Queens of the Stone Age, "Un-Reborn Again"
This comes from the most recent QotSA album, Villains, where they worked with producer Mark Ronson. The result is a little bit of a different feel to things. It's a slick, glossy record, full of moves that I would characterize as more glam than anything else. This song is a great example, this is just all shiny, swaggering glam. It's not an unfamiliar aesthetic in the QotSA catalog, but it's definitely to the fore on this album. I do appreciate that they're willing to change things up, so I like it a lot. They don't have to keep re-making Songs For the Deaf, I can just go listen to that if I want to.
Intronaut, "Cubensis"
Prog-metalers Intronaut put out Fluid Existential Inversions last year, giving us a new album seriously chock full of notes. I mean, just listen to 'em flying past! There are a lot! Intronaut usually sound to me like Helmet being played at double speed, somehow. I especially enjoy listening to the drummer go and contemplating how impossible it sounds to play.
Arab Strap, "The Shy Retirer"
Monday at the Hug & Pint is a tremendous name for an album.
Don Caballero, "Don Caballero 3"
Speaking of drummers that I don't know how they do it! This is the opening of What Burns Never Returns, the third Don Caballero album. It's nearly 10 minutes of pure instrumental pyrotechnics, with Damon Che on the drums absolutely leading the action. If this doesn't turn you into a Don Cab fan, I got nothin'.
Jamire Williams, "The Fire Next Time"
Goddamn. Welcome to Five Songs, Drum Edition.