In my first feature for Collider, I dig deep into Josh Homme’s miles-long list of collaborations with other prominent musicians from a range of genres as part of Queens of the Stone Age and other projects. The 1,200-word article analyzes his work with PJ Harvey, Mark Lanegan, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Iggy Pop, Norah Jones, Rob Halford, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl – just to name a few.
Roughly a month ago, emo-ish punks Still Bones unveiled a new EP. (Listen to it here.) Start/Stop is something of a blink-and-you-will-miss-it release, as the band barrels through its three songs at breakneck speed, with the entire release totaling only about eight minutes.
That said, Start/Stop captures the essence of the Baltimore band, which consists of John Gamble (vocals, guitar), Vinnie Burke (drums), Jake Butler (bass) and Ethan Salem (guitar). Gamble actually originated Still Bones as a solo project during COVID. He called it “a way to finally organize all the bits and pieces of songs I had written over the years. But the vision was always to be a full band, because being part of a scene and building community is what it’s all about.”
The band has stated that the light speed at which the release proceeds mirrors the urgency of modern times, with the world undeniably changing at an ever-increasingly rapid – and frightening – pace.
“There’s a lot of fucked up shit happening, and it’s hard to see any meaningful way to create change, so instead we just feel angry,” Gamble said. “This I want to rebel but don’t know how energy mixed with a one step forward two steps back sense of malaise is at the heart of Start/Stop.”
Helping keep Gamble stable and calm during these perilous times is his trusty dog Coda. Judging by what Gamble told us in his Pet Sounds submission, he’d be faced with a Sophie’s Choice were he forced to pick between Still Bones and Coda. Look at the below photos, and you’ll see why: Gamble has raised one very happy dog with a huge smile to prove it.
We recently caught up with Gamble to learn more about Coda and the crucial role she plays in his life.
Continue readingDavid Yow’s penchant for physical prowess is not only evident in his four decades as noise-rock’s ultimate madman; the Jesus Lizard frontman also taps into his mesmerizing contortions and transformations as an actor. Fans of Yow and his bands – which have also included Scratch Acid, Qui and Flipper – may be aware of his various forays in film, but only a select few have seen this wacky demo reel he used to clinch acting roles.
A short list of movies on Yow’s resumé include 2017’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore with Elijah Wood; 2023’s The Toxic Avenger with Peter Dinklage; 2018’s Under the Silver Lake with Andrew Garfield; and the 2015 cult-favorite horror anthology Southbound.
Continue readingEarlier this week, The Bad Penny caught up with Joe Love, vocalist/guitarist of brand-new, badass Boston band Merry Brigade, who freshen up grunge-era alt-rock with a modern sound. The quartet — which also features Dave Holmes (guitar/backing vocals), Kevin Delprete (bass) and Ben Chase (drummer) — self-released their debut EP, DDD, in mid-March. After taking that first step, Merry Brigade are moving full-steam ahead, with their first full-length slated to come out later this year and a second LP — which the band is already toiling away at — poised to materialize in 2027.
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Who’d win in a bar fight?
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