Listening Post

This is really cool. While on the road in the fall of last year, the Offspring brought Dead Sara along with them as openers and the result was honestly one hell of a show. One of the things the two bands apparently did night after night was a pared-down version of the Offspring's Far Away. The awesome Emily Armstrong would basically take the stage and sing the song as a duet with Dexter Holland.

This is a clip of Far Away being performed at the Hollywood Palladium show in October, which I was lucky enough to be in the audience for.

Listening Post

The Offspring's Pete Parada grabbed dinner with my girlfriend and me a few weeks back and as we were riding around in the car, he played us this new track -- what would be the next Offspring single. As we listened to it, he basically made it clear that die-hard Offspring fans were probably going to lose their shit over it, considering that it sounds like Dex and Noodles may have simultaneously started dating Katy Perry.

But Pete admitted that people were going to have to see the video to understand that -- in the long tradition of summer-ready Offspring singles -- the song, while admittedly really, really catchy, wasn't meant to be taken too seriously or perceived as some kind of new direction for the band. No, kids, they haven't "sold-out" this far into their storied career.

Anyway, here's the song and the video to go with it.

This was released all of about eight hours ago -- it's Cruising California (Bumpin' in My Trunk).

Listening Post

My girlfriend and I spent this past Saturday at the KROQ Weenie Roast, which featured, as usual, a stellar lineup: this year, Coldplay, Incubus, Garbage, Silversun Pickups, Pennywise and a special appearance by Soundgarden.

Thanks to the very kind largess of Pete Parada -- all-around great guy and drummer for the Offspring, who also happened to be playing -- we got not only tickets to the show but all-access passes. As usual, hanging with Pete was a blast and there's no denying that watching the Offspring and Soundgarden from the side of the stage was one of those little rock and roll fantasies come to life for yours truly.

Here now area couple of highlights from the show -- at least the ones currently uploaded to YouTube from the actual KROQ video feed.

First up, all of the Offspring's set (wish I could do something about the hiccups in the video).



Here's Garbage doing Vow.



And finally, Coldplay -- Yellow.

Listening Post

New Offspring is always a welcome thing -- and yes, before anybody says the obvious, it does sound quite a bit like the Foo Fighters. I just can't see that being a bad thing.

Plus, remember -- their drummer Pete Parada's a really great guy. So do the world a favor and show some love for great guys -- they're tough to come by.

Here's Days Go By.

Listening Post

When rattling off a list of my favorite bands, the Offspring probably wouldn't even come to mind.

And yet, when you really think about it, how many groups out there there have consistently released one catchy-as-hell single after another for the past 15 years straight? By now these guys are the musical equivalent of a tall glass of cold milk and a cookie.

Here's their latest, and it continues the tradition: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid.