Video: Watch Them Crooked Vultures Discuss How The Band Started

Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age) and the legendary John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) discuss how they formed TCV in this two part interview on their You Tube channel.

Them Crooked Vultures has also confirmed for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Friday, April 16th 2010.

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Live Show Review: Them Crooked Vultures at The Tabernacle

Them Crooked Vultures set their perch atop the Tabernacle last Thursday night.

In a music world that seems to be spitting out so called “supergroups” left and right, Them Crooked Vultures are circling and setting their gaze upon the dieing carcass of mainstream rock groups creating bland and uninspired rock and roll.

Them Crooked Vultures have a sound that blends together the quirky inspired fuzzy  jams of Josh Homme (Queens of The Stoneage), the mastership bass and keyboard playing of John Paul Jones and the pounding beats of Dave Grohl. With this foundation ,Them Crooked Vultures came out with a sound of their own that is far from the regurgitated let’s write one good song that  and put out  a bunch of weak filler shit  to fluff up the rest of the record.

The Tabernacle was sold out and packed with curious and envious fans like myself. For me the highlight was finally getting a chance to see a living legend, John Paul Jones! Their was a vicious rumor of a Led Zeppelin reunion last year that never happen, thus putting an end to my dream of seeing part of rock and roll history. I have seen Josh Homme live once before with The Screaming Trees as a touring guitarist on their Dust tour and it was my first time seeing Dave Grohl.

I make my way to the balcony stage left and find a place on the wall in front of the staircase parallel to the edge of the stage with an unobstructed view. Lights out and the crowd screams as Dave Grohl hits the beats and John Paul Jones starts tapping out a  beat to the strutting song ‘No One Loves Me and Neither Do I’. Josh Homme squeezes out a high stepping rhythmic  riff and struts along sounding as if he is just casually standing on a street corner telling a story. Grohl and Jones rhythm pulse on this song stands out and keeps your internal pecking motion feed!

I made my way downstairs during the next song “Dead End Friends” and end up at the back of the floor hanging out near the doorway.

Next they went into “Scumbag Blues“. Josh and touring Guitarists Alain Johannes really shine as they trade licks  during this jam and Josh pulls off a great trippy Cream inspired vocals then picks it up and blast into “Elephants“. Elephants is the song you envisioned when you first heard about this line up. It starts with big fat Zeppelin style riff and a heavy low end groove that spins ahead then accelerates into a whirlwind with the rhythmic power of Grohl, and Jones galloping and crashing into a airy interlude before slamming back into heavy Zeppelin flavored riff to end.

They run through “Highway One” and the first single “New Fang” ,Gunman and Alain solo before they get to “Bandoliers”. Introduced as a Love song you can hear the Mark Lanegan influence on Josh’s vocal style on this song. “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” was next and probably the most Foo Fighters inspired song of the night.

Through out the night John Paul Jones played a variety of four-, six- and eight-string basses but he pull out his Keytar for “Interlude w/ Lodes”. During this song Josh put down his guitar and tries to put on his crooning vocals and hypnotic dance moves in what looked like an attempt to put Jones in a trance, but while watching Josh without his guitar and contorting onstage,  I kept getting flashes of Jim Breuer doing his stand up routine about the heavy metal hookie pookie (Why? I don’t know but it was pretty funny!)

The free loving “Caligulove” was next with its Doors inspired psyche gushing from it. Next was “Reptiles” then it spun into “Spinning in Daffodils”. Jones spins his magic on the keyboards as the song turned into an inspired blues Jam by Homme.

The show ended with the song “Warsaw or The First Breath You Take after You Give Up”, the song comes apart and burns up in re-entry as the pace quickens to an incendiary rate with Grohl going  primal on the drums, an act that sends Jones and Homme into a fret board fury before the crashing end!

There was no encore, but after that performance there was none needed.
To sum it up, no cookie cutter pseudo-supergroup sound. Just three great musicians playing fuzzy, bluesy inspired jams.

S.E, Metal Meltdown

Photos by Wes Powell of Wes Powell Films and Photography

Video: Them Crooked Vultures On Saturday Night Live

Them Crooked Vultures performed “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” and “New Fang” on SNL last night.

Them Crooked Vultures was formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. The group also features Alain Johannes in live performances.

The band has recently confirmed three east coast shows immediately following their SNL appearance.

February 8 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, February 10 at the Fillmore in Charlotte NC and February 11 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

Them Crooked Vultures to Perform on SNL and Play Three East Coast Shows in February

Them Crooked Vultures has confirmed its debut appearance on Saturday Night Live. The band-featuring Dave Grohl and Josh Homme and John Paul Jones-will be music guest on SNL’s February 6 show.

In addition, Them Crooked Vultures has confirmed three east coast shows immediately following the SNL festivities: February 8 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, February 10 at the Fillmore in Charlotte NC and February 11 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

CD Review: Them Crooked Vultures

With the Foo Fighters just releasing a “Best of Compilation”, Queens of the Stone Age releasing their final album “Era Vulgaris”, and Led Zeppelin having only performed one reunion gig in God knows how long; I am assuming that Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Johns were getting restless.  So what exactly is the end result of these three rock n’ roll super powers getting together and probably kicking out one of the sexiest musical  jams anyone’s ever had?  The result is “Them Crooked Vultures“.

A strange and oddly intriguing trip through three minds that none of us can ever possibly hope to understand.  The self-titled debut album, available now through Sony Music and ITunes, is rather an odd one.  You’d think you would hear the musical influence of The Foo Fighters, QOTSA and Led Zeppelin, and to a certain extent you do.  The opening riff to the track “Elephants” reminded me slightly of “Black Dog”.  The opening bass drum and guitar orgy to “Reptiles” really takes you back to the trip-out of a track that was “Kashmir”.  With Josh Hommes vocals,  it’s hard not to think you are listening to Queens of the Stone Age.  But somehow “ Them Crooked Vultures” pull off a compilation that bring a very unique and individual sound.

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Them Crooked Vultures Streams New Single On MySpace, Album Out Nov. 17

Them Crooked Vultures,the new band featuring Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age ) and the legendary John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) will release its self titled album on November 17, but the first single, “New Fang” is currently streaming on the bands MySpace page. The track is also being offered as an instant download for all fans who pre-order album on iTunes.

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