Josh Homme is really good at putting together supergroups . Like really good. Back in 1997 he created Volume 1 of The Desert Sessions with some friends at a recording studio in Joshua Tree, California. More recordings have been released as part of ongoing collaborations, and now, after a 16-year hiatus, two new volumes are set to arrive.
Eight tracks, recorded over six days in December of 2018 at Joshua Tree will be released on October 25 as Desert Sessions Volumes 11 & 12, or you can call them by their proper name, Arrivederci Despair and Tightwads & Nitwits & Critics & Heels.
On the tracks Homme plays with Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Mike Kerr (Royal Blood), Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White), Les Claypool (Primus), Matt Sweeney (Zwan, Probot, etc.), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows, The Mighty Boosh), Libby Grace and Töôrnst Hülpft. Homme told NME,
“It should read funny on paper. That way, it’s interesting before it even starts. I’ve been doing these long enough to understand the bizarre chemistry that’s necessary and to know that it should seem like it’s from disparate ends of the Earth.”
One of my favorite parts of a Homme release, no matter the band, is his promo videos and this one doesn’t disappoint. In the video, Homme plays voicemails from all the guest artists, all begging him to take their contributions off the album.
Here’s the track listing:
“Move Together” (lead vocal: Billy F. Gibbons)
“Noses in Roses Forever” (lead vocal: Joshua Homme)
“Far East for the Trees”
“If You Run” (lead vocal: Libby Grace)
“Crucifire” (lead vocal: Mike Kerr)
“Chic Tweetz” (vocals: Töôrnst Hülpft, Matt Berry)
“Something You Can’t See” (lead vocal: Jake Shears)
“Easier Said Than Done” (lead vocal: Joshua Homme)
