Introducing Sweethead
Introducing Sweethead
Words by Ian Dickinson
Sweethead will not pass unnoticed not because the band is the latest side project of Queens Of The Stone Age guitar virtuoso Troy Van Leeuwen, but because they are literally cool as hell and are here to take you on a alcohol fueled adventure into the LA night.
Troy is a companied on this sleazy Hollywood night train by Norm Block on Drums, Eddie Nappl on Bass and blonde vampiress Serrina Sims on lead vocals. Troy’s guitar style is unmistakable, but that does not mean that Sweethead are a mere QOTSA spin-off. Sweethead play straight up sleazy, sexy, sinister, balls to the wall rock’n’roll. It reminds me of late 1970s David Bowie and Iggy Pop collaborations from their Berlin years, especially the track Nightclubbing, which is strange as the band are named after a Bowie B-side. Its music to accompany a long night of whiskey and cigarettes followed by a well dressed Knife fight in dimly lit alley way.
The band currently have 1 EP to their name entitled The Great Disruptors which is a guide through the seedy underbelly of Hollywood where stars are born and stars are broken. Stand out track Life In Laralay is a perfect example of this. Invoking images of all night parties in decrypted Hollywood mansion with the ghosts of Jim Morrison and James Dean dancing with the living to the sun rises. Life In Laralay, maybe broody and sinister but it is still accessible and definitely a tune to fill dance floors, much in the way Bowie did with Scary Monsters. We Turned Our Backs sees the band demonstrating some proto-punk sensibilities, its stripped back, fast and cut throat. Little tip for you. If you join the bands mailing list via their Myspace, you get a free download which is a very bizarre take on the classic Kinks track Tired Of Waiting For You that has been given the full LA overhaul sounding like a surreal surf safari at times and a blistering heavy rock track at others.
Johnny Thunders was effortlessly cool and personified the most decadent and scariest aspects of rock’n’roll as to do Sweethead. Its gothic tinged rock, leaning towards the narcissistic zeitgeist of early punk and done with impeccable style and sophistication. Sweethead will be releasing their first full length on September 21st and will be supporting Eagles of Death Metal at the end of October beginning of November. I will certainly be attending one of these evenings of booze filled mayhem and debauchery as the support group may well be as good as if not better than the headlining act.
September 4th, 2009
QoTsA is the best band ever, but these guys are probably my fav new band, Ian is spot on with this lot, get in there and check them out