YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Here's something that doesn't happen often -- two rock-star guitarist autobiographies released on the same day.

On Tuesday (Oct. 30), Ronnie Wood's Ronnie (St. Martin's Press) and Slash's Slash (Harper Collins) arrive on shelves, but only one is really worth reading cover to cover.

Having played with the Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and The Rolling Stones, Wood certainly didn't lack for material. Ronnie, however, is a disappointment, short on depth and insight.

Like a Wood solo album, Ronnie does have its moments. There are worthwhile bits involving Rod Stewart (his Faces bandmate) and Jimi Hendrix (who was briefly a roommate of Wood's in England). Anyone looking for a unique, inside peek into the world of the Stones, either from a personality or musical perspective, will not be satisfied.



Slash (who wrote his book with former Rolling Stone writer Anthony Bozza) offers that and more about Guns N' Roses in his memoir. The Appetite for Destruction segments could be a separate book. During those passages, he recalls the joy of "finding that perfect Les Paul/Marshall combination where the depth of the guitar's tone and the crunch of the amp come together perfectly." And his memory of Martin Chambers' audition to replace ousted GNR drummer Steven Adler is funny.

As expected, there is plenty of debauchery in Slash's book -- many GNR tales involve drinking, drugs or strippers -- but he's not bragging, just reporting in detail what he and his GNR mates did (any many times somebody paid a price). Excess does indeed make for a good read.

A SHORE THING

Tuesday (Oct. 30) is a big day for singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins.

That's when the Jersey Shore-raised musician's first album for Columbia, Neptune City, arrives in stores. On top of that, she and her band, The Sea, are scheduled to perform on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman.

Her official site is www.nicoleatkins.com.

APOLOGIES ACCEPTED

What probably should have happened last year when he was still with Sony finally occurred Oct. 16 via the independent route: the release of Justin King's first studio album with his three-piece band, The Apologies.

The Oregon-based King, a singer/songwriter loaded with guitar chops, had been working on what he called a "sonically diverse" album that was to be released on Sony's Epic imprint in summer 2006.

But Epic dismissed the A&R people who had signed King, leaving him and The Apologies "without a champion," he says. Then label execs told him they didn't hear a radio single on the album. More back-and-forth discussions about a single followed, leading to what King calls an amicable split from Sony that became official in March.

The self-released, 12-track album by King and the Apologies – which contains versions of songs previously intended for release on Epic -- is available via CDBaby.com.

King and his band will perform Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 27 and 28) at The Tank, 279 Church St. in Manhattan. Visit www.thetanknyc.org/music for more information.

Justin King’s official site is www.justinking.com.

ALL RAPPED UP

Every year at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York, a select newcomer can be seen walking the red carpet with the notables and legends being honored that evening.

The 2007 newbie on display was rapper Lanz. This is how she looked in June when she arrived for the event at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

She looks and sounds a lot tougher in the video for her song "Grow Up" (available on the Interscope Records Web site) -- and chances are Lanz would take that as a compliment.

"I make truth music," she says in a statement. "I speak for the underdog who's been pushed around their whole life, and I show them how to shove back."

Lanz will do her thing tonight (Oct. 24) at Blender Theater at Gramercy, 127 E. 23rd St. in Manhattan. Call (212) 777-6800 or (212) 777-1224 for more information.

Her Young $ Restless album is due early next year via Interscope. Visit www.myspace.com/lanz or www.lanzmusic.com for more about Lanz.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Beyonce and John Legend are among the artists scheduled to perform Dec. 2 in Los Angeles as part of the first-ever Movies Rock concert.

The event, to be televised Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, celebrates the relationship between music and movies.

Go to www.moviesrock2007.com for more information.

GETTING HER ACT TOGETHER

Portraying Janis Joplin onstage for seven months in Love, Janis didn't just provide a steady gig for Dana Fuchs.

The singer/songwriter -- born in South Plainfield, raised in Florida and a New Yorker since 1999 -- learned a thing or two about vocal restraint and dynamics from the experience.

"When I first started singing," Fuchs tells Sounding Off, "I wanted to fill every bit of space and felt I had to club people over the head in order for them to hear me -- and I'm pretty loud. Janis had a way of making songs simmer. It was brooding and haunting -- mind-blowing. That style really spoke to me because my songs tend to be a bit on the darker side."

After Fuchs' Love, Janis stint, director Julie Taymor contacted the play's producers looking for a strong singer. One thing led to another, Fuchs recalls, and she landed the role of Sadie in the recently released film Across the Universe.

"Funny how the music door I'd been knocking on since coming to New York City and starting my band almost 10 years ago might just now be opened on the acting side of things," says Fuchs. "Especially since I decided upon arriving in New York City that I should focus only on the music, even though acting was something I had always had a true longing for and had done all through childhood and school."

Music is on the front burner these days. Dana Fuchs Live in NYC, recorded about a year ago at Manhattan's B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, is now available via iTunes. An official, tangible release is expected early next year, says Fuchs.

"I actually just finished a studio recording this summer that will come out next year," she adds, "but the live CD really shows who I am as a singer, writer and performer. I am all about live performance -- it's what has gotten me every great opportunity I've had thus far."

Fuchs' next gig is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 23) at Joe's Pub in Manhattan. For more information, go to www.joespub.com.

Visit www.danafuchs.com to learn more about Dana Fuchs.

MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

Rockfour certainly seems to make the most of its U.S. visits.

The psychedelic-flavored pop/rock band from Tel Aviv, Israel, showcased during this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference/festival in Austin, Texas, and according to the group, the performance played a role in Nic Harcourt giving Rockfour regular airplay on California's KCRW-FM.

That led to interest from record labels, among them Cooking Vinyl, which released the band's Memories of the Never Happened earlier this month.

The new album was recorded in San Diego; its predecessor, 2004's Nationwide, was made in Detroit. Recording and producing in America adds a different dimension to Rockfour's sound, say the band members, who add that American studios are constructed differently from those in Israel. (With that in mind, Rockfour is building a studio in Israel that the band says is inspired by the American studios it has used, as well as London's legendary Abbey Road Studios.)

Earlier this month, Rockfour began a string of U.S. tour dates. The itinerary includes gigs tonight (Oct. 19) at World Café Life in Philadelphia, Sunday (Oct. 21) at The Saint in Asbury Park and Tuesday (Oct. 23) at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck.

Visit www.rockfour.com for more on Rockfour.

THEY WILL BE THERE

Cat Power, My Morning Jacket and John Doe are among the artists scheduled to interpret Bob Dylan material Nov. 7 at New York's Beacon Theatre.

The benefit concert is a celebration of I'm Not There, the new movie about Dylan.

To purchase tickets, visit www.imnotthere.info or www.ticketmaster.com.

IN THE BLOOD

The Everlys, the Allmans, the Gallaghers . . . rock 'n' roll has had its share of brother combos.

Singer siblings Paulie Z and David Z, the guitarist and bassist, respectively, for the Brooklyn-based rock band ZO2, identify more with a longtime unrelated rock tandem.

"Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons would be a 99.9 percent accurate description of our relationship," Paulie Z tells Sounding Off. "(I'm Paul and) David is Gene."

"I get women who look like Shannon Tweed,"cracks David Z, referring to Simmons’ longtime model/actress girlfriend.

In 2004, the brothers experienced the Stanley/Simmons dynamic up close and personal when their band toured with Kiss. Lately, ZO2 -- which is rounded out by drummer/singer Joey Cassata -- has been on the road supporting the recently released Ain't It Beautiful, the band's second album, issued on Riker Hill Records.

For the guitar tracks to "Get Up Now" and all of the new album’s bass tracks, ZO2 ventured to Central Jersey to record at Bound Brook’s Voodooland.

The band's next gig is set for Thursday (Oct. 18) at Sweeney's Saloon, 13639 Philmont Ave. in Philadelphia.

Visit www.myspace.com/sweeneysphilly for more about the show and check out www.zo2.com/ for more about ZO2.

BACH VISITS TRL

Jersey Shore-based Sebastian Bach will appear on MTV's TRL at 3:30 p.m. today (Oct. 17). He's set to perform "November 20," his new rap/rock song.

Coincidentally, Nov. 20 is when Angel Down, Bach's new solo album, arrives in stores.

IT'S MARATHON TIME

In its 25-plus years, the CMJ Music Marathon in New York has presented sets by the Beastie Boys, Death Cab for Cutie, Feist, Lenny Kravitz, Nine Inch Nails and R.E.M., among many others.

This year's edition, running Tuesday through Saturday (Oct. 16-20) at venues in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Hoboken, features acts relatively fresh (British Sea Power, Illinois, The Primms, Voxtrot) and thoroughly familiar (Bouncing Souls, Christopher Cross, Coheed and Cambria, Meat Puppets), as well as artists well below the radar.

New Jersey's own Status Green also is among the scheduled performers.

Visit http://cmj.com/marathon/ for more information.

WHOLE LOTTA ZEPPELIN

Led Zeppelin fans have two reasons to look forward to Nov. 13.

That day, the band will release a two-disc compilation called Mothership. More importantly, Zeppelin's catalog will be available online.

"We are pleased that the complete Led Zeppelin catalog will now be available digitally," guitarist Jimmy Page today (Oct. 15) said in a statement. "The addition of the digital option will better enable fans to obtain our music in whichever manner that they prefer."

RASPBERRIES REDUX



In-depth conversations about the history of power pop almost always include mentions of Big Star, Badfinger and The Raspberries.

Those bands pretty much established the genre's key ingredients in the early-to-mid-1970s -- catchy melodies and crisp harmonies, punchy guitars and muscular drums.

Of the Big Three, only The Raspberries have all of its original members alive and well -- and playing together, too.

In 2004, Eric Carmen, Dave Smalley, Jim Bonfanti and Wally Bryson reunited to perform that November at the opening of Cleveland's House of Blues.

That was followed by a New Year's Eve gig at the same venue, then a handful of tour dates across America in 2005. This past summer, the Ryko label released Live on the Sunset Strip, recorded in Los Angeles on Oct. 21, 2005.

The next two Raspberries concerts will be Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 13 and 14) at Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St. in Manhattan. For tickets, go to www.highlineballroom.com.

For more about the band, visit www.raspberriesonline.com.

BETTER OFF INDIE

It's quite common for a band to badmouth a major label once they've parted ways.

The Donnas aren't about to bash Atlantic Records, which released two solid but overlooked albums by the California punk band. (An option for a third Atlantic album was not exercised.)

"We had a great experience being on Atlantic," guitarist Allison Robertson, a.k.a. Donna R, tells Sounding Off. "We learned how a machine other than that of indie rock operates, and we were able to find out where we fit into the music industry through our time there. We have always been true to ourselves to the point of coming off as hard-headed at times, and I think being on a major label helped us transition from being stubborn in our operations to open-minded but confident in our gut feelings."

"I think everyone (at Atlantic) was working very hard," adds drummer Torry Castellano, a.k.a. Donna C, "but there was just too much work for too few people, and so it just felt like it wasn't the right place for us anymore."

Free to do whatever they wanted, The Donnas elected to go the indie route again -- but not Lookout! Records, the band's home prior to Atlantic.

Instead, the group formed its own imprint, Purple Feather.

"The idea of starting our own label began as kind of a joke," recalls singer Brett Anderson, a.k.a. Donna A. "We'd just be in the studio recording and talking about the business side, and someone would (say), 'We should just put it out ourselves.'

"After a while, that evolved to, 'Let's just put it out ourselves!' Between the chaotic state of the music industry, the independence and control bands can get from the Internet -- and our confidence in our managers -- it went from a pipe dream to a reality."

"In the end, Purple Feather Records offered us the best deal -- freedom," adds bassist Maya Ford, a.k.a. Donna F.

Bitchin', the first Donnas album on Purple Feather, was released last month.

"(It) was a blast to make, through and through," says Robertson. "We did it in (co-producer) Jay Ruston's home studio for the most part, and we had no hard deadline set, nor did we have any visitors or distractions. We were completely immersed in rock 'n' roll."

The band's tour supporting Bitchin' rolls into New York on Wednesday (Oct. 10) for a gig at the Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St. Visit www.highlineballroom.com.

The official Donnas site is www.thedonnas.com.

JUSTICE AND INDEPENDENCE '07

Fresh from his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination, John Mellencamp is back in the news.

First off, he's announced another batch of tour dates, keeping him on the road into December along with Los Lobos. The itinerary includes a Dec. 15 show at the Borgata in Atlantic City.

"These shows are all about the music and the songs -- that's the essence of what we'll be bringing," Mellencamp said in a statement. "The bands and I are really looking forward to getting out there and performing some new songs and, of course, a lot that are familiar to everybody. It'll be a fantastic experience for the audience and all of us."

Last but certainly not least, Mellencamp has posted a video on his official Web site and MySpace page for a new song called “Jena.” It's about Louisiana's controversial "Jena Six" case in which six black high school students were charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white student.

The grainy, black-and-white video mixes footage of Mellencamp and his band in the studio along with images pertaining to the Jena Six case and the 1960s civil rights movement.

As Mellencamp's musical hero Woody Guthrie once sang, "there's mean things a-happenin' in this world."

And music has the power to make things better.

GIVE 'EM A HAND

Radiohead has had moments where its music was ahead of the pack.

The same can be said of the band's business sense.

In Rainbows, the new Radiohead album, will be available for download via the band's official site starting Oct. 10.

Those who visit the site to preorder the regular download of the album (a deluxe "discbox" version, available in December, has a fixed price) eventually will arrive at a screen that says "it's up to you" with regard to the price.

Sure, some people will abuse the opportunity and pay a puny sum. But fans with brains know not to take music for granted, and paying market value -- which these days seems to be at least 99 cents per song -- would be the fair thing to do.

TV LIFE AFTER DEATH

The Final 24 begins its second season at 11 p.m. ET on Oct. 17.

The Biography Channel series searches for clues leading up to a celebrity's demise. This season's music-centric episodes include Jim Morrison (Oct. 31), as well as Janis Joplin, Keith Moon and Tupac Shakur (airdates to come).