Stacy’s top sides

We had a fun summer this year, and remembering that got me thinking about my favorite sides…not like the BBQ sides, but some band side projects.

Sometimes a side project sounds very much like the band from which it sprouted, and sometimes it falls flat. Occasionally, though, a side project is stand-alone awesome. Here are some of my favorite side projects worthy of center stage.

GARZA / Thievery Corporation

Rob Garza founded Thievery Corporation with Eric Hilton in 1995. The two bonded over their love of bossa nova, jazz, and dub styles and created a band that would forever change the face of electronica.

Rob Garza, recording as GARZA, continues to delve even deeper into the eclectic world of music including cowboy psychedelia, Indian classical, Middle Eastern, and a heavy dose of Brazilian beats. Garza’s solo work is a testament to the universal language of music and the ability to unify people through common experience.

Philip Selway / Radiohead

Rock And Roll Hall of Famers Radiohead have had their fair share of side projects and today I’ll point you towards Philip Selway’s solo project. The longtime Radiohead drummer wrote songs as a teenager, but focused on drumming after the formation of Radiohead. While keeping busy with the band, he has also carved out a space to create music that doesn’t quite fit the Radiohead norm. His solo work features Selway on acoustic guitar and vocals, and performances from Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone (Wilco) and Lisa Germano.

Dirty Pretty Things / Libertines

The Libertines formed in London in 1997 and were known for their raucous garage rock, but the infighting between founding members Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar) made them fractious, and often unreliable. In the fallout out of the band, Barât would go on to form Dirty Pretty Things.

Dirty Pretty Things formed in 2005 with a similar formula as the Libertines, with a power-driving four piece, but they burned out equally as fast, dissolving in 2008. For the record, both bands are considered back together and making random appearances.

Big Noble / Interpol

Interpol hit the New York scene in 1997 with their Post Punk Revival sound and is still going strong. Founding member Daniel Kessler pulled double duty back in 2015 to flex his softer, more ambient side with Big Noble.

Big Noble was a collaboration between Kessler and sound designer Joseph Fraioli. The result was a brooding, atmospheric journey filled with droning guitars and modular synthesizers, creating ambient soundscapes.

Mini Mansions / Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA), headed by Josh Homme, has a rotating cast of characters including Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Joey Castillo (Circle Jerks, Danzig), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Gutter Twins), and current member bassist Michael Shuman. While QOTSA are known for their hard, blues-oriented Krautrock style, Shuman’s side project Mini Mansions explores cool-pop.

When QOTSA took a break from touring, Mini Mansions formed as a three piece that championed the ideas of female sexuality and power from a male perspective. This trio of songwriters challenged the idea of a traditional love song, and their single “Vertigo,” inspired by Italian horror films, did just that. As a bonus, Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) provides the vocals on this downtempo, dreamy track.