Well, it’s that time of year when the wheels in the hardDriveRadio machine start to wind down. We’ve worked our asses off this year to bring you the best in new rock, the great band interviews and, of course, the most killer contests. And for our last contest of 2014, congrats go out to Lansing, Michigan’s Joshua B who listens to hardDrive on Q106. He won this year’s Nitemare B4 Xmas guitar! It was autographed by every single rock star who entered the hardDriveRadio studios all year. From AC/DC to Slash, this thing is PACKED with signatures (we hope you can read ’em! LOL) ! Congrats to Josh!…Kid Rock announced he will headline the DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show, the prelude to the 57thannual “Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 22 (1 p.m. – FOX). Kid Rock will perform several of his hits, including his brand new single “First Kiss,” on pit road of the “World Center of Racing” prior to the start of the DAYTONA 500, the prestigious season-opening event of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. All race fans that purchase a Pre-Race/Sprint FANZONE access pass for the DAYTONA 500 can enjoy Kid Rock’s DAYTONA 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show up close, along with driver introductions ….Well, these guys certainly have reasons to be cheerful over the holidays! Pulse Of Radio reports the members of Royal Blood have wanted to open for Foo Fighters even before there was a Royal Blood. With the duo confirmed to open for the Foos on the U.S. and U.K. legs of the latter group’s 2015 world tour, drummer Ben Thatcher told NME.com, “If you asked us individually before Royal Blood even started with band we’d most like to tour with the Foo Fighters would be the ones. So to get the opportunity on this album run is insane.” Royal Blood is still touring in support of its 2014 self-titled debut but singer/bassist Mike Kerr said he and Thatcher are already looking forward to working on new music, explaining, “We just want it to flourish musically and make sure we’re always getting the best out of ourselves.” Kerr told us with the band not planning to record anytime soon, he doesn’t feel pressure writing new songs: “It’s just fun to write knowing what I’m writing now is gonna be a bit of a ways away, so there’s a real sense of ‘I’ve got all the time I need,’ basically, at the moment, so it’s fun. I mean, I write music — that’s what I do.” Royal Blood’s latest single, “Figure It Out,” is Number Three on the rock radio chart as the year comes to a close. The band’s North American supporting jaunt with Foo Fighters will begin on July 6th in Camden, New Jersey and stretch into September….Did you have any furniture reupholstered in Detroit a couple of decades ago? Well, you may be sitting on undiscovered treasure! Two copies of a rare early recording by Jack White have been found — inside pieces of reupholstered furniture. Back before he started the White Stripes, White worked as an upholsterer in Detroit alongside a friend named Brian Muldoon. The pair formed a band called the Upholsterers and made two singles called “The Apple of My Eye” and “Your Furniture Was Always Dead . . . I Was Just Afraid To Tell You.” Muldoon and White were later rumored to have hidden 100 vinyl copies of the band’s second single within pieces of reupholstered furniture, but they were never uncovered until now. According to Spin, Third Man Records has announced that two people have come forward claiming to have found two separate copies of “Your Furniture Was Always Dead … I Was Just Afraid To Tell You.” Third Man posted in part, “Recently Third Man Records has been made aware of the discovery of two different copies found by two separate individuals of the 2nd single by the Upholsterers.” The label has posted the cover art from the original single at its website. White and Muldoon hid the singles in 2004 in honor of Muldoon’s 25th year as an upholsterer. There are still 98 copies of the single hidden in pieces of furniture all over Detroit, so we expect more people to start opening up their couches. Jack White is currently nominated for four Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance — all for his latest album Lazaretto or its title track — as well as Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package as art director for the Third Man & Revenant Records-released The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume 1 (1917-27)…..This is good news for Incubus fans! Pulse Of Radio also reports today Incubus plans to release two new EPs in 2015 after signing a new record deal, according to Billboard.com. Guitarist Mike Einziger revealed, “We’re planning on releasing two installments that will total an album — two EPs. We’re hoping to put out the first one in February or March, then the summer.” The band debuted a new song called “Trust Fall” at a Southern California radio festival last weekend, with Einziger saying about the track, “It’s pretty indicative of where we are now. It’s pretty ambitious.” He added about the sound of the band’s new material, “Most of the music we’ve written is high energy. But we’ve written our slowest song, but also our heaviest song.” Einziger also revealed two song titles, “Make Out Party” and “Dance Like You’re Dumb,” the latter of which he described as “our version of a loud aggressive rock song. It’s definitely not what someone would expect from us.” (Editor’s note: Oh thank you!!!) After spending many years with Epic Records and a little while as an independent act, Incubus recently signed a new contract with Island Records. The California-based act has not released a new album since 2011’s If Not Now, When?……I want this book for Christmas! (hint hint). I once worked with this talented fellow when he was producing & directing music videos. But he started out his career as a graphic artist. Newly published is Hipgnosis Portraits, by longtime Pink Floyd collaborator and video director Aubrey “Po” Powell. Powell and his late partner Storm Thorgerson, conceived and created legendary and timeless album and singles covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney & Wings, Yes, the Scorpions, AC/DC, Peter Frampton, Black Sabbath, Styx, 10cc, and countless others. Robert Plant supplies the book’s forward. With Hipgnosis Portraits, Aubrey Powell revisits the team’s archives — including images from 156 negatives that laid untouched in an old file for 43 years — and puts an end to the many myths that surround classic rock albums of the 1960’s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Among the more interesting revelations in the book is Hiopgnosis’ original unused and unfinished 1973 design for the Rolling Stones‘Goats Head Soup. Aubrey “Po” Powell explained the company’s work, spearheaded by himself and Storm Thorgerson, played on each other’s strengths: “Well, Hipgnosis worked as an art house. Storm and I were the main designers for that company — but we employed other people to cop me and work with us. And so, when we wanted something done, it had to be done in ourway; exactly right, but we couldn’t do everything. I mean, I’m not an illustrator, I’m not a guy who does graphics; I’m a guy who looks through a camera and knows about composition, and with Storm, knew what a great idea was. So, we had to share the load. So we began to creative our own style.” Haven’t seen Po in many years, but he is truly an amazingly creative man. Check out the book in stores near you or online…..Marilyn Manson posted his new video for “Deep Six.” Check it out here. His new album, The Pale Emperor, will drop on Jan 20th in the states on Loma Vista Records. Manson collaborated on the new album, his first in over two years, with noted film composer/producer Tyler Bates (“Guardians Of The Galaxy”, “300”, “The Watchmen”). Bates will also join Manson as a member of his band on the upcoming American “The Hell Not Hallelujah Tour”, which kicks off Jan 21, 2015 in Washington D.C. Manson‘s band on the national headlining tour also includes longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez, Gil Sharone on drums and Paul Wiley on guitar….When The Smoke Clears is the new title for Hinder‘s next album, due on March 3rd. The band has a brand new line up. Joining original members drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe “Blower” Garver, and more recent members rhythm guitarist Mark King and bassist Mike Rodden, is new lead singer Nolan Neal. They just released their first single “Hit The Ground.”….Celebrating life this weekend: Saturday: Peter Criss of Kiss turns 69! Sunday, Brett Scallions of Fuel is 43 and our beloved Frank Zappa would have celebrated 74 years on this planet had he not passed away in 1993. RIP.