Mini Mansions is the side project of Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman, and as far as offshoots go, it ranks up there with Jack Whites The Dead Weather. The band is a three-piece in which Shuman handles the drums, guitar, and vocals; the result sounds like if Elliott Smith had fronted a psychedelic pop band kind of gothy, but also smoothly melodic. Mini Mansions just released a 7 single called Monk an absolutely irresistible song with a dark, bluesy melody and sleek, finessed vocals carried along by a bouncing bassline. The single also contains a re-envisioning of Heart of Glass the originals jittery, high-strung elements are replaced by a slowed-down tempo and steady kick-drum that transform it into a surprisingly emotive and soulful track. With Ships, Paris Spleen, Mars Accelerator. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Wed., July 7, 8 p.m., 2010
