When The Black Keys announced they were forming a rap-rock group, the indie world was left scratching it's head. A few months later, information about Blakroc started to surface, and on November 24, their album drops. Having listened to it a few times now I can say this is an extremely refreshing album. The Black Keys perform all of the backing tracks while enlisting prime artists such as Mos Def, Jim Jones, Ludacris and members of Wu Tang Clan to name a few.
I've never been a big fan of Beach House, their sound has always been a little too quiet and boring for my taste. However after listening to this track "Norway" that leaked from their upcoming 2010 release, my interests have peaked, a lot.
I am slowly inching my way to seeing every last remaining member of Led Zeppelin perform in some way. In 2005 I saw Robert Plant in concert, last night I got to witness the great John Paul Jones do his work. Them Crooked Vultures had a big CD release show last night in Los Angeles, They played their debut album in it's entirety, and one thing's for sure they cranked it up to 11.
Dave Grohl is an absolute beast on the drums. What I admire about him is he doesn't go for speed, but rather strength and purpose. Every single time he hit his snare or crashed cymbals he meant it. Playing on stage with his best friend and his hero made him seem like a kid again, it looked like I was watching a young Grohl with Nirvana rather than the crafty Foo Fighter that he is today.
Josh Homme proved himself to be on par with the living legends of guitar last night. Every single song was filled with complicated, passionate and not to mention heavy guitar work. More than anything this concert made me want to check out his main group Queens of The Stone Age live.
Then there was John Paul Jones, the man who most of the crowd came specifically to see. The guy was absolutely on fire, he has not lost any sort of talent from his Led Zeppelin days. His bass work was supreme. What I really noticed was he was doing the same sort of thing that made him an asset to Zeppelin, he kept the songs together. While Grohl and Homme went off on drum and guitar tangents (much like Bonham and Page) he would keep the song on track. The man is absolute glue, and that is an attribute that makes a truly great bass player. Which is why I hold him as one of if not the best bass player ever. The biggest surprise came at the end of their first set, they played the album closer "Spinning in Daffodils." I was not a big fan of this track on the album. However John Paul stole the spotlight when he tore into a lengthy piano solo at the end, reminding me of the work he used to do when Zeppelin's "No Quarter" was performed live. During this, Grohl and Homme just watched in awe, they must have felt like the luckiest men alive that night.
On paper, Them Crooked Vultures could be seen as the best supergroup around. They seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage, Grohl and John Paul have great chemistry together, and their album certainly delivers the heavy hitting rock they promised. However this band lacks depth, which is why after about the fifth song I grew a little tired. As rocking as these songs are, there was very little difference between them, thus the show grew repetitive. Them Crooked Vultures have great potential like all supergroups, however they need to become comfortable with themselves as a band and start to branch out like great bands do.
Last thursday was my mother's birthday, luckily for me she was in town for it and I was able to spend time with both her and my father. Unfortunately that ate up my time to be able to post this blog. I wanted to dedicate a blog for the main woman in my life by posting something that she'd like. I knew The Rolling Stones are her favorite band and she loves soul music. So I wanted to find something that would blend the two. Luckily, The King of Soul himself, Otis Redding had the answer. This one's for you mama. Happy belated Birthday.
The Grand Ole Opry is extremely important in the world of Country and Bluegrass. Having been around as the oldest live music radio show it has become over time a symbol of "making it" in the industry. Bluegrass legends, and Opry regulars The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band tell the tale of the Opry in style.
I will conclude Bluegrass Week as well as a plethora of new indie posts next week. Life has gotten a little complicated this week, and my posting has suffered as a result of it. See you Sunday night!
Frank Fairfield is an absolute treasure. He is a local Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist who plays old-traditional folk. I've cross sectioned him with Bluegrass week, because his banjo picking is something that any bluegrass connoisseur would enjoy. Having seen Fairfield play several times, in bars, concert halls, and on the street; watching him play is like watching living history. His music is so reminiscent of a style of folk that is so ancient that when heard it seems brand new. This is bindle tying, train hopping music at it's finest which makes Fairfield is a rare gem.
When one thinks of pioneers of Bluegrass, one can't possibly forget Uncle Dave Macon. Macon was one of the earliest stars of The Grand Ole Opry. His banjo picking isn't technically amazing, however the passion in which he plays with is what has earned him his rightful place in the history books.
