Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

Sometimes the universe aligns, and we get lucky enough to experience something like Them Crooked Vultures. The brainchild of none other than Dave Grohl, he was able to make one of the best hard rock records, performed by some of the greatest musicians of our lifetime. Dave on drums, Josh Homme of Queens of The Stone Age on lead vocals and guitar, and featuring none other than motherfuckin’ John Paul Jones of LED ZEPPELIN on bass and a plethora of other instruments because why not? I could sing each of their individual praises, but as a trio, these guys make some of the loudest and most fun music to listen to as a rock fan. The whole album has an almost villainous vibe to it (makes me think of Count Dracula), which makes it a perfect seasonal album for me to transition from the summer heat to the fall.

Per usual, I could have picked any of the songs off this album to feature, but I’ll try to keep it to my three favorites.

Scumbag Blues – I love everything about this song: killer driving riff, outstanding musicianship in the rhythm section, a wailing guitar solo paired with some really funky keys by JPJ. Homme’s falsetto is also really impressive to me, almost reminiscent of Jimmy Somerville of Bronski Beat & The Communards. Pretty strange comparison, I know, but that’s what it reminded me of.

Link to song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43P6JlaOBNI

Link to live performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8MlvHJPveY

New Fang – The first single these guys put out as a group, and I think the first song I heard by them. I got really hooked on the lyrics to this one, “Sometimes you break a finger on the upper hand
I think you’ve got me confused for a better man.” Sometimes I don’t have an inkling of an idea what lyrics mean, but they still just exude coolness and badassery. This is one of those songs that is just kick-ass, in your face, in all aspects. New Fang has a certain swagger about it that is hard to describe.

Link to song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7_vH3H8LPI

Link to live performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oTCqmH4CZc

Caligulove – The group’s original name was Caligula, after the infamous Roman emperor, and I’ve gotta say, that’s a pretty badass name for a band. However, an electro-rock band out of Australia beat them to it. If you know your history, you’ll know how well this song’s title fits the lyrics. Everything about this song (and album) just fits. I love the lyrics and the way they’re sung, and the way certain sounds are incorporated, like the xylophone (glockenspiel?) is used to accent the chorus just makes sense. Even the breakdown at the end sounds like something you’d see put over a scene from Gladiator. JPJ’s work on the keys in this one is particularly outstanding.

Link to song – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGCRCenk6E

Link to live performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-k0K7bd7Ps