Sir Paul Off to See the President

Sir Paul McCartney will be honored on June 2nd, 2010, when he receives the Gerswhin Prize for Popular Song from the Library of Congress by President Obama at the White House. He is the third artist to receive the Gerswhin Prize after Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon received the honor last year.

RIP Paul Gray

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray was found dead at the age of 38 in an Iowa hotel room yesterday morning. He will be surely missed.

Road to the Courthouse with Byrne and Crist

David Byrne is back in the news, but not for a Talking Heads reunion (PLEASE!!!!!!!!). Instead Byrne is suing Florida Governor Charlie Crist after he used the Talking Heads hit "Road to Nowhere" during a smear campaign against Republican primary candidate Marco Rubio. Byrne claims he and Warner Bros. were not asked or gave Crist permission to use the 1985 hit song. Byrne is seeking $1 million in damages.

Crist has since switched from running as a Republican to Independent for the Florida Senate. This suit continues the streak of Republicans using songs without permission and artists taking legal action. Hard rock bands like the Foo Fighters, Boston, Van Halen, and several others have taken legal action against Republicans using their songs without their permission. This trend seems to trace its roots back to when President Reagan used the Boss' "Born in the U.S.A." during his re-election, which once again proves people (and casual fans) do not really listen to lyrics. Using a popular hard rock song can definitely help get you elected and make you election campaign memorable. Just take a look at when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" to get elected during his first campaign. Needless to say it's effective, but it doesn't necessarily mean you are electing the best individual.

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls (HD)

By far the best music video of the year thus far!

Tommy Screening in Beverly Hills

Come out tomorrow night and see the 35th Anniversary screening of Tommy presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to see a Q & A with director Ken Russell.

Besides being one of the greatest albums ever, the film Tommy is one of the most underrated and coolest films of the 1970s. So come on and check out this fabulous film on the big screen for $5 or less!
For more info click on the link below:

http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2010/tommy.html

RIP Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010)

Last Saturday, the heavy metal and rock world truly lost an icon, Ronnie James Dio at age 67. Some know him as a solo artist in his band Dio, others as the replacement singer in Black Sabbath, the lead singer of Heaven & Hell,  Rainbow and Elf. He had a prolific career that lasted nearly six decades.

For me, it was difficult to grasp as he was one of the first heavy metal musicians I was introduced to by my uncle in the late 1980s. It was from my uncle that I learned the "devil horns" was made popular by him and that all rock fans should pay homage to the greatness of Ronnie James Dio. Years later I slowly discovered Ronnie James Dio discography and was very pleased with what I discovered. Initially I hated the idea of anyone replacing a great musical icon with him taking over for Ozzy in Sabbath, but how often do you have a band replace an icon with another icon? Needless to say he has left a great impact on the music and cultural world.

It's hard to come across someone who loves music that has not been influenced by Ronnie James Dio in some way. Almost a decade ago, Jack Black and Kyle Gass' Tenacious D released the song "Dio" to "pass the torch," which was a great tribute to the man and helped introduce him to a new, younger audience. Dio will be missed, but his music shall live on forever!

On Sunday, May 30, a public memorial service has been scheduled for 2 p.m. tol be held at Forest Lawns Cementary at The Hall of Liberty.

KROQ Weenie Roast 2010

Tickets go on sale this Saturday, May 15th at noon for those not part of the KROQ street team. Become a KROQ street member so you can buy tickets starting Thursday, May 13 at noon.

The Lineup is:
Sublime with Rome
Stone Temple Pilots
Hole
Silversun Pickups
DEVO
Paramore
Deftones
Spoon
Chevelle
Cage the Elephant
The Dirty Heads
Against Me!
The Temper Trap
Passion Pit

KROQ Weenie Roast 2010 on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at the Irvine Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Joey Belladonna Back in Anthranx

Joey Belladonna, the lead singer of Anthrax on such albums as Spreading the Disease and Persistance of Time, will be joining the band during summer tour dates with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. This is the third time Belladona has fronted the band during his 25-year career with the band.

Smashing Pumpkins Bassist

Nicole Fiorentino has been brought into to play bass on the ever-changing lineup of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Currently the band is working on the Teargarden By Kaleidyscope project and planning  tour dates. Fiorentino is the former bassist of Veruca Salt and has also played with Spinnerette and the Twilight Sleep. Ginger Pooley, who has been the Pumpkins' bassist since the 2007 Zeitgeist tour, left the band in March. Recently, Elcectric Prunes' bassist Mike Tulin played bass when the Smashing Pumpkins performed an intimate show, a concert sponsored by Amoeba, in front of 250 fans at Space 15 Twenty on Record Store Day.


In 1999, D'arcy Wretsky left the band and ever since it has been a revolving door at bass in the Smashing Pumpkins. Former Hole Bassist Melissa Auf der Maur replaced her until the band broke up in 2000. On April 20, 2006, the band was officialy back together, but only with original members Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. James Iha and D'arcy Wretsky were not invited back. Last year Chamberlain left the Pumpkins in March leaving Billy Corgan as the only original member.

There are some dates that will always have a special meaning to you. Most are birthdays, anniversaries, deaths, but for people like me, those also include the days bands break up. For me and other Smashing Pumpkins fans, May 23, 2000, was a really shocking day when Billy Corgan announced the Smashing Pumpkins were breaking up during a live radio interview on KROQ. I remember it vividly as I was driving around in the San Fernando Valley. I actually pulled over because I was in so much shock. Ever since it has been a really bumpy road for the band, but Billy Corgan and the Pumpkins still make good music. The Zeitgeist album was one of my favorite albums of 2007. Their new EP Teargarden in Kaleidyscope, Volume 1: Songs for a Sailor will be released May 25, 2010.

Liam Gallagher Gearing to Make Beatles' Film

Oasis Frontman, Liam Gallagher has just acquired the film rights to the book The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard DiLello, which tells behind the scene stories of the Beatles' Apple Corps. In 1 Productions, Gallagher's newly formed production company, confirmed they will produce a film based on the rise and fall of the famous record label.  Not that much information is known about the project and speculation begins whether or not, Liam and/or other members of Oasis will be playing The Beatles.

In August 2009, Liam Gallagher quit Oasis and it remains unclear how involved Gallagher will be with the project. Later this fall, Noweher Boy starring Aaron Johnson (Kick Ass) and Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) will be released chronicling John Lennon's childhood. Recently, it was announced a film adaptation of  Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion will be made with the book being released tentatively around late June 2010.