Steak Cologne? Stologne.

[Photo Creds: Sarah Lee/Guardian]

Antiquiet: Is the Queens sound a conscious or deliberate atmosphere?
Josh Homme: The thing is, that’s from years of doing whatever you want. Everything you do is habit-forming. You will form a habit of one style or another. And it might as well be getting people used to the notion that you’re going to do whatever you want. ‘Cause all the other habits include cow-towing to what somebody else wants. And there’s never a time to do that in music. As I understand it, your obligation is to play your favorite music that noone else plays, so you have to. And my favorite music is hooky, quirky, arty, dark, surprising, heavy, groovy, soft, emotional but not emo. It wears a sweater because it’s cold, not because it’s stylistically there.

Antiquiet: And it doesn’t try to fit into girl pants.
Josh Homme: Yeah, like there’s enough room for your cock and balls in your pants. And it’s in touch with its feelings, but it’s not a fucking pussy, man. Like, I need Lee Marvin, and I need Robert Mitchum. But I don’t need Sylvester Stallone, unless it’s Tango and Cash, ’cause that movie is fucking awesome. Or unless it’s my new steak cologne called Stologne.

Antiquiet: What are your thoughts on Radiohead’s name-your-price approach to selling their new album?
Josh Homme: I think it’s working great for them. I think they’re doing a really cool job of it and a really cool thing. Not everyone is Radiohead. You’re talking about one of the finest working bands in the world. So it’s tough to transpose a situation that works for the finest rock’n'roll band in the world and sort of move it around the cabin. If you were in a band noone knew, that wouldn’t work so well.
[Entire Interview @ Antiquiet]

Just when you think you've got you're monthly quota of Josh Homme (C-C-C-C-Cocaine), he goes and drops an interview like this. I'm looking forward to the day that QOTSA gets all In Rainbows on our collective asses.

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "Feel Good Hit of the Summer"
MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "White Wedding" (Billy Idol cover)

YouTube Please...

From NME, this is too funny:

Josh Homme's desert rockers' plan to perform a six-song show for in-patients at an unnamed Los Angeles drying out clinic came to an abrupt and chaotic end when the band were cut off before the end of the first song and manhandled out of the building by heavy security, NME.COM has learned.

The rehab show was intended as a light-hearted, intimate performance in their home city of Los Angeles .

But a spokesman for the band informed NME.COM that when the band opened the show with classic 'Feel Good Hit Of The Summer', staff at the clinic were so unimpressed that they pulled the plugs and had security remove them straight away without negotiation.

The song's lyrics famously run: "Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol... c-c-c-c-c-cocaine".

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "Running Joke"

Pitchfork's "Guest List" with Josh Homme

Further proof that Josh Homme is, in fact, the man. My favorites:

Favorite New Band

I kind of like this Black Angels record-- it's really good. They're from Texas and that makes me happy, because I want something good to finally come out of Texas. We're going to do some shows with them.

How's it holding up?

Fuckin' good, man. Better than your music, that's for sure. Oh wait, you guys don't make music, you just write about it [laughs]. So yeah, I'm just listening to our family of stuff.

Favorite Record Shop

They still have those? I'm gonna miss those fuckin' things. I used to like to just hang out there. I guess you can have a coffee store and a bookshop now. Amoeba, definitely.

Era Vulgaris on Metracritic, Alpine Valley

By the way, does anyone really know anything about the other guys in this photo? I think two of these dudes are new. Pretty solid reviews across the board on Metracritic (78) this morning. I actually think that score feels about right if not a bit short. Then again, some of the blame falls on Pitchfork for their not so surprisingly shitty review. It took me a couple listens to fully get into this one but I'm close to loving it. I think it admirably stands up with their first 3 albums and far succeeds their previous effort. "Suture Up Your Future" is the stand-out for me right now. One of the better songs I've heard this year and as far as the softer side of QOTSA goes, I'll take that one over "Make It Wit Chu" (the requisite Desert Sessions cross-over). Head over to Popmatters for a very solid, well-written review.

Below, another album worthy b-side, "Running Joke" from the UK release.

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "Running Joke"

In related news, now that the experts on the WWW have solved the mystery of the Rage countdown, has anyone noticed who's opening for Rage during this Alpine Valley show? None other than QOTSA. What a fucking show, holy shit. That's 60 bucks well spent.

QOTSA.com, Preview Era Vulgaris

You can check out the new Queens of the Stone Age website and preview the new album Era Vulgaris over here. Sounds great, looks great, can't wait. Dropping next Tuesday.

QOTSA: Random Midwest Dates, Covering Elliott Smith and Tom Waits

Era Vulgaris drops on June 12. You can pre-order it at Insound.

A European online retailer (Lo-Fi Merchandise) is releasing a digipack single for "Sick, Sick, Sick" that contains a remix of "Im Designer" and covers of Tom Waits' "Goin' Out West" and Elliott Smith's "Christian Brothers".

Initial US tour dates follow:

06-07 Fresno, CA - KFRR's Birthday Bash
06-08 Ventura, CA - KJEE's Seaside Beach Ball
06-09 Mountain View, CA - Live 105's BFD
07-22 Costa Mesa, CA - Orange County Fair
07-24 Chico, CA - Senator Theater
07-25 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
07-27 Boise, ID - The Big Easy
07-28 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
07-29 Billings, MT - Shire Auditorium
07-31 Fargo, ND - Playmaker's
08-01 Duluth, MN - DECC Arena
08-04 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
08-07 Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
08-08 Little Rock, AR - The Village
08-10 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
08-11 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
09-16 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

Video: QOTSA - "Paranoid" (Sabbath Cover)

There are few frontmen in the world that I fear and admire as much as Josh Homme. Here he is shredding through Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" while maintaining vocal duties. QOTSA + my favorite Sabbath track = pretty fucking awesome. Almost everything else on VH1 Rock Honors was a combination of lukewarm and tame.

Here I was thinking that Queens were going to "honor" ZZ Top (Top's Billy Gibbons makes a guest appearance on Lullabies). I didn't even contemplate the possibilities of Queens covering Sabbath. You can imagine my surprise...

QOTSA: Live, VH1 Honors, Pre-Order & A Love of All Things Elevated

Queens of the Stone Age - "3's and 7's" | [Transmission, Ch 4, UK]


Queens of the Stone Age - "Sick, Sick, Sick" | [Transmission, Ch 4, UK]


Josh Homme Interview | [Transmission, Ch 4, UK]


Queens of the Stone Age - "Sick, Sick, Sick" [Official Video]


QOTSA on VH1 Honors
That's right. Time to settle in to the couch and muscle through a performance by Nickleback, another by Gretchen Wilson, but the payoff will be big: Alice In Chains, Heart and Queens of the Stone Age. This year, VH1 Honors is honoring Genesis, Heart, ZZ Top and Ozzy Ozbourne. Hopefully the good will outweigh the bad on this...if not the power of DVR can always hook it up. May 24th. Check yo local listings.

Pre-Order Era Vulgaris
Pre-Order Era Vulgaris at Insound and receive a free CD Single with the track "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died".

BFD 2007

I don't know about you, but I think $30 is a small price to pay to catch Bloc Party, Social D, Interpol, QOTSA, Kaiser Chiefs, Cold War Kids and Silversun Pickups. Of course Sum 41 is on that bill, too. Pitchfork has their jokes (don't they always?), but let's be honest, this is a solid bill at a solid price. Shoreline Ampitheatre is a great venue, as well. But, maybe that's just me getting nostalgiac...

Cover Art: Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

looks like this is it...

QOTSA Tour 2007

Sticking with today's theme of Cormac McCarthy and Queens of the Stone Age, I stumbled across the following tidbit:

QOTSA will spend the first portion of the summer touring in Europe, but Homme says an unconventional U.S. tour will follow. "We`re about to announce American dates that start in Bakersfield, Calif.," he says. "It`s actually not any major cities. I learned something really great from [ZZ Top guitarist Billy F.] Gibbons. He will play San Bernardino, Bakersfield, and Medford, Ore. That`s why it`s the people`s music. So, we`re going to places we`ve never been or rarely been. We want to play to people who hardly ever get shows and just burn the house down."
[Read More @ Monsters & Critics]

Trackmarks: Queens of the Stone Age - "God Is In The Radio"

"Do It Again" ends around 2:54 and we return to the channel surfing. The wind pushes against us, rips across the desert. On the horizon the sun sets. "Cannot be saved". "He's walking with me". Fuzz. Scratch. The perfect interlude builds towards the eleventh track on Songs for the Deaf. "Hallelujah".

A subtle key stroke repeats. Or is that percussion? Hallelujah. Classic QOTSA expands. Riff based, stoner rock grooves descend. The main riff in "God Is in the Radio" has an ominous bluesy feel, but the track really hits its stride when that opening riff vanishes at 2:49. The drums take the reins and then a vicious solo eases in over the original riff. The sun is disappearing. Fade out. Fade in. Another monster solo erupts.

While "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar..." is the heaviest entry and "Mosquito Song" could be the album's crowning achievement, "God Is In The Radio" is the necessary step facilitating travel from that blistering opener to the mournful end. We're far away from home. We're lost and this desert seems to stretch forever. But, we're headed west. Running. From the god in the radio.

 

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "God Is In The Radio"

Queens of the Stone Age Conjecture

[Photo Credit: Matthew Field]

One can only venture a guess that the track "I Wanna Make It Wit Chu" off of Over the Years and Through the Woods is an early form of the track "Make It Wit Chu" from the forthcoming Era Vulgaris. I have not heard the latter, but the former is the only track on Over the Years not on any QOTSA studio album.

UPDATE: According to The Omniscient Almighty Wikipedia: "'I Wanna Make It Wit Chu' is reported to be re-recorded for the Queens' fifth studio album, Era Vulgaris." They are referring to the version found on Volume 9 & 10 of the Desert Sessions. I need to track that CD down and compare the live version to what they recorded in 2003. Someone hop in here and fill our minds with knowledge. Thanks to Anonymous for getting this ball rolling and getting our heads right.

 

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "I Wanna Make It Wit Chu" (Live)

Here's another tasty Era Vulgaris teaser from their MySpace page. I almost died laughing when I saw the Buffalo Bill quote on their profile. The video has yet another sick little riff that I can't wait to blast on the drive to Bonnaroo.

Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

Era Vulgaris Teaser
The riff at the tail end of this is killer. Fucking killer.

Era Vulgaris Leaked Track Not on Album

Josh Homme. The man. The myth. The legend. A smoking hot girlfriend. One of my top ten favorite albums of all time. And his band walks out to Neutral Milk Hotel's "The Fool". Cooler than cool. If you don't believe me, read this interview at Pitchfork, and remember these three things:

1. Don't toy with the volcano.
2. Trying to be as rounded as possible is rad, unless you're talking physically, and then it just looks a little weird.
3. Drink one beer, you're not an alcoholic. Play one cowbell and you're a cowbellaholic.

Era Vulgaris, the new album from Queens of the Stone Age, hits stores on June 12th and will contain the following songs:

01. "Turnin on the Screw"
02. "Sick, Sick, Sick"
03. "I'm Designer"
04. "Into the Hollows"
05. "Misfit Love"
06. "Battery Acid"
07. "Make It Wit Chu"
08. "3's & 7's"
09. "Suture Up Your Future"
10. "River in the Road"
11. "Run Pig Run"

QOTSA to Play Free Show in NYC

[Photo Credit]

We totally. Fucking. Missed this one. From QOTSA.com:

11/10/2006
NYC SMALL CLUB SHOW!
Queens Of The Stone Age will be playing the official Zune Launch Party (zuneinsider.com) on Monday (11/13) from 9pm - 12 midnight. Venue information will be live on zuneinsider.com Monday morning. Tickets are free to the public and EXTREMELY LIMITED. Tickets must be picked up @ Circuit City in Union Square only on FRIDAY (starting @ 7pm) on a first come first serve basis. Tickets come in pairs. You must be 21 or over to enter.

If anyone hits it up, let us know how it goes. Queens of the Stone Age are amazing live. Talk about lost art of finding out about a secret.

Other bands pumping Zune are covered at Billboard.com and Zune hasn't really been blowing people away.

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret"