Photo: Kane/WireImage

• Aerosmith are still dancing around the idea of a summer tour of the States. They’ve already announced a European trek, and today they added South American dates to their schedule. Check out the list (and another amusing clip of the band) at their official Website.

• The Flaming Lips, Alice in Chains, Earth, Wind and Fire, Limp Bizkit and Jeff Beck are set to rock the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis on April 30th to May 2nd. The full, eccentric lineup is posted on the event’s Website.
• Missing rapper J-Kwon has been found alive and well. The 24-year-old “Tipsy” MC was reported missing by his record label after they hadn’t reached him in a month. He checked in yesterday, HipHopDX reports, but declined to make a public statement.
• After announcing their first tour of the U.S. in 18 years, John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. has confirmed their return to American TV: an April 7th appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Already mastered The Beatles: Rock Band and looking for a new challenge? Harmonix, the makers of Rock Band 2, have launched their new Rock Band Network where indie artists can submit their own music to become downloadable content for the popular music video game. So far roughly 100 songs populate the Rock Band Network, including songs by the Shins, the Hold Steady, KMFDM and guitar virtuoso Steve Vai (good luck playing that on the expert level), but the real draw is the new technology that allows unknown bands to submit their own music for a chance to have their music playable on the Rock Band games. Artists who get their music loaded onto the RBN will receive a 30 percent royalty whenever their tracks sell.

Check out a gallery of rock stars’ video game avatars.

The Rock Band Network isn’t just beneficial to musicians but for indie music fans as well: Hardcore gamers are invited to join the network as a “peer reviewer,” meaning they’ll be able to test out the songs, leave feedback and help shape the final versions that will appear on the Network. New Rock Band Network tracks will debut exclusively on XBox 360 for 30 days before moving on to other consoles. Since its beta launch in January 2010, 4,300 gamers have already signed up for Rock Band Network, which should keep you occupied while you wait for the release of Green Day: Rock Band.

Related Stories:

• “Green Day: Rock Band” Video Game Due in 2010
• “Rock Band Network” to Sell User Tunes as Playable Songs for Game
• “Rock Band” Franchise Exceeds Billion In Sales Before Beatles Game Arrives

Tour dates for the Iron Maiden/Dream Theater run are as follows:

June 9 – Superpages.com Center – Dallas, TX

June 11 -The Woodlands – Houston, TX

June 12 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX

June 14 – Fiddler’s Green – Denver, CO

June 16 – The Pavilion  – Albuquerque, NM

June 17 – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ

June 19 – San Manuel Amphitheatre – San Bernardino, CA

June 20 – Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord, CA

June 22 – White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA

June 24 – General Motors Place – Vancouver, BC

June 26 – Rexall Place – Edmonton, AB

June 29 – Credit Union Centre – Saskatoon, SK

July 3 – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON

July 11 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ

July 12 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

July 14 – Post Gazette Pavilion – Pittsburg, PA

July 15 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH

July 17 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI

July 18 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL

July 20 – Nissan Pavilion – Washington, DC

‘It has no reference to her and [me]. It’s not even a duet,’ Poison frontman says of provocative collaboration.
By Jocelyn Vena

Bret Michaels

Photo: Michael N. Todaro/ Getty Images

We already knew that Miley Cyrus and Bret Michaels were in a mutual fan club, but fans have been taken aback by the provocative nature of their collaboration “Nothin’ to Lose,” which hit the Internet on Thursday. The Poison frontman was quick to defend the ballad, in which the rocker and the teen queen sing about love and sex.

“We both know better than this/ Still we can’t resist/ Slowly get undressed/ Won’t you fall down on me/ So close I can feel you breathe,” they sing in the chorus. But Michaels told UsMagazine.com that he didn’t even take into account the suggestive lyrics when they laid down their vocals. “It’s blown out of proportion,” he said, adding that he had gotten a number of texts about it. “I was like, ‘What the f— is going on?’ Everyone’s going nuts!”

The song, which he said he wrote and recorded years back without Cyrus, got the 17-year-old’s attention while they were recording her cover of his tune “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” for her next album. Michaels said Cyrus’ mother was with them in a New York recording studio when he played “Nothin’ to Lose,” which he says will appear on his album due out in June.

“[Miley's] like, ‘This is an incredible song, it’s beautiful. Maybe I could [add] some stuff to it, some harmonies.’ I said, ‘That’d be killer!’ ” he said. “She was excited that she didn’t have to follow any rules. I never sat down and said, ‘Look at the content. Look at the lyrical content.’

“The part where it says she slowly gets undressed, Miley says, ‘Yeah, she does,’ ” Michaels continued. “It has no reference to her and [me]. It’s not even a duet. As God is my witness, there is nothing I have to be defensive about. I’m a good dad. I just thought it was a beautiful song. ”

What do you think about “Nothin’ to Lose”? Tell us in the comments below!

Related Artists

• Poison
• Miley Cyrus

If you’re a 46-year-old man singing a duet about getting undressed with your female counterpart, it’s probably not the best idea to make your duet partner a 17-year-old girl like Miley Cyrus. However, the 46-year-old man in question is Bret Michaels, and if Rock of Love Bus has taught us anything, it’s that decision-making isn’t one of the bandana-wearing rocker’s strong suits.

Up top is “Nothing to Lose,” on which Michaels sings a saccharine little country tune about makeup that doesn’t hide pain and wearing your heart on your sleeve while Cyrus’ adolescent coos bounce in the background. However, it’s their line together, “Yeah we both know better than this, still we can’t resist slowly get undressed” that’ll likely raise the eyebrows of the To Catch a Predator producers. “Nothing to Lose” indeed, except your possible court case.

Wondering how this team-up came to be? As Rolling Stone reported, Cyrus has recorded a cover of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.”

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil returns with the ultra sleazy hard rocking single “Tattoos & Tequila,” his best solo release since the early 90’s.

The singles hard-living lyrics are mostly captivating and very catchy, particularly in the chorus with lines such as “come on take your clothes off…baby do a sweet dance…show me all your tattoos and drink my tequila.”

“Tattoos & Tequila” is hefty on the percussion with crashing toms in the beginning and pre-choruses.  The crunchy start-stop guitars steer the song through the verses where Neil begins each line of the verses with “I,” the tracks weakest feature.

Neil’s backing band is certainly more powerful than ever providing a blistering guitar solo, plenty of pinch harmonics, and Tommy Lee modeled drums.  There was clearly a lot of production employed on the single as it features layers upon layers of guitars and effects, from wah to talk box, which ultimately steals part of the care-free attitude and crude nature away from the track.

If this tune is any indication of what to expect from the new album as a whole, this could be Vince Neil’s best solo record to date.

Vince Neil is Vince Neil (Vocals), Jeff Blando (Guitars), Dana Strum (Bass), & Zoltan Chaney.

“Tattoos & Tequila” is available for download for free on Vince Neil’s official site vinceneil.net as of today.

The Runaways biopic, starring Twilight’s Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning, melted the snow at its Sundance premiere and hits theaters across the U.S. on March 19th. While fans have gotten a few sneak peeks at the film via its teaser trailers, Rolling Stone now has your exclusive on what songs will feature on the film’s punk rock soundtrack. Since this is a film about the Runaways, the group’s catalog features heavily on the disc, and its track list is split between the original recordings and new versions by Fanning, who plays Cherie Currie, and Stewart, who portrays Joan Jett. Rounding out the album are 1975-era punk anthems by MC5, Nick Gilder, Sex Pistols, David Bowie and more.

That’s the soundtrack artwork up top and it’s pretty sweet, with a literal “cherry bomb” against the backdrop of a well-worn vinyl sleeve. The Runaways soundtrack will be available digitally on March 16th, with a physical release planned for March 23rd. You can pre-order both formats over on the soundtrack’s official Website. Until then, check out the entire Runaways track list below, and be sure to peruse our exclusive photos from the film set:

1. Nick Gilder – “Roxy Roller”
2. Suzi Quatro – “The Wild One”
3. MC5 – “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
4. David Bowie – “Rebel Rebel”
5. Dakota Fanning – “Cherry Bomb”
6. The Runaway – “Hollywood”
7. Dakota Fanning – “California Paradise”
8. The Runaways – “You Drive Me Wild”
9. Dakota Fanning & Kristen Stewart – “Queens Of Noise”
10. Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning – “Dead End Justice”
11. The Stooges – “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
12. The Runaways – “I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are (Live)”
13. Sex Pistols – “Pretty Vacant”
14. Joan Jett – “Don’t Abuse Me”

Related Stories:

• Watch a New “Runaways” Trailer, See Exclusive Photos From the Set
• “The Runaways” Trailer: First Look at Stewart, Fanning in Action
• Lita Ford Returns With “Sexual” LP, Explains Runaways Movie Rift

After months of squabbles and talk of a split between Steven Tyler and the band he’s fronted for four decades, Aerosmith have reconciled and announced a “Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock” summer tour of Europe with a cheeky online video. Winking at the group’s very public troubles, guitarist Joe Perry says, “You know what, the rumors are true … I think.” Tyler replies, “I just auditioned and I got the gig. We’re coming your way and rocking your world. Look out baby, ’cause here we go again!”

Aerosmith in photos: four decades of rockin’ the joint.

As Rolling Stone reported just three weeks ago, Tyler’s attorney threatened legal action against his Aerosmith bandmates if they embarked on a tour with another singer — a real possibility, according to statements from the band indicating they were unwilling to wait for Tyler to rejoin them for more gigs. The band agreed to meet on February 9th to discuss the future of the and, and judging by the high spirits in their tour-announcement video, the group realized they rock harder together than apart. (Brad Whitford is missing from the video, but the Aerosmith site lists him among the members jetting to Europe.)
Photo: Kane/WireImage

After an injury-plagued summer tour in 2009 that prematurely ended when Tyler fell off the stage during an August performance in South Dakota, the band hit the rocks again when he told the press he wanted to spend two years working on his own projects. Unwilling to wait, Perry said the band would recruit a new singer. However, upon signing with new management and entering rehab in December to deal with a prescription pill addiction, Tyler said in a statement, “I wish to set the record straight and say that I have read reports of a rumored two-year hiatus and want to be clear that this is completely false and I will enthusiastically be writing, recording and performing with Aerosmith as soon as things are handled.”

Backstage with Aerosmith: photos from their hometown show.

While Aerosmith were testing out singers like Billy Idol and Paul Rodgers (but not Lenny Kravitz), Tyler was entertaining Home Depot shoppers and karaoke singers with a pair of impromptu performances. But it seems the band’s tumultuous six months have come to an end, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group will retake the stage on June 10th with a performance at Sweden’s Rock Festival.

“Back by popular demand with more spit and fire than ever before, we’re coming across the pond and parting the waters as we go,” Tyler says in a statement on the band’s Aero Smith One site. Adds drummer Joey Kramer, “Aerosmith is back! Bigger, better and stronger than ever! So look out Europe, cuz we’re comin’ to get cha.” And Perry concludes, “Enough BS — we’re coming and everything is going to be set at 11.”

Aerosmith
June 10 – Sweden @ Rock Festival
June 13 – UK @ Download Festival
June 15 – London, UK @ London 02 Arena
June 18 – Bucharest, Romania
June 20 – Athens, Greece @ Olympic Stadium
June 23 – Holland @ Nijmegen Goeffert Park
June 25 – Belgium @ Graspop Festival
June 27 – Barcelona, Spain @ St Jordi Arena
June 29 – Paris, France @ Bercy Arena
July 1 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Prague 02 Arena
July 3 – Venice, Italy @ Venice Festival

Related Stories:

• Aerosmith in Turmoil: Inside the Band’s 40-Year War
• Steven Tyler Threatens Lawsuit If Aerosmith Recruit New Singer
• Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler Enters Rehab, Vows to Stay in Band

The Runaways, the new biopic that tracks the rise and fall of the iconic Seventies girl-punk band, is due next month, but Rolling Stone has an early look at the movie — which stars Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Curie. Check out an exclusive photo of the pair in character above, and more images from the set in our gallery:

• “The Runaways”: Photos From the Set of the Hottest New Rock Biopic

Plus, come back tomorrow when we’ll exclusively reveal the track list for The Runaways soundtrack. Watch the newest trailer for the film, which hits theaters March 19th:

As Rolling Stone previously reported, actress Scout Taylor-Compton plays Lita Ford and Stella Maeve stars as drummer Sandy West in the film. Music video vet Floria Sigismondi directed, and actor Michael Shannon, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Revolutionary Road, will play the role of the Runaways’ producer/songwriter/manager Kim Fowley.

Related Stories:

• Joan Jett Talks Big Hits, Career Blows and Runaways Drama
• Lita Ford Returns With “Sexual” LP, Explains Runaways Movie Rift
• The Runaways’ Sad Song

Photo: Strauss/WireImage
Slash didn’t have trouble finding a host of singers for his upcoming solo album, but the guitarist tells Rolling Stone the hunt for a new Velvet Revolver vocalist is still ongoing — and once he finishes touring behind his own record, tracking down a new frontperson is a priority. “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,” he says. “We did listen to a lot of singers, but there hasn’t been anybody that’s going to be the guy so far.”

Though a few big-name singers have offered themselves up for the job — including Slipknot’s Corey Taylor — Slash doesn’t think the new vocalist will be somebody as famous as original frontman Scott Weiland. “It’s really hard to do something with a voice that’s already really well known in an original band,” he says. “We want someone who is really good that hasn’t been recognized by the whole country as being amazing, but somebody who is just on the precipice of just being discovered.”

Slash also says the new singer will likely be easier to work with than Axl Rose and Weiland — two of the most famously volatile frontmen in rock history. “To give credit where credit is due, those are two of the most talented fucking rock & roll personalities and singers in the world,” he says. “It’s something about my personality that sees the good in everybody and fucking loves a challenge, likes the chaos and all that. I have no real regrets about working with either of them, but sometimes it was difficult to succeed.”

Related Stories:

• Slash on Recording With Ozzy and Lemmy, Plans for Summer Tour
• Slipknot’s Corey Taylor Admits He Tried to Sing for Velvet Revolver
• Velvet Revolver at “Standstill”: Slash Talks Weiland, Singer Search