For reasons that have nothing to do with the new buzz band out of San Diego named Idlehands —but let's be clear which one was first and better — the sibling team that previously anchored Minneapolis' beloved fuzz-rock band Idle Hands have started a new trio with a more distinguishable moniker, The Stress of Her Regard.
Irish brothers Ciaran and Criostoir Daly, best known from the 2009 local hit "Socialite Death Squad," also brought latter-day Idle Hands drummer Eric Wilson into the new group. They then lined up a small crew of heavy-hitter producers to help craft an impressive five-song debut EP, "Sport Marriage," the release party for which is Saturday at the Kitty Cat Klub.
"We'd already made the decision to make a clean break and do something new," Ciaran Daly explained of the name change. Their new name isn't exactly unique, either: It's also the title of a 1989 fantasy novel by Tim Powers.
"If I'm honest, the Idle Hands pretty much ended when [early-'00s members] Eileen, Nick and Al left in the middle of our recording what was going to be our second full length with Darren Jackson a few years back<' Ciaran continued. "Criostoir and I tried recreating that stuff with other people but ultimately it felt a lot better to make a clean break from a band that produced a lot of things we're proud of but felt in some ways cursed."
A blessing to Idle Hands fans, they don't try too hard to reinvent themselves musically on "Sport Marriage," which boasts poppy Brit-rock echoes of Pulp and the Jesus & Mary Chain. The latter band's associate Dave Trumfio actually produced one of the tracks, as did Portland's Tony Lash (Dandy Warhols) and local go-to guys Ed Ackerson and B.J. Burton. Saturday's release party has a similarly name-brand lineup, with Two Harbors, Phantom Tails and Red Daughters (9 p.m., $5).
The Ackerson-produced track posted below should pretty well remind folks of the talent involved.
