Nobody knows. How amazing is that. In a world full of opinions no one really knows. Many educated guesses, but nobody knows. Thousands of years of mankind and not a soul has a clue. That blows my mind. The german artist and philosopher Michael Schmidt-Salomon says that the cornerstones of human existence are Art, Philosophy and Science. Holy Trinity? Anyway, he’s an amazing guy that you should look into. Sadly, none of his works have been translated to english yet, but I’ll keep you updated as soon as it happens.

I’m not much of a scientist, but I love art and philosophy. At the moment there isn’t so much action going on around the tattoo. I still want to write an in-depth post about the unbelievable ART experience I had in Lüneburg, but I’ll do that later. I’m watching ‘Gossip Girl’ right now while drinking and smoking green tea. I’m not a man of faith, but XOXO makes me think the Apocalypse is happily hopping in our direction.

I’m beginning to enjoy this blog thing. The virtual high-school diary I never had, now I’m in my 30’s doing what I despised for so many years… But there is amazing art out there and I’d like to use this medium to share the shit I love with you guys.

As I mentioned before, my back is a real herniated mess. I have my second operation coming up soon and since June I’m a highly medicated part-time invalid. Stephanie and Leni are in London and I’m alone most of the time. I miss them so much. What’s keeping me alive at the moment is the ‘Eagles of Death Metal‘. It is the finest, sexiest, shake your dick Rock N’ Roll out there. Jesse ‘Boots Electric’ Hughes and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) are the Tyler/Perry, Jagger/Richards and Plant/Page of today. EoDM have released three records to date. They’re all killer no filler. Period. You must spend thirteen days by yourself, listening to them on big ass head phones for 17 hours a day. You won’t find the answers to the big questions, but you’ll simply become happy. Like a true Rock N’ Roll flower. I’m in quite a bit of pain a lot of the time, but I have the boogie in my heart and feel invincible. If they were a painting, they’d make you smile, feel horny and be really expensive for an underground piece of art.

Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On – 2009

I’m getting tattooed by Matt tomorrow and I’m really excited. Gonna get a wicked piece. Two days ago I realized that I could legally have sex with girls that were not yet born when Guns N’ Roses released the ‘Use Your Illusion’ records. I feel old. I have so much respect for people who work in places where there’s never any sunlight. There’s so many of them.

That’s all for now. Wear earplugs at bass heavy parties. Going deaf sucks. XOXO – TIM

Artist: Julian Casablancas

Date: Monday November 23, 2009

Venue: Commadore Ballroom

Julian Casablancas is probably best known for his work with the Strokes. In addition to singing and songwriting with the Strokes he has collaborated with Queens of the Stone Age, Eddie Vedder, Lonely Island, Santogold, N.E.R.D., Albert Hammond, Jr., Pharrell, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and more. He has recently finished work on his first solo album “Phrazes for the Young“. Casablancas seems to ooze talent out of his pores. His solo album is a solid listen from start to finish creating memorizing guitar riffs and tap your toes beats. He has been quoted as saying that he wants to present a “series of over-the-top Disney style shows“. If that isn’t enough reason to see him check out some of his work below.

Ticket are available here.

Julian Casablancas works with Santogold, N.E.R.D., and Pharrell for Converse

Julian Casablancas with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse

Julian Casablancas covers “Mercy Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye with Eddie Vedder and Josh Homme, now how great is that…

The Lonely Island perform “Boombox” feat Julian Casablancas….sweet

No more music reviews for a few weeks. I’ve found what I’ll be listening to for the foreseeable future. It’s almost too ridiculous to be real and pretty much a rundown of my favourite bands from ages twelve to twenty-four. Dave Grohl, drummer for Nirvana and I guess the Foo Fighters too, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, probably the single greatest influence I’ve ever had for playing bass (when I was first learning I would play along to Zeppelin I and II to emulate every one of his lines) and Josh Homme, Queens of the Stone Age frontman, Desert Sessions creative mastermind and the best guitarist playing today. That’s Them Crooked Vultures. The super group to end all super groups.

Oh Jesus.

As to be expected, the riffs are gigantic, the drums and bass are heavy as Mac trucks, the lyrics irreverent and the vocal melodies as catchy as anything. Every one of the tracks on Them Crooked Vultures is a straightforward foot stomper, usually broken into massive instrumental climaxes and with each bar packed with as many impressive instrumental licks as possible without completely giving in to total overindulgence (Mind Eraser, No Chaser possibly possessing the highest volume of squealing guitar fills a song is capable of supporting).

It’s difficult to write about only a few outstanding songs but its easy to identify a few tunes as good indications of the album’s sound. The stupidly catchy refrain of New Fang, the disorienting tempo of the most Zeppelinesque track, Elephants and the nearly indescribable quality of the guitar work (from Homme’s always fantastic store of unique tones) on the recurring chorus of Scumbag Blues all serve as great examples of the album’s feel.

There’s enough variety here to make Them Crooked Vultures a consistently interesting listen too. Interlude with Ludes neatly breaks up the album a little after it’s halfway mark, cleansing the palette with its conspicuous absence of massive guitars and pounding drums and bass — before once again breaking into the heavy, broken-glass blues of Warsaw (or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up).

The choice to let the ear breathe is a smart one and is reflected even in the sporadic rests dropped throughout songs. It shows the same understanding that made Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf so great — turn the volume down on your listener for thirty seconds so that the next attack sounds fresh again. Attention to dynamics make a hard or heavy record retain shelf life and ensures that complete album play throughs are actually enjoyable, unlike, say, The Locust, a band that’s interesting but impossible to listen to at full volume for an hour. It’s an effect that Homme has deftly employed on every one of his albums and it’s one of the reasons that this album works as well as it does.

I could gush more but I won’t. If you’re a fan of one of the contributing artists, and most likely you are, then give this one a listen. It’s probably the best straight-up rock album coming out this year and one that is nearly impossible to take out of the CD player (or iTunes playlist for you fancy types).

And I was joking. I’ll stop listening long enough to write more music reviews but I won’t like it.

— Reid

So what exactly is a supergroup? Tracing the history of the supergroup it seems to exist less as a musical term than as a marketing strategy; bestowing members of bands adorned with the supergroup crown the luxury of being able to release an album of Shoegaze Wham covers and still guarantee that some sad git will buy it. One thing is for certain however, whatever the hell a supergroup is, Them Crooked Vultures definitely are one. So what is the product of the Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul-Jones collaboration actually like?

On paper, Them Crooked Vultures’ (TCV) self titled debut album should be a prime cut of rock and roll steak, in reality it’s more a McDonald’s drive through; still good, but I couldn’t have it every day. The real joy of Josh Homme in QOTSA was always the unadulterated groove he could bring to even the most simple of riffs. It is this groove that a majority of TCV’s debut album lacks, riffs seem regular and regimented when they should be sleazy and sexy, album opener No One Loves Me & Neither Do I is a prime example of this.

There are nevertheless still moments of brilliance. New Fang feels like the most complete song on the album fusing together a bouncing verse and catchy off-kilter chorus before climaxing in an outro dominated by a Gatling Gun-esque assault on the drums from Dave Grohl.

If this album was laid to rest for its failures then its fifth track; Elephant would surely be its epitaph; standing as an example of why the whole album is no longer living. The opening riff is indeed one that Jimmy Page would be proud to call his own but unfortunately for Homme and Co. these initial 10 seconds are then drowned in the musical nothingness of the next 400. The track drifts into the supergroup jam band hotel and decides to book the room right next to Emerson, Lake and Palmer, however unfortunately for TCV no good bands stay in that hotel anymore.

Album stand out track Scumbag Blues sees John Paul-Jones dig out the clavinet, Josh Homme strip back the dense riffage and vocally ascend to dizzying heights for a number that could easily slot into the Zeppelin back catalogue. The crisp and snappy drum work of Grohl combined with John Paul-Jones’ Trampled Underfoot style clavinet work gives the instrumental refrains of this song an interesting and attractive texture that is lacking from many other songs.

The second half of the album is decidedly average. The intro of Bandoliers is as boring as the rest of the song and spawns the finger itch that makes you flick through Reptiles to the totally pointless Interlude With Ludes.

Calligulove is the only remaining song of any interest on the album, thanks once again to the keyboard work of John Paul-Jones. However like so many of its predecessors the song soon drowns in riffs and gets smothered by Homme’s chesty vocals. Indeed by the time album finale Spinning in Daffodils grinds into motion the listener is left begging for some vocal variation; Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan. . . .bloody Mark Owen; just give us anything but Josh Homme’s silky smooth whining!

Them Crooked Vultures are your archetypal supergroup, on paper they have all the talent to be the greatest band of their generation, yet like so many of their predecessors they come nowhere close. Long, boring songs are seemingly transplanted straight from jam sessions to record with no consideration of the audience giving an album lacking in structure or character in many parts.

Credit where credits due, in places the album delivers a fist of rock and roll, riff soaked groove right to the face (and groin) of the listener, but unfortunately on the whole it appears to be less Them Crooked Vultures and more ‘boring wonky pigeons’.

Así es apenas el primer disco de esta “Super Band” ya piensa en grabar 2 disco y es que los 3 integrantes piensan que aun falta mucho por explotar sus habilidades y están seguros que podrán hacer un disco más pesado que su disco debut que lleva como nombre el mismo de la banda.

Josh Homme comento a el periódico The Sun que no le gusta que los llamen Super Group, “yo no puedo lidiar con eso, no como pensando en eso, simplemente no me importa todo eso.”          

Lo que es un hecho es que este trío tiene como intención ser una banda seria y no quedar como una banda de cotorreo.

O Them Crooked Vultures é o novo projeto de Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) e John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).

#89: Snow Patrol/Final Straw (2004) — I’ve never seen Snow Patrol live, but if there was ever an album that seemed fit for both clubs and arenas in would be Final Straw.  This isn’t even a ‘happy,’ record either. But the examination of self and relationships through the lyricism is phenomenal against it’s companion soundtrack. Check out: ‘How to Be Dead,’ ‘Chocolate,’ and ‘Run.’

#88: Local H/Whatever Happened to PJ Soles? (2004) — Local H are like a gust from the Windy City. No two-man rocks as hard as this duo – unless you count anything Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin did between 2001-2007. This album is probably the nadir of their career, deftly spinning their brand of straight up guitar rock with a rare pop sensibility. Check out choice cuts ‘California Songs,’ ‘Heaven on the Way Down,’ and ‘Halycon Days.’

#87: Wednesday 13/Transylvania 90210 (2005) — Two things that go together like peanut butter and jelly are punk music and horror (see The Misfits, The Horrors, The Cramps). I discovered these guys through Slipknot –> Murderdolls –> Wednesday 13. This started out being my fun, guilty pleasu…re record of ‘05. But four years later and I’m still giggling. Check out ‘I Walked With A Zombie,’ the title track and ‘Buried by Christmas.’ — featuring the great lyric: ‘All I want for Christmas is a custom-fit casket, with black velvet interior…oh yeah, and a bucket of chicken…’

#86: Placebo/Battle for the Sun (2009) — this is, hands down, my favorite band of the decade. Entering at #86, this year’s album sees the departure of drummer Steve Hewitt. Continuing in the polished vein of 2006’s MEDS album, it would seem the band has found it’s niche in alterna-rock culture. More songs for boys like me with hearts on their sleeves. Check out: ‘Bright Lights,’ ‘Happy You’re Gone,’ and ‘Kings of Medicine.’

#85: Sponge/The Man (2005) — These guys have been rockin’ hard for over a decade and a half. Their post-grunge, Detroit sound can be simplifed — it’s just damn good rock n roll. 05’s The Man was/is their hardest rocking album to date, takes no prisoners, and makes you wanna bang your head with an uncanny sensibility for hooks. Check out: ‘The Man,’ ‘Feels Like Love,’ and ‘Shittier Day Than Me.’

#84: Longwave/Secrets are Sinister (2008) — I remember seeing these guys at Valentine’s (1st Floor) with about 10-15 other people back in support of their 2003 debut and thinking, ‘these guys are gonna be big!’ Well, the band has taken the road less travelled and have kind of missed the mainstream success I initially expected. Has stopped them from putting out albums, though. I think this is the best, most cohesive album of the three in five years. Perhaps it was usage of producer Peter Katis (Interpol) or just stronger songwriting. Imagine Radiohead met the Strokes and you get the picture without the squonks. Check out: ‘No Direction,’ ‘Satellites,’ and ‘I Don’t Dare.’

#83: Ryan Adams/RocknRoll (2003) — the second entry for Ryan on my countdown. Yes he’s prolific, and yes one could fairly compare him to Neil Young. This album was exactly what it embodied – Rock N Roll. I remember this ablum from a number of road trips and it’s a great driving record. Perfect…parts throwback, perfect parts garage rock. Check out (though buying the album is well worth it): ‘So Alive,’ ‘Note to Self: Don’t Die,’ and ‘1974.’

#82: Alice in Chains/Black Gives Way to Blue (2009): sure, there have been bands who have been more prolific in the past 10 years, but who freakin’ cares? No disrespect to Staley, but as a cohesive, fantastic sounding album from track-to-track, this AIC release takes the cake! Some of Cantrell’s best writing. Check out: (one of the best tracks this year) ‘Check My Brain,’ ‘Your Decision,’ and ‘Private Hell.’

#81: Queens of the Stone Age/Era Vulgaris (2007) — After a disappointing 2005 release, I’d wondered if the loss of Nick Oliveri would do the Queens in. But Josh Homme was in one of the greatest stoner bands of all time! This is a trippy album that took me time to get into and it came at the end of 2007 when I realized how damn good (and diverse) the album was. Check out: ‘Misfit Love,’ ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’ and ‘Make It Witchu.’

#80: Pearl Jam/Backspacer (2009) — fourth studio album of the decade, but first in 13 years with Brendan O’Brien. This is the PJ I know and love. The band with a mission on it’s record to rock fast with abandon while at the same time writing songs with a sensibility to them. The other three albums over the past 10 years lacked a consistent theme. To some that was considered cool. Sometimes I like straight lines in my album rock. Check out: ‘The Fixer,’ ‘Unthought Known,’ and ‘Just Breathe.’

The Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack dropped from DCG/Interscope on September 9th.

When Spike Jonze set out to recreate Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, he enlisted the help of ex-girlfriend Karen O, vocalist for the Brooklyn-based garage punk group the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. To put the record together, she recruited the likes of bandmates Nick Zinner and Brian Chase, Tristan Bechet from Services, Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age, Bradford Cox from Deerhunter, Jack Lawrence from The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, and Imaad Wasif from New Folk Implosion. The supergroup was then born under the namesake Karen O and the Kids.

Along with her troupe of contributors, Karen O managed to translate Jonze’s vision of escape from adulthood exquisitely well into the film’s soundtrack. The product is an auditory masterpiece that features a depth that perfectly supports and complements Jonze’s creative vision.

When setting out to compose the soundtrack, Karen went for a decidedly childish approach, which can often spell disaster for most projects. Each track on the record takes on an often haunting feel, but is eventually triumphed over by an overwhelming feel of playfulness. To create that sense in the music, Karen drew on the more juvenile aspect of her writing style, explaining it to Rolling Stone by saying, “I guess there is a childlike innocence about my music or my persona that [Jonze] always just kind of dialed into.”  Many of the tracks feature an intentional dissonance that both overwhelms and envelopes the listener, making the listening experience just as entertaining as the film itself, just without the monsters.

When listening to the record in order, it is overly apparent how Karen positioned the songs in such a way as to have the mood of each track assume the polar opposite of the one before it. This varying mood brilliantly mirrors the constantly changing state of emotions of a child, bringing the record to an entirely more visceral level. It’s as though she herself was experiencing the same emotional turmoil as the protagonist Max throughout the production of the record.

In the end, the product from Karen O and the Kids is just as admirable a feat as the film itself. To call Karen O the “Spike Jonze of Soundtracks” may seem a bit exaggerated, but at the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the truly exquisite writing that defines the soundtrack. By paralleling the emotional movement of the film itself, Karen O and the Kidshave managed to create a soundtrack that stands perfectly beside an already stunning film.

– John Luposello

Forget Tao of Pooh; I want to be as content as Tortilla is.

I really haven’t been up to snuff this week. Maybe it’s the seriously cold weather finally rolling in (my fingers hurt to type!), or the fact that I’m anxious about moving.
In any fashion…
this week was brought to you by:

Metallica’s cover of Nick Cave’s “Loverman” (which I like better than the original-my guilty pleasure)

The Dead Weather’s “So Far From Your Weapon.” Geez - could Alison Mosshart be anymore badass?

Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” This video is from SESAME STREET. So cool:

Queens of the Stone Age performing  ”Hanging Tree.” I want Mark Lanegan and Tom Waits to sing me bedtime stories.

and lastly, Tom Waits’ “Green Grass”

This is all I listened to this last week.

Maybe it would improve my mood to listen to something a bit more uptempo. What do you suggest? I’m always up for a Karen O Dance Party!

The name of the latest venture by Josh Homme, David Grohl, and John Paul Jones is too good to waste on the crooks who ransacked our country. So is it any good? Yep it’s very good….probably the best thing Homme and Grohl have done since Songs For The Deaf, and  Jones since Houses of the Holy. Bluesy hard rock is the order of the day with a good dollop of Cream and Masters of Reality thrown in. Homme does such a good job of aping Jack Bruce on Scumbag Blues that it had to be deliberate…still it’s a great song.  It’s hard not to feel that even though the other two have sold gazillions more than Homme they’re more than chuffed to be his rhythm section. It’s very much his show and a testimony to his superb achievements in making some of the finest and most vital rock ‘n’ roll music of the last twenty years.

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

2009

DGC Records

 Them Crooked Vultures is the new supergroup consisting of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana (like you didn’t know that), Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones.  Do I really even need to state where he’s from?  It’s John Paul Jones.  Alright, of Led Zeppelin.  I don’t think you’re catching on…  JOHN PAUL JONES of LED ZEPPELIN.  Grohl and Homme must’ve been the most ecstatic people on the planet.  Ever.

So, the group formed in 2005, and… wait.  2005?  Is that true Wikipedia?  If it is (which apparently it is, since Grohl provided an interview with Mojo about the collaboration), why wait so long?  It’s been four years!  I understand that yes, they’re all busy people.  Grohl has the Foo Fighters, Homme has QotSA, Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal, whatever.  And yeah, Jones does a lot, but nothing extremely substantial.  If I were Grohl and Homme and I heard I’d be collaborating with John Paul Jones, excuse me, Mr. JOHN PAUL JONES of LED ZEPPELIN, I’d drop everything.  Foo Fighters can take a backseat for a little bit.  This is more important.  By far (and I like the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.  Imagine if they were bands I didn’t like, what I’d say?). 

So anyway, they just released their debut album,  Them Crooked Vultures.  The album starts off with “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I.”  The song’s a bluesy slower tempo romp.  The percussion is amazing (with Grohl on drums), and the guitar is pretty cool too.  And let me get this out there, the entire album is extremely bass-heavy.  Which is awesome, because Jones is amazing on the album.  This song features distant sounding vocals from Homme, with tons of reverb.  While it’s not a great song, it at least shows that the three meld together really well, and it’s still interesting, and enjoyable.  Best part though (which gets the album really going): halfway through, the band stops, and a big volume jump occurs.  The bass is so heavy and the repletion is awesome.

“Mind Eraser, No Chaser” features a great guitar riff, with a less-than-great raw solo in the intro.  The chorus is pretty catchy, with a call-and-answer section.  This is one of the best songs on the album, but unfortunately, it suffers from too much.  There’s too much noise, too many guitars, and the vocals have too many effects.  This regrettably is a theme for the whole album.  Luckily, the arrangements of the songs almost make up for it.  Strangely, after the heaviness of “Mind Eraser,” midi horns (I think horns) come in, providing a great contrast to their sound.

“New Fang” is the first single from the album, and the audience can understand why.  It’s starts with great drums from Grohl, and then really cool-sounding contrasting guitar and bass.  The vocals are great, even with Homme using falsetto a little bit.  The memorable chorus features Homme’s witty writing, “Sometimes you break a finger on the upper hand, I think you’ve got me confused with a better man.”  The instrumental breaks are great as well, ringing guitars, heavy bass, pounding drums, and noise solos that actually work in this song.  Then, showing off their talent in arrangements, a key change comes in!  It’s definitely one of the best singles of the year, I submit.

“Dead End Friends” starts with out-of-tune guitars, leading into a rhythmic riff.  It’s a heavy song, so the vocals aren’t particularly outstanding.  They’re unfortunately monotonous.  Jones, however, has a great bass line that shows off a lot on this track.

“Elephants” is one of my favorite songs from the album.  The intro riff is admirable, and leads perfectly into a fast paced rhythm, that will get stuck in one’s head.  And before any vocals come in, the band shifts into a math-rock style.  The lyrics are some of the better ones in this song (“Slick back my hair, you know the devil’s in there?” offers a great image, I believe).  The band keeps the song interesting, for being so long, with slower parts and buildups as well.  It’s construction is almost flawless.

“Scumbag Blues” is, indeed, a blues-based rock (seems I’m using that phrase a lot this week).  Homme’s vocals are different here, showing a higher-register than we’re used to.  Also, not as much noise is heard on this track, and the guitar lines are kept to a minimum of bleeding into each other.  Dave Grohl, keeps a great beat during the middle-eight of the song, which offers an almost acid-rock genre bend.

The next two songs, “Bandoliers” and “Reptiles”, while both being enjoyable, are regrettably forgettable.  The latter at least uses a different technique on the vocals, bass, and guitar lines which is cool.  But the song just doesn’t hold up as well as some other songs.

“Interlude With Ludes” is the song that doesn’t fit on the album, allowing for a break in the heavy-rock tone for just a little while.  Echo is heard on the vocals (along with other effects).  The best part of the song is Grohl’s drumming which takes the lead.  The percussive hits are unlike any sounds I’ve heard before, and fit perfectly with the psychedelic noise which is ninety percent of the song.

Afterwards, the listener is treated to the epic song “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up” (what a goddamn, long name).  After a few guitar noises, a slow-tempo hard rock song comes in, perfect for a sloth-like, muddy sound.  After the verse, the song picks up a little bit, introducing keyboards and strange, creepy background vocals.  The bass and guitar have a powerful riff, creating the heaviness more than anything else.  During the extended solo, the pace picks up seamlessly, leading into a nice drum fill section with ringing guitar.  This reminds me of “Dazed and Confused” during the noise section where the bass and drums follow each other perfectly.  And finally, the outro is awesome with noises coming in and out, the bass keeping the song balanced.

Again, “Caligulove” and “Gunman” are two really enjoyable songs, but fail to stand up to the rest of the album.  The problem is with so much to sift through, the listener will skip over a few songs if they don;t take a break from the album.  They are two thoroughly acceptable songs though.

Finally, the ultimate track, “Spinning on Daffodils” comes in.  The intro is a beautiful piano solo.  With guitar noise and feedback in the background.  Which makes it awesome for being different.  Then a pull-on guitar riff comes in, one of the better ones on the album.  With deep vocals (and harmonies), the song retains the heaviness of the album.  During the first half on the song (again, it’s an epic over-seven minute song), the bass and drums play off of each other, keeping a repetitive nature going.  After four minutes, there’s finally a buildup (and Homme groaning, keeping a weirdness factor relevant), that lasts for a few minutes.  Indeed, the song is all buildup, which is actually pretty cool.  A fadeout comes early, leaving atmospheric guitars and a kick-ass bass solo.  Honestly, the end of the album is done perfectly, leaving only a hint of a song left in the mind of the listener.  Perfect “what the hell?” moment, but done in a great creative way.

The debut album from the power trio does seem a little long, and could be better, but it’s the debut album (Hopefully, there will be more!), so it can be forgiven.  The band amalgamates (damn, look at that word) very well.  The sound could’ve been developed slightly better, with less noise overall, but for fans of hard rock, it’s a relief to the mundane offerings by most hard rock bands currently.  Surprisingly, Pitchfork has a very insightful review on the album.  Although I would’ve given the album at least a seven.  Still, they have a point that with all three huge members, the album can get a little muddled.  But it’s worth it for some kick-ass rock.

Buy This Album

Official Site

Last.fm Page

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures [Sony]

The term “super group” is sure to raise an eyebrow, a wry smile and a certain level of trepidation from anyone who considers themselves to be a passionate music fan.  And rightly so as the much-hyped “super groups” usually turn out to be not all that super, despite the sum of their parts being so.

And for a moment, the panic, the smile, the eyebrow were all in full effect when worst got out about the Them Crooked Vultures project, a heady mix containing a Zeppelin, a Foo, and a Queen of The Stone Age.  Could it really be as good as it should be?

Well after 3 minutes of opening track ‘No One Loves Me & Neither Do I’, I realise something… It really can be as good as it should be as the year’s biggest riff rips its way through my head kicking every single doubt clean out of my ears and swiftly replaces the vacant space with the grooviest guitar music I’ve heard in years.  Finally a release to come out of 2009 that’s unashamedly rock and roll, and it’s a total joy.

Granted the album’s influence seems to be leaning heaviest towards guitarist/vocalist Josh Homme, throughout the album there are enough flashes of greatness that reveal the level of influence both John Paul Jones’ [Bass] and Dave Grohl’s [Drums] had on the project and those are really the moments to savour.  Lead single ‘Mind Eraser, No Chaser’, is two-parts Foo Fightersy big-chorus-driving riff , swallowed down with a Queens Of The Stone Age like swagger.  The blues-laden ‘Elephants’, a healthy dose of stomping Zeppelin mixed in with a bit of QOTSA chaos.  And though that sounds a touch formulaic, this is what you want when these super elements collide.  The culmination of the best parts of their respective outfits, blended together make something strangely familiar yet wholly new to the ear.

Them Crooked Vultures is never going to be regarded as an album steeped in originality, but it will be remembered for bringing three of rock music’s most prominent figures [all masters of their respective weapons of choice] together and in doing so they’ve created a great rock record that will stand up proud, chest puffed out, head held high in a year that seems to be strangely absent of loud, unapologetic rock music.

Well, with 2009 approaching the ol’ finish line, you’ll start seeing lots of year-end wrap-up lists and things. And since it’s the end of the Double-0 Decade, you’ll be seeing lots of decade recap lists as well. (Some early spoilers: Pitchfork has crowned Radiohead’s Kid A the best album of the Double-0s, while the NME favors Is This It by the Strokes.)

But you won’t find that here, and not now. No, here you will find a year-end recap that dares to be somewhat different. This is the first-ever Listen Up! Year-End Awards ceremony – or you can just name them the Harleys after the adorable little trophy I’m giving out to the winners.

Let's see the Academy beat THIS one.

The fun begins after the jump!

All right, let’s get this show on the road! Bring on the first award!

Most Ridiculous Album Art of the Year

First, let’s have a look at the runner-ups…

Brooke Hogan, The Redemption

Um, wow. This looks like the kind of thing that some Dungeons & Dragons nerd might have airbrushed on the hood of his car back in 1987. I don’t even think people do that anymore. Also, that album title… don’t you have to screw up a successful singing career before you can make a comeback album called The Redemption? Quick, name the last time you heard a Brooke Hogan song. And VH1 doesn’t count.

Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment

If Aladdin Sane went to the neighborhood mall, got some Glamour Shots photos taken, and then scanned the most ridiculous pose into his computer so he could Photoshop it poorly and add ugly ‘80s hair-metal logo fonts… well, the result still wouldn’t look as stupid as this album cover.

I must give this guy props for letting FYE sponsor his album title, though. If I ever get a record deal, I’m changing my name to Sam Goody and recording an album of techno-pop called Circuit City. The critics will call it a “best buy” even though it will basically sound like a cheesy ripoff of MGMT. Or Weezer’s “Can’t Stop Partying.” You decide.

Chris Brown, Graffiti

What’s the worst crime he commits with this thing? Carrying a guitar even though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t play? Borrowing Adam Lambert’s cheesy-looking font? The pseudo-outer-space scene in the background? The robot hand holding a spray can? No… it’s those ridiculous cartoon characters in the corner that earn this one its WTF status.

And the Harley goes to…

Shwayze, Let It Beat

What the hell is going on here? It looks like they tried to spoof the famous shot of the Statue of Liberty at the end of Planet Of The Apes. Only here, the statue’s been decapitated and dismembered. And she’s wearing a bikini. And she has speakers where her boobs are supposed to be. And her iPod is plugged into her belly button. And she’s apparently visiting the set of Miami Vice.

Most Awesomely Ridiculous Album Art of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

Weezer, Raditude

Just look at it. I mean, what else could you expect for an album that got its title from the guy who plays Dwight on The Office and called Ellen Page “homeskillet” in Juno?

Funniest Song of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

Theory Of A Deadman, “Hate My Life”

I still can’t figure out what to make of this song. On one hand, these lyrics are hilarious: “I hate that I can’t tell/When a girl’s underage/You know, I tell her she’s a nice piece of ass,/Then her daddy punches me in the face.” On the other hand, the singer sounds so sincere that it’s like he really wanted people to relate to this.

If it’s meant to be funny, then it’s a clever parody of angst-ridden post-grunge radio rock – you know, like Theory Of A Deadman’s other songs. If it’s not meant to be funny… well, that just makes it funnier, doesn’t it? And the acoustic version of this song, believe it or not, is even funnier. Unintentionally funny things are always funnier than things that are supposed to be funny. That’s why The Number 23 is the funniest movie Jim Carrey’s made this entire decade. Even with some strong competition from Weird Al, there was no way this wasn’t going to Theory Of A Deadman.

Plus, is it just me, or does the lead singer kind of sound like the guy who sings the songs in Team America?

Biggest Pop Star of the Year That I’ve Still Never Heard Of

And the Harley goes to…

Justin Bieber

I don’t have a clue who this guy is. I don’t know where he came from, and I have no idea whether or not he’s connected to the Disney Channel (the most likely cause for such a meteoric rise to fame). All I know is that he’s suddenly everywhere, I am clueless as to why, and I don’t really care either.

Most Inexplicable Attempt At A Singing Career

And the Harley goes to…

Heidi Montag

Apparently this girl from The Hills has been trying to get a music career off the ground for a while now. So far it has been greeted with the same enthusiasm people reserve for trees falling in the forest that they aren’t around to hear. But bless her heart, she keeps on trucking.

And hey, if this singing thing doesn’t work out, she could always pose for Play… oh, wait. She did that already. Never mind.

Runner-Up: That woman from Real Housewives who sang “Tardy For The Party”

Most Shocking Musical Controversy of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

Britney Spears vs. Australia

What do you mean Britney Spears doesn’t sing live? I for one am absolutely appalled that she lip-syncs! We made Ashlee Simpson a freaking pariah for pulling the same stunt on Saturday Night Live; now people wouldn’t buy her albums if you gave them away for free! You mean to tell me people will actually pay their hard-earned money to watch a singer who pretends to sing?

“If you’re shocked that Britney was lip-syncing at her concert and want your money back, life may continue to be hard for you.”

– John Mayer

For me, the controversy is not about Britney lip-syncing. Much like Mr. Mayer, I’m shocked that people are still shocked about this. Have the Aussies not been paying attention for the last ten years? Come on, Australia. Britney’s been lip-syncing since day one. I don’t even think that’s her real speaking voice. There’s probably someone sitting outside in an RV talking into a headset microphone or something.

Best Supergroup of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

Them Crooked Vultures

And in a stunning upset, Them Crooked Vultures takes home the Harley over… well, how many supergroups actually came out this year? There was Chickenfoot, Monsters Of Folk, and… uh…

I’m only half-kidding about this. Maybe I’m kind of biased since this band features Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age) on guitar and vocals, Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, lots of other bands) on drums, and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) on bass. It’s kind of hard to go wrong with a lineup like that. If you like classic rock like Zeppelin or Cream, or if QOTSA’s Songs For The Deaf ranks among your favorite albums, or if you play an instrument, or if you like rock music in general, you’ll probably like this band.

Runner-Up: Monsters Of Folk

Most Baffling Music Video Trend of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

NSFW VIDEOS

I’ve never been a fan of censorship, really. That’s why if I ever come up with an idea for a TV show, I’d want it to be on HBO – because they let you do pretty much anything you want. Yet for some reason, this recent trend of NSFW music videos has taken me by surprise. Truly, Rule 34 of the Internet (“If it exists, there is porn of it – no exceptions”) continues to reign supreme.

Would you like to watch Rammstein porn (“Pussy”)? Do you think it would be funny to pretend another person’s penis is a microphone (Girls, “Lust For Life”)? Have you ever wanted to see Wayne Coyne naked (the Flaming Lips, “Watching The Planets”)? Well, guess what? All of these videos have been made just for you. But be warned – what has been seen… cannot be unseen.

Runner-Up: Everything Lady Gaga has ever worn. EVER.

Best Non-Existent Album of the Year

And the Harley goes to…

Radiohead, Wall Of Ice

It must have been interesting to be a member of Radiohead in the days leading up to August 17, 2009. Someone had recently leaked a new song called “These Are My Twisted Words” and the Internet was suddenly all abuzz about a mysterious new EP called Wall Of Ice. This despite the fact that nobody in the band had ever said anything about the leak, the new song, or anything they were planning for August 17. No blog posts on Dead Air Space, no news updates on At Ease Web, no interviews, no press releases, no nothing.

Yet all of a sudden everyone was convinced that Wall Of Ice was coming. After all, this was the band who released In Rainbows pretty much out of nowhere nearly two years earlier. Were they about to pull the same trick again?

Well, no. As it turns out, the Wall Of Ice EP existed only in Internet rumors. And the mysterious event set for August 17? The official release of “These Are My Twisted Words.” Somehow, without even doing anything at all, Radiohead had managed to pull off perhaps the biggest hoax since Orson Welles’ War Of The Worlds broadcast. But if “These Are My Twisted Words” is any indication, Wall Of Ice would have been pretty kickass. And Pitchfork would have given it at least an 8.5 out of 10.

One last Harley award to give out, and then we can all go home! Now, this one may be the last, but it’s certainly not the least. And anyone who’s paid attention to any award shows over the past few years will agree that this is a pretty big award.

The Kanye West Award, for excellence in the field of being Kanye West

And the Harley goes to…

Kanye West

Well, duh. At least now he won’t be throwing any fits backstage (or onstage) about how he should have won something.

Disc 1
1. “Turnin’ on the Screw” – 5:20
2. “Sick, Sick, Sick” – 3:34
3. “I’m Designer” – 4:04
4. “Into the Hollow” – 3:42
5. “Misfit Love” – 5:39
6. “Battery Acid” – 4:06
7. “Make It Wit Chu” – 4:50
8. “3’s & 7’s” – 3:34
9. “Suture Up Your Future” – 4:37
10. “River in the Road” – 3:19
11. “Run, Pig, Run” – 4:40
12. “The Fun Machine Took a S***! and Died” – 6:57
13. “Make It Wit Chu [Acoustic]” – 4:50
14. “Era Vulgaris [Richard File Remix]” – 6:06
15. “I’m Designer [UNKLE Remix]” – 6:11

Disc 2 (Live In Amsterdam)
1. “Monsters in the Parasol” – 3:34
2. “Misfit Love” – 6:41
3. “If Only” – 3:43
4. “I Think I Lost My Headache” – 6:10
5. “Into the Hollow” – 4:13
6. “Go with the Flow” – 3:22
7. “Regular John” – 10:59
8. “Avon” – 3:18
9. “Song for the Dead” – 7:13

[RS] [MU]

Interested in a new release that includes Dave Grohl’s “whomping” drums, Josh Homme’s “desert-rat guitar” and John Paul Jones’ “nasty” bass?  Yeah – me, too.

And that means that today’s release of the self-titled debut from new “supergroup” Them Crooked Vultures is one to immediately run out and buy, download, or figure out how to get your hands on.

John Paul Jones, Josh Homme and Dave Grohl of Them Crooked Vultures. (Dustin Rabin Photography)

The descriptors of the respective Vultures in that first paragraph come from Rolling Stone’s 3 1/2 star review (and accompanying 4 1/2 star user rating).

And why wouldn’t it be getting great reviews?  Honestly, from the moment I heard of this project, I saw no reason that it wouldn’t work in a big way. 

Dave Grohl, ex-Nirvana and current Foo Fighter, is a life-long fan of Jones and Led Zeppelin (as evidenced by this funny recounting of his trio of Zeppelin tattoos).

And Grohl has worked with Homme in the recent past, memorably as the drummer in Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age for the amazing “Songs for the Deaf” album and tour.

You can’t fake chemistry and these guys have it – as evidenced by this interview with Steve Appleford of the Los Angeles Times that goes a long way toward revealing exactly why this is working.

Enjoy this collaboration while it’s hot.  Grohl and Homme will inevitably get back to their primary responsibilities soon enough. 

Nothing at all wrong with that, of course, but it’s always rewarding to get bonus material like this out of three artists committed to creating more great music in their lifetimes than any of us probably have a right to enjoy.  So go enjoy it already.

"At least in this shot, their name just seems ironic"

Well, this week’s iTunes Free Single of the Week certainly gives you your money’s worth (figuratively speaking) with a running time coming in at just over eight minutes. This country tinged, Neil Young-esque track is oddly labelled as being “electronic” in iTunes’ genre sorting, but the song itself is on the complete opposite end of the musical spectrum. It’s only labelled as electronic because, rather than being a recording by a band, it is the work of a pair of producers, namely Rich Machin and Ian Glover, under the title Soulsavers.

With the featured addition of guest vocalist Mark Lanegan, formally of Screaming Trees, Soulsavers have produced a song that promises a lot, through sound alone, but doesn’t quite deliver. There is a slight build up at the beginning of the song, but rather than going anywhere, the song just sits on the level it got to in the first minute and sits there. The guitar solo, which could be expected to be the climax of many songs, comes four and a half minutes into the song, and the preceding time was filled with wailing electric guitar under the vocals anyway. As such, the solo just feels like more of the same in this song.

Is it worth downloading? I’d say yes. Mark Lanegan’s smooth vocals lend very well to this chilled out, southern rock lament. Everything else seems designed to tug on the heartstrings, and while the arrangement doesn’t help this by letting the song get a little stale towards the end, it does still have a bit of an emotional hit. At almost eight minutes, it could easily be a bit of a slog to get through. This isn’t really true, as despite its length, ‘Some Misunderstanding’ isn’t a song that will bore you. You may however forget what song you are listening to about half way through, but for this reviewer at least, that doesn’t stop it from being a welcome addition to the shuffle rotation.

6.5/10

Download it for free here for the week of 17/11/09: iTunes

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

With the plethora of truly bad “supergroups” that have infested this planet in recent years (Chickenfoot anyone?), when the real deal comes along it is a shock to the system. When rumors began to swirl that the long awaited project from Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones was going to debut at The Metro in Chicago after Lollapalooza 2009 was over with, the buzz was pretty intense. Then the reviews of the show came out the next morning, and it appeared this was no mere hype. Them Crooked Vultures appeared to be the Real McCoy!

Before I get into the review, big kudos to Kimber Lanning over at Stinkweeds Records! Thanks to you I had this disc in my hands to listen to early on Tuesday. If you live in Phoenix, AZ, support local, independent music and shop at this great record store rather than hitting up one of those big chains that is killing the industry. I did say I would occasionally get on my soapbox …

A quick bio of Them Crooked Vultures, Tfronky-style
Now for the uninitiated, Dave Grohl told Mojo magazine in April 2005 that the next project he was interested in pursuing was a collaboration between him, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones. “The next project that I’m trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.” That kind of statement naturally created quite a stir. Grohl is one of the industry’s heavy hitters right now, with stellar work in the Foo Fighters and Nirvana. If you want to hear work of his from the wayback machine, check out Washington D.C. punk rock legends Scream. Grohl played on their last two albums. With Them Crooked Vultures he is once again behind the drum kit, and he destroys on the skins as well as ever.

Guitarist/vocalist Josh Homme has already carved out an impressive career with his work in Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss and Eagles of Death Metal. Them Crooked Vultures is another fine feather in his cap. Homme and Grohl already have a history together from when Grohl played drums on the third QOTSA release Songs for the Deaf.

The third key element of this band needs no introduction. Dave Grohl and Josh Homme may be rock legends one day, but they added a true legend to Them Crooked Vultures with John Paul Jones on the bass. The most overlooked member of the legendary Led Zeppelin is an amazing musician, and the smooth but heavy grooves he adds to this band are incredible. I was a big fan of the work he also did with art-rock alternative musician Diamandra Galas.

The debut self-titled album
Here is something that immediately needs to be said about this album. Alan Moulder mixed Them Crooked Vultures. Now I have a feeling there will not be too many of you out there that will realize the significance of this, but when I was reading the track listing on the back of the disc, I went nuts when I saw his name. Alan Moulder was a big-time producer during the heyday of Creation Records back in the late eighties-early nineties. I would be referring to work from incredible bands such as Swervedriver, My Bloody Valentine and Ride. He also worked with Lush, Smashing Pumpkins and the Jesus and Mary Chain, but the one disc he will always be known for working on was the 1994 release of The Downward Spiral from Nine Inch Nails. Alan Moulder has some serious credibility in the industry, and his handiwork is very evident on Them Crooked Vultures.

No One Loves You & Neither Do I leads off this album, and the force of this trio is immediately evident. The rhythm section of Jones and Grohl is outstanding and complemented well with Homme’s unique vocal style and volatile guitar work. The first four tracks are similar in the sense each possesses a sound that bulls forward in an aggressive manner, but with each possessing a strong sense of melodicism as well. This is basic rock and roll done very, very well.

There is a brief lull during songs 6-8, but the intensity picks right back up from track seven through the end. I was really impressed with the song structure of each tune on the disc. Them Crooked Vultures may be stripped down rock and roll, but there is nothing basic about the make-up of each song.

Now, some of you may have noticed I skipped track five. For my money Elephants was the highlight of this album, a brutal track with extreme tempo changes and a sound that pummels you into submission. Elephants puts the power and talent of Them Crooked Vultures on full display. This song has to be absolutely insane live.

What an impressive debut, and what a way to redefine the whole theory of the supergroup. The wait was well worth it folks. Go out and pick up this amazing piece of work today!

Cheers,
Frank

Them Crooked Vultures, the rock supergroup, comprised of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) and John-Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin!) released their debut album today. However the album was free to listen to from their website for the past week or so, which I have been listening to constantly. Their self-titled album is recieving mixed reviews e.g. Rolling Stone gave it 3.5/5 stars.

The only problem this album has is the standards these musicians have set for themselves by their previous work. Yes it sounds like Led Zeppelin, and how is that a bad thing? The guitar riffs are stellar, Grohl drums like a man possessed, Homme’s voice has matured immensely from ‘Songs for the Deaf’. The songs are traditional rock at its finest with a good deal of blues thrown it. It may sound raw but that only adds to the charm. It might not be for everyone, particularly those who consider nickelback and their ilk ‘rock’, it may not be the ferocious beast of an album that we were all waiting for, but TCV do down and dirty rock’n'roll is better than any of the contemporary shit we have to endure. Favourite tracks: “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I” and “Elephants”. Buy it.