@LinerNotes

And from the "What Is This All About But It Doesn't Matter Because It's Amazing" Department... David Lee Roth is starring in a new short film. As a hitman. In Japan. With all the trappings, soundtrack panache and sanguine tension of a Tarantino film. Yes, really.

Violinist Lindsey Stirling has done it again. By pairing her talents with pianist William Joseph, Stirling has brought her signature sound to a very familiar video game theme, one which I am actually surprised she hadn't taken on sooner; Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's "Opening Suite" from Halo .

Reprinted from the December 2006 edition of Music Street Journal "Who so pulleth out the sword from the stone is the true-born king of all of Britain."  While this greatest of tales of heroism and chivalry has been told numerous times in written and filmed form, only a handful of music based tellings have been done. One of the best known is this version, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table , composed by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman.

Ray Manzarek has passed through the doors of perception to join his Doors co-founder, Jim Morrison in the infinite. Manzarek passed away today following a battle with bile duct cancer at the age of 74. From The Doors to his solo work, he leaves behind a oeuvre of music which sounds unlike anything else ever committed to tape.

Words. I has none. Random Access Memories drops on May 17th, which can not arrive soon enough.

It has been a while since a new album has grabbed my ears in such a way that I literally can't stop listening to it after the first listen. Such is the sonic momentum of the veraciously named Unstoppable Momentum , the latest solo album from guitar legend Joe Satriani. After numerous listens this week, it is clear this album deserves accolades including "album of the Summer" and "instrumental rock album of the year". There is one further distinction which sets this album apart from Satriani's oeuvre; one specific to those whose ears are unfamiliar with his music.

Valora, on stage at 118 West Studios Southern California alt-rockers Valora recently played a gig at 118 West Studios in Ventura County; a professional recording studio facility with a performance space bigger than many clubs in LA/OC. Check out the pictures of Valora after the jump.

Record Store Day Morning Outside Salzer's Records This year's celebration of Record Store Day was an excellent example of a rule I learned from friends when I was in high school. Perhaps "rule" is a bit pedantic, since it is something they did which was meant to enhance an already fun thing. Either way, it is something I've tried to do each year on the holiday for music lovers, the artists who create music and the people who run the stores some us still dare to haunt.

Happy Star Wars Day! And May the Fourth be with you! To celebrate this year, lets take a journey back in time, to the music revolutionnshared by Star Wars; the Disco era. The collision of these two pop culture phenomenons occurring near simultaneously resulted in some awesome and dubious mash ups, before the term mash up was even a thing. Start with the above video featuring James Last and his Orchestra, performing a live rendition of Meco's discofied Star Wars theme, then come inside Chalmun's discotheque for some other galactic funk.

The heavy metal community has lost one of its most important guitar players. Jeff Hanneman, founding member of Slayer, passed away yesterday at the age of 49. While the music he helped create may not appeal to all, or even most, listening tastes, his impact as a composer, lyricist, guitarist and especially as a progenitor of the thrash metal genre, is undisputed.