Distrophonix Blog

Side Projects:

even the pros jam with their friends

Them Crooked Vultures-

A powerhouse trio consisting of John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Joshua Hommes (Queens of the Stone Age), and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters & Nirvana). The group’s self-titled record evenly portrays the multiple personalities of each musician while creating a fresh rock sound with epic rock tracks such as “Dead End Friends” and “New Fang”. They only made one record but all members have stated that a second album is in the works, it’s been 7 years since their debut so all we can do is patiently wait.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium-

A Collaboration between Les Claypool (Primus) and Sean Lennon (Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger) that is just as weird as it should be. The vicious bass licks make it very obvious that Les Claypool is behind this project and the spacey rock feel of Lennon keeps the scale in balance and creating a distinct middle ground for the artists. It’s not as jumpy as primus but the bass is definitely a prominent instrument in the mix and overall composition of the music.

Hollywood Vampires-

Hollywood vampires is a group consisting of Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp that formed in 2015 to honor the legacy of rock icons and specifically those who died too young. Hollywood Vampires was originally a drinking club that Cooper had formed in the 70s that is said to have members such as Ringo Starr and Keith Moon. The band has one studio album that is mostly covers but has 3 original tracks on it. The band pays tribute to legendary groups like The Doors, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. The band is active but conflicted due to Johnny Depps schedule being out of sync with his band members.

Seth Macfarlane-

On top of being incredibly successful in the TV industry, Seth Macfarlane has 3 jazz albums that are no joke. It is made clear in shows like Family Guy that Macfarlane loves big bands and orchestras, adding epic soundtracks to the cartoon that adds a little bit of class to the raunchy humor. While Seth is outspoken and known as a comedic figure, he still can sing and swing like back in the day just like the people who would probably ban his TV shows from their home.

H Jon Benjamin-

On the other side of the scale lies H Jon Benjamins (Voice actor for Archer and Bobs Burgers), who’s album “I should’ve learned…” is a train wreck of Benjamin emphasizing his inability to play piano. The album starts with a dialogue between Benjamin and the Devil (voiced by Aziz Ansari) where they discuss the possibility of Bejamin’s selling his soul to master the piano, the offer is declined and the album continues. The first track begins with the back up band (who is actually pretty amazing) playing some upbeat jazz, quickly followed by hilariously awkward attempts at piano solos. The album goes through with this concept and slowly chainsaws its way through without any real pickup of talent in piano.

The Pizza Underground-

The Pizza Underground is a comedy group formed by child star Macaulay Culkin that pays tribute to The Velvet Underground and Pizza. The group covers songs and switches vital lyrics with pizza related words such as “Take a Bite of the Wild Slice”. The Group formed in 2012 as a joke and has played at Lou reed tribute shows as well as shows booked just for the band.

The Flaming Lips-

Known for their overall weirdness, The Flaming Lips are no stranger to humbling collaborative projects that emphasis the overall product rather than how much they put into the recordings. They have two cover albums of Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band that feature several other artists such as My Morning Jacket, Henry Rollins, and Miley Cyrus. The Flaming Lips also did a full length album with Miley Cyrus called “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz”. What else will the flaming lips do through their career? Maybe the better question is: what WON’T they do?

Temple of the Dog-

The rise of the Grunge music scene in Seattle during the 90’s must have been a place to be. It seems like all the bands knew each other and that the whole area was connected. A band called Mother Love Bone is one that does not get remembered due to their front-man, Andrew Wood,dying from a heroin overdose in 1990. His band would reform into “Pearl Jam” but first they would join forces with Chris Cornell from Soundgarden to pay tribute to their lost friend. The band only made one self-titled album that is a gem to the Grunge music scene. The Song “Hunger Strike” is a Epic duet between Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder that was a hit single in 1991, Alice in Chains also pays tribute to Andrew Wood with their track “Would?”.

The power of music goes beyond one single band or artist, it is a collection of all the worlds experience and perceptions. Jam with your friends and make great songs with whoever you can because that unifying feeling we get is what music’s truly all about.