Best of 2009: Year of the Supergroup

photo credit: timparkinson

2009 gave rise to many new bands, but some of them featured some familiar faces. With the appearance of the Led Zeppelin/Queens of the Stone Age/Foo Fighters outfit Them Crooked Vultures, as well we new projects from indie types, rockers and punks, 2009 might be remembered as the Year of the Supergroup.

Check out some of the biggest, and sometimes strangest, team-ups of the year:

1. 1
   Led Zeppelin+Nirvana+QOTSA=Them Crooked Vultures
   Until recently, supergroups seemed like a relic of the ’70s (Hi, Cream). However, it seems that the phenomenon is coming back in fashion as groups like 7 Worlds Collide (featuring members of Radiohead, the Smiths and Wilco) and the Monsters of Folk started to take shape in 2009.

   Them Crooked Vultures are making a play for the title of top supergroup, and with a line-up boasting members of Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age, the new power trio just might be top dog, er, vulture.

   Maybe it’s not too surprising that the latest hard-rock supergroup would feature Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme, his knack for putting together an all-star band is well-documented.

   Similary, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl scored the Germs’ guitarist, Pat Smear, as a bandmate early on (and we already know all about his other band, Nirvana).

   The third vulture is some guy named John Paul Jones? Apparently, he played bass in some old timey band– Led Zeppelin, or something like that. Ahem.

2. 2
   Monsters of Folk=Indie All-Stars
   Indie rockers weren’t left out of the supergroup action in 2009. M.Ward (She & Him), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Mike Mogis and Yim Yames (Jim James of My Morning Jacket) teamed up to form an all-star indie-folk band that might be the sonic opposite of Them Crooked Vultures.
3. 3
   Radiohead+the Smiths+Wilco=7 Worlds Collide
   It seems like an unlikely match, putting rootsy alt-country strummers Wilco together with increasingly experimental Brit-Rock noodlers Radiohead and iconic mopers the Smiths, but that is exactly what has happened during the recording sessions for the new album, The Sun Came Out.

   The strange musical combination arises as part of the upcoming album by 7 Worlds Collide, the all-star side project of Crowded House leader Neil Finn.For each edition of the project, Finn enlists an ever-changing cast of musicians for his supergroup.The latest 7 Worlds Collide roster features a long list on musicians including Johnny Marr (the Smiths, Modest Mouse), Scottish singer KT Tunstall (of “Suddenly I See” and “Black Horse & the Cherry Tree” fame), multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano and dozens more.

   The eclectic line-up means the album gives the players a chance to step out of their usual roles. (Although, from what we’ve seen, the band is largely just an expensive cover band.)

   Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien appears on The Sun Came Out, but the more surprising Radiohead contribution comes from drummer Phil Selway. Often that popular band’s most overlooked member, Selway handles vocals on a pair of songs for The Sun Came Out.

   Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is plays on much of the album, including a new version of “You Never Know,” the standout lead single from Wilco’s latest effort, Wilco (the Album).

   Proceeds from the double-disc album due in stores September 29 will benefit Oxfam.

   LISTEN:
   7 Worlds Collide-“Fake Plastic Trees” (Radiohead cover w/KT Tunstall)
   7 Worlds Collide-“There is a Light That Never Goes Out” (Smiths cover)
   7 Worlds Collide-“Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” (Smiths cover)

4. 4
   Metalli-Kinks
   Not officially a supergroup, fine, but we couldn’t resist posting this nightmarish match-up of Metallica and the Kinks performing together one more time this year.

   In honor of the R’n'R Hall of Fame’s 25th Anniversary, a series of “all-star” concerts were held in NYC featuring some top acts, and some not-so-top acts, all mixed together into a sometimes nightmarish pop culture stew.

   Some things just shouldn’t mix, as the concert’s list of duets proves:The night produced some strange duets:
   U2 & Springsteen (ok)
   Mick Jagger & Fergie (ick)

   Metallica & the Kinks (why?)

   And things just get even weirder after that…(see videos from the whole, strange night, here)

   “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks The Kinks are rock legends/innovators because they managed to strip the music to its core with no-nonsense riffs and brutally direct lyrics, and no song exemplifies that more than 1964’s “You Really Got Me.”

   Until this point, the worst version of this song was probably Van Halen’s 1978 take, but Metallica, with over-fuzzed guitars and middle-aged metal angst, could’ve out blasphemed Diamond Dave were it not for the fact that Kinks leader Ray Davies was onstage with them to salvage things by association. Thanks, Ray.

5. 5
   Smashing Pumpkins+Jane’s Addiction=Spirits in the Sky
   Just when you thought the super-hyped Them Crooked Vultures were the only supergroup in town, along comes Spirits in the Sky.

   Let’s compare the line-ups:

   Them Crooked Vultures makes perfect sense as a power trio consisting of drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) and bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).

   Spirits in the Sky is a nine-piece band starring the dueling guitar jammery of Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins, Zwan) and Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers). It also features members of ’60s bands Electric Prunes and Strawberry Alarm Clock (of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls film fame).One is a hard rock powerhouse with a cool logo.The other is Grateful Dead-loving art-rock collective with a Sky Saxon fixation and a band name snagged from a 1969 song by Norman Greenbaum.

   Check out both bands below, then tell us: Which one do you prefer?

   Them Crooked Vultures-”Nobody Loves Me, and Neither Do I” (video)

   Spirits in the Sky-“The Trip” (video)

6. 6
   Chickenfoot: Hagar, Satriani a “Supergroup”?
   This might be the most annoying promo video ever made. It’s for a band called Chickenfoot.Have you heard of Chickenfoot?

   Chickenfoot is being billed as a new “supergroup” featuring ex-Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar, ex-VH bassist Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and guitarist-who-sued-Coldplay-for-plagiarism, Joe Satriani.

   A guy who couldn’t upstage David Lee Roth and a guy so boring Coldplay might’ve swiped his song?

   Um, thanks…

   As expected, Chickenfoot basically sounds like a middle-aged Van Halen cover band. The group’s self-titled debut album hits stores in June, if you’re curious, you can check out three free Chickenfoot mp3s.

7. 7
   Anthrax+ Fall Out Boy=Damned Things
   Anthrax has teamed up with other groups in the past—like Public Enemy—but the band’s move toward pop-punk is even more surprising.

   Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz is usually busy making headlines for something unrelated to his music (like his wife’s bad acting or his baby’s ridiculous name, for example). So, it’s little surprise that the other members of FOB are ready to start forming new bands and working on new projects.

   Although it may not reach the same “supergroup” status as Them Crooked Vultures, Damned Things is a new group featuring Fall Out Boy’s Andy Hurley (drums) and Joe Trohman (guitar) along with members of thrash metal mainstays Anthrax (guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano) and Every Time I Die’s bassist David Karon and vocalist Keith Buckley, Rolling Stone online reports.

   We’re not sure what this concoction is going to sound like, but with three guitarists on board, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be loud. (The band’s myspace page is currently empty, aside from some very excited comments from fans.)

   No word on what the future holds for Fall Out Boy, but Wentz’s last official comment on the matter was that the group was on hiatus.

   In non-music news, earlier this year, the band teamed with Image Comics to release a series of comic books called Fall Out Toy Works.

   Do you think the Damned Things will be as good as Them Crooked Vultures?
   Is it even fair to compare the two bands?

8. 8
   Photogenic+mildy annoying=Scarlett Johansson & Pete Yorn
   We’re not sure why, but Scarlett Johansson is preparing to release another CD.

   At this point, we almost respect the fact that she didn’t hang up her microphone after her widely panned debut album was released in 2008. That album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, was an oddball collection of Tom Waits cover songs.

   Likely a more accessible collection, Johansson’s new album, Break Up, is a set of duets with…Pete Yorn. (A singer we kinda love/hate based on his absurd song about burritos, here.)Yorn’s music is innocuous acoustic-based rock, so the good news is that this album will probably be easier to swallow (or easier to ignore) than Johansson’s deadpan Waits songs (not to mention her wholly unnecessary version of Jeff Buckley’s “Last Goodbye” for the movie soundtrack of He’s Just Not That Into You).

   Can Yorn and Johansson compete with classic duos like Lee & Nancy? Dean and Britta? Sonny & Cher? Serge & Brigitte? Ren & Stimpy?

   We’re not so sure, but we’re interested to hear the album anyway. From the previews we’ve heard, it actually reminds us a little of She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward).On the plus side, they’re certainly a photogenic duo, so, y’know, at least the album cover will be pretty.

   Do you like Scarlett’s musical efforts?
   Do you think Scarlett and Pete make a good music match?