If there’s one trait that links Los Angeles art-rockers Sparks and the indie rock of Glasgow’s Franz Ferdinand, it’s the smirk.
It takes a pretty healthy sense of humor to pair up as a supergroup (in their case, with the Internet-unfriendly acronym of FFS) and then release a six-plus minute song called “Collaborations Don’t Work.” But the mash-up of the two bands has produced one of the more interesting albums of 2015, one that takes the best of both acts and blends them together seamlessly.
With so much new music available on a weekly basis, we’re in favor of seeing more acts combining to release albums together; consolidation makes our inboxes a little less stuffed. But there are creative reasons to do so as well, as these four amNewYork-approved supergroups suggest.
Tame the Black Keys to the Impala
With the Akron, Ohio duo The Black Keys grounding the psychedelic rock efforts of the Australian quintet, the resulting album might single-handedly bring music back to AM radio. And Tame Impala leader Kevin Parker has already shown a remarkable collaborative touch, with his strong contributions to Mark Ronson’s latest album.
One Duran Duran Direction
The 1980s superstars Duran Duran were in their very-early 20s when they got going in 1978, and are still going strong with festival appearances and Billboard-charting albums more than three decades later. One Direction could learn a thing or two from Duran Duran in terms of turning early success into a lifelong career.
Imagine Killers
It might be a mess on stage, with eight combined members, but the two Las Vegas bands Imagine Dragons and The Kilers are similar in sound, and the duo of Dan Reynolds and Brandon Flowers could make for a great dichotomy as the angel and the devil, respectively, of Sin City.
Iggy Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks, despite releasing a critically-lauded album at the end of 2014, still can’t break through on the charts. Iggy Azalea, despite superstar status just one year ago (remember: “Fancy” was actually the song of the summer in 2014!), is on the verge of Vanilla Ice-hood. Maybe it’s time to squash the beef and head out on the road together?
IF YOU GO: FFS performs at Terminal 5 on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., 610 W. 56th St., 212-582-6600, $35.
