Bring the Reign
The desert dudes from Queens of the Stone Age unleash an oldie and a goodie
By Arrissia Owen Turner
Now that Queens of the Stone Age is more than a decade old and has surpassed the fame of date shakes, it’s time for Josh Homme and the rest of the band to look back at a deed well done.
Come January, Homme’s label Rekords Rekords will reissue the band’s self-titled 1998 debut, which has been out of print for many years. The CD stormed out of the sand, whipping critics into shape and lending a feminine machismo to the rock scene of the day.
While a new QOTSA release would be even more sought after—the last was the 2009 full-length Era Vulgaris—the band has spent the last few years working on side projects. For now, the re-release offers three new songs from the band’s formative years.
Bassist Michael Shuman’s side project Mini Mansion’s new album (also being released in January by Rekords Rekords) is decidedly downtempo with Shuman switching to drums for a change. He started the band in January 2009 with Zach Dawes (vocals/bass) and Tyler Parkford (guitar/keys). CULTURE talked with Shuman about musical multi-tasking and what puts the “desert” in desert metal.
Who is the driving force behind Mini Mansions?
We started it together. Zach is the middle man between me and Tyler. I’ve been friends with Zach since we were kids. He went to school with Tyler. He introduced us. Zach and I are both songwriters in our own right. I didn’t start a band and recruit two guys. It was definitely formed together. But I drive it now that it’s functional.
Do you share songwriting duties within the band?
It’s pretty split. But a lot of the ideas from our first EP and our first record are songs that Tyler’s had for a long time. A lot of people misconstrue it as me writing it all, doing everything. There are two voices you hear on the record. The main voice you hear is Tyler’s.
This is a very quiet album. Not what I expected from a member of QOTSA.
When we started, it was even quieter. There were no drums. It was supposed to be a mellow project. It’s gotten progressively louder and the live shows are heavier. People think coming from a band like QOTSA that we only listen to heavy music, but for the most part, even the guys in Queens, we don’t listen to just heavy music. Because I am in a rock band, I like to listen to mellower music when I’m not playing it. I don’t need to be bombarded by heavy music all the time.
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I like how there is some influence from The Kinks. That's funny because I was listening to "You Really Got Me" before I read this.
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