DEREK WALTZ – WRITER

[Album] Blood Pressures – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Kills[/lastfm] 

Probably my favorite album yet from the co-gender duo of Jamie Hince and Allison Mosshart.  The kick-off track “Future Starts Slow,” hooks right you in and the album rarely drops off from there.  Hince and Mosshart definitely rival Dan and Pat from [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Black Keys[/lastfm] on two-headed bands who rock the loudest.  I was fortunate to catch them at The Palladium a couple of months back and they literally “Kill-ed” it.  Mosshart’s energy is intoxicating.  She’s constantly in motion, jerking her body to the rhythm of the music and commanding attention with her seductive rasp.

“Future Starts Slow”

[Song] “White Limo” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Foo Fighters[/lastfm]

The perfect morning substitute for a cup of coffee.  Besides the damage ”White Limo” had on my ears from blasting it on a daily basis, my steering wheel is borderline decrepit, because of my animalistic behavior when listening to this song in my car.  Unless my memory is fuzzier than I believe it already is, this has to be hardest Foo Fighters song to date.  It’s a rock lover’s dream come true.

Muse performing at L.A. Rising

[Concert] LA Rising at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum

Not unlike my first [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Rage Against the Machine[/lastfm] concert, I barely made it out of L.A. Rising alive.  The fact that two other amazing bands in[lastfm link_type="artist_info"] Rise Against[/lastfm] and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Muse[/lastfm] were the “support” made this THE event of the year.  I braved the pit rolling solo, dodging mosh pits in every general direction and witnessed some of the most chaotic audience behavior ever.  Sporadic wildfires illuminated the concert floor, a security guard got jumped, and one bold soul planked in the middle of the mosh pit.  Did I believe he was dead?  Of course I did.  There were straight-up criminals down there.  However, singing “Knights of Cydonia” at the top of your lungs with over 80,000 people isn’t a bad way to spend a Saturday night.

Other songs I’m thankful for:

“Ritual Union” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Little Dragon[/lastfm]

“Sail” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Awolnation[/lastfm]

“All Your Light” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Portugal the Man[/lastfm]

“Will Do” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]TV On The Radio[/lastfm]

“Loot Recovered” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Kiev[/lastfm]

“Take the World” – [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]She Wants Revenge[/lastfm]