Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

 

 

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
Roswell/Sony Music – 2023
Rock
Rated: ****

I don’t know about you, but I definitely did not expect Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters formation to drop another album this soon. This soon after the loss of drummer Taylor Hawkins and his own mother. But Here We Are... There was a lot of pain and grief that needed to be released and Mr. Grohl does that best by writing songs. And well, But Here We Are definitely belongs to the best Mr. Grohl has ever released with his Foo Fighters. Unlike many other fans, I’ve always been a fan of his rougher voice, especially whenever I saw them live. But on record, as we received them over the years, they’ve not always managed to grab me, and often felt a bit like a mannerism. This time however, it does feel straight from his heart and needed to express the pain and emotion running rampant in his blood. But perhaps, even now, you can feel even more whenever Mr. Grohl goes for the cleaner and fragile approach. He also took up the sticks and does all the drumming on the album, even though Josh Freese will be taking over on tour. This all combined, results in one of the most varied albums the Foo’s released, showing off colors and shapes that will surely have to be pointing in the direction of bands and music that he listened to while going through all the pain and strife of losing loved ones. It also points back towards the album that he released the other time he went through this huge loss. For memories about that 1995 debut album will surely pop up from time to time. And yes, that duet Show Me How, with his daughter Violet, is a wonderful as it is healing, and comforting. But the ninth track The Teacher will surely have to be seen as the seminal But Here We Are track, with that heartbreaking and desperate ‘Goodbye’ from Mr. Grohl. Epic in proportion, prog in execution and moving in every direction, guided by subtle yet intense cello, this is now probably the best song the Foo’s ever released and perhaps even the best song Mr. Grohl has been a part of. So, he can rest easy now…

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Top 10 Most Listened Albums Last Week…

 

 

Stoner HiVe’s
Top 10 Most Listened Albums Last Week…

Foo Fighters
Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders
Birds of Satan
Achachak
Medussa
Crimson Tower
Cypress Hill
Chivo
Cryptophaser
Dead Level

Rest In Peace – Taylor Hawkins

 

 

Rest In Peace – Taylor Hawkins

We’ve been spinning all those albums Taylor Hawkins was involved in since we got the news. The drummer that became the drummer in the band of the other drummer. You’ve got to have skills to be able to do that. And Taylor had those! Seen him perform with the Foo Fighters many times; twice with his Coattail Riders and had the honor to talk to him back when the Sonic Highways Series came out. A gentleman, down to earth and whole lot of fun. Asked him back then about the absolute best moment during that amazing and highly musical Sonic Highways project, to which he said: “Eating that chili dog in Austin, Texas, a taste of pure heaven!” It’s just so fucking sad. Another one of the good people gone…

Here's to you Mr. Hawkins, may you be rocking hard, wherever you are…

The Chats – Get This In Ya

The Chats – Get This In Ya

Self released / Hot Wax Records / Burger Records – 2017

Rock, Punk, Garage

Rated: ***

Whenever a certain drummer starts championing you and a certain ginger Elvis as well... Things can get ugly in a hurry! The Chats and their Smoko video is suddenly whirling round the globe and these punks were already blowing up big time over in Australia... It's definitely doing something to me! And touring with Queens Of The Stone Age will definitely do something to them. So, before things get out of hand completely we figured we visit their Get This In Ya EP from 2017. Punky, grimy, choppy rock that speaks to your atavistic side in every which way. It’s definitely about living down under, it’s definitely about having no money and it’s definitely about nothing. Nothing at all! Which seems to be the only great reason to make damn good music. Frantic, anxious and delirious. The Chats bring the right amount of energy to translate their languid punk and lazy Australian drawl into something highly energetic! The Grohl was right…

(Written by JK)

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Stoner HiVe’s Top 5 artists listened to last week…

Stoner HiVe’s

Top 5 artists listened to last week…

All Them Witches

Juliette and The Licks

Spirit Division

Kadavar

Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats

Yes yes. We know. This should have gone up on Monday. But that work crap is still getting in the way. Why is there always so much extra work to do before you leave for a little holiday. And then there were the new Doom Charts coming up. Also way more important! Hence, we have the Top 5 of Most Listened To Albums of Week 35 now for ya. The new All Them Witches album ATW soon to be released through New West Records has been on the most rotation. Their psychedelic blues suddenly got way more concise and even catchy at times. Still vague and wild, the ramshackle sound sits there perfectly among everything we love about All Them Witches! What an album! On the Waveriders (Ripple Music) forum they do this one album a day post. This time it was an album featuring Dave Grohl. I simply love his choppy and snarky drumming on Four On The Floor by Juliette and The Licks. Who in my opinion should record a new album, yesterday. And you know what, they have or are currently recording! Sure, one of these cats is involved with the Doom Charts. Does this mean we should refrain from commenting on their album? Hell no, we profess what we love when we dig something. And we are digging Forgotten Planet by Spirit Division! The different vibes smeared across the record all fit nicely as the scenery of a Forgotten Planet. It smells old and bronzed, but it feels heavy and sharp. A wild ride for sure! Kadavar releases a live album called Live In Copenhagen, through Nuclear Blast. They had to. Everyone was always telling them their live shows were so much better than their (stunning) studio albums. One and one makes two and this is definitely a live album that captures the essence of this wild trio! When Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats release a new album, we prepare for ritualistic bloodletting. Wasteland is definitely dystopic in content and sounds like the vintage lust of yore. But perhaps we need to dive deep into their reddened pool of garage doom to truly appreciate this offering… And we have all the time in the world for that when we are hitting the waves in Portugal next week… Good music! Great music! And we all know life would be a mistake without it!

An open letter to Dave Grohl

An open letter to Dave Grohl

I've been thinking about doing this for a while and I finally said to myself: "Screw it, Grohl will more than likely never even see it, but at least it may spark some discussion and debate for the rest of us." That's what this piece is meant to do. Spark discussion. There are gonna be dudes responding: "That's not exactly what Grohl said.” They may not be exact quotes but we all get the gist. We know what's been said and alluded too. And if Dave Grohl himself wants to counterpoint. Please do. We would love it...

Here's the thing. Guys who are into rock music, metal, punk, stoner and all of the related genres have seen these articles and statements that Dave has put out that say shit like: "Pop music today sucks!” Ok Dave, I agree. He also says things like "American Idol is bullshit!” I would also agree, but at times it can be entertaining TV. But here's the part that chaps my ass a bit. Mr. Grohl has said things like: "Well, what happened to just jamming in the garage with a bunch of friends?” It seems he believes that once the grunge era faded that music ended and there's no one out there playing instruments any more. As if everyone else in the world is programming this fake pop puke. Do I like the state of pop today? HELL NO! But I also know the truth. And this truth is that real music has gone underground again. The musical landscape as we once knew it no longer exists. It has morphed due to technology. For better or for worse, it's a fact. But the music is there Dave. You just need to know where to look for it. There are endless blogs, sites, small labels and the like out there. The fanzines of our day have morphed into blogs and there are probably hundreds of thousands more Sub Pops out there on Bandcamp and everywhere else than ever before. Did I like being able to put my demo in a store like Bleeker Bobs back in the day? Of course I did. Did the band l was in love getting that lone letter from a skater kid in Texas saying he loved the tape and all the while wondering how he got a hold of it? Hell yeah. But that shit still exists. Just in a different wrapper. Dude, I get it. Life is a bit faster, more complicated and different today. There is more manufactured music than ever before. I catch myself yearning for past days at times. But the true artist will always be around. We're here Dave! Yo, over here! Start digging bro. The bands are around. There's a poster hanging in the bathroom of my shitty day job. It says, ‘The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change and a leader adjusts the sail’. Maybe you can adjust the sails? If you don't like the way things are going, start a label, take some good bands on tour with the Foos, reach out to musicians and start your own blog. Logistically I know this shit is a lot easier to say than do. Especially when the machine keeps keepin’ on. But hey, it's just my own two cent rant about the state of music today…

Sincerely, Charlie Tooth

Just a small side note to prove there are young thinkers out there who like rock music. My son sings in his room a lot (not in a band right now). He's into Priest, Cradle of Filth, various metal and black metal groups. His voice is actually pretty good.  So, the TV show The Voice came to Philly the other weekend. My wife said to my son. "Why don't you try out for the voice?” My eighteen year old son response?   "Mom, even if my voice is good enough, they don't want someone like me. They want a product…"