One of my very favorite albums of the year is Queens of the Stone Age’s sixth LP, the artful and mesmerizing behemoth …Like Clockwork. The Josh Homme-led band also hit the road this year, including a set recorded for the Austin City Limits special airing next month on PBS.
To hold you over, check out a blistering live version of skank-nasty Clockwork cut “Smooth Sailing.” With its robotic funk stylings and Homme’s creepy lyrics (“Bruises and hickies / stitches and scars”…”I blow my load over the status quo”), it feels like a holdover from the Era Vulgaris sessions — but in a good way.
The ACL special will air January 4th. Later in the month, Queens will hit the road again, kicking off their second leg on January 30th with a date in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Anybody catch Queens of the Stone Age live this year?
