Daily Jam - Exhausted

It seems like there are a whole slew of artists whose work I adore, but whose extracurricular activities can affect the way I hear the music, often very much to its detriment. These are the artists whose personal quirks or faults are so in the public domain, that it can be seriously difficult to separate the art from the artist. For instance, there are only so many temper tantrums somebody like Axl Rose can throw before it starts to make Guns N' Roses a little less enjoyable. Then there are artists like Mark Kozelek or Father John Misty whose curmudgeon or trolling personalities make them seem like giant douchebags. Both of those guys are geniuses, but I'd hate to be in a room with them. It's almost enough to make me have to pretend that it's somebody else making the music. And that's not even getting into all of the suspected racists, misogynists, abusers, gropers, murderers(?), and all around asshats out there making songs for our consumption. It's hard to separate that art.

But then you get a band like Foo Fighters that gives me the exact opposite kind of dilemma. Dave Grohl and his merry band of rockers all seem like great people. They're funny and earnest, intelligent, good to their fans, friends, and families, seemingly good friends with one another, and positive public figures. They just seem cool. And that's why it makes it kind of hard that with the exception of the first self-titled album, I just can't get into these guys.

And I try. Oh, how I try. Every time the Foo puts out a new record, I give it multiple spins, attempting like crazy to get something to stick. But it just doesn't. Somewhere along the way, the band traded in its post-grunge, power-pop aesthetic for full on arena rock, and I just can't get into that, regardless of how fun I think it would be to hang out with the band.

I guess I'll always have that first record though, and the wonderful, melancholy closing track "Exhausted." The song's distorted tones and fuzzy feedback compliment the wistful nature of the tune, keeping things crunchy and grounded, and never falling into outright despair. Dave's vocals are soft and low in the mix, similar to some of the demo and B-side stuff he was doing with Nirvana before Cobain died, and thus "Exhausted" kind of serves as the bridge between the two bands...what was and what was to come.

Listen below, our Daily Jam.

RIP Taylor Hawkins

Woke up this morning to the awful news that Taylor Hawkins has passed away.  Best known as the drummer for the Foo Fighters, Hawkins always carried an affable aura that made him seem like the most fun guy in the room.  He was a damn good drummer too.  Below, listen to his version of Dennis Wilson's "Holy Man," a track left incomplete by Wilson upon his death, but that was finished by Hawkins in 2008.  It's wonderful.  RIP Taylor Hawkins.