This week it was announced that Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters will be joining Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl in the side project world by fronting his own band The Dead Peasants.
This got me thinking about some of the best side projects of the year and it turns out you can probably see most of them at the festivals this year.
At Download festival last weekend Taylor Hawkins (drummer of Foo Fighters) graced the stage with his band the Coattail Riders. As most side projects go they usually consist of a few members from well-known bands and usually send people into excited spasms.
Joining Hawkins’ side project is bassist Chris Chaney (Janes Addiction, Alanis Morisette and Slash) and guitarist Gannin Arnold (session musician who has played with Cheap Trick, John Tesh and Kirk Hammett). The band actually released their debut album Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders back in 2006 but I think this is the year for them.
In April this year they released their second album Red Light Fever with guest appearances from Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, Elliot Easton of The Cars and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters.
Check them out on the Jimmy Kimmel show...
Hawkins might be cheating on Foo Fighters by swapping between bands when time suits but of course Grohl can’t really wag his finger as he is the King of side projects having worked with Killing Joke, Tenacious D, Nine Inch Nails, Slash and then forming Probot.
But past bands aside most recently Grohl joined one of the most exciting super groups of the year, Them Crooked Vultures, with guitarist Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stoneage) and bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). While some were disappointed with the watery epic guitar solos reminiscent of a familiar Queens Of The Stoneage. But with less attention on the music, it's still a thrill to see Josh Homme and Dave Grohl together with the bassist of one of the greatest guitar bands ever! Check them out at Reading Festival 2009.
Of course there are some side projects which cause a mere momentary blip of excitement. Bobby Gillespie, front man of Primal Scream, has announced a one off collaboration with members of the Sex Pistols and The Who, known as The Silver Machine. The band will play covers of The Troggs, MC5 and Creation at a one-off show at London’s 1234 festival on July 24th.
Check out Bobby Gillespie in Primal Scream action.
Another side project worthy of intrigue is The Dead Weather, mainly due to Jack White’s track record of turning everything he touches into gold. White rounded up
Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertia (Queens Of The Stoneage) and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) to create moody blues rock and roll last year.
But it’s only really been this year, with the release of second album Sea Of Cowards, that people are paying serious attention. The recent track Die By The Drop may have helped too. Check out Blue Blood Blues.
Damon Albarn's probably feeling pretty smug at the minute having successfully reformed Blur causing as much commotion as the first time round,getting Lou Reed and Snoop Dogg to work with him, not to mention being part of one of the most original acts in the UK. Gorillaz, Albarn's best side project, returned after Blur's reunion with their best album to date this year. Check out Stylo off the new album here.
Now when people ask you to think up your dream band I must say that this group of people would definitley cross my mind. Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Nigel Godrich (Radiohead producer), Joey Waronker (played with REM and Smashing Pumpkins) and Mauro Refosco (David Byrne) were discreet at first by simply putting Thom Yorke on posters for gigs, but they soon emerged as Atoms For Peace and threw in covers of Joy Division.
Check out Harrowdown Hill here.
The winners of the indie pop side project of the year goes to Broken Bells, especially if you're a Shins fan.
Brian Burton (Dangermouse) and James Mercer (The Shins) came together last year to produce beautiful, melodic and experimental music. But it was this year they released their self-titled album and some of the most soothing music of the year. Check them out at SXSW 2010.
Now if you're a fan of Slash you'll know his famous post-Guns and Roses side project was Velvet Revolver but in the last two years he's worked with such an array of talent for his solo project. He probably has every band in his phone book and knows that it only takes one call to get people to work with him. This time he worked with Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Ron Wood and Iggy Pop.
Check out Slash and Fergie-Sweet Children O'Mine.
But don't worry dance moguls. Look no further than Dave Sitek’s (TV on the radio) side project Maximum Balloon which will include Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). The band will release the 11-track album on August 23rd and it could be one of the strongest dance contenders of the summer. Check out a snippet of track ‘Tiger’.
But will any of these bands still be talked about in a few years time?
Side projects may come and go but it takes something a little more special to be remembered. Some of the best side projects over the years include A perfect circle, Heaven And Hell and Audioslave but of course nothing good lasts forever. For now we'll enjoy those few minutes of overwhelming excitement when we see members of different bands we all love come together.
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