Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders

Taylor Hawkins' main job is being the drummer for the Foo Fighters. In his spare time he gets his ya-yas out with Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, an outlet for the prog-influenced, extremely catchy music he writes himself. At their best, the band sounds like a cross between Queen, Rush and the Foo Fighters. That means riffs, riffs and riffs, with choruses you wanna sing along with. There's even some Big Star in there, so pay attention. The band's 2006 debut moves seamlessly between classic rock styles and modern moves with an uncommon dexterity and aplomb.