Prior to the formation of
Queens of the Stone Age, bassist/singer
Nick Oliveri recorded some originals with ex-
Kyuss bandmates
Josh Homme (guitar) and
Brant Bjork (drums), plus
Karma to Burn's Rob (drums). But once recording was completed,
Oliveri decided to shelve the tapes; it wasn't until several years later (well after
Queens of the Stone Age began to establish themselves) that the bassist decided to release the songs on a friend's indie label, Southern Lord Records. Going by the name
Mondo Generator, 11 tracks were compiled for the 2000 release
Cocaine Rodeo. The majority of the songs are much more raw and hardcore/punk-based than
Oliveri's output with
QOTSA, as evidenced by such tracks as "Shawnette," "Uncle Tommy," "Unless I Can Kill," and "I Want You to Die." Longtime
QOTSA fans will probably be familiar with a pair of tracks -- the over-11-minute "Simple Exploding Man" and "13th Floor" -- which have both been covered by
Oliveri's main band in concert (the latter composition was re-recorded as "Tension Head" on the 2000 release
R).