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.
Porto
Brant Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
inside my hotel room
the word upon these beautiful streets
sweet poetry is born, here
who knew these dreams inside my head
would reach my seed sown soul
and hear those things that seem so far away
they seem to be so near
Is it wrong to want love
is it wrong to never hate
these things that make you all so crooked
they seem to make me straight
hey son do you know where your coming from
hey jack do you know that you ain't mine
hey boy do you know that you ain't mine
hey boy do you know where you wanna run
do you know why you cant cry
You stupid boy
your worthless all the same
got too much high
got too little brain
never thought you'd see the day
the day that come a man
now you know
you know that i am
you know that i am
you know that i am
ooh doo doo doo...
The opening verses of Brant Bjork's "Porto" reveal the inner musings of the singer, as he dreams of being in Portugal. He marvels at the beautiful streets, where "sweet poetry is born". It's as if he is amazed that such a place exists, where creativity seems to be woven into the very fabric of the city. The dream world he has conjured up is so vivid that it almost feels real to him, and he is struck by how close the things he longs for seem to be, even though they are far away in reality.
The song takes an introspective turn in the following verses, as the singer grapples with the complexities of human emotions. He wonders if it is wrong to want love, and contrasts this with the crooked things that make others untrustworthy. It's a stark contrast between good and evil, with the singer positioning himself on the side of love. The conversation shifts to a warning for someone named Jack, who is not the singer's son, but someone he feels a sense of protection over. He implores the boy to figure out where he comes from and where he wants to go, and to be mindful of his emotions.
Overall, "Porto" is a song that explores themes of creativity, nostalgia, love, and self-discovery. It's a beautiful and introspective piece that encourages listeners to examine their own motivations and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I dream that I was Portuguese
I had an adventurous dream where I imagined myself to be a Portuguese, even though I was in my hotel room
inside my hotel room
I am confined to my hotel room while having this dream
the word upon these beautiful streets
The streets outside my hotel room are so beautiful that they inspire poetry
sweet poetry is born, here
The beautiful streets have a poetic aura, inspiring the creation of sweet, beautiful poetry
who knew these dreams inside my head
It's surprising how my dreams have made their way to my conscious mind and influenced my thoughts
would reach my seed sown soul
My subconscious thoughts have a profound effect on my soul
and hear those things that seem so far away
My mind can hear and feel things that seem distant from me
they seem to be so near
Even though they seem far, the things I feel and hear seem very close to me
Is it wrong to want love
Is it considered immoral to desire affection and love?
is it wrong to never hate
Is it wrong to feel no hatred towards anyone?
these things that make you all so crooked
The immoral actions of others make them twisted and corrupted
they seem to make me straight
Despite the crookedness around me, I have managed to stay true to myself
hey son do you know where your coming from
Do you have an understanding of your origin, my child?
hey jack do you know that you ain't mine
Hey, Jack, you are not related to me in any way
hey boy do you know that you ain't mine
Hey, boy, you are not my child
hey boy do you know where you wanna run
Do you have an idea of where you want to go, young lad?
do you know why you cant cry
Can you identify the reason you can't express your emotions through tears?
You stupid boy
You foolish boy
your worthless all the same
You are equally worthless like others
got too much high
You have too much pride
got too little brain
You are not intelligent enough
never thought you'd see the day
You didn't expect to encounter this situation
the day that come a man
The day when you have to become a responsible and mature person
now you know
You have realized the truth
you know that i am
You know that I exist and have power over you
ooh doo doo doo...
Non-lexical, vocal sounds expressing musical tune
Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nyckelwound
Great song about my dear home town! Im honored that such a great artist such has brant bjork has made a song named Porto : D
@MatijaTurk4
oh man... I love this song !! Brant is THE man!
@creepyd444
I can't get this song out of my head
@pftzzz
its one of these songs i wish would last forever!
@DihColorado
the voice in the beggining is speaking BRAZILIAN portuguese
@carloslaerte3272
Sonzeira,Brant Bjork o Guy.Feeling Groove from detentas. Muito bom
@kristrznadel1494
Great tune 😀
@burner111
Brant Bjork is not a musician. He is a muscial genius.
@nuno22467
Show! Desde o tempo dos Taxi que não ouvia uma canção tão fixe acerca da minha cidade. O Rui Meloso e o Merdoso Abrunhosa deviam ouvir mais Brant Bjork!
@VatromNaSpasitelja
i listened to this song just once....then bout 10 days later while being totally baked i started to sing that catchy melody and spent the whole evening trying to remember where it was from...but luckily,i remembered the next day