Mylo Xyloto, the fifth studio album by Coldplay hit the stores on 24 October 2011 and it will be soon a protagonist on the world's music sales charts (more than 120,000 copies sold over the UK in first 3 days). Mylo Xyloto has been long awaited by the band's fans (nearly 2 years since Coldplay started recording it) and singer Chris Martin did his best to increase curiosity with his interviews: in some of them he stated that the best song in this album is actually "Princess of China", a surprising collaboration with "superguest" Rihanna, and also that the new album is a schizophrenic concept with a happy ending. This will also be remembered as the first album in history to feature an "enoxification", a new verb coined by maybe the only man in British music scene who could possibly do it, Brian Eno, who strongly contributed to composition. After presenting the new album in Madrid during a press conference and a concert live on Youtube, Coldplay already planned live European dates and TV appearances for this Autumn 2011. More dates will surely follow for 2012.

We shall wait few days and see... Lou Reed described Lulu, his musical collaboration with Metallica, also as "the best thing I ever did".
Recorded between April and June 2011, Lulu is a concept project by Lou Reed, who had written songs over the years inspired by 2 plays (Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box) of late 1800 and early 1900, conceived by German expressionist playwright Frank Wedekind, which tell about the life of a young, abused dancer, Lulu. After their meeting in 2009 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert, Metallica decided to write music with Lou Reed, based on Reed's demos and lyrics on the story of Lulu.
The wait for one of the biggest recording events in 2011 (or maybe the biggest) is nearly finished. On October 31 the world can start to discover what surely has been one of the most unthinkable collaborations of all time in rock history. Both Lou Reed and Metallica fans will have a lot to listen to (87 minutes of "avant-garde-theatrialic hard rock metal"), to talk about and to praise or criticize or ignore. Isn't that the beauty of music?

Recorded at Eldorado Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA, and produced by Rich Costey, The Great Escape Artist is due to be released on 18 October on Capitol Records. The brand new album is the first since Jane's Addiction 2008 reunion, and the first studio since 2003's Strays. One of the most important bands of the Los Angeles scene in the late 80s and early 90s promises to be back in a tremendous and "irresistible force", as their first single everybody can listen (and watch) from the band's official website, confirms. To use Perry Farrell words, The Great Escape Artist "is a strange mixture of that post-punk Goth darkness that Jane's had, with what's going on today with groups like Muse and Radiohead..." Watch out Jane's Addiction's fans!

New Blood, the new studio album by Peter Gabriel, has been released on October 10, 2011. The album does not contain new material, it consists instead of orchestral re-recordings of songs chosen from Gabriel's solo career. New Blood is ideally a continuation of the project Gabriel began with his previous album Scratch My Back (2010), which contained orchestral covers by Gabriel of other artists and bands' songs. "No drums, no guitars" and two special guests at vocals; the Norwegian singer and musician Ane Brun and Gabriel's daughter Melanie, who will soon put his father in the... grandfather position. Recently interviewed on various media, Gabriel also "promised" that from January 2012 he will start to concentrate on writing brand new songs, but no hurry, Mr. Gabriel to use his words, is a "slow and happy artist".

After a 2 years writing and recording process, Evanescence finally release their self-titled third studio album, 4 years after the previous "The Open Door". The band from Little Rock, Arkansas, entered the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite in February 2010 and (after stopping the recording sessions) left the studio in July 2011 with the actual album producer, Nick Raskulinecz, most known for his collaboration with Foo Fighters. The new album has been eagerly awaited by fans, curious to see how the band will sound and perform on stage after some years of abscence. After their recent acclaimed appearance at the Rock In Rio festival, Evanescence have already planned dates (starting from October 6, 2011 in Puerto Rico) in North America, UK and Europe for their world tour in support of the new album. For full details on "Evanescence" and a complete overview of the band's discography, please refer to Evanescence' section at MusicAdvisor.

III, the new studio album for hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot is out on 27 September 2011. As Sammy Hagar stated, the band decided to call their second album "Chickenfoot III" to avoid "the dreaded second album drop-off experienced by most bands", a way to "skip" the second album and make the third one straightaway. The album was recorded by Chad Smith at drums and he will still remain the official drummer for Chickenfoot. But due to the simultaneous release of the brand new Red Hot Chili Peppers', Chad could not participate to further recordings and to the band's imminent tour. The worldwide acclaimed and appreciated Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella among the others) will join Chickenfoot at drums for their live dates; he also appears in the first official video from the new album, "Big Foot".

John Lennon once said that “It was Elvis who really got me buying records". Before "The King" there was nothing musically interesting according to Lennon.
From 5th October 2011 (and for two years!!!) at The Beatles Story, Pier Head, Liverpool, UK, a new exhibition entitled "Elvis and Us" will take place. It is obviously focused on the relationship between Elvis Presley and The Beatles and it promises to be a must for all music lovers; as the exhibition's website states it will be "a multimedia, interactive experience filled with music, video and artifacts of both Elvis and The Beatles. This unique, first-of-its-kind exhibition will allow visitors to experience the power of both Elvis and The Beatles, along with their explosive impact on music and popular culture."
"Elvis and Us" is built around two main elements: the evening of August 27, 1965, when The Beatles met Elvis in person at his home in Bel Air, California and the white Fender bass guitar played by Elvis and The Beatles at their meeting.
2 years is quite a date range for everyone of us to plan a visit to Liverpool, don't you think rock'n'roll lovers?

In June 2011, without big noise and pompous announcements, Fly From Here, the brand new Yes studio album was released, after 10 years from their last Magnification (2001). Fly From here has reached a honest 30th place in UK charts and 36th in USA. The progressive band from London, has just finished their summer tour in the US, supported by the glorious hard rock band Styx; Yes are now ready to start an extensive tour of Europe this Autumn 2011. Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes e Benoît David will play live in 15 European countries from 3 November (Lisbon, Portugal) to 15 December (Moscow, Russia).

On September 13th, Legacy Recordings issued Winterland, a four-CD reissue of Hendrix’s 1987 live album Live At Winterland, with previously unreleased live tracks. This is the final release of the eight-year worldwide licensing agreement between Hendrix’s family company Experience Hendrix (which has released a number of amateur bootlegs of Hendrix concerts recorded between 1968 and 1970, and available on free streaming form the company's website) and Sony Music (of which Legacy Recordings is a catalog division).
Winterland is a box set containing the 11 tracks included on the original release and 24 additional live recordings, all of them taken from The Jimi Hendrix Experience' six shows during three days at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in October 1968, plus a long backstage interview. Another gem for every Jimi Hendrix addicted!

There are many rock bands that enjoyed success in the 1990s, that seem to be disappeared and definetively forgotten. The rock scene seems to absorb and phagocytize some of them and no one remembers or think they could never come back. Bush seemed one of these examples, big in the 90s, disbanded in 2002, with apparently no ideas of returning together. After nearly 10 years, band founder and leader Gavin Rossdale decided to give new life to his creature and he also did it through a long recording period (June 2010–June 2011) which gave birth to The Sea of Memories, Bush brand new album after 10 years from the last studio Golden State. It will be released on September 13th, Bush will then tour the world in support of their new album and... see what happens... welcome back in the pit!

Recorded between January and May 2011, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, the brand new studio album for Dream Theater, is out in September (to be relesed worldwide on the 13th on Roadrunner Records). This new album is surely one of the most awaited of 2011 and in the history of the band too, mainly due to the fact that it's the first with new drummer Mike Mangini, following the "dramatic" (and controversial) departure of Mike Portnoy in 2010. After summer live dates all over Europe, Dream Theater are ready for the first leg of their tour in support of the new album in North America in September and October 2011. For full details and reviews of A Dramatic Turn Of Events please refer to the Dream Theater section at MusicAdvisor.

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson will join Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson and The Moody Blues' leader Justin Hayward for what promises to be an amazing evening at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England. On Saturday, December 10 2011, "Canterbury Rocks At Christmas" will take place in the nave of the 900-year-old Canterbury Cathedral, woldwide known as one of the most important sites in Britain. The concert has the purpose to raise funds for the renovation works on the cathedral.
Last year Ian Anderson and friends performed the first concert at Canterbury Cathedral with Greg Lake as special guest, and following the happening's great success, they've decided to carry on with the event, since money for the cathedral are always needed. This year Bruce Dickinson and Justin Hayward have been invited and they responded (and accepted) enthusiastically. If you are or plan to be in Kent around that period, and you are a good music passionate, don't miss this event for any reason, since it promises to be a legendary one!!!

After 5 years from their last studio album and after John Frusciante second departure, Red Hot Chili Peppers are back again with the new full length "I’m with You". It's their first work with new young and talented lead guitarist Josh Klinghoffer; the album was recorded at Cello Studios and East West Studios in Los Angeles, California, and Shangri La Studio in Malibu, California between September 2010 and March 2011. The band has already planned a tour for 2011 in support of their new release: it will start from South America and will touch all the most important countries in Europe until December this year, and more dates for the rest of the world are to be planned soon for all 2012.

This 2011 has been a great summer for Iron Maiden. Following the release of their last compilation album "From Fear To Eternity", the British Heavy Metal heroes embarked for another big summer tour which saw them protagonists in the main European festivals and stages. Useless to say, it has been a great success! But news from Maiden's side always keep coming; a new book on Iron Maiden history is coming out soon, it's a photo documentary by their official photographer entitled 'On Board Flight 666', with a forward by frontman Bruce Dickinson. And for Bruce Dickinson himself this summer was very pleasant: we all know Dickinson is a multi-talented person, not only a great singer-songwriter but also a great airline pilot and entrepreneur (he actually often drives the whole band and staff with his airplane from venue to venue), a champion fencer, author, film script writer and radio/TV broadcaster. This summer 2011 he also received a honorary Doctorate in music from Queen Mary University in London, a leading research-focused institution which Dickinson attended in the 70s, achieving a degree in history in 1979. He was presented by Professor David Baker of the Centre For Neuroscience And Trauma, "in honor of Dr. Dickinson's contribution to the music industry". Well deserved indeed Mr. Dickinson and congratulations from MusicAdvisor!!!

Folk rock legend Bob Dylan and guitar legend and Dire Straits founder Mark Knopfler shook the whole rock world few days ago, by announcing they've planned a 30-date tour of Europe next Autumn... together! Dylan will share the stage with Knopfler and his current band starting from October 6, 2011 in Dublin and ending in November 16 in Zurich. The tour will touch 29 different towns all across Ireland, UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Switzerland. Bob Dylan has always admired the work of Mark Knopler from the seventies on, the two collaborated together many times, most notably in 1979 when Knopfler played lead guitar on Dylan's Slow Train Coming album (Bob said about it that this was the best guitar backing since the days of Mike Bloomfield and Robbie Robertson) and in 1983 when Knopfler played guitar and co-produced Dylan's album Infidels. At the moment of receiving the news, Mark Knopfler and his band were in the middle of recording their brand new album, but Knopfler was more than happy to delay the recordings to hit the road with Dylan in Europe. Knopfler said on his website: "I’m much looking forward to going out on the road with Bob in such a special year. Also, it was an honour to be asked to record one of Bob's songs on the forthcoming Amnesty International 50th anniversary album to mark his 70th birthday." A big event not to be missed for all good music lovers in this 2011 European Autumn!!!

After 5 years from Light Grenades, their last studio album, the Californian alternative rock band Incubus released on 12 July 2011 their new If Not Now, When?. As singer and author Brandon Boyd states, this new album comes in a very special moment for the band, after a period where every member dedicated his time to respective families and parallel activities. Incubus' career is now at a turning point after 20 years and everybody in the band is excited for this new release and for the imminent world tour that starts in Asia at the end of July and will then see Incubus touring extensively USA. At the moment live dates in other continents are not planned, but the band will surely play all accross Europe after their American tour. For full details and reviews on If Not Now, When? and Incubus discography, please refer to the Incubus dedicated section at MusicAdvisor.

"Get Ready" wrote David Lee Roth on his website some days ago... they're back, Van Halen (Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen, David Lee Roth) have planned the first dates of their re-union tour on support of their brand new album at the end of September in Australia! The release date of their new work has not been yet announced but it should be around that time: the band will also be touring extensively USA, South America, Asia, Europe, starting from November 2011 and for all 2012. On the other hand, all Chickenfoot fans will rejoice on 27 September when their brand new album will be released. The supergroup formed by former Van Halen Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, guitar hero Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith will release a new single on 2 August. Two stars are now shining again in our rock universe!!!

When Sir Mick Jagger announced that he was member of a new band, the news was not taken so seriously by press and fans. Nobody could imagine Jagger being part of... a band, he is a Rolling Stone! But in the last months, what initially appeared at the majority of us as a "boutade", has become tremendously serious. So serious that SuperHeavy, formed by Mick Jagger, ex Eurythmics Dave Stewart, soul blues phenomenon Joss Stone, the youngest son of Bob Marley Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and Indian composer and director A. R. Rahman, will release their first album on September 2011. It's all ready, sixteen (or maybe eighteen songs), recorded in variuos steps in France, Cyprus, India, Miami and finally put together at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles. "Miracle worker" is the song chosen as the debut single for this summer. This really promises to be the most interesting project in all music scene for 2011, mostly because of the various genres involved in this band; there will be rock, pop, blues, soul, reggae, electronic, Indian music (it seems that at least one song will be in "urdu", official language in Pakistan and administrative language in India). The only thing we can do now is sit on the fence and wait... for SuperHeavy. One thing is certain: Sir Mick seems really excited about it, and so are the other companion stars!

The eclectic Italian guitarist Alex Masi comes back home in July and on Saturday the 30th will perform with his Alex Masi Trio a unique concert at "Marghera Estate Village" festival, in Venice Mainland. Masi, who is Venetian, moved to Los Angeles nearly 25 years ago, after years of playing heavy metal in Italy as a member of seminal Italian metal band Dark Lord. He then knew a fantastic career as guitarist in the US, where he collaborated with uncountable artists and musicians, always experimenting new genres, starting from heavy metal and hard rock and evolving to jazz, fusion, electronic, guitar virtuoso (also revisiting with his guitar, classical such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart). His performance in Venice promises to be one of the most exciting in that area for this summer 2011. If you are in the nearby at the end of July and you are a good music lover, don't miss this concert! For all information on Alex Masi and his bands and projects and for his complete discography, please refer to the Alex Masi section at Musicadvisor.

Recently two guys decided that the most complete travel guide for summer live music in Italy (the one we have at MusicAdvisor) was... not complete ;-) These "two guys" (and their booking staff) are "The Genius Of Minneapolis" Prince, and the "The Professor" Joe Satriani. They will both play their only Italian date for 2011 in July, and we decided to let you know! Prince will perform at the "Umbria Jazz Festival" in Perugia, on July the 15th. Joe Satriani will perform at the "No Borders Music Festival" in Tarvisio, on July the 28th. For more information on these 2 locations and happenings, just download our FREE PDF guide from MusicaAdvisor home page.