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Western Courier (Western Illinois University) November 18, 2009

Album review: "Them Crooked Vultures"

Patrick Haynes

What happens when you mix members from Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin together? You get one of the most promising debut bands of the year.

Them Crooked Vultures members include lead singer and guitarist Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, drummer Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana and bassist John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. The best ingredients from the members' other bands are merged together, along with a few influences by bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Doors, to create a unique sound that hasn't been present in music for decades.

The self-titled debut album begins with the song "No One Loves Me and Neither Do I," which begins with Grohl thrashing at the instrument that made him famous long before he became the popular singer he is today. The first notable element of the record is that Homme's guitar riffs are not in the style that he is known for from Queens of the Stone Age, but more similar to Jones' former bandmate in Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page. The singing is also in a style that is very reminiscent of classic rock, which Homme has always been known for. The breakdown of the song recalls those of the past from Led Zeppelin's classic albums, featuring some bass playing that the music world has been missing since "Dazed and Confused" came onto the radio.

The first single, "New Fang," is after the wah-pedal, riff based second song, "Mind Eraser, No Chaser." "New Fang" begins with a heavy drum introduction, something which is a pattern on this album. The element of the band that is most interesting is something that has always been present in Homme's other bands. He has a unique writing-style that seems to effortlessly mesh fun and absurd lyrics with heavy riffs. Something that can't go without mention is Jones' mastery of instruments outside of his primary bass work. In the eighth song, "Reptiles," Jones jams on everything from the slide guitar to the mandolin to the bass. This style of musical proficiency has never been in either of Grohl or Homme's past bands and features prominently on this album, as Jones plays a total of six instruments throughout. Between all three's talent this is one of the breadout songs on the album

The album is finished with a trio of tracks titled, "Caligulove," "Gunman" and "Spinning in Daffodils," which fly by faster than the rest of the album, despite taking up over 17 minutes of the total time. The standout is "Gunman," which shows how great and under-rated of a guitarist Homme is, which was never criminally unnoticed in Queens of the Stone Age's albums. A certain attitude is carried by the riffs that make the listener think that Homme may not be writing the riffs for any reason other than to show that he can.

Many bands formed this year and released debut albums, "super-group" or not, and Them Crooked Vultures' album leaves the listener knowing that this is one of the best of the year, and hoping that they will release many more.

http://media.www.wes...s-3835676.shtml

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CD-review roundup: Them Crooked Vultures, John Mayer, Dashboard Confessional, Bon Jovi, Alice in Chains

By John Sinkevics The Grand Rapids Press

November 18, 2009, 3:20PM

Before I submerse myself entirely into this year's massive snowpile of Christmas albums, I've finally finished a perusing a bunch of new (and not so new) CD releases. Here's the rundown:

Them Crooked Vultures, "Them Crooked Vultures" -- Thumbs up

My, my, but these vultures sure can pick apart the carcasses of rock 'n' roll's pretenders, can't they? What else but deliciously powerful, psychedelic hard rock might one expect from a musical universe-realigning collaboration between Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, 63, The Foo Fighters' David Grohl, 40, and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, 36 -- a partnership two generations in the making? Homme's versatile, phantasmic voice combined with Grohl's sure-good-to-be-back-behind-the-drums thumping and Jones' inventive bass work makes this all that it was cracked up to be, even if it's not a 100-percent flawless debut. Not that rock ever should be perfect. It should also not be heard through flimsy computer speakers or an MP3 player. Insert in car stereo, close windows, crank up the volume and enjoy.

http://blog.mlive.com/soundcheck/2009/11/cd-review_roundup_them_crooked.html

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Loud Trax Blog

THEM CROOKED VULTURES IS GOOD, Maybe Better than Good....

by AM 19. November 2009 00:40

Them Crooked Vultures: All star band including Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones (Zep), and Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age). When I hear of these "Supergroups", I think of a below average album, small tour, and then you never hear from them again. The future will tell about the longevity of this band, but this supergroup is good!

I wouldn't say it is groundbreaking, but any rock fan can appreciate this album. On the 4th listen now, and it gets better each time.

Overall, sound is raw, not over produced and includes some cool arrangements backed by a powerful rhythm section. A little flavor of the Baltics at the tail end of "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" and few other little subtleties make this album special. Favorite pick is "Scumbag Blues", which is the sum of what would happen if you blended songs by Cream, The Doors, have a member of Led Zep and Dave Grohl to perform on it. Very cool organ riff and little jam session packed into a pretty catchy song.

It actually starts peaking after that song (No. 6). The next one "Bandoliers" includes a killer instrumental part towards the end which just rocks and leads into another massive sounding track "Interlude with Ludes".

Only 1 track that I was not to crazy about was "Caligulove". But hey, how many albums do you buy where there is only 1 song you're not nuts about....

Anyone see them live yet?

http://blog.loudtrax.com/

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I was at last nights show at the Wiltern and it was amazing. After hearing the You Tube clips and then finally hearing the entire album I couldn't wait to see these guys in a live setting and they sure didn't dissapoint. I've been waiting for a band like this to come around for a looooooong time. Usually it takes a few listens of an album for me to see if I like it or pick out the filler material if you will. This Vultures album was different for me right from the get go. I liked it instantly which is rare for me, like to think im a tough critic and as for filler material, there isn't much, maybe one track.

As for the show, they hit the stage at 9:20 with No one Loves Me and it ended with their first ever encore Warsaw sometime after 11. Dave Grohl blew me away with his drum playing, hell they all blew me away, they were that good, but i've never seen a guy attack the drums with as much passion as Grohl. I was too young to see Zeppelin live im 40, but Dave Grohl has to be the best drummer in the world at this point and belongs with his ass on a stool playing the drums. He's incredible, and you people accross the pond will know what im refering to when you see this amazing band in a few weeks. JPJ and Grohl are so locked in right now and it is a beautiful thing to see. Jonesy was amazing, what else is there to say about him he's a musical genius. And based on that shit ass grin on his face for almost the entire show he's clearly having the time of his life. And he can sing too! Who would have thought? I believe Warsaw is where he's featured the most and does a very good job at that!

I sure hope there are some good quality boots of this show, security was a joke. There had to be someone taping this greatness!

As for Josh Homme, have to admit im not familiar at all with any of his prior music whatsoever. He was very good last night. He clearly is very talented and as a vocalist he's growing on me. He has many different styles as people have mentioned with regards to Bowie and Jack Bruce and it shows up live. One thing I did notice was, at times he was drowned out by the enormous sound this band puts out. They are very LOUD. Don't know if it was the small venue 3,500 capacity or Homme's voice just not being strong enough. My guess is it's a little bit of both. No worries though, his guitar playing is very solid and along with the other guy, forgot his name but who is just as solid, compliments Jones and Grohl perfectly.

In closing, songs that stood out for me were: Gunman, Elephants, Scumbag Blues, No One Loves Me, Bandoliers, Reptiles and finally Daffodils. Basically the whole thing was kick ass!! Right from the start it's BOOM!, this is who we are and be prepared to get your asses rocked off!! They had know problem doing that, out...

Here's a link to a radio interview given after the Roxy show in L.A. http://kroq.radio.com/shows/kevin-bean/

You Tube from last night:

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Them Crooked Vultures: Album Review

Kevin Ryder

Kevin & Bean,

KROQ 106.7 FM Radio (Los Angeles)

11/17/2009

6:00 am

For the most part, music critics can suck it.

Music is subjective. It's art. It can't really be judged objectively as if it's a math problem with a verifiable answer. Plus most critics are cranky, older, balding dudes who use a band's art to try and prove to the world how intelligent they are, using the biggest, most impressive words they can think of.

So here's my deal: I think Rage Against the Machine is the best band in the world. I love Foo Fighters. I love Queens of the Stone Age. I'm not a big fan of the 60's and 70's rock. It's a blind spot I have and I've pretty much accepted the fact that I'm wrong on that one. So how do I review Them Crooked Vultures?

Them Crooked Vultures is Dave Grohl on drums and some vocals, Josh Homme from Queens on guitar and lead vocals, and John Paul Jones formerly of Led Zeppelin on bass, and keyboards, and vocals, a bunch of instruments I've never heard of, and everything else.

I put the CD in my car and started listening to the first song called "No One Loves Me and Neither Do I". It starts with Dave Grohl, who plays drums with the abandon of Animal from the Muppets. Then Josh's guitar and singing comes in. I like it so far. And then 2:45 seconds in (I know because I went back and listened again and again) John Paul Jones, who's sort of been hiding out until now, literally takes over with a wrecking ball explosion of sound that's the closest thing to a musical orgasm I've ever heard. It's shockingly great. And the rest of the song is his, with the other two guys along for the ride. It's what I love about RATM: the build up and then the explosion that rocks your face off. "

There are 13 songs on the CD, most of which are exactly what you would hope these three musicians would make. If I had to pick one of the bands it sounds most like, it would be Queens of the Stone Age. (" Songs for the Deaf" that Grohl played on in 2002) because of Josh's lyrics, singing and guitar. But it's not all predictable. There's "Interlude with 'ludes" which has layers and layers of echo, and strange guitars, and a mixture of sounds that, to be honest, I couldn't understand. I think I'll take another run at that one when I'm high.

"Super groups" always look good on paper, but almost never deliver on the expectations. You hope that the sum is greater than the parts. It almost never is. Audioslave was really good. Velvet Revolver? Really good. I didn't think either was as good as their potential. It's the same with sports. A group of superstars, for the most part, doesn't beat a group of good players with great chemistry.

Them Crooked Vultures, to me, is a rare exception. They have both great individual talent AND great chemistry. They deliver on the higher expectations and they really seem to enjoy doing it.

I hope this band continues for a long time. And I hope the Foos and Queens get their leaders back as well, because they're both great bands in their own right. But if they do, it definitely won't be because Them Crooked Vultures under-deliver and fizzle out like so many "super groups" before them.

Download the new Them Crooked Vultures album right now for $6.99 at ShockHound.

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Them Crooked Vultures stopped by the studio

Podcast & Photo Gallery:

http://kroq.radio.co...ows/kevin-bean/

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Hits Daily Double.com

November 18, 2009

DGC/Interscope rock gods Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zep’s John Paul Jones, are on target for a total of 70-75k for their bracing, neo-psychedelic blooze-metal mash-up.

http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news07840

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Hits Daily Double.com

November 18, 2009

DGC/Interscope rock gods Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zep’s John Paul Jones, are on target for a total of 70-75k for their bracing, neo-psychedelic blooze-metal mash-up.

http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news07840

:wtf:

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Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

New Zealand Herald 4:00AM Thursday November 19, 2009

Rating: * * * *

Put simply, Them Crooked Vultures sound like Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters and Nirvana, and of course, Led Zeppelin. Not a bad combination really. This supergroup, made up of Led Zep's bass player and keyboardist John Paul Jones, the Foo's Dave Grohl on drums, and singer-guitarist Josh Homme of Queens, got together earlier this year, announced a world tour, and then the release of this album.

It's Homme, the least famous of the three, who dominates with his mangled take on rock'n'roll, which is full of heavy melodic riffs, and that sweet but spaced-out voice seeping through.

Yet there's no denying Grohl and Jones' contribution. The former, with his lucid hammering style, is one of the best drummers around, and is straight to the fore on opening chugger No One Loves Me And Neither Do I; and JPJ remains a bass-playing great who also throws other instrumental flourishes into the TCV's mix just like he did in Zeppelin. His Superstition-style keyboard on Scumbag Blues should sound wonky and wrong, but it's inspired, and he has to be responsible for the deranged orgy of exotic sounds on the sick and saucy Caligulove.

TCV's are at their best when songs like Elephants and Bandoliers warp effortlessly from a sluggish and dingy groove into something crisp and majestic. Another highlight is the debauched carnie discord of Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take, which touches on the desert psychosis rock of Queens as it sprawls out across seven minutes. Lyrically, Homme comes up with some of his best and most twisted lines from "catching tigers by the tail" on Gunman, with its cosmic gonzo metal groove, to being "plucked from the garden of wretched beliefs" in Elephants.

Elsewhere there's the wailing blues rock of Mind Eraser, No Chaser; woozy first single New Fang; and the dark desert boogie of Dead End Friend (yet another Homme road trip anthem).

It's a powerful, cocky, and gutsy record - and so it damn well should be considering these guys are legends in their own lifetimes.

Scott Kara

* See TimeOut this weekend for an interview with John Paul Jones.

http://blogs.nzheral...jectid=10610303

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Live Review: Them Crooked Vultures in Los Angeles

Published November 18, 2009 01:11 PM

By Craig Rosen / LiveDaily Contributor

On paper, Them Crooked Vultures is a monster. The supergroup pairs the bassist/keyboardist from the most influential act of the '70s with the drummer of the most influential group of the '90s in Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Nirvana's Dave Grohl. Finding a singer/guitarist to front that rhythm section is a tall order that went to Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme.

At the Wiltern Theatre on Tuesday (11/17)--the date that also saw the release of the trio's self-titled debut--Homme wisely did not to attempt to mimic Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant or Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, but instead brought his own voice and persona to the proceedings, even taking along QOTSA sideman Alain Johannes as a second guitarist. Yet, despite their best intentions, Them Crooked Vultures failed to live up to the huge expectations spurred by the news of their formation.

That's not to say that TCV was not a force to reckon with live. Buoyed by the thundering, rock-solid rhythm section of Jones and Grohl, Homme and Johannes were free to lay down monstrous guitar riffs that threatened to peel the paint off the ornate theater's walls in barnburners like set-opener "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I," "Mind Eraser, No Chaser," and the band's first rock radio hit, "New Fang." While the instrumental assault is undoubtedly part of the band's appeal, it's also a limitation. At least at this point, TCV seems more about riffs and grooves than actual memorable songs, which may affect that band's long-term fortunes, but it didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of any one in attendance at the Wiltern.

Grohl, who's also the singer/guitarist of the Foo Fighters, could easily be resting on his laurels promoting that act's recently released greatest-hits set, but the formation of TCV gives him the chance to live out the next-best thing to his rock-and-roll fantasy of drumming in Led Zeppelin. The elder statesmen of the trio, Jones received the biggest ovation of the evening following his introduction. Left hanging after 2007's Led Zeppelin reunion ended up as a one-show gig, you certainly can't fault the versatile veteran for getting his groove on with some of rock's current generation.

Homme is a more than capable frontman in QOTSA, a band that rose from the ashes of desert-based stoner rockers Kyuss with minimal expectations. However, at the Wiltern, Homme didn't have the charisma or dynamism to front a band backed by the unprecedented teaming of Jones and Grohl. A better choice would have been Jack White, who at times in The White Stripes and The Raconteurs has showed he possesses the spirit of Plant, Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and Cobain.

Still, TCV had their moments. The band was most interesting when it veered from the full-throttle approach and threw a curveball, as was the case on the neo-soul rocker "Scumbag Blues," which had Homme singing in a falsetto with Jones and Grohl on backing vocals. On the trippy "Interlude with Ludes," Jones strapped on a keytar, Grohl added some of the evening's more interesting percussion textures, and Homme sang like a drugged-out Las Vegas crooner. During the non-album cut "Highway One," Jones donned an electric mandolin for a tune that featured a bit of the Middle Eastern-flavor that Led Zeppelin mined in "Kashmir."

The bulk of the set, however, consisted of balls-out rockers that highlighted the players' instrumental prowess. An extended take of "Spinning in the Daffodils" concluded with Jones adding some majestic keyboards. The 10-minute-plus encore of "Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up" ended the evening with an extended jam.

While it might be premature to make such a proclamation, at this point, Them Crooked Vultures appears to be not another chapter in rock history, but merely a powerful footnote.

http://livedaily.com...eles-20750.html

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Pitchfork.com

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

[interscope; 2009]

6.2

There was something almost quaint about watching Them Crooked Vultures' recent performance at Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club. Yes, the music was punishingly loud and, sure, the chops on display were near godlike, but a bunch of dudes pumping their fists to a hard-rock supergroup? Once the domain of the Claptons and Crosbys of the music world, the supergroup seems to be coming back into vogue. From the Jack White-helmed Ranconteurs and Dead Weather to the multi-bearded onslaught of Monsters of Folk, it feels like the confines around a musician's "main band" are looser than ever. Which makes sense: the majors' slow death and the general grab-bag atmosphere of the industry makes these collaborations easier than ever. And, of course, they open a new revenue source and creative outlet for the parties involved, so why not?

Well, history is littered with plenty of reasons why not (Velvet Revolver or Zwan ring a bell?), but even those dubious of these projects couldn't help but register excitement for Them Crooked Vultures, the much-talked-about alliance of Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Nirvana/Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones, who once played bass for this band called Led Zeppelin. (Also recording and touring with the band is QOTSA's Alain Johannes, let's not forget.) A few of those being, y'know, some of the greatest rock groups of all time and each player a fierce instrumentalist in his own right, the stage seemed set for these gents to join together, like Voltron, into some kind of indestructible hard-rock juggernaut. That happens occasionally on their self-titled debut, but the band also tussles with some of the same problems that have befallen many a supergroup before them.

As he's done with past iterations of QOTSA and his long-running Desert Sessions project, Homme takes the lead here, serving as frontman and steering the musical direction. The record features all the trademarks of a Homme-led affair-- druggy, mutant blues, loud/soft dynamics, songs about sex, and regular forays into the silly and absurd. The musicianship throughout is as phenomenal as you'd expect, and on a gut level it's thrilling just to hear these three men play together-- the way Grohl's snapping drum hits ricochet off Jones' rapid-fire bass notes on songs like "Scumbag Blues", for instance. (Grohl, in particular, is excellent throughout, affirming once again his destined place in a rock band.) And the guys themselves are clearly having fun. Amidst all the technical shredding, there's a looseness at play that seems to stem in part from Homme and Grohl getting to live out a boyhood fantasy. Oddly that becomes kind of a problem on the record.

One of the negative aspects of a supergroup is that the presence of multiple stars tends to disrupt the natural hierarchy of a band-- meaning that there's no one to shoot down bad or unnecessary ideas. If you're Josh Homme and John Paul Jones or Dave Grohl wants to take a bass or drum solo, you let him. And Them Crooked Vultures often feels overstuffed with the weight of too many ideas. This is especially true on longer cuts such as "Elephants" and "Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up", the latter nearly eight minutes of prog-fueled, time-signatured madness that closes with an extended instrumental outro. Sure, these guys have earned the right to do that, but that doesn't make it a good song. Yet for each of these trying numbers, there's a muscular hard-rock track like "Dead End Friends" that helps make up for it. And if you simply want to hear Homme/Jones/Grohl sync into a furious, interlocking groove, there are songs like "Gunman" that offer that too. Having said that, Them Crooked Vultures still feels like a record to be checked off a list rather than one to live with and fully invest in.

— Joe Colly, November 19, 2009

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/...oked-vultures/

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Dave Grohl is part of the trans-generational supergroup Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures, playing Seattle's Paramount Theatre on Saturday, is a trans-generational supergroup with singer-guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age); drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters and Nirvana); and bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).

By Chris Richards (The Washington Post)

Seattle Times

November 19, 2009

When rock bands swarmed Earth 40 years ago, they seemed otherworldly — hirsute tribes clad in kaleidoscopic garb, brandishing their guitars like medieval weapons. But over time, these mongrel hordes and their misshapen songs assimilated into American culture so seamlessly, they practically vanished into the normalcy of popular music. Today, our guitar heroes reside mostly in video games.

In that sense, supergroup Them Crooked Vultures — which plays The Paramount Saturday — makes for an evocative throwback, recalling an era when riff-hurling rock troupes felt dangerous. And bizarre. And totally worth listening to.

This is a trans-generational supergroup that's earned its "super." Vultures' singer-guitarist Josh Homme leads Queens of the Stone Age; Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl reprises drummer duties from his days in Nirvana; and bassist John Paul Jones once laid the bedrock for the mighty Led Zeppelin.

The trio does not disappoint. Them Crooked Vultures' recently released self-titled debut is churning with neoclassical rock 'n' roll, summoning the heaviest qualities of Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Cream and Iron Butterfly.

And air-drummers, rejoice! With Them Crooked Vultures, Grohl cements his rep as our greatest living rock percussionist.

Jones, who helped forge the sound of heavy metal with former-greatest-living-rock-drummer John Bonham, makes an ideal partner for Grohl, as evidenced on the album's most hulking track, "Elephants." It's a tempestuous tempo-shifter, where the band's death-march riffs break into a stampede, and back again.

The album's core is truly molten. "Scumbag Blues" sits near the center of the track list, all speed and snarl. And just when the tune's riffage couldn't get any more righteous, a Clavinet lick arrives with a delightful, Stevie Wonder-inspired stutter.

The funkiness continues with "Reptiles," reanimating the jitters that Zeppelin achieved in 1971 with "The Crunge."

Jones plays a supporting role on this album, but, as with Zeppelin, these towering tunes would surely crumble without him. And while Grohl's backing vocals serve as melodic crab grass, both omnipresent and irrepressible, "Them Crooked Vultures" is largely a souped-up Queens of the Stone Age album, with Homme crooning in the same snooty, disaffected sneer that has bedraggled his previous work.

But that's OK. Even vocalizing at half-throttle, he can't suppress the instrumental heft that he and his bandmates generate — a din that deserves to flood from your speakers at the highest volume tolerable.

Concert preview

Them Crooked Vultures

8 p.m. Saturday, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $41.50 (877-784-4849 or www.stgpresents.org). More info

Them Crooked Vultures: www.themcrookedvultures.com.

http://seattletimes....syndication=rss

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Them Crooked Vultures: new rulers of heavy rock

November 18th, 2009, 12:23 pm ·

by BEN WENER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

For all the retro-fresh metal might on display during Them Crooked Vultures‘ thunderous, often deeply impressive performance Tuesday night at the Wiltern -– a record-release roof-raiser the night after they decimated the Roxy –- the most telling moment of the new group’s 90-minute set had little to do with music. It came a half-dozen bomb blasts into their performance, during obligatory introductions of each player.

“So this is Dave Grohl on drums,” Josh Homme announced nonchalantly -– and the Foo Fighters frontman received a heartier response than he did for simply walking on stage as the house lights went out, clad comfortably in shorts and a black tank top. Homme pointed to his left: “Mr. Alain Johannes …” –- and in-the-know types, aware of his behind-the-scenes contributions, possibly wondering why he wasn’t made an official member, applauded enthusiastically.

Homme then pointed to his right: “That’s John Paul Jones.”

Prolonged cheering nearly as loud as the band itself ensued, and justifiably so –- not only is it rare to see the Led Zeppelin bassist/keyboardist and sought-after producer playing anywhere, period, but already at this point in the show he had proven to be the night’s chief marvel.

Subtly dancing in place no matter how convoluted the grooves got, Jonesy, soon to be 64, was a constant revelation, his still-sterling, highly agile chops leading the way through snaky rhythms and stop-on-a-dime syncopated breaks, his mere presence seemingly influencing his younger collaborators to evoke the best of Zep.

Finally, Homme got ’round to presenting himself: “I’m your host, Joshua.”

The swaggering statuesque leader of Queens of the Stone Age probably meant it humbly, but his choice of words spoke volumes. For, though this is undeniably a supergroup (by far among the strongest from a field suddenly overcrowded with such ballyhooed enterprises), I see the Vultures primarily as some kinda serendipitous realization of Homme’s dream band.

All along his regular group has benefitted from a rotating cast of characters, including Grohl (who anchored the 2002 breakthrough Songs for the Deaf) and more often Johannes (who contributed to that Queens disc as well as the two that followed). Homme, among rock’s most restless spirits this decade, thrives on collaboration, whether producing the latest Arctic Monkeys effort (Humbug), sharing his time with Jesse Hughes’ greasy Eagles of Death Metal outfit or gathering as many friends and stoner-rock figures as can be found for one of his many Desert Sessions discs (10 and counting).

So what could be better than to have the fiercest drummer he’s ever hired back behind the kit while flanking himself with his best right-hand man and heavy rock’s most versatile bassist? What better way to flesh out what is essentially the next batch of Queens tunes, picking up where the herky-jerky stomp of 2007’s exceptional (yet underrated) Era Vulgaris left off, downplaying some of its industrial sheen while pushing its thick constructs into broader, wilder realms?

As skull-rattling and complex as this tight, forceful unit is –- and although all 13 tracks of its self-titled debut, played in its entirety Tuesday night, are credited to the group as a whole –- the Vultures don’t come off like a unified front contributing equally, as is the case with its most obvious comparison, the Dead Weather.

Whereas that supergroup sounds like an amalgam of its parts –- Jack White’s lead-footed rawness, Alison Mosshart’s electrifying menace, sometime Queens guitarist Dean Fertita’s dark shading and Raconteurs bassist’s Jack Lawrence’s Cream-filled fluidity -– Them Crooked Vultures plays like three ace musicians in service to a friend’s vision.

Not that the others haven’t rubbed off on Homme, or helped steer particular passages –- notably Jones, whose arsenal of sonic weaponry ranges from explosive slide-bass (!) when “Nobody Loves Me & Neither Do I” starts barreling down the tracks (suitably bowling the crowd over in the evening’s opening moments) to all manner of Zep-ish asides, punctuated by sudden, oddly-metered shifts.

“Reptiles” slithers along to an update on the jittery feel of In Through the Out Door’s “South Bound Suarez.” “Gunman” is propelled by desert winds from Arabian nights that culminate in a psychedelic haze right out of “Kashmir.” And “Scumbag Blues” evokes the funk-metal best of Physical Graffiti –- though instead of Robert Plant’s banshee howls oozing pure sex, it’s Homme’s heartbreaking falsetto and cynical zombiefied drone that does the trick.

Some of that is among the richest material Homme has put down, as is the roaring “Elephants,” in which the title animals alternate between stampeding and lumbering, skronking through their trunks all the while. Many melodic passages echo early Bowie and Syd Barrett, greatly enhanced by occasional Homme/Grohl harmonies. Others, however, fall flat: “Interlude with Ludes,” a swampy, synthetic Tom Waitsian creation, is an adventurous detour that doesn’t fully come together (neither did a meandering non-album track, “Highway One”), while this night Jonesy’s piano finale for “Spinning in Daffodils,” reminiscent of Supertramp at its most prog-y, was muddled and lacking grace.

Some of the weaker bits also reaffirm my belief that this year’s rash of supergroups is proof that rock is stagnating –- that some of our brightest minds are perhaps running short on ideas, or at least mojo. Deliriously infectious though the Vultures’ nascent work is –- by the way, Homme’s lyrics have rarely been so surreal and illuminating –- this still feels recycled to some degree. Also, given Grohl’s other commitments and Jones’ tendency to slip out of the spotlight, I wonder just how long it will last.

Hopefully long enough to wow at Coachella, maybe, and sooner than later concoct a second knockout record. As with the Dead Weather, here’s a tremendous new band with sky’s-the-limit potential. Only time will tell if it can actually fulfill that promise.

But regardless of any long-term future, how awesome would it be if the Vultures and the Dead Weather co-headlined next year’s Epicenter festival?

Set list: Them Crooked Vultures at the Wiltern, Nov. 17, 2009

Main set: Nobody Loves Me & Neither Do I / Dead End Friends / Mind Eraser, No Chaser / Scumbag Blues / Elephants / Highway One / New Fang / Reptiles / Gunman / Bandoliers / Interlude with Ludes / Caligulove / Spinning in Daffodils

Encore: Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Wake Up

http://soundcheck.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/18/them-crooked-vultures-new-rulers-of-heavy-rock/15181/

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DAVE Grohl and Josh Homme discuss their latest project, Them Crooked Vultures. But difficult things first: What do you say to your hero Bob Dylan?

by Kathy McCabe

The Herald Sun (Australia)

November 19, 2009

Dave Grohl

IT was a mean question for the Nicest Bloke In Rock.

But Dave Grohl had it coming considering he has now played with three of his heroes -- Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

So The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, Mr Grohl?

"You bastard! OK, you know both of those bands represent something very special to me. The Beatles were my introduction to what my idea of a rock band is and I learned guitar from listening to The Beatles. And I learned how to play the drums from listening to Led Zeppelin.

"I think that answer gives me a shot at being President one day."

As Grohl releases the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits and the debut record for Them Crooked Vultures, he is feeling just as torn about the merits of being a frontman or a drummer.

Record label bosses have been asking for a Fooeys retrospective since before 2005's In Your Honor, but Grohl resisted, insisting "we might need some hits to put on it".

When his dream-the-impossible-dream-team of John Paul Jones and his good mate Josh Homme agreed to form a band with him, the Greatest Hits seemed the logical project to keep Foo Fighters fans happy until the next one.

Yet compiling a list of songs which would give the novice fan a decent overview of the Fooeys' 15-year rock odyssey and doing a few gigs to promote it, including a live Facebook concert, has left Grohl feeling nostalgically emotional.

The Foo Fighters' last performance for the indefinite future was at the recent MTV Europe awards and he doesn't know when he will next see bandmates Taylor Hawkins, Chris Shiflett or Nate Mendel.

"Coming together to promote the Greatest Hits has made for a really nostalgic time for the four of us. After the MTV gig, we don't know where we are going to see each other again - it's been like a summer romance, this promo trip," Grohl says.

"Just doing that and this VH1 special and the Facebook gig makes us excited to go into the studio and do it all again, but I've got a new band and the other guys have their things going on.

"I am torn between two bands and yeah, I feel like I'm having an affair. And it's a f---ing hot one too!"

Being asked to waltz down memory lane has resurrected some of the more bizarre moments of Grohl's musically successful life post-Nirvana.

When he went into his home studio to record tunes simply to save his sanity after Kurt Cobain's death, he could not have imagined Foo Fighters would become stadium rock gods throughout the world and bring him into the circles where former Beatles and Led Zeppelin members play.

He certainly would never have dreamed he would have an audience with Bob Dylan when the band, in acoustic mode, toured with the singer/songwriter legend in 2006.

"That guy walks in the shadows between the raindrops, you don't really see Bob Dylan," Grohl says.

"About six days into the tour, someone comes up and says `Bob wants to talk to you'. Bob who? 'Dylan'. So I'm asking if I've done something wrong and they tell me he just wants to say hi.

"I walk down this long dark hallway in a hockey arena in Canada and the first thing I see is his silhouette; he's wearing a black leather jacket, black leather pants and hoodie leaning against a wall and I'm walking towards him thinking 'Oh God, this is happening, I'm meeting Dylan!'

"We talk a little bit, he thanks us for coming on the tour and asks if we're liking it and then he asks me, 'What's that song you guys got? It says: You gotta promise not to stop when I say when. That's a good song, man. I should learn that song and play it. I'm gonna go rehearse now'.

"Bob Dylan likes Everlong; one of the greatest victories of my life."

Another is setting up his Queens of the Stone Age buddy Josh Homme on a blind date with John Paul Jones at the Medieval Times restaurant in California where Grohl celebrated his 40th birthday.

"These two were strangers and I knew the only way this idea would work was if they became friends. At the very least, they could share a laugh at my midlife crisis," he says.

While the Foo Fighters frontman had worked with Jones before in the studio and on stage, being in Them Crooked Vultures with the Led Zeppelin bassist and keys man has raised his game.

"It is the best drumming I have done in my entire life," he says.

"John Paul Jones played with John Bonham, he's already played with the greatest rock drummer of all time, so knowing that, I don't feel any pressure to impress the guy. I just want to make him happy."

Grohl accomplishes that aim by "flippin' tricks" during gigs, pulling off the kind of playing that musicians get off on without becoming a bore to the fans.

He must be doing something right because most photos of him behind the kit during Vulture gigs in the US in recent months show the drummer wearing an enormous grin.

"When you come see the band, you will see why. Jones and I are face to face, just trying to amuse each other. I am not kidding," Grohl says. "We are playing what we are supposed to be playing but we are flipping things right and left, just trying to catch the other's eye."

Foo Fighters Greatest Hits (Sony) out now.

Josh Homme

DO MUSICIANS talk shop when they dine together? Apparently not if they have been set up on a blind date at a theme restaurant by a mutual mate.

That's how Queens of the Stone Age creative controller Josh Homme met Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl played Cupid.

Luckily Homme's hilarious attempt to break the ice by explaining the concept behind the Medieval Times dinner theatre to his British dining companion didn't end Them Crooked Vultures before it even started.

"The first thing I said to him was, `Do you know about this?' and he said, 'Not really'.

So I proceeded to tell him that there were in medieval times back in England -- with a totally straight face -- and you guys had kings and castles and s---. I thought if I blinked, I was going to f--- it up, so I might as well be exactly who I am," Homme says.

"He also remarked on the Dragon's Blood soup we were eating. He said it was fascinating because he'd never had Dragon's Blood soup in England."

Homme says the fact he knew Grohl was observing the budding romance didn't help.

"You know what, it was a bit cheeky him sitting behind us. When Jones gets up to hit the head, he is sitting behind me grinning. I leaned over and told him, `You're ruining everything! Stop watching us'."

Two days later, Them Crooked Vultures was born.

It was the realisation of years of conversations between Homme and Grohl, who wanted to pair up on something again after their Queens of the Stone Age collaboration on Songs For The Deaf earlier this decade.

"For years we've talked about who we should include on this and when he suggested Jones, I guess I didn't believe him. Once I met him, why wait? I think we all knew this was the sort of thing if you dragged your heels, you would destroy it," Homme says.

"Like I always said, opportunity knocks softly and it's your damn job to open the door."

And then they had to keep it quiet, real quiet. It's not really explained why the trio attached so much secrecy to their project beyond the fear that it might not work, that good music might not result from the power of three.

Or maybe they just wanted to be mysterious. Everyone in rock 'n' roll complains now there's not enough mystery left in the game.

Homme, a man not to be trifled with, says family and friends were given a "pretty serious gag order".

"As it progressed and our close friends started to know about it, people were told 'If it's you (who leaks) at this point, you are in big f---ing trouble'.

The trio talked about what they wanted to do, how they wanted to sound, who would sing. Homme wanted to share vocal duties, Grohl just wanted to play the drums.

When they picked up their instruments and started jamming in Homme's LA studio, talking became obsolete.

But Homme was still unsettled. He prefers to come to the studio armed with at least 15 songs. But he'd decided to take a year off music and hang with the family; he hadn't even picked up a guitar in six months, so there were no songs.

"I have spent my whole career avoiding situations like this. I felt the most naked I have ever felt, and it happened to be in front of Jones and Dave."

His nerves simmered down, so by the time he and Jones were left to do vocal overdubs for a month while Grohl supervised the sequencing of the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits, Homme had hit his stride.

Affirmation from Jones, who is also renowned as a producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, made his year.

"In that foxhole is where we became friends," he says. "I was working on a song called Mind Eraser, No Chaser and I didn't even know if I even liked the words or the melody; the words were crazy, man.

But I went in there and blistered through it and Jones yells 'F---ing amazing!' You know I like the colour dark and Jones, he likes it dark too."

When Grohl returned to the fold, the trio rehearsed "hard" for 16 days for their debut gig, an unannounced show in Chicago in August which finally confirmed the rumours that had been swirling in the blogosphere about the rumoured existence of Them Crooked Vultures.

"We rehearsed hard, I got in shape, my arms were rock solid. And then I went to the beach for 10 days and ate pizza before we played the first show," Homme says.

"It was like a triathlon. At the end of it, I was completely demolished. Now, I'm in the best shape I have ever been in in my life and people keep asking me if I've been going to the gym. Look at me, do I look like a guy who goes to the f--ing gym?"

It was a triumphant debut, the set's hard rock pulse thrilling those lucky enough to be in the room and whetting the appetite of fans of all three musicians.

Finally, here was a rock supergroup that didn't suck.

Homme signals that Them Crooked Vultures will not be a one-off.

"I can't wait to make another record because in the end, it was so much easier than it should have been and honestly, it's the hardest record I have ever made. You have to climb Everest eventually."

Them Crooked Vultures (Sony) out now.

Them Crooked Vultures, Festival Hall, Jan 22, $103.95, Ticketmaster.

http://www.heraldsun...from=public_rss

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Them Crooked Vultures Redefine Supergroup

November 19, 2009 By Nick Sloane

The Breeze (James Madison University)

Rock supergroups in the past decade have involved two things: underwhelming debut albums and Slash. Fortunately Them Crooked Vultures involves neither. Though the buzz for the group has been mostly underground, the lineup is nothing short of multi-generational rock royalty.

The all-star trio consists of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame on drums; Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and the Eagles of Death Metal singing lead and playing guitar; and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (yes, the Led Zeppelin) on bass and keyboards. The much-anticipated self-titled debut can be described as chaotic, heavy, even downright weird. But make no mistake; this album is good, damn good in fact.

The album opens with the bluesy jam "No One Loves Me and Neither Do I," a song that essentially is two songs within it. It cruises along for a couple of minutes, then throws it in overdrive with one of the heaviest guitar riffs on not only the album but on any rock album this year. A fair kick off to a solid album.

"Elephants" is a track that sets itself apart as an important high note on this journey through rock. It displays a dirty and loud Southern rock that would make Lynyrd Skynyrd proud and Kings of Leon jealous. Homme isn't done yet, he's got half the album to show off the rest of his talents behind and in front of the mixing console, and he's no slouch.

A prime example of this comes with the ninth track "Interludes with Ludes" where Homme channels John Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows." The echoed vocals provide a trippy experience for the listener, and it's something that Lennon might have been aiming for in the aforementioned classic Beatles song.

The stunning conclusion of the album, "Spinning in Daffodils," clocks in right under the seven and a half minute mark, starts with soft piano intro, then shifts gear into a full blown rock jam. The track combines a little bit of the best sounds from the past few decades and combines it into a nice, heavy package.

All in all, Them Crooked Vultures produced an album that connects the old guard of rock 'n' roll with the new generation, which is shown in the band's line up and the music itself. It's raw, it's in your face, but still melodic and well produced. If this is a sign of things to come in the world of modern rock music, no one should be disappointed.

http://breezejmu.org...ine-supergroup/

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CD Review: Them Crooked Vultures

Christina Caldwell

The College Times

November 19, 2009

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

(Interscope)

Grade: A

There have been rumors of a Led Zeppelin reunion tour for the past couple years. Zep-heads sat at their computers and refreshed the page to hear the latest murmurs between guitarist Jimmy Page and frontman Robert Plant. "Are they or aren't they!?," they screamed as they hurled their tear-drenched 30-year-old vintage Physical Graffiti shirt at the screen. "Why don't they just quit jerking us around?!"

Then they shattered all hopes and did just that. Plant announced that he didn't want to damage Led Zep's "legacy" and the band felt incomplete without deceased drumanimal John Bonham. Rumors of replacing Bonham with Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) fizzled out. Well, until July.

So maybe the rest of the legendary Led Zeppelin didn't want to reunite, but bassist John Paul Jones just got sick of not playing music. Those Dave Grohl rumors came to a head when the two paired up with Queens of the Stone Age frontman and guitarist to create a supergroup (we know - big eye roll) to shatter all supergroups.

Them Crooked Vultures was born and right out of the womb their screaming, hell-raising, devilishly sexy self-titled album is blowing minds. It's rock music stripped down to the core. They could have called it Queens of the Zeppelin Fighters.

A perfect fusion of Queens of the Stone Age dreamy-quirkiness, Foo Fighters' accessibility and Led Zeppelin's raw power, Them Crooked Vultures rounds up the bluesy guitar licks, thumper-like bass drum and pulse-pounding bass that would have been used in a Led Zeppelin tour and turns them on their head. The group offers just enough ingenuity to keep the album fresh, while still pleasing fans of their respective projects.

Despite all of that, the rock superstars still manage to sound unpretentious. It's less of an ego-fest than it is a jam session. There's an audible love that goes into each note on Them Crooked Vultures, which makes it one of the best albums of 2009.

http://media.www.eco...s-3837553.shtml

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The List (UK)

11/19/09

Them Crooked Vultures 4star.gif

by Henry Northmore

It’d be foolish to try and ignore the pedigree of Them Cooked Vultures – a suitably enticing line-up of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) – but therein lies the crux of the problem with all supergroups, you can’t help but compare their output to past glories. And while the Vultures succeed far more than most supergroups before them, you have to bear in mind this is three mates jamming and what they produce is a sleazily seductive no frills rock album.

There’s a lot to love, like the dirgy stomp of ‘No One Loves Me & Neither Do I’, the swirling ‘Interlude with Ludes’, the lascivious ‘Caligulove’ or the snarling ‘Reptiles’. TCV could never add up to the sum of their parts but what they have produced is a record of raw rock played with passion and power.

Them Crooked Vultures (RCA/Sony)

http://www.list.co.uk/article/22201-them-crooked-vultures/

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Crooked motives of rock

By Kyle Sparks

The Daily Cardinal (University of Wisconsin - Madision)

Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009The last time Josh Homme and Dave Grohl teamed up, they recorded Songs for the Deaf, arguably the most liberated work in Queens of the Stone Age's catalog. Homme, a present-day authority on desert rock, and Grohl, a founding father of grunge, complemented each other's unbridled self-indulgences to create a masochistic bravado that was both captivating and smothering. Seven years removed from the landmark effort, the two reunitedwith help from Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones on bassto form Them Crooked Vultures, a group so insolently pompous they almost redefine the term "cock rock."

Their eponymous debut exhibits an isolation so complete that it's entirely open, breaking down numerous rock conventions in its expansive roam. They show utter disregard for time signatures and stray from the melody as far as they can before reconvening in outright contempt for their own instruments. Whereas Poison, Foreigner and other '80s cock-rockers defined themselves by their sexual promiscuity, Homme and Grohl seem content to define themselves by their more purified audaciousness. And, all told, they have impressive testicular fortitude.

Vultures has the kind of roomy density Homme's been toying with for years but never fully realized. Even the radio-ready songs are a heavy load. Vultures coat every element with distortion but somehow manage to keep the product smooth enough to achieve maximal velocity. It's somewhat apparent that Vultures is a one-shot deal with the way each idea and each hook is presented with such immediacy. The group has so many ideas they're afraid they won't have enough time to get them all out, and when stretched over an entire full-length album, it becomes a bit overwhelming.

A main element of Homme and Grohl's reunion equation that will get overlooked is the absence of Nick Oliveri. After sharing the stage with Homme through Songs for the Deaf, Oliveri's less-than-amicable split showed through in QOTSA's subsequent foray into more winding melodies and meandering chords. Oliveri provided both substance and location to Homme's off-the-cuff songwriting. Songs for the Deaf's polarity was pinned to the wall by Oliveri's deliberate bass riffs, and its dueling apha males were trained to cooperate by his productive contributions. Without his input, though, the two are like hungry dogs ravaging the studio for snacks, feasting on every note with voracious glee.

Although one of the most legendary names in the history of music, John Paul Jones exists in Vultures only to tie the loose ends in what is essentially a Homme-Grohl free-for-all. The two have enough natural chemistry to pack Vultures with a surplus of thundering riffs, but the bits and pieces of brilliance struggle to find an organized presentation. Jones gives ample room for exploration and fills in the blanks amiably, but what makes a supergroup super is the impressive contributions of multiple songwriting forces. In this case, it sounds like Vultures is a two-man show, and they're having too much fun to be able to remove themselves from the situation to examine it objectively.

They have thunderous riffs, sure, but you get the sense they're sleepwalking through them. These guys write a handful of thunderous riffs before rolling out of bed in the morning. A supergroup like this one needs to be truly transformative to be a success, and Them Crooked Vultures only ever achieve that pinnacle in name. Their instrumental machismo will do a lot to counterbalance hair metal's spin on phallic perversions, but their lack of a consistent structure suggests they're just sort of playing around.

Homme and Grohl will always produce something worth listening to, and Them Crooked Vultures is no different. At some point, though, they need to stop pushing the envelope and just start lighting it on fire.

http://www.dailycard...f-rock-1.938158

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Crooked as they come

SOUND CHECK by Alan Cross

Metro News CA (Vancouver)

November 20, 2009 11:04 p.m.

The world HQ for Them Crooked Vultures hides in plain sight: an anonymous building on an ordinary street in Burbank.

It's only after you step inside that you realize that it's as fortified as a North Korean bunker. That Bob Hope Airport is a short walk away is a good thing, given the private jet requirements of the band.

This is Pink Duck Studios, Josh Homme's playground, a studio where Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal albums take shape and also where he worked on the material he produced for the Arctic Monkeys' Humbug album. The main room of the studio also serves as TCV's rehearsal space.

The amount of gear is staggering. I have a half-hour audience with all three members before band practice. Josh takes his seat in the main control room chair. Dave Grohl flops face down into some pillows on the sectional next to me. Meanwhile, John Paul Jones the quiet one in Led Zeppelin is true to form, content to let his bandmates do all the kibitzing as he eases into the chair he's brought from another room. He sets himself up between the two. "This is my spot," he says.

Although the idea of TCV first surfaced years ago, it only became reality this past January when JPJ suddenly found himself with some free time.

"I'd spent quite a few months rehearsing with Jimmy (Page) and Jason (Bonham) trying to form a new band that wasn't going to be called Led Zeppelin," says JPJ, "and it was just coming to an end when Dave mentioned this idea."

"It just sort of fell together," says Homme.

"This is the kind of thing that if you don't grab it by the neck and run with it, it'll just turn to vapour."

Dave chimes in. "I wanted to be musical and be home at the same time. The last thing I wanted to do was start another band and go back out on the road. I thought we could just play in the studio and make something good. I honestly didn't imagine we'd be doing this."

But now that they've started something, now what? How far can they take this? Dave props himself up against some pillows on the sectional. A big grin spreads across his face. "As far as it will go."

http://www.metronews...ed-as-they-come

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