Detonate: Them Crooked Vultures

Yet another supergroup whose name is bouncing off the lips of rock fans everywhere is Them Crooked Vultures. Its members need no introduction, but since there are some who still believe this is too good to be true, we’ll confirm it for you.
On drums is the man who initiated the band, legendary Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Joining him are the equally-legendary Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and vocalist/guitarist Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age. Looks like ol’ Jack White’s got some competition here.

The first public mention of the band was by Dave in a 2005 interview with Mojo, in which he said, “The next project that I’m trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.”

It was pretty much hushed after that with neither Dave nor his longtime cohort Josh revealing anything. Then suddenly, there was a meeting on Dave’s 40th birthday party which was held at a Medieval Times theme restaurant. The 3 rockstars discussed plans for the band amidst lasers, jousting, smoke machines and people eating with their hands, wearing paper-crown hats.

Them Crooked Vultures performed their first show at the Metro, Chicago on 9 August, playing original material over an 80-minute set debuting such songs as ‘Elephants’, ‘Scumbag Blues’, ‘Caligulove’ and ‘Nobody Loves Me and Neither Do I’. After that, it was off to Europe where they played at festivals Melkweg, Pukkelpop and Lowlands before opening for Arctic Monkeys at London’s Brixton Academy and continuing to rock out at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Their self-titled debut album is due to be released internationally under Sony on 17 November 2009. Currently, in addition to all the bootleg youtube videos, TCV has two full songs circulating the net – the strutting heavy blues ‘New Fang’ and sludge-rocking ‘Mind Eraser, No Chaser’.

And judging from this supergroup’s groove, we’re sure the pickings won’t be slim.

Listen to ‘New Fang’ at www.themcrookedvultures.com.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ISnz7LQDk[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAkY6V-Q2p4[/youtube]