Show Uncle Dusty: little known music collaborations from well known artists

"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
07/16/2020 at 15:10 • Filed to: None

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most from today’s era of streaming music has been the introduction to artists and songs I would have never known about otherwise. Unlike the old days of music where only the specific label-selected tracks from specific label-selected artists ever got public air time, streaming services are happy to host any and all music from any and all artists, and will suggest whatever they think you will enjoy most, whether it’s a stadium-filling superstar or a small time indie artist whose biggest gig was their family reunion. Streaming, of course, has its own drawbacks, namely its less- than- stellar artist compensation and the effect it has had on album sales (wanna know why shows are so much more expensive? This is why ), but from the perspective of a consumer it’s a bountiful harvest of music discovery. About 2/3 of the shows I’ve been to over the past five years have been artists I discovered entirely thorough streaming.

One of the music discoveries I least expected was the expanse of solo work, side projects, and collaborations from A-list artists. Take Serj Tankian for example. Serj has been a busy boy since System Of A Down, um, went on hiatus. In addition to an intermittent solo artist career Serj has transitioned to composing instrumental film scores (mostly for Armenian films) , with six soundtracks to his name since 2016. Kind of a shame to see someone who screams as well as he does not using their vocal talents, but there’s no denying the beauty of his compositions.

If you do find yourself jonesing for that iconic Serj voice, he also did a cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” for one of the recent movies, and joined his old SOAD drummer for a high energy rendition of Starman.

Another excellent example is Lzzy Hale, who has done so many guest appearances on other artists’ songs that there’s an entire playlist for it on Spotify. The playlist is nowhere near complete, but includes collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly, Stone Sour (doing an amazing cover of “Gimme Shelter”, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Lindsey Stirling, and even an electronica track with Dada Life. Most recently she paired with Mongolian throat-singing metal band The HU to create the song “Song of Women,” which I can’t say enough about (seriously, if you listen to just one song in this post listen to that one).

Acting as a Kevin Bacon between these two artists is David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed. All the way back in 2013 David created a side project, a band named Device. The project didn’t last, but it did put out a lone album. The album contained several guests, including Serj on the track “Out of Line” and Lzzy on the track “Close My Eyes Forever” - itself, rather fittingly, a cover of a collaboration between Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne.

What other collaborations and side projects from major artists have slipped under the radar of the musical mainstream?

DISCUSSION (26)

AestheticsInMotion > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 15:14

Have you listened to enter the chicken ? One of my favorite Buckethead albums, and it’s chocked full of guest appearances. Serj sings on a couple songs.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx2RgO8dW36yFc8r5J3BxZhEST3RMajcD

Spaceball-Two > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 15:18

Tim Armstrong of Rancid formed The Transplants back in 2002 with Travis Barker. He also had a pretty good solo album a few years back.

PowderHound > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 15:25

RZA and Paul Banks of Interpol did a collab album back in 2016 under Banks and Steelz that I think is fantastic. There are some other guests like kool keith and some Wu-Tang members and then one with Florence Welch.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 15:34

eeeeh.....i know these guys were dave lombardos side project

but most of the time i dont really care whos in a band...so this question is difficult for me...lol

Dusty Ventures > AestheticsInMotion
07/16/2020 at 15:45

Big fan of Enter The Chicken

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 15:55

That Godzilla theme is also Dethklok.

Trent Reznor and Maynard have been on a whole bunch of things. But Everyone knows those two. So why not Randy Blythe?

Kinja'd!!!

Dusty Ventures > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
07/16/2020 at 15:57

I mean we all have artists we’re fans of, people who stand out in our minds, whether it’s their unique vocal ability or their unrivaled mastery of their instrument. . I just think it’s cool when the stars align and they pair up with other artists we’re fans of. Like when Eddie Van Halen does guitar for Michael Jackson or David Bowie sings with Freddie Mercury.

ClassicDatsunDebate > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 16:02

I think L zzy Hale and Richie Faulkner should just become the new Judas Priest already

I don’t know if you would say that Baroness, Mutoid Man, or any of the other bands within the Two Minutes to Late Night ecosystem are “well known”, but I can not deny that the musicianship is superb and they are collaborations so I’d like to draw your attention to them. They have introduced me to wicked artists like Gena Gleason of Baroness and Mutoid Man’s Stephen Brodsky.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 16:03

i agree...but its still very rare for me to bother learning much about the people making the music i love...including their names...most of the time

i kinda figure my love for the music is a pure love....untainted by wether or not the people what made it turned out to be douchebags :p

anyhoo...these guys are probably my favourite collab

Tareim - V8 powered > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 16:03

This entire album (some songs better than others) https://open.spotify.com/album/4YltsTclvvB9OJbSinueLB?si=wbExcjPMSlK61TrsFzjjMA

It’s a live version only but this is good https://open.spotify.com/track/6Mr7IQ4rYYPlx4drRXg2S2?si=SS6IxRHQSSu4q_cMXnTBGQ

Dusty Ventures > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/16/2020 at 16:03

I mean something by Trent/Maynard that most people don't know happened is more what I'm asking for (Trent's side project with his wife, How to Destroy Angels, would be a prime example). But I'll allow it

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 16:17

Tapeworm but they haven’t released anything

Dusty Ventures > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
07/16/2020 at 17:10

Now I’m sad

*Listens to “Po tions”*

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 17:12

Bloodbath was basically a collab between Opeth and Katatonia.

And there's Unhealer, with Michael Akerfeldt of Opeth and Ihsahn of Emperor.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > ClassicDatsunDebate
07/16/2020 at 17:13

I love both Mutoid Man and Baroness, but I didn't realize the latter was part of the 2 Minutes ecosystem.

ClassicDatsunDebate > Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/16/2020 at 17:23

They most certainly are

PowderHound > Dusty Ventures
07/16/2020 at 17:40

I remembered another one I really like. The Company Band that has Neil Fallon from clutch, Brad Davis from Fu Manchu, and Jesse Margera from CKY/Bam Margeras brother