Credit: Tim DurkanPearl Jam's Mike McCready has announced a signature guitar in collaboration with Fender.

The Limited Edition Mike McCready 1960 Stratocaster is a recreation of the guitarist's beloved vintage '60 Strat, assembled in collaboration with Fender Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt.

"Once I could afford a quality guitar, I immediately went for the vintage Stratocaster," McCready says. "It was my dream guitar because of my love for Stevie Ray Vaughan, and as my musical aspirations were coming true I had to have it. It was the first significant guitar that I bought, never thinking I could ever own one before Pearl Jam happened."

McCready adds that his "favorite feature" of his signature Fender is the "playability of the neck."

"It's so worn in and easy to play. It's got the best neck and fretboard of any of my guitars," he explains. "I also love how light it is. I actually picked up the prototype thinking it was the original a couple of times which shows me how meticulous and caring Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt and the whole Fender team has been throughout this process."

The Limited Edition Mike McCready 1960 Stratocaster will cost you $15,000, and only 60 pieces were built. The guitar is being released in celebration of the upcoming 30th anniversary of Pearl Jam's iconic 1991 debut album, Ten.

For more info, visit FenderCustomShop.com.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Courtesy of Record Store DayThe release list for the 2021 Record Store Day has been unveiled. Here are a few of the exclusive vinyl pieces to look out for:

Pearl Jam will release their Ten classic, "Alive," as a 12-inch vinyl single and on cassette. Both the disc and the tape will include the original promo single version of "Alive," plus three B-sides, and a cover of The Beatles' "I've Got a Feeling."

Rage Against the Machine's The Battle of Mexico City will make its vinyl debut for this year's RSD. The set was recorded during the band's first show in Mexico back in 1999.

Evanescence is contributing a vinyl version of The Open Door, the band's 2006 sophomore album. The Open Door will celebrate its 15th anniversary later this year.

RSD 2021 will also include exclusive releases from AC/DC, Alkaline Trio, Avatar, AWOLNATION, Beastie Boys, Bastille, Beck, Muse's Matt Bellamy, Black Sabbath, Bush, Cold War Kids, The Cure, Deftones, Dio, Escape the Fate, Twenty One Pilots, Garbage, Gorillaz, HAIM, Judas Priest, iDKHOW, K.Flay, Linkin Park, Mastodon, Mötley Crüe, St. Vincent, Sleeping with Sirens, The Struts, Sublime, and U2, among many, many others.

This year's Record Store Day will be held over two days: June 12 and July 17. You can view the whole list of releases and participating independent record stores, and check which release is dropping which date, at RecordStoreDay.com.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fueled By Ramen How's this for a mid-week surprise: Twenty One Pilots have announced a new album. Not only that, it's dropping in just over a month.

Scaled and Icy, the sixth studio effort from Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, is due out May 21. You can listen to the lead single, "Shy Away", now via digital outlets.

Twenty One Pilots will celebrate the release of Scaled and Icy with their first streaming concert event, also premiering May 21. The virtual event will feature the debut performances of songs from the new record. Tickets are on sale now via Live.TwentyOnePilots.com.

Scaled and Icy is the follow-up to 2018's Trench, which spawned the singles "Jumpsuit," "My Blood," "Chlorine" and "The Hype." In 2020, Twenty One Pilots released two new songs: the quarantine-themed "Level of Concern," and the original holiday tune "Christmas Saves the Year."

Here's the Scaled and Icy track list:

"Good Day"
"Choker"
"Shy Away"
"The Outside"
"Saturday"
"Never Take It"
"Mulberry Street"
"Formidable"
"Bounce Man"
"No Chances"
"Redecorate"

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Credit: Nick FancherAmy Lee's idea for her next project is wild -- as in, related to wildlife.

In an interview with Metal Hammer, the Evanescence frontwoman shares that she one day hopes to write music for a nature documentary.

"I've always thought it would be fun to be a part of creating the score to a great nature documentary, like Planet Earth, one of those amazing David Attenborough ones, underwater particularly," Lee says. "Every time I watch something like that I think, 'God, it'd be fun to work on the score for that!'"

While we all wait for that to come to fruition, you can listen to Evanescence's new album, The Bitter Truth, which just dropped in March. It's the band's first all-original record in 10 years.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Courtesy BacklineRage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and Chris Cornell's daughter Lily Cornell Silver are set to appear during Set Break, an upcoming streaming festival promoting mental health awareness.

The virtual event airs April 10 via Twitch and is hosted by Backline, an organization that works to connect musicians and music industry professionals with mental health resources.

Silver, Cornell's eldest daughter, hosts a mental health series on her Instagram called Mind Wide Open, which has featured guests including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and The Pretty Reckless' Taylor Momsen. Morello, of course, played with Silver's father in Audioslave.

Set Break is also scheduled to include performances and appearances by K.Flay, Portugal. the Man, grandson, Alanis Morissette, and Bob Weir, among many others.

For more info, visit Backline.care/set-break.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Credit: Wyatt TrollRise Against has premiered a performance video for "Nowhere Generation," the title track from the band's upcoming new album.

The black-and-white clip finds the four members of the Chicago punk outfit facing each other in a circle while surrounded by the same stacks of glowing TVs seen on the Nowhere Generation album cover. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.

Nowhere Generation the album, the follow-up to 2017's Wolves, is due out June 4. Along with the title track, it also includes the previously released single "Broken Dreams, Inc."

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Third Man Records The White Stripes' 2001 album White Blood Cells turns 20 this year, and to celebrate, Jack White's Third Man Records is releasing a special companion package.

Titled White Blood Cells XX, the two-LP collection includes 13 previously unreleased demos and alternate takes from the White Blood Cells recording sessions, as well as a full live recording of the Stripes' September 2001 show in Louisville, Kentucky.

You'll also get a DVD featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the album recording process, as well as a booklet featuring rare and unseen posters and photos.

For a preview of White Blood Cells XX, you can listen to the alternate take version of "Fell in Love with a Girl" streaming now on YouTube.

White Blood Cells XX will be released as part of the Third Man Records Vault subscription service. You can sign up now through April 30 via ThirdManStore.com.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Eric McCandlessIncubus frontman Brandon Boyd appeared on Monday night's episode of American Idol as part of the show's All-Star Duets week.

The rocker joined two contestants -- 24-year-old heavy machine operator Chayce Beckham and 16-year-old high school student Casey Bishop -- for joint performances of the Incubus songs "Drive" and "Wish You Were Here," respectively.

In addition to the duets, the contestants also performed a song solo. Beckham sang Ed Sheeran's "Afterglow," while Bishop took on Paramore's "Decode."  Bishop, by the way, previously caught the attention of rock fans with her cover of Mötley Crüe's "Live Wire."

Beckham and Bishop were among the top 24 contestants who made it to the All-Star Duets week. Your votes will decide who will make it into the top 16, which will be revealed when American Idol returns Sunday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

By Josh Johnson
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.