:: Need your Jack White fix? No need to worry; White is releasing his debut solo album, Blunderbuss, in April.

:: New albums coming your way! Fear Factory is set to release its new album, The Industrialist, in late May/early June.

:: The Cult, on the other hand, will be releasing its ninth record, Choice of Weapon, on May 22.

:: Warbringer has parted ways with guitarist Adam Carroll. Axeman Andrew Bennett is taking his place.

:: Mogwai is going on the road for a North American tour this spring.

:: Maiden fans rejoice as Iron Maiden is gearing up for some touring in 2012!

:: Converge fanatics listen up! Drum tracking is finished for a new album.

:: Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter) announce tour dates for Japan and North America for February and March.

:: More new releases are in the works. Bring Me the Horizon will begin to write a new record next month, while Trivium is set to hit the studio in 2013 to record a new album.

:: Iwrestledabearonce is heading out on the road.

:: The lineups for the Spanish and Finnish Sonisphere festivals are coming together.

:: Impending Doom released an eerie new album cover.

:: If you’ve ever wanted Kurt Cobain- and Courtney Love-themed clothing, you’re in luck.

:: Pelican released a new track called Lathe Biosas. Their new EP, Ataraxia/Taraxis, is out on April 10.

:: Lacuna Coil took New Jersey by storm with an acoustic set at Vintage Vinyl in support of their new album, Dark Adrenaline. Let’s hear it for actual Italians in Jersey, without the fake tans and big hair.

:: All Shall Perish hits the road with Carnifex, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Conducting From the Grave, and The Contortionist. The North American This Is Where It Ends tour runs from March to June.

:: Hair metal gurus Steel Panther were too crude for the U.K. Their promo art, which features a woman with large tatas and shiny dangling balls, was banned by the Advertisting Standards Authority. The image is also the cover of their latest record, aptly titled Balls Out.

:: King Diamond is back and hungry for festivals. After open-heart triple-bypass surgery, he’ll be scaring the crap out of fans at Hellfest in France and headlining the Rock Stage at the Sweden Rock Festival.

:: Hardcore scene vet Ryan Rado is chronicling his battle with OCD, TS and ADHD, as well as his upcoming foray into neuro training, which is an experimental treatment for those disorders.

:: Rodeo Ruby Love is heading out for a six-week tour with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto.

:: Remember when moving 65,000 units would barely get you in the top 20? Well, The Lonely Island is probably riding that into the top five on the Billboard charts.

:: For a second there, I wondered when Giants defensive end Matthias Kiwanuka became a musician. I know that the NFL lockout has left guys with some extra time, but you know…

:: Melvins and Hanson on the same bill. Match made in heaven, right?

:: MTV is still doing Unplugged???

:: In case you were wondering why Google went live with Music Beta when it did, Antony Bruno lays it out.

:: Booker T. Jones went back to college, and it seems to have served him well.

:: When Adele wrote her debut album, 19, she used her ex-boyfriend as inspiration. Dude found out, and now he wants part of the royalties.

:: Director Jonathan Demme is finishing up his planned film trilogy with Neil Young.

:: Johnny Depp and Steven Tyler are writing music together. Oh no.

:: Oh man, it’s a good thing Billy Corgan is writing a “spiritual memoir.” I can finally find out what demon possessed him in 2003. I mean, how else do you explain Zwan?

:: David Byrne lends his tender voice to an Arcade Fire track for the deluxe version of The Suburbs.

:: Random tracks that don’t suck:

:: I’m not sure what’s weirder, that Vin Diesel was a rapper or that someone thought it would be a good idea to pair him with Arthur Russell.

:: Speaking of strange collaborations, Big Boi will be producing the new Modest Mouse album.

:: And speaking of strange in general, Of Montreal’s art director (yeah, they have an art director) David Barnes revealed his next book project: the story of a pregnant male football player and the inner workings of his fetus’ mind.

:: Secretly Canadian is putting out its first comedy album after signing the inimitable Tig Notaro.

:: Music sales are up, just not in the way many record labels would prefer.

:: I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Radiohead is playing The King of Limbs in its entirety on the BBC, but it’s the only performance scheduled for the foreseeable future. I’ll let you decide which part is good and which is bad…

:: Manchester Orchestra is hoping to release an album of b-sides later this year.

:: Random tracks that don’t suck:

:: Kinks frontman Ray Davies is “impossible to live with.”

:: Danzig is such a sweetheart. He’s always accommodating folks, like when he “allowed” the North Side Kings frontman to punch him in the face.

:: For all intents and purposes, Montreal has two indie rock scenes. Who knew? Other than people that lived in Montreal, that is.

:: It’s a sad, sad day for Roger Daltrey. Word recently broke that the Who frontman tried out to be a judge on American Idol… and lost to Steven Tyler.

:: Ellie Goulding seemed to be a hit at the royal wedding.

:: Tommy is being resurrected by Townshend and Daltrey. Simon Townshend and Roger Daltrey, that is…

:: Not only did Apples in Stereo frontman Robert Schneider invent a new instrument, but Jeff Mangum composed some music for it.

:: I’m utterly speechless. Honest.

:: The Strokes are already back in the studio working on a new album. Sucks, because I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to hear anything from them for at least another five years.

:: Fine Print Mag rides again.

:: Enrique Iglesias cleaned up at the Latin Music Awards. I only mention this because friend of Buzzgrinder and former XYZ Affair frontman Alex Feder plays guitar for ole ‘Rique these days. Also because I let the rhythm take me over.

:: Craziness. Andrew W.K. helped The Locust cover Crossed Out.

:: Random tracks that don’t suck:

:: X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene passed away at the age of 53 after battling breast cancer.

:: Sub Pop will be giving Sebadoh’s Bakesale the super ultra deluxe reissue treatment.

:: I’m not sure how Drowned in Sound — or anyone not on serious drugs — could think Radiohead’s video for Lotus Flower is the cream of the crop so far this year.

:: My Morning Jacket gets some Atom and His Package style props for talking about black metal in a song.

:: The lineup for this year’s Lollapalooza is one big snoozapalooza (good one, right?), save for maybe five bands. And none of them are headliners.

:: The Strokes must be even more hard up for coke money than I thought.

:: To celebrate 10 years of metalcorific existence, As I Lay Dying will be working on “a combination of new songs, cover songs and a few remixes.”

:: Random tracks that don’t suck: