Coming from the remnants of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age were called Gamma Ray and were a group of revolving musicians that included Josh Homme, Matt Cameron (Soundgarden), and Mike johnson from Dinosaur Jr. They released a series of 7 Inch singles before changing their name and band members. Changing their name to Queens of the Stone Age, Josh Homme (singer/guitar) and Alfredo Hernandez (ex-kyuss drummer) released Queens of the Stone Age . Josh Homme covered not only the guitar and vocals, but the bass as well. The album was a departure from the sound of Kyuss, it was more riff oriented. Josh Homme described it as "Robot Rock", but critics described the music as stoner rock, which is something that Homme doesn't endorse. After the release of their first album, Nick Ovliveri (Kyuss/Dwarves) joined the group as bassist, Dave Catching also joined as second guitarist around this time.
In 2000, Rated R was released. By this time drummer Hernandez left the group two drummers contributed to the album Gene Trautmann and Nick Lucero, Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees also contributed vocals to the album. Rated R was an album that showed off Homme and Oliveri's style, the album is a riffy mix of Black Sabbath type rock and elements of punk, but more so on the metal Sabbath side. The album opens with the track "Feel Good Hit of the Summer", a song in which the chorus is a list of drugs. The song was to be seen as a joke by fans, it was a hit in Europe but not released in the US. The song is used by the Colorado Police Department as the song in their instructional video about the consequences of drunk driving. The second track on the album is "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret" is easily one of the catchiest QOTSA songs. The song is a mix of a mellow verses and loud dragging chorus' with the lines "What Would You Do, Don't Tell Anyone" repeated over and over. Another interesting track is "Monsters in the Parasol", a song written after an LSD experience; the song came from The Desert Sessions Volume 3 & 4 (Desert Sessions are songs written by a group of musicians that includes Homme, Oliveri and others). Despite getting good reviews, the album didn't do too well commercially.
In 2001/2002, QOTSA began work on their third album, but were once again without a drummer. Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters took the job, post-poning his work with the Foo Fighters, even touring briefly with QOTSA. A Perfect Circle member Troy Van Leeuwen joined as second guitarist, Mark Lanegan once again appeared on the album. Songs for the Deaf showed a step up in song structure from the band. "No One Knows" was the first single, it went to number one. It featured the hard-hitting drumming of Dave Grohl along with heavy QOTSA riffs and a bass solo from Oliveri. "Go With the Flow" was another single, that did the band good. The music video features the band riding on the back of a truck and silouhettes of the band. Other interesting songs include "Hanging Tree", "The Sky is Fallin'", and the southern watery sounding "Another Love Song". Overall, the album is a mix of metal, and garage rock. The band also got another drummer during the touring of this album (because Grohl was involved with Foo Fighters), Joey Castillo (drummer of Danzig) took over the job. Songs for the Deaf was the bands biggest commercial success since its beginnings, it went gold.
Homme got involved in a side project in 2004. The band was called Eagles of Death Metal and Homme played drums. The band was formed with friend Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, their first album was called Peace, Love, and Death Metal. In 2006, they released Death By Sexy, and in 2008 a new album is supposed to come out titled Heart On. The band is not a death metal band, they are a mix of garage rock with bluesgrass slide guitar.
In July of 2005, Oliveri was fired from the band. The band got a new bassist Alain Johannes and released Lullabies to Paralyze in March of 2005. The album showed off the bands new wave and punk side, along with a little Black Sabbath thrown in. Songs such as "Medication", "Everybody Knows that You're Insane", and "Skin on Skin" showed off the bands punk side. Other great tracks include the cowbell dominated, and crunchy guitar riffed "Little Sister" and "Burn the Witch". The song featured Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Mark Lanegan on backing vocals and Homme on bass. "In My Head" is a slower, "Go With the Flow" type track. Mark Lanegan can be heard on the opening track "This Lullaby", he no longer tours with the band. People that were expecting another Songs for the Deaf type album were thrown off, the album did not sell as well as it's predecessor; The album debuted at number five on the US charts.
Coming out in June of 2007, Era Vulgaris was the fifth full length album from Queens of the Stone Age. The album once again took the band and fans into a different direction. It was a more dark album, sounding like a mix of Rated R and Lullabies to Paralyze mixing elements of punk, new wave, metal, and rocking out like Songs for the Deaf. "Sick, Sick, Sick" was the first single. It a fast punky rocker featuring guest vocals by Strokes singer Julian Casablancas. Mark Lanegan once again contributed vocals, to harmonies on the track "River in the Road". "3's & 7's" is another punk influenced rocker, along with the climbing "Battery Acid". Other great tracks include the long, but hypnotising "Misfit Love", "Suture Up Your Future", and the heavy hitting "Run, Pig, Run". Finally, the album contains the heavily pop laced track "Make It Wit Chu", a song that came once again from a desert sessions. Overall, the album threw off fans, but it is just as interesting as any QOTSA release; It debuted at number 14 on the US charts.
The Play List:
1. Rezillos - Flying Saucer Attack
2. Plasticines - Shake (Twist Around the Fire)
3. Pointed Sticks - Somebody’s Mom
4. Diodes - Coma
5. Carboard Brains - Can Stress Kill?
6. Strollers - Let Me Come on in
7. The Griefs - Board Out of My Gourd
8. Gruesomes - No More Lies
9. Tricky Woo - Hot Kitty
10. Marble Index - All That I Know
11. The Strokes - The End Has No End
12. Stooges - I Got A Right ! (Alternate Version)
13. Queens of the Stone Age - Monsters in the Parasol
14. Queens of the Stone Age - Tangled Up in Plaid
15. Queens of the Stone Age - Needles in the Camel's Eye
16. Roxy Music - All I Want is You
17. Only Ones - Lovers of Today
18. Subways - City Pavement
19. Ultravox! - Frozen Ones
20. Compulsive Gamblers - I’m That Guy
21. Ride Theory - Alright
22. Ride Theory - Can’t Get it Right
24. Redwalls - Modern Diet
25. The D4 - Out of My Head
26. The D4 - Feel It Like It
26. Carbon/Silicon - What the Fuck
27. XTC - Statue of Liberty
Download Part One of Show 179
Download Part Two of Show 179
QOTSA Videos:
No One Knows (Live 2002)
Monsters in the Parasol (Live 2007)
Go With the Flow (Music Video)
Another Love Song (Live)
Little Sister (Music Video)
Burn the Witch (Live on Leno - Featuring Billy Gibbons)
Sick Sick Sick (Music Video)
3's & 7's (Music Video)
Misfit Love (Live Henry Rollins Show)
Battery Acid (Live Henry Rollins Show)
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