SNAKE EYES:

Whitesnake is back--with a new guitarist! He’s none other than Steve Vai (late of David Lee Roth’s band), who handled the guitar chores on White-snake’s new album, “Slip of the Tongue,” when regular axeman (and co-songwriter) Adrian Vandenberg was felled by a hand injury. Vai will also be on hand (along with Vandenberg) when the band kicks off its tour in February. Due out Nov. 7, “Slip of the Tongue” features 10 new songs, including “Kittens Got Claws,” “Slow Poke Music,” “Cheap an’ Nasty” and “Fool for Your Loving.” . . . Why is the new Smithereens album titled “Smithereens 11,” especially since it isn’t the group’s 11th album? We hear that it’s a tip-of-the-rock cap to the Rat Pack, who did the cult fave classic “Ocean’s 11.” . . . And our Band Name of the Week goes to the Pajama Slave Dancers, a new band from Restless Records whose new album, “Heavy Pettin’ Zoo,” features such dope tunes as “Gunfight on Malibu Beach,” “Dinosaur Historian Love Chant,” “36-24-26,” “Burnin’ Rubber (Ode to Safe Sex)” and an inspired remake of “The Brady Bunch Theme.”