Queens of the Stone Age

After the breakup of his previous band, Josh Homme formed Gamma Ray in 1996, and later changed the name to Queens of The Stone Age; said to be named so because “rock should be heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls.” The band released their self-titled album in 1998, which was mostly recorded by Homme himself, with the appearance Alfredo Hernandez on drums and Chris Goss on backing vocals. Shortly after it’s release, Homme’s former Kyuss band mate, bassist Nick Oliveri joined the band, shortly followed by guitarist Dave Catching, as well as drummer Joey Castillo.

With the help of various other artists, “Rated R” was released in 2000, garnering a lot more attention than their debut album. Frequent touring helped the band gain more support, but they were still able to get time in the studio and released “Songs For The Deaf.” The record was extremely well received and saw to the addition of guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen (previously a part of A Perfect Circle). The band was on a constant tour, and due to issues, Oliveri ended up leaving the band in 2004.

Due to a leak, their 2005 album “Lullabies to Paralyze” debuted on the Billboard charts at the Number 5 slot, making it their most successful album to date. Later that same year, the band released a live album from their performances in London, England. With a slate of guest appearances, the band’s album “Era Vulgaris” was completed and released in 2007, followed by a tour where bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist Dean Fertita took over touring duties.

During the span of 2009-2010, the band took a hiatus for members to work on their solo projects. While other members joined other bands, Homme suffered an unfortunate near death experience during a knee surgery, forcing him into bed rest for three months. This caused a plunge into depression where Homme almost considered quitting music altogether; however, once he recovered, Queens of the Stone Age re-released their self-titled album and included a tour and a few large festivals, one of which was the last show with drummer Joey Castillo.

With the loss of Castillo and a new album in the works in 2012, Homme announced that Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl was filling in on the recording sessions for the drum parts, and by summer of 2013 “…Like Clockwork” was released, first in the UK, followed by a US release with the debut reaching Number 1. Homme announced that at the end of their “…Like Clockwork” tour, the band will return to the studio at the end of 2014 to start recording their next album.

Formed in Boston, US in 1986, the band was formed by Charles Thompson (vocals, guitar), later changing his name to Black Francis, alongside Joey Santiago (lead guitar), David Lovering (drums) and Kim Deal (bass). After playing at various local venues, the Pixies gained a support slot for Throwing Muses, which attracted the attention of producer Gary Smith. Offering to record the band, the result was an 18-song demo, "The Purple Tape," which impressed Ivo Watts of the UK label, 4AD, with Pixies soon joining their roster.

Their debut album, "Surfer Rosa," was released in 1988, featuring the engineering talents of Steve Albini, who had helped pioneer the abrasive sound which set the standard for alternative rock subsequently in his band, Big Black. The Pixies' debut found critical acclaim across the board, gaining significant airplay and soon resulting in a record deal with Elektra Records.

Retunring to the studio, this time with Gil Norton as producer, the band created what was to be their classic album. Released in 1989, Doolittle favored a cleaner, pop-tinged sound, finding several Top Ten hits in the process, particularly finding success in Britain. After extensive touring, the band decided to take a break in 1990, hoping to replenish the band's enthusiasm.

Following solo escapades by Black Francis, they returned to the studio in 1991 for their third release, "Bossanova," which garnered mixed reviews, favoring a surf rock sound. Nonetheless, the album faired well in the charts, prompting further successful tours and festival appearances. Returning to a loud rock sound as to their earlier efforts, their fourth record, "Trompe le Monde" again found praise, resulting in further international tours before another hiatus ensued.

Black Francis, just as he was about to release his solo debut, announced that the band had disbanded, prior to his band member's knowledge of this. The members of the Pixies continued with their various other projects to moderate success, whilst still being big names in the indie rock scene. Several re-issues and archival recordings were released during the late '90s and early '00s, continuing to maintain the band's reputation and popularity, despite the hiatus.

It was not until 2003 that hopes for a Pixies reunion surfaced, reuniting in a series of tours in the US in 2004. A live DVD soon followed to much anticipation, with the band continuing to tour intermittently throughout the rest of the decade. Yet in 2013, new music arrived, self-releasing "EP1" in July that year. Two further EPs were released, with these new recordings later compiled as the album, "Indie Cindy," in April 2014.