While still in high school, Bjork got together with friends Josh Homme and John Garcia in 1987 to form a band called Katzenjammer. At Bjork's prompting, the band would soon be renamed Sons of Kyuss for a single EP, named after "The Sons of Kyuss" monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and then later shortened to Kyuss. The band relocated to Los Angeles in 1990 and signed to Chameleon Records, releasing their debut album, Wretch in September 1991. They were then picked up by the major label Elektra Records, becoming the first desert rock band to achieve international success. Bjork was a major creative force in Kyuss, contributing a substantial portion of the band's songwriting. In 1994, Bjork left the band following the release of Welcome to Sky Valley, frustrated at guitarist Homme's growing reluctance to play the songs he was contributing to the band.
After leaving Kyuss, Bjork would go on to play with several different bands, as well as founding the independent label El Camino Records (later Duna Records). Through his label, Bjork would release albums that he was musically involved in, such as hardcore punk band De-Con's 1995 album Balls for Days, on which he played drums. Bjork would also release and produce stoner rock band Solarfeast's 1995 debut Gossamer. Bjork would later go on to join former Kyuss bandmate, Josh Homme, in his Palm Desert musical collective series, The Desert Sessions. He would play a mixture of guitar, bass, drums, and percussion on various tracks on the 1997 releases Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music For Felons and Volume 2: Status: Ships Commander Butchered, as well as 1999's Volume 5: Poetry for the Masses (SeaShedShitheadByTheSheSore) and Volume 6: Black Anvil Ego.
Bjork briefly moved to Santa Cruz to play guitar for hardcore punk band LAB in 1997 (made up of the remaining members of 80's punk band BL'AST!), playing on their 1997 release, the 7" EP "Burning Leaf/Chihuahua". He would also play guitar for Fatso Jetson during 1997–1998, including on their 1998 "Jailbreak" 7" split EP with stoner rock band Fu Manchu.
Bjork was playing with another former member of Kyuss, Nick Oliveri, in Oliveri's metal band Mondo Generator. Joining in 1997, Bjork's drumming would feature on the 2000 LP Cocaine Rodeo, and the 2003 LP A Drug Problem That Never Existed. He would tour with the band until leaving in 2004. Bjork also appeared on the live DVD, 2004's Use Once and Destroy Me, as well as later releases featuring the Bjork-era line-up, in including the 2006 7" single "I Never Sleep" and the 2008 Australian Tour EP.
Having produced their debut album No One Rides for Free in 1994, Bjork would officially join Fu Manchu with the release of their critically acclaimed 1997 album The Action Is Go. Bjork would continue to play on every Fu Manchu recording until his departure following the release of 2001's California Crossing, including the LPs Eatin' Dust and King of the Road.
Bjork began recording his first solo album, 1999's Jalamanta, in February of that year. Bjork performed all instruments, including guitar and vocals. He would also perform guitar and vocals in the short-lived stoner rock band Ché – a side-project collaboration with former Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age drummer Alfredo Hernández. Ché released their only album, Sounds of Liberation, in October 2000. Bjork's next album, 2002's Brant Bjork & the Operators, named for Bjork's fictional backing band, 'the Operators', was recorded in November 2000 with Bjork again performing vocals and most instruments. He would continue to be the sole performer, except for a few guest spots, on 2003's Keep Your Cool and 2004's Local Angel.
Bjork would form the band Brant Bjork and the Bros in 2003, featuring guitarist Mike Pygmie, bassist Dylan Roche, and drummer Michael Peffer, with Bjork performing vocals and additional guitar. They toured Europe in October 2003, performing a mixture of Bjork's solo material and Ché's Sounds of Liberation. Pygmie was replaced by Scott Cortez Silverman for further touring in Europe and North America in 2004.[5] This line-up went on to record the 2005 double album Saved by Magic. The album featured a return to the sound of Bjork's earlier sound from his Jalamanta/Sounds of Liberation era.
2006 saw the release of Sabbia, a feature film "visual soundtrack" by filmmaker Kate McCabe, featuring Bjork's music. Brant Bjork and the Bros would go on to record another album, 2007's Somera Sól, with Alfredo Hernández replacing Michael Peffer on drums. In the same year, Bjork released his fifth solo album, Tres Dias, an acoustic album featuring reinterpretations of older songs, as well as some new material. The title of the album (Three Days) comes from the purported amount of time that Bjork claimed it took to record it at producer Tony Mason's house in Joshua Tree, California.
Bjork reported in 2007 that he had ended his label, Duna Records, citing that it took too much time and energy to run. Bjork soon created a new label, Low Desert Punk Recordings, and the Duna Records website now functions as a Brant Bjork community fansite and forum.[8] The first release on the new label was Bjork's 2008 album, Punk Rock Guilt, made up of recordings from December 2005 referred to as the "New Jersey Sessions". This release was followed up with the 2010 album Gods & Goddesses. Recorded in LA in 2009, Gods & Goddesses was the first Brant Bjork solo album not to be primarily recorded by Bjork himself. Instead, Bjork recorded with a new line-up of musicians including guitarist Brandon Henderson, former Yawning Man bassist Billy Cordell, and former Mondo Generator drummer Giampaolo Farnedi.
In November 2010, it was announced that Bjork was forming Kyuss Lives! with Bruno Fevery on guitar, Nick Oliveri on bass and John Garcia on vocals. The band undertook a European, Australian and New Zealand tour from March to May 2011. On November 2012, Kyuss Lives! announced that they had changed their name to Vista Chino.
Vista Chino released their debut album Peace on September 3, 2013 through Napalm Records.
In March 2014, Bjork announced that he would tour Australia in May with his backing band, the 'Low Desert Punks', consisting of bassist Dave Dinsmore, guitarist Bubba Dupree, and Tony Tornay on drums.[10] He would later announce a New Zealand tour with dates in June.
Tao of The Devil was released in 2016.
Europe '16, a live album was released in 2017.
Mankind Woman was released in 2018.
A new solo record entitled Jacuzzi has been recorded and mixed. Jacuzzi will be an instrumental album, featuring jazz and funk influences with break beats. Originally planned for release in 2013, it has been delayed for undisclosed reasons. It was released in 2019.
Low Desert Punk
Brant Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I shine 'em up and I hit the town
Well I trim it clean and I roll it up
And then I take it nice and slow...so what the fuck man
So just give me the time and I'll get you right, you'll just have to push your luck tonight
A shot of Sauz to pull me through, and I'll fly my magic carpet on over to you baby
I'm gonna let the stars show me the way
I'm gonna drop in on your palace...and I'm gonna be your slave
And I stain the sand of hits land with all the blood that I lose
A little sugar gonna set me free
But you got some spice...and that's what I need
The lyrics to Brant Bjork's "Low Desert Punk" depict the life of someone who enjoys living fast and free, using drugs and alcohol to fuel their adventures. The song emphasizes the singer's willingness to take risks and push their limits, as they describe their daily routine of preparing themselves for a night out, including cleaning up and rolling up their substances of choice. The singer's confidence in their ability to get others to follow them and live their lifestyle is evident in the line "just give me the time and I'll get you right, you'll just have to push your luck tonight". They compare their drug use to a magic carpet ride that will take them wherever they desire, emphasizing their love for adventure and living "in Bermuda Dunes" where they are free to do as they please. The final lines of the song suggest that while the singer can handle the sugar of their lifestyle, they need a little spice, perhaps referencing the need for some excitement or danger in their life.
Overall, "Low Desert Punk" is a song about living on the edge and embracing a carefree lifestyle fueled by drugs and alcohol, despite the risks and consequences that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm gettin' up when the sun goes down
I wake up late in the day
And I shine 'em up and I hit the town
I clean myself up and go out to party
Well I trim it clean and I roll it up
I prepare and smoke marijuana
And then I take it nice and slow...so what the fuck man
I go slow and take my time
So just give me the time and I'll get you right, you'll just have to push your luck tonight
Wait patiently and I'll take care of you later, but you'll need to try your luck tonight
A shot of Sauz to pull me through, and I'll fly my magic carpet on over to you baby
I'll take a shot of tequila, and then come over to see you
I'm gonna let the stars show me the way
I'll let the universe guide me
I'm gonna drop in on your palace...and I'm gonna be your slave
I'll come to your place and do anything for you
Cuz I live it up in Bermuda Dunes
I have a great time in my hometown
And I stain the sand of his land with all the blood that I lose
I party hard and leave a mess behind
A little sugar gonna set me free
I need some sweetness in my life
But you got some spice...and that's what I need
I desire someone who challenges me and adds excitement to my life
Contributed by Connor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeff Kappel
Well I'm gettin' up when the sun goes down
And I shine 'em up and I hit the town
Well I trim it clean and I roll it up
And then I take it nice and slow...so what the f*** man
So just give me the time and I'll get you right, you'll just have to push your luck tonight
A shot of Sauz to pull me through, and I'll fly my magic carpet on over to you baby
I'm gonna let the stars show me the way
I'm gonna drop in on your palace...and I'm gonna be your slave
Cuz I live it up in Bermuda Dunes
And I stain the sand of hits land with all the blood that I lose
A little sugar gonna set me free
But you got some spice...and that's what I need
Thomas Mejer Hansen
One of the best riffs ever..
Greasy Belcher
I saw him perform this with “The Bro’s” at Great Northern Hotel in Byron Bay a couple of years ago. It was unreal. At the start of the gig he walked to the stage from the front door with a guitar in hand playing the opening chords. The audience just parted and he walked up the steps to front of the stage. I video taped the entire thing.
Hank Chinaski
Kyuss groove
Bixente Alava
Indeed
mikelb77
bass player is Dylan Roche. Brant's guitar is missing the high e string too (no tuner even)... don't need it to groove like that. so badass
Jay
Dylan passed away a couple days ago 💔💔💔
powdercarver
one of the best by one of the greatest!
GoonerRoss
Had a perfect seat at the end of the bar, facing front on for this show at the Annandale....whilst off my chops...what a fucking night......so goooooood........oh yeah, and he signed some album covers too......
Hank Chinaski
The riff !!!
Jeff Kappel
in another time and place these cats would rule the world...they have such authority u believe the whole thing...if they would have been a suprise guest band at montery in 67 the othe rbands would have just packed it up and hailed the new gods of kick ass. seriously this is some good shit it made me feel the need to comment before ive even had muy morning coffee