Archive for Kyuss

Pet Sounds #60: Nick Oliveri of QOTSA, Kyuss, Dwarves Finds Peace With His Cats

Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags , , , , , on 09/03/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

“Frisky” is a mild way to describe, Nick Oliveri, one of the most prominent rock bassists of the past 30 years. “Feral” or “untamed” would be much more accurate. The eminently talented Oliveri, who was the bottom-heavy-playing backbone of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, and now Dwarves and his own Mondo Generator project, would likely react to even the wildest stories of John Bonham, Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe with a shrug – and his trademark laugh and smile.

Indeed, there is a tender side to the 53-year-old, Palm Desert-based musician who sometimes goes by the aliases Rex Everything, Pierre Pressure, the Great French Manipulator, Rock & Roll Komodo Dragon and Nikolai Svetlana. Don’t take our word for it: Hear about his deep affinity for felines and check out these photos he sent us for proof.

The Bad Penny recently caught up with Oliveri via video to talk not about the times he played gigs in his birthday suit, his still-intact friendships with QOTSA’s Josh Homme and Kyuss vocalist John Garcia, or how he won over Dwarves’ Blag Dahlia by smashing a vase, but rather about his love for cats.

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Exclusive: Nick Oliveri Reminisces About QOTSA, Kyuss Amid Reunion Rumors

Posted in Exclusives, Interviews with tags , , , , on 06/26/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

It appears that Kyuss, the early stoner-rock band co-founded by guitarist/vocalist Josh Homme (also of Queens of the Stone Age), may be finally ready to reassemble his earlier project. Somewhere in the Palm Desert region, surely. Sitting in a circle, of course. That way, the group can maximally aerate the moon by channeling unholy reservoirs of toxins into the tractor bea- …

… Huh? What’s that now? Well, huh to you too, big man. Huh to you too.

Read much more from my FLOOD feature on the eternal desert rock hounds. Meanwhile, in related news, The Bad Penny recently caught up with Oliveri, to chat about: You guessed it, all things Oliveri. That includes reminiscing on his days with Kyuss. Stay tuned for that big mug of slow joe coming from somewhere in … eh, let’s play it safe and keep it at “future” for now.

From The Vault: QOTSA End Year On A High Note; Josh Homme Reunites With Kyuss Singer In L.A.

Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , on 08/13/2024 by Kurt Orzeck

As has been widely reported but woefully under-discussed in the national conversation about the future of news in the U.S. and around the world, Paramount recently vaporized the online archives of MTV News, which it owns. The vault included thousands upon thousands of news stories, artist interviews and other historically critical pieces of reporting created by me and my former colleagues at the culturally iconic organization.

Paramount’s surprise and shocking move marked the latest in a seemingly unending series of body blows against journalists and exemplified efforts by corporate America to eliminate the trade of journalism, which is already withering on the vine, altogether. (Read the best take on the matter by founder and all-around great guy Michael Alex on Variety‘s website.)

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Blue Heron: Breaking Bad-Asses

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , , on 07/18/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
Blue Heron performing at their record-release party on July 8, 2022

“In the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it, they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.” -Lewis Rothschild (Michael J. Fox), The American President

Twenty-five years ago — shortly after the demise of Palm Desert, California’s Kyuss roughly 10 hours to the west — a new oasis of low-end heavy rock began to form in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The year 1997 saw the birth of MeteorCity Records, a label devoted to sludge, psych, drone and doom. The label quenched the thirst of hard-rock fans thirsty for more thunderous, bottom-heavy rock beyond what they found on Man’s Ruin Records (which collapsed in 2001).

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Royal Thunder’s ‘Wick’-ed Awesome Gig: Two Cent Review

Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , on 04/15/2017 by Kurt Orzeck

Brant Bjork, Royal Thunder, Black Wizard and Nick Walker’s Acid Guide Service at the Shredder in Boise, ID, 4.14.17

Royal Thunder frontwoman Miny Parsons, doing her best Kurt Cobain impression at the Shredder.

With sweat dripping off their faces and their bodies thoroughly spent, Royal Thunder huddled together onstage at the Shredder on Friday night after a blistering show, powwowing about their latest concert victory. Continue reading

Karma To Burn Share Crazy Drug Stories

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on 02/04/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Yesterday, you read an update on John Garcia’s plans to take his new Kyuss-covers project on tour. Today, here’s a 2001 interview – online for the first time – with Karma to Burn, a band that Garcia almost joined. Continue reading

John Garcia Announces Kyuss-Covers Tour Plan; ’05 Gig With Josh Homme Is Remembered

Posted in Concert Reviews, Reviews with tags , , , , on 02/03/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

All That’s Heavy announced today that John Garcia will be blowing the dust off Kyuss songs on a worldwide tour under the jazzy guise of “Garcia Plays Kyuss.” Flanked by guitarist Bruno Fevery, bassist Jacques de Haard and drummer Rob Snijders, they’ll be cruising through Europe from May 28 through June 11. Continue reading

Meet And Greet: Imaad Wasif Goes Into The Voidist

Posted in Features, Interviews, Meet And Greet with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 01/07/2010 by Kurt Orzeck

Contrary to what ProTools fanatics might tell you, visionaries are hard to come by these days. During an era in which it’s incumbent upon artists to market and promote themselves. During an era in which selling out has become something of a moot point. Continue reading