THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (RCA, 1999) occupies a PIVOTAL moment in the FOO FIGHTERS CAREER. 

going back, famously their debut FOO FIGHTERS (CAPITOL, 1995) was a SECRET AFFAIR and for-all-intents-and-purposes a GLORIFIED SOLO PROJECT that re-acclimated FORMER NIRVANA DRUMMER DAVE GROHL with the idea of making MUSIC again in the wake of the TRAGIC PASSING of his FRIEND and BANDMATE KURT COBAIN.  the group name itself was plural as a ploy so that friends and family wouldnt think it was just him, but an ACTUAL band.  he discovered in tracking that ALBUM by himself with the help of FRIEND and PRODUCER BARRETT JONES that MUSIC was the very VEHICLE for his RECOVERY from such a DEEP and very public EMOTIONAL BLOW.  the follow-up THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE (CAPITOL, 1997) was a more DRAWN-OUT and TUMULTUOUS AFFAIR with ACCLAIMED PRODUCER and NOTORIOUS TASKMASTER and PERFECTIONIST GIL NORTON (PIXIES, BELLY, THROWING MUSES, CATHERINE WHEEL).  by this point the FOO FIGHTERS were an actual unit, with the ICONIC PUNK ROCK GERMS / NIRVANA GUITARIST PAT SMEAR on board as well as the rhythm section of the recently DISBANDED POST-HARDCORE standouts SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE in BASSIST NATE MENDEL and DRUMMER WILLIAM GOLDSMITH.  ultimately GROHL replayed all of GOLDSMITH's parts on the RECORDING, which understandably crushed his will to be in the band and he soon exited on band terms.  he was replaced by ALANIS MORISSETTE's DRUMMER TAYLOR HAWKINS and there was a bit of MUSICAL CHAIRS going at guitar with SMEAR leaving and FORMER SCREAM GUITARIST FRANZ STAHL stepping in, then leaving.  by the time you get to the third ALBUM THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE, the band was down to three members in GROHL, MENDEL and HAWKINS.

with all the TURMOIL in the lineup caused by an overly EXTENSIVE TOURING SCHEDULE schedule (SMEAR) and CHEMISTRY ISSUES exacerbated by the INTENSE RECORDING and SONGWRITING PROCESS (GOLDSMITH and STAHL), GROHL decided this go around to quietly reconvene back in the COMFORTABLE confines of his home state of VIRGINIA and setup shop in his ALEXANDRIA basement and self-record there with the technical help of PRODUCER ADAM KASPER at a slow MANAGEABLE pace.  and you can definitely pick up on that laid-back vibe in tracks like "NEXT YEAR," "AIN'T IT THE LIFE" and the standout "AURORA."  the first two FOO FIGHTERS RECORDS are ICONIC ALTERNATIVE ROCK ALBUMS with mostly AGGRESSIVE songs that are DISSONANT yet MELODIC and consciously influenced by everything from BIG BLACK, HUSKER DU and PIXIES to MELVINS and the BAD BRAINS.  GROHL has stated in interviews that for THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE he was going for more of the consciously POP and overtly MELODIC MUSIC that was on the AM RADIO in his MOTHER's car throughout his 1970s SUBURBAN VIRGINIA youth.  specifically AM GOLD / YACHT ROCK ARTISTS like ANDREW GOLD, GERRY RAFFERTY, PHOEBE SNOW, 10cc, HELEN REDDY, CARLY SIMON, ANDY GIBB and the BEE GEES.  so yeah, this ALBUM was a total DIFFERENT VIBE.   

especially "AURORA" which might be the most BEAUTIFUL SONG GROHL ever wrote.  maybe.  its at least up there.

but that is not to say the band totally abandoned their SOUND.  TRACKS like "STACKED ACTORS" (reportedly an UNSUBTLE takedown of LONGTIME FRENEMY COURTNEY LOVE), "BREAKOUT" and "GENERATOR" all pair nicely with the more AGGRESSIVE NUMBERS from the first two records, but are largely not as MEMORABLE.  "LEARN TO FLY" is the departure that marries the aforementioned MELODIC and LAIDBACK VIBE with the DISSONANT ALTERNATIVE ROCK that one would expect from GROHL, but the SWEEPING MELODIES are what make it transcend such.  this was the FOO FIGHTERS SONG that as much as i wanted to hate it, just couldnt because it was so well constructed and executed.  it is just a classic ROCK AND ROLL song that melodically soars and one doesnt need to imagine very hard such being a successful SING-A-LONG NUMBER at a packed arena.  i wouldnt know FIRSTHAND since the last time i saw FOO FIGHTERS play was back in 2000 at a RANDOM CONCERT in RHODE ISLAND when they were on tour for the SECOND ALBUM with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, who themselves were promoting their CLASSIC CALIFORNICATION (WARNER BROS, 1999) ALBUM at the time with GUITARIST JOHN FRUSCIANTE back in tow.  GREAT SHOW by the way.

THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE is by no means my FAVORITE FOO FIGHTERS album, such is a tie between THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE and the much later WASTING LIGHT (RCA, 2011), but within the CONTEXT of their GREATER CATALOGUE, it showcases a band artistically succeeding when internally they felt like they had their backs against the wall.  sadly there would be more ADVERSITY in the future, but i feel that will to persevere and fight is baked into their DNA as a group at this point.  part of the reason their fans are so DIEHARD and LOYAL.  they know that GROHL and company authentically live through their CRAFT.  gotta respect that.

when HARDCORE hit the AMERICAN musical UNDERGROUND in the 1980s, it effectively served as a CULTURAL YEAR ZERO for many musicians and listeners alike, arguably even more so than its NEW YORK CITY and LONDON-based PUNK ROCK predecessor.  the first wave of PUNK provided the DIY template and showed the way for SELF-STARTING artists and songwriters in the UNITED STATES specifically, but HARDCORE actually walked through that door and made it happen on a large scale with the HARD-FOUGHT development of a nationwide NETWORK of enabling venues and community of audiences.  

what is interesting about the bands that came after that wave of HARDCORE bands, in-artfully termed POST-HARDCORE, is that much like the previous NO WAVE and POST PUNK scenes they expanded on the sonic blueprint of HARDCORE beyond AGGRESSION and BREVITY into a myriad of directions.  in essence the cultural legacy of HARDCORE was as a case study for the effectiveness of truly INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY-BUILDING and DIY ETHICS writ large.  it EMPOWERED the next generation to just go out and do it, disregard the past and move forward and believe in yourself and your music.

one of those directions is embodied by SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, a relatively obscure mid-90s SEATTLE POST-HARDCORE outfit that took its sonic and lyrical cue from the likes of 1980s DC EMOTIONAL HARDCORE bands on the DISCHORD label like EMBRACE and RITES OF SPRING.  SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE has long been tagged with being a major progenitor of the EMO label, but their sound is a HYBRID sound that includes both the sonic AGGRESSION of POST-HARDCORE (i.e. MINUTEMEN, NAKED RAYGUN, QUICKSAND, FUGAZI and HUSKER DU) with a more EMOTIVE and CONFESSIONAL vocal style and lyrical PERSPECTIVE arguably closely associated with POST PUNK acts (i.e. THE SMITHS or THE CURE).  this MUCH-DERIDED EMO thread of POST-HARDCORE went on to influence various PROMINENT and commercially viable groups in the early 2000s, everyone from THURSDAY, THE GET UP KIDS, AFI and THE USED to TAKING BACK SUNDAY, JIMMY EAT WORLD and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.

arguably the popular introduction to this second-wave EMO sub-genre is the aptly-titled debut SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE release DIARY (SUB POP, 1994).  on STANDOUT tracks like "IN CIRCLES," "48," "GRENDEL" and "SEVEN" they provide ample evidence for the EMOTIVE and sonic power of what would become a highly INFLUENTIAL, HYBRID sound.  the way i choose to look at EMO and POST-HARDCORE in general is that HARDCORE, albeit an INCREDIBLE vehicle for INDEPENDENCE and COMMUNITY-BUILDING, was a musical dead-end.  HARDCORE just seemed like a REDUCTIVE circular descent towards NIHILISTIC AGGRESSION, whereas POST-HARDCORE and its EMO variant were taking real CREATIVE and ARTISTIC risks in expanding such EXPRESSION beyond ANTAGONISTIC CONFRONTATION and turn the focus inward toward real VULNERABILITY and EMOTIONAL SELF-EXPOSURE.  being against an outside force (i.e. politically, economically or  militarily) is all well and good, but it isnt really intellectually or psychologically HONEST.  looking into your own PERSONAL SELF-DOUBT or INSECURITY is arguably a much more AUTHENTIC and RISK-TAKING endeavor and very much lays the RESPONSIBILITY for SELF-STARTING action on the individual, not some vague broader entity.  POST-HARDCORE and EMO thus provided a way out from under the STIFLING sonic and lyrical expectations of HARDCORE as it calcified over the 1980s and spilled over into the 1990s.  famously the rhythm section of the first incarnation of DAVE GROHL's longstanding post-NIRVANA ALTERNATIVE ROCK project, FOO FIGHTERS, was that of the recently disbanded SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.  in fact, bassist NATE MENDEL has long been in GROHL's stead for the past few decades and various lineup shifts.  its not that hard to see those FAMOUS rolling bass lines in the FOO FIGHTERS as indicative of his earlier work in SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE.

with all the bad will that EMO brought the world in the early 2000s, it is INTERESTING to look back at DIARY and see how that musical shift happened and the POTENTIAL it brought.  also how little those later bands really have to do with SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE's POTENT push-pull blend of CATHARSIS and AGGRESSION.  most definitely worth revisiting and checking out.

sometimes its just fun to watch people discuss shop, whether they be PAINTERS or CARPENTERS or RECORD PRODUCERS or FILMMAKERS or MUSICIANS as the case may be.  SHRED WITH SHIFTY finds lead GUITARIST CHRIS SHIFLETT, primarily known for his two plus decades of service with the DAVE GROHL-led MODERN ALTERNATIVE ROCK institution that is the FOO FIGHTERS as well as noteworthy PUNK ROCK bands like NO USE FOR A NAME and ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES, interviewing various other GUITARISTS about their TECHNIQUE, COMPOSITION,  PHILOSOPHY and INSPIRATION(S) for playing.  the PREMIER GUITAR-sponsored VIDEO SERIES and PODCAST appears to be the visual cousin and continuation of his informal longtime WALKING THE FLOOR audio podcast series that covered much of the same ground.  NOTABLE past SHRED WITH SHIFTY participants in these video interviews include NILE ROGERS (CHIC), RIVERS CUOMO (WEEZER), MIKE MCREADY (PEARL JAM), BLAKE SCHWARZENBACH (JAWBREAKER) and ALEX LIFESON (RUSH).  its an eclectic, INTER-GENERATIONAL and MULTI-GENRE blend that mirrors the interests of the host, himself an INDEPENDENT PUNK ROCK veteran that plays in arguably the most CONSEQUENTIAL ROCK N ROLL band on the planet, who also has a budding side career as an ALT COUNTRY TRAVELING SINGER-SONGWRITER.

personally i tend to pay more attention to the PUNK ROCK / CLASSIC ROCK end of his interviews rather than those with the BRAD PAISLEYs of the world (no disrespect to their GUITAR CHOPS and COMPOSITIONAL PROWESS).  i am able to follow the CONVERSATIONS and understand the TECHNIQUES being employed and exploited in these discussions, but i wonder at times about the user-friendliness of such for BEGINNING GUITAR PLAYERS.  it makes me rethink who the audience is for these EXTENDED VIDEO PODCASTS, because it would seem on the surface to be beginning or INTERMEDIATE MUSICIANS.  yet there is no GUITAR TABLATURE provided or VISUAL ASSISTANCE on how what being played corresponds to a guitar in REAL-TIME, which would be beneficial to PLAYERS of all levels.  maybe the engagement of the DISCUSSION is the real objective here, buts its DIFFICULT to ascertain since so much of the actual content revolves around the playing itself.

for my purposes, i enjoy watching SHIFLETT and his GUESTS having FUN talking shop and exploring the diversity of thought that goes behind CONSTRUCTING a MEMORABLE part in a fan-favorite song that has stood the test of time (i.e. guitar leads from PEARL JAM's "ALIVE," RUSH's "LIMELIGHT," WEEZER's "ONLY IN DREAMS" and NILE ROGERS / DIANA ROSS' "I'M COMING OUT".  there is real value in that and i look forward to each new episode irrespective of the GUEST  involved(with the exception being the MODERN COUNTRY ARTISTS whose music is not my cup of tea).  SHRED WITH SHIFTY is most definitely worth checking out.

the UNTIMELY death of longtime and universally BELOVED FOO FIGHTERS drummer TAYLOR HAWKINS a little over a year ago while on tour in COLOMBIA was both SHOCKING and TRAGIC.  you dont have to look far in the band to see members that have lost bandmates in the past.  i think for a lot of people their thoughts immediately went to DAVE GROHL and PAT SMEAR and their close FALLEN brethren in KURT COBAIN and DARBY CRASH.  people forget that the FOO FIGHTERS project itself was created as an expression of PERSISTENCE and SURVIVAL in the face of OVERWHELMING GRIEF.  the ICONIC tribute concerts from last fall was a showcase in that ethos of LOVE and COMMUNITY in the face TRAUMA and TRAGEDY.

but the question for fans quickly became "what next?" 

in december of last year the FOO FIGHTERS announced they would carry on, but who would play drums.  i just adore the fact that they answered all these questions in a STARK long-form, black-and-white rehearsal video where you could view JOSH FREESE absolutely destroy these songs and realize the band was in some sense REVITALIZED.  im a huge DEVO fan, so i've known about FREESE for years, but i first saw him play at WARPED TOUR 2001 in VENTURA as a member of veteran ORANGE COUNTY PUNK band THE VANDALS.  he's been a session drummer of the first order for decades (CHRIS CORNELL, BLACK LIGHT BURNS, DANNY ELFMAN, KATY PERRY, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KELLY CLARKSON, WEEN, AVRIL LAVIGNE, SOCIAL DISTORTION and ROB ZOMBIE) and has been the go-to drummer while on tour in a crunch for the likes of everyone from PARAMORE and GOOD CHARLOTTE to THE REPLACEMENTS, THE OFFSPRING and even STING.  he's also had stints of being a member of NINE INCH NAILS, GUNS N' ROSES, WEEZER and A PERFECT CIRCLE among other bands.  it is a RIDICULOUS resume that the FOO FIGHTERS are now a part of.  like HAWKINS, he is also from ORANGE COUNTY (which coincidently is where i lived as a child until 1996).

but the best part of the whole video knowingly moronically entitled FOO FIGHTERS: PREPARING MUSIC FOR CONCERTS is the beginning when FREESE hasnt been announced yet as the drummer and a parade of FAMOUS drummers come in for IDIOTIC reasons.  as the first CREATIVE release since the tribute concerts, the fact that they went with HUMOR was BRILLIANT.  they probably needed it and we the fans definitely did as well.

parodies by nacrowe

i get it.

some people are sick of the sight of DAVE GROHL.  in recent years he has been omnipresent in documentaries related to anything and everything ROCK N ROLL.  lazy journalists refer to him as "the nicest guy in the music industry" (which makes my lizard brain immediately counter with, yeah, to journalists) and he has become something of the TORCH BEARER for the HUMAN ELEMENT in music writ large during an era of PITCH CORRECTION and DIGITAL MANIPULATION in the production of music.  so i get the eye rolls and shirking at yet another testimonial to his supposed GREATNESS.

what gets me about GROHL is his capacity to be INCLUSIVE to musicians.  he's collaborated on COUNTLESS projects for other artists (MELVINS, EARTHLINGS?, TENACIOUS D, KILLING JOKE, THE PRODIGY, DAVID BOWIE, NINE INCH NAILS), been in numerous bands (NIRVANA, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FOO FIGHTERS, SCREAM, THEM CROOKED VULTURES) and initiated projects designed to showcase the talents of others like PROBOT (LEMMY KILMISTER, MAX CAVALERA, KING DIAMOND, WINO, CRONOS), TEENAGE TIME KILLERS (JELLO BIAFRA, NEIL FALLON, MATT SKIBA, RANDY BLYTHE) and the SOUND CITY soundtrack (LEE VING, PAUL MCCARTNEY, RICK SPRINGFIELD, CHRIS GOSS, STEVIE NICKS).  oh yeah and he made the FOO FIGHTERS record an album of straight-up FUNKY BEE-GEE covers.  you should be dancing, indeed.

its one thing to be an advocate for a community, another entirely to put ENERGY into being a CREATIVE RESOURCE for them to access.  GROHL, given his unique cultural cache and commercial success with NIRVANA and FOO FIGHTERS, has time and again leveraged such a platform to spotlight those around him and causes he believes in.  i just dont see it as SELFISH.  the man has gone through more than his share of suffering from the very public premature passing of his friends and former bandmates that would crush less a person.  hes carried on the spirit and legacy of his friend KURT COBAIN for decades and i imagine the same will be the case with TAYLOR HAWKINS. all i can say is godspeed.

embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that originally aired at the end of 2021. the playlist includes music from throughout the DAVE GROHL's infamous catalogue. enjoy!

came across recently this LONG-FORGOTTEN LIVE PERFORMANCE series that MTV AUSTRALIA put on back at the turn of the millennium called COLD LIVE AT THE CHAPEL.  over its three seasons there were performances by the likes of COLDPLAY, THE DANDY WARHOLS, FOO FIGHTERS, NEIL FINN, GOOD CHARLOTTE, THE LIVING END and BEN FOLDS among others.

its interesting watching DAVE GROHL sharply dressed playing in a suit.  the story goes that he got arrested driving drunk on a SLOW scooter after a traveling festival gig for BIG DAY OUT.  he ended up pleading no contest and had to have a suit to wear to court, thus the suit on this filmed episode in the early 2000s.  with that scooter conviction still on his record, GROHL apparently to date has to explain such to customs officials  every time he has entered for the past 20 years.  pretty RIDICULOUS.

for me, a live performance series like this is INTERESTING in that it is a snapshot of what television producers thought was MARKETABLE at the time, including LAMER acts i chose not to embed videos of including NICKELBACK, TRAIN, WHEATUS, FUEL, TONIC and LIVE.  some of this aged well and others not so much.  definitely worth checking out though.

its always cool to learn about the INSPIRATION for ART.  longtime BRITISH music periodical NME on their youtube channel has for several years had an ongoing video series called SONG STORIES in which they have celebrated musicians explain the initial spark and CREATIVE PROCESS that brought about notable tracks.  past participants include JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), PETER HOOK (JOY DIVISION), DAVE GROHL (FOO FIGHTERS), TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, BRETT ANDERSON (SUEDE), PHOENIX, OLI SYKES (BRING ME THE HORIZON), IAN MCCULLOCH (ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN), JOEY SANTIAGO & DAVID LOVERING (THE PIXIES), JIMMY EAT WORLD, GAVIN ROSSDALE (BUSH),  ROYAL BLOOD, BOBBY GILLESPIE (PRIMAL SCREAM) and COURTNEY BARNETT among many others.

while i understand that MUSIC, LITERATURE and ART all have unique narratives that brought about their CREATION, the SOLIPSISTIC truth of the matter is that their longevity is how such became intertwined in the countless personal narratives of individuals the world over.   for me music is the ultimate time transportation vehicle as i can listen to a STRANGLERS song and immediately be back in my parents old dilapidated HONDA ACCORD being driven to a weekend soccer match in the early 1990s.  the POWER OF MUSIC is not in the CREATOR but in the LISTENER, who effectively completes the circuit.

although as a fan of art i still love getting to know how songs were constructed and what value they imparted or exorcised on the part of the SONGWRITER.  endlessly INTRIGUING.  NME's SONG STORIES is definitely worth further investigation.  highly recommended.

parodies by nacrowe

maybe its the generation im from or growing up in suburban SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA in the early 1990s without MTV and only access to the radio and 106.7FM KROQ on constantly, but so much of what i understood to be modern music from an early age was produced by BUTCH VIG.

i remember being at a SHAKEY'S PIZZA in ORANGE COUNTY after what had to be a youth soccer game during my early elementary school years (maybe 1892?) and hearing "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" for the first time as someone played it from the jukebox.  had no clue who NIRVANA was or anything about INDIE ROCK, PUNK ROCK or the SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene at the time.  i just knew that whatever that was, it sounded how i felt and i connected with it on first listen.  i can only think of a rare few other times thats happened with bands like GLASSJAW and THE GET UP KIDS among others.  i dont believe i even had a copy of NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) or the STEVE ALBINI-produced follow-up IN UTERO (DGC, 1993) until christmas of 1993.  i was just too young.

and NIRVANA is just the beginning.  as i grew older and discovered more bands it was always a pleasure to learn this new discovery (to me) inevitably led back to BUTCH VIG, as was the case with L7, SONIC YOUTH, HELMET, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and much later GARBAGE.  whats compelling to me about his output is how eclectic his production catalogue has been, as AFI sound nothing like AGAINST ME! and sonically and aesthetically sit on a different planet from KILLDOZER, yet they all bear his fingerprint.  the man does not pigeonhole himself, even within the greater ROCK N ROLL milieu.  the versatility likely comes from his production chops and work ethic that kept the doors of his MADISON, WISCONSIN-based SMART STUDIOS open to all newcomers, but i also feel it comes from the lack of pretense that comes with his midwestern upbringing.  with culture caught up with him he didnt seem to become fazed by the attention, instead maintaining a distance while taking advantage of the ability to be selective with upcoming exciting new projects.  even his decision to initiate GARBAGE does not feel like an inevitability, but a genuine artistic choice to push the limits of technology and marry it with the songwriting prowess and sardonic yet earnest ethos of ALTERNATIVE ROCK.  when i first heard "STUPID GIRL" on MTV at a relatives house, i had no idea BUTCH VIG was involved.  which is likely the highest compliment i can offer.

the dude is a chameleon and he is always someone whose latest project i look forward to consuming, just to see what latest madness he's help midwife into the world.

​below is a pandemic episode of DEER GOD RADIO from june of 2020 dedicated to the production work of BUTCH VIG.  enjoy!

i discovered the JUSTIN HAWKINS RIDES AGAIN channel a few months ago on YOUTUBE and was really taken aback by how INFORMATIVE it all was.  if you are unfamiliar with JUSTIN HAWKINS, he is the frontman and main songwriter for BRITISH ALTERNATIVE glam metal band THE DARKNESS who first came to fame in the 2000s along with the wave of other INDIE ROCK REVIVAL groups.  whereas other ENGLISH and SCOTTISH groups from the period (including BLOC PARTY, FRANZ FERDINAND, THE LIBERTINES, THE FUTUREHEADS and THE CRIBS) seemed heavily influenced by both the POST PUNK and INDIE ROCK movements, THE DARKNESS felt like a breath of fresh air with their stadium-sized AMBITION to be more in the vein AC/DC, MOTLEY CRUE, AEROSMITH, THE CULT or especially QUEEN.  they definitely stood apart and where not afraid to look absolutely RIDICULOUS (which i appreciate)!  personally i still rock DARKNESS singles like "GROWING ON ME," "OPEN FIRE," "NOTHIN'S GONNA STOP US," "BARBARIANS," "ROCK AND ROLL DESERVES TO DIE" and "LAST OF OUR KIND" on regular rotation while driving to work, i just have to watch my speed in the process.

the JUSTIN HAWKINS RIDES AGAIN channel is reminiscent of RICK BEATO's channel in that HAWKINS also dives into and EXPLAINS music theory and recording / production techniques on popular songs.  what differentiates it though is his sense of self-effacing HUMOR that knowingly showcases the ABSURDITY of his life's work as well as his unbridled capacity to call out musicians and industry participants.  and he does such from a place of EMPATHY.  in other words, he has actual first-hard EXPERIENCE being a ROCK N ROLL star and its that kind of insider KNOWLEDGE that makes his YOUTUBE channel FASCINATING.  HAWKINS' channel appears to be a way of BYPASSING a BRITISH press that has long abandoned and even mocked his musical efforts.  its rather BEAUTIFUL that an artist in today's DIGITAL ecosystem has the ability to CULTIVATE and COMMUNICATE directly with an audience sans middlemen and gatekeepers.

i feel its also great that he has used this new platform to promote artists he's discovered (sometimes even through his audience).  it was through him that i became aware of two INCREDIBLE modern AUSTRALIAN PUNK bands, THE CHATS and AMYL & THE SNIFFERS.  if anything, i tend to rely on HAWKINS through his channel as a vehicle for DISCOVERING new bands, which is always a fun thing.  my hope is that HAWKINS continues to be PROLIFIC with his channel and further PROMOTE an INCLUSIVE community that follows his lead as a highly IDIOSYNCRATIC, but musically KNOWLEDGEABLE and stylistically OPEN-MINDED guide to new cultural ideas and sonic terrains.

i look forward to seeing where HAWKINS takes this.

parodies & text by nacrowe

with the tragic passing of TAYLOR HAWKINS and the second tribute concert set to take place in LOS ANGELES within the week, it got me thinking about how bands and creative entities in general move past the loss or death of a PROMINENT member.  its a very tricky thing.  HAWKINS himself was the drummer of the FOO FIGHTERS, usually a backup supporting role, but in the context of that band he was the second most visible and charismatic member next to DAVE GROHL himself.

the most recent example i could think of in which a band successfully moved on form the untimely passing of a CELEBRATED member is ALICE IN CHAINS with the ascension of WILLIAM DUVALL for the late ALTERNATIVE ROCK icon LAYNE STALEY.  for me, ALICE IN CHAINS was a foundational band (along with FAITH NO MORE and JANE'S ADDICTION) that very much defined the soundtrack of my adolescence, so the idea of them reforming with a new unknown singer during my mid-twenties was... let's just say i was SKEPTICAL.  that is until i heard BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE (VIRGIN, 2009) and was beyond moved by the proper loving send-off they gave their fallen brother.  such was done in true AC/DC BACK IN BLACK (ATLANTIC, 1980) fashion, meaning they acknowledged their loss and publicly mourned such in a manner fitting that member (i.e. making music of QUALITY and INTENTION). 

obviously ALICE IN CHAINS and AC/DC lost their frontmen, but in the case of LED ZEPPELIN and THE WHO, like the FOO FIGHTERS, they lost their drummer.  ZEPPELIN famously called it a day after JOHN BONHAM passed and THE WHO continued with diminishing returns in the wake of KEITH MOON's death.  both drummers were larger than life exemplars at their craft.  my gut says that GROHL will continue FOO FIGHTERS, but only after a long period crafting a fitting tribute to his fallen brother.  i dont think this is the end of their story.

with the case of ALICE IN CHAINS, DUVALL held his own as his own man and showed a long suffering fanbase that he had his own gifts to bring to the role and help resurrect a genre-defining band from cultural extinction.  his MUSICALITY (STELLAR VOICE, GUITAR-PLAYING ABILITY and SONGWRITING) spoke for itself and won over skeptics, like myself, over.  like DUVALL,  HAWKINS was the only member of his group to be primarily recognized for his work in that band, as all others were notable members of previous groups: DAVE GROHL (NIRVANA), PAT SMEAR (THE GERMS), NATE MENDEL (SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE), CHRIS SHIFLETT (NO USE FOR A NAME) and RAMI JAFFEE (THE WALLFLOWERS).  its doubly tragic since in recent years HAWKINS was on the cusp of spreading his wings on several high profile solo and side projects (NHC and THE COATTAIL RIDERS) that were beginning to gave his singing and songwriting talent its well-earned time in the spotlight.  given his long association with the FOO FIGHTERS, i feel like his lasting sendoff and ultimate legacy will be on a future FOO FIGHTERS release dedicated in his honor a la BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE and BACK IN BLACK.  that is my hunch at least, because itd be unfortunate if the group went the way of LED ZEPPELIN or even worse, THE WHO.

RIP TAYLOR HAWKINS, LAYNE STALEY, MIKE STARR, BON SCOTT, JOHN BONHAM, JOHN ENTWISTLE and KEITH MOON

enjoy this episode of DEER GOD RADIO with a playlist celebrating ALICE IN CHAINS shot from my brother's couch during the pandemic way back in march 2020.

iconic ALTERNATIVE ROCK musician DAVE GROHL of NIRVANA / FOO FIGHTERS fame has been on a bit of a creative streak the past few years, diversifying his many interests into a string of well-received documentaries and HBO specials centered on the role of music and its many facets (production, recording, touring, inspiration) in society.  it doesnt seem that far-fetched that the next outlandish GROHL production would be a schlocky HORROR film that effectively parodied his self-perception as the slavedriver of the FOO FIGHTERS. 

in STUDIO 666 (ROSWELL FILMS, 2022), whose title is a reference to the band's longstanding BURBANK recording facility STUDIO 606, GROHL is demonically possessed after setting up shop in an old abandoned hillside estate and recording there.  again, this conceit is parodying GROHL's recent real-life proclivity for cooking up ever more outlandish concepts for recording albums (i.e. his home on tape for WASTING LIGHT or utilizing studios across AMERICA in SONIC HIGHWAYS, each studio a different song about that city).  its pretty funny that its actually conceivable that recording in a haunted house would could probably be the hook or premise of an actual FOO FIGHTERS album (or even recording in space or on ANTARCTICA or in a submarine).  

now i will fully admit that i am not a fan of HORROR films, especially the 1970s and 1980s SLASHER variety that thrives on gore and jump scares.  its arguably the only genre i avoid.  exceptions include early GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST films and the later inspired series of UNIVERSAL MONSTER movies.  but in STUDIO 666 i see much less GEORGE ROMERO or TOBE HOOPER and much more HERSCHEL GORDON LEWIS or even MEL BROOKS.  in essence the violence is so over-the-top and ridiculously that its beyond hilarious.  its very much reminiscent of DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT (BROOKSFILMS, 1995) with regard to how the ultra-violence is interpreted and ultimately perceived.

obviously the real-world passing of drummer TAYLOR HAWKINS a month after STUDIO 666's release makes watching it a bittersweet experience.  there has been quite a bit of discussion and controversy over a universally derided hit piece by the ROLLING STONE which essentially stated that HAWKINS was overworked and suffering from exhaustion and was looking to limit the band's brutal touring schedule before and up to the time of his passing.  people close to the band have bitterly stated that this is complete utter bullshit, but its still uncomfortable that the subtext of the film's basic plot surrounds the band going along with GROHL idiosyncratic notions despite their own reservations.  its just a little unnerving and odd, thats all.

my hope is that GROHL will continue when the time's right and find the proper creative venue for his passion of connecting people through music.  its what he does and to me that is what the FOO FIGHTERS legacy very much is about.  even this goofy and schlocky labour of love deep down is ultimately about that need to connect and find a sense of community (in METAL!!!!).

sending all my love to the band at this horrible moment. 

R.I.P. TAYLOR HAWKINS

parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the legendary production work of the notoriously perfectionist BRITISH record producer GIL NORTON!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

join us TONIGHT at 6PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the notoriously perfectionist ENGLISH record producer GIL NORTON!
​
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

i have this distinct memory of hearing the FOO FIGHTERS's track "THIS IS A CALL" coming from my parents bedroom alarm clock during the summer of 1995.  i was 11 and we were still living in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA at the time.  there was a kinetic energy and a contagious passion to that song that caught my ear and made an immediate impact.  it just sounded like fun.  at the time i had no idea that this band was fronted by the drummer from all those NIRVANA records i adored.  so in a sense i heard the FOO FIGHTERS eponymous debut album FOO FIGHTERS (ROSWELL, 1995) from a fairly innocent standpoint.  so naive was i that for several months i thought that the name of the band was FOOD FIGHTERS.

​and for the record: i still think FOOD FIGHTERS is a great name.  just saying.

famously the FOO FIGHTERS began as a quick studio project for DAVE GROHL to keep his my mind on something productive months after the shocking and tragic demise of bandmate KURT COBAIN and the end of NIRVANA.  there was no plan, just a quick week of recording sessions with his friend BARRETT JONES at a local SEATTLE recording studio (ROBERT LANG STUDIOS) a block away from his house with songs written before and after GROHL's time in NIRVANA.  even the name of the project was made plural to disguise the fact that this wasnt a group, but in fact GROHL on every instrument.

the project only became a focus after GROHL declined an offer to join TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, and made a small series of FOO FIGHTERS tapes that he passed around to close friends and industry colleagues.  this led to a major label distribution agreement which laid the foundation for the ongoing ALTERNATIVE ROCK juggernaut that is the modern-day FOO FIGHTERS.  actually the project, unlike NIRVANA, had a steady build up to where they are now over a nearly 30 year career playing mostly straight-ahead ROCK N ROLL.  probably the most astute move GROHL ever made was starting ROSWELL RECORDS and owning his own recordings.  he is part of a short list of notable recording artists (METALLICA, U2, RIHANNA, JACK WHITE, JAY-Z, etc.) that own their own material.  it has allowed him the freedom to make his art minus the industry bullshit most have to consider when recording an album.  

its interesting to think of whether or not those pressures would have served COBAIN well if he had equal control over his catalogue.  obviously like much concerning him, it is impossible to say.

standout tracks on FOO FIGHTERS include the aforementioned "THIS IS A CALL" as well as "ALONE + EASY TARGET," "BIG ME," "I'LL STICK AROUND," "FLOATY" and my personal favorite, "FOR ALL THE COWS."  sonically and compositionally, these songs are all anthemic and radiate a light-hearted optimism that is pretty much indistinguishable from the public persona of GROHL.  needless to say, this tone is in sharp contrast to that of NIRVANA, which always seemed psychologically and emotionally complex and heavy.  this debut is indebted to bands like THE MELVINS and BIG BLACK in terms of its sonic palette, but in essence these songs serve as a popular bridge to a deeper catalogue of 1980s INDIE ROCK.  that was my experience at least.  getting into NIRVANA and later FOO FIGHTERS begot interest in PIXIES, HUSKER DU, THE REPLACEMENTS, DINOSAUR JR, SONIC YOUTH and so on.

this is not the best FOO FIGHTERS record, the follow-up THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE (ROSWELL, 1997) is in my opinion, but it is a great transitional record by an iconic musician at a consequential crossroads in his career.  it is pretty incredible what GROHL was able to accomplish the and since.  definitely worth checking out.​

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the music of ALTERNATIVE ROCK icon DAVE GROHL!
​
​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

join us TONIGHT at 10PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the incredibly influential career of HARDCORE / ALTERNATIVE ROCK veteran DAVE GROHL!
​
past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

at this point there is a whole cottage industry of DAVE GROHL-directed media products, from documentaries (SOUND CITY, WHAT DRIVES US) to tv shows (SONIC HIGHWAYS, FROM CRADLE TO STAGE) to his recent memoir THE STORYTELLER: TALES OF LIFE AND MUSIC (DEY STREET, 2021).  oh yeah, and he makes music.

GROHL obviously has one of the most storied careers of any modern musician, having cut his teeth as a teen with the 1980s DC HARDCORE stalwarts SCREAM before serendipitously joining the legendary 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK group NIRVANA and then forming his own band, FOO FIGHTERS, after their demise.  he's collaborated with everyone from LEMMY KILMISTER and TRENT REZNOR to CAT POWER and JOHN PAUL JONES.  his side projects include PROBOT, THEM CROOKED VULTURES and a brief stint in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE.  but most music fans are familiar with his biography.

and i believe he knows that, which is why his memoir is not a straight chronological telling of his personal narrative, but rather notable moments or vignettes told in sequential order.  structurally it was very reminiscent of A HOUSE ON MANGO STREET.  and i think such was a smart idea because it freed him to really dive into the meaning of certain rights of passage of his youth and that of his family without having to worry about how they fit into a broader context.  again, most of these stories are familiar to anyone who has watched or read his interviews over the years or even read former KERRANG! editor PAUL BRANNIGAN's laboriously compiled biography THIS IS A CALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVE GROHL (review linked HERE).  what THE STORYTELLER provides is a perspective of a ROCK AND ROLL life rooted in family.  GROHL goes to great lengths to show that his love of music was almost a manifestation of his unconditional love for his mother, who supported and sacrificed tirelessly on his behalf (a contrast to that of his father).  but beyond his mother, his love of music connected him to an ever widening mandala of similarly minded friends that includes both the famous and the obscure; and they are both written about with equal wit and empathy.  his childhood friend JIMMY SWANSON is as much a part of his personal narrative (perhaps more so) as that of KURT COBAIN, which is very endearing.  given his public profile and immense cultural influence, it was likewise heartwarming to see GROHL give respect to his predecessors and influences: from NEIL PEART, PAUL MCCARTNEY and JOHN BONHAM, to LITTLE RICHARD, JOHN FOGERTY, AC/DC and JOAN JETT.  even numerous obscure HARDCORE bands from his youth.  THE STORYTELLER is in essence a vehicle for shining a light on the connective, reinvigorating force that is music, which is a common returning theme in all of his film and tv projects.  by extension music makes everyone kin.  everyone is connected on the same wavelength.

aside from its focus on musicians, the core of what i found engaging about THE STORYTELLER is how music connects him with his children. how he takes inspiration from their courage to perform publicly in front of their school peers during their elementary years or how they relate to it on the same emotional wavelength that he does.  this made me think about how i have that same musical relationship with my dad and how for GROHL and his children THE BEATLES are that connection point, THE STRANGLERS and THE SMITHS are the same with my father.  i havent read about that intergenerational connection in any previous rock memoir, maybe with the exception of KEITH RICHARDS and his mother in LIFE (review linked HERE).  i should point out that i found it odd that GROHL mentions his wife in passing (unlike his mother and daughters).  it was an interesting omission.

i thoroughly enjoyed this book and its focus on family and the nature of human connection through music or more elementally, love.  i know most readers just want to hear COBAIN stories, but i thought he walked that line of audience expectation adroitly and with much care and empathy.  THE STORYTELLER is well worth reading and i look forward to future non-musical efforts by GROHL and his ever expanding army of collaborators.

given DAVE GROHL's reputation for being an affable, righteous dude i had some initial misgivings about reading the biography THIS IS A CALL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVE GROHL (DA CAPO, 2011) by former KERRANG! editor PAUL BRANNIGAN.  i was worried it would veer towards hagiography, especially given author's decades-long relationship interviewing and covering the towering ALTERNATIVE ROCK musician.  but i am glad to report that THIS IS A CALL is a pretty even-handed accounting of GROHL's sprawling career up to the point of the FOO FIGHTERS' WASTING LIGHT (ROSWELL RECORDS, 2011) record a decade ago.  this book is unauthorized but includes interviews with past band members and the man himself, many culled from past publications and documentaries, but also from BRANNIGAN himself.  

i should state that i have read numerous NIRVANA books at this point, but what makes this book interesting is obviously seeing it from GROHL's perspective.  at this point in 2021 GROHL is effectively the flag-waving elder-statesman of ROCK AND ROLL writ large.  this has only been further cemented given his actions over the past decade (since this book's publication) in connecting more and more musicians and their stories to a wider audience with his personal television (SONIC HIGHWAYS) and documentary projects (SOUND CITY, WHAT DRIVES US).

so it is interesting being taken along for the ride with GROHL, as his story in popular culture is so unavoidably intertwined with his time in NIRVANA and its doomed frontman KURT COBAIN.  and that is unfortunate, because the sense you get from THIS IS A CALL is that for GROHL the defining relationship of his life is with music itself.  time and time again you sense that for him music was a means of community, escape, passion and above all else, fun.  like COBAIN, GROHL lived a childhood marked by divorce.  unlike COBAIN, GROHL grew up in a nurturing, supportive environment.  my sense is that PUNK ROCK to GROHL represented an extended family/community of like-minded individuals with a similar pragmatic DIY ethos towards life and art.  i am not sure that was the case for COBAIN, who seemed to have boundless ambition maybe in hopes of proving his value.  im playing armchair psychiatrist here, and i probably shouldnt, but it seems obvious from the get-go that GROHL never had the same hangups or guilt in following his musical ambitions, especially post-NIRVANA. 

again, from the beginning GROHL's enthusiasm was all about chasing the fun of playing music.  as a child he became aware of the neighboring DC HARDCORE scene and started teenage bands in his native VIRGINIA. from his first serious project in MISSION IMPOSSIBLE to his stints in other outfits like DAIN BRAMAGE and local PUNK legends SCREAM, you get the sense these experiences provided him a vocabulary about how to interact with others.  and obviously the musical shorthand faired him well in his later career with outside projects (THEM CROOKED VULTURES, PROBOT, LATE!, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), session work (GARBAGE, NINE INCH NAILS, SLASH, DAVID BOWIE, KILLING JOKE and TENACIOUS D) and soundtrack work (TOUCH, RISING SUN: THE LEGEND OF SKATEBOARDER CHRISTIAN HOSOI).

but a lot of this i already knew, what made this book interesting for me where the details about how if personal life affected his lyrical content in the first few records.  there are several songs i didnt read as autobiographical that now i can plainly see were.  i also appreciate the fact that BRANNIGAN didnt shy away from presenting GROHL at times as being highly opportunistic and unempathetic to the feelings of his "friends" like former FOO FIGHTERS WILLIAM GOLDSMITH and FRANZ STAHL, both unceremoniously booted with little patience or grace, just echos and silence.

if anything, this biography is a great primer for GROHL's upcoming memoir which will highlight stories from his career.  make sense, the dude is about connecting people.  it is what makes him, well, him.

there's something to be said about musicians interview musicians.  there is a telepathy and a common wavelength at work that transcends superficial aspects like genre and style.  it probably comes from a rooted common experience and mentality of persistence that comes with "making it" in a band setting.  IT'S ELECTRIC! (APPLE MUSIC) was a in-person, pre-pandemic podcast where METALLICA drummer LARS ULRICH interviewed peers like JERRY CANTRELL (ALICE IN CHAINS), NOEL GALLAGHER (OASIS), JAMES MURPHY (LCD SOUNDSYSTEM), MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN (TOOL/A PERFECT CIRCLE), BILLY CORGAN (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS), LES CLAYPOOL (PRIMUS), GREG PUCIATO & BEN WEINMAN (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN), DAVE GROHL (FOO FIGHTERS/NIRVANA), JOAN JETT, JACK WHITE (THE WHITE STRIPES) and TOM MORELLO (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE) among many others.

whats interesting is that ULRICH, despite his notorious reputation for talking (and talking and talking), within the confines of these interviews he is mostly listening.  in fact, i'd argue he is an incredible astute interlocutor that gently guides his subjects through insightful productive conversations.  most teachers know that the longer you speak the less impact each word has on your students.  i was really taken when recently rewatching these interviews to see just how gifted an interviewer ULRICH was and how engaged his follow-up questions were.  you didnt get the sense that he had a list he wanted to get through, rather in an almost HOWARD STERN-like manner allow the subject free reign to drive the conversation as he gently steers it.  to pull this off you must be a really good listener, which in popular culture i think ULRICH never gets credit for.  makes sense though, given the fact that he is often a key composer within METALLICA who often deals with arrangements, a practice whereby you need to listen with intention to surmise the best presentation of musical ideas for maximum impact.

i hope he gets back to this podcast post-pandemic, because it felt like he was really on a roll with it.  and it seemed like he was genuinely in his element and having fun.  selfishly i just found the conversations compelling and insightful, more so than the vast majority of ROCK AND ROLL interviews you find online.

i think people are aware enough of the innovative and controversial shenanigans that have taken place on the HOWARD STERN SHOW over the years.  it is pretty amazing that he is being finally recognized in his late career for his singular interviewing skills, i'd even argue that his shows now are among the best of his career.  just wish he'd stay off those lame network talent shows.

regardless i think often overlooked as well are the number of amazing music performances that have taken place on his radio show, mostly of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK, METAL and CLASSIC ROCK variety including the likes of CHRIS CORNELL, JOHN FOGERTY (CREEDANCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL), FIONA APPLE, DAVE GROHL (NIRVANA/FOO FIGHTERS), BILLY CORGAN (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS), ROB ZOMBIE (WHITE ZOMBIE), DAVID BOWIE, PERRY FARRELL (PORNO FOR PYROS / JANE'S ADDICTION)

definitely check some of these out and see what i mean.