“For 20 years people have asked me what my dream band line-up is,” Dave Grohl said in a recent interview. “And now I can say I’m in it!”

Dave is refering to his latest project, Them Crooked Vultures. Formed in 2009 in LA California, the groups members include drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and legendary bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). The band also features Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age) as a live rhythm guitarist and back up vocalist when touring. Their self titled album was released on November 17, 2009 in the US.

The trio of Grohl, Homme, and Jones started working together sometime around or before 2005. That is when Grohl first made public remarks pertaining to the collaboration stating: “The next project that I’m trying to initiate involves me on drums, Josh Homme on guitar, and John Paul Jones playing bass. That’s the next album. That wouldn’t suck.” The band entered the recording studio in July 2009 and threw down their 14 track album. The single Mind Eraser (No Chaser) was made available to fans that had bought tickets to a live performance and then was offered on iTunes as a free download. The band later made their entire album available to stream through their website themcrookedvultures.com on November 9th. Them Crooked Vultures just finished up their fist USA tour in November and have moved on to a December Europe tour.

Josh Homme confesses “it was the most difficult record I’ve ever made knowing I wanted it to be as good as possible” while Dave Grohl enthusiastically adding: “I consider the album to be the most exciting thing I’ve done in my entire life.” The music is unique and can be described (not surprisingly) as a mix of Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age. I can only hope that Them Crooked Vultures will come back to the USA for another tour soon.

Listen to “New Fang” by Them Crooked Vultures below

As I have written about before, the act of drumming can be beneficial to both physical and mental health. An article was just written for the Denver Post about the research of Dr. Barry Bittman, a neurologist who studies the effects of making music on stress levels and mood. Dr. Bittman’s research shows that drumming can be an enjoyable form of exercise. As the Denver Post states, ” He found that people were having so much fun playing on a drum that they did not feel that they were exercising, even though they burned an average of 270 calories in a half-hour. By engaging mind and body, the entire activity was fun and exhilarating, not tedious.”

Dr. Bittman’s study shows that drumming can have some very specific health benefits. The article states:

Bittman’s research between 2001 and 2005 shows that drumming:

• Improves the aerobic and cardiovascular system.

• Strengthens the immune system.

• Improves mood and reduces burnout from workers under stress.

• Reverses the ravages of stress at the cellular level.

• Reduces anxiety, depression and feelings of loneliness.

It is amazing that the simple act of drumming can have so many health benefits. Wouldn’t it be neat if corporations started providing drum circles as a way for their employees to relax and reduce stress levels. I know I would enjoy my work day even more if I could play in a drum circle on my lunch break. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking, but regardless, I encourage everyone to pick up a drum and beat it, tap on your desk along to music or bang out a beat on some pots and pans. It’s good for you! Visit the Denver Post to read the article in its entirety.

Break it Down – Having trouble learning a drum groove that involves all 4 limbs? Try breaking the beat down into its individual parts for each arm/leg. Pick 2 limbs and play those parts. After you can play that no problem, add another part of the groove. Breaking a beat down and then building it back up piece by piece can help you lean even the most complicated drumming patterns.

Practice Frequency > Duration – Many drummers ask about what the “best” practice schedule is. There is no perfect practice schedule and not everyone has the same available time to play. Practice frequency is more important than the total amount of time spent behind your kit. Try to play every day, even if you can only play 10 min or so. The repetition is very beneficial for your muscle memory. Practicing every day for 15 min will help you more than practicing 10 hours straight twice a month.

Now I’m not saying you should only practice for 15 min at a time. Practicing for over an hour in duration is beneficial as it will build muscle mass and increase endurance. If you cant fit in a long practice session, try to sit down and play for just a couple minuets. If you practice every day, I guarantee by the end of the week you will feel more comfortable and at ease playing your kit than when you started.

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer will publish an autobiography on June 30th entitled “Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top.” Kramer, one of the founding members of Aerosmith, describes his personal experiences battling depression while being part of one of the most popular rock bands in American history.

Below is a video of Kramer discussing the book along with some classic Aerosmith videos and pictures.

Here is a cool video I found of an impressive drum version of the Super Mario Brothers theme. This is surely one talented musician who made this video. The cymbal usage is just awesome. Check it out!

Bass Drum Head – If you are going to cut a hole in your bass drum resonant head remember that this will affect the sound of your bass drum. The larger the hole, the larger the impact on the sound will be. Anything larger than 7″ will sound like there is no head at all.

Know a Golfer? – You can use an old golf club bag to carry your cymbal stands and other hardware.

New Drum Heads – New drum heads will stretch out shortly after being mounted on your drums. Keep this in mind that you probably have to tighten them back up after a couple hours. You may want to tune new heads slightly higher than your ideal pitch at first to anticipate this initial stretching.

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, guitarist Joe Satriani and former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony have joined forces to form the supergroup Chickenfoot. They will have a self titled album coming out on June 7th that will only be available at Best Buy.

RollingStone.com interviewed Sammy Hagar about the new collaboration:

…each member’s rock roots play a role in the band’s music. “Kind of like who we are. Like kind of Zeppelin, Van Halen ­you know hard rock-y, Rush-y, kind of progressive a little bit. Hard rock. Hard sophisticated rock,” Hagar said, adding that “Joe Satriani, he’s the doctor man. He is the professor, this guy ­he’s awesome.”

When Hagar realized he didn’t like singing and playing guitar at the same time, he thought, “‘We need a great guitar player. Who’s the best guitar player out there?’ Joe Satriani. And Joe’s a buddy right here in San Francisco, so I called him and boom.”

As an attempt to make the album more tempting to purchase, the CD is reported to come with heat sensitive artwork with hidden pictures that can only be seen after warming the graphics with your hand. As a big fan of Chad Smith and Joe Satriani, I know that I am excited to hear how hard Chickenfoot can rock.

For more information, check out the full article at RollingStone.com

Spring Stretching – Over time, the spring on your bass drum pedal will stretch out. Keep this in mind as at some point you will probably have to adjust the tension.

Equipment Maintenance – You should oil your springs and lugs from time to time. They can get packed with dirt and dust and prevent your stands, pedals, and drum gear from working its best.

Videotape Yourself Playing – Watching a video of yourself playing drums can allow you to observe your posture and technique. You can also look at the placement of the elements in your kit to make sure you are not reaching too far for anything as you play.

It can be fun to add some showmanship to your playing by twirling your sticks or doing some other flashy drum tricks. There is nothing wrong with adding some more entertainment into your gigs. There are many different tricks or techniques that can really help you put on a show for you audience. Check out this video of a cool drum stick trick where you juggle as you play!

Use a Carpet – One way to make the set up of you drum set easier is to use a carpet or rug as a guide. Mark the carpet with tape or a marker in the locations where your bass drum sits, the feet for your floor toms, and any other hardware. Bring that carpet with you to your show, and follow the guide to your perfect setup.

Transcribe Music – Listen to music and try to pick out the drum groove. Listen to what sounds you hear and try to determine the drummers set up and what drums they have in their kit. Write down the pattern for each drum you hear. This will help train your ear and increase your ability to figure out drum beats on the fly.

Challenge Yourself – Don’t be afraid to try something new or difficult. If you only practice things you are already good at, you will not get any better. Just remember to start out slow and gradually increase tempo as you get more comfortable.