I wanna live in Los Angeles

Boy oh boy, this man is prolific. On the heels of releasing a double album this summer, Frank Black has a new album, Christmass, out for the holidays. It features an audio disc containing 20 tracks - a mix of live and studio cuts. The album also includes a DVD containing live performances of 12 songs. It was released on Monday this week, and the only way you can get it is by ordering through Cooking Vinyl. Mine's on the way from across the pond, and I can't wait to give it a spin. For those that are curious, here's the tracklisting:

CD Tracklisting
1. Do What You Want Gyaneshwar
2. Bullet
3. I Burn Today
4. Wave of Mutilation
5. Living on Soul
6. She’s My Way
7. Massif Central
8. Where is My Mind
9. Raiderman
10. Demon Girl
11. Dead Man’s Curve
12. Cactus
13. Six Sixty Six
14. Radio Lizards
15. Don’t Get Me Wrong
16. All Around The World
17. Nadine
18. Manitoba
19. The Water
20. Outakes/The Shrimp Song

DVD Tracklisting
1. Brackish Boy
2. I Burn Today
3. Cactus
4. Nadine
5. Holiday
6. Sing for Joy
7. Dead Man’s Curve
8. California Bound
9. Ed is Dead
10. My Life is in Storage
11. Two Reelers
12. Whiskey in Your Shoes

Get Up I Wanna Get Down

I did something this evening that I thought I'd never do. I attempted to climb an indoor rock wall. And it was kicking rad. It's quite the workout. I didn't get very far on my first few tries, but that'll give me the motivation to do better in the future, I guess. It's a kickass workout, and it does wonders for the adrenaline. I think I'm gonna pick up some rock climbing shoes for myself as a Christmas present. If you have the chance to try it, do it. In fact, if anyone is interested, I'll bring you along to LifeTime so you can check it out for yerself.

A lost craft

Another holiday season is upon us, which in our household means that a special birthday has arrived. My better half's birthday is today. Right now, she's out celebrating with some friends, and I hope she's having a kickass evening. I wish I could be out with her, but our little munchkin needs monitoring. Plus, it's my turn to get up with Evie in the morning, so it's probably better that I'm at home right now. Chronicling my life on the Internet. But I digress...

I can't remember when I started this tradition (it has to be a good 7 years ago, if not more), but I've always recorded a song or 2 for Shellster's birthday. I just wanted to give her something different than the usual spa gift certificate, or whatever. It's something she could hold on to forever. Well, I really got in under the wire this year. I just got up from the basement recording studio, and the CD has been burned. I always seem to suffer from writer's block around this time (or maybe I always suffer from writer's block). I was a bit depressed when I fired up the ol' 8-track, and the last song I worked on was her birthday song for last year. I need to get those creative juices flowing again. But I digress...

Hopefully she digs what I came up with this year. The 1st track is an original ditty that I've been tinkering around with for the past few days. Hopefully no one else will ever hear it, because I've always found my original tunes to fall short. However, I will share with you the B-side to the annual Shelly's Birthday single. It's a cover of "On My Way" from Ben Kweller's album of the same name. Give it a listen and let me know if I should quit my day job or not.

We're not gonna take it

Twisted Sister played this on Leno last night...can't find the Leno version yet, but this should tide you over. Happy Holidays from Twisted Sister!

I can't tell which one of these people is the happier camper

Foo Exclusive # 4

Here's the 4th exclusive track from the Foos' Skin and Bones DVD - "What If I Do?" I believe that this live rendition is far superior to the album version. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Foo Fighters - What If I Do? (live)

Foo Exclusive # 3

Here's the 3rd exclusive track from the new Foo Fighters' Skin and Bones DVD - "See You". Dave does band introductions in the middle of the song, which ends up being pretty funny. Enjoy.

Foo Fighters - See You (live)

Foo exclusive # 2

Here's exclusive track #2 from the new Foo Fighters' DVD Skin And Bones - "Still". Enjoy, and happy Friday.

Foo Fighters - Still (live)

Foo exclusive #1

Here it is - the first exclusive audio track from the Foo Fighters' Skin and Bones DVD release - "On The Mend". You'll only find this one here, kids!

Foo Fighters - On The Mend (Live)

Where can I go make toilet?

I went and saw Borat last night with a buddy of mine (it was a toss-up between that or the Pick of Destiny - not sure if we made the right choice or not). While I was expecting more laughs, I did find it very enjoyable. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, just let me tell you that there is a scene in a hotel room that is both hilarious and deeply disturbing at the same time.


Speaking of toilets, Axl Rose's mouth has been running like one again. In case you haven't heard, Axl booted the Eagles of Death Metal from the GnR tour after one night because of some pissy crowd reactions during their opening set. Jesse from EoDM recounts the story beautifully here.

No turkey this year

Well, Thanksgiving sucked ass for me this year. Sure, I have a lot to be thankful for. However, it was the actual celebration of Thanksgiving that unloaded a big turd on me. It all started Monday night when my daughter came down with the flu. 1st time in her life that she puked, and she took it like such a trooper - hardly a tear! But she was pretty out of it for quite a few days, which meant the wife and I had to take turns watching her during the day. We figured she'd be better by Thanksgiving, and we could go to the relatives to stuff our faces.

Wednesday night comes along, and you-know-what started coming out both of my ends. The timing was impeccable. Not only did I miss out on turkey day, but we ended up canceling a trip to Chicago that we had planned for months to see a good friend get hitched. Instead, the munchkin and I were homebound all weekend, and the wife was becoming stir crazy from being cooped up inside.

A week later, we've all snapped out of it. Evie is doing somersaults like it's no one's business, and Shel and I have a fun-filled weekend to look forward to. There's book club for her and a Guitar Hero marathon for me tomorrow night, a company holiday party on Saturday, and hopefully a chance to sneak out and get a Christmas tree this weekend. Wouldn't mind catching a few flicks (Pick of Destiny or For Your Consideration) either.

Happy hump day to my readers, and stay tuned: I'll be posting some more kickass tunes shortly (including some blog exclusive tracks from the new Foo Fighters live DVD). Glad to see the music link from the other day worked.

Heaven smiles above me

Hey guys...been awhile again. We had quite the adventurous Thanksgiving weekend...I'll post more about it later (I need some time to let all the excitement sink in). But for now, I wanted to share a new discovery I stumbled upon. I think I finally figured out how to share music on this thing. Click on the link below and let me know if it works...it's a live acoustic take of "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. If this works, more treats will be on the way in the future (including some possible compositions by yours truly).

Clicky

Long time no see

Jeez! Almost 3 weeks without an update. Where to begin...

Thanks to the warm weather we had this past weekend, we were able to get our Christmas lights up in record time...probably less than 2 hours. I think we finally have the system down to a science. I'll try to throw a picture of the light display up sometime after we are allowed to turn them on (which is right after Thanksgiving).

Saturday night I swung over to the local GameStop around 11 pm to pick up the new Nintendo gaming console, the Wii. I don't think I've ever been to a midnight release for a game system before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was greeted to a cooler of pop, chips and cookies. Sweet. After a few rounds of Guitar Hero 2, it was time to snag the new system. I was out the door and on the way back home around 12:30. I spent the next 3 hours playing the sports games that came with the system, as well as the new Zelda game. Needless to say, I'm very impressed with Nintendo's new offering. The controller scheme is something you've never experienced before, but it only takes a few minutes to pick it up. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the classic games they'll be offering for download through their Virtual Console soon. And hopefully I can budget my gaming time so that my gals don't think I'm neglecting them.

We went bowling yesterday with Shel's side of the family and had a great time. It was Evie's first time bowling, and I think she enjoyed it. Daddy was pretty mediocre as a bowler, and Mommy had a little spill, but it was good to hit the lanes again. Afterwards, it was off to Megan and Jeff's for some lasagna. Their kids are growing up at a tremendous rate, and it was great to see them.

This week, we've got a buttload of things planned for what appears to be the beginning of the holiday season. I'll be sure to check in again and throw out some updates here and there. I'll close things out with a few recent albums you should check out when you have the chance.

• Army of Anyone - Self-Titled: STP + Filter = a tasty nugget of rock goodness
• Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny: After my 1st listen, I was a bit disappointed. After a few subsequent listens, I was hooked.
• The Beatles - Love: This comes out tomorrow. A great album of familiar Beatles tracks that have been remixed/mashed together to form a new take on some old classics.
  

Punkin

Here's a shot of my Punkin next to a pumpkin carved by Grandma

New Foo record up on MySpace

The new Foo Fighters live record, Skin and Bones, is now available in its entirety to listen to on their MySpace page. Unfortunately, the fast forward feature has been disabled, so you can't pick and choose which tunes you want to hear. However, this gives you a nice chance to experience the Foos in an acoustic setting. Check it out before it hits stores on November 7th.

Several big amounts are still in play

Michelle and I attended a Halloween party in our neighborhood last night. After struggling for several days to come up with a them for our costumes, Michelle came up with the excellent idea of a "Deal or No Deal" motif. She dressed up as case girl #17, and I tried to pull of my best Howie Mandel impression. Needless to say, our costumes were a hit at the party, and we ended up winning "Best Couple's Costume", or something like that. Big props go out to Shel for coming up with the costume idea. We both had a blast - good food, good drink (Blue Moon on tap...with orange wedges!), and good company. The Heiland family wishes you all a happy, safe and kickass Halloween.

Next up - Foo Fighters and Bob Dylan at the Xcel Center in St. Paul tomorrow night. Expect a show report and pictures from me on Monday.

The Chills, man! The Chills!

Come on. Admit it. You've gotten The Chills before. From some song you're listening to for the first time. The excitement builds up inside of you and leaves your body in the form of...you guessed it...The Chills.

You may be saying, "But Joe, today's music sucks ass. I haven't gotten The Chills in years." And I would have to agree with you. There really isn't a whole lot out there today that is Chillworthy. Getting a case of The Chills is a rare occurrance in today's world.

Well, I got The Chills this morning on the way into work. And it was from the last band in the world that I thought would have delivered The Chills to me.

That band was My Chemical Romance. And I'm only serious.

The song? "Welcome To The Black Parade", the first single off of their upcoming album of the same name. It came on the shuffle mix this morning. It comes in with a simple piano melody. Military drumming kicks in, and a modern-day Freddie Mercury enters the speakers. The volume picks up, the singer screaming the lyrics. And then the music fades out, and a drum fill kicks in to the main part of the song, a raved-up pop-punker.

I'll admit, this type of music is probably geared towards 13 year olds. Not an aging hipster like myself. But it just goes to show you that The Chills can come from some of the most unexpected places. Just make sure that when they come, you enjoy them to the fullest. Because moments like those don't come around every day.

Thank you, My Chemical Romance.

Now it's your turn...what songs/albums/bands give you The Chills? Come on, leave your thoughts in the comments section. And make sure to have a killer Friday.

New GnR album details emerge

Saw this piece on the Rolling Stone site and thought I'd share it with all y'all. As we all know, the recording process for this album as been extremely long and bloated, but I'm genuinely excited that a release date is in sight. And besides, if Sebastian Bach digs it, it's got to be cool. Right?

Check out what RS has to report below, and if I hear of anything else that gets released in Friday's story, I'll post it here. And start checking your local record store every Tuesdsay!

In the new issue of Rolling Stone hitting stands this Friday, our Brian Hiatt reveals what he’s discovered about the long-awaited Guns N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy. The article begins with this elusive quote from GN’R manager Merck Mercuriadis, in which he essentially retreads stuff we already know: “The album will come out this year. There are ten Tuesdays left before January – it will come out on one of them.” But trust us, it gets better.

• Following Guns’ headlining gig in San Bernadino, California, on September 23rd, Axl threw a party at his mansion and played the full album in his poolroom for visitors, including his friend Sebastian Bach, former singer of Skid Row. “It was mind-blowing,” says Bach, who is opening for Guns n’ Roses on their upcoming North American arena tour. “It’s a very cool album – it’s badass with killer screams, killer guitar riffs, but it’s got a totally modern sound. The word for it is ‘grand.’ It’s fucking epic. He’s reinvented himself yet again.”
• The album includes some tracks that have been played live or leaked onto the Internet, including the poppy “Better” and the hard-hitting “I.R.S.” “There’s this one song called ‘Sorry’ that’s almost like doom metal with Axl singing really clean over this grinding, slow beat that is fucking mean,” says Bach. “I cannot get it out of my head.”
• Veteran engineer Andy Wallace, who mixed Nirvana’s Nevermind, is working on the project, according to a source close to the band. “We’re absolutely delighted with the mixes,” the source says.
• On October 24th, the band will kick off its North American tour in Miami. Two dates — November 10th in New York and November 20th in Halifax, Nova Scotia — are already sold out, according to Mercuriadis. Additional U.S. dates will be added in early 2007, and the band will return to the States in the summer as well, he says.
• Though a source told Rolling Stone that the album is due November 21st, Mercuriadis declined to confirm this. “I don’t know that we will announce a release date,” he says. “You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there.”

mtv.com has turned into a clusterfudge

So, I tried to head on over to mtv.com this morning to see if there was any late breaking news I could steal for the blog, and I got smacked with a crapload of ads and movies after it loaded in my browser. Want to look at an article? Well, you'll have to take a look at this ad for 10 seconds first. Why is it taking so long for pages to load? It couldn't have anything to do with the continuous stream of MTV "Overdrive" videos playing in the upper left corner of the site, could it? Nah...

As I'm sure many of you have thought before, I have no idea how they can call themselves "Music" Television. I cannot remember the last time I actually saw a music video on the channel. And now their website is overrun with content featuring reality shows and the latest celebrity gossip. My days of checking mtv.com for news are numbered. Goodbye emptyvee - hello Pitchfork!

Squash

Have you ever played Squash? It involves a small racquet and a tiny black rubber ball (smaller than a racquetball). You play in a court similar to a racquetball court, but there are certain lines on the court that define borders that you have to hit the ball in. And the ball doesn't bounce worth a crap, so you need to be on your toes.

Anyways, I played squash last night for the 1st time. Actually, it was my first time stepping inside a gym in a long time. And it felt pretty damn good. The wife and I just got a membership to Lifetime, and I'm gonna shoot for going 3-4 times a week.

In other news, some good friends of ours are leaving this Thursday for Florida. They'll be gone until Sunday. In all honesty, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. I'll probably start by curling up into a ball, beat myself repeatedly in the head, and then sob uncontrollably until I run out of tears. Which is why I need your help. Can you guys help me come up with some thoughts that I can jot down in a card that will convey the feelings I'll be going through during their absence? Feel free to leave any similar thoughts/stories you may have had in the past in the comments section. Any comments I could get soon would be greatly appreciated, as I hope to give them this card at dinner this evening. Thanks in advance.

Believe the Hype

New feature to the site - if you let your eyes wander to the right of the page, you'll see a list of hot songs that have recently been posted to the Hype Machine. The Hype Machine is a repository that collects various music postings from the web and puts them in a central, organized location. So now you can stay hip to the cool, fresh beats that are hitting the streets. Never again will you have to hear about the latest Jay-Z track from your sister. Just plug in to the list on the right, and you'll be tuned in to the latest and greatest.

May you all have a slamming week.

Happy Thursday

I bring to you...Lithium...Nirvana live at the MTV Music Awards in nineteen ninety something or other. Make sure to check out the kickass display of bass tossing near the end!

Confirmed song list for Guitar Hero 2

Here it is kids - get your fingers limber, because on November 7th, we're going to have a whole new batch of Guitar Hero songs to master. I am extremely pleased with the roster of tunes they have assembled for this new edition. I just put my pre-order for the game in yesterday...time to beef up on the 1st game so I can be ready for some R n' R.

1. Opening Licks

* "Strutter" - KISS
* "Mother" (possibly by Danzig or Pink Floyd)
* "Message in a Bottle" - The Police
* "Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
* "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap

2. Amp-Warmers

* "Shout at the Devil" - Mötley Crüe
* "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
* "Woman" (possibly by Wolfmother)
* "Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
* "You Really Got Me" - The Kinks, as performed by Van Halen

3. String Snappers

* "Surrender" - Cheap Trick
* "Them Bones" - Alice in Chains
* "Search and Destroy" (possibly by either The Stooges or Red Hot Chili Peppers)(not yet confirmed)
* "Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
* "War Pigs" - Black Sabbath

4. Thrash and Burn

* "Cherry Pie (not in yet)" (possibly by Warrant)(not yet confirmed)
* "Who Was in My Room Last Night?" - The Butthole Surfers
* "Girlfriend" (possibly by The Darkness or Matthew Sweet)(not yet confirmed)
* "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" - The Rolling Stones
* "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses

5. Return of the Shred

* "Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine
* "John The Fisherman" - Primus (performed by Primus)
* "Freya" (possibly by The Sword)(not yet confirmed)
* "Bad Reputation" (possibly by Thin Lizzy or Joan Jett)(not yet confirmed)
* "Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band

6. Relentless Riffs

* "Crazy on You" - Heart
* "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
* "Rock This Town" (possibly by the Stray Cats)
* "Last Child" - Aerosmith
* "Stop" (possibly by Jane's Addiction)(not yet confirmed)

7. Furious Fretwork

* "Madhouse" - Anthrax

Confirmed Songs not in the first 6 tiers

* "Arterial Black" - Drist (Bonus track)
* "Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
* "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
* "Hangar 18" - Megadeth
* "Laid To Rest" - Lamb of God
* "Misirlou" - Dick Dale
* "Psychobilly Freakout" - The Reverend Horton Heat
* "Raw Dog" - The Last Vegas (Bonus track)
* "YYZ" - Rush

Foo orchestra live album details emerge

image courtesy of foofighters.com

From Billboard:

Foo Fighters Acoustic Trek Heading To CD, DVD

Three Los Angeles performances from the Foo Fighters' recent stripped-down tour form the basis for the live album "Skin and Bones," Billboard.com can reveal. Due Nov. 7 via RCA, the 15-track set was taped in late August at the Pantages Theater and spotlights an expanded eight-piece lineup featuring violinist Petra Haden and keyboardist Rami Jaffee.

A DVD from the shows, boasting additional songs and extra features yet to be announced, will arrive later in November.

The track list blends material from the band's half-electric/half-acoustic album "In Your Honor" with vintage cuts like "Big Me," "Everlong," "My Hero" and "Walking After You," plus the Dave Grohl-penned Nirvana B-side "Marigold," which the Foos had never performed prior to this tour.

As previously reported, the band is keeping the acoustic concept rolling with a host of fall dates, including three shows early next month in Australia, Oct. 21-22 appearances at Neil Young's Bridge School benefit outside San Francisco and a run of support slots for Bob Dylan through early November.

Here is the CD track list for "Skin and Bones":

"Razor"
"Over & Out"
"Walking After You"
"Marigold"
"My Hero"
"Next Year"
"Another Round"
"Big Me"
"Cold Day in the Sun"
"Skin and Bones"
"February Stars"
"Times Like These"
"Friend of a Friend"
"Best of You"
"Everlong"

New releases up in this piece

If you haven't noticed yet, I've add an "Upcoming Releases" section to the site (look to the right). I'll be continually updating this with new albums and movies that are popping up on the radar. Consider it a nice little tool to make sure your shopping list is in order each week!

I said anchovies...not centipedes!

The following pictures were taken by my esteemed colleague last Thursday night. The images below depict a slice of Papa John's pizza. The toppings we ordered were pepperoni and green olives. Apparently, the pizza maker was generous and decided to throw an extra topping in for free.

ENHANCE!

I've never heard of putting one there...

Ben Kweller is a true rock and roller. Check out the following letter he sent to his fans below, and be sure to pick up his new self-titled album that hit store shelves yesterday, September 19th.

It was 1:00pm and I was getting ready to play in front of 20,000 people at my favorite festival in my favorite city. If you've ever travelled by bus or plane then you know how dry the air can get. I was in the back of the bus getting dressed when I noticed a drop of blood down my lip. At first I didn't think much of it, I went to the bathroom got some toilet paper, pinched my nose and leaned forward over the sink. I've had my share of pick-your-nose nosebleeds that last 10 minutes but this was much different. This was some kind of a spontaneous-dual-nostril-bloodbath. After a few minutes I knew something was wrong. I've never had so much blood come out of my head before!

1 hour in, a festival paramedic was pinching my nose while her walkie talkie was blaring with other medical emergencies like a snake bit girl and a passed out drunkard. The minutes were flying by and all of a sudden it was 2:30 - my scheduled time to hit the stage! Everybody wanted to put me in an ambulance and cancel my show. Fuck that! There's 20,000 people out there, I'm not gonna cancel a show because of a nose bleed. What kind of excuse is that? I'm certainly not gonna make up some bullshit Axl Rose excuse! With blood barely stopped and a group of concerned friends around me, I headed to the stage. Forgetting all pre-show rituals or setlists, we took the stage and I immediately explained the situation to the fans but promised I would play until it got too gross for them. I said I'd bleed to death in front of them and I meant it.

The blood really kicked in half way through the first song and I would've bled to death had my manager not dragged me off stage 5 songs later. The hardest thing was trying to sing while swallowing and choking and spitting. Gremlin, my roadie, brought me a cigarette filter but it was too small for the situation. That's when I got the idea to ask the audience for a tampon. After being pelted by several, I picked up a travel tampon, opened it up and put it in the right nostril. It helped until it expanded too much. So i removed it and decided to play "Falling" on the piano. The keyboard quickly became a puddle of blood and my hands were slipping all over the place and I could barely sing. During the song my manager was waving & signaling for me to leave the stage. After the last chord was played he jumped over to me and said "Come on, we're taking you to the hospital!". I walked into the arms of some paramedics that took me on an ambulance ride to the hospital. I was at the hospital for 3 hours waiting for the blood to finally stabilize. It turns out there is such a thing called a Nasal Tampon! That's what they packed in my nose at the hospital.

Anyway, I'm back on the bus next to my new penquin shaped humidifier. Today my new album is released worldwide and we're playing in Tempe, AZ. I wanna thank everybody for all the kind words and support. I was determined to stay up there as long as possible but it's probably good that I didnt lose too much blood. I look forward to coming back to Austin in the new year to play a concert where I can actually play some music and sing!

Love Always, Ben

The White Stripes' appearance on the Simpsons

Check out this clip that aired on the Simpson's last night. It's a parody of The White Stripes' video for "The Hardest Button To Button".

Somebody stole my Rocketsauce

Check out "The Pick Of Destiny", the 1st song to be released from the soundtrack to the Tenacious D movie of the same name, right...

here.

Breaking news...

Stop the presses! Britney Spears had a baby boy the other day. I guess that means she can resume that awesome music career of hers soon.

It's really too bad that the press has to focus on a few "celebrity" pregnancies and clutter the headlines when the child arrives. I'd really like to know what makes these kids more special than yours or mine...



In more kickass news, I've heard 6 tracks off of the new Beck album, The Information. It's so hard to pigeonhole this man into one specific genre, so I won't even begin to attempt what this sounds like. I will tell you that it appears that Beck has cooked up another winner! Make sure to pick it up at your local record store when it's released on October 3rd.

And, in the most ass-kicking news I've heard in awhile, feast your eyes on this:



IT IS OFFICIAL... Rekords Rekords & DOWNTOWN unleash 'DVD By Sexy' October 10th, 2006!

Never has a DVD been so anticipated, so entertaining & sooo Chock Full of SEXY, until now!

SEE the Magic Boys in FULL Recording-Action!
HEAR the seductive sounds of 'Death By Sexy' in ALL your ear cavities!
FEEL your body fluids BUILD...You are engorged with Eagles of Death Metal!

Loverboy Liam Lynch (aka: Honeypants) wore many different trousers on the project including Director, Animator and Editor.

Special appearence's by: Joey "Sexy-Mexy" Castillo, Brody "Baby Doll" Dalle, Brian "The B.O.C." O'Connor.

Tell my mom I'm doin' fine...

Awesome rendition of "Skin and Bones" by the Foo orchestra on Leno last night. I missed it because I was too busy drinking my ass off, but now it is here for your enjoyment.

Double drums...part deux

Here's what happens when you're up past midnight and nursing your eighth beer of the evening. You post videos of people rocking out on the internet. Happy Friday everyone...

Double drums...part one

It's Friday, and it's time to rock out. Njoy.

Foos on Leno

Set your Tivos for this Friday, September 1st, as the Foos take the Leno stage to perform. Odds are good that they'll play "Miracle", but you really won't know unless you tune in, will you?

Dylan Apple ad

Bob Dylan stars in a new ad for iPod/iTunes - you can check it out here. I never thought I'd see him in an ad like this, but after he starred in a Victoria's Secret commercial a few years back, there isn't much that'll shock me nowadays.

Also, Dylan's new album is out today. Be sure to check it out - Rolling Stone gave it 5 stars, for Pete's sake!

Foo Fighters TINLTL Documentary

If you haven't seen this before (and you probably haven't) here's a nice little 10 minute documentary on the making of the Foo Fighters' second album, There is Nothing Left To Lose. It gives some cool insights to several of the songs on the album, as well as some studio hijinks. Enjoy, and happy Tuesday to you all.

The Fearless Freaks at the Fair

I had the pleasure of attending The Flaming Lips show at the MN State Fair last evening. My friends and I battled our way through torrential downpours (and a round of Fudge Puppies) to witness this rock spectacle at the Grandstand. As always, they did not disappoint. From huge confetti cannons and streamer pistols, to Wayne's venture out into the crowd inside his "Space Bubble", the show was full of non-stop entertainment. And the songs eminating from the speakers weren't too shabby either. Here's the setlist:


The Race for the Prize
Free Radicals
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
Yoshimi Pt. 2
Vein of Stars
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
The W.A.N.D.
My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion
She Don't Use Jelly
Do you Realize?
Encore - War Pigs

Here's today's review from the Strib:

Rain doesn't extinguish Flaming opening

Review: The Flaming Lips put on a hot show even as the weather doused the State Fair grandstand.

Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune

It was no coincidence that the first song played at the Minnesota State Fair's opening grandstand concert Thursday night was Sonic Youth's "Teenage Riot," with the opening line, "Everybody's talking about the stormy weather."

As if the show didn't promise to be wild enough, what with Oklahoma's radical Flaming Lips as headliners, Mother Nature kicked up a wallop of a storm just before show time. The opening band, the Magic Numbers, had to blow off its set because its gear got soaked, although the Lips brought the group out for a couple of songs later. Otherwise, the show went on as planned before nearly 8,000 poncho-clad fans.

"You came!" was Sonic Youth singer-guitarist Thurston Moore's greeting to the crowd. "We were told you weren't going to show up."

A band that sometimes doesn't play full force, Moore's team put on a powerful, if abbreviated, set. After "Teenage Riot," the New York art-punks launched into two songs on their new CD, "Rather Ripped," and mostly stuck to the album from there, with only one more oldie, "Eric's Trip."

The weather made things especially difficult for the Flaming Lips, whose elaborate stage show (video screen, confetti shooters, etc.) had to be hastily assembled after Sonic Youth. Lips frontman Wayne Coyne apologized for not going on until about 10:20 p.m., but the wait certainly paid off with an eye-candy freak show complete with psychedelic movies, costume-wearing dancers and streamer guns whose leftovers probably still will be hanging around for Rascal Flatts' big grandstand show Saturday.

"This show looked like it wasn't going to happen two or three different times," he said, praising "the union guys who made it work."

For his part, Coyne worked it, rolling out over the crowd in his inflated Space Bubble before the opening tune, "Race for the Prize," and emphatically urging the crowd to sing during "Free Radicals" and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots."Nature or the universe conspired against us," he said about the weather, "but [expletive] them."

Well put.

Rocktober!

Just saw this on the Tour Dates section of Bob Dylan's website:

Date City Venue Time Opening Band

Sun

10/29

St. Paul

Xcel Energy Center

7:30PM

Foo Fighters (Acoustic)

Phenomenal news! You can count me in for sure!

The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handle

Here are some excerpts from Bob Dylan's Rolling Stone cover story that should be appearing on newsstands soon. Be sure to pick up his new album, Modern Times, next Tuesday (it's quite good). Also, if you have never seen No Direction Home, I order you to go see it as soon as possible. Borrow it from me if you need to. And if you have seen it, go see it again. It's one of those movies that will give you the tingles.

Catch me if I get too high

Here's a nice little rendition of "Next Year" on Letterman a few years back. Multi-instrumentalism to the MAX!

She's always changin' the color of her hair

Be prepared to be amazed at the opening of the Minnesota State Fair this Thursday as The Flaming Lips take the Grandstand stage. Opening support acts include indie noise-rock legends Sonic Youth and The Magic numbers. Tickets are still available (I hope) and an absolute steal at $28.

Vist this link to check out the writeup that was in the Strib yesterday.

Emptiness is lonliness and lonliness is emptiness

From mtv.com:

"The Smashing Pumpkins have entered a recording studio with producer Roy Thomas Baker, according to a post on the band's Web site. Baker produced Queen's A Night at the Opera, which included their classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," and also has the Cars, Journey and Cheap Trick on his lengthy résumé. The band announced in April that it had reunited, though Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin are the only members who have been confirmed for the comeback so far."

I'm glad to see these guys come back into the game. In my opinion, they made some very intriguing rock n' roll records in the 90's and 2000's. Let's hope they can do it again in the age of the Jessicas, Britneys, Pariseseses, etc..

I think I'm goin' to Kalifornia

Scott Bondy (Verbena guitarist/lead singer) apparently has a new solo album in the can that will be released later this year. Here's one of the tracks that is supposed to appear on the new record. Stay tuned to Superphonic Records for more info.

Also, the following info has been posted to the RCA Records new releases section:

Nov. 7 - Foo Fighters - Unplugged (CD + DVD)

Very interesting news. Hopefully this release will give us the chance to experience the awesome performances that the extended Foo orchestra has been putting on during their recent acoustic tour.

On a related note, set your Tivos for September 1st as the Foo Fighters take The Tonight Show with Jay Leno stage.

New Release Tuesday

One big release on the horizon for tomorrow - the debut album from The Panic Channel (which is the musical force behind Jane's Addiction's last album + a new singer). I've heard some good things about this one - lots of comparisons to the hookiness of the Foo Fighters. Pick it up at Best Buy tomorrow and get an exclusive track available for download.

Happy days are here again...

There's a fantastic new interview with Frank Black over at rollingstone.com - check it out here.









If you're in the area, swing on out to the Carver County Fair. I'll probably bring my daughter out there on Saturday or Sunday to pet the piggies.

I rediscovered Guided By Voices on the way into work today. They are a fantastic band with a buttload of releases. Their live shows are legendary - they start out with a cooler full of beer, and by the end of the night, the cooler is empty (along with assorted bottles of brown booze). The refreshments they ingest throughout the night do not affect their ability to churn out one perfectly crafted pop song after another. Over the next few weeks, I plan to expand my GBV library, and expect some mini-reviews of some of the gems from their catalog in the near future.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Trailer

Feast your eyes on the power of the D...

The Pick Of Destiny

From mtv.com:

As one-half of the self-proclaimed greatest band of all time, Kyle Gass would seem to be — at the very least — equal to one-quarter of the greatest real-life band. And an interview with Paul McCartney would be a really big deal!

So imagine our excitement when we got to talk to the Tenacious D singer/guitarist and got a sneak peek of their epic November film, "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny." (Check out the exclusive trailer right here.) True, the man that Jack Black affectionately calls KG may not be as famous as the Beatles legend, but -- as loyal fans of the D have known for years -- he's a hell of a lot funnier.

MTV: You guys finished shooting "The Pick of Destiny" a little while back, so what's going on with the flick right now?

Gass: The movie is totally shot. We're just doing some final tweaking. We're working on the score right now, getting lots of fun sound cues in there.

MTV: Give us a quick breakdown of this epic.

Gass: The plot is about how Tenacious D came to be, and then how we go on a quest to find the Pick of Destiny, which is a guitar pick that has been handed down since ancient times and gives its user special powers to rock.

MTV: Have you guys received any assurances from your good friend Satan in regards to the release?

Gass: Satan is a tough customer, but he wants to make sure that he has a good fourth quarter, so he wanted us to open around Christmas. He wants to go right up against Christ.

MTV: What was your favorite scene to shoot?

Gass: I really enjoyed shooting the scene where Jack and I stop into a diner along the way, and we bump into this mysterious stranger played by Tim Robbins. He's this crazy old Russian guy, and it turns out that for some reason he knows exactly what we're trying to find and he actually tried to find it, himself. It plays out really fun, and Amy Poehler's in that scene as well.

MTV: You guys have tons of cameos in this thing!

Gass: I think we have the best cameos in all of movie-dom. We've got Ben Stiller, we've got Tim Robbins, we've got John C. Reilly. It helps if you have at least been nominated for an Oscar to be in a cameo.

MTV: And, no doubt, all the cameos will be nominated for more Oscars after the movie comes out.

Gass: We're hoping, you know? All I'm saying is, if "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" can win [an Oscar for] best song, I think we're in the running. That's all I've got to say.

MTV: And you guys also got your hard-rocking idol, Ronnie James Dio, into the movie.

Gass: We got Dio! We got Meat Loaf. And then we've got Dave Grohl playing the devil. He sings and he rocks. I'm just saying it right now: It's going to be a classic motion picture.

MTV: When all is said and done, where will "Pick of Destiny" fit in the grand scheme of cinema history?

Gass: I think it's gonna fit somewhere between "Spinal Tap" and "Ben-Hur."

MTV: Would you call the movie a rock opera?

Gass: It has elements of a rock opera, but it's also close to just being a rock musical. I mean, people don't just break into song, but there are rocking songs throughout.

MTV: Could this have a future like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"? Do you expect people to dress up, go to midnight screenings and sing along for decades to come?

Gass: It will forever exist in some place, somewhere at midnight, I predict. If you're a fan of the D, you're gonna love it. If you're not — I don't know what's wrong with you and I don't care, quite frankly.

MTV: Can we assume that "Pick of Destiny" will be accompanied by a soundtrack of all-new songs?

Gass: Yeah, it's all coming out at the same time. The record soundtrack comes out November 15. The movie comes out November 17, and then we'll leave on tour, like on the 18th.

MTV: And what kinds of songs can we anticipate from this movie? New stuff?

Gass: All new stuff. I think we have a couple left over [from earlier sessions], but mainly it's all new. The Tenacious D sound is just a continuation of crazy rocking with some crazy, fun lyrics that the peeps can sing along with and say, "My God, these guys are talented."

MTV: What are the titles of these crazy-rocking new ditties?

Gass: One of the songs is called "The Government Totally Sucks." Let's see, there's also "Classico Jam." A lot of them are so new, they don't even have names.

MTV: Jack has become a big-time movie star since his career with the D began. What kind of performance will we be seeing from him?

Gass: Jack is gonna give his finest performance since "Nacho Libre."

MTV: Since you're playing yourself, what kinds of things did you do to discover your inner Kyle Gass?

Gass: I had to go deep, man. We go back to the early days of our relationship, where I was the dominant one; I was the one on top. I was the one showin' Jack the ropes.

MTV: Really?

Gass: There's kind of a little "Karate Kid" thing we've got going on, where I have to show him how to rock. He's naive, wet behind the ears. And then as the movie progresses, all of a sudden, it's like today — I'm just chopped liver, falling behind Jack, trying to pick up his spare change.

MTV: In these flashbacks, are you wearing a full head of hair?

Gass: You know what, that is a whole part of the movie. Yes, there is a time when I have hair. It's pretty funny. I have long, glorious locks.

MTV: For months now, you guys have been running the best movie Web site out there [TenaciousDMovie.com].

Gass: Oh, you like "The Hell O'Clock News"?

MTV: Yeah, but there was one episode where you and Jack did the whole interview with a statue's privates behind you. Did I hear correctly that the Motion Picture Association of America made you guys take it down?

Gass: Yeah. I don't know what's wrong with people today. There's too much censorship. There's no one who is more positive than Tenacious D. Everybody's gotta relax.

MTV: But the movie is going to give us plenty of nudity.

Gass: The movie is just obscene. It's crazy dirty.

MTV: Finally, tell us about the one scene that you just cannot wait to unleash on the entire world.

Gass: How we come up with our name, Tenacious D. It's classic. It'll go down in cinema history.

MTV: Is it the true story?

Gass: Of course. Everything in it is true.

MTV: So, "Pick of Destiny" might qualify for the Best Documentary Oscar, then?

Gass: Yes. It is a docudrama. Everything happens precisely as it really did.

The Life Aquatic

Looking for a good movie to rent this weekend? I highly suggest The Life Aquatic. This Wes Anderson film stars Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and a host of other talented actors. The film follows the life of a washed up oceanographer that is trying to make one more great documentary. The film takes a witty look at the world of the sea explorer (copping many traits of another man of the sea, Jacques Cousteau). The first time I watched this movie, it really didn't impress me. However, after a second viewing last weekend, I had a newfound appreciation for the flick. Check it out if you're a fan of any of My. Anderson's previous works (Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums).

New Army Of Anyone single

Army of Anyone is Dean and Robert DeLeo (STP), Richard Patrick (Filter), and Ray Luzier (former David Lee Roth Band drummer - thanks for the info brian c.!). New album is supposed to be out this fall...new single "Goodbye" is here. Check it!

The Raconteurs new video

In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a bit of a Raconteurs kick lately. What can I say? The album is getting catchier with each listen.

Here's the video for the new single, "Hands"...enjoy.

The Raconteurs Zane Lowe BBC Session

I strongly urge you to head to the iTunes Music Store and snag a copy of the new Raconteurs EP. This EP consists of 3 live tracks taken from their recent Zane Lowe BBC session, and the tracks are as follows:

1. Store Bought Bones (The Zane Rendition)
2. Call It A Day
3. Intimate Secretary

All 3 tracks are drastic departures from their album counterparts, and they all sound fantastic. If you have iTunes installed on your computer, click here to go directly to the listing. Otherwise, do a search for "The Raconteurs" and find it that way.

On a related note, these guys are playing at First Ave on August 3rd. As I currently do not have admission to the show, I am very tempted to head downtown and see if I can pick a ticket up off of the street.

New release Tuesday

Here are a couple big name new releases in stores today:

Beastie Boys - "Awesome; I F---in' Shot That!" New live DVD of a show at Madison Square Garden. Footage was taken by 50 differnet concert-goers in the crowd, each one with a camcorder in hand (read more about the show here). If you plan on picking it up, head to Best Buy where they offer a bonus disc with some additional features.


Chappelle's Show - The Lost Episodes Collects the few skits that Dave recorded before he ran off to Africa (or whatever). I've caught a few of these on Comedy Central, and there are a few gems in here. Probably worth it if you're a fan.


Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon Hot new album by the next big thing out of Minneapolis. A nice blend of the Pixies and Pavement (or so I'm told). Check 'em out on Letterman tonight!

The Big Lebowski - The Effing Short Version

Lovely piece of editing work right here.

Ummmmmmm...

Well, it's been a bit of a quiet week in this neck of the woods. Not too much going on as of late. My buddy from college came over with his wife last night for a little BBQ and catching up. They have been down in Chile for the past year, so it was cool to chill with them for awhile and see what's new.

In other exciting news, you can check out a stream of Tom Petty's new album, Highway Companion, right here. I've given it a few listens, and it's a bit of a snoozer. The 1st track is great, and then everything gets all sleepy for the rest of the album. I think I'll have to give 'er a few more listens to see if I dig it or not.

That's all for now - have a great weekend everyone, and I'll check back in here soon.

Foo Fighters Hyde Park webcast

You can check out the Foos recent set at Hyde Park (their biggest show ever) starting tomorrow (July 14) HERE!

New Audioslave single posted

You can check out the new Audioslave single, "Original Fire" from their upcoming album Revelations, at their website. I don't have speakers at the moment, so let me know how it is!

Weezer "done" for now?

Just caught this on mtv.com...I know they've been on hiatus before, but I hope this isn't the end. They still have to make another Pinkerton!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the moment, Rivers Cuomo could not be further removed from the other members of Weezer.

He's sitting in his in-laws' house in southern Japan, fiddling with his wife's guitar ("She never learned how to play it," he laughed) and leafing through his composition book, talking about the songs he's been writing over the past few months.

"All this year, I've been feeling pretty creative and excited, so I've been writing a lot," Cuomo said. "I don't know what'll happen with these songs — if anything — I just sort of write them and I can't stop. I certainly don't see them becoming Weezer songs, and I don't really see the point of a solo career. So we'll just have to see."

To be honest, Cuomo is in no hurry to figure things out. In the past month, he has graduated from Harvard (completing an on-again, off-again decade-long run at the university; see "Rivers Cuomo: Coming To A Dorm Room Near You?") and gotten married. But Cuomo hasn't stopped working — not even on his honeymoon.

"Actually our honeymoon has been one of the best times to write," he said. "At 1 p.m., I get on my crazy Japanese bike and ride for 10 minutes down to the mega-mall, and on the third floor they have all these studios you can rent for five bucks an hour, with drums and a soundboard and everything. So I go in there and work, and when I'm done, I exit into the midst of a Japanese mega-mall."

Some of the tunes Cuomo has been recording are autobiographical. "Heart Songs" is about all the artists and records that have influenced him, "From Gordon Lightfoot's '[The Wreck of the] Edmund Fitzgerald' when I was 5 to Nirvana's Nevermind." Others are just plain nonsensical: "Our Time Will Come" is his ode to the underachieving U.S. men's soccer team.

But again, he's writing them for no one in particular.

While Cuomo isn't exactly at odds with anyone in his band, and all three current members — guitarist Brian Bell, bassist Scott Shriner and drummer Pat Wilson — did serve as groomsmen at his June wedding, he's not exactly speaking to them every day, either. And while Weezer frequently take breaks in-between albums, there is a sense of finality this time, especially given the events of last year, which included the bittersweet farewell Cuomo included in the liner notes of their Make Believe album.

"Well, the band is all back in Los Angeles, and I sometimes I speak with Patrick, and I occasionally e-mail with Brian and Scott, but we've never mentioned getting together," Cuomo said. "Really, for the moment, we are done. And I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."

And if that does mean that Weezer are finished, can fans expect some sort of career-spanning greatest-hits comp? Well, not if Cuomo has anything to do with it.

"It's being discussed with the record company right now, but we have to sign off before they can do anything. And to be honest, we don't all see eye-to-eye on it," he said.

"I'm not convinced that we have a greatest-hits album that is worth putting out at this point," he added. "I'd like to include two more amazing songs on there. And anything else would just seem lazy to me. We'll see, though. I don't really feel comfortable with it now."

Smells Like Ass Spirit

Simply stunning...fast forward to around the 2:50 mark and check out the shredding solo.

New Eagles of Death Metal podcast

Check out a new podcast with the Eagles of Death Metal, featuring an interview and a few live songs, at this location.

PJ + TP = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, I was fortunate enough to drop $100 on one of summer's hottest tours last night - Pearl Jam and Tom Petty at the Xcel. This show affirmed the fact that the big stadium show is just not for me anymore. Both bands put on OK sets, but virtually every song I heard was something I've heard on the radio a billion times before. Why couldn't these guys spice up the setlists a little bit? Both bands basically seemed like they were just going through the motions, getting their paycheck at the end of the night, and then going back to the tour bus to engage in a rousing game of Scrabble.

7 bucks for a beer??!! Ricockulous.

As far as I'm concerned, I'd be fine with never stepping foot into an arena show like last night ever again. Some of my most rewarding musical experiences have taken place at venues like First Avenue and the 400 Bar. I think it's time to revisit those places in the near future.

Kevin Richardson Quits Backstreet Boys

:-( As far as we know, the Backstreet Boys, unlike Menudo, don't have a mandatory retirement age. So we'll assume the aging boy band's oldest member, 33-year-old Kevin Richardson, really is leaving to pursue "other interests."

A statement announcing Richardson's departure from the group was posted on the BSB Web site Saturday. "After 13 years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided that it is time to leave the Backstreet Boys," Richardson said. "It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life."

Richardson didn't specify what that next chapter would entail, but he did pledge that fellow members Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and A.J. McLean would always be his "little brothers" and have his "utmost love and support."

The dark-haired singer also thanked the band's fans for "all the beautiful memories we have shared together" and said he hoped they would join him in the next phase of his life.

Cousins Richardson and Littrell, both from Lexington, Kentucky, began singing together as children and later graduated to performing R&B and doo wop styles at local fairs and festivals. Richardson moved to Orlando in the early 1990s and became a tour guide at Disney World, eventually hooking up with McLean, Dorough and Carter to form Backstreet Boys, named after a flea market in Orlando. After inviting Littrell to join the band, they became one of the most popular groups on the scene, helping to launch the boy-band craze of the late '90s and selling more than 30 million albums in the process.

But the group was forced to take a break in 2001 when McLean entered rehab to deal with addiction problems (see "Backstreet Boys Postpone Tour As A.J. McLean Seeks Treatment"). Richardson spent some of the ensuing three-year hiatus performing in the musical "Chicago" on Broadway. The band returned in 2005 with the release of their tepidly received Never Gone album (see "Backstreet Men? The Boys Grow Up On First Album In Five Years ").

The rest of the group said they had no plans to replace Richardson.

"Earlier this year, after much soul searching, Kevin Richardson came to us and told us that he had decided to leave the group and pursue other interests. He gave his blessing to continue the music without him," read a statement from the group, who are about to enter the studio to work on a new album that they hope to release later this year. "We have no intention of replacing Kevin, and the door will always be open for him to return to the Backstreet Boys. We wish him the all the best in his future endeavors.

The group's Jive Records publicist did not return calls for comment at press time.

Story courtesy of mtv.com.

New Everclear video

Check out the video for Everclear's new single, "Hater", right here.

Some random videos

Check out QOTSA jamming on "Avon" at Glastonbury 2002 here (Grohl on the drums - sick).

Oh wow - here's another one..."Song For The Dead", live at Werchter '02. See it here.

Last one for this evening...you just have to see it to believe it, I guess.

La La

La La is a cool way to get rid of those CDs in your collection that you never listen to anymore, as well as snag albums that you really want to hear. For the low, low price of $1.49 per CD, you can snag an album from the huge La La library. It 's basically a way to allow you to hook in to the collections of a huge variety of listeners.

To find out more about the service, check out lala.com, or go to the Yahoo press release here. Also, I have 10 invites to get connected with the service. If your interested in signing up (which is free of charge), drop me an e-mail at thecolourandtheshape@gmail.com and I'll hook you up.

New Release Tuesday

The following albums are some recommendations for discs that you should run out and pick up today:


Frank Black - Fast Man/Raider Man (27 track double album!)







Pearl Jam - Live At Easy Street (EP available at Independant record stores)









That's all for now.

Happy Anniversary!

I'd like to wish a happy 4th wedding anniversary to my babydoll. Like our daughter, I couldn't imagine life without her...here's to the next year being as kickass as the last one.

On a completely unrelated note, the first acoustic show on the Foos latest tour has been reviewed at nme.com.

New Weird Al song

Weird Al has posted a new song on his website recently. It's a cover of that horrible, overplayed James Blunt song, "You're Beautiful". Al has reworked the tune into "You're Pitiful", and you can download it here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Red Hot Chili Peppers Rolling Stone cover story / The Three Amigos

The RHCP have made the cover of the latest Rolling Stone, and you can check out the cover story here.

In other news, you can purchase The Three Amigos at Best Buy this wek for the low low price of $4.99! An incredible deal on a hilarious movie.

"FRIENDS LEFT MESSAGES ON MY CELL PHONE SAYING 'I'M SORRY DAVE'S DIED'"

From the latest NME and fooarchive.com...

Dave Grohl is dead. At least that's what the Internet is saying. An American newsblog has proclaimed the demise of the Foo Fighters' frontman, and the story is gently floating around internet chatrooms with an air of gutted disbelief.
At almost the same time, plans for the band to play an acoustic concert at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre on June 14 are being finalised. Confused? There clearly was only one man who could clear up the mess and tell the truth about Dave Grohl's fate, the band's new acoustic tour, their huge outdoor gigs in London and Manchester, and the Foo Fighters' future. That man was Dave Grohl.

Hello Dave, last week it was rumoured online you had died.
"I know! I got a phone message from a friend saying, 'Er, I guess ... Jordyn [Grohl's wife] ... this is maybe ... for you. I'm so sorry to hear what happened.' I heard this message and went, 'What the fuck?'. They were leaving a message on my cell phone saying, 'I'm sorry Dave died.' That was weird, but I guess I've finally graduated to that status of being an internet rumour. lt weirded me out a bit, but it's stupid. I'm like a cockroach - don't worry, I'll be around for a long time."

NME wasn't convinced of your death, but to be on the safe side there was talk here of a memorial cover in the unlikely event it proved true.
"(Laughs.) Goddam it! See what you've got to do to make it in this town?"

Not only are you not dead, but you've announced an acoustic show in addition to your Hyde Park and Manchester gigs?
"We're going to do a few acoustic shows while we're there. That is kind of closer to the original idea, which was to come to each city, play a big rock show and then the next night play an acoustic gig that mirrored the concept of the record. Logistically, that was a nightmare, so we figured we'd get all the rock touring out of the way and then do the acoustic stuff. I didn't foresee any rock shows this year. I didn't think we'd do any, but Hyde Park was too much to say no to."

You played two festivals here last year, now you're doing your own.
"Someone from our management asked if we'd be interested in Hyde Park and I said, 'Yeah, but wait a second, isn't that huge?' They told me the capacity is 85,000 and I said, 'Dude, there is no fucking way we'll sell that many tickets!' But they convinced me if we sell 40,000 it's still a huge show, so I thought, 'Let's see what happens.' It's been great - we've been building our own festival where we get to pick the bands. First of all Queens Of The Stone Age have to play because they are my favourite band in the world. Then we thought it will be really great if we have a killer special guest, and somebody said, 'What about Motorhead?' I couldn't even fathom playing a gig with my favourite band of all time, but we called Lemmy and asked and he said, 'Sure.' It's going to be the favourite bill I've ever played on in my whole life. I can't imagine going on after Mot6rhead. Usually I listen to their CDs before we go onstage to psych myself up. Now I can just sit on the side of the stage, drink Jagermeister and see them for real."

Will you be tempted to do any guest spots?
"Well, whenever I see the Queens play, I always wish I was their drummer. There's no question about that, but Joey [Castillo] is such a great drummer it's nice just to be able to sit and watch your favourite band rather than be in them. It was fun to be in them, but it's more fun to have a drink in your hand and sing along. I'm going to get liquored up for our set, I'll be pickled."

Have you done much preparation for the acoustic show?
"We've been rehearsing for the last month in our studio, running through the album and doing acoustic versions of songs from other records. When we were making this album I really imagined the acoustic side of things to be the next step for the band. I imagined it opening doors we've never been through before and it leading to something completely different in our future. We went around, did all the rock touring - the best and biggest shows we've ever done - and that's turned into it's own monster, but I kept looking at my watch thinking, 'When are we gonna get around to this acoustic thing? I really want to know what it's like to sit down, play a gig and walk offstage having not broken a sweat, no pulled muscles, no hangover.' So I've really been waiting and looking forward to this for a while. It's nice to sit down and actually perform something beautiful that has a dynamic that we've never really explored live before. It's fucking great.
"The other night I played an acoustic show at a radio station festival here in Los Angeles - KROQ's Weenie Roast. It's this huge show they have every year. I got a call to see if I wanted to go down and playa couple of acoustic songs. The way they work the show, they have a revolving stage so when one band finishes, the stage turns and there's another band. You don't know who's next and they keep it moving for the whole show. Usually it's 12 of the most popular bands of the moment, so it was Chili Peppers, AFI, Rob Zombie - all these rock bands. I drove down with my wife, my mother and my kid in the car, acoustic guitar in the trunk, figuring I'm just going to play a couple of songs. Then they tell me I'm the surprise guest! I asked them, 'People don't know I'm here and I'm supposed to go on after AFI with just a fucking acoustic guitar? Are you fucking kidding me?' So I walked up to the stage, AFI were just finishing, and their side of the stage was just a wall of Iron Maiden amplifiers. Mine is just a fucking microphone! I stood on the stage, and as it started turning I really thought I'd get lynched. So I played the opening chords to 'Everlong' and the place went fucking berserk! Absolutely apeshit! It was great. I did four songs and the crowd sung along at the top of their lungs to 'Best Of You', 'My Hero', 'Times Like These' and 'Everlong'. It was moving man, but the coolest thing was breaking down the verses so it was so quiet that I swear you could hear people sniffle in the crowd! That's what it's all about. That's what I'm looking forward to, as I can't wait for people to hear acoustic interpretations of the older songs. I want to break it down so people are sat in their seats with goosebumps on their arms."

How come your Nirvana colleague Pat Smear Is rejoining Foo Fighters for the acoustic shows?
"Pat's back, it's fun! As we were putting this whole thing together we invited a few of our friends. A lot of the songs have more than two guitar parts so I started thinking, if there's a place in a song where we can build even bigger, we should. So rather then get someone we don't really know, let's get someone who's been in the band before. I'd been in touch with Pat, so I asked him and he said yes. Honestly it's like he never left.
"He's one of the greatest people I've ever met in my entire life, I remember when Kurt came to practice and said, 'Oh I've found our second guitar player,' so we asked 'who, and he said, 'It's Pat Smear from The Germs,' We couldn't believe he was still alive. I imagined, since he was in The Germs he'd be some beat-up junkie barely making it in Hollywood. He came to the first practice and I swear it was like a beacon of light. It completely lifted the mood and made it a happier place to be."

Speaking of Nirvana, Kurt Cobaln was voted Number One In NME's Heroes Issue. What do you make of that?
"Well, you know, Kurt inspired me a lot. I definitely fell in love with a whole new sense of music after having played with him. He was a great guy. He was one of the sweetest, most gentle people I've ever met. It still amazes me the outreach of what that band accomplished. I still run into people today who tell me if it wasn't for Nirvana they wouldn't have picked up their instrument, or if it wasn't for Nirvana they wouldn't have made it through high school. I think a lot of people consider - well, obviously - Kurt a hero and he was definitely an inspiration."

Is It true you're going out for lunch with Courtney Love - she told NME you two were speaking again?
"Nah, I haven't had lunch with her in a long time!"

She said relations have thawed somewhat though.
"(Laughs, sarcastically.) Yeah! Next question! (Laughs.)"

So what's next for Foo Fighters?
"The summer is going to be our send-off. I don't know how much time we're taking off, or when we'll be back. These shows will definitely be the last shows for a while. We've always looked forward to taking a break, and usually our breaks are whittled down to nothing because we can't stand not making records. We always had the urge to make another album, but I think it might be time to go home and re-evaluate. You know what? Having said that, it will never fucking happen! I get two cups of coffee in me and I want to hit the road. But after doing something like Hyde Park, what are we going to do? We have to come back bigger and better. We've grown. Now we're selling 85,000 tickets in a park in the middle of town. It's hard for me to imagine anything getting better. That's a good feeling to have, but I'm going to fucking try to make it even huger. Not that I want to be the biggest band in the world, but I want to be the band that your band doesn't want to go on after!"

Do you have any ideas? Does the acoustic record mean you can now go in any direction you like?
"That's the thing that makes it so confusing. Usually when you have a string of rock records you think, 'Alright, let's make a rock record!' Now that we've split into two directions, we've hit this schizophrenic mark. We can do one of two things. We can make a beautiful, song-based album, or we can make the craziest, thrash-metal shit you've ever heard. I've asked the other guys in the band which one should we do. Who knows, maybe we'll make a folk record!"

Is it true you have a greatest hits album in the pipeline?
"Yeah, I think that's happening this fall. There's a greatest hits coming out, but there'll be some new music on it - two new tracks. They wanted the greatest hits to come out before 'In Your Honour'. I had to say, 'wait a second, I think we might have a couple more in us: It seemed a little premature."

So this is the end of chapter one?
"I definitely feel it there when my bones start creaking in the mornings. Usually I'm pretty good at imagining what comes next. This time, it's a puzzler. There's a thousand things I want to do musically, but what do I do with Foo Fighters? Who knows?"

What bands do you dig at the moment?
"I liked Arctic Monkeys a lot - I was into that record. I think it's really good. God, The Raconteurs' record is so fucking cool! I met Brendan Benson - he's a friend of my ex-wife - ages ago when he was doing demos in his bedroom. We made friends and his first solo album, 'One Mississippi', is such a fucking masterpiece. I was surprised He didn't become huge. I was convinced Brendan would be a star - he had so much talent. So when I heard he and Jack were getting together to make this record. I thought, 'Fuck, this going to be good!- The songs are wonderful. Brendan's a genius Jack's a genius - we actually asked them to play the Hyde Park gig. but they disn't want to as they were still getting their legs. but I'm really excited about that record. I know the Gnarls Barkley record has been huge over your way for a while, and it's just starting to blow up here, but that album - particularly the Violent Femmes cover 'Gone Daddy Gone' - is fucking great. Also - and this will sound ridiculous and will destroy any credibility I have in the rock world I'm sure - but I just discovered the Scissor Sisters record! I fucking love it. man! It's a fucking good record. I grew up listening to Motorhead and ABBA, so I can enjoy Scissor Sisters just as much as I can put on a Slayer record. I tell you man, those fucking songs are good!"

And, as their friend, you must be looking forward to Kaiser Chiefs' new album?
"Absolutely! You know what, I love drinking with those guys. Fuck their records, I just want to get drunk with them. I heard Ricky Wilson got knocked over, is he OK?"

Yes, apparently his scissor kicks saved him.
"See, those rock moves come in handy. He's a martial artist!"

Finally, plugged in or acoustically, on a scale of one to 10, how much will Foo Fighters rock this summer?
"This one goes to 11, buddy! This summer is going to be a big one - absolutely."

VH1 Rock Honors tomorrow night

Be sure to check out the 2006 Rock Honors on VH1 tomorrow night. The Foos will be doing a number or 2 with Queen that will probably knock your socks off. And Def Leppard will be performing as well, so you know it's going to be good. (Images courtesy of sweetparamania.com)