Queen of The Stone Age unveils "Smooth Sailing" video

Queens of the Stone Age are digging deeper into their ‘… Like Clockwork’ album, unveiling a new mini-movie to coincide with the release of their single ‘Smooth Sailing.’

The promo follows Queens frontman Josh Homme and several Asian businessmen on a hedonistic night on the town that turns more sinister and dark as the night goes on. Drinks at a restaurant turn into drunken karaoke, which leads to altercations, theft, drugs and even death.

Queens of the Stone Age are keeping the momentum going for their ‘… Like Clockwork’ disc. In addition to the new video, the band has also just added more North American shows to their itinerary.
Having booked a mix of festival dates and headlining shows to take them through April and May, Queens of the Stone Age just added four new shows in July. To see their full tour schedule, check below.

Queens of the Stone Age 2014 North American Tour
4/10 — Reno, Nev. — Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
4/12 — Indio, Calif. — Coachella/SOLD OUT
4/15 — Portland, Ore. — Keller Auditorium/SOLD OUT
4/17 — San Francisco, Calif. — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
4/19 — Indio, Calif. — Coachella/SOLD OUT
5/5 — Chicago, Ill. — Aragon Ballroom
5/6 — St. Paul, Minn. — Roy Wilkins Auditorium
5/7 — Milwaukee, Wis. — The Riverside Theater
5/9 — Chicago, Ill. — Aragon Ballroom/SOLD OUT
5/10 — St. Louis, Mo. — Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
5/11 — Boone, Iowa — Central Iowa Expo
5/13 — Kansas City, Mo. — Starlight Theatre
5/14 — Tulsa, Okla. — Brady Theater
5/16-18 — Gulf Shore, Ala. — Hangout Music Fest
5/23-25 — Quincy, Wash. — Sasquatch Music Festival
7/9 — Montreal, Quebec — Bell Centre
7/12 — Bangor, Maine — Cross Insurance Center
7/16 — Port Chester, N.Y. — Capitol Theatre
7/20 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Skyline Stage at The Mann Center

The Pretty Reckless 'Heavens Knows' video is up

The Pretty Reckless have been climbing the charts with their single ‘Heaven Knows’ and there’s now a corresponding and very attention-grabbing music video for the song.

In a video that’s sure to capture the eyes of viewers, frontwoman Taylor Momsen appears walking down the halls of a school in a black robe until entering one of the darkened classrooms where a group of children are transfixed on the subliminal messages being fed to them on a bank of televisions.

But what will have viewers buzzing and could earn the clip NSFW status is a full body reveal of a nude Momsen sporting the band’s customized gothic cross logo on her body. The emblem is the one that the singer and band have used frequently in promoting the album, which also appears on the artwork for their ‘Going to Hell’ disc.

Momsen says of the video, “How do you sum up a song that is metaphorically speaking about everyone’s life from any general perspective on video? You understate it. We decided to film variations of all of the issues we as a people are facing, whether personal, political or social. We took a lot of shots, each representing some social constant or emotional struggle. Some overt, some subtle, but it’s all in there. Everything is thrown at you from the day you’re born, you’re only chance is to think for yourself…which is not as simple as it sounds.”

‘Heaven Knows’ is featured on the upcoming ‘Going to Hell’ album, which is due in stores March 18 via Razor & Tie.

Within Temptation ‘Whole World Is Watching' has been released

Within Temptation‘s latest album ‘Hydra,’ is set for a Feb. 4 release

The album features numerous collaborations. In addition to Tarja Turunen, Xzibit and Howard Jones, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner appears on the track ‘Whole World Is Watching.’ The video for that song has just been released

The clip features den Adel and Pirner standing on a rooftop overlooking a city, with the band appearing periodically. The storyline follows a man who wrecks his motorcycle while drinking, then has an arduous recovery process. He finally recovers, and literally throws his old life into a dumpster and sets it on fire, ready to put  his demons behind him.

Vocalist Sharon den Adel talked about their collaboration with Pirner. “When we wrote ‘Whole World Is Watching,’ Dave was at the very top of our list. He has such a captivating voice: it made the song exactly how it needed to be.”

So where did the album title come from? “It’s like us – undefinable!” says guitarist and songwriter Robert Westerholt. “What’s more, ‘Hydra’ is a perfect title for our new album, because like the monster itself, the record represents the many different sides of our music.”

Red Hot Chili Pepper new album may be coming out soon

The last time Red Hot Chili Peppers released their studio album, ‘I’m With You.’ It’s not unusual for the band to let a little time pass between records, but in a new interview, RHCP drummer Chad Smith says the act is “gearing up to start writing again.”

Since putting out the game-changing ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ in 1991, each full-length album from Red Hot Chili Peppers has been released roughly four years after the previous one, with exception to ‘I’m With You,’ which came out over five years after the 2006 full-length ‘Stadium Arcadium.’ ‘I’m With You’ hit the shelves in August 2011, so the studio hibernation of RHCP sounds like it will soon come to an end.

“We’re gearing up to start writing again,” Smith tells Billboard. “We’ve always got ideas bouncing, but until the four of us get in the room together, that’s when you see how it really takes shape. We’re just starting out now, just getting together. We’re gonna take a little different approach to the writing process, but for the most part when we all get together, that’s when it really starts. It’ll be fun to get into a groove of jamming and writing and all be in one place again. We’re all looking forward to that.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers will also inject a much-needed element of rock to this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, which was originally supposed to revolve strictly around pop star Bruno Mars. After Smith told the a news outlet that RHCP would play Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Dazed and Confused’ at the Super Bowl, he brushed off the statement as a joke. However, it’s very true that Bruno Mars personally selected Red Hot Chili Peppers for a Super Bowl cameo spot, claiming he was a “big fan” of the funk-laced rock band.

More importantly, Smith assures fans that RHCP will not appear scantily clad during Halftime, despite past celebrated antics involving tube socks and nude festival performances. “I’m sure they’re familiar with some of our antics, so maybe they’ll add a few more seconds on their delay or something,” Smith says. “It’s a little cold to be out there, scantily clad. Maybe a nipple might slip — you never know. Is that acceptable? If they see Anthony’s nipple, do you think they’re gonna cut away quickly to Diana Ross in the crowd or something?”

Motley Crue announced final goodbye tour

Motley Crue have announced a farewell tour with the legendary Alice Cooper serving as the opening act. Moreover, the Crue have signed a binding legal document that they will not tour beyond the year 2015, making this a true final tour.

At a press conference today, the band revealed details about the farewell trek and ultimate retirement. Mick Mars said, “It’s time for us to throw the towel in.” Band members said the farewell tour could take two years or more and described it as a “huge celebration.”

The first leg of dates have been revealed, and are listed below. Tickets for fan club members go on sale tomorrow (Jan. 29). VIP packages will be available Jan. 30, with the general on-sale for most shows on Friday, Jan. 31. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and MotleyVIP.com.

Why now? Nikki Sixx said they want to go out on top: “We want to leave a legacy and have dignity. We want to call it a day and be proud.” To make sure it really would be their last tour, the band actually signed a Cessation of Touring Agreement at the press conference. “Everything must come to an end,” says drummer Tommy Lee. “We always had a vision of going out with a big f—ing bang and not playing county fairs and clubs with 1 or 2 original band members! Our job here is done!!!”

Alice Cooper and Motley Crue have never toured together before, and Alice says the tour will be “rock and roll at its most extreme.”

Other topics discussed at the press conference included an upcoming country tribute album, with artists like Florida Georgia Line, Cassidy Pope and LeeAnn Rimes singing Crue songs.

Jeff Tremaine (‘Bad Grandpa’), director of the movie ‘The Dirt,’ based on the autobiography of the band, also spoke about the progress of the film. Right now, they are working on getting the script right. Tremaine says his goal is to begin shooting the movie by June, but did not reveal any details on casting.

As far as their future plans after the tour wraps up, Vince Neil says he’ll continue in music and the restaurant business, Sixx will focus on Sixx A.M. and his radio show, Tommy Lee said he has some “big surprises,” but couldn’t elaborate. Guitarist Mick Mars said he has moved to Nashville and wants to finish up his solo album and write a book.

Green Day's American Idiot musical came to a success

Green Day’s “American Idiot” took the pop culture scene by surprise twice.

When Green Day released the concept album in 2004, it surprised both fans and critics with a storyline that followed the lives of Jesus of Suburbia and St. Jimmy, punk kids facing a choice about how they’ll live their lives — as agents of rage or love.

The album was a massive success, selling more than 15 million copies and scoring four Top 20 singles. It was widely considered a turning point for a band that a few years before was still making scatological jokes.

The second surprise came in 2009, when it was turned into a stage musical that ran for 422 performances on Broadway, won Tony Awards for scenic and lighting design, and won a Grammy for best musical album. It also received Tony and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for best musical.

The punk kids from San Francisco’s Bay Area had clearly grown up.

The musical comes to the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall on Wednesday and Thursday night. Evan Jay Newman, the show’s musical director, said the current production remains true to Green Day’s album.

“We’ve always wanted to hold on to that grit, that energy, and cleaning it up would be detrimental to the vitality of the show,” said Newman, who also plays keyboards in the production. “It’s not necessarily something you usually expect from a Broadway show, but keeping the integrity of that rock ’n’ roll attitude was really important to the creative team.”

“I think it’s something different from what we normally experience in the theater,” said Newman, a stage actor, singer and musician who began working at age 8. “It helps us bring in that Green Day audience that’s so loyal to this album and the band. The show brings in people who are used to a more theatrical performance, but also a group of people that spends all of its time at rock concerts.”

Dave Grohl and Sound City soundtrack wins the 2014 Grammy !

A big congrats to Dave Grohl and the ‘Sound City: Real to Reel’ soundtrack winning the 2014 Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Producer Butch Vig, who oversaw the production for the disc, was on hand to accept the honor.

“Woo! I’ve got to dedicate this to Dave Grohl,” said Vig. “It was really Dave’s vision, enthusiasm and energy that made Sound City come to life. It’s an absolute pleasure working with him everyday. I love you hombre.”

“A big shout to Sam and everyone at Studio 606, our technical crew and the lovely James Brown who made it sound kind of sweet,” added Vig. “Also a shout out to all the incredible musicians we collaborated with on ‘Sound City.’ It was truly a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sound City! Thank you.”

The soundtrack included contributions from members of Foo Fighters, Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor, Rage Against the Machine‘s Brad Wilk, Queens of the Stone Age‘s Joshua Homme, Paul McCartney, Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic and Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor among others.

The soundtrack bested compilations from ‘Django Unchained, ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘Les Miserables (Deluxe Edition)’ and ‘Muscle Shoals.’