Foo Fighters have gone and done it again, making a funny video for one of their new songs.  Interestingly enough, the first single is supposed to be a song called "Rope."  So I'm guessing that this was a quick, fun video they did for a song that probably won't be a big radio hit.  Kind of a throw out to the fans of their really hard, fast stuff.  The video is a throwback too, reminding me of watching the early days of MTV and the cheesy videos that were around.  In fact, it looks like they literally recorded this video with a camcorder direct to VHS. 

Check it out here, then continue reading below.

I went around town once with a camcorder and my daughter's help  and recorded a video too.  It's not funny.  It's not a throwback.  I don't have a limo.  I have a Ford Focus.  I stink...

I hate Dave Grohl.

There’s been some news in the Foo Fighters camp over the last ten days.  They have played two surprise gigs in the Los Angeles area and they have announced the date for the album release, which is (drum roll please)... April 12, 2011 (oh, no...).  I’ve gottalotta work to do in order to catch up and release our record first.  But I AM making progress, ladies and gentlemen.  Honest to goodness progress.  In fact I finished up another song last night.  Ah, it feels good to check something off the list.  And I do plan on having something for you dear readers on or before that date. 

Now, I don’t live in the Los Angeles area, so there is no way I can make or even attempt to make any of these “surprise” Foo Fighters gigs.  Dave tweets something tantalizing like, “are you guys ready?” and you know something’s coming up.  And then sure enough, way cool gig in a small club somewhere, where you could have seen the Foo Fighters for $20, up close and personal. 

Oh, you couldn’t make it either?  Yeah, too bad.  Blame Dave, not me.  So, I guess we’ll have to settle for the next best thing: YouTube bootleg videos from one of the shows itself that I happened upon.  Yes, these are the new songs from the as yet untitled new album that is coming out on April 12th of this year.  So now you can hate Dave Grohl and love me. 

You’re welcome.

Warning to my kids: this video would be rated R for language if the MPAA had anything to do with it.  Therefore, since we don't let you watch R rated movies at home, let's not watch R rated videos daddy posts on his website, okay?  We like Dave Grohl as a person, but we don't want to talk like him.

Okay, now that we've got that little bit of hypocrisy out of the way, let's get to it.  If you're at all interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff of Dave Grohl recording the new Foo Fighter's album, check this video out.  He gives a tour of his garage where they recorded the album (and sure enough it is a real garage - I especially like the pink little girls bike along the same wall rows of microphone and instrument cables are hung on) and talks about recording demos there and how they recorded using analog tape and how he didn't want to lose the "garagy" sound that he liked so much.  Oh, and he shows the "Foo Fighters Guitar" he's used on all the FF albums. 

All in all, Dave Grohl's garage sounds like a cool place to record an album.  My garage is freezing cold and has dirty slush all over the floor.  

I hate Dave Grohl.

Well, if you've always wanted to direct a Foo Fighters video here's your chance.  The Foo Fighters (and Dave Grohl) are once again trying to convince the world how cool they are by giving the opportunity to direct their new video to a fan.  Apparently there will be 11 winners (one for each song on the album?).  

Notice that even a throw away song they came up with for a contest video is still catchy as all get out.  I hate that so much.

To listen to approximately 30 seconds of the new album opening track, "Bridge Burning" click on the link above.  Be prepared to hate it for it's awesomeness. 

If that doesn't work, go here: http://tease.foofighters.com/

Paul over at fooarchive.com made some notes a couple of days ago on the latest phone interview with Dave about their completed album.
http://www.fooarchive.com/news/?p=291

Steve Harris Interview at xfm where Dave talks about recording in his house, what the album is going to sound like (big), when it's going to come out (spring) and the huge shows they have planned in the summer.
http://www.xfm.co.uk/artists/interviews/steve-harris-speaks-to-dave-grohl

Here's an article about what the home life of Dave Grohl is/was for the recording of the album.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3205399/Foo-Fighter-Dave-Grohl-talks-fame-and-family.html

I hate Dave Grohl and so should you.

Okay, so I had devastating news yesterday when I checked Dave Grohl's twitter account...

What the what?!  Holy smokes that was fast.  I have seriously underestimated the power of Dave Grohl.  The album is mastered and everything.  Well, here's the deal, as devastating as that may be, the release date for the Foo album is "spring."  Okay, now that's a little vague (I need a date people!).  I think I can still beat "spring."  Unless spring is February.  Then we might be in trouble.  

But I've gotta tell you something else.  I've got another confession to make.... This new Brother Howe album I'm working on has been in progress for three years.  And we've gotten done more in the last three months than we've gotten done in that whole time.  So in the end, whether I beat Dave Grohl or not, I will have to thank him for that.  Literally.  I will send him an album with a thank you card and everything.  I will do it with gritted teeth and a hateful heart, but I will be a man and do the right thing.  

So here is our current status with the album.  I had this already done in spread sheet form, but I liked the whiteboard format:  

So the latest tweet from Mr. Dave Grohl is "Crash crash crash." with a video of a speaker playing the drum track to one of the new Foo Fighter songs where the cymbals crash three times in succession.  Check out the video here.  Okay, now that you've done that, listen to this:  I started mixing drum tracks last night that we recorded months ago for the new Brother Howe album and noticed a suspiciously similar "crash crash crash" in our song.  Coincidence?  Check it out:

 Okay, so maybe you can't hear the crashes quite as clearly in the video as I can hear it in person.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  But that doesn't take away from the fact that big mega-rock star Dave Grohl should have better things to do than steal our genius.  If you could copyright cymbal crashes I'd be all over this but there's no sense in fighting The Man.  Or Dave Grohl.

I hate Dave Grohl.

I'm one of 118 viewers watching tape spin.  Is there sound to this thing?  Hello?  Anybody there? 

Kind of cool...I'll have to check back later.

Here's a link that will only be active for seven days if you want to listen to a  Zane Lowe (BBC) phone interview with Dave Grohl.  The Dave interview starts at around 59 minutes in (just drag the cursor there in the media player).  Or check out the Dave Grohl Bootleg Interview version I found.  Here are the highlights from FooFightersArchive.com:

• Zane Lowe caught up with Dave on the telephone to primarily plug some UK dates next Summer but that wasn’t all that was covered. So here are the points of interest:
• 2 nights at Milton Keyes Bowl on July 2nd & 3rd 2011. Support comes from Biffy Clyro, Jimmy Eat World & Death Cab For Cutie.
• The new album is “full on” thanks to Butch Vig keeping Dave to his promise it’d be the heaviest Foos album yet.
• 7 songs have been recorded with a possible 7 more to go.
• Bob Mould sings with Dave on ‘Dear Rosemary’.
• Krist Novoselic plays bass on a track.

They're also making a movie about the process (with a director and everything).  In 2011 you "won't be able to get the Foo Fighters out of your hair" according to Dave.  Did you catch that they only have seven songs recorded so far?  I have a chance of Beating Dave Grohl yet!  In the interview, Dave promises the album will be done by their July shows in England.  July!? Phhhh.  I plan on being done next month.  At least with the recording part of it.  Check back in a few days where I lay out my plan on how I'm going to do that. 

Thanks for reading.  You rock!