saudadeYou’d think that having the #2 album in the country would be enough to keep Deftones frontman Chino Moreno focused. Then again, if you know the way he operates, it’s obvious that he’s most comfortable with a variety of side projects. He’s in Crosses, Palms, Team Sleep, and also appeared on Lamb of God’s vii: Sturm und Drang. And given that there were some rather loud struggles about what the direction of the Deftones album should be, it’s no surprise that the singer is continually trying to expand his horizons. And now he’s got another project, Saudade.

The new project he’s in is a star-studded one. Bad Brains guitarist Dr. Know, who we last heard was ailing, is in the band. So is Medeski Martin & Wood keyboardist John Medeski, Cro-Mags drummer Mackie Jayson and Chino’s Crosses bandmate Chuck Doom. The band’s first single, which is self-titled, is streaming at BitTorrent, where it’s also available for download. Although it’s instrumental, it’s certainly interesting. And if it’s getting Dr. Know playing music again, that’s a win for everyone.

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Bram Teitelman