Guns 'N Roses may or may not be putting out Chinese Democracy any time soon, but Axl Rose's former band mate Gilby Clarke is doing double duty on the new release front. Clarke is, of course, part of the Rock Star Supernova train wreck. But, he's also got a new self-title solo release. As someone else said, any man who has "dealt with Axl Rose's ego, Michael Jackson's eccentricities and now the proliferations of Tommy Lee" deserves at least a listen.
Streams: "Black" & "Cure Me...Or Kill Me"

Despite the indie rock dominance, "metal" will be represented at this year's SXSW festival. Louisville rockers Devil Child (you can't get much more metal than that name!) whose EP is out today will be playing at the Cold Sweat/Buddyhead showcase on Thursday, March 15 at The Blender Balcony.
Mp3: "Never Bet the Devil Your Head"

To go to the near opposite end of the music spectrum, for those who like their music a little more laid back you can check out Licorice at the Blue Note in NYC as part of the club's Late Night Groove Series. Licorice takes the stage at 12:30am.

Speaking of going from one extreme to another, punk ground breaker Tommy Ramone is now pickin' bluegrass. Yes, the Ramones original drummer (and manager) is now part of a blue grass duo called Uncle Monk with Claudia Tienan. "We are doing what feels natural to us," says Ramone. "We are making use of string-band instrumentation along with alternative rock flavorings. We're drawn to the classic simplicity of string-band music, but at the same time we are deeply involved with the aesthetics of indie music. There is a similarity between punk and old-time music — both are home-brewed as opposed to schooled. Both have earthy energy. And there is a certain cool in old-time music that is found in the best alternative artists."

Child Bite was recently featured on NPR's Open Mike. The Michigan indie experimentalists position themselves as a "combination of punk vigor and avant-garde ideals." Judge for yourself...
Mp3s: Bone Sleep and Broach for Two.

Labels: Licorice, Mp3s, Ramones, SXSW