Them Crooked Vultures, S/T

We stop to listen to Queens of the Stone Age’s “Turnin’ On The Screw” from Era Vulgaris. The instrumental middle section builds impossibly and frantically to an orgasmic crescendo. We then listen to “I Never Came,” a surprisingly pretty and melodic song.

Dave Grohl has a solid history with both of the aforementioned musicians in Them Crooked Vultures, thanks in no small part to the fact that he was in Nirvana, who were legendary even before Kurt Cobain was found dead in his home, and then he had the nerve to prove that he got to the top not by luck but by being damn good; the Foo Fighters have gone on to a longer and more fruitful career than Nirvana was given chance to. Dave Grohl’s reputation as a monster drummer was eventually overshadowed by his ease and fame as a frontman and hitmaker.

Grohl could probably out-act and out-funny anybody on Saturday Night Live, and he’s capable of making platinum records without help from any other musicians. Or, you know, he could just sit down and bang the shit out of some drums like a big happy goofball, which is exactly what happens in Them Crooked Vultures. He flips the beat around, catches every curve thrown at him by John Paul Jones, and throws every one of them back for the punch line. The drums and bass on Them Crooked Vultures are in constant conversation, and for musicians, this is heavenly. Here, check this live clip.

I MEAN OH MY GOD. That’s an illegal amount of fun.

Huh? The bald guy? You’d assume he’s probably a highly respected musician, too, right? Correct. Alain Johannes probably plays on some albums you own, and you didn’t even know it. Oh, you don’t think so? He plays guitar on Jason Falkner’s Author Unknown. He’s been in a few bands with big names and has been working with Josh Homme for I don’t know how long. Like the others, he is comfortable on a variety of instruments and is respected as a really sharp musician and studio engineer.

Okay, more things on this album that get me all excited: “Mind Eraser, No Chaser.” I wish I’d written that riff. Seriously, it’s all angular, straight-up rock, but it’s smart. I feel bad for any folks who heard “New Fang” and weren’t turned on by it, because while it’s a cool spot on the album, it’s only a single because frankly, it’s the least weird song on the album. It’s mainstream rock. “Elephants” was an instant favorite for some reasons I’ve already listed. “Scumbag Blues” you already know. “Bandoliers” is particularly pretty. “Reptiles” is a crazy, bluesy mess that, to paraphrase Josh Homme, lurches around perilously like a broken robot cleaning your house. In the end, it works even though it’s absolutely the sort of song that might make a drummer count the beat under his breath.

“Interlude With Ludes” was another instant favorite that hasn’t gotten old. This one sees the band getting creative. It’s like drinking two glasses of absinthe while walking down the street with Django Reinhardt while he plays along with the passing street musicians in some debauched city like New Orleans. I particularly enjoyed “Warsaw. . . ” and its drunken detuned heaviness. “Gunman” is an incredible little dance tune, a highlight of the album, and a fan favorite. See, when I say “dance tune,” just assume that Josh Homme will use his bandmates to present something unusual to you. And I hear a Fun Machine on it. I thought I was the only person who had one of those. Thanks, Granny, for buying one for my brother in 1971. “Spinning in Daffodils” is really two songs, and the combination of the two is a great finale for this promising debut.

Frankly, it’s music by musicians for people who like that sort of thing. Some folks have accused it of being tuneless, but I believe that in its quest to be free of cheesiness, they’ve simply created some badass hard rock tunes that have delicious (but not poppy) melodies. Everything has a melody on here. Everything rocks and/or is weird.

I can’t wait to hear how they sound on record number two after touring. I say that because, as tight as the first album is, they’ve gotten tighter since recording it. That’s ridiculous and scary. . . and a bit much. I like it.

Photo from Them Crooked Vultures website

Them Crooked Vultures released their album in November 2009. Their next shows are February 10 in Charlotte, NC and February 11 in Atlanta, GA. Look for them at Coachella on April 16 in Indio, CA. And check out their Official Website or MySpace page.

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