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Well, I saw it.
I’ll admit, I’ve read all the books. While I enjoy them, I think I have a decent perspective on what they are. Call it a guilty pleasure, if you want. It’s not great literature by any stretch, and anyone who says those books are well-written is delusional. But I won’t begrudge those who like the series and get excited for the movies. I thought the first movie, last year’s Twilight, was better than many people gave it credit for, but still a flawed movie. So I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, with their new director and bigger budget. Here’s what I thought:
The Twilight Saga: New Moon begins with Bella Swan brooding (as usual) on her 18th birthday because she is now officially older than her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (except that he’s actually 100+ years old and trapped in a 17-year-old boy’s body. Creepy? Yes.). At the birthday party that the Cullens coerce her into having, Bella gets a paper cut while opening a gift, and her blood sends the Cullens into something of a frenzy (side note: it seemed like an awful lot of blood for one tiny paper cut, didn’t it?). Shaken up by this close-call, Edward leads her deep into the forest and tells her that they can no longer be together, and that he is ostensibly leaving forever. A few months pass, and Bella apparently never moves from her perch by her bedroom window. She finally gets up the courage to face the world boyfriend-less (I’ll save my rant for another time), and finds a companion in her newly ripped friend, Jacob Black. Bella discovers that doing dangerous things causes ghostly apparitions of Edward to appear, and this causes her to do a number of incredibly idiotic, dangerous things in order to see his face. Meanwhile, Jacob’s going through some tough times himself, since he’s just now finding out that he happens to be a werewolf. Cue the budding romance, brooding gazes, abs, and suicide threats.
If you enjoyed the books, you probably won’t mind the sillyness of this movie. Anyone else will likely be really confused as to why this franchise is so popular. But as ridiculous as it all is, there is something there, obviously. I’m not going to go into some pseudo-psychological deconstruction of it all. I just know that it’s shamefully enjoyable. A lot of the fun comes from Robert Pattinson (who plays Edward, if you somehow weren’t aware). All of his theatrical brooding is beyond over-the-top, but he does have a weird magnetism on the screen. Am I saying this because I’m an 18-year-old girl who finds him attractive? Probably. But he does bring a boatload of charisma to the movie just by dopily gazing into space. He and Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella, have some decent onscreen chemistry, and while her stilted delivery is easy to mock, it works pretty well for the character.
Taylor Lautner (Jacob) may be one giant hunk of eye candy (there were a few cheers in my theatre when he made his debut), but he comes across as surprisingly bland. I doubt that many of the people going to see this movie really care about his acting, but any time the role called for an emotion that wasn’t “jovial”, things took a turn for the worst.
The special effects are also much better. Now, when Edward Cullen steps into the sunlight, the special effects are just laughably silly, rather than laughably silly AND awful. The werewolves (though rather underused) come across much better than the trailers suggested. That whole, weirdly aquatic atmosphere of the first film is still here somewhat, but new director Chris Weitz wisely tones it down a bit.
I really could have done without the three segments of the film that involved lengthy 360-degree camera shots revolving around the characters (two of which were only minutes apart). I get that Bella is disoriented in a world without Edward, but I don’t need to feel like I’m watching Cloverfield in order to understand that.
I always liked the Bella/Jacob bond in the book, yet I felt like the pacing of that section of the movie (which was the entire middle part of the film) was all over the place. Things got more interesting in the last half hour of the film, when Bella goes to Italy and meets the Volturi (some kind of law-enforcement vampires?). Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning are so much fun as two of the sinister vampires, and really elevate the film far beyond anything that happened in the first hour and a half.
It’s not by any stretch a good film, but you can have a lot of fun at New Moon, if you’re willing to go along with it. Even the audience at my screening, who seemed legitimately interested in the movie, burst into laughter at a random shot of Edward Cullen running through the woods in slow motion. I laughed at New Moon, but I did ultimate find myself getting absorbed in the story. Not as much as I did with the first one, but it was still an enjoyable, if not largely flawed, film.
5/10
The Good Life is a film that I’d wanted to see for a while, since Patrick Fugit and Zooey Deschanel are two of my favourite young actors, and it was apparently nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. I finally got around to watching it last night, and I have to say, it was one of the most disappointing films I’ve seen in a while. The premise seemed interesting (if not a little played out), about a young man who loves old Hollywood movies and feels like an outsider in a small football-obsessed town. But despite the best efforts of the cast, this is just a relentlessly dreary, poorly written film.
Mark Webber plays Jason, a young man from a poor background. After his father’s death, even the money from his two dead-end jobs isn’t enough to pay the electric bill. He has dreams of moving out of his small Nebraska town, but between his dependent mother (Deborah Rush) and the declining elderly owner of the movie theatre where he works (Harry Dean Stanton), Jason feels like too many people rely on him. He meets Frances (Deschanel), a supposedly intriguing young woman who Jason can relate to. Of course, everything goes tragically awry, and a bunch of mopey, quasi-philosophical voice-over narration ensues.
One of the storylines that I did like was the one between Jason and Gus, the ailing owner of the movie theatre. I thought their bond was actually believable, and that relationship had drama and interest without the movie having to force it on with ridiculous situations. I would have liked to see more about Jason’s sister (Drea De Matteo) and her husband, because they seemed like interesting characters, but they were only in two or three scenes in the entire movie. A lot of other talented actors befell the same fate. Patrick Fugit shines in the small part he has, but his character never really goes anywhere. Chris Klein occasionally pops up to play an over-the-top ex-high school football player, but the whole storyline about him terrorizing Jason is just ridiculous. Bill Paxton (also an executive producer here) is in two scenes, and seems to be in the movie solely to blatantly explain the “twist” of the story to Jason. Every character seems to have some singular, tragic characteristic that defines them, but beyond that, their characters are never really developed. They’re all just conveniently placed to revolve around Jason’s story.
And though he didn’t have much to work with, I didn’t like Mark Webber as Jason. I understand that the character is supposed to be introverted and restrained, but Webber just didn’t have any presence on the screen. He seems like a potentially interesting actor, but here, he doesn’t show us much of anything, besides some forlorn stares. Deschanel at least brings some life to the screen, but her character is so absurd, and she doesn’t seem remotely close to an actual person. Everyone’s just a tidy little cardboard cut-out of a supposedly “quirky” character.
Let’s talk about the voice-over narration. A lot of people think it’s a cheap device, but I am a fan of voice-over narration, when it’s done well. But there is far too much of it here, and it often goes on for minutes at a time. The main character comes across so blandly that I think they were trying to make him a “deeper” character this way, but it just comes across like a poorly written high school drama class monologue. The dialogue between characters also seems forced at many points, like its only purpose is to get the minimal plot points across.
The camera work is certainly trying to be arty and “indie”, but only partially succeeds. If so much of this story revolves around Jason’s disconnect with his hometown, they should have given us a clearer picture of what this town looks like. I think that a desolate small town can be oddly beautiful, but the director partially misses the potential of building it into the story. The film did have a certain wintery atmosphere, which kind of worked, but it still didn’t feel fully developed. While a film like Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park was all about woozy atmosphere, it still managed to have interesting characters. Similarly, The United States of Leland was not a perfect film, but it had a few really fascinating characters, and still had a distinctive atmosphere. The Good Life seems like it was trying to have style and substance, but it didn’t succeed in either regard. And after building all that mood and beating its protagonist down so insistently, it throws it all away for a cheap cop-out of an ending. That was the last straw for me. Do yourself a favour and avoid this one.
4/10
Thanks to downloadable singles and ringtones, the average human attention span can’t seem to handle sitting down and listening to twelve tracks by the same artist anymore. This is a shame, since many fantastic albums save some of their best songs for last. It’s that final song that ties together all of the other tracks you’ve just heard, and leaves you with a great lasting impression of the album. Here are ten songs that appear last on their respective album’s tracklisting, and make it worthwhile to sit and listen to the whole thing.
1. “Gouge Away” by the Pixies
From the 1989 album Doolittle
Doolittle is an album full of fantastic spiky, biting pop songs, and “Gouge Away” best exemplifies the Pixies’ oft-copied soft/loud dynamics.
2. “Here Comes a Regular” by The Replacements
From the 1985 album Tim
Paul Westerberg was a far better songwriter than songs like “Gary’s Got a Boner” would suggest, and this introverted, quietly heartbreaking ballad is the perfect ending to The Replacement’s most accessible work, Tim.
3. “All Apologies” by Nirvana
From the 1993 album In Utero
“All Apologies” perhaps suggests that, after the antithetical battle of style that was In Utero, Kurt Cobain’s songwriting was taking a turn for the melodic. We’ll never know what would have followed, but this beautiful song is a great note for Nirvana’s career to end on.
4. “Mr. November” by The National
From the 2005 Album Alligator
Though their breakthrough came in 2007, The National’s Alligator is a fantastic, moody collection of songs. I love “Mr. November” because it’s so visceral, and it rocks surprisingly hard. It’s definitely a highlight on an all-around fantastic album.
5. “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles
From the 1966 album Revolver
Many would call “A Day in the Life” (off 1967′s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) the best album closer of all time, but I’ve never understood the fuss. This surreal track ties the middle-Eastern influence and experimentation of Revolver together perfectly.
6. “My Body is a Cage” by Arcade Fire
From the 2007 album Neon Bible
It’s eerie, depressing, and understated, but after all of the emotional purging that can be found the other tracks of Neon Bible, nothing else would seem right.
7. “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac
From the 1977 album Rumours
This Stevie Nicks-helmed song captures some of the obvious emotional turmoil that went along with the recording of Rumours, and it’s one of the best songs on this hit-packed album.
8. “Dinner at Eight” by Rufus Wainwright
From the 2003 album Want One
Rufus Wainwright is a great storyteller in his songs, and this piano-driven tale of domestic disconnect is a fitting way to end an all-around grand album.
9. “Dream Brother” by Jeff Buckley
From the 1994 album Grace
A lot of artists like to end their albums with slow songs, but this Jeff Buckley ballad feels like a very natural ending. The melancholic tone suits the rest of the album, and there is a certain finality to “Dream Brother” that is oddly satisfying.
10. “Rock Star” by Hole
From the 1994 album Live Through This
This is one of the few upbeat tracks on my list. Courtney Love may have become a sad joke, but her band’s 1994 sophomore album was pretty fantastic. This catchy, satirical look at her homogonous hometown of Olympia, Washington is unexpected, but very welcome.
This trailer makes me feel nostalgic. Except the thing is, I’m way younger than Ben Stiller, so I have absolutely no idea what I feel nostalgic for.
Last night was the big Joseph Gordon-Levitt show on Saturday Night Live. As we know, I was way too excited about this. But here’s my rundown about how I thought the parts with JGL went.
“Monologue”
After an iffy, Levitt-free cold open, JGL came out with LOTS of energy for his opening monologue. After the nearly-catatonic January Jones show last week, it was a nice change. He danced, sang, and flipped his way through “Make ‘Em Laugh” from Singing in the Rain. Even despite the hints dropped in (500) Days of Summer (the karaoke scene, the dance number, this viral video) I still had no idea that he had that much in him. It was a great way to open the show. By the end of the opening he was out of breath (understandably), and that wide-eyed excitement and eagerness to please carried throughout the episode.
“Secret Word”
The first sketch was yet another game show spoof. This time it was “Secret Word”, where celebrities and normal people work together to get the other to guess a secret word. JGL played a latin pop singer (he sang in more sketches than most actual musicians do when they host), and though he didn’t have too much to work with, it was amusing. Kristen Wiig was also hilarious as a Broadway star who was obsessed with “theataaar”. Wiig’s character saved this otherwise forgettable sketch.
“The Mellow Show with Jack Johnson”
One of the best sketches of the night. Andy Samberg was great as the notoriously “mellow” Jack Johnson, who would randomly spew out random “mellow” things, like “Vegan cookies!” and “hemp necklace!” Bill Hader played Dave Matthews (who was the musical guest last night), and JGL was the fedora-clad Jason Mraz. Then, Dave Matthews came out as the very un-mellow Ozzy Osbourne, and talked about how Dave Matthews made him want to throw up in his hands. Matthews kind of stole the sketch, but I thought that JGL was great as Jason Mraz. It was sort of an easy concept (making fun of hippies/hipsters isn’t a new concept), but all four guys were really funny, and I always like music humour.
“What Up With That”
When this BET spoof was first introduced on the Gerard Butler episode, it seemed to go over pretty well. So like any successful sketch that they have, SNL is going to beat it into the ground. Mind you, this re-hash wasn’t too bad. Jason Sudeikis continued his hilarious dancing in the background, and all the randomness and cacophony of the original sketch was still there. I LOVE how Lindsey Buckingham (played by Hader) is always the third guest on “What Up With That”, and always gets bumped. Al Gore showed up and got to say some stuff about the environment in between Keenan Thompson’s constant singing of the show’s theme song. JGL had a small part as a spacey guy playing a keytar. At the end of the sketch, as the “show” ends, and everyone dances, JGL kept pacing back and forth in front of the camera, wielding his keytar. Not as funny as the first time around, but still not too bad.
“Angry Thanksgiving Dinner”
I swear I’ve seen this exact sketch before (probably because I have). It revolves around a dysfunctional family eating a thanksgiving dinner. No one can bring up anything without Kristen Wiig’s character threatening to storm away from the table. It’s good for a smile, but it goes on way too long, relying on the same joke over and over.
“Woman to Woman”
Another talk show sketch. It’s a female advice talk show, but when the host falls ill, the insensitive male producer takes over to host. Of course, he gives awful advice to the women in the audience. Armisen was funny, and JGL was cute as the show’s assistant trying to cover for the producer’s brash remarks. It didn’t really work, though the concept was amusing enough. It’s one of those sketches that they throw into the last half hour of the show that seem like half-baked concepts.
“Say Anything”
This was a close second for my favourite sketch of the night. The sketch showed us what would’ve happened if a neighbour had witnessed the infamous “boombox” scene in Say Anything. It was awesome seeing JGL as Lloyd Dobler. He had the whole persona down pat. The Genesis humour was probably lost on some of the show’s younger viewers (my mom is a fan, so I got it) but I think I laughed harder at the “Genesis is back together!” line than anything else in the show.
So, to wrap things up, it was much better than last week’s disastrous episode. I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a decent job hosting. He isn’t going to become the new Justin Timberlake, but he certainly brought some much-needed energy to the show. It was also nice to see him look like he was having a blast. Oh, and since I didn’t cover it above, I also wanted to say that Al Gore was great on Weekend Update, talking about his plan to become crazy, and scare people into saving the environment. Overall, it was a better-than-average episode.
Since my list of the 50 best albums of the decade will be up and running soon (expect part 1 to come sometime in the next couple of weeks) I thought I’d build some excitement by compiling some links to major websites and publications who’ve already posted their own lists (there aren’t too many so far. I’m interested to see what some of the other major magazines will pick…mainly so I can complain about it).
NPR (alphebetical, not ranked)
(If you’re looking for a far more comprehensive list than this, be sure to head over to Largehearted Boy)
Of course, all of these lists managed to touch on some albums that I really like. You’ve got your expected choices, but they also managed to mention some less obvious favourites of mine. I think that Paste has my favourite list so far. But I have gripes with each of the lists. They all missed albums that I love, and they continue to gush over albums that I think are incredibly overrated (The Arctic Monkeys are fun, but I don’t see their album achieving a timeless status in any way). Rather than pick them all apart, I think I’ll get back to work on my own list 
Side note: I was pleasantly surprised to see The Avett Brothers’ I and Love and You (released earlier this fall) at spot #9 on Paste’s list. Mind you, I’ve only listened to the album a couple of times, but I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to fit it onto my own list somehow. Their music is affecting me in a way that most new music doesn’t. I feel like they capture everything that I feel in a three minute song. How does that happen?
(Yes, I realize that this news is old…but it isn’t to me…)
I was watching Saturday Night Live last night, and the most interesting part of the entire episode came just before the second commercial break. It came up on the screen that actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is hosting next week. I actually audibly gasped. I’m not sure why I am so surprised about this. He’s definitely a rising star, and comes across as a really charming and funny guy. He seems like a perfect choice. Yet, it just seemed like an unlikely pick. He’s still not a household name, and his string of downer-indie films from this decade doesn’t scream sketch comedy. I’m also a little bit surprised that he would want to host SNL. From the interviews that I’ve seen and read with him (not to mention his decidedly unglamorous movie role choices), it doesn’t seem like he wants to be a huge superstar. But how would I know? I’m just really pleasantly surprised by this choice. I’m pleased that SNL chose such a great young actor, and I think he might be able to really bring something new to the show. You can be sure that I’ll be posting my comments on the show here next Sunday.
Speaking of last night’s show, how blah was January Jones as a host? She had a couple of sketches that she was pretty funny in (I like the 1950′s instructional video about how to host a party), but she just didn’t adapt well to the format. It seemed like every sketch was set in the 1950′s, or earlier (and that being said, I can’t blame her entirely. Everyone knows that the writing on SNL leaves a fair bit to be desired. But a great host can succeed in spite of that). I guess they were playing to her “strengths” (since she’s on Mad Men), but still. Even Taylor Swift, who’s not even an actress, did a much better job last week. She wasn’t a perfect host by any stretch, but at least she brought some charisma and energy to the show when she hosted. For me Jason Sudeikis saved last night’s show. He had a huge role in almost every sketch, and he singlehandedly saved quite a few of them (his Jimmy Stewart impression in the Rear Window sketch was awesome). It seems like they’ve been relying on him a lot recently (Andy Samberg appears to have been entirely absent twice in the past few episodes, and Will Forte has an increasingly smaller part), and he’s stepping up. Bill Hader is also getting used more, which is definitely a-okay with me. He’s one of the funniest cast members of recent times, but he didn’t really get the opportunity to shine last night (well, maybe in the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sketch). It was Sudekis’ show.
Daniel Day-Lewis is an actor who seems to pick his roles carefully, and everything he does usually gets lots of attention. So when I checked his IMDB page a few months ago, I was a little bit surprised to hear that he’d made a movie from just a few years ago that I had never heard of. Since I’m a fan of what I’ve seen from Day-Lewis, I tracked down The Ballad of Jack and Rose. It’s a very small, quiet film, and it’s not especially accessible, so the fact that it hasn’t found a large audience is understandable. But I do think that is a shame, because, as you would expect, Daniel Day-Lewis is exceptional here.
Day-Lewis plays Jack, while Camilla Belle plays his teenage daughter, Rose. Rose has had a very isolated, unconventional upbringing. She and Jack live on an old commune on a small island off the coast of the United States. Jack spends much of the film trying to prevent a housing development from ruining the island. Since he’s in poor health, he invites his girlfriend, Kathleen (played by Catherine Keener), and her two sons (Paul Dano and Ryan McDonald) to come live with him and Rose. Rose isn’t used to any kind of guests at her house, let alone the permanent kind, so things go predictably awry almost as soon as they arrive.
The film is odd, to say the least. The relationship between Jack and Rose is set up to challenge the audience from the start. That being said, I think their “unconventional” relationship is handled well, and the questionable aspects of it really take a backburner throughout much of the story. The environmental aspect of the story is surprisingly well done. It’s not preachy. I questioned a lot of Jack’s actions to “protect” the island from the housing developments, but I was still fascinated by his passion and willingness to fight. Kathleen and her sons also provide a nice contrast to Rose and Jack’s isolated life, though they turn out to be nearly as messed up as our protagonists.
The acting is superb, for the most part. For such a small film, it has a pretty well-known, reliable cast. Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the most magnetic actors to watch on screen, and he’s amazing here, as usual. Jack’s certainly not a black and white character, and Day-Lewis plays every shade of grey perfectly. There are a couple of big, emotional scenes for him to work with, and he always strikes the perfect chord. It never feels melodramatic, which this film could have easily been. Catherine Keener also does a really nice job with a character that while being predictable, still brings a lot to the film. Ryan McDonald was one of the few unfamiliar faces here for me, and I found his performance very captivating. He plays the older of Kathleen’s sons. Rodney. He wants to be a woman’s hair dresser, and he’s a really fascinating character. He’s also the only remotely likeable person in the Jack/Kathleen makeshift family (though he is not perfect, by any means), and McDonald brings a lot of warmth, humour, and heart to the role. Jason Lee (yes, from My Name is Earl) even pops up in a tiny role as a plant delivery man, and I thought he gave an unexpectedly great performance, as tiny as it may have been. Camilla Belle was my one question mark in the cast. She gets points just because she managed to pull of the role. It’s tough material, and she’s sharing virtually every scene with Daniel Day-Lewis. That cannot be easy. I don’t think her acting was as great as it could have been if they’d gotten someone more at Ellen Page’s level, but Belle did an okay job.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose is not a perfect film. At times it feels a bit over-the-top (a scene involving an acid pad gets a bit ridiculous), and I would’ve liked to know more about some of the supporting characters. For example, Paul Dano’s character is a pretty messed up guy. I was expecting to learn more about him, but we never really do. Also, as previously mentioned, the characters aren’t very likeable. I’m all for some crazy, despicable characters, but most of these characters just felt blandly unpleasant. But I thought director Rebecca Miller (wife of Daniel Day-Lewis) definitely averted disaster. The relationship between Jack and Rose is clearly abnormal, and it gets into some sensitive areas. Some people might find some of the material a little squirmy, but the film does manage to keep that to a minimum, and never seems to exploit it. This film is certainly worth watching, if not just for Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance. Also, it’s a very nice film to look at. The scenery is lovely, and Miller takes great advantage of it. She captures that dreamy kind of world that hippies would have chosen to build their commune in. It’s a controversial film, in a way, but I found enough to like, and I thought it ultimately made a poignant statement.
7/10
This is probably the first time I’ve posted more than one post in the same day. Although, the other one was pretty short, and I think that this one will be too. There are just some random things that I want to talk about, I guess. And I like to procrastinate.
Since the end of 2009 is in sight, lots of sites are putting up their lists of the best movies/books/albums/music videos/whatever of the decade. I’ve done a little bit of that with my Best Performances of the Decade series (be sure to check it out!) Pitchfork amassed their crazy 200 Best Albums list. Pitchfork is one of those things that I love to hate. And the weird thing is, Pitchfork covers most of the music that I like. There’s not too much reason for me to hate them. Except maybe their pretention. But I can be pretentious, too, so I guess I’m a hypocrite now, on top of everything else. Anyways, they chose Kid A and Funeral as their top 2 albums. That is so predictable. Maybe I just like being contrary, but I think those two albums are two of the most overrated albums around. I love Radiohead and the Arcade Fire. But both of them have released other albums that I like a thousand times more this decade. Kid A and Funeral are good, but I guess I just don’t see what all the fuss is about.
Conversely, Paste magazine is doing a purge of their “best of the decade” lists of everything imagineable. I’ve started working my way through their best movies list. It seems like they’re making interesting choices, and I want to read all of their comments. In the first ten, it’s a nice mix of more obvious choices (High Fidelity), slightly more unexpected choices (Hotel Rwanda, which was a pretty amazing film), and stuff that I’ve never heard of. I’m interested to see what albums they’ll choose. I bet it won’t be Funeral or Kid A (now watch me be wrong). I respect Paste’s opinion a lot more, even if they can be pretentious sometimes, too. On top of being a pretty decent magazine, they have a really good blog/website thing going, which is nice.
To switch to something totally different, my prof told us today that we’ll be watching David Lynch’s Lost Highway in our cinema studies class next week. I’ve been kind of baffled by some of his choices so far (Winchester ’73, Tuff Turf), but David Lynch seems to make a bit more sense, I suppose. I’ve never seen any of his films, so I guess I can’t really say, but he just seems arty and weird enough, from what I gather. I don’t really know anything about this film, since I usually hear Mullholland Drive or Blue Velvet when I hear people talk about him. But I looked it up on IMDB, and Henry Rollins is in it. So that should be interesting.
So yeah. I don’t have too much else to say. I’ve been working on my own best albums of the decade list, so hopefully that’ll be up before too long. When does the decade end, anyways? Because it seems like 2009 would be the last year, but then some people are saying that 2010 is part of this decade? Oh well. I’m counting it as 2000-2009.
Them Crooked Vultures debut album is released next week, but in the mean time, the band is streaming the full album on their YouTube channel. Be sure to check it out here. I’m only a few songs in, but I’m loving it so far. Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters - as if you didn’t know!), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) are delivering the kind of awesome rock that those three names are associated with. To me, “New Fang” had clear influence from Queens of the Stone Age (probably because Homme is on vocals and guitar). But the band has their own wonderful, powerhouse sound.
I’ve been listening to “New Fang” a lot in the past couple of weeks. The other songs sound great too, though. I love “Mind Eraser, No Chaser”. Perhaps they’re a supergroup that lives up to their promise?
