Violet Grohl

I was hesitant to post this new track from Violet Grohl because of the whole nepotism thing.  But then i relented.  It's not her fault who her dad is.  And her new track, "What's Heaven Without You," is both inspired by and dedicated to David Lynch.  And i'm a sucker for David Lynch.  Check out the dark and dreamy track below and download it here.

Daily Jam - Shake Your Blood

In 2004, Dave Grohl got to record an album where he played drums for all of his heavy metal heroes called Probot.  It must have been pretty rad in that studio.  Here he is with Motorhead legend, the late, great Lemmy Kilmister on "Shake Your Blood," our Daily Jam.

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.

Daily Jam - Gunman

Man, it's been a long day.  It's after 8pm, and i'm just now getting around to blogging.  Here's a rockin' little number from supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.  Listen to "Gunman" below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Marigold

I've said it before, but Nirvana is one of those bands whose B-sides and demos and rarities are better than most other bands' singles and main output.  Here's the Dave Grohl fronted "Marigold," our Daily Jam.

Ghost B.C.

The band of Satan's minions that is Ghost B.C. just released an EP of covers produced by Dave Grohl.  That's pretty much all you need to know.  Check out the Nosferatu-inspired cover art above and listen to the band's take on Roky Erickson's "If You Have Ghosts" below.  Then get the album from Loma Vista.

Sound City Players (Grohl, Homme, Reznor)

Dave Grohl's upcoming documentary, "Sound City: Real to Reel," about the now legendary studio where Nirvana's "Nevermind" was recorded (debuting at this year's SXSW!) features an all star cast on Grohl-curated soundtrack.  Listen to "Mantra" below, featuring Grohl, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails).  I don't think i need to go into it any further, except to say that it's pretty damn good, and somehow manages to capture the essence of all three artists without having that "supergroup" feel to it.