• Kanye West Surprises SXSW With Common
• Metallica Pound SXSW at “Secret” Show
• Eminem, Page, Flea To Present at Rock Hall
• Jonas Brothers Talk New Album, World Tour
• Metallica Talk Guitar Hero, Sound Quality
• Neil Young Trunk Show Debuts at SXSW
• Juliette & the New Romantiques Rock SXSW
• Devo Debut New Tunes at SXSW Gig
• Jane’s Addiction Rock Early Catalog at SXSW
• Random Notes: Clapton, Winehouse
• Silversun Pickups, St. Vincent Impress SXSW
• Jane’s Addiction, NIN Drop New Songs on EP
• Weinberg’s Son To Drum on Springsteen Tour
• Dylan and Nelson To Join Mellencamp Tour?
• Brody Dalle on Spinnerette, Distillers, Homme
• Weekend Rock List: Animal Songs
• Simon & Garfunkel To Tour New Zealand?
• Chairlift, Soft Pack Lead SXSW Indie Invasion
• News Ticker: American Idol, Mary J. Blige
• Big Boi Talks Solo Album, OutKast at SXSW
• Peter Bjorn and John Play New Song at SXSW

Top stories from the last three days:

• Decemberists Premiere Hazards at SXSW
• SXSW: Punk Legends Circle Jerks
• On the Travers Take: I Love You Man
• SXSW: Janelle Monae, Ladyhawke
• SXSW: Rising MC Charles Hamilton
• Live Nation Questioned Over $6 Parking
• Behind The Music Back With Wayne, Weiland
• Dave Grohl Talks U2, LSD At Jon Brion Show
• AI: Alexis Grace Booted
• Phish Ticket Glitch Strikes Red Rocks Gigs
• Gossip Girl: Behind the New Cover
• Photos: Secret History of Stones and Beatles
• Kanye Charged With Three Misdemeanors
• Spears Gets Restraining Order Against Ghalib
• Springsteen, Vedder Celebrate Seeger’s 90th

Scroll down for full news stories, commentary and much more in Rock Daily.

Rolling Stone’s Saturday afternoon showcase at Peckerheads went from a sweaty affair to a sweltering one as singer-actress Juliette Lewis hit the stage with her new band, the New Romantiques, to run through material from her upcoming disc, Terra Incognita. As Lewis told RS backstage, she wanted to step out from behind the power riffs of her previous band, the Licks, and embrace a sound where guitars were more of an atmospheric backdrop for songs teaming with raw emotion. (The Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez-Lopez became her collaborator after the two met at a festival and talked Fellini films). “Holy shit, I feel like we’re in my living room,” she exclaimed after ending her opening song, a dark and mysterious number, with a piercingly epic note. “In the closet of my soul.”

(For photos live from SXSW, check out our gallery.)

Lewis stalked the front of the stage in sequined stockings and a beaded black dress adorned with feathered wings on her shoulders, her eyes closing as she fell into a trancey zone. She busted out a gut-wrenching blues song (”Hard-Loving Woman”), and concluded with the David Bowie-esque “Suicide Divebombers,” which swirled around the refrain “The past is dead.” After showing off how her elastic voice can stretch to accommodate songs that conjure Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, Lewis may just be leaving any preconceived notions about how seriously she takes her music in the past, too. (more…)

Director Jonathan Demme was on hand at SXSW for the world premiere of his concert film, Neil Young Trunk Show. The film is an intimate look at Young’s stage show, recorded in a small theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on mostly hand-held cameras. “We did a home movie in a way,” said Demme to a Saturday afternoon crowd in Austin’s Paramount Theatre. “We did it all ourselves.”

The Oscar-award winning director (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia) said the film was a “reaction” to his 2006 Neil Young concert doc Heart Of Gold. Whereas Heart Of Gold was a meticulous tangle of editing and forethought, Trunk Show was filmed on a whim, aiming to find truth and heart with a more spontaneous approach. Says Demme, “We didn’t plan anything. This was the easiest film in the world to make.” Over a dozen Young tracks were shot in high-definition and a few were given a more expressionist, grainy feel. A warts-and-all approach catches all the ephemera Young spread across the stage for this tour (telephones, a tiny guitar shop, a pirate flag), as well as the heating pipes, stage lights, wires, cameramen and industrial fans helping power the Tower Theatre gig. A look backstage even catches a doctor looking at one of Young’s troublesome fingernails. (more…)

Kanye West made a not-so-secret SXSW appearance at the Levi’s/Fader Fort on Saturday night, turning a label showcase for his G.O.O.D. Records imprint into a cohesive, star-studded, two-hour event. Special guests like Common, Erykah Badu, Fonzworth Bentley and 88 Keys all showed up to support. Although West did break out tons of hits (”Heartless,” “Diamonds Are Forever,” “Good Life”), he was clearly playing the role of an enthusiastic label manager. He told a long story about how he signed rapper Big Sean, said Canadian Sting soundalike Mr. Hudson will be playing 50,000-seat stadiums, and was sure to mention that he’s back in the studio with Common. People looking for West’s classic ego trips would have to wait for the next show — save maybe the defensive retort, “I do do my own blogs.”

(For photos live from SXSW, check out our gallery.)

West emerged at the top of the set wearing an outfit more in tune with one of the underground metal shows at Red 7: a gold bullet necklace, black sunglasses and a sleeveless denim vest. After his seven-piece band slayed a decidedly heavy version of 808s and Heartbreak’s “Amazing,” West stayed onstage as his label roster cycled through their latest singles and their Kanye catalog guest spots. Longtime G.O.O.D. rapper Consequence was there for 2005’s “Gone,” GLC helped out with 2004’s “Spaceship” and Really Doe was there for “We Major.” Embracing the family atmosphere, these four rappers ducked in and out of songs, finishing each others’ lines. When they went solo, like for Big Sean’s latest single “Getcha Some,” West watched from the wings like a proud father. Although West might have been too relaxed around his family, as he regularly forgot the words to his own songs. “Crack Music” ended prematurely (”That’s all I remember!”) and his “Diamonds Are Forever” turned a fumble into a freestyle (”South by Southwest… It comes off the top and it feels the best”). (more…)

Opening Metallica’s not-so-secret SXSW surprise show Friday night, Los Angeles buzz band Silversun Pickups had the gig of a lifetime. And they knew it: drummer Chris Guanlao couldn’t resist taking a snap of the crowd with his digital camera. Winning over approximately 2,000 very antsy Metallica fans is no easy task — especially for a band whose sound is rooted in mid-’90s alternative rock. “It’s coming, I promise,” said frontman Brian Aubert to the salivating Metallica fans parked at the front of the stage. “The Spin Doctors are coming.” With a fuzzy, glowing sound like a meanderthal version of Smashing Pumpkins, the Pickups won over the crowd almost instantly — cheers after the first song and a few pumped fists by the end. When they kicked into the raucous conclusion of “Lazy Eye,” the big single from their debut Carnavas, it became clear how the band’s new album keeps the power cranking nonstop. (Check out some of Silversun’s set, above.)

(For more photos live from SXSW, check out our gallery.)

Earlier in the day, America’s most prolific riff merchants, the Hold Steady, kicked off their Club DeVille’s set with Separation Sunday’s “Hornets! Hornets!,” before launching into “Sequestered in Memphis,” from their latest album, Stay Positive. The small stage didn’t provide the gregarious Craig Finn a lot of room to spazz out, but he did his best with what he had, flailing his arms and holding up his hands beside his head like an indie-rock Richard Nixon. (more…)

A week before James Hetfield and Co. are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the metal icons’ Guitar Hero: Metallica video game hits stores, on March 29th. The new addition to the GH franchise boasts 28 controller-shredding songs taken from Metallica’s voluminous catalog as well as band-approved acts including Motorhead, Slayer and Mastodon (check out our sneak preview here!). Rolling Stone sat down with frontman James Hetfield at SXSW a few hours before Metallica’s epic “surprise” show to find out how he likes his pixellated persona, whether he thinks Death Magnetic sounds better on video game or record and if he believes encouraging kids to pick up plastic instruments is hurting their chances of learning real ones.

Which member of Metallica is the best at playing Guitar Hero?
Oh, I don’t know. I think we’re all equally bad.

As a guitarist, how are you at using the guitar controller?
The initial thought was, “This is gonna be so easy.” And then I picked it up and tried doing it. And it was like [makes plunking sound]. “Are you kidding me? You guys suck! You’re supposed to follow me!” I gotta be on with the lines. And Metallica’s not as on with the lines as some other bands. Especially having Lars as a drummer [Laughs].

How do you feel about the criticism that games like Guitar Hero are keeping a generation of kids from picking up actual guitars?
That’s an interesting backlash. I think Guitar Hero is a great gateway drug to real music. If you’ve got the music bug, nothing’s gonna stop you. It’s your destiny to express your gift. (more…)

Photograph by Brian Birzer

A much-hyped show at Austin Music Hall was the second performance from recently reinvigorated new-wavers Devo since plans to release their first studio album in 19 years. A band that built their career on questioning traditions — musical, social and otherwise — Devo refused to lure in the crowd with familiar fare, instead opening with a slew of brand new songs and lesser-known hits. The three new songs — “Don’t Shoot, I’m A Man,” “Fresh” and “What We Do” — hinted at what the new Devo album might sound like: heavy robo-guitars, very limited modern synths and pulsing beats that are more machine-man than man-machine; especially since drummer Josh Freese gives everything the unique heft he lends to bands like A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails.

(For more photos of Devo and other SXSW performers, check out our gallery.)

Devo’s stiff movements and matching jumpsuits have always scoffed the idea of “stage presence,” but the visuals for this show mocked it. Using tiny cameras posted everywhere and a giant LCD display the size of a movie screen, Devo rebroadcasted themselves 30 feet high in the most unflattering angles possible. Microphone cameras shot directly up their noses, cameras pointing upwards from the floor made them look chubby and distorted. Thought as one concession to stardom, the band still performed their crossover smash, “Whip It” #8212; albeit buried in the middle of the set. (more…)

“Surprise, surprise — you’re all surprised, right?” singer-guitarist James Hetfield cracked in his sea-captain’s growl, leering at the heaving crowd two songs into Metallica’s poorly-kept-secret SXSW show, March 20th at Stubb’s. “Thank you for letting us come to your party.” Then his voice changed. “We are an unsigned band from Norway,” he said in a terrible Scandanavian accent and Andy Kaufman-like chirp. “Maybe we get signed.” Any unsigned Norwegian band that could write and play anything as smart and brutal as Metallica’s next song, “Harvester of Sorrow,” would have been signed before it left the building.

(For more photos of Metallica and other SXSW performers, check out our gallery.)

So you ask: Why Metallica at SXSW? The answer: Why the hell not? SXSW stopped being only about alternative rock and regional baby bands when superstars started giving the keynote speeches and the acts playing corporate-sponsor day parties outnumbered the evening showcases. Metallica were at SXSW to sell their imminent edition of the interactive video game Guitar Hero. But they ended up proving something else: You don’t get anywhere in this world, with a guitar, in a band, until you get off the couch.

The promotion was in full effect — Metallica played in front of a giant Guitar Hero banner, and one of the opening acts was a trio of local Guitar Hero contest winners, who “played” a version of “Fuel” on Guitar Hero “instruments.” But the real deal came to perform, opening with “Creeping Death” and, except for two Death Magnetic numbers, giving the audience 90 minutes of greatest hits, including “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “One,” “Sad But True” and a scorched-earth tear through “Master of Puppets.” There was, surprisingly, no “Enter Sandman.” Instead, Metallica ended the set with a rare “Blackened” from … And Justice for All and started the three-song encore with their Garage Days-EP roasting of Budgie’s “Breadfan.” (more…)

Photo: Loccisano/Getty

Eric Clapton finally made good on a long-anticipated appearance with the Allman Brothers this week at the blues-rock legends’ annual residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Clapton jammed with the Allmans on “Key to the Highway,” “Layla,” “Little Wing” and more at a show that doubled as a tribute to founding guitarist Duane Allman (who appeared with Clapton on the classic 1970 Derek & the Dominos record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs).

The rest of the music universe was focused on Austin, Texas, and the South by Southwest festival, where a reunited Jane’s Addiction turned in a hot, swaggery set. Check out photos of Jane’s and Clapton as well as a reunited Fleetwood Mac, Mötley Crüe’s naughty nurses, Coldplay’s Chris Martin hanging with the Wiggles, and more:

• Random Notes: Eric Clapton, Jane’s Addiction, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna and the Week in Rock

Photograph by Terry Richardson

• TV’s sexiest drama and cult hit Gossip Girl made its way onto Rolling Stone with a scorching cover by photographer-provocateur Terry Richardson. We went behind the scenes of the cast photo shoot, hung out with Leighton Meester and Blake Lively while they posed for the cover and got all the juicy details from the GG set. Click here to get your Gossip Girl fix.
• Jane’s Addiction, Big Boi, Circle Jerks and Peter Bjorn and John are just some of the acts Rock Daily has seen since arriving in Austin for SXSW. With an amazing weekend full of marquee names and promising indie acts still ahead, be sure to keep it pasted to our complete festival coverage all weekend long.
• It was a busy week for Bob Dylan: The rock legend was first named a headliner at this year’s Rothbury Festival, then he revealed his next album Together Through Life would be out April 28th, and just today rumors of a Dylan-Mellencamp-Willie Nelson tour began circulating. All this news is so dizzying, we haven’t even had time to analyze the new album cover.
• Want the inside scoop on new albums from Eminem, the Flaming Lips, Wilco, Lil Wayne, Neil Young and many more? Be sure to check out our Spring Music Preview for the lowdown on the biggest releases in the coming months.

Photo: West/WireImage

With the Jonas Brothers on the verge of embarking on their first world tour, the trio recently held a conference call to discuss their new concert arrangement, their Monkees-inspired JONAS television show and their new June album. “The tour will be in-the-round,” Nick Jonas tells Rock Daily about the arena shows that will plant the band at center court. “We’ve always talked about wanting to do a tour like that, and this has been our first opportunity. It’s a way for us to really connect with our fans.” The tour will kick off this Sunday, March 22nd, with a show in the Bahamas, after which the JoBros will invade South America, before returning to North America and then heading to Europe.

In our Spring Music Preview, Nick Jonas explained to Rolling Stone the origins of the title of their fourth album Lines, Vines and Trying Times, due out June 15th. “Lines are something that someone feeds you, vines are the things that get in the way, and trying times — well, that’s obvious,” Nick said. (Despite these “trying times,” top-tier JoBros ticket prices have leapt to $89.50 from $49.50 last year.)

Nick hinted at his current influences, mentioning Elvis Costello six times, and Prince four, during the call. (more…)

Photo: Kravitz/FilmMagic

When VH1 revealed that Behind the Music was returning with episodes dedicated to Lil Wayne and Scott Weiland, we asked our readers what musicians they thought should get the BTM treatment. Jane’s Addiction, Ryan Adams, Radiohead, the Misfits and Jeff Buckley were all popular suggestions, but it was our old friend Anonymous who not only broke down every BTM narrative ever, but also recommended the best episode:

“Behind the music has a formula:

band starts from nothing and struggles. band hits it big. all the money brings drugs and women. band hits it BIGGER. drugs destroy members of the band, someone dies, someone leaves the band. Band continues on a rocky road. Band breaks up.

Band reforms, with members missing and look toward the future, sober and ready to rock.
sounds like… (more…)

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Because we’re still in SXSW checking out bands like Grizzly Bear and Ladyhawke, because the Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan Wolverines are getting their March Madness on, and because the readers liked last week’s Rock List: Animal Bands so much, by special request this weekend’s subject will be Animal Songs. Tell us your favorite tracks that have some sort of creature in the title, and on Monday we’ll count up the picks and reveal the winner of this zoo. And because we’ve already done a Bird Songs list, feathered species don’t count. Here are our favorites: (more…)

From 1969-1970 Hugh Hefner hosted Playboy After Dark on CBS, a talk show shot in the middle of what was supposed to be an average evening at his swingin’ pad. Hef would invite celebrities and thinkers to hobnob with bunnies and musical acts: James Brown, Deep Purple, Ike & Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye and the Byrds are among those that performed. This clip opens with Hef, dapper in his tuxedo, talking with a serape-wearing Jerry Garcia — who is apparently in the middle of telling a story about facing off some assailants “armed to the teeth with buck-knives.” Hef cuts him off to begin a stilted interview, which Garcia opts not to take seriously.

Garcia then leads the Grateful Dead through takes of “Mountains of the Moon” (sounding dated today) and “St. Stephen” (which has fared better) as the beautiful Playboy people dance stiffly. One apocryphal-sounding legend from the session has it that members of the band’s entourage slipped some acid into the studio’s coffee. Unlikely, perhaps. But it certainly appears that the sober folks in this clip are drastically outnumbered. And Garcia’s poncho alone is enough to trigger a flashback 40 years later.

A slew of indie-rock next-big-things used Thursday night performances at SXSW as a platform to further fuel the hype machine. California art-dance mutant Nite Jewel has been making waves this year with her mix of ’80s freestyle grooves, distorted synths and ghostly vocals. At Red 7 she wanted to make sure everyone knew she didn’t care about their opinions or, for that matter, anything. She looked as cold and impenetrable as possible in a gray T-shirt, a face-obscuring haircut, and a chilly demeanor — at one point she even put on sunglasses. But no amount of impersonal affects could take the wind out the impossibly lush grooves she was culling from small keyboards.

(Check out photos from Austin’s hottest shows in our SXSW gallery.)

Brooklyn lo-fi jangle-punk band Crystal Stilts hit the stage after and tried to keep things more upbeat, with keyboardist Kyle Forester taking requests from the full-capacity audience and running in place as he played. But no amount of levity could take away from the smug posturing of lead singer Brad Hargett, whose affectations wavered somewhere between Joy Division’s Ian Curtis and someone about to throw up. The member were a pretty unique mixture of sass and snark, but then again, the band’s music is itself an interesting mix of prickly noise and cuddly pop.

A similar juxtaposition was going on around the corner at Emo’s by Boston’s much-hyped Wild Light. The four dudes, dressed in black, sounded like the Cure but played like the Clash. They were dwelling in the moody hooks of mid-’80s college rock, and worked up quite a sweat, even getting the audience to clap along to some of their more anthemic parts. (more…)