Foo Fighters Tow The Line Successfully

The Foo Fighters continue to be one of the brightest stars in the rock constellation. Dave Grohl has more than earned his status as one of the nicest guys in rock and his band shows no signs of slowing down. "The Line" finds the Foos at their melodic best, chord changes aplenty, Dave's voice in fine fettle as usual. Lyrically "The Line" delves into some pretty cryptic territory that diehard Foo fans will likely appreciate. Check this out..."Yes or no? What is truth but a dirty black cloud coming out of the blue? I was wrong. I was right. I'm a black moon in the dead of night. Break my bones. I don't care. All I ever wanted was a body to share. Heart's gone cold. Brush ran dry. Satellite searching for a sign of life like you. Somewhere? Are you there? The tears in your eyes someday will dry. We fight for our lives. 'Cause everything's on the line this time. Stern words from a man who has been through the wars and lived to tell the tale. Pat Smear keeps on laying down the guitar licks sweet as honey and passes the savings on to us. Never has he sounded more crisp. Taylor Hawkins drum work has seldom sounded better than it does here. Collectively the band lays down a smooth sheen on "The Line" that defies description. There's no shortage of polish. No note is wasted. No lick is wasted. No chord progression goes by the boards. In short "The Line" lights up like a Roman candle and explodes with similar passion.

Death Cab For Cutie Strikes Gold With "Gold Rush"

Austin can certainly relate to the ghosts of edifices past as described in the lyrics of "Gold Rush." from Death Cab For Cutie"They're digging for gold in my neighborhood. Where all the old buildings stood." Gentrification being what it is there's no shortage of ghosts haunting the perimeter as new Austin replaces old Austin in painful waves. The cash cow known as music is being priced out of existence in favor of a trendier, younger demographic that makes us look like we haven't aged a day. The overall sound of "Gold Rush" brims with vitality of a kind sorely needed in these depressing times. Each man brings to the table his own brand of piss and vinegar which helps the track's appeal grow by leaps and bounds. We need all the help we can get on the energy front and vocalist Ben Gibbard provides it in an authoritative manner befitting a man railing against a changing landscape that is unavoidably so. Jason McGerr bangs away on drums like a man possessed. He truly is the heartbeat for a tune not lacking in spark. I love the anthem style of the chorus as it is repeated over and over like a battalion armed for bear, ready for a mighty showdown with a formidable enemy. Guitarist Dave Depper brings zest to the song by way of well placed melodic harmonies that add oomph to the song in all the right places. The video is highly interesting to look at, grimy facade and all. Meshed together as a whole "Gold Rush" relies on many facets to drive its point home. Again it all comes down to energy which "Gold Rush" has in spades. Nick Harmer's bass should not be denied either. It's surely a welcome meat and potatoes add on to the cut that will hold up in repeated listening. In short "Gold Rush" should strike it rich with alternative audiences.

Godsmack Shows Off How Bulletproof They Are

Have I told you how much I love chord changes? Godsmack has plenty in its new single "Bulletproof". That's due in no small measure to the guitar work of Tony Rombola who strums fast and loose like its nobody's business. Vocalist Sully Erna lets it rip with sound and fury, lyric sheet dripping with venom like nobody's business. Observe the following poetry: "Contemplating, isolating and it's stressing me out. Different versions, contradictions. Why won't you let me out? I need a way to separate yeah but I promise I'll make sure you never forget me. Now that you want it. Now that you want it. Now that you need it. I'm too far gone. You're trying to blame me but I'm not breaking. I'm telling you I'm bulletproof. Believe me I'm bulletproof. You make me so bulletproof. And now I'm too far gone. Stunning expression of emotional depth that touches every bone in one's soul. It's cause for inner perusal, a cleansing of one's inner demons so they don't take over the chief parts of your rational mind. Shannon Larkin bangs away on drums with no small whit of enthusiasm. It lends itself well to the overall firepower of the tune. Chord after chord juggles past each one more hypnotic than the last. Taken as a whole "Bulletproof" has no small dollop of energy and it shows. No wasted movement here and it shows. It comes in at a rough and ready 2:57, just enough to get the point across without overstaying its welcome. It's one hell of an adrenaline rush you'll come to enjoy. It's worth your time and trouble.

Florence and the Machine Serve Up a Delicious High Drama Stew

Crescendo is the best word to describe Florence and the Machine's "Hunger". From her voice to the band's goosebump inducing playing, crescendos are the order of the day. Florence herself emits some emotionally raw lyrics on the subject of love that should give us all cause to reflect on our own relationships. Take for instance the following poetry: "At seventeen, I started to starve myself. I thought love was a kind of emptiness and at least I understood then the hunger I felt and I didn't have to call it loneliness." The chorus is vintage knock it out of the park Florence, teeth armed for bear, summing up a key tenet of the human condition..."We all have a hunger. That hunger being for love, unconditional and pure. Florence goes on to punch out some additional go for the jugular lyrics that put the dirty back in down and dirty. "Tell me what you need, oh you look so free. The way you use your body, baby, come on baby work it for me. Don't let it get you down, you're the best thing I've ever seen. We never knew the answer but we knew one thing. We all have a hunger." Isabella Summers gives it her all on keyboards as if this were the last time we'd ever hear her instrument ever again. Loren Humphrey gives it her all on the drums. Definite spookiness to be found within her skin. As a unit this band puts together emotions that would put Shakespeare to shame. Florence has her pipes in fine fettle. She doesn't waste a single note and it shows. The video bursts with color and vitality and showcases the best part of her, writhing tendencies and all. She gets in your face and lets you know she means business with a capital "B". A good Florence effort always comes rife with high class drama, the kind that comes with smashed plates and slammed doors in most relationships that feel the sting of heat of the moment arguments. She always comes to the table with histrionics at the ready. Any modern couple in relationship troubles should relate to what message Florence is putting out. In summation "Hunger" is good to the last bite. Be sure to pack lots of napkins though. This one's messy.