Mondo Generator (sometimes known as "Nick Oliveri And The Mondo Generator")… Read Full Bio ↴Mondo Generator (sometimes known as "Nick Oliveri And The Mondo Generator") is an American punk/hard rock band fronted by Nick Oliveri.

Nick Oliveri (under the moniker Rex Everything) formed Mondo Generator in 1997 and with friends Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, Rob Oswald, and others, recorded the debut album, Cocaine Rodeo. The LP wouldn't be released until 3 years later due to Oliveri and Homme being full-time members of Queens of the Stone Age. The album was released by Southern Lord Records in 2000. There was little support of the album by the way of live shows, and the band gained cult status among the most devoted Queens of the Stone Age fans.

In 2003, the band again emerged with a new LP, A Drug Problem That Never Existed. This time, Oliveri hired on more friends for recording duties including Dave Catching, Troy Van Leeuwen, Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, and Molly McGuire, and Dwarves frontman Blag Dahlia for co-producing duties. It was released jointly by Mike Patton's label, Ipecac Recordings, and Homme's Rekords Rekords. The live band, which included Oliveri, Catching, Bjork, and McGuire, went on a three month tour of North America and Europe to support the disc.

In early 2004, after Oliveri was fired from Queens of the Stone Age by Homme, he announced that Mondo Generator would become his full-time project. He recorded an acoustic record, Demolition Day, and toured Europe with Brant Bjork and Mark Lanegan Band. He then recorded an EP with Catching, McGuire, and Alfredo Hernandez. On the summer 2004 tour to promote the disc, Oliveri physically assaulted a sound crew member of a German night club after complaining about his sound through a few songs during the band's set. The other members of the band were furious and left Oliveri behind and returned to the United States.

In 2005, Oliveri once again toured Europe frequently, opening for such bands as Motörhead, and playing along-side and on stage as a member of Dwarves. Oliveri also recruited UK band Winnebago Deal's Ben Perrier and Ben Thomas to join Mondo Generator on tour. They were frequently dubbed "Winnebago Generator" by fans. The three-piece entered Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Los Angeles in December 2005 to begin work on the next Mondo Generator LP. Oliveri also hired on several friends from his hometown to record parts of the record, which was co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz and Oliveri.

In July 2006, it was reported that Perrier and Thomas had exited the band under unknown circumstances. Oliveri then re-named his band Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator and signed to Mother Tongue Records, who then released the new LP, Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails in the United Kingdom and Europe in September of 2006.

Discography
Cocaine Rodeo (2000, Southern Lord)
A Drug Problem That Never Existed (2003, Ipecac)
III The EP (2004, Tornado)
Dead Planet: SonicSlowMotionTrails (2006, Mother Tongue (UK/Europe)
Dead Planet (2007, Suburban Noize)

Former members include: Brant Bjork (drums), Dave Catching (guitar), Marc Diamond (guitar), Alfredo Hernandez (drums), Josh Homme (guitar), Josh Lamar (drums), Molly McGuire (bass), Rob Oswald (drums), Ben Perrier (guitar), Ben Thomas (drums), Spud (guitar)

All I Can Do
Mondo Generator Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Threw the dust pan out now
I swept it under the rug
I got an hour or maybe a minute
I gotta get up, get up in it

Well, it's all I can do
It's all I can do

Left the dishes in the sink
For the past two weeks
Played my music too loud
The landlord wants me out now

Well, it's all I can do
It's all I can do

Won't take no calls now
Can't scrub your walls now
Won't help you with anything
Anything at all

Won't take the trash out now
I ain't washing no cars
Can't walk your dog
I'm busy out at the bar

Well, it's all I can do

Wasn't asking if it was good for you
It's all I can do

Overall Meaning

In Mondo Generator's song, All I Can Do, the lyrics depict a rebellious and nonchalant attitude towards societal expectations and obligations. The singer of the song seems to have given up on his or her responsibilities, demonstrated in the first verse where the dustpan is thrown out, and the mess is swept under the rug. The singer is aware of this bad behavior, but believes it is all they can do, suggestively indicating a lack of motivation or desire to change their ways. The second verse describes further neglect, whereby dishes are left in the sink for two weeks, and loud music played resulting in complaints from the landlord. The third verse elevates the lack of care even further, with the singer refusing to help with anything or anyone, whether it is taking out the trash or washing a car.

The chorus of the song, ‘It's all I can do,’ repeats throughout the song and serves to show that the singer is limited and can only do the absolute minimum expected of them. The singer does not want anyone to judge them or question their actions, as shown by the line, ‘Wasn't asking if it was good for you.’ The song's overall meaning is one of apathy, with the singer refusing to conform to society's expectations, even if it means facing negative consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Threw the dust pan out now
I discarded my cleaning tools and ignored my mess.

I swept it under the rug
Instead of addressing my problems I tried to hide them.

I got an hour or maybe a minute
I don't have much time to spare.

I gotta get up, get up in it
I need to be active and involved.

Well, it's all I can do
I am limited in what I am able to accomplish.

Left the dishes in the sink
I neglected my responsibilities.

For the past two weeks
I have been procrastinating for an extended period of time.

Played my music too loud
I acted inconsiderately towards my neighbors.

The landlord wants me out now
I have disturbed my landlord and now face eviction.

Won't take no calls now
I am not available to talk.

Can't scrub your walls now
I cannot assist you with any tasks, no matter how small.