Filming has begun on the biographical account of the tumultuous rise to fame of the all-girl 70’s rock group, The Runaways. The movie is based on stories within original lead-singer Cherie Currie’s book ‘Neon Angel’ which is basically a collection of her experiences as a rock-star.

The Runaways were founded by rhythm guitarist, Joan Jett, and drummer, Sandy West after individually attracting the attention of producer Kim Fowley. The lineup was completed when they added Lita Ford on lead guitar, Cherie Currie on Vocals and Jackie Fox on bass. The band was signed to Mercury Records in 1976 and releases their self-titled debut shortly after.

After opening for bands such as Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, The Ramones and Van Halen, The Runaways released their second album in 1977. Queens of Noise was a considerable success and the band soon found themselves on a world tour. The band experienced a frenzied response in Japan where all of their shows sold out.

Shortly after that tour, both Jackie Fox and Cherie Currie would leave the band. In response, Joan Jett took over vocal duties and Vicki Bleu stepped in on the bass. Look for the movie to be release sometime in 2010.

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It has been reported that legendary giutarist Eddie Van Halen is on the mend after undergoing surgery on his crucially important left hand. According to Van Halen, himself, the guitarist began to experience pain in his thumb and pinky finger towards the end of his band’s most recent tour. The pain got progressively worse until, about three months ago, both digits locked up completely and he was unable to play guitar at all.

In fear of losing his legendary prowess on the six-string, Van Halen consulted hand specialists in Germany who, at first, began treating him for what was perceived to be severe arthritis. However, further examinations soon revealed that the musician was actually suffering from a bone spur, a twisted tendon and a small cyst in the joint of the affected thumb.

Van Halen was alarmed when his doctors informed him that the only way to cure the condition was to perform surgery on the damaged thumb. Luckily, the surgery was performed successfully and the guitarist is recovering at home. In fact, it is reported that he has already regained his reach and the ability to spread his hand out completely. The total rehabilitation is expected to last 4-6 months, after which time, Van Halen is expected to have no problems playing with his usual bravado and intensity.

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On October 29th and 30th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a pair of star-studded shows at Madison Square Garden. The likes of U2, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Metallica will all perform sets over the course of the two-night stand.

All of these performers are also inductees into the hall with several of the shows featuring guest performances by many collaborating musicians. Rolling Stone magazine reported that Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin would be fronting a classic soul revue backed up by Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra.

General-public tickets will go on sale August 3rd, but chief sponsor American Express is offering cardholders an extravegant presale from July 27th to August 2nd, with VIP packages ranging from $750 to $100,000. HBO will be showing a a special featuring highlights from the two-night show.

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Back in 1994, G. Love and Special Sauce released its self-titled debut LP to very little critical fanfare. However, the album almost went gold on the merits of the song “Cold Beverage”, which wound up in heavy rotation on MTV. The band has since gone on to record six more albums together and is currently signed to Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. However, it is the belief of this blogger that the band’s first album represents its best creative effort and is largely overlooked as a seminal album of its time.

There is a fleeting rawness to this album; the kind of energy that is often evident in the fevered buzz of rehearsal sessions when the absence of expectation allows a certain swagger to emerge. That comfort is evident as the album begins with “The Things That I Used To Do”, as the fluid bass roll of Jimi Prescott synchs up effortlesly with the limber tautness of Jeffrey Clemens’ drums. Garret Dutton(G. Love) garnishes the infectious rhythm with peppered chords, placed with a pronounced lag that is perfectly on time. And then come the vocals; an affected philadelphian lilt that is at once a lazy hommage to the blues greats and an open channel to the emerging hip-hop sounds of the day.

It is the combination of these elements and the captured energy of the sessions that really define this album as a seemingly overlooked nexus in the great musical continuum. Many reviews simply passed the recording off as a half-hearted attempt at hip-hop, completely missing the classic simplicity, the blatant respects being paid to the blues genre. From the Lou Reed inflected riffs of “Blues Music” to the lazy sliding bass of “Eyes Have Miles”, these songs suggest all of the classic blues progressions and phrasings without making the mistake of falling into a cliched regurgitation. Instead, Dutton flattens his vocal delivery, imbuing it with all of the attitude and character without running up and down those hexatonic blues scales. But, as you listen, you can hear those classic vocals singing along to the snycopated hip-hop delivery and therein lies the perhaps involuntary genius of this record; the ability to reveal the derivative without stating forthright.

Still, it’s the drum-tight rhythm of this trio that makes this album move and gives it its irrepressible energy. Take a listen to “Rhyme For The Summertime” or “Walk To Slide” and follow the tight grooves as they breathe with ease while providing the perfect platform for Dutton’s deft lyricism; a heady mix of descriptive city-scapes, neighborhood characters and busted summer love affairs.

And yet, amidst all of this effortless interpretation of groove and feel, the album also gives a glimpse into what would become the future trajectory of the band. “This Ain’t Living” represents a more structured attempt at song-writing and a melodic chorus that foretells the slicker and more instrumentally full sound that the band would find on albums like Yeah, It’s That Easy, Philadelphonic and Electric Mile. These days, the band can still be seen tearing it up with their energetic live show. Follow their progress and check out all of their tour stops here.

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On Monday, Wolfmother announced that it has scheduled six shows in support of the Killers’ upcoming North American tour. Click here for a complete list of the dates. The announcement of these dates comes as Wolfmother has finished work on its long awaited follow-up to its Grammy Award winning self-titled debut.

The four-piece recently dropped the teaser track “Back Round” on iTunes and their Myspace page. Judging by the half-minute of music provided, the band has continued to blast ahead with the same throwback nu-vintage sound that catapulted them into the limelight with the instant hit “Woman”.

The new album is called Cosmic Egg and is due in stores sometime this fall. Led by the powerful guitar and commandingly high-pitched vocals of frontman Andrew Stockdale, it took the band three years to cook up and perfect the songs that appear on the upcoming release. Having teamed up with UK producer Alan Moulder, the album promises to impress with a brand new batch of hard-driving, relentless hard-rocking tunes. Stay tuned to The Rock Dose for an upcoming full album review.

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U2 have revealed the video for the third single of off their No Line on the Horizon album. The video features some incredible animation while the band itself does not actually appear. The video’s animation comes courtesy of David O’Reilly, who’s previous work includes Son of Rambow and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As it is explained on the official U2  YouTube page, the characters in the video realize they are living empty lives and all “decide to make changes in their lives”.

In the midst of their 360 Tour, the band is currently making its way through a series of European dates to be followed a few weeks later by the North American leg of the tour when the band plays Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sept. 12th. So far, the tour has featured the band’s innovative stage design that some fans are calling “The Claw”. Other highlights have included both a Michael Jackson tribute and a live feed to astronauts who are currently orbiting the earth on a space station. You can follow along with the tour at @U2_360Tour, the bands new Twitter account.

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If there has been one constant in the musical path of Wilco it’s been constant change. Since the band’s formation in 1994, only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remain from the original line-up. The band has not changed players since 2006’s Sky Blue Sky, with guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche rounding out the current roster.

With that said, Wilco (The Album) does contain many of the same sonic qualities that fans have come to recognize as constants throughout the bands experimental trajectory. The album starts with peals of feedback sustain over top a driving progression and gives a way to what could be considered a classic Tweedy vocal melody: both conversational and somewhat subdued. The punchy pluck of “Wilco (The Song)” gives way to the wistful tone of “Deeper Down”, a song which shows off Tweedy’s talent for writing emotional melodies.

The haunting and soaring textures provided by Cline are present, and as usual, provide beautiful melodic counterpoints to Tweedy’s vocal lines. This is especially true in songs like “Deeper Down”, with Cline’s guitar tracing chilling arcs of sliding tone throughout; and in “One Wing”, as the shimmering tremolo provides a pang of nostalgia to a song full of regret and goodbyes.

“Bull Black Nova” begins with a jumpy staccato progression that brings up memories of “Spiders(Kidsmoke)” from A Ghost Is Born and contains some clever guitar interplay. Unfortunately, Tweedy’s vocals in this song feel forced in an attempt to match the tension and atmosphere created by the guitars. This track might have done better as an instrumental. Thankfully, “You and I” features the beautiful vocal talents of Feist and some of Tweedy’s penchant for love songs. The two voices mate nicely, and the song carries a sunny disposition.

At this point in the album, most of the remaining songs seem to get lost between too much restraint and too much sonic nostalgia. Tweedy seems to be holding back on too many occasions with the prime example of this being “Country Disappeared”, a song in which Tweedy evokes a mildly depressive tone of reservation. However, there are some beautiful moments in the folky “Solitaire”, as Cline’s guitars compliment a simple vocal and some of Tweedy’s most poignant lyrics on the album as he pines: “I was wrong to believe in me . . . only”. With the pentultimate offering, “Sonny Feeling”, Tweedy provides a spirited vocal performance in a song that benefits from some great slide and space-chunk guitar by Cline.

Overall, the album is slightly underwhelming and suffers, at times, from the same overly-cautious restraint that was characteristic in parts of Sky Blue Sky. However, there are definitely some great songs here, and as usual, Cline’s guitars are a major highlight. Definitely worth a listen, if only for the handful of good songs mentioned in this review.

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Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys surprised and saddened the music world on Monday, when he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, he also communicated that his prognosis is positive and that he should make a complete recovery after surgery and several months of treatment. As a result of Yauch’s illness, the Beastie Boys have canceled a number of upcoming concert dates and have delayed the release of their upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee, Part 1. The forthcoming album represents the eight studio release in the group’s discography and will be the first release since 2007’s The Mix-Up.

One of the dates canceled in light of this unfortunate news was the band’s upcoming headlining slot at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. When the festival announced performance times on its website on Monday, it was revealed that Kings of Leon would be filling for the Beastie Boys.

In the middle of an extensive tour in support of their latest album,  Kings of Leon have seen enormous success as of late, with Only By The Night selling nearly 2 million copies at the time of this post.

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Early this morning, radio stations across the US premiered “The Fixer”; the first single off of Pearl Jam’s upcoming release, Backspacer. For those unable to tune into their local radio station, the band is streaming the new single on its Ten Club Myspace page. The upcoming album will be the band’s ninth studio effort and the first since 2006’s Pearl Jam. Although the last album received critical acclaim and has sold enough units to grant it “gold” certification, many long-time fans voiced their wishes for a return to Pearl Jam’s old days, when albums like Ten, VS, and Vitalogy gave the band the hard-edged, progressive reputation that has defined its success.

On June 1st, the band performed “Got Some”, another song off of the upcoming Backspacer album, on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. In comparison, “The Fixer” is far more laid-back and radio-friendly than the gritty punk growl of “Got Some”. Indeed, after several listens to the new single, it bears significant resemblance to the polished production values found on the 2006 self-titled release, with the closest match being the anthemic “Unemployable”.

Despite the broad spectrum of opinions the new release is bound to evoke, the band still regularly sells out venues across North America and Europe. Pearl Jam will be hitting the road in support of Backspacer starting on August 8th at Calgary Alberta’s Virgin Fest. View a complete list of tour dates here, and stay tuned to The Rock Dose for a full review of the new album which is due for tentative release on Sept 22nd.

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After using The White Stripes to reveal himself as one of this generation’s pre-eminent rock n’ roll gods, Jack White tried on his prog-rock shoes with his first side project, The Raconteurs. Having enjoyed the continued accolades brought on by another project featuring both his considerable guitar talents and hauntingly powerful vocals, White has decided to change gears all together with his latest project, The Dead Weather.

The new band boasts a powerful lineup, featuring two of White’s co-Raconteurs, Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita, on the bass and guitar, respectively, and Alison Mosshart of the Kills taking on lead vocal duties. In a surprising turn, White takes his position behind the drum kit, seemingly intrigued by the opportunity to experience a different perspective. Upon listening to the band’s debut album, Horehound, it becomes immediately clear that despite what appears to be a move away from the spotlight,White is very much in control and very much the primary creative force within this new project.

The album’s opening track, “60 Feet Tall”, features Mossharts slinky yet powerful vocals as the song progresses from a stuttering collection of riffs and rolls to a steady, pulsing march. This first track also features one of many searing guitar solos from the fiercely talented Fertita. His guitars feature largely throughout the album and enjoy the immense benefit of White’s signature set of production values. The rhythmic marriage of Lawrence and White is exceptionally powerful while displaying an impressive set of suspended time signatures and pregnant pauses. But of course, you would be wrong if you thought that White would sit out on vocal duties all together. Indeed, on tracks like “I Cut Like a Buffalo” and “Treat Me Like Your Mother”, White’s gruff vocals mix viscerally with Mosshart’s commanding howl, sometimes sounding like a sinewy, unified voice.

All of these ingredients mix exceedingly well, providing a sound that is at once both raw and exacting. However, what is starkly evident is White’s control of the production on this album. Opting to honor his musical roots, Horehound is alive with the ragged blues-driven rock that has become White’s calling card. Infused with an undeniable vitality, this album is anything but cliche or predictable. White is a master of space and atmosphere, and he has deftly sewn together all of the sonic elements. From the juicy-thick guitar sounds, to the uncomfortably choked vocal melodies and the driving crackle of the bass lines, this album bears White’s stamp like a cattle brand the entire way through. If your looking for a new listen that highlights many of the best things about Rock ‘n Roll, give this album a listen.

The Dead Weather at “It Might Get Loud” Premier After Party/ Photo: ZUMA Press