Music News Net

Howard Stern to Remake Rock N Roll High School

     U.S. satellite radio shock-jock Howard Stern has announced he's producing a remake of "Rock 'n' Roll High School," a semi-classic rock film that featured appearances and music by The Ramones.  Variety.com said Stern and Larry Levinson are producing the new version of the 1979 movie, while actor and music video director Alex Winter is penning the screenplay for it.  the movie pretty much existed as an excuse to put punk rock pioneers The Ramones on the big screen, so we'll see how this new version will work without them.  Winter is best known for his roles in "The Lost Boys" and "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." "The chance to bridge music and comedy was something that intrigued me," Winter told the entertainment industry trade paper about the new "High School." "This movie seemed so ripe for a remake."  The report did not mention what, if any, involvement the remaining members of the Ramones rock band might have in the new film or if another band will be in the remake in their place (the Jonas Bros perhaps?).  Readers, what do you think about "High School" withouth the Ramones? Is the world ready for another and is a remake of this film needed?

Stay tuned  

Rock Band Live Tour, the Video Game In Concert !

      The video game phenomenon of Rock Band is coming to a city near you ! This fall, Rock Band Live will tour the USA with major acts Panic At The Disco and Dashboard Confessional  with very special guests Plain White T's and The Cab.  The concert tour will also let local bands rock their way on the main stage with a interactive experience that permits concert-goers to compete in competitions for the chance to perform on the main stage in-between the tour acts' sets. Bands will be selected through local radio promos, national contests and on-site at each show.  Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the public on Friday, August 8th at 10:00AM local time. The tour will kick off on October 5th in San Diego, CA and run through November 14th winding up in Houston, TX.

Are the Days of Arena Rock Numbered ???

   As we're halfway through the summer festival and "shed" concert season, it's a good time to look towards the fall (and beyond) touring and CD release schedules.  Word of tours by AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Depeche Mode, Shakira, Green Day, Kid Rock, Usher, Robin Williams, Mylie Cyrus, Slipknot, John Mayer, Keith Urban and Tim McGraw, KISS (tentative).  And in 2009 touring acts include OneRepublic, Plain White T's, Jack's Mannequin, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Weezer, the Killers and Journey, among others, according to various booking agents at a recent industry summit.  There are also talks of a non-Christmas version of the annual Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour.  Sounds like a great time, but many in the business wonder if the days of "arena rock" and 20,000 seat shows are numbered as the legendary "heritage" acts (Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett) have propelling the touring industry for decades and are slowing.  As they age and reduce their tours, will the younger acts be able to fill the arenas?  See this interesting story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, here.

Miley Cyrus, Without Hannah Montana, Has #1 Album !!

    Pop superstar and teen sensation, Miley Cyrus lands her second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts today, as her "Breakout" (Hollywood Records) cd sold 371,000 copies in the USA (buy a copy HERE from MNN) , according to Nielsen Soundscan. Breakout's first week sales are the second-biggest of 2008 for a female artist, following the 463,000 copy debut of Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" (Island/IDJMG) (purchase a copy HERE).  Ms Cyrus' last album, the half soundtrack/half studio  "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus" (Hollywood/Walt Disney), entered the charts at No. 1 last summer also. The initial "Hanna Montana" soundtrack, which started Cyrus recording career, also arrived at #1 in 2006, with first-week sales of 281,000.  That album became the best seller of 2006's fourth quarter, a great feat considering it only had three months of sales.

In other Miley news, some reports are indicating that she may be done with the Hannah Montana show and not return for a fourth year.  Disney must be concerned.  See recent MNN story on Miley, here.

David Byrne and Brian Eno to Release New CD

    As we suggested here earlier this month, David Byrne (Talking Heads) and Brian Eno are self-releasing their new album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (cover art below,right) , their first in 27 years.  It will be available August 18 exclusively through EverythingThatHappens.com.  A free download track, Strange Overtones can be found now, once you register.  Also, "Happens" will be available as an enhanced CD at some point.  This release is their follow-up to their 1981 landmark "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" (support MNN, purchase a copy, HERE) and is said to be heavy on Byrne's lyrics/vocals. "When we started this work, we >

Ronnie Wood, Rolling Stone Postpones Book Release

     Troubled Brit rocker Ronnie Wood recently decided to postpone plans to publish a new book. The RollingStones guitarist was working with British comedian Noel Fielding, who stars in surreal show 'The Mighty Boosh' on a new interpretation of the 1963 classic children's tale 'Where The Wild Things Are'. Since Ronnie entered a rehab facility recently, following a reported marathon drinking binge with Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova at his Irish property.  The project, which was due to be featured in 'The Mighty Book of Boosh', has been put on hold. A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Ronnie and Noel had come up with some fantastic illustrations and the project was well on course to being a major part of the book. "But with Ronnie back on the drink he is uncontactable and deadlines are looming." 'Where The Wild Things Are', originally written by Maurice Sendak, follows the adventures of a boy named Max. After Max scares his mother while he wears a wolf suit, he is sent to his bedroom for punishment, then he imagines he becomes the king of a mythical world full of monsters.
No word on how this impacts the rumored Faces reunion. Our best wishes to Ronnie. For other Rolling Stones news, click here.

Kenny Chesney Added to 08 Farm-Aid Concert

     The country music star Kenny Chesney has been added to the Farm Aid festival line-up for September 20 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA.  This is the first time Farm Aid festival will  be in New England !!  In a statement, Chesney said, "American family farmers are what this country is built on ... and they have fed us and kept us strong and healthy for how many generations?  Growing up in a small town outside Knoxville, it was a big part of who we were -- and it's something we as a country shouldn't lose. If I can help be part of that -- whether it's raising money, or awareness, or just letting those family farmers know someone knows and cares -- well, that's why I'm coming to New England."   Singer/songwriter Chesney is a four-time Country Music Association (CMA) Entertainer of the Year and the current Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year.  Chesney is currently on his Poets & Pirates 2008 Tour.  Tickets for Farm Aid 2008 went on sale this AM.  For other Farm Aid concert news, click here .

Bruce Springsteen & E-Street Band July 27 Concert Report- Back in the USA !!!

    REPORTS are in from last night's Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Giant Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ show and everyone was wowed.  Just one week after finishing a two-month European tour, Springsteen and band are back in the USA and kicked off a homecoming stand last night in New Jersey.  It was the first of three shows at Giants Stadium, they're also appearing tonite and thursday (last night was also the first US outdoor show of the tour).  Last night's performance brought The Boss's total of dates in Meadowlands venues to an amazing 64, with two more coming this week!  Springsteen and his E Street Band rocked through a 30-song set, playing several classic tunes, including the opening song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." They also jammed out favorites like "Badlands," "Born to Run," "Dancin' in the Dark," and more recent hits like "The Rising."  Most agree, it was the best ever. The Boss was in great form, rocking until 11:50PM. 

New Pretenders CD to Be Released via Free Download, Then in Seed Packaging!

     The Pretenders are back and have recently announced that they will release downloads of their new album via download at no charge!.  The veteran rockers' first album in over six years is named 'Break Up The Concrete' and will be released in the US on October 7 from Shangri-La Music (order your cd copy from MNN, HERE).  But, available now, the label is releasing, a free track each week on different e-stores up until the album's release.  The first song is named 'Boots Of Chinese Plastic', and is available through AOL's Spinner.com.  In following weeks, you can find out where to download the next free MP3 by visiting The Pretenders' website.  e-shops included are Apple QuickTime's site, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com, iLike, iMeem, MP3.com/Download.com, MSN Windows Media, Vh1 Classic, Yahoo and CBS Radio Online.  No song list has yet been released, but since there

Robert Plant, Alison Krauss Add Fall Tour Dates

      After an amazing run of Spring and Summer concerts, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss have just announced additional fall dates for their "Raising Sand" tour. The former Led Zeppelin rocker and bluegrass queen, along with T Bone Burnett as their band leader (and performer) and their all-star band, began the first leg of the tour back in April. Newly added

Liam Finn to Open for Eddie Vedder

       New Zealand singer/songwriter Liam Finn has announced that he will open for several Eddie Vedder (of Pearl Jam) solo concerts from August 1 thru 22.  Mr Finn, who recently released his I'll Be Lighting cd, will then head out on his first North American solo headlining tour September 4 in New York City until October 10 in Providence, RI.   Finn is the son of Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House).  Finn & Finn have worked together, having collaborated on a cover of The Beatles' tune "Two of Us" for the "I Am Sam" film soundtrack, which also contained a track by Vedder, the frontman of Pearl Jam.   Finn's regular collaborator Eliza-Jane Barnes will accompany him on the tour as will special guests, The Veils.  Finn is known for excellent one-man performances, so this should be an exciting tour.  "I think the fact of doing this looping, one-man-band sort of thing really keeps you on your toes and keeps it fresh," Finn said in a statement. "The more you mess up, the more you're forced to turn it into a good mess and people seem to respond more. I find it really stimulating. I just love the danger of it, really." Liam Finn itinerary;
Note that dates subject to change-

The Rolling Stones Get a New Home

     The legendary Rolling Stones have left EMI to join with Universal Music Group in a deal that covers all their future albums and their entire catalog!  Announced yesterday, this ends rumors that the band was set to join Jay-Z and Madonna by signing a "360" deal with Live Nation.  Universal described the deal as "exclusive, long-term, worldwide". New recordings will be released on UMG's Polydor label worldwide, putting the distribution of the entire Stones catalog under one roof for the first time. The deal covers both digital and physical distribution, with UMG already working on a long-term strategy to digitize the catalog.  The Stones had tested the waters with Universal back in April, when they released the soundtrack to their Martin Scorsese directed documentary "Shine A Light" through the label. 

Brit Comedian, Russell Brand to Host MTV VMAs

     British comedian Russell Brand is to host this year's MTV VIdeo Music Awards (VMA) in Los Angeles. Well known in the UK, the 33-year-old is mostly unknown in the USA, where the ceremony will be held on September 7th. Brand recently co-starred in the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall and is currently filming the Adam Sandler comedy Bedtime Stories.  Previous VMA hosts include actor Jack Black, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon and Jamie Foxx.

JONAS BROTHERS to Perform on MTV VMA Show !

     The Jonas Brothers will perform at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA).  It will be the superstar pop group's first-ever appearance at the event, known for its decadence and eye-popping water cooler moments (Madonna girl kiss with Britney Spears).  In a statement, brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick said: "This is an awesome opportunity. We have grown up watching all the amazing and iconic performances on the VMAs. It is an honor to be a part of something so incredible."   Don't expect kisses by them though, as MTV tries to clean up this event!  The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards will be held at the Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on September 7, and will air live around the world.  As MTV previously announced, a first for the awards, they will allow its audience to help decide the nominees.  Viewers will vote on two categories each week including, Video of the Year and Best New Artist by visiting the awards' website.  See other recent Jonas Brothers news, here.

Sheryl Crow Confirms She's NOT Joining Fleetwood Mac

     Despite her claims back in March 2008 (see here) it looks like Sheryl Crow is not Fleetwood Mac bound!  She recently put the issue to rest; she is not making a record with or is she joining Fleetwood Mac.   "No, that was those 'Rumours' — to quote the album," she claimed joking to reporters on Wednesday, referring to Fleetwood Mac's classic 1977 album.  "I'm a huge fan and have a great relationship with Stevie (Nicks), and actually with all of them. I just absolutely adore them," Crow said during a Q&A session with college students in Nashville as part of a Grammy Foundation event.  "I think their next album may be while I'm on the road. Hopefully in the future we'll have some kind of collaboration, but not at this time," she said.   Ms Crow told the music Web site Spinner.com in March that she and the band "definitely have plans for collaborating in the future, and we'll see what happens."