…Like Clockwork (Queens of the Stone Age)

…Like Clockwork
Queens of the Stone Age (2013)

Top Tracks: “My God is the Sun”, “If I Had a Tail”, “Smooth Sailing”

While Songs for the Deaf may be my favorite QOTSA album, this one is super close. This was their sixth album, and Josh Homme has never shied from going with the flow of his need to evolve as a songwriter and performer, which in my book is often the hallmark of an admirable creative wellspring. The version of QOTSA that was assembled for this album has ended up being the most steady; seven years later, the lineup remains unchanged (May 2020).

Cruel & Delicious (Fatso Jetson)

Cruel & Delicious
Fatso Jetson (2002)

Top Tracks: “Light Yourself On Fire”, “Iron Chef”, “Heavenly Hearse"

I enjoy the moments on this list where the band is one that only a certain few are hip to, and Fatso Jetson is a dark horse of an already niche genre… desert rock. Fatso Jetson was part of the original low desert scene in Southern California, having generator parties in the middle of nowhere and rocking in their own distinct way. I hear as much Devo in Fatso Jetson as I do Black Sabbath. Quirky and great. Personal note: Saw them live at Dave Catching’s birthday event at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, and it was spectacular. (June 2020).