This is something a little different today. Instead of perfectly polished tunes, I’ve got some raw and awesomely primal fodder for my drummer/aspiring-drummer/beatbox readers courtesy of Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) during his stint in Queens of the Stone Age.

I’ll be transparent here as always: I’m not gonna pretend to be all “Oh, yeah, I’ve always loved Queens of the Stone Age.” In fact, I was initially totally turned off to them for something as stupid and shallow as their band name. I know, right? But then I was reading up on them, and I saw this interesting quote which explained the name, so it makes more sense to my too-literal brain:

“Kings would be too macho. The Kings of the Stone Age wear armor and have axes and wrestle. The Queens of the Stone Age hang out with the Kings of the Stone Age’s girlfriends when they wrestle. And also it was a name given to us by [producer] Chris Goss. He gave us the name Queens of the Stone Age. Rock should be heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls. That way everyone’s happy and it’s more of a party. Kings of the Stone Age is too lopsided.”

– frontman Josh Homme (2000)

I can dig that. Plus, I didn’t realize that their first album, the self-titled 1998 debut, was released on Loosegroove Records, operated by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, and their very first show that they played as a band was at the OK Hotel in Seattle (which you and I would, of course, want to call The Java Stop, from Singles). So those two things alone are enough to make me wonder what my problem was.

My friend who sent me these said that they are “perfect headache relief.” Ha! He obviously digs percussion as I do, and loves it fast and furious as Grohl delivers it here. These are the raw tracks from the 2002 album Songs for the Deaf, and most are either just drums or drums with guitar. I agree that for me they are oddly soothing, a bit hypnotic. Definitely fascinating.

DAVE GROHL DRUM TRACKS

for QOTSA Songs For The Deaf sessions

late 2001/early 2002

Do It Again (drums and guitar)

Do It Again (drums only)

Song for the Dead (raw mix)

Song for the Dead (drums only)

Unknown Track (drums and guitar) (Little Sister)

Unknown Track (drums only) (Little Sister)

QOTSA RAW DRUM TRACKS

