping to sit back with your little ones and watch a KISS TV show the whole family can enjoy, well, you're in luck, because that's just what's being planned.Honestly, the idea of a children's show that features a bass player dressed up in leather who spits fire and sticks out his blood-covered tongue might strike some as, uh, strange, but founding KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley think it's the logical next step for a new generation of KISS Army inductees.The untitled comedy series will be produced and distributed worldwide by E1, which along with Simmons and Stanley will handle all licensing and merchandising for the half hour.KISS is a "brand""Kiss continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, from Kiss M&M's to Kiss Dr Pepper," Simmons said in a statement. "Kiss is a band, but also the only music brand. Continuing in our 35 year history of going where no band has gone before, we are proud to partner with E1. Like all things KISS, we intend to make this a very special show for our fans."No word was given what roles original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would have in the show, but we imagine their likenesses will be used in some fashion.Related StoriesReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

PRESS RELEASE: Lick Library's Stuart Bull interviewed Australian singer songwriter Orianthi Panagaris at the music trade show NAMM 2010 in Anaheim, California.Orianthi discussed her most recent album Believe as well as the music video Highly Strung with Steve Vai, which was completed this year. She also goes into detail about the album making process and describes the Believe album as "definitely pop." In the interview, which is available here on Lick Library's site, Stuart Bull asks about trying to balance the demands of record producers and a more 'pop' career, with her artistic freedom. In response she simply tells of her feelings gratitude that she is doing what she loves ? playing guitar. Orianthi was originally spotted and mentored by Carlos Santana and subsequently by Steve Vai. She is perhaps best known for the fact she was to be the guitarist on the recent Michael Jackson tour. She has also played with Prince, has featured on the film Bratz: The Movie as well as the Eric Clapton Guitar Festival. The Lick Library site also contains an interview with Orianthi from 3 years ago.Lick Library, one of the world's leading producers of guitar videos and lessons, was founded by Stuart Bull and Kim Waller. Their mutual passion for music lead to the creation of Total Accuracy ? which produced backing tracks for guitarists to practice over. This developed into Lick Library ? a resource relied upon by thousands of passionate guitarists, bassists and drummers around the world.Their stated mission is to "provide the best possible experience for musicians of all levels to learn their chosen instrument, benefit from the wisdom of world class tutors and interact with other musicians worldwide." For the ultimate range of tuition products, www.licklibrary.com has the comprehensive and definitive professional guides to learning to play the guitar.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Information taken from official press release, for more visit Lick Library online-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.comConnect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTubeGet MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletterRelated StoriesReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Two years ago, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora sat down with MusicRadar for an extended podcast interview during which he graciously answered questions from readers.Well, some of them. The number of responses from MusicRadar viewers was so overwhelming that there was no way we could put all the questions - even ever a quarter of them - to Richie.But we're going to try again. In a little over a week, Sambora is going to hang with MusicRadar for another comprehensive interview. We'll talk about Bon Jovi's latest album, The Circle, and the massive 18th-month tour that will see the pride of the Garden State play three dates at the brand-new Meadowlands Stadium (in New Jersey, natch) along with - get this! - 12 dates at London's O2 Arena.And, oh yes, we'll put to him as many of your questions as we can. (Keep them music/guitar/gear oriented, though.)What do to nowGet involved! Choose your question for Richie Sambora, and submit it like this:Via MusicRadar (log in and leave a comment below with a link as usual)Via Twitter (follow @musicradar and tag your submission with #askmusicradar)Via Facebook (become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/musicradar and post suggestions on our wall)Or via ask@musicradar.com (just send an email the old-fashioned way)We'll pick the very best questions and ask them during the interview. Good luck!Related StoriesReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

As depicted in the mesmerizing new documentary Under Great White Northern Lights, The White Stripes don't like to take the easy way out. Nearly three years ago, during the summer of 2007, the band celebrated their 10th anniversary with a tour of Canada. Only this wasn't the usual rock star jaunt: the two vowed to play in every province, territory and far-flung locale they could because, as Jack White puts it, "Canada is the only country that's ever turned us away."They staged renegade shows in places such as Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Glace Bay and the arctic tundra town of Iqaluit, to name a few, in settings that would make most bands question the functionality of their GPS devices: a pool hall, a bowling alley (with guitar slung behind his back, Jack rolls a big eight), a YMCA center, a city bus, a community center for the elderly - even a fishing boat.The point to all of this, apparently, is that the long, hard and lonely road offers the greatest truths. Work can be its own reward. Whether it's placing your guitar picks far out of reach on stage or performing without a set list (too easy), most of the time, work - strange and dirty work - is all there is, a fact of which The White Stripes seem acutely aware.Face it: once you've seen one cinderblock arena dressing room, you've pretty much seen 'em all. But witnessing a dozen non-English speaking Inuit seniors tapping their toes to a stirring rendition of a Blind Willie McTell blues tune - now, that's a once-in-a-lifetime event. Staging a hit-and-run, one-note outdoor concert in front of 200 revved-up fans in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and not getting murdered when it's clear no encore is coming (the band slams it down, waves and splits) - that's like panning for gold and shouting, "Eureka!"These are the kinds of moments that director Emmett Malloy, who shot the film in 16mm, seems most intent on capturing. While he doesn't always escape the Ghosts Of Rock Docs Past (the image of Jack and Meg, nattily attired and posing next to a pair of matching prop planes, recalls scenes from Gimme Shelter in which Mick Jagger and co, decked out in rock star finery, enter and exit helicopters), the very nature of the Stripes' grand plan almost ensured ground would be broken.Jack practically reduces his Montgomery Airline and Kay guitars to splinters as he pulverizes his audience with waves of untamed sound.In many ways, Under Great White Northern Lights is the kind of film U2 had hoped to make in 1988 with Rattle & Hum. That movie, however, imploded because of its wearisome, staged 'spontaneity' - the band discovering their American roots at Sun Studios, the boys soaking up the blues from BB King, Bono getting his gospel on with a Harlem church choir - that resulted in nothing more than flagrant self-deification. Elaborate concert scenes that were meant to inspire awe came off as slick and studied; the big hit songs were dispensed with expert precision but without a sense of wonder. There was no danger, no risk of falling on one's face. The movie was an arid affair, a promotional gimmick. Worse still, it made the band seem, for a time, just as contrived.By contrast, the Stripes appear to flourish when they're on the verge of falling apart (or looking just plain silly), and surprisingly, nowhere is this in evidence more than in the larger-venue readings of their best-loved numbers. On songs such as Let's Shake Hands, Black Math, Elephant and Seven Nation Army, the duo are vicious forces of nature that both oppose and attract. Jack practically reduces his Montgomery Airline and Kay guitars to splinters as he pulverizes his audience with waves of untamed sound; likewise, Meg's unorthodox style of drumming - 97 percent of the time she favors the crash over the hi-hat; this could work for no other band nor any other style of music - has to be seen to be believed.(2 pages; go to page: 2)Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Pink Floyd have won their lawsuit over the matter of single-song downloads against EMI, which now puts an end to the digital sale of the group's individual tracks.As reported by the BBC, under the terms of a 1999 contract that predated iTunes and other digital music retailers, the band mandated its songs could not be offered outside the context of their original albums. EMI argued that the agreement only referred to physical sales such as vinyl, cassette tapes and CDs. In the end, Britain's High Court sided with Floyd.In his ruling, Judge Andrew Morritt stated that the contract's clause prohibiting the slicing and dicing of Pink Floyd albums protected "the artistic integrity of the albums."We're guessing that Judge Morritt is a huge fan of A Saucerful Of Secrets and he simply can't fathom the idea of fans hearing Remember A Day without checking out the rest of the groovy disc.Morrit ordered EMI to pay the band's legal fees (said to be $60,000) while the court determines an appropriate monetary payment of finds and damages.Also to be decided is how much money Pink Floyd should receive in digital royalties, as the band's 1999 contract does not cover downloadable music. This could get even more interesting very shortly.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

The White Stripes will release the documentary film Under Great White Northern Lights on 16 March (it will be available on DVD and Blu-ray and be accompanied by a separate audio CD). MusicRadar caught an advance screening and you can read our review on Saturday 13 March.The film, directed by Emmett Malloy (who has helmed videos for the band in the past), captures the Stripes on their ambitious (and characteristically idiosyncratic) trek across Canada during their Icky Thump tour of 2007.As you might expect, this is no ordinary tour film: The band made it their aim to play the entire continent, covering regions from British Columbia to Newfoundland to Nunavut. What's more, they staged free, impromptu gigs in remote towns where rock shows are practically non-existent, in venues that ranged from bowling alleys to pool halls to a YMCA center - even a boat! (How they avoided a riot with their one-note concert in St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a miracle.)Check back on Saturday for our full review. In the meantime, you can hear the entire live album streaming for free on NPR. And below is the doc's official trailer. Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

With much speculation about whether or not Apple's soon-to-ship iPad will be a game-changer for media consumption, at the very least it's guaranteed to be a very cool platform for third-party music-making apps.These leaked photographs were delivered on an unmarked CDR this morning, and we believe them to be the first images of Apple's new iPad earbuds, with standard iPod earbuds pictured for scale.Okay, so we're lying. One of the team brought in one of these and we were reminded of the "is that a massive iPhone or a very small man?" jokes that followed the iPad's first public appearances. And it's not even 1 April. Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch says that the band have decided to delay the release of their new album Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 and that it may not appear until late in 2010.While making an appearance at last week's Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, the rapper and bassist told EW that he's responded well to his treatment for cancer in the Parotid gland in his neck and that he was "getting my energy back."Even so, Beastie fans will have to wait a bit for the release of Hot Sauce. "It was really disappointing to have to hold the record [originally slated for September 2009] and postpone the tour, but doctor's orders." he said. "We may or may not [release Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1], depending on how my health is come September. We want to but we have to play it by ear."Last December, Yauch said that the album would drop in early 2010. Now, however, the record might undergo some some changes: Yauch told EW that since the CD was recorded well over a year ago, the Beasties will most likely listen to it again and decide if they want to do any editing. "We want to take a look at it and re-evaluate and make sure it is what we want to put out there and that we are still happy with it. I don't think we will change it up too much," Yauch said.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Billy Corgan has announced that The Smashing Pumpkins are looking for a new bassist and keyboardist, and he's launched two websites for musicians to be considered for the gigs.This comes in the wake of bassist Ginger Pooley's decision to leave the band to raise her new baby with her husband. Until a new bass player is found, Mark Tulin of The Electric Prunes will fill in on an interim basis.Regarding a new keyboardist, Corgan has stated that he is looking for a player who is a fan of - and can play in the prog-rock style of - Jon Lord and Rick Wakeman. (So no Duran Duran-style players need apply.)In a statement, Corgan said, "Although I am heartbroken that Ginger is leaving the group, I really respect her decision to put her family first. I appreciate everything that she has contributed to The Smashing Pumpkins, and I'm proud of her for being such a great musician and friend.'We were lucky enough to find drummer Mike Byrne through an open audition process," Corgan added, "so why not open the doors again to anyone who might be interested for the bass or keyboard position. As you can see from our past and present, age, race, or a person's background is not an issue. Everyone is truly welcome to audition."How to applyBassists and keyboardists looking to play with The Pumpkins should send their background info (including age, a resume of any bands/recorded work), photos and performance web links via email only, either to pumpkinsbass@gmail.com or pumpkinskeys@gmail.com. Note: only musicians with video clips can be considered. Youtube.com type posts are most welcome (that's how Mike Byrne was found). Final date for submission is 31 March.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Proving that he's a true multitasker, Them Crooked Vultures drummer Dave Grohl revealed that he plans to get the Foo Fighters back in the studio shortly - and a new album could be out as soon as September.Appearing at the Independent Spirit Awards last Friday, where he introduced a performance by Best Documentary subjects Anvil, Grohl, who was brandishing a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey, said the Foo Fighters will work with producer Butch Vig on their seventh album. "Me and [Foos drummer] Taylor [Hawkins] have already started demoing songs," Grohl told Rolling Stone.The combination of Grohl and Vig could be as much symbolic as it is sonic: the pair worked together in 1991 on Nirvana's legendary Nevermind album. But when it comes to sounds, Grohl plans on going old-school: unlike the past couple of Foos' albums, which were recorded at Studio 606 (a state-of-the-art facility that the band owns in Northridge, California), the forthcoming effort will be recorded entirely in analog - and out of Grohl's garage. "We're doing a test on Monday," Grohl said.As to the direction the band might take, Grohl simply said, "I think this could be our heaviest album yet."Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Randy Rhoads's isolated guitar tracks from the song Crazy Train, featured on Ozzy Osbourne's 1980 Blizzard Of Ozz album, have been discovered.For fans of the late guitarist, who died tragically in a plane accident in 1982, this recording is as close to The Holy Grail as it gets.Known for his ability to double and triple-track his takes with astonishing perfection, this audio of his pure, naked guitar tracks does raise some questions.At first listen, the rhythm track might sound like one guitar in a stereo spread. Upon closer inspection, however, it could be two guitar performances as there are slight variations between the channels in the harmonics and the odd minor timing, not to mention different lengths of pick scrapes.Of course, this could be an illusion created by two different mics on the same amp/take being panned hard as different mics will pick up different harmonics. But to our ears it sounds like two very similar but separate takes.At the time of this recording, Rhoads was using two guitars primarily, a 1972 Les Paul Custom (white when new and yellowed over time) and a Karl Sandoval-built 'Flying V' with dual humbuckers and a Fender tremolo. (The latter guitar featured Rhoads's trademark polka dots.)The solo section is interesting. While it is entirely possible that Rhoads used the whammy bar on the 'V,' the same sounds could have been obtained from bending the neck - on either the V or the Les Paul.In any event, Rhoads's playing is breathtaking. Check it out below: Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

The movie Crazy Heart won big at last night's 82 annual Academy Awards. Not only did Jeff Bridges score a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar as the down-and-out country star, Bad Blake, but the The Weary Kind, co-written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, was named Best Original Song.It was the first win for both Ryan and T Bone; Burnett previously was nominated alongside Elvis Costello for Scarlet Tide from the movie Cold Mountain in 2004.Ryan, who records for Nashville's Lost Highway Records, thanked his wife during his speech, saying he loved her "more than rainbows."Check out the video below in which Bridges, who did his own singing and guitar playing in Crazy Heart, performs The Weary Kind. Multi-talented? We think so. Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

The Experience Hendrix Tour got underway this past week in Santa Barbara, California. Among the artists featured are Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Living Colour, Brad Whitford, Doyle Bramhall II, Sacred Steel featuring Robert Randolph, Ernie Isley, Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton, and bassist Billy Cox, who played with Hendrix in Band Of Gypsys.Joe Satriani has agreed to blog from the tour exclusively for MusicRadar. The following is the first of three installments:Wednesday. I rehearsed with Living Colour today, who will be my "band" for the shows. They sounded great! Big fat grooves, monstrous jams and Corey Glover's awesome voice soaring over the top. Also caught stunning sound checks by Ernie Isley and Eric Johnson.I'm using one of my old Marshall 6100 half stacks and a three single-coil Ibanez JS prototype guitar. It's got the coolest blue finish and a sleek maple neck.I will spend some time woodshedding tonight, mining for new insights in familiar and much-loved Hendrix songs. Looking forward to tomorrow's show?Thursday. Visited the Santa Barbara Art Museum today and checked out beautiful paintings by Manet, Monet, Redon, etc?But can't wait to play?My God, the show! Every performer was reaching for magic and finding it tonight. Here are a few short takes on the event:Ernie Isley took the stage first, and his performance was so powerful and moving - it set the tone for the whole evening. When he was 11 years old, Jimi lived in Ernie's house for a time. Ernie used to listen to Jimi practicing, unplugged; he heard Jimi as few ever did. Ernie connects with Hendrix in a special way, and with Billy Cox and Chris Layton on bass and drums, it's wonderful."Living Colour exploded on stage with so much energy. I can't believe I'm going to play with these guys!"Living Colour exploded on stage with so much energy, all four of them giving everything they had. They are an amazing rock band to witness live. I can't believe I'm going to play with these guys!Doyle Bramhall II had such a deep groove going on with Who Knows, it had all the women in the house moving their bodies to the beat. I saw it with my own eyes - just incredible.Eric Johnson reached a similar highpoint with Are You Experienced. Two drummers, Will Calhoun and Chris Layton, backed him up. Eric's backwards guitar solo must be seen to be fully appreciated. It's truly remarkable.Jonny Lang came out with a voice as big as giant oak tree and a guitar sound to match. He is joined by Brad Whitford, and together they took familiar Hendrix tracks to new heights.Then Kenny Wayne Shepherd went all out. I haven't seen him since we toured together in?the last century! Vocalist Noah Hunt joined Kenny for a fantastic duet of I Don't Live Today. Totally rockin'!(2 pages; go to page: 2)Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

With the news breaking that LCD Soundsystem will release their third full-length studio album on 17 May, it seems entirely appropriate that SampleRadar's offering to you this week is a collection of James Murphy-inspired lo-fi punk disco samples.Synths, drums, guitars and basses are all awaiting your attention and, as always, they're royalty-free.What you need to knowThe samples are split into 7 folders, six of which contain construction kits, and one of which contains beats at various tempi. As well as loops, there are also some drum hits.All the samples are supplied as WAV files so can be imported directly into your DAW or sampler of choice. Because they're royalty-free, you're welcome to use the samples in your music in any way you like - all we ask is that you don't re-distribute them.The lo-fi-punk disco samples are supplied in a zip file, so you'll need to extract them before you can see them. Enjoy!Example loopsKit 01 (130bpm) full mix var so = new SWFObject("/default/flash/AudioSampler.swf", "AudioSampler", "190", "25", "7.0.14", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file","http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/audio/samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-1.mp3"); so.addParam("scale", "noscale"); so.addParam("salign", "TL"); so.write("flashcontent_samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-1"); Kit 02 (100bpm) full mix var so = new SWFObject("/default/flash/AudioSampler.swf", "AudioSampler", "190", "25", "7.0.14", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file","http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/audio/samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-2.mp3"); so.addParam("scale", "noscale"); so.addParam("salign", "TL"); so.write("flashcontent_samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-2"); Kit 03 (130bpm) full mix var so = new SWFObject("/default/flash/AudioSampler.swf", "AudioSampler", "190", "25", "7.0.14", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file","http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/audio/samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-3.mp3"); so.addParam("scale", "noscale"); so.addParam("salign", "TL"); so.write("flashcontent_samples/lo-fi-punk-disco-demos/Full_Mix-3"); Lo-fi punk disco samples: click to downloadLo-fi punk disco samples (94MB)These samples originally appeared on Future Music magazine's cover DVD. Check out the latest issue for many more.Lo-fi tutorials9 crackly lo-fi production tipsCreate glitchy drumsSampleRadar will return in two weeks time(2 pages; go to page: 2)Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Ready for some Eddie? Hope so, because Iron Maiden have announced that they have a new album, The Final Frontier, planned for late summer release. But before that, they're going to hit the road in the US for an extensive tour, with Dream Theater confirmed as 'special guests.'While offering no details as to the sound and direction of the new album, vocalist Bruce Dickinson is effusive as to the tour: "We really wanted to get out and play some shows before the release of the new album later this year, so we thought what better way to kick off the tour than by going back to Canada and the USA where fans gave us such a fantastic reception during our last tour in 2008!"We were astounded to see so many thousands of fans packing out the venues," he continues, "so this time round we will be playing a few more cities we haven't visited for some time, like Dallas, Saskatoon, Detroit, Denver and Pittsburgh, though logistically we couldn't get to a few places we really like to play, which is a shame. It's also great news that our friends Dream Theater are able to join us as special guests."Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy echoes Dickinson's enthusiasm on the pairing of the two bands: "Touring with Iron Maiden in North America is a bit of a dream come true for us! After 25 years together, at this stage in our career, there's honestly only three bands Dream Theater would consider opening for...and Maiden is one of them! It is an absolute honor."What better way to kick off the tour than by going back to Canada and the USA where fans gave us such a fantastic reception during our last tour in 2008!" Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson"Through the years, we've done many one-off shows with Maiden and they've almost all been overseas, so it is very exciting to finally be doing a full tour with them - and on our side of the pond no less! This is gonna be an amazing show that the fans won't wanna miss...Up The Fucking Irons!"The tour is scheduled to start on 9 June in Dallas, Texas and wind up in Washington DC on 20 July. For more details and ticket info, visit ironmaiden.com.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Sean Lennon has come to the defense of his mother, Yoko Ono, over her decision to permit the video image of John Lennon and his disembodied voice to be used in a television ad for the French automaker Citroen."She did not do it for money," Sean Tweeted. "Has to do w hoping to keep dad in public consciousness. No new LPs, so TV ad is exposure to young (sic)," he posted, before adding: "Look, TV ad was not for money. It's just hard to find new ways to keep dad in the new world. Not many things as effective as TV."In the commercial for Citroen's "anti-retro" DS3 model, Lennon, in video footage taken from a 1968 interview but with the audio from a later date, says, "Once a thing's been done, it's been done. So while this nostalgia, I mean for the '60s and '70s, looking backwards for inspiration, copying the past, how is that rock 'n' roll? Do something of your own, start something new. Live your life now."In his Tweet, Sean also writes, "Having just seen ad I realize why people are mad. But intention was not financial, was simply wanting to keep him out there in the world."That Sean would stand up for his mother is certainly admirable, but we have to question whether John Lennon needs help in being kept "out there in the world." With the release last year of the highly successful remastered Beatles boxsets and The Beatles: Rock Band game, we'd say the spirit, music and image of John Lennon are all with us.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

When Owl City hit No. 1 with the massive song Fireflies, Adam Young, the track's DIY creator, was immediately tagged as an all-too-close (OK, some called him a rip-off) sound-alike of The Postal Service (Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard's electronica side project).But Young isn't letting the slags ruin what he describes as "an incredible, totally surreal experience." After all, it wasn't long ago that the 23-year-old was working menial jobs and living in his parents' basement in Owatonna, Minnesota, where he recorded music on his own and put it on MySpace - like so many other hopefuls.Young's first Owl City recordings, the 2007 EP June and 2008's full-length Maybe I'm Dreaming, received a fair amount of viral buzz, but last year he released the album Ocean Eyes, and from the minute people heard the oceanic, bubbling intro to Fireflies (face it: it's infectious, whether you think it sounds like The Postal Service or not), Young's success was made manifest: he signed a deal with Universal Republic, and Fireflies became iTunes' most-downloaded song ever.While still defending himself against rip-off comparisons - Young admits to being a Death Cab fan and says he only got into The Postal Service once the fuss started - the Minnesotan is taking Owl City on the road with a full band and living out his basement fantasies before packed houses.MusicRadar caught up with Young on tour recently, where we asked him how it feels to go from total obscurity to worldwide acclaim in the span of mere months. We also talked gear and, yes, asked him about those pesky comparisons. The Owl City man is a funny bird to pin down: one second he's open and honest, the next he's cagey and snarky. But he's certainly an original...even if people think he sounds like, well, you know. You recorded your first albums in the basement of your parents' house. Was that as lonely and depressing as it sounds, or did you have an upbeat feeling that you could 'make it'?"It was almost more fun than I could handle. I was writing music for no one's ears but my own. I was my own worst critic and never was the process lonely or depressing. It was really entirely the opposite. I feel like I have a lot more purpose behind writing songs these days, but being an independent artist was really a wonderful thing."What did your parents think of your direction in life at the time? You were living at home and working at a Coca-Cola bottling plant and then at UPS. Did they push you to do something else and give up this 'silly music thing'?"They were very supportive, although I think they secretly thought I was a bit of a mad scientist at the time. They are incredibly excited for me."Did growing up in Minnesota shape your view on life in a way that you see it influencing your music?"Yes and no. There was never much of a cultured music scene where I grew up, so I sort of had to invent it for my own. I imagined music being this or that without having any idea that it did, in fact, exist somewhere out there - and in a lot of places, ironically."Now that you've had a No. 1 single, what's been your parents' reaction?(4 pages; go to page: 2 3 4)Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

"I'm like a music whore. I wanna go out and fuck everybody."Slash's debut solo LP is the must-hear hard rock record of 2010. Featuring a glittering supporting cast of friends, legends, contemporaries, pop stars, young upstarts and former Guns N' Roses bandmates, 'Slash' the album is absolutely "not a lead guitar solo record." Although, as you might imagine, there's no shortage of smoking hot guitar playing?If you want to hear the Slash solo album first, 7 April will see Classic Rock magazine's special 'Classic Rock Presents Slash' fan pack released. This will feature a 132-page deluxe edition of the magazine along with a limited edition poster, patch and CD containing all 14 album tracks plus two special bonus cuts.That's right, we said all 14 LP tracks. In addition to the tracklisting reported previously, another song featuring Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy entitled Back From Cali has been squeezed in at the last minute. So if you order the Classic Rock Presents Slash fan pack, you now get 16 songs in total. Back at the tail end of 2009 we caught up with Slash the morning after the Classic Rock awards, and as well as revealing his favourite guitar riffs of all time, he gave us a track-by-track rundown of every song on the album, and revealed all about the collaborative writing and recording process. The following pages tell the story of 'Slash' the album, in the words of Slash the man, the myth, the rock guitar legend?Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Bassist Eric Avery has officially announced his split from Jane's Addiction. This comes after much speculation as to his commitment to the band, and hot on the heels of the group's just-completed Australian tour."That's it," Avery Tweeted. "With equal parts regret and relief, the Jane's Addiction experiment is at an end." Earlier this year, Avery Tweeted that he was not participating in the band's writing sessions.Alluding to Avery's resignation, singer Perry Farrell Tweeted, "Slipping out of that shell of a past. Wow we're on to something faster now. And so worth the wait."Adding perhaps final punctuation to the matter, guitarist Dave Navarro wrote on his Twitter account yesterday, "Yes, Eric Avery has left the band. More to come but we wish him all the best!"(By the way, this is how it's done these days: bands break up or members split via Twitter.)Which now brings us to the matter of Duff McKagan, the ex-Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver bassist who has been hotly rumored to be working with Jane's. In January, Farrell Tweeted that "David, Stephen, and I with new writing partner, went into the garage. Felt like old days, except no cassette recorder. Crafting w/Protools." He made no mention of McKagan by name, but word spread quickly who the 'new writing partner' was.Speaking to Rolling Stone recently on the state of Velvet Revolver, Slash had this to say: "I think Duff [McKagan] is doing something with Jane's Addiction right now so we're all sort of all over the place doing whatever until we can all regroup."MusicRadar has contacted Velvet Revolver's management, who have yet to issue any kind of formal response.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Jimi Hendrix's new CD Valleys Of Neptune is due for release shortly, but MusicRadar has nabbed five copies that we can't wait to give away to five lucky winners of our contest.If you've read our track-by-track review, you'll know just what a mind-blowing, ahem, 'experience' Valleys Of Neptune is. Just three months into 2010, we're calling it one of the year's best releases.Grand prize packages also availableBut wait, there's more! Two grand prize winners, selected at random, will win complete catalogue packages which include Valleys Of Neptune along with deluxe CD/DVD editions of Jimi's classic studio albums.These include Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland and First Rays Of The New Rising Sun.The deluxe CD/DVDs are housed in lavish, six-panel digipaks and include 36-page booklets with liner notes, session info, photos and memorabilia. In addition, the sets contains special 'making of' DVD documentaries. Not too shabby.How to enterThat's the easy part. All you have to do is click here to enter the competition.We'll select five winners in the coming weeks. Good luck!Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

With Fireflies, Owl City scored a number one, worldwide acclaim and a rather sizeable comparison to The Postal Service (Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard's electronica outfit) - see the many cries of 'rip off!' from fans of the latter, and bystanders innocently questioning whether Owl City is, in fact, the same guy.It's not. Owl City is Adam Young - the Minnesotan bedroom producer-turned-electro-pop starlet who, while admitting to being a Death Cab fan (via EW), claimed he never really 'got into' The Postal Service until after the comparisons were made.Tomorrow on MusicRadar you'll find our exclusive interview with Adam, who talks us through his hit-making studio setup. While we concentrate on gear, there was also a question we just had to ask?MusicRadar: I have to ask about the early slamming you got from some critics, especially Pitchfork, comparing you to The Postal Service. Unfair? Do you hear why they might lump you together? Are you totally sick of the comparisons and wish people could just move on?"Owl City: My dad totally used to be a mail carrier and he got to drive around one of those sweet trucks with the steering wheel on the wrong side."Sounds like Adam is a bit sick of this particular line of questioning so we'll leave him be and get back to talking gear. Check back tomorrow for the full interview.Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

Butch Walker's production resume boasts names such as Pink, Weezer, Avril Lavigne, Pete Yorn, Katy Perry, Dashboard Confessional, among dozens of others.You get the picture. He's the man. The new go-to guy. Some are even calling him 'the next Rick Rubin,' a sonic craftsman whose choices are driven more by his eclectic tastes than commercial considerations - although it's safe to say he's making some serious bank these days.Unlike Rubin, however, the 40-year-old Walker divides his time as an artist in his own right. Back in the '90s, the Georgia native scored a hit, Freak Of The Week, with his short-lived band Marvelous 3, and since then he's put out a string of critically adored releases.The multitasker and multi-instrumentalist (check him out playing banjolin with Taylor Swift) has now issued his most assured solo album yet. Entitled I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart, it was written and recorded (at Walker's own Ruby Red Studios, in his home base of Santa Monica, CA) in just five days with his band The Black Widows.With tracks that run the gamut from authentic roots rock (Trash Day) to the epic sweep of Phil Spector (Pretty Melody) to a spot-on ELO homage (Trust Me), it's a first-listen winner that hits as deep lyrically - if the gorgeous Be Good Until Then doesn't have you weeping, nothing will - as it does musically.While finishing production work on Avril Lavinge's upcoming record, Walker is gearing up to tour extensively throughout 2010 with The Black Widows. Recently, he sat down with MusicRadar to discuss his thoughts on music making, his new album and to dispense some sage advice to all the budding Butch Walkers out there ("Don't try to be me! I'm just learning how to do that"). And on the subject of vocalists who rely on Auto-Tuning, the admitted "old-schooler" let loose with both barrels.What's more impressive than the fact that you recorded the album in five days is that you wrote it during the same time period."I had nuggets of song ideas, and when I decided it was time to make this album, one of the guys in the band, Michael Trent, he and I went into the studio and we got on a roll. Every morning, we'd pull out the guitars in the lounge and the tunes came fast."Michael's a great lyricist, and he already had a lot of terrific things in mind. I had been sending him MP3s from my laptop, so by the time we sat down to figure out the songs, he was pretty much all there. We'd write a few songs during the morning and in the afternoon the band would come in and blast through 'em."Now, when you say 'laptop,' what kind of program were you demoing with?"I use Logic, which is very easy to work with. My demos were very bare bones though. They were basically me singing and strumming the guitar - no bass and drums or anything like that. They were just me capturing the moment as fast as I could."(6 pages; go to page: 2 3 4 5 6)Related StoriesAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-offEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

A 1982 demo of Metallica plowing their way through Hit The Lights, later re-recorded for their 1983 debut album, Kill 'Em All, surfaced on YouTube a little while ago now. However, the comparatively low number of views suggests that plenty of the band's millions of fans haven't check it out yet.The lineup on this particular recording is an interesting one: in addition to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, it includes guitarist Dave Mustaine (whose days in the band were numbered) and bassist Ron McGovney.McGovney was Hetfield's childhood friend and onetime roommate, but frequent clashes with Mustaine led him to quit the band. He would be replaced by Cliff Burton.As one can hear on the demo (below), recorded in McGovney's garage, the basis of the song is there. And truth be told, Mustaine, who would soon be replaced by guitarist Kirk Hammett, acquits himself rather well - he plays with fire and passion. A neat little time capsule, to say the least. Demos of Whiplash and No Remorse that the band recorded for Megaforce Records from early 1983 featuring the Hetfield/Mustaine/Burton/Ulrich lineup (subject to much misty-eyed 'what might have been' speculation from fans over the years) can be heard here.Related StoriesReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV showEddy Grant says Gorillaz' Stylo is a rip-off

T-Bone Wolk, best known for his work with Hall And Oates, died Saturday, 27 February, of a heart attack at the age of 58.Wolk, left, with guitarist GE Smith, during their SNL days. From T-Bone Wolk.comSince the late '70s, Wolk has been one of the steadiest-working bassists in popular music. A small sampling of his discography is as follows: Carly Simon, Shawn Colvin, Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash, Cyndi Lauper, Harry Nilsson, Amanda Marshall, Grey Eye Glances, Paul Carrack, Diane Ziegler, Charlie Musselwhite, Jewel, Ivo, Jellyfish, Avril Lavigne, Billy Joel, Joe Pesci, Leslie Miller, John Eddie and Chynna Phillips.Wolk's two highest-profile gigs, however, were his long-standing stints with Hall And Oates, which began in 1981 (he got the job after playing on Kurtis Blow's breakthrough rap smash, The Breaks) and his on-camera role as bassist in the Saturday Night Live house band, in which he was paired with fellow Hall And Oates band member, guitarist GE Smith.But Wolk wasn't simply a bass player. He co-produced several Hall And Oates albums, and recently, on Daryl Hall's continuing Internet Show, Live From Daryl's House, he played guitar and served as musical director.Check out a portion of an episode below, during which Wolk, playing guitar, joins Hall And Oates for a spot-on rendition of Back Stabbers. T-Bone Wolk will be greatly missed.Related StoriesPink Floyd win battle with EMI over single-song downloadsReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with OrianthiKISS to develop kids TV show

A band called Final Placement is getting a lot of attention for the video of their song Shine - but it might not be the kind of fuss they were anticipating.The general consensus is that the song isn't very good. OK, most people think it stinks. And a lot of people are saying things that even we can't print (yeah...that bad).As for the video, the reactions run along the same lines: "WTF were these guys thinking?" might be a polite way of summing up the comments on YouTube and other Internet sites hosting the clip (which, of course, you can see below) Still, the energetic, cheery four-piece from Midland, Texas are winning a handful of admirers. There's a Facebook campaign to bring them to the South By Southwest Festival. And some truly obsessed fans are already trying to cop the Final Placement sound, as seen in this video: If that weren't enough, a tape loop of the guitarist's ill-advised solo is making the rounds. Don't be surprised if this short blast of lackluster shred rivals Eruption for guitar store play in the near future - as in this weekend.But the question is this: What makes something so bad that it magically transcends its blatant awfulness and actually becomes good? In their own bizarre, train wreck sort of way, Final Placement, whether they know it or not, have risen above their meager talents and created a song and video that approximates art. The painfully earnest, out-of-key singing; the relentlessly limp musicianship; and yes, that epic fail of a guitar solo (so absurd, but hey, the guy owns it) - it all comes together and sucks you in, and resistance is futile.They're average, but they're average in a way that is uniquely theirs. So let us now praise Final Placement. Think of them as stars...at least, for the next week or so.Related StoriesThe White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights reviewedPink Floyd win battle with EMI over single-song downloadsReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie SamboraLick Library exclusive interview video with Orianthi

Thom Yorke's supergroup featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refesco will be touring the USA in April under the Atoms For Peace moniker.Blogging on Dead Air Space, Thom Yorke revealed the ensemble's plans:"hey everyoneok so in April the other band.. that i got together to do the eraser and other stuff u know .. Mauro, Flea, Me, Joey and Nigel is going back out to do some shows in the US.. ending with playing with Coachella. we had too much fun to just leave it there...it has been decided that we call ourselves Atoms For Peace. hope you like the name.. it seemed bleedin' obvious."The dates are as follows: 5 April - New York, Roseland Ballroom (with Flying Lotus) 6 - New York, Roseland Ballroom (with Flying Lotus) 8 - Boston, Citi Wang Theatre (with Flying Lotus) 10 - Chicago, Aragon Ballroom (with Flying Lotus) 11 - Chicago, Aragon Ballroom (with Flying Lotus) 14 - Oakland, Fox Theatre (with Flying Lotus) 15 - Oakland, Fox Theatre (with Flying Lotus) 17 - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Bowl 18 - Indio, CoachellaAnd the name? Well, aside from being a song on Yorke's aforementioned The Eraser solo album, Atoms For Peace comes from an early Cold War-era Dwight D Eisenhower speech in 1953.All that remains is for us to join Drowned In Sound in asking Thom and friends to book some shows here in the UK too. And please, Flea, for the love of god, keep that slap bass in check. Related StoriesApple iPad earbud headphone images leaked?The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights reviewedPink Floyd win battle with EMI over single-song downloadsReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern LightsAsk MusicRadar: submit your questions for Richie Sambora

Earlier this week, MusicRadar presented an exclusive track-by-track review of Jimi Hendrix's Valleys Of Neptune, which we're already calling one of 2010's best albums.Recently we got a chance to sit down and talk with John McDermott, a co-producer of the CD, to discuss the project's evolution, where Jimi Hendrix was at artistically when the tracks were recorded and how Valleys Of Neptune figures in the late guitarist's legacy.And make no mistake: when it comes to all things Hendrix, McDermott is the man. He's written four books on the artist, serves as the catalogue director for the Hendrix estate and is one of the organizers of the Experience Hendrix Tour. You think you know Jimi? This guy knows Jimi! Valleys Of Neptune is such a refreshing listen. It's intimate; it's not overly fussed over; and it certainly sounds as though Jimi was having a good time recording the tracks."That's the thing: it's real. These aren't sketchy demos or anything like that. It's a real record. And as you said, he was having a good time in the studio. More than anything, Jimi loved creating. The recording studio was his refuge. Even more than the concert stage, it's where he could be himself."Making music was what Jimi was all about. When he made some money, he didn't buy fancy houses; he didn't buy himself a Graceland - he bought a recording studio. That speaks volumes about the kind of guy he was."The record reflects a very pivotal time for him artistically. He had just put out Electric Ladyland and he was starting to experiment with outside musicians. He was evolving."Making music was what Jimi was all about. When he made some money, he didn't buy fancy houses; he didn't buy himself a Graceland - he bought a recording studio.""That's right. The context of when these recordings were made is quite important. Prior to when he hooked up with Chas Chandler, he didn't have the opportunity to record; he didn't have the finances; he wasn't signed to a label."Unlike The Beatles or Bob Dylan, however, after he had success, he was more of a free agent. He could hire an Eddie Kramer. He could book The Record Plant and record all night long if he wanted to."That was the difference between him and a lot of artists. That's not to say that The Beatles and Dylan couldn't explore their artistry, because obviously they could. But Jimi got that chance very early on in his career."A few of these cuts mark the last times that Noel Redding recorded with Jimi. What were the problems between the two of them?"It's very interesting. The chemistry Jimi had with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding was undeniable. Those were three musicians who intuitively knew how to play together. Not a lot of people could play on the same level as Jimi. Many have tried: there are jams that exist where Jimi was playing with other musicians, and it's clear those guy were just not up to the task. The only people who could truly give Jimi the kind of support and give-and-take that he needed were Mitch Mitchell, Noel Redding, and later on, Buddy Miles and Billy Cox."(4 pages; go to page: 2 3 4)Related StoriesBeastie Boys hold Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 for late 2010Apple iPad earbud headphone images leaked?The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights reviewedPink Floyd win battle with EMI over single-song downloadsReview: The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights

Works by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2, Oasis, among others, have made the all-time top 10 list of pop and rock albums by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.Which leads us to ask one thing: If The Beatles aren't bigger than Jesus, does this mean they're pretty close?In an editorial which called called the albums "perfect for anyone marooned on a desert island," the paper said that "a little handbook of musical resistance could be useful during this time of the year in which, in addition to having put up with the rigours of winter, we have to endure a rising tide of musical festivals."So as not to be totally overwhelmed, and to remember that an alternative exists, our modest guide can point you on the road to good music."The newspaper admitted that identifying the 10 best albums in the history of pop music was not "easy" and inevitably the choice might seem "partial."While we can't fault most of the selections, the addition of David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name prompts us to ask, "Huh?" (No, let's not start the jokes about 'What is The Pope smoking?')The Vatican's Top 10 (in order of release)1. Revolver (The Beatles)2. If I Could Only Remember My Name (David Crosby)3. The Dark Side Of The Moon (Pink Floyd)4. Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)5. The Nightfly (Donald Fagen)6. Thriller (Michael Jackson)7. Graceland (Paul Simon)8. Achtung Baby (U2)9. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (Oasis)10. Supernatural (Carlos Santana)So what do you think? Did the Vatican get it right? Tell us on our Facebook page. Related StoriesSmashing Pumpkins announce search for new bassist, keyboardistBeastie Boys hold Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 for late 2010Apple iPad earbud headphone images leaked?The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights reviewedPink Floyd win battle with EMI over single-song downloads

Since last week's rumoured sale of Abbey Road Studios, Andrew Lloyd Webber has considered making an offer, owners EMI called the reports unfounded and now the legendary recording facility has been given listed building status on the advice of English Heritage.Quite a week. The launch an official line of Abbey Road Studios merchandise couldn't be better timed. Related StoriesFoo Fighters to work with Butch Vig on "heaviest album yet"Smashing Pumpkins announce search for new bassist, keyboardistBeastie Boys hold Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 for late 2010Apple iPad earbud headphone images leaked?The White Stripes' Under Great White Northern Lights reviewed

Yes, folks, the Yngwie Malmsteen - er, sorry, the Yngwie J Malmsteen - Signature Collection Humidor in stock now. To which, all we can say is "WTF?"Apparently, smoking guitar riffs aren't all that's on Yngwie's mind, for he's loaned his likeness to what is described by distributor TLG Canada as "the ultimate fan collector's item!"The company adds: "For cigar smokers this is a real treat....and all other YJM fans....this is a beautiful wooden masterpiece that can be used to store anything from jewelery, photos and more!"Honestly, we're still trying to figure out how cigars and Yngwie Malmsteen go together, but in any event, the product features a black high-gloss lacquer finish and a Spanish cedar-lined interior with sealing edges. It holds between 50-75 stogies.Yngwie and moonlight...ooooh!Oh, yes, and the most important part: the "unique" image of Yngwie J Malmsteen in what the company calls a "moonlit setting" (we're starting to get ill).And if that weren't enough, you also get a laser rendering of Yngwie's personal signature (handwritten by Yngwie, reproduced for humidor print for TLG Canada).TLG states that a "limited number of units produced worldwide," so if you simply must get your hands on the Yngwie J Malmsteen Signature Collection Humidor (and really, why are you waiting?), go ahead and unleash the fury - we mean your credit cards. You can order one, or all of them, at the TLG website.Should TLG wish to send a review copy filled with Cuban Cohibas, hey, we won't try to stop you.Related StoriesRandy Rhoads's isolated Crazy Train tracks uncoveredFoo Fighters to work with Butch Vig on "heaviest album yet"Smashing Pumpkins announce search for new bassist, keyboardistBeastie Boys hold Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 for late 2010Apple iPad earbud headphone images leaked?

Is singer JD Fortune back in INXS? Apparently so, at least for one show, tonight, 24 February, when the group plays at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.For the performance, Fortune is listed as a 'special guest,' leading us to believe that his reversal of fortune is not yet fully realized.As you may recall, Fortune, who was picked to front the '80s hitmakers on a reality show, claimed he had been sacked by the band last year - literally ditched at a Hong Kong airport - and was then reduced to living in his car.According to Fortune, INXS were "cold and clinical" in how they booted him. "They said, 'Thank you very much.' I found myself really alone because I had traveled with these guys for 23 months. I don't know where I am going...from sofa to sofa, from night to night. I am trying to get through my life."Fortune later retracted his comments, saying he "misquoted himself" and admitted his heavy cocaine use might have played a part in his sacking.'One show' world tour?Tonight's Olympics show will be the first show of what INXS is calling the start of a major world tour, although no additional tour dates have been announced.The group is set to release an album of their own songs with guest vocalists such as Rob Thomas and Brandon Flowers. Is JD Fortune on the CD? Nope.Support for Fortune is strong on the INXS Facebook page, with most fans insisting that the singer be reinstated in the group full-time. It's a strange soap opera, and something tells us it isn't over yet.Related StoriesThe Weary Kind from Crazy Heart wins Best Original Song OscarRandy Rhoads's isolated Crazy Train tracks uncoveredFoo Fighters to work with Butch Vig on "heaviest album yet"Smashing Pumpkins announce search for new bassist, keyboardistBeastie Boys hold Hot Sauce Committee Pt 1 for late 2010

We are thrilled to review Jimi Hendrix's new album for 2010, Valleys Of Neptune. But what is especially thrilling is to come right out with the startling fact that one of the best albums of 2010 was recorded 40 years ago.Painstakingly curated and produced by engineer/producer Eddie Kramer, John McDermott and Janie Hendrix, Valleys Of Neptune includes more than 60 minutes of music never commercially available on a Jimi Hendrix album, and it's a vital addition to the artist's astonishing catalogue.Related StoriesExperience Hendrix Tour: Joe Satriani blogs from opening nightThe Weary Kind from Crazy Heart wins Best Original Song OscarRandy Rhoads's isolated Crazy Train tracks uncoveredFoo Fighters to work with Butch Vig on "heaviest album yet"Smashing Pumpkins announce search for new bassist, keyboardist

Located about an hour's drive from Dublin in the county Westmeath countryside, Grouse Lodge is a residential studio that's situated in a restored Georgian estate. The likes of Muse, Snow Patrol, R.E.M and Manic Street Preachers have all recorded here, and in 2006 and 2007, it hosted the late Michael Jackson. Future Music magazine took the tour.Related StoriesSampleRadar: 212 free lo-fi punk disco samplesExperience Hendrix Tour: Joe Satriani blogs from opening nightThe Weary Kind from Crazy Heart wins Best Original Song OscarRandy Rhoads's isolated Crazy Train tracks uncoveredFoo Fighters to work with Butch Vig on "heaviest album yet"

UPDATE: read the full Jimi Hendrix Valleys Of Neptune new album review here.8 March 2010 (9 March Stateside) sees the release of Valleys Of Neptune, a new posthumous Jimi Hendrix album featuring 7 previously unreleased recordings, including his final sessions with Experience bandmates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, alongside his first with Band Of Gypsys bassist Billy Cox. In celebration, tomorrow here on MusicRadar you can read an in-depth track-by-track review of the Valleys Of Neptune CD. This will be followed later in the week by an exclusive interview with Valleys Of Neptune co-producer John McDermott in which he gives us the skinny on the painstaking process of putting the project together.The Valleys Of Neptune LP is preceded by the release of the title track as a single. Listen to Valleys Of Neptune - the song - here on we7. Still want more Jimi?Jimi Hendrix: a history in photos and videosSee the first film clip, hear his last recordingHow to sound like Jimi HendrixWe reveal and review the gear you needThe top 50 guitar riffs of all timeGuess who topped our poll!How to play blues like Jimi HendrixVideo lesson with free tabJimi Hendrix's 11 greatest tracksA must-hear compilation, selected by our panel of expertsEddie Kramer interviewedJimi's producer on working with a legend"I played Jimi's Woodstock Strat"An encounter with the world's most valuable guitarJimi lives!How to sound like Hendrix, by a leading tribute band starJoe Bonamassa on Hendrix's influence"He invented the blues-rock genre"Aerosmith's Brad Whitford on Jimi"Hendrix has been an important influence on me"Joe Satriani: "How Jimi Hendrix changed my life"Guitar virtuoso writes exclusively for MusicRadarRelated StoriesIron Maiden announce new album, The Final FrontierSampleRadar: 212 free lo-fi punk disco samplesExperience Hendrix Tour: Joe Satriani blogs from opening nightThe Weary Kind from Crazy Heart wins Best Original Song OscarRandy Rhoads's isolated Crazy Train tracks uncovered

Residing in the indie populace for the better part of a decade, Animal Collective finally broke through last year with their critically-acclaimed record Merriweather Post Pavilion, which beautifully blended a collage of sampled sounds with classic songwriting.The band's projects feature contributions from David Portner (AKA Avey Tare), Noah Lennox (Panda Bear), Brian Weitz (Geologist) and Josh Dibb (Deakin), and Future Music caught up with David, Noah and Brian to find out how they operate.How did you start making music together?David Portner: "Brian [Weitz] and I had a band and we asked Josh [Dibb] to join us. We'd just pick different styles that we really like and think 'let's record a song like this'."What were you using to record at the time?DP: "I had a Tascam 48 half-inch reel-to-reel which I still use now actually, it's an awesome machine. Josh had an eight-track ADAT and Noah and Josh soundproofed a room at Josh's mom's house. We didn't really have good mics, just SM57s that we used for everything."Brian Weitz: "And with the soundproofing, we didn't really know what we were doing either. You'd just walk in and it'd literally be a dead sound. You couldn't really record anything in there. We still use it now though for practicing sometimes."DP: "After that, Brian and I both went to New York for college, and we talked a lot about stuff that we wanted to do. Sometimes we'd do some music concréte shows. Noah and I would keep writing emails about what we wanted to do, musically, and I think that's when we got the idea that we wanted to start our own label. We used to record everything on a MiniDisc player with a Sony ECM mic."What was the set-up for those recordings?BW: "It didn't really matter that much - it was often just one mic in the middle of the room."DP: "We had a Yamaha DX27, some acoustic guitars and a lot of plates."BW: "We had a [Roland] Juno-60 and a [Roland] SH-2 too, which we still use."DP: "For us, the gear isn't that important. We just look for things that are easy for us to use and express our personalities through and that don't take a long time to figure out and that you can use organically. We took it from there to the live setting, as we didn't really wanna use a computer on stage."Why's that?DP: "Growing up, going to see shows - I mean there are plenty of people who do it well and it's cool for a certain type of music - but for us and for our music we just didn't want to rely on a computer to generate sequences on stage."BW: "We're still playing our samplers like they're live instruments. Even the most interactive software for live performance still don't seem quick enough to organically interact with the energy of the crowd. If there's any reason that the music needs to change suddenly because of the lights or whatever, the laptop still isn't quick enough."(3 pages; go to page: 2 3)Related StoriesSean Lennon defends John Lennon Citroen car TV adIron Maiden announce new album, The Final FrontierSampleRadar: 212 free lo-fi punk disco samplesExperience Hendrix Tour: Joe Satriani blogs from opening nightThe Weary Kind from Crazy Heart wins Best Original Song Oscar

The final two days in the life of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain will be the basis for an upcoming film, one that has been in the works for a while but is now said to be on the fast track to be greenlit.Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce the drama for Universal, and it is said that writer and director Oren Moverman, who received a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination (along with Alessandro Camron) for last year's The Messenger, will rewrite a script by David Benioff and direct as well.Moverman has experience with biopics, having co-written director Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan film I'm Not There. But those looking for an exploration of conspiracy theories surrounding Cobain's death will likely be disappointed, as Courtney Love and her lawyer are executive producers on the project.However, the big question is this: Who should play Kurt Cobain? Got ideas? Tell us on via Facebook (become a fan at http://facebook.com/musicradar and post suggestions on our wall).Related StoriesQ&A: Owl City reveals live and studio setup: "I use Auto-Tune"Sean Lennon defends John Lennon Citroen car TV adIron Maiden announce new album, The Final FrontierSampleRadar: 212 free lo-fi punk disco samplesExperience Hendrix Tour: Joe Satriani blogs from opening night

Butch Walker's star is certainly on the rise. With production credits ranging from Pink to Weezer to Dashboard Confessional, just to name a few, and his own album, I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart, on the way, he's hot and getting hotter.Still, the pressure must be getting to him.Check out the video below which documents what happened when a superfan purchased the deluxe $25,000 preorder package of Walker's new album. For such a hefty sum, the fan would be afforded the opportunity to spend the weekend with Walker, collaborate on a song and go on tour with Butch and his band.However, things didn't turn out exactly as the superfan had hoped. OK, it's a spoof. The superfan is played by Panic! At The Disco lead singer Brandon Urie and the 'American Psycho' is portrayed by Walker himself. Hey, but they're not too shabby as actors. Do we see film careers in the making?Related StoriesSlash solo album interview: the track-by-track guideQ&A: Owl City reveals live and studio setup: "I use Auto-Tune"Sean Lennon defends John Lennon Citroen car TV adIron Maiden announce new album, The Final FrontierSampleRadar: 212 free lo-fi punk disco samples

Axl Rose went on a Twitter jag recently, during which he slagged off journalists (the nerve!), said that he never banned Slash-related clothing at his shows and...here's the best part, bragged about how great he smells.Seriously.In a lengthy 766-word Tweet, Rose raved about two Guns N' Roses surprise shows held during Fashion Week ("Fuck!! The NY shows were insane!! Love the free form laid back vibe n' both were completely different from r view").He then addressed reports that he had forbidden T-shirts and other clothing items bearing Slash's image from his gigs: "Canadian tour n' Slash banned clothing nonsense: which I addressed live as soon as it happened but hey fake allegations from unreliable sources bein' negative n' all especially w/us n' these issues got more weight to n' 4 aholes. Fabricated from a 2001 bs RS piece from Rock N' Rio. Bottom line Never happened, end of story. Fuck TMZ, ContactMusic, Spinner (I got ur attitude.)"Guess MusicRadar is still on his Christmas card list.Rose also announced that he's hired Kiss manager Doc McGhee (we're off to a fun start. Big welcomes! It's nice to have the support!!), making no mention of parting with Irving Azoff, the mega-manager he hired in 2008.Apparently, Rose was peeved that somebody somewhere made the accusation that his body odor was less than fabulous, for he comes out with this goodie: "I sweat nonsense: On ur mama! Really? That's what u write about? No shit! I work hard, it's good for ya n' I smell better than u!!"And in closing, he takes a shot at a series of journalists and outlets that have supposedly wronged him: "Fuck the LA Times, TMZ, Contact Music n' Spinner. I don't need 'forgiven' for alleged n' fabricated nonsense. I've no respect for mean spirited aholes gettin' paid talkin' shit at other's expense or irresponsible biased partisan politics wanna be journalism by dated hacks."Go on! Back ur boy! But when he says he never killed no one that ain't exactly true. Yeah, that's right, stone cold. So if we happen to play your neighborhood or for that matter anywhere at anytime regardless of the circumstances, presales, public sales, give aways, even free shows consider yourself uninvited. It's a free country but you're formally n' publicly not welcome."If you want to read Axl's Tweet in full (and why on earth wouldn't you?), it's right here.Related StoriesJane's Addiction's Eric Avery quits, Duff McKagan rumored inSlash solo album interview: the track-by-track guideQ&A: Owl City reveals live and studio setup: "I use Auto-Tune"Sean Lennon defends John Lennon Citroen car TV adIron Maiden announce new album, The Final Frontier

We all know Jimi Hendrix, the ultimate guitar hero. But what about Jimi Hendrix: Rock Band? Well, get ready, because a game version of that most iconic of six-string stars is on the way.While speaking to the LA Times, Janie Hendrix, Jimi's stepsister, who controls the late guitarist's estate, slipped the news that a Rock Band Hendrix edition will be out by the end of 2010.According to Times piece, the estate's recent licensing deal with Sony calls for the company "to make his music 'available through every type of media'" - which would include a new edition of Rock Band that Janie Hendrix says, "should appear before the end of this year."MusicRadar contacted Janie Hendrix, who confirmed that she is working with MTV Games and Harmonix on a Rock Band game. And she even hinted at some of the music fans can expect."A Jimi Hendrix Rock Band is definitely is in the works," she said. "A lot of the plans are secretive, but what I can tell you is that it will feature some songs from the Axis: Bold As Love record in their entirety. It's what the game developers have asked for."As to whether Jimi Hendrix Experience members Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell would be portrayed in the game, Janie said she "couldn't comment at this point."OK, but what kind of guitar will Jimi be playing in Rock Band, and what sort of game controller will fans be using in their attempts to nail Jimi's famous licks? Janie laughed and said, "We're good friends with Fender, so we'll be keeping it authentically accurate."Related StoriesCompetition: Win a Jimi Hendrix Valleys Of Neptune CDJane's Addiction's Eric Avery quits, Duff McKagan rumored inSlash solo album interview: the track-by-track guideQ&A: Owl City reveals live and studio setup: "I use Auto-Tune"Sean Lennon defends John Lennon Citroen car TV ad

OK, it's not exactly an Eigenharp, but the Heath Robinson instrument played by Lady GaGa at the Brit Awards last night at least provided the ceremony with a talking point.The 'GaGa guitar', as it will inevitably come to be known, appears to comprise an upright bass with a MIDI controller keyboard and Akai MPC1000 bolted onto the front. Lady GaGa used it to trigger samples during her performance of Dance In The Dark, which you can watch in the second half of the above video.You wouldn't exactly call it a shocking moment, but it surely left some of the audience bewildered. And at the Brits 2010, bewildering was about as good as it got.Related StoriesOwl City talks Fireflies and that Postal Service comparisonCompetition: Win a Jimi Hendrix Valleys Of Neptune CDJane's Addiction's Eric Avery quits, Duff McKagan rumored inSlash solo album interview: the track-by-track guideQ&A: Owl City reveals live and studio setup: "I use Auto-Tune"

You would think that Jerry Cantrell might have no dreams left to realize. With his band, Alice In Chains, the guitarist played a huge role in defining the 'grunge' sound of the early '90s, selling over 17 million albums in the process.But when the reunited band recorded their new album, Black Gives Way To Blue, Cantrell got to live out a boyhood fantasy when his idol, Elton John, agreed to play on the title track."Mind-blowing," is how Cantrell, 43, summarizes the experience. The group was recording in Las Vegas, and as it turned out, Sir Elton was working in the same studio. Figuring he had nothing to lose, Cantrell contacted John and sent him the track, asking if he might consider playing on it. A week went by with no response, and Cantrell all but gave up hope.And then John contacted Cantrell and said that he loved the song. A fan of the band, he was especially moved that the number was an elegy for Alice's late singer, Layne Staley, who succumbed to a heroin overdose in 2002. Sure, he said, he'd be honored to play on the cut.Cantrell describes the feeling of hearing Elton John perform one of his songs as "one of those really cool things that you never expect to happen." Belying his reputation as a diva, John's gracious attitude and musical contribution made a huge impression on Cantrell: "Not only did he lend his voice and made the song jump up a level by his input, he didn't take it over either. He became part of the band."Of course, in 2010, many are surprised - and no doubt delighted - that there even is an Alice In Chains. After Staley's death, it seemed almost unthinkable that they could go on, and for a time, they didn't. But a tsunami benefit concert in 2005 led the group (which also includes drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez), with Cantrell's new friend singer William DuVall, to slowly rebuild.DuVall and Cantrell make a strange kind of magic together, echoing the vocal harmonies of the Alice In Chains of old. Cantrell admits that he doesn't hear the similarity ("the writing style and the players are the reasons it sounds the way it sounds"), but he's thrilled to be carving out a new chapter with the group he and Kinney founded 23 years ago.Cantrell sat down with MusicRadar recently to discuss Alice In Chains' reformation, his thoughts on Layne Staley, his approach to practicing the guitar (he doesn't!) and the undiminished coolness of Elton John. var so = new SWFObject("/default/flash/AudioSampler.swf", "AudioSampler", "190", "25", "7.0.14", "#FFFFFF"); so.addVariable("file","http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/audio/podcasts/jerry-cantrell-interview.mp3"); so.addParam("scale", "noscale"); so.addParam("salign", "TL"); so.write("flashcontent_podcasts/jerry-cantrell-interview"); Download (right-click and Save As...)The new record is stunning. This is Alice In Chains' first album in, what, 15 years or so?"It's been a long time?for obvious reasons. But we've been doing shows for a couple of years, and during that time we were coming up with ideas. It's really cool that we were able to come together with something that's fitting of the legacy that we left before?and a good starting point to begin again."(6 pages; go to page: 2 3 4 5 6)Related StoriesHear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsOwl City talks Fireflies and that Postal Service comparisonCompetition: Win a Jimi Hendrix Valleys Of Neptune CDJane's Addiction's Eric Avery quits, Duff McKagan rumored inSlash solo album interview: the track-by-track guide

Today, we are officially excited. Why? Because we can proudly announce that Future Publishing and its all-conquering (ahem) Music-Making portfolio - MusicRadar (that's us), Guitarist, Computer Music, Total Guitar, Rhythm, Future Music and Guitar Techniques - has signed a deal with the Music Industries Association (MIA) to run the London Music Show for 2010.London Music Show 2010 takes place on 8 - 10 October and will once again be held at London's ExCel Arena.Formerly known as the London International Music Show (you might remember last year's stellar coverage of new gear, rock star performances and show floor shenanigans), this year's show will incorporate Drummer Live, London Guitar Show and the Sound Recording Technology Show with an emphasis on allowing visitors to try out new gear and get involved.There will also be a special education day on Friday 8 October and, by popular demand, the retail area will be brought inside the main event.Mia Walter, Publishing Director for Future's Music-Making portfolio said:"We are very excited about this partnership with the MIA to run the London Music Show, and our objective is to invest into this event for long term growth."There is huge potential for the London Music Show to reach a wider audience, whilst increasing its links with education by encouraging beginners to start playing musical instruments. We are delighted to add the London Music Show to our portfolio, and we look forward to bringing our expertise to this event."Paul McManus, Chief Executive of the MIA said: "There are 15 million people in the UK who would like to start playing an instrument, or return to playing one. That is more than actually DO play! We needed a partner who could help us to reach these people and give our industry a show that would truly increase the size of our market place."Our show needed to stop 'preaching to the converted' and instead, to offer an event that inspires everyone to want to start making music. Future are, without doubt, the people to help us realise this vision and we are very proud to have them as our partner."CoverageAll this with added MusicRadar magic, of course. Working with the MIA, we'll be doing our very best to bring you the latest and greatest gear, stars and events around - we'll be there in force.We'll be covering every nano-second here on MusicRadar plus you can head over to the official London Music Show 2010 site and pop in your email address for the latest announcements.The LMS site will be given a complete makeover in the coming months - just sign-up or follow @LondonMusicShow on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates.Much more to follow. Much, much more. Did we say we were excited yet? Related StoriesHear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsButch Walker tells you how to become a hot producerHear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsOwl City talks Fireflies and that Postal Service comparisonCompetition: Win a Jimi Hendrix Valleys Of Neptune CD

It's being reported that EMI has put the world-famous Abbey Road studio complex, which played host to the vast majority of The Beatles' recording sessions, up for sale. The Financial Times claims that Terra Firma, which acquired the record company in 2007, has been "courting bidders" for the facility, which is said to be worth tens of millions of pounds.It's not currently clear whether it's just the building or also the Abbey Road name that's up for grabs, but given its strength as a brand, it's being speculated that the latter could actually be worth more than the former.The question, though, is who would want to buy Abbey Road? It's no secret that competition for studio bookings is now fierce - let's not forget that it's now possible to make a decent-sounding record in your bedroom - so making money from the studio could be difficult.Whoever does take ownership of Abbey Road, though, will be getting their hands on a sizeable slice of recording history, and that's got to be worth something.Related StoriesHall And Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies at 58Hear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsButch Walker tells you how to become a hot producerHear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsOwl City talks Fireflies and that Postal Service comparison

"The $300 Epiphone that I have, it's one of my most faithful and greatest soldiers. It's the best hammer I have in my tool bag, because that's what I do: I hammer. I'm self-trained and I play because that's my religion: music."Josh Homme's unique philosophy on gear and hammering it has led him to become one of this generation's most respected and influential guitarists. And he's putting that philosophy to stunning use in Them Crooked Vultures ? you can read all about it in the March issue of Guitarist magazine, on sale in the UK today (16 February). His drumming co-Vulture has a lot to say on the subject of guitars too. You may have heard of him?"I like to play guitar like a drummer. When I look at a guitar I almost look at it like a drum set." Dave Grohl"I consider myself Malcolm Young, that's how I like to play guitar," says Dave Grohl. "I like to play guitar like a drummer. When I look at a guitar I almost look at it like a drum set where your low E string is the kick drum, your A and D are the snare and so when you're writing riffs I use the lower notes as kick and snare and the higher notes as cymbals."Like we said ? a unique philosophy. So learn from the masters in issue 326 of Guitarist magazine with the definitive Them Crooked Vultures guitar interview which goes in-depth on the guitars, amps and pedals in their arsenal. Grohl also compares the Vultures' dynamic to that other rather famous power trio in which he occupied the drum stool: Nirvana. Also interviewed in Guitarist issue 326: Foreigner's Mick Jones, Russian Circles' Mike Sullivan, The Noisettes' Dan Smith. There's also your chance to win one of two Taylor Build To Order guitars worth up to £3549, Guitarist's pick of the finest products from NAMM 2010, and definitive reviews of the hottest new gear including Fender's new American Specials, the Fuchs Overdrive Supreme Combo, crazy Moog and EHX pedals and much, much more.Subscribe to Guitarist online here.Related StoriesFinal Placement's Shine: worst song and video ever?Hall And Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies at 58Hear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsButch Walker tells you how to become a hot producerHear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The Lights

Doug Fieger, lead singer for the power pop band The Knack, who co-wrote and sang the massive No. 1 hit My Sharona, died yesterday at the age of 57.Fieger passed away at his home in Woodland Hills, California, after a lengthy battle with cancer. His sister, Beth Falkenstein, said, "He was an extraordinary lover of all things popular culture. He was an eternal pop teenager but highly intellectual and intense."A Detroit-area native, Fieger formed The Knack in Los Angeles in 1978, and the group (which then also included drummer Bruce Gary, guitarist Berton Averre and bassist Prescott Niles) quickly became a sensation at various Sunset Strip rock clubs.My Sharona, the lead single from the band's debut album, Get The Knack (recorded for just $18,000), was inspired by a former girlfriend of Fieger's. "I had never met a girl like her - ever," he told The Associated Press in a 1994 interview."She induced madness," he continued. "She was a very powerful presence. She had an insouciance that wouldn't quit. She was very self-assured. She also had an overpowering scent, and it drove me crazy."My Sharona: the antidote to discoMy Sharona, with its mammoth drum beat and infectious guitar riff (it even had an extended solo section, rare for radio singles at the time), was released during the waning days of disco, and it held the No. 1 spot in the US for six weeks.The Knack were signed to Capitol Records, home to The Beatles, and they were heavily promoted as the "new Fab Four." The group even played Carnegie Hall during their first national tour - just as The Beatles had done on their maiden voyage to America (see video below). But The Knack could never repeat the success of My Sharona, and subsequent releases stalled on the charts. The group disbanded in 1982. A 1991 reunion yielded the album Serious Fun, which also failed to sell.Drummer Bruce Gary died in 2006 of lymphoma. Averre and Niles continue to tour as The Knack, and on their website, Knack.com, they paid tribute to Fieger: "Our hearts are broken, we will miss you Doug."Related StoriesThom Yorke/Flea supergroup gets name and tourFinal Placement's Shine: worst song and video ever?Hall And Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies at 58Hear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The LightsButch Walker tells you how to become a hot producer

Prince likes to keep a tight lid on all things Prince, but a treasure trove of rehearsal footage from 1984 has recently been located, providing an intimate look at the preparations for the hugely successful Purple Rain tour.Although the video, shot with one static camera, is as low-budget as it gets - it basically resembles surveillance tape - it does give music fans an idea of the paces His Royal Badness put his band, The Revolution, through.Indeed, the band jams on When Doves Cry for almost 10 minutes. Check out Wendy Melvoin's fine soloing on her Rickenbacker. An underrated player? You know it.After launching into a little fancy footwork, Prince, seemingly satisfied, signals the band to stop. After the shortest of breaks, they begin the next song in the set, Possessed. In you want to view the rest of the rehearsal videos - and you'd better hurry as Prince is known to strike content such as this from YouTube - head over to The Daily Swarm.Related StoriesJimi Hendrix producer on new album Valleys Of NeptuneThom Yorke/Flea supergroup gets name and tourFinal Placement's Shine: worst song and video ever?Hall And Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies at 58Hear Metallica's 1982 demo of Hit The Lights

Okay, so the new version of We Are The World is upon us, this time renamed We Are The World 25 For Haiti. Like the original, which was recorded to aid famine victims in Africa, the cause is timely and admirable: to raise funds for the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti.Although the framework of the 1985 composition, written by Michael Jackson (who appears in portions taken from the original video) Lionel Richie and that track's producer, Quincy Jones, remains mostly intact, the talent assembled for the remake differs wildly from the gang who gathered together a quarter century ago.Back in the day there was - in addition to Messrs Jackson and Richie - Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dianna Ross, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner and Willie Nelson, among others. Strong voices? You betcha!This time out we have Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson, Enrique Inglesias, Pink, Usher, Barbra Streisand, Mary J Blige, Bizzy Bone, Celine Dion, Kayne West, Tony Bennett, Miley Cyrus, Toni Braxton, Jennifer Nettles (from Sugarland), Nicole Scherzinger (from Pussycat Dolls) and the unironically Auto-Tuned triumvirate of Lil Wayne, Akon and T-Pain, among others.So what do you think? How does We Are The World 25 For Haiti... ...stack up against the original? Related StoriesBeatles, Pink Floyd, U2 make Vatican's top 10 albums listJimi Hendrix producer on new album Valleys Of NeptuneThom Yorke/Flea supergroup gets name and tourFinal Placement's Shine: worst song and video ever?Hall And Oates bassist T-Bone Wolk dies at 58

Apparently, Axl Rose and the band he calls Guns N' Roses know how to clear a room. Friday morning in New York City (or late Thursday night, whichever you prefer), the group performed at what used to be the famed CBGBs - and by the time they finished, the place was half empty.According to Brooklyn Vegan, Rose and GN'R played at the John Varvatos boutique in the East Village, hitting the stage just after 1am for a 17-song set that weighed heavily on songs from the album Appetite For Destruction. (See video of My Michelle below.)"This was the best fucking show of our tour!" exclaimed Rose to an intimate (and extremely fashionable) crowd of nearly that included Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Rachel Hunter, Kelly Cutrone, Mick Rock, Sean Lennon and Rose's good friend Sebastian Bach.Axl's enthusiasm and the band's loose vibe, however, weren't enough to hold the audience, many of whom had exited by the time the group finished their last song, Night Train. Guess Rose shouldn't be 'fashionably late' to all of his gigs. Related StoriesAbbey Road Studios (merch) definitely for sale!Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2 make Vatican's top 10 albums listJimi Hendrix producer on new album Valleys Of NeptuneThom Yorke/Flea supergroup gets name and tourFinal Placement's Shine: worst song and video ever?

Paul Epworth has been named producer of the year at the Music Producers' Guild Awards, which means that he also receives the Brit Award for best producer.Epworth, whose previous credits include production work for the likes of Bloc Party, Plan B, Kate Nash, Primal Scream and Friendly Fires, seemingly won the award on the strength of his co-production of Florence and the Machine's debut album Lungs.The band's lead singer Florence Welch was on hand at the Music Producers' Guild Awards in London last night to present Epworth with his two prizes.On receiving these, Epworth said: "I wouldn't be here without the freedom that the digital revolution has given me creatively. But also I know I'm lucky to have had that old tuition from people who worked with The Beatles, The Doors, The Beach Boys." The Brit Awards 2010 ceremony takes place on Tuesday 16 February at London's Earls Court.(Via BBC News)Related StoriesCrazy item of the day: the Yngwie Malmsteen cigar humidor!Abbey Road Studios (merch) definitely for sale!Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2 make Vatican's top 10 albums listJimi Hendrix producer on new album Valleys Of NeptuneThom Yorke/Flea supergroup gets name and tour