The Birds of Satan Descend on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’
The Birds of Satan, the new side project of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, made their network TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday night, ripping through two tracks off their self-titled debut. You can check out the biting “Thanks for the Line” above, which finds Hawkins pounding on his drum kit — decorated, no less, with a picture of Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury — with vicious control, as he snarls, “You’re going nowhere, thanks for the line!”
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The band also stuck around for a performance of “Pieces of the Puzzle,” which you can watch below. Though the track’s initial vibe is somewhat tame, with Hawkins’ vocals caught between a coo and whisper as guitarist Mick Murphy kicks out a dub-inspired riff, the two join forces to close out the track in a blaze of glory, complete with fretboard freakout and monstrous drum solo.
The Birds of Satan released their debut last month, with guest appearances from fellow Foo Fighters Dave Grohl and Pat Smear. “It’s all a mélange,” Hawkins said of the group’s approach. “I don’t really sit there and go, ‘Let’s do a Van Halen-style song’ or ‘Let’s do a Queen-style song’ or ‘Let’s do a Jane’s Addiction-style song. . . ‘ but it’s all there. I hope it’s not so on-the-nose that people go, ‘Oh, they’re just trying to sound like Van Halen’ or ‘They’re trying to sound like Queen.’ But it’s there. I’m under the influence, no question. It’s in my DNA.”
As for Hawkins’ other group, Foo Fighters are still at work on their new album, which producer Butch Vig recently said is “almost halfway done.” Though details are scarce, Vig said the band was experimenting with a variety of recording techniques and working at a handful of different studios. “It sounds different — we’ve thrown a few things into the mix, in the recording process, that are going to give the record a different sound and a different feel,” said Vig. “It’s been a challenge, but it’s also been exciting.”