The spotlight is always brighter on the other side of the drum kit, but for most beat-keepers, the dream of shifting from the back of the stage to the mic should remain a humble ambition. For every drummer-turned-singer that does a decent job on vocal duties, a percussionist with lesser frontman talent comes in and messes it up for all drummer-kind (i.e. Tommy Lee).

Luckily for Taylor Hawkins, he had a solid model to follow. As the drummer for the Foo Fighters, Hawkins watched former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl turn the dream into a successful reality.

Hawkins decided to do things a little differently, handling both drumming and vocal duties on his first solo effort. To fill out the Coattail Riders, Hawkins brought in former Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and guitarist Gannin. The resulting self-titled debut is the charmingly scatterbrained work of a drummer with years of pent-up ambition: part Foo's-inspired driving rock, part Cream-influenced harmonic classic rock, part power pop, part acoustic balladry, all raw and self-recorded. Hawkins hasn't committed to any style -- or genre for that matter -- but he is showing the early signs of a becoming a take-charge frontman.

Wherever Hawkins decides to settle, it will likely be a far, far drive from Tommyland. Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders tour dates:

3/14, Dallas, TX (Lizard Lounge)
3/15, Beaumont, TX (Antone's)
3/17, Austin, TX (SXSW - Austin Music Hall)
3/20, Denver, TX (The Marquis Theatre)
3/21, Salt Lake City, UT (Club Sound)
3/23, Las Vegas, NV (Celebrity)
3/24, West Hollywood, CA (Viper Room)
3/25, Santa Ana, CA (The Galaxy Theatre)

Taylor Hawkins official site