Them Crooked Vultures

You've undoubtedly heard of this collection and have probably heard raves about it before it even started. Even just a look at the album's wikipedia page will show a collection of reviews that are all in the 90th percentile. Don't worry. I'm not going to dash your dreams and really rebuke any of those praises. But I also don't mind saying that such universal accolades are more of an idea boner related to the company we're keeping.

Them Crooked Vultures is, of course, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Led Zeppelin's least laid member, John Paul Jones. Two guys who have achieved greatness fronting their own bands, and all of whom who have also sprinkled their career with enough off the cuff jamming and collaborating that each of their seats here are sure to be filled with supernatural ease. Now, I'm a rock guy; so what I hear is what I know of the participants. But even if you're too cool to have listened to Foo Fighters or Queens Of The Stone Age, you can still pretend that you're serving your indie cred hipness by relating this as a recall to Nirvana or Kyuss is some massive new Desert Session project that would only be more alternative is PJ Harvey were singing.

Point taken- we're all excited by the collaboration. How does it sound? They started off with the right idea: Make the first and the last songs the best ones.

The first track "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I" is absolutely vulgar, from the sick riff to the lecherous lyrics. It reminds me of Josh's other side of a side project, Eagles of Death Metal, except there the singer would be Jesse Hughes who would make it sound comical and fun, whereas Josh sings it straight up blasé, just like that asshole that you're probably fucking.

"Spinning In Daffodils" on the other hand is a heady lengthy jam, avoiding the trappings of success OR failure and just relishes in the experience of being high. (Drug references are abound on the record.)

With Josh leading the guitar and vocal, it sounds mostly like a Queens record than anything else. Fuzz toned '70s licks and powerhouse drums. You would be inclined when getting John Paul Jones in your band to just embrace everything Zeppelin, and the influence is there to be sure, but there's certainly no Plant ability in the group (thankfully) and versatility of Page is traded here for the Whole Lotta Love riff. Even when some organic orchestration is blended in from Jones, it's done as a subtle backing for the song than like Zeppelin, which would feature a more instrumental break.

In total, the trio absolutely plays great together (quartet live - shout out to the great Alain Johannes). Great stoner rock from great stoners. But let's be honest, take all those 90% reviews that we discussed before. Package the same songs in a QOTSA album with credits of: Written by Josh, guest drums by Dave, guest bass by John... and those reviews would get knocked down a point. The hype of the whole is greater than the sum of the songs. (3.5 of 5 stars)

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

For their third studio album, the best of the hooligan Brits actually get a little nutty. Hiring Queens Of The Stone Age leader, and all around freak-out desert tripper, Josh Homme to produce and contribute. About the sessions and his peyote use, Homme said, "...I didn't tell them, so there were just a few days when they were like 'Why are you being so weird?' I didn't think it was weird, I just said the word 'Ham' 4,000 times."

The album kicks off with a bastard of a Nick Cave desert western movie opening credit kinda tune. "My Propeller" even has a vaguely Robert Pollard-esque (read: drug-induced) lyric: "Coax me out my low and have a spin of my propeller"

They further the desert feel for the sound and video of the first single, "Crying Lightning", while I continue to be both baffled and impressed with the lyrics. And the theme keeps repeating itself with "Dangerous Animals", although this time, I become a little annoyed with the letter spelling repetition.

But other than that, I really can't say enough about the lyrics. I'm very much a man of words. And when you cram as many vague ideas into 3-4 minutes spaces as the Monkeys do, you give yourself the opportunity to either, like the Beatles, paint a picture that whether or not you identify with all the pieces, you can still somehow get it. Or you can, like other psychedelic followers, just create a ridiculous fingerpainting mess. "Potion Approaching", which has a riff so Queens-like, I can't believe that Josh didn't co-write it, is a great lyrical example of the former:

Then we fell asleep in the car

Until the bumps woke me up in your grip

And the tide took me to your mouth

And then swept me back down to your palms

The album shows a real progression and I'm glad Josh brought it out. "Pretty Visitors" is the lone track that stays completely true to the Monkeys post-punk roots. All in all a great release that shows musical and songwriting growth. The songs lay a foundation of earnest trippiness while the lyrics show a real imagination towards the romantic. (4 of 5 stars)

Spinnerette

Having been a fan of Alain Johannes since his Eleven days, I took notice of this new release this week. Alain is a pop-rock songwriter who often managed to attack the genre with some originality and panache. Breaking into some minor chords and some Eastern influences here and there with non-standard transcendental meditative lyrics. This was seen throughout Eleven's career as well as his work with Chris Cornell.

Unfortunately, it seems like Alain has either streamlined for this effort, or maybe given the reigns almost completely to fellow bandleader Brody Dalle from the Distillers. Brody is an Australian chick and the Distillers, a punk band. The end result here is simple eighth-note pop-punk upbeat ditties.

Vocally, Brody is a riot grrrl. Distinction is not relevant. Lyrically, we discuss love, loss, relationships, sex with a vague hostility. But it's not brash enough or defined enough to congeal into anything that matters. I suppose it's meant to be accessibly vague for a wide audience of teenage girl Warped tour attendees to handle.

Musically, the band reminds me of Eagles Of Death Metal, except less clever or funny; and, of course the chick vocals. This is plainest in the opening track, the video of which is included below. The comparison isn't far fetched. Johannes works as a sideman in Queens Of The Stone Age, and Queens frontman Josh Homme is one of said Eagles. It sounds as if Alain just handed over some rejected demos from those bands and let Brody have at it.

Or maybe I'm just sexist. (2 of 5 stars)