Dave Grohl's primary band Foo Fighters have a new greatest hits collection out this week, and though it has two new songs on it (including the single "Wheels"), Grohl is focusing his new output on the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. The band reunites Grohl with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme (Grohl played drums on QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf) and adds Led Zeppelin bass player John Paul Jones. The result is a throwback power trio whose debut album is full of swampy riffs, doomsday vocals and lots and lots of volume.

The band is currently offering up a free song on iTunes called "Mind Eraser, No Chaser." Built around a psychedelic guitar loop, the tune is the perfect blend of classic rock and modern guitar music tropes. Homme and Grohl share vocal duties, including a call-and-response section where Grohl shouts "All I wanna do is have my mind erased!" It's mostly just refreshing to hear Grohl behind the skins again, as his drum style is uniquely savage and — keeping in step with the rest of the band — extremely loud.

It's a big week for fans of Grohl's rhythmic skills, as this week also marks the release of Nirvana's "Live at Reading," the album and DVD of the legendary band's notorious set at the Reading Festival in 1992. It's the portrait of a band absolutely hitting on all cylinders and unleashing a difficult, anthemic set to a rabid festival crowd. Grohl's work behind the kit is fantastically brutal, especially on the rarity "Been a Son."

In the meantime, Them Crooked Vultures' debut album self-titled debut will hit stores on November 17.

Them Crooked Vultures, the strangely-named supergroup that brings together members of Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, made their live debut two short weeks ago at a Lollapalooza after-party in Chicago. They surfaced for their second show ever last night in Amsterdam and also released a teaser video that shows the trio — drummer Dave Grohl, bassist John Paul Jones and guitarist Josh Homme — messing around in a recording studio while a clip of their song "Nobody Loves Me and Neither Do I" plays over it. Though they have an album done, the band has been mysterious about when those songs might see the light of day, and they've been similarly secretive about their live shows. Rumors are swirling (via the band's official message boards) that they'll be making a few festival stops in Europe over the next couple of days. But most details remain hazy — even their official Web site is little more than a board, a store with one sold-out T-shirt and a creepy illustration of the band's part-man/ part-vulture mascot.

But what does this group mean for each member's respective primary projects? Grohl has drifted away from Foo Fighters before (most notably to curate his metal all-stars album recorded under the name Probot) and for all intents and purposes Homme is the only real permanent member of Queens of the Stone Age. The news of the existence of Them Crooked Vultures will probably most bother hardcore fans of Led Zeppelin. Since the legendary band reunited for a one-off concert in December of 2007, enthusiasts have been clamoring for a full-scale reunion tour, and though several rumors about more shows have surfaced over the last 18 months, it looks less and less likely Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant will do any more shows any time soon.

It might be for the better, as video shot of a live performance of "Dead End Friends proves that the band is the sort of heavy, low-ended monster that will fill in for an absent Zeppelin nicely.

Every day, hundreds (if not thousands) of new bands get together in an attempt to ascend to rock stardom. Some don't make it out of the first rehearsal, more quit after their first few gigs and only a handful ever come within sniffing distance of what could be considered success. But every once in a while, a new band will play together for the first time and eventually ascend to legendary status. That's exactly what happened on this day in 1968 when Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones got together to rehearse for the first time. The group, known then as the New Yardbirds, got together in a London studio to practice for a series of concerts in Scandanavia that Page's former band the Yardbirds had committed to but couldn't perform because of their break-up a month prior. During the session, the group recorded a cover of "Train Kept A-Rollin'," a rockabilly song that was a Yardbirds staple. Following the Scandanavian tour, the group decided to drop the New Yardbirds schtick and continue on under a new name: Led Zeppelin.

The group played its first concerts as Led Zeppelin in October of 1968, released their first album in 1969 and spent the next 11 years establishing themselves as one of the greatest rock bands in the history of the genre. Their big, bluesy, arena-ready sound informed every major rock movement for the next four decades, from the dark intonations of heavy metal to the pretty theatrics of glam to the epic stomp of prog rock to the workmanlike riffage of grunge. (Page's influence is also all over Jack White's performance in the new documentary "It Might Get Loud.") Though Bonham's untimely death in 1980 essentially ended the group, they've made a few attempts at comebacks (most recently in 2007 at a tribute concert for late Atlantic Records honcho Ahmet Ertegun). But they accomplished enough in their decade of dominance — aided by pulse-pounding joints like "Black Dog" — to write their ticket to eternity.

Foo Fighters had a pretty sweet view of the Washington, D.C. fireworks on Independence Day, as they were on stage on the lawn of the White House while they were happening. The band played a private show for the Obama family and White House staff to celebrate the Fourth of July. "It's an honor to be playing here for you people. I'm glad that we're here and I'm glad that we're spending this Fourth of July together," Grohl said as he opened the show, which featured the unveiling of a new song called "Wheels." Grohl described the song as about "the feeling when the wheels touch the ground and you're like 'I'm glad that's over with.'" In the chorus, Grohl sings, "When you feel like it's all over, there's another round for you."

It's a very appropriate sentiment for Foo Fighters, who are currently in a state of flux. The group has been on an official hiatus since the end of their tour last year, and bassist Nate Mendel is hitting the road with his old band Sunny Day Real Estate. Grohl himself has a new project too: He's teaming up with former collaborators Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). The still-unnamed band's existence isn't new (Grohl has been discussing the project since 2005), but they are currently recording an album in Los Angeles.

What would you name the band? We're bummed that Probot has already been taken, but we're sure those guys will come up with something.

Will they or won't they tour? That question has been on the mind of every Led Zeppelin fan since the iconic band played a single reunion set last year at London's O2 Arena. And throughout pretty much all of 2008, we've debunked countless rumors regarding a full Led Zep reunion run. It seems there's been at least one rumor popping up per month, intimating that the classic rockers would be staging their return — with frontman Robert Plant swooping in each and every time to crush everyone's hopes by shooting down those rumors.

At this point, Plant's made it more than obvious he doesn't want any part of a Led Zeppelin reunion trek. But apparently, that's not stopping the rest of the band from moving on with their plans.
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It's one of the crazier rumors we've ever heard here in the MTV News offices (and we hear crazy rumors all the time) and, so far, it's been impossible to confirm or disprove, because no one involved is talking — not on the record, at least.

It involves Led Zeppelin — who returned to the live stage last December, for a single performance in London — launching a full-scale reunion tour, which means it probably isn't true at all, given what frontman Robert Plant recently said.

"It's both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward," Plant told the U.K. press, following the publishing of an article intimating that Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and Van Halen's erstwhile frontman Sammy Hagar could replace him on a Zeppelin reunion run. "I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects."
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Robert Plant has had it. The once and apparently just-once-again frontman for rock godheads Led Zeppelin is sick and tired of people talking about the could-be-should-be-but-probably-isn't reunion tour that many reports claim is in the works for the group.

After English tabloid The Sun ran a story last week that the group has agreed to a reunion tour (if you're counting, that's at least the sixth time we've heard that rumor in the past six months), Plant put out a statement definitively denying it. According to BBC News, Plant said he will not hit the road with anyone for at least two years after he finishes his current string of dates with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, which wraps up on October 5.
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Here's the thing. I'm sure the Spice Girls reunion tour was lovely. I imagine the costumes were really shiny, skimpy and complicated. The energy was SOOOOO HIGH!!!!! The lady-love was off the charts. Hell, the music may have even been decent or whatever.

To be honest, I've never heard of the Vodafone Live Music Awards — though it sounds like something that might be held at a grimy Irish pub in London — but apparently the Girls were voted Best Live Return at said awards last night.
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There's nothing more exciting than a day at the amusement park. Even as an adult, you still get those butterflies in your stomach thinking about the possibility of riding the marquee roller-coaster.

That roller-coaster for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina's Hard Rock Park would be "Led Zeppelin: The Ride," and let's just say it's one of the most state-of-the-art rides in the business. The other attractions include a music museum and the British Invasion side of the park, which has a London theme and plenty of rock paraphernalia.

I have to say, though, one of my favorites is the Rock and Roll Museum, where you can find plenty of music trivia, celebrity mementos and historical facts as well. I was very fortunate to be escorted through the park by Steve Goodwin, which meant I found out everything there is to know about building an amusement park.

The night I was there ended perfectly with rock legends the Eagles playing one of my all time favorites, "Hotel California"! If you ever get a chance and you are a music lover, make sure you visit.

· First she was tapped to save the world, now "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere will try to bail out the music biz. The pintsize actress' reggae-flavored debut single, "Wake Up Call," will be promoted heavily by Candie's in an ad campaign due to kick off in July.

· "Regulate" rapper Warren G was arrested in Hollywood on Sunday after the car he was riding in was stopped by police for allegedly running a red light. When cops pulled the car over, they say they found enough marijuana in the vehicle to arrest the pair for possession with intent to sell.
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