Nate Mendel has played in the Foo Fighters for the past 20 plus years. In fact, the only person who’s been in the Foo Fighters longer is Dave Grohl. While Dave’s non-Foo gigs, and there are many (Them Crooked Vultures, Queens of The Stone Age. etc) may have received much of the attention, Nate’s musical output outside of Foo Fighters is just as impressive.
“Welcome to the craziest fucking night of your entire fucking life,” Dave Grohl shouted to his fans as the Foo Fighters took the rotating circular stage in the middle of The Forum. And just like that … on a cold, rainy Southern California evening in January … the sold out crowd of 17,000 fans were treated to what may very well be the one of the best concerts that Los Angeles will have the pleasure of hosting for 2015.
KILLER COVER: TORI AMOS COVERING THE CURE
Tori Amos covering “Picture of You”. I would totally buy a cover album by Tori Amos. I want a studio recording of this song. So bad. Spine tingles.
FAVORITE INSTAGRAM POST OF THE WEEK
From fellow concert photograph @GetTiny‘s Instagram feed, a #TBT to when Action Bronson at a chicken wing during a performance in Brooklyn. So awesome. HAHAHA.
THE BEST ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE VIDEO
It seems that whatever the Foo Fighters do, they do it really well. Even ALS ice bucket challenge videos. This was seriously awesome. Funny for a good cause. Can’t wait for their new album to come out this year.
OKAY, OKAY, OLKAY … THIS MADE ME “HAPPY”
I was over Pharrell’s “Happy” the 239,478 time I heard in on the radio … but this video made me smile.
SONG OF THE WEEK
With the civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, Lauryn Hill posted a demo track she recorded about a year ago. This is music that makes a difference. The fact that she uses the melody of the Sound Of Music’s “My Favorite Things”. This track is genius. You should take a listen. Major props to Lauryn Hill.
MUSIC NEWS/STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Shelby Lynne Signs with Rounder Records. Congrats, Shelby! If you’re a fan, check out some of the pics I snapped at her KCRW Country In The City KCRW Country In The City concert.
Pitchfork magazine published a list of “The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far”. It’s not a bad list. Of the 100, I have 24 of the album. The one’s that I was really happy to see on their list were Killer Mike “R.A.P. Music”, Majical Clouz “Impersonator”, Japandroids “Celebration Rock”, The War On Drugs’ “Lost In The Dream”. These albums are so good, I got them all on vinyl.
Louis Vuitton to Invest $80 Million in K-Pop Culture Factory YG Entertainment. Does this mean I need to force myself to like K-Pop? I’m Korean … but, what?!?!?!
THE MUSIC VAULT
A 14 year old, Stevie Wonder, performing “Fingertips”. So dope.
MONSTER MASH UP: WHITE STRIPES AND EURYTHMICS
This mash up of the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” and the White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” is pretty bad ass.
MUSIC INSTA-BABE: ST. VINCENT
Quirky and cute, I think St. Vincent is a babe. She hardly posts any “selfies” on her Instagram (which is a good things, but research shows that people who posts tons of selfies tend to have tons of personal issues), but you should add her and check out the photos her fans tag of her. Follow this beauty on Instagram: @St_Vincent
FEATURED LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
I’m pretty pumped to be seeing Reignwolf live at the Troubadour on August 13th. I’m still trying to get approved for a photo pass for the show, but it won’t stop me from rocking my ass off. I’m so pumped, I had to share this live performance he did for KEXP in Seattle. So bad-ass
PAYING TRIBUTE WITH ART
How better to honor The Beastie Boys than to put up a mural at the site of the original “Paul’s Boutique”. A very cool gesture.
IF YOU LOVE JEFF BUCKLEY AS MUCH AS I DO…
You need to CLICK THIS LINK and listen to the episode of KCRW’s “Unfictional” titled “The Grace of Jeff Buckley”. I’m still yearning for more music from him, even though I know there never will be.
MUSIC NEWS/STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Lorde is curing the sound track to Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. I think it’ll be interesting to see whether her taste in music is as good as her own music.
Consquence of Sound summarized A GQ Magazine feature titled “The 21 Albums from the 21st Century Every Man Should Hear”. It’s a great list with a some interesting opinions from some popular recording artists.
The Foo Fighters announced that their next LP will be released in November. Butch Vig (the legendary rock producer) call it “Epic”. Anxious doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling.
If you go to a Jack White concert, DON’T PISS HIM OFF!!!!
I know a lot of shady people in the music business, but this story takes the cake. Conning investors out of $600K for a compilation album featuring Arcade Fire, Pearl Jam, etc.? How’d this think he’d never get caught?
THE YOUTUBE MUSIC VAULT
I was never that big of a Grateful Dead fan, but I love “Sugar Magnolia”. Plus, my college a cappella group covered it.
Dave Grohl delivers a terrific keynote speech at South By Southwest that any musician, or fan of music, will appreciate. He speaks about his history in the music business, what music is all about, and how people these days perceive music. It made me question some of my musical prejudices. Dave Grohl rocks, and so does his speech.
#DKLPHOTOS 