Monday November 23, 2009

Them Crooked Vultures
Grohl, Jones, and Homme!

Welcome to bird week on ROCKLINE, featuring vultures and chickens and with Thanksgiving right around the corner we may as well toss in some turkeys too. As for the Vultures (as they’re coming to be known) we get the feeling that this new supergroup, comprising the Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, are referring to two-legged, suit wearing, wallet stealing, power hungry, psycho talking, land grabbing, robber barons. But that’s just us. We can ask the band to make sure, or you can if you want as this is your official invitation to take part in the proceedings by calling in to speak with our guests. In case you don’t know who is doing what in the band we’ll set you straight. All three of the guys sing with Josh handling lead vocals, Dave’s hitting skins with sticks and John Paul, focusing mostly on bass and keys, plays any and everything he wants to, seemingly limited only by what happens to be on hand at any given moment. But what do they sound like? Few would argue that there have been plenty of disappointing supergroups over the years, great players but not so great bands. Rather than attempting to describe music, which to us is like trying to describe what a strawberry tastes like, it’s best to dive right in and take a bite yourself. What we don’t like is, “They sound like a cross between…..”, so we’ll spare you that drivel. All you need to do is take note of the heritage these three masters bring to the stage and studio. C’mon, Nirvana, Zeppelin, Foos, QOTSA, that’s an absolutely ridiculous heritage.

Immediately establishing what kind of band they’re going to be, they’ve made their self-titled album available for free streaming online on the band's www.YouTube.com page. Here’s a link to their website themCrookedVultures.com and their MySpace too. The beginnings of TCV date back to at least 2002 when Grohl played drums on “Songs for the Deaf”, the landmark QOTSA album and also help explain why Dave’s not handling the lead vocals on this album, or at least taking turns with Josh. John Paul Jones performed with the Foo Fighter’s in February of 2008 in the parking lot of the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 50th anniversary of the Grammy’s, but word is that The Vultures have been at least an idea since 2005, if not a full fledged working band. You’ll make up your own mind about the music the gents have created, but if that funky keyboard sound from Zeppelin’s “Trampled Under Foot” that resurfaces in “Scumbag Blues” doesn’t overheat your engine then you’ve got some serious issues. We didn’t know how much we wanted an album we didn’t realize was coming, at least until recently.

Wednesday November 25, 2009

Chickenfoot
Special Encore Presentation

We often hear on ROCKLINE how difficult it is to come up with band names because everything is already taken. Well, that wasn't a problem with Chickenfoot. Imagine that, Chickenfoot wasn't taken. The names that bear real importance with this band are Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith. Nuff said. Time to get your Chickenfoot on as we present this Special Encore from June of this year. What's for Thanksgiving this year? Chickenfoot!

Chicken what? C’mon, there can’t really be a band called Chickenfoot can there? Not a decent sounding or serious one for sure. Who the hell would name their band Chickenfoot? How about Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith? If one takes the collective heritage and contributions to Rock and Roll these four have provided such as Montrose, Van Halen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Deep Purple, the solo careers of Hagar and Satriani, teaching Kirk Hammet and Steve Vai, working with Glenn Hughes and even the Dixie Chicks into consideration these guys can name their band whatever the hell they want. And they did. The result is breathtaking, resulting in an album with a phenomenal vocalist, an insane and otherworldly Sci-Fi guitarist, an astounding rhythm section and the classic harmonies of Van Halen. It is at once brand new, exhilarating and forceful while also providing a comforting visit to some of the most familiar sounds in all of Rock. Do they sound like Van Halen? Absolutely not, with the distinguished exception of those glorious harmonies from Sam and Mikey. Is there a Chili Pepper vibe? No way. Does their debut album have the sound of Satch and his plaintiff, soulful wail on guitar? Well, actually yes it does, (there is absolutely no way to disguise the signature sound that emanates from Joe’s Ibanez and we’re certainly not complaining). We find it difficult to describe exactly what this new supergroup sounds like, so we’ll leave you to your own adjectives when you listen in the privacy of your own 140 decibels. Visit Chickenfoot.us if you want to sneak a listen.

There’s something that’s just correct about this whole affair all the way down to making the chicken’s foot into a peace sign and the hi-tech album art. Certainly the muscular vibe of the music and the virtuosity of the players have something to do with it, but the playfulness of its creators and their lighthearted approach also serves as a foil to the thunderous fulfillment of their potential, which they have reached on their first try, a remarkable achievement regardless of lineage. This is one of those rare shows where the only way we could secure the band was to pre-record the show as they were in the middle of “road-testing” their music. We caught up all four of them on Memorial Day in beautiful Boston and to say it was a playful interview is as inadequate as a paper umbrella in a wicked-pissah rainstorm. (Ask your Boston friends). Their North American tour begins in August, but the beginning of a new legend has already started.

Which came first, the chicken or the foot? Join us for Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith. We’ve got your lucky Chickenfoot only on the next ROCKLINE!