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.
The Messengers
Brant Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
this surprise inside of you
cause I, I know they love you
and thats why I needed to tell you
They're coming for you
They're coming for you
compromise can kill you
The chance to shine is calling on you
The time is now to fight the ones
Who who pull you down
and tell you your a fool
Your stereos too loud and they don't understand you
wheres that person that never said a thing
mommy don't compromise me
daddy its setting me free
mommy now i believe
now i believe that this is what should be
Now gene is coming up the street
Hes going to burn my house down with fire
The kids who burn up what they say
Ejaculate when the flames get higher and higher
Never listen to the ones who say its too late
When they control strings that control you day to day
If you want to sell your soul for rock n roll
Never ask the folks if its ok
Now my world is a carpet floor
And my life is a record store
15 years old I'm not a Virgin anymore
I think Ill quit school cause its such a bore
Ill settle the score
Now I'm reborn
Ill settle the score
Now I'm Reborn
The lyrics of Brant Bjork's song The Messengers convey a message of empowerment and self-actualization, urging the listener to embrace their truest self regardless of societal pressures. The opening lines "Don't you try to find you, this surprise inside of you" hint at the idea that true fulfillment can't be found externally or by conforming to the expectations of others. Instead, the song urges the listener to embrace their uniqueness and individuality, declaring, "the chance to shine is calling on you".
The lyrics touch upon various themes of rebellion and resistance, both in terms of societal norms and people who seek to bring others down. "The time is now to fight the ones who pull you down" and "never listen to the ones who say it's too late when they control strings that control you day to day" are rallying cries for the listener to stand up for themselves and resist the forces that seek to suppress or control them.
The song ends with a declaration of the resolve to settle the score and be reborn, conveying the idea of personal power and agency. Overall, the lyrics seek to inspire the listener to reject conformity and embrace their truest self, regardless of the challenges that may come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Dont you try to find you
Don't go searching for yourself.
this surprise inside of you
You don't need to look because the answer is already inside of you.
cause I, I know they love you
I know that people love you and care about you.
and thats why I needed to tell you
That's why I'm telling you this.
They're coming for you
They're coming to get you.
Whats this force controlling you
What is controlling you and making you do things?
compromise can kill you
If you compromise too much, it can be harmful to you.
The chance to shine is calling on you
You have the opportunity to do great things.
The time is now to fight the ones
Now is the time to stand up against those who want to bring you down.
Who who pull you down
Those who drag you down.
and tell you your a fool
And call you a fool.
Your stereos too loud and they don't understand you
They say your music is too loud and they don't understand you.
wheres that person that never said a thing
Where is that person who never spoke up for you?
mommy don't compromise me
Mom, don't make me compromise.
daddy its setting me free
Dad, it's making me feel free.
mommy now i believe
Mom, I now believe.
now i believe that this is what should be
I believe that this is the right path for me.
Now gene is coming up the street
Gene is coming up the street now.
Hes going to burn my house down with fire
He's going to set my house on fire.
The kids who burn up what they say
The kids who say what they're going to do and then do it.
Ejaculate when the flames get higher and higher
They get excited when the fire gets bigger and bigger.
Never listen to the ones who say its too late
Don't listen to those who say it's too late to change your ways.
When they control strings that control you day to day
When they have the power to control your everyday life.
If you want to sell your soul for rock n roll
If you want to compromise your values for the sake of music.
Never ask the folks if its ok
Don't ask for permission.
Now my world is a carpet floor
My world is simple and basic.
And my life is a record store
All I care about is music.
15 years old I'm not a Virgin anymore
I'm not innocent anymore.
I think Ill quit school cause its such a bore
I'm considering dropping out of school because it's boring.
Ill settle the score
I'll get revenge.
Now I'm reborn
I'm starting a new chapter in my life.
Ill settle the score
I'll get revenge.
Now I'm Reborn
I'm starting a new chapter in my life.
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.