Neil Peart has just posted a new update to his "News, Weather, and Sports" website blog. His April 2014 entry is titled "Telescope Peak Revisited", a reference to the highest summit in Death Valley National Park, at 11,049 feet.

Neil has made many pilgrimages to Death Valley throughout his life, and its backdrop has served as an inspiration to him for many years. In fact, when composing lyrics for Rush's 2002 album Vapor Trails, Neil wrote the lyrics to a song titled "Telescope Peak":Looking back to the lowest low from the highest high
Way down to the burning white desert from the clear blue sky
On Telescope Peak, salvation just a day away
On Telescope Peak, I could have said goodbye to yesterday
— On the last lonely day

So many dreams are buried there
In ghost towns and abandoned mines
So many dreams are carried there
In the sound of the wind in the pines
— On the last lonely day

It’s the end of something
It’s the start of something too
It’s the end…

The latest episode of The Colbert Report included a Rush reference during the opening story, which discussed how the Canadian middle class have surpassed the middle class of the United States in wealth.

Colbert comments "...No longer will people around the world aspire to the American dream of 2.5 kids...now it's the Canadian dream of a beaver dam, a maple syrup moat and 2.5 members of Rush; I don't know about you but I don't want to teach Geddy Lee to catch..."

As most Rush fans know, Rush are no strangers to 'The Colbert Report'. The band performed Tom Sawyer on the show back in July of 2008 and have had other references on the show as well.

Thanks to everyone who passed along the news.

While vacationing in Japan earlier this month, Alex Lifeson made a stop at Ishibashi Music in Tokyo. During his visit and tour of the music store, Alex not only talks guitars, but also autographs both his Signature series Gibson Les Paul Axcess and his Paul Reed Smith Private Stock signature series Acoustic Guitar.

His visit was filmed and can be viewed via the player below or directly at this LINK.

Thanks to RushFanForever for the news.

Tomorrow, Saturday April 19th is Record Store Day 2014, an annual event when independent record stores across North America offer up exclusive vinyl records from numerous musical groups.

Last year's event included a 10" vinyl containing both the studio and live version of Rush's The Garden.

This year it appears that another Rush release will be offered. According to Encore Records, a 7" vinyl single of Rush's cover of 7 and 7 Is from their Feedback EP will be offered. The B-Side of this Side by Side Series release is not clear but it may include the original version of the song performed by Love.

To find the location of a local record store that is participating in the event this year, click HERE.

Thanks to Eric from Power Windows for the news.

The March and April 2014 issues of the UK's Rhythm Magazine includes two articles written by Neil Peart titled, appropriately, Neil Peart on Drum Solos.

In Part One of the feature, which appeared in the March 2014 issue of the magazine, Neil breaks down the two 'mini-solos' that he performed during Rush's Clockwork Angels tour:What if I did two shorter solos, one in each set? Ooh, yes - that had possibilities. Eventually that notion evolved into three 'excursions'. The first was a more traditional solo in the first set, in the middle of an instrumental called, 'Where's My Thing?' (Thus the solo is smilingly titled, 'Here It Is!')

In the middle of the second set, I would take an extended drum break in 'Headlong Flight', for which I incorporated samples of the bass and guitar parts - wanting to create a version of one of my most admired soloing approaches, as exemplified by Steve Smith or Dave Weckl, for example. I speak of 'soloin…

Nestled in the Laurentian Mountains in the town of Morin Heights, Quebec lies Le Studio; a recording studio built in 1974 by André Perry and Yaël Brandeis. For Rush fans, it has become a mecca of sorts given its rich history. Rush called the studio home for the recording of eight of their albums, including Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures. Other international artists including Nazareth, The Police, Sting, Cat Stevens, The Bee Gees, David Bowie, Keith Richards, April Wine, Kim Mitchell and Bryan Adams have also recorded albums there.

However despite all of its rich history, the recording studio closed its doors in the mid-2000's and has since been virtually abandoned, left to decay in the harsh Canadian elements.

A group of Rush fans were granted access to the studio back in 2011 where they photographed and filmed the building in its then current state. Through some extensive research on the history of Le Studio, the first part in an on-going documentary titled Temple of So…