Check out the music video here:

These two music acts share quite a few things in common. Both share management and publicity firms (SAM and Nasty Little Man, respectfully). Both also worked with web developer Lee Martin and online audio platform SoundCloud to stream their latest albums for free before their official release dates.

The most important quality Beastie Boys and Foo Fighters share: In an age where mediocrity and 15-minute fame reign supreme, both have beaten the odds in remaining active—and successfully so, thanks to superb marketing (tasteful – not to Lady Gaga proportions), loyal fans and modern legendary status.

So it should come as no surprise that both bands managed to put out equally solid albums… emphasis on “should.” I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from each new release—the Boys’ last record was an instrumental; the Foos’ Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007) was an overall disappointment. They sure cast aside my doubts in a one-two punch.

The best part? They keep it simple.

Foo Fighters: ‘Wasting Light’

I like being able to listen to an album from beginning to end and not have any weak tracks to skip. Dave Grohl and company have come the closest they’ve been in a while in achieving that. Wasting Light is so good, I’d rank it just below The Colour and the Shape (1997) and There’s Nothing Left to Lose (1999), two of their best albums.

I already knew this would be a strong record when the band put out a 30-second teaser for opening track, “Bridge Burning.” The build-up between dynamics—a soft riff followed by an onslaught of deafening chords and thrashing drums—is what the band has perfected over time. Remember the opening to “All My Life”?

What makes Foo Fighters so great is that they don’t particularly feel the need to re-invent the wheel. They know what they’re good at and it’s pretty straightforward: hard rock, melodies and good songwriting. I can sing along to “Arlandria” and “Dear Rosemary,” and headbang to “White Limo.” And when I need to take a break, I can relax, maybe sit in sorrow with “I Should Have Known.”

The single weak spot on this record: “A Matter of Time.” The refrain is annoying, particularly the “before, before” part.

Regardless, Wasting Light is a solid record, one of the best the Foos have ever made, and possibly will be one of the best releases this year. As a Foos fan who’s been disappointed before, this isn’t coming from blind bias. 4 stars

Beastie Boys: ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’

It’s been a long wait. Hot Sauce Committee Part One‘s release, originally scheduled for late 2009, was pushed back because of Adam “MCA” Yauch’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. Upon return to the studio, the Boys realized they could have done better. With the help of producer Zdar, they redid the mix and eschewed “Part One” of the title, releasing the new mix as “Part Two.”

The last Beastie Boys album, The Mix-Up (2007), was an instrumental, and before that was the politically charged To The Five Boroughs (2004), so it’s been seven years (really?!) since we’ve heard new straight-up hip-hop from the B-Boys. Only they can get away with making records that far apart from each other and still pull off a number two debut on the Billboard charts.

Though Hot Sauce Committee Part Two doesn’t have a very strong start—maybe I’m just sick of the single, “Make Some Noise”—it picks up with “Too Many Rappers,” the Boys’ collaboration with fellow emcee Nas. Another collabo, “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win,” featuring singer Santigold, is markedly different from anything else the B-Boys have done before. The dub rhythm and female collaboration make it a standout on the album. In a good way.

It’s not a Beastie Boys record without hardcore and instrumental tracks, and one of each come in succession later on in HSC2. A minor difference with “Lee Majors Come Again” from the band’s previous hardcore material: when this would usually be Mike D’s cue to take over lead vocal duty, the group take turns as though it were a hip-hop track. Meanwhile, the following track, “Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament” is the only instrumental, making it a bit out of place, but still funky fresh.

The best parts of HSC2 are the group’s hip-hop cuts. “Long Burn the Fire,” in particular, is reminiscent of “Professor Booty” from their 1992 album, Check Your Head: each Beastie takes turns spitting out a single, long verse, each one comprised of “I’m better than you” said in so many ways. It’s set to a beat, a bass line and a Supernatural Folk sample. Nothing terribly complicated. It could be the epitome of this album.

Apart from a few spots where they’ve explored minor unchartered territory, it’s back to basics, but oh so good. A little bit of rock, a dash of dub, a hearty serving of hip hop, and a healthy dose of silly rhymes. Beastie Boys are back… and as Adam “Adrock” Horovitz rhymes on bonus track “B-Boys In The Cut”: “We’re here to stay.” So pass the hot sauce and enjoy the meal. 3.5 stars

Still need some convincing that you should pick up these albums? See below for each album’s free, official stream:

Wasting Light by Foo Fighters

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys

Day 21: A song I listen to when I’m happy
“Tell ‘Em” – Sleigh Bells

This song is so energetic and, paired with the sunny, feminine vocals, is one of the best ways to punctuate a good day.

Day 22: A song I listen to when I’m sad
“Tighten Up” – The Black Keys

C’mon, how do you not feel better after listening to this song and watching this video?

Day 23: A song that you want to play at your wedding
“Everlong” – Foo Fighters

Ideally, I’d want Dave Grohl playing it on an acoustic guitar at my wedding. But that’s never gonna happen.

Day 24: A song that you want to play at your funeral
“Sing For Absolution” – Muse

What can I say, it’s Muse and it’s appropriate.

Day 25: A song that makes you laugh
“Funky Donkey” – Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are one of those bands that a lot of people seem to have grown up with, myself included. I think part of the reason I like them so much is, oddly enough, how different their personalities are from my own. As someone once put it, “Beastie Boys are the fucking Bugs Bunny of hip-hop”: mischievous, self-assured and just plain silly. A few of many ridiculous lines in this song that actually made me laugh out loud include: “Put this on a ZIP disk and send it to your lawyer” (I worked with ZIP disks in high school so it’s kinda nerdy) and… wait for it… “Go shave a sheep and knit yourself a sweater.”

Day 26: A song that you can play on an instrument
“My Name Is Jonas” – Weezer

It’s really basic—four chords. The finger plucking is fun when you’re just noodling around with a guitar.

Day 27: A song that you wish you could play
“Anonanimal” – Andrew Bird


I went with a friend to see Andrew Bird perform live. The man and his violin, whistling and live-looping skills made me feel so inadequate, to say the least. It’s rare that someone actually inspires you to pick up an instrument; that same night, I asked to borrow an ukulele from my friend. This particular Pitchfork TV performance of “Anonanimal” is my favorite. It was taken down from YouTube so this is an embeddable video I found elsewhere.

Day 28: A song that makes you feel guilty
“Beef” – Mos Def

The next time I’m stressed out about some minor problem in my life, I remember how Mos puts it all back in perspective. There are always problems that are much, much bigger.

Day 29: A song from your childhood
“You Got It (The Right Stuff)” – New Kids On The Block

New Kids On The Block are in some of my earliest memories. I definitely remember owning an NKOTB cassette tape. And a pink NKOTB backpack. And possibly some trading cards. Um. Yeah.

Day 30: Your favorite song at this time last year
“I Turn My Camera On” – Spoon

I saw Spoon live last April in Denver, so this most likely was my favorite song at the time.

Day 16 – A song that I used to love but now hate

“This Is Such A Pity”
Weezer

Hate is a rather strong word. Though there are a few bands I still listen to from my teenage years, Weezer is one of a few who I have outgrown. For those of you who knew me in high school, this may be an astonishing fact, given how big of a Weezer fan I was. Though I’m a decade younger than the emotionally vulnerable Gen X’ers who grew up on The Blue Album and Pinkerton in the Nineties, I’m in the camp of former Weezer fans who believe that they will never achieve the same kind of quality that they hit with those two albums. In short, their music no longer speaks to me. Such a pity.

Day 17 – A song that I hear often on the radio

“Firework”
Katy Perry

Even if you seldom tune in to the radio and often listen to your personal music library like I do, you’d seriously have to be living in a cave in Afghanistan if you haven’t yet heard Katy Perry’s smash single. (Actually, I take that back—I bet bin Laden himself sings along to “Firework” as he sits in dark, dank caves, thousands of miles away.) From the proliferation of homemade and mainstream covers on YouTube, to a number of movie trailers and commercials, the media just can’t get enough of “Firework.” Unfortunately for many of us, even Katy Perry fans, “enough” was had months ago.

Day 18 – A song that I wish I heard on the radio

“Pearl’s Dream”
Bat For Lashes

There are many favorite songs of mine that I’d love to hear on the radio. With a pulsating beat and a catchy, melodic hook, “Pearl’s Dream” has the trappings of a radio hit, without the celebrity recognition and excessive media backing that Katy Perry has been adorned with. Though Natasha Khan’s vocals wouldn’t be something you’d hear on “American Idol,” it’s powerful in a whole different way. Her vocals are light yet dark, full of mystery and melancholy, much like the vocals of her Eighties counterparts.

Day 19 – A song from my favorite album

“Afraid of Everyone”
The National

It’s amazing how quickly High Violet became my favorite album. I mean, it was released just about a year ago. From beginning to end, the album is solid, without any filler. Whether it’s Matt Berninger’s baritone vocals, the layered instrumentation, the haunting lyrics, or some perfect combination of these, something here has captured my heart and mind, resonating far deeper than anything else I’ve listened to in a long time.

Day 20 – A song that I listen to when I’m angry

“White Limo”
Foo Fighters

What a way to end this set of music! Off Foo Fighters’ latest album, Wasting Light, “White Limo” is the latest option I could add my “Angry Times” playlist, should I ever get around to making one. Though the song itself is aggro, the music video, shot on Beta tape, is in typical comedic Foo Fighters form. Great way to work out my anger and laugh it off at the same time.

Day 11: A song from your favorite band
“Fury”
Muse

Here’s an Absolution-era b-side that actually also appeared on the Japanese release of that album. It’s a brooding, critical ode, presumably toward modern society, set to some powerful rock music. Oh wait, that’s like a lot of their work.

I love watching this performance of “Fury” – the video was Muse’s Christmas present download in 2008. Royal Albert Hall is such a beautiful and majestic venue, and as usual, Muse put in a strong performance to boot. It’s cool observing how Matt Bellamy holds and plays his Manson guitar. The jumping and his green socks are bonuses.

Day 12: A song from a band you hate
“Photograph”
Nickelback

There is something about Chad Kroeger’s gravelly voice and the omnipresence of Nickelback that is off-putting and displeasing. It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Day 13: A song that is a guilty pleasure
“Bad Romance”
Lady Gaga

Cue the on-the-road sing-along.

Day 14: A song that no one would expect you to love
“Lose Control”
Missy Elliott

It’s a fun song to dance to. Sometimes, you need music that’s simply that.

Day 15: A song that describes you
“The Middle”
Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins is my conscience. As someone who tends to worry, you need that voice to tell you that everything will be all right. All right.