Oysterhead

September 28, 2001 5:57 PM

Oysterhead is Primus bassist Les Claypool, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, and Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Having listened to sample cuts from their forthcoming debut album, all I can say is: omigod! What would be your musical dream team?
posted by scottandrew (55 comments total)

I'm pretty happy with Fantomas's latest piece myself. A great mixture of talent on that one.
posted by john at 6:06 PM on September 28, 2001

after the joy that was "The Power Station", everything else just pales in comparison... Seriously though, Stephen Malkmus, Kim Deal, and Mike D. mixed by Amon Tobin.
posted by machaus at 6:10 PM on September 28, 2001

Er, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young without Dave Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:17 PM on September 28, 2001

Miguel, that was brilliant.
posted by Optamystic at 6:46 PM on September 28, 2001

Coltrane, Miles, Monk, Bird.
posted by tranquileye at 6:51 PM on September 28, 2001

ooh, 10/26 at the Greek... Scott, you going to that?

You know, quite honestly, a lot of times I'm content to listen to Phish and call that a Dream Team. All depends on the mood. When asked to mix and match I usually can't come up with anything.

I'd like to see Dave Matthews Band ditch Leroi Moore and add Jeff Coffin from the Flecktones. And Bela for good measure. Oh wait, and Victor Wooten. And that guy who wails on the bassoon that plays with them. (I suppose one could call the Flecktones a Dream Team as well)...
posted by Bernreuther at 6:52 PM on September 28, 2001

Um... it already exists in the form of The Make Up.
posted by noisemartyr at 6:55 PM on September 28, 2001

Some odd combination of Shirley Manson, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Chrissy Hynde, Janet Weiss and Justine Frischmann. Produced by Butch Vig.
(Garbage, Hole, Pretenders, Sleater-Kinney and Elastica, respectively)
posted by Psionic_Tim at 6:55 PM on September 28, 2001

i dunno, The Make Up is ok, but Nation of Ulysses was my fave. I suppose Fugazi could also be considered a supergoup. But seriously:

Kevin Sheilds (My Bloody Valentine), Elizabeth Frasier (Cocteau Twins), the fretless bass player from Curve with Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada doing the beats. All produced by Flood, Tricky, Mark Clifford and Tim Gaine (Stereolab). That might be pretty interesting. Maybe throw Roland Kirk in there too. Yeah.
posted by n9 at 7:08 PM on September 28, 2001

I simply can't decide! There are so many collaborations I'd like to see, but the sort of music I listen to doesn't lend itself to accumulating them into one super-group. Kemal vs. Danny Byrd... High Contrast & Jamiroquai... Spring Heel Jack with Brad Mehldau on piano and Dev Paradox playing drums... Pieter K & Speedy J... Digital & Alpha Omega with vocals by Saul Williams... Calibre & Teebee featuring Liz Fraser. I would add 4 Hero & Jill Scott but that's aready going to be on their next LP (yes!)
posted by decklin at 7:12 PM on September 28, 2001

That's easy. Vocals? Lemy. Lead guitar? Lemy. Bass? Lemy. Drums? Lemy.

But if an all-Lemy lineup actually became a reality, the first note would be one of such beauty and purity of sound, the universe would implode and life as we know it would end.
posted by mathowie at 7:16 PM on September 28, 2001

The Greek is a great place to see a concert. You must go.
posted by brian at 7:20 PM on September 28, 2001

Phish is to Osterhead as The Dead is (was) to Kingfish
posted by BentPenguin at 7:27 PM on September 28, 2001

Musical dream team: Black Francis (yelling, guitar), Kim Deal (bass), David Lovering (drums), Joey Santiago (some kind of alien guitar noise). Somebody wake me if that happens again.
posted by eyeballkid at 8:01 PM on September 28, 2001

I think that the backbeat band was pretty amazing

thurston moore on guitars, mike mills on bass, don fleming on guitars, dave grohl on drums, greg dulli and dave pirner on vocals..playing early beatles songs.
posted by chacal at 8:03 PM on September 28, 2001

i dunno, The Make Up is ok, but Nation of Ulysses was my fave.

I think i'm a little biased because I never caught the NOU live. But I think Steve Gamboa is a better drummer than bass player. And Michelle Mae and her stone cold bass grooves are extremely sexy.
posted by noisemartyr at 8:09 PM on September 28, 2001

I was gonna post something snarky, but mathowie just blew my feeble little mind.
posted by dong_resin at 8:10 PM on September 28, 2001

Frank Zappa, James Brown, Richard D. James and Yoko Kanno. Guest musicians: DJ Shadow, Herb Alperts, Tom Jenkinson, Konishi Yasuharu, George Clinton, Saul Williams, and J. Spaceman. Produced by the Dust Brothers and ColdCut. Bonus Disk featuring Remixes by Luke Vibert, DJ Vadim, Kid-606, and Amon Tobin. All lyrics writen by Johnny Cash.
posted by fuq at 8:13 PM on September 28, 2001

Keith Moon, Johnny Ramone, Peter Hook, with vocals by Iggy Pop. Songs written by Paul Westerberg and Neil Young.
posted by websavvy at 8:23 PM on September 28, 2001

tool+tracy thorn+elizabeth fraser+hope sandoval+martina topley bird
baby.
posted by signal at 8:36 PM on September 28, 2001

How about the all-time supergroup for nerds: Ben Folds, Rivers Cuomo, John Linnell and Beck? Mmmmmm.
posted by toddshot at 8:37 PM on September 28, 2001

Ad-Rock, MCA, Mike D.

Like the man said, "If it ain't broke....."
posted by Optamystic at 8:41 PM on September 28, 2001

How about the all-time supergroup for nerds: Ben Folds, Rivers Cuomo, John Linnell and Beck? Mmmmmm.

You forgot Lou Barlow.
posted by noisemartyr at 8:56 PM on September 28, 2001

if i got to pick my super group, it'd be a power-pop group..and it would be

bob mould: gtr/vox
elliott smith: vox/gtr
lou barlow: vox/bass
dave grohl: drums/vox

i'm not overwhelmed by dave grohl as a selection, but it's tough to find a power-pop singer/songwriter who drums..and i can't pick grant hart, cause of the obvious conflict with bob mould, and i can't pick j. mascis because of the conflict with lou barlow :)
posted by chacal at 8:59 PM on September 28, 2001

OK:

1. David Byrne & Radiohead.

2. Ani Difranco & Prince.

3. Moby & Method Man.

4. Gwen Stefani & Me.
posted by jpoulos at 9:00 PM on September 28, 2001

Chacal: Grohl is perfect for that mix. You need the hooks, man. You need the hooks.
posted by jpoulos at 9:02 PM on September 28, 2001

In a way, I am glad that Phish broke up/went on hiatus. It just got to the point where Trey was playing music that was too complex for the rest of the band.

Oysterhead is amazing. I suggest that all of you try to find a copy of the bootleg of the one show theyve play thus far. It is the best jamming I have ever heard. Claypool is just amazing on bass.
posted by rift2001 at 9:18 PM on September 28, 2001

Claypool is just amazing on bass

That's an understatement. Les Claypool is the Picasso, Michelangelo, and da Vinci of bass guitar.

I hope kazaa or audiogalaxy can find me some oysterhead tonight.
posted by mathowie at 9:22 PM on September 28, 2001

on a les claypool related note..for a while, there was discussion of a les claypool/mike watt/flea project..did anything ever come of that?
posted by chacal at 9:30 PM on September 28, 2001

A duet with Peter Murphy and Lisa Gerrard.

Ahh, that would be nice.
posted by kokogiak at 9:59 PM on September 28, 2001

My two über bands:

1) Tricky and the girl from Hooverphonic on the mic, Richard D. James with background vocals/ambient sound effects, Bonham on the drums, Clapton on the guitar, Kid Koala and the Neptunes producing.

2) Britney and Fred Durst on the vocals, P-Diddy and Yanni producing, HAL 9000 as the drum machine, and Bill Clinton on the sax.
posted by catatonic at 10:06 PM on September 28, 2001

I'd go see Stewart Copeland play even if I were deaf. It would be like watching 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' - I have never seen such strength and grace in a drummer.

I saw Animal Logic (Copeland, Stanley Clarke on bass, a female singer/songwriter, and a guitar guy) in a small club. It rocked my world.

Those sample mp3s were some wacked-out shit. I'll go see these guys live. Les Claypool is a crazy person, Stewart will no doubt bring him into line with some banjo parts for the 18-string fretless bass!
posted by crunchburger at 10:12 PM on September 28, 2001

Seems like only decklin likes the same stuff I do...

My turn: Navasha Daya (from Fertile Ground) on vocals, Kaidi Tatham on keyboards, Meshell NdegeOcello on bass, Dego handling the beats. Actually, just Meshell & Dego collaborating on production would make my day...
posted by pascal at 10:17 PM on September 28, 2001

i can't think of any imaginary superteams i'd like to hear, but i can name a few real ones i like. electronic: johnny marr (the smiths, guitar) + bernard sumner (vocals and guitar, new order). plus collaboration with the pet shop boys (neil tenant and chris lowe) on, at least, their title album! second, U.N.K.L.E., a project co-produced by DJ Shadow and James Lavelle. their production, psyence fiction, included performances by mike d (beastie boys), thom yorke (radiohead), kool g rap, and richard ashcroft (the verve), to name a few. now go buy the stuff!
posted by moz at 10:19 PM on September 28, 2001

some weird combo of the replacements and billy bragg.
posted by chrismc at 10:40 PM on September 28, 2001

What crunchburger said. Stewart Copeland is a god. Add Mark Knopfler on guitar, that guy from Fighting Gravity on bass (blanking) and Peter Gabriel doing vox and any other weird contributions he chooses to make.

Hell, maybe just a drum circle with Copeland, Mickey Hart, Ryan MacMillan from the Push Stars and Tom Major from Entrain. Cool.
posted by swerve at 10:49 PM on September 28, 2001

swerve - don't forget neal peart - *grin*
posted by bwg at 10:57 PM on September 28, 2001

I think my dream team would be Johnny Cash singing songs by Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. Yep.

Wasn't Buckethead in Oysterhead too? I had a friend who was into all that Claypool/Buckethead/other bizzare prog-metal-jam-nerd-rock bands. Riding in his car is quite the education... bass players like fucked up music. It's a fact.
posted by tweebiscuit at 10:57 PM on September 28, 2001

ok lessee...

neal peart - percussion (rush), eddie van halen - lead guitar(van halen), flea - bass (red hot chili peppers), ian thornley - vocals; guitar (big wreck)
posted by bwg at 11:05 PM on September 28, 2001

Um, since we're playing in fantasyland: howsabout Mozart and Beethoven, and a handful of people as hired gun instrumentals? Vocals, drums, bass- all that stuff becomes secondary. If those two, paired as some kind of hyperbrilliant Lennon/McCartney songwriting duo (well, I don't know how well they'd work together), can't adapt to modern sounds and make music the like of which has never been heard before, who in the hell can?
posted by hincandenza at 11:19 PM on September 28, 2001

Jarrett -- Peacock -- DeJohnette, the standards trio. Alive, well, and recording, thank God.
posted by 7sharp11 at 11:28 PM on September 28, 2001

the hot snakes is a great supergroup... john "speedo" reis from rocket from the crypt/drive like jehu, rick fork from jehu, gar wood from tanner, and jason k from the delta 72. pure rock and roll.

and yes, everything mike patton touches will become or has become a supergroup.
posted by afx114 at 12:12 AM on September 29, 2001

Michael Stipe, Morrissey, John Mellencamp, Paul Westerberg, David Bowie, Liz Phair, and Rich Hardesty. I'd pay big money to see that one happen.
posted by SisterHavana at 12:23 AM on September 29, 2001

I saw Animal Logic (Copeland, Stanley Clarke on bass, a female singer/songwriter, and a guitar guy) in a small club. It rocked my world.

The singer's name is Deborah Holland, and I would have given a kidney to see that show, crunchburger.
posted by scottandrew at 12:37 AM on September 29, 2001

Noisemartyr - I've got bad news for you: The Makeup is no more. They broke up about a lyear ago. Word has it that Ian's new band, the Wierd War (which also featured Miss Michelle May) has also broken up, without recording a single thing....

As for my favorite supergroup, I'd sure like it if Joel R.L. Phelps rejoined Silkworm.
posted by skwm at 6:56 AM on September 29, 2001

Heh...I understood more of the recent Russian link than I do of your comments here. And to think I'm the most eclectic music fan I know...apparently just in an entirely different universe!
posted by rushmc at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2001

Les Claypool is the Picasso, Michelangelo, and da Vinci of bass guitar.

Way to make Charles Mingus roll in his grave, mathowie.
posted by Trampas at 10:22 AM on September 29, 2001

Noisemartyr - I've got bad news for you: The Makeup is no more. They broke up about a lyear ago. Word has it that Ian's new band, the Wierd War (which also featured Miss Michelle May) has also broken up, without recording a single thing....



Its kind of insulting that you thought I didn't know that. And Weird War (which was also a veritable supergroup, featuring Neil Hagerty of Royal Trux) did record a song for Chris Slusarenko's Colonel Jeffrey Pumpernickel compilation (along with other indie rock demigods). So there.
posted by noisemartyr at 10:30 AM on September 29, 2001

Besides being a genius of the bass, Charles Mingus was also one the foremost authorities on the toilet-training of cats.
posted by gimli at 10:33 AM on September 29, 2001

And you misspelled Michelle Mae's name.
posted by noisemartyr at 10:42 AM on September 29, 2001

Cibo Matto with John Lydon, and Martin Atkins on drums, doing the Bee-Gees.

That's all butter.
posted by Hima Otsubusu at 11:58 AM on September 29, 2001

Er, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young without Dave Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash?

Does that mean all grossly overrated pompous egomaniac Neil Young all the time? Hooray!

The only lineup I'm really interested in is eyeballkid's.

Bring on Pixies now, please!
posted by zeb vance at 2:49 PM on September 29, 2001

Young is an egomaniac, and arguably overrated. But he ain't pompous.
posted by jpoulos at 3:09 PM on September 29, 2001

on a les claypool related note..for a while, there was discussion of a les claypool/mike watt/flea project..did anything ever come of that?
posted by chacal at 9:30 PM PST on September 28

There was an album released with all three of those guys, but it was pretty much just for bass geeks in that it was A LOT of talking between them about how they approach their playing, etc... VERY LITTLE MUSIC. I downloaded it thinking "here, I have found the holy grail!!"...and well, the talk was interesting, but they're musicians not Regis Philbin. I nearly cried.
posted by xochi at 4:07 PM on September 29, 2001

1. Steven Merritt (Magnetic Fields), Alan and Mimi from Low with Dan Pearson (on bass-from the American Music Club) with Mark Ribot produced by Daniel Lanois and/or Mitch Froom.

2. A Morrissey/Scott Walker collection of duets picked or written by Elvis Costello

3. The late great blues shouter Wynonie Harris fronting the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
posted by black8 at 9:40 PM on September 29, 2001