(sorta) Idol News

American Idol powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson is joining the original guys of Evanescence, who are relaunching as a hard-rock band called The Fallen.

OMG a Famous Person Twittered Me!

After learning that Jake Shears (lead singer, Scissor Sisters) was on Twitter, I immediately began following him. I Tweeted that I was excited to learn he was on Twitter and that the Sisters were one of my all-time fave groups AND that I couldn't wait for a new album.

Tonight... he Twittered me (yes me! personally!!!!) and said the new album is "coming soon."

Between a famous person Twittering me and learning the Sisters are coming out with a new album soon, I think I might faint.

I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

Shred It!

So yeah, I want this shirt so I can wear it while playing the new Aerosmith edition of Guitar Hero. Which I've pre-ordered. Because I'm a huge dork.

Holy Crap!

This dude really does sound like Steve Perry!

Did Someone Say Chickenfoot?

Sammy Hagar is excited about his new supergroup, Chickenfoot, so much so that he says the band "could rival Zep."

Comprised of acclaimed guitarist Joe Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers's drummer Chad Smith, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and Hagar, Chickenfoot have written "around eight or nine songs so far" and are due to enter the recording studio in September..

"When people hear the music, it's Led Zeppelin," Hagar enthuses. "I know that's a bold statement, but it's as good as that." The Red Rocker then compares the group to another musical entity, one he has had some experience with: "It's ten times Van Halen, because it's functional - we all like each other."

For his part, Joe Satriani is jazzed about the project but is less hyperbolic than Cabo man Hagar: "We're having a very fun time. For years now I've wanted to do something with a real vocalist and a real band, and I came close a few times but nothing really panned out. This time is different. What I'm doing with Sammy and the rest of the guys feels right. We get together, we have a lot of laughs, and great things happen musically. I'm thrilled, and I can't wait to get our ideas recorded."

Personal Man-Servant (kinda)

Mac OS X only: Free, open source application Pandora Boy pulls the popular streaming internet radio site Pandora out of your browser and integrates it with your Mac desktop. With features like global hotkeys, support for your Apple Remote, and even integration with Growl, PandoraBoy looks to be the ultimate Pandora companion for OS X. PandoraBoy is free, Mac OS X only. Windows users looking for a similar solution, check out PandoraBrowse or our bevy of other ways to get more from Pandora.

Stevie Nicks

In case you need a little Gold Dust Woman... here's her tour schedule:

June
5 - Biloxi, Miss. @ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
7 - Hollywood, Fl. @ Hard Rock Café Seminole
8 - Tampa, Fl. @ Ford Amphitheatre – Florida State Fairgrounds
10 - Alpharetta, Ga. @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
13 - St. Louis, Mo. @ Chaifetz Arena
14 - Chicago, Ill. @ Charter One Pavilion
15 - Clarkston, Mich. @ DTE Energy Music Center
18 - Orilla, Ontario @ Casino Rama
20 - Atlantic City, N.J. @ Borgata Hotel
21 - Atlantic City, N.J. @ Borgata Hotel
22 - Boston, Mass. @ Bank of America Pavilion
25 - Toledo, Ohio @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre
26 - Cincinnati, Ohio @ National City Pavilion
28 - Wantagh, N.Y. @ Jones Beach Amphitheater
29 - Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center

Van Halen Update

Newly rescheduled tour dates:

Van Halen's spring tour dates:
Apr 19: Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay Events Center)
Apr 22: Cincinnati (U.S. Bank Arena)
Apr 24: Dallas (American Airlines Center)
Apr 26: St Louis (Scottrade Center)
Apr 28: Milwaukee (Bradley Center)
Apr 30: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
May 02: Charlottesville, Va. (John Paul Jones Arena)
May 05: Raleigh, N.C. (RBC Center)
May 07: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)
May 09: Atlantic City, (N.J. Boardwalk Hall)
May 11: Duluth, Ga. (Gwinnett Arena)
May 13: East Rutherford, N.J. (Izod Center)
May 15: Baltimore, Md. (1st Mariner Arena)
May 18: Hershey, Pa. (Giant Center)
May 20: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
May 23: New York (Madison Square Garden)
May 25: Providence, R.I. (Dunkin Donuts Center)
May 28: Manchester, N.H. (Verizon Wireless Arena)
May 30: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
June 2: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Van Andel Arena)

Dream Come True

Sheryl Crow says she'll soon be singing with Fleetwood Mac, a move sure to give new life to the classic rock band, which hasn't toured in several years.

"I don't want to make any official announcements, but I will say that we definitely have plans for collaborating in the future, and we'll see what happens," Crow told the AOL music Web site Spinner.com in a story posted Thursday. The 46-year-old singer didn't give a date, but said it could happen next year.

Rock This Way......

Hey Guitar Hero fans.... good news is afoot!

"Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" will arrive in stores this summer. The game will feature about 30 Aerosmith songs as well as others from various acts that have opened for the band.

Note to self: stock up on Jack, scarves and lycra pants.

Game On

On again, off again Van Halen tour is now sounding back on! Billboard is reporting a fall area tour is in the works.

I for one am keeping my fingers crossed. Again.

Fast & Cheap

Trouble getting onto the AllOfMP3 website? Try this instead.

If you were already a member of AllOfMP3, just type in your username and password onto their new site and PRESTO! let the downloading begin!

Music Madness

This has just been The Best Week Ever for music. First Joss Stone, now I've discovered two other artists I am totally in love with. You must check out Mika and Paolo Nutini. Head over to iTunes to listen to them.

Mika is like Scissor Sisters crossed with Freddy Mercury. I totally am not kidding. I am beside myself with joy!

Paolo's most recognizable song is "New Shoes". How can you go wrong there?

Joss Stone

Love. Love. Love her new album, "Introducing Joss Stone". Get it today.

VH News

The dysfunctional family known as Van Halen is reuniting for a 40-city summer tour featuring crazy Diamond Dave. I kinda hope they'll be passing by my area so I can check them out. Would love to compare Sammy vs. Dave.