Ben Shanbrom

Okay, Foo Fighters aren’t exactly indie (the album cover sure looks it though-), but they are a band you should probably care about, regardless of your nit-picky sub genre preferences.

Wasting Light, the group’s seventh studio album, is due out on April 12th. The record casts an interesting light on the group’s honed formula with a visceral analog production job courtesy of Butch Vig (known for his defining work on Nirvana’s multi-platinum Nevermind).

The first couple tracks are rocking pretty hard- it’s a relief to hear them doing that again.

The Foo’s have sounded like hydrant-tethered mutts for their past couple releases- always about to bite down where it hurts with that riff that kills or vocal line that leaves you reeling, but pulling back at the last second, afraid to let loose. No such gun-shyness seems present here.

“Bridge Burning” and “White Limo” simply slay. The discordant intro of the opener brings back an edginess the group hasn’t had since One By One and “White Limo” is a blistering riff feast that will have the horns flying in every direction. On the other end, the first single, “Rope,” shows the band feeding a growing hunger for experimentation with slicked-back jazzy chord choices and dreamy falsetto lines from Grohl. [read more…]

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Beginning May 3rd, the lofty alternative four-piece is hitting the road in style with The Dear Hunter, The Trophy Fire, and Balance and Composure.
Tue 5/3  Los Angeles, CA Roxy
Wed 5/4 Los Angeles, CA  Roxy
Thu 5/5  San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Fri 5/6    San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Sat 5/7  Sacramento, CA Ace of Spades
Tue 5/10  Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theatre
Wed 5/11 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre
Fri 5/13  St. Louis, MO The Firebird
Sat 5/14  Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge
Sun 5/15  Pontiac, MI  The Eagle Theatre
Mon 5/16 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop
Wed 5/18 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Thu 5/19  New York, NY Highline Ballroom
Fri 5/20  Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero
Sat 5/21  Baltimore, MD Bourbon Street
Mon 5/23  Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
Wed 5/25   New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Thu 5/26  Houston, TX The Studio @ Warehouse Live
Fri 5/27  Austin, TX  Emo’s
Sat 5/28  Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
That’s a pretty sweet bill, if I’ve ever seen one.

This follows the band’s announcement of their up and coming fifth album, Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy (yes, that’s the name) to be released on May 3rd as well.

Here’s to hoping the rest of the record trumps this.

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