Rock Star: Supernova

On Thursday, CBS announced which band will find its lead singer on the second season of Rock Star. This summer's winning contestant will front the new band, Supernova, a supergroup currently comprising Tommy Lee, Gilby Clarke, and Jason Newsted.

Producer Mark Burnett decided to create a band from scratch, rather than fill the empty spot in a preexisting band. Tommy Lee, of Mötley Crüe and porn tape fame, was so eager be a part of the show that he signed on as an executive producer and drummer for the new group.

Gilby Clarke played guitar for Guns N' Roses during the Use Your Illusion era. Since he was able to put up with Axl Rose's inflated ego, Gilby must be a saint. And if you've seen the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, you know that bassist Jason Newsted was the smartest member of the band. He's the one that got out.

One of the best pieces of news for Rock Star's sophomore season is that Butch Walker will co-write songs for Supernova and produce the band's first album. If Butch Walker's name doesn't ring a bell, he's written for and produced The Donnas, Pink, and Avril Lavigne, for whom he wrote the hit, "My Happy Ending." (If that wasn't teen angst we were hearing, and instead was a girl evoking a man's mid-life crisis, I guess I haven't given Avril enough credit for emotional range.)

More importantly, Butch fronted the band Marvelous 3, whose 1998 single, "Freak of the Week," is as good a power pop song as you'll ever hear. Those of you who unapologetically read Metal Edge magazine in its heyday may remember when Butch graced the rag's pages as a member of Southgang.

Impish Dave Navarro and scantily-clad Brooke Burke return as the show's hosts. They'll be joined each week by a celebrity guest judge. So far, Slash, Moby, Rob Zombie, and Macy Gray have agreed to appear as judges. It's too bad Zombie and Gray can't appear on the same episode, 'cause there's the potential for the weirdest duet since Cindy Lauper and Frank Sinatra performed "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town."

If you'd like to apply for one of the 16 spots on the show, audition tapes are due March 24th, so hurry up. I wonder if Dave Navarro's already asked his beloved Sweet Suzie McNeil to try out a second time.