Brant Bjork and The Bros

Brant Bjork … original desert boogieman decided to find a band to back his trip. The Bros is what they’re called . . .The Bros are what they are. Brant Bjork on guitar and vocals, Dylan Roche on bass and Alfredo Hernandez, formerly of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, on drums. “Make no mistake . . . we’re a real band” Brant says. Musically speaking, Brant Bjork and The Bros bring it. Organic Rock. It Grooves. It Flows. It’s Psychedelic. It’s Tough. It’s Beautiful. It’s Classic. The future is now and Brant Bjork and The Bros are here.
Brant Bjork hails from Palm Desert, California where he began gigging at the age of 13. By high school Brant had begun Kyuss with locals Josh Homme, Chris Cockrell, (then later Nick Oliveri) and John Garcia. Kyuss was signed to Elektra and became the first desert rock band to achieve international success by spearheading a musical movement that brought heavy and psychedelic sounds back to rock and roll and served as a prototype for all “desert/stoner rock”. In 1993, Brant left Kyuss and moved to Humboldt to flip pizzas and play soccer. Too much rain moved him back to his natural habitat where he started an independent record label, EL CAMINO (now DUNA RECORDS); played drums in hardcore punk band De-Con; and played guitar with desert legend Mario Lalli in Fatso Jetson. In 1996, Bjork hooked up again with Homme, to begin the DESERT SESSIONS saga and work on what became Queens Of The Stone Age. However, Brant decided to take the road less traveled and rock with his surf buddies Fu Manchu, an adventure which took him into the studio for five records and around the world in four years.
Feeling the need to embark on his own personal musical journey, in 1999 Brant released his first solo record, JALAMANTA, on premier independent label, MAN’S RUIN. (Re-released in 2003 on DUNA RECORDS.) This landscape record certainly has underlying rock elements, but is more of an embodiment of fluidity in motion between cool jazz, break beats and Rasta grooves. Bjork plays all of the instruments on the record and sings with such a quiet soul and conviction it not only confirms Bjork as one of the baddest rock drummers of our time, but also legitimizes him as a premier talent on all levels. Bjork's follow-up and heaviest record, CH'E, was recorded and mixed in three days with Alfredo Hernandez (drums) and Dave Dinsmore (bass), and truly captures Brant’s classic rock & roll roots. In 2002, Brant released his third solo record, BRANT BJORK AND THE OPERATORS on DUNA RECORDS. The Operators record demonstrated Brant’s capabilities indicative of his formative years being spent in the 80’s underground and creates a low-brow, hi-fi approach to traditional new wave. This record convinces us that Cheech & Chong and The Cars must have had a love child…named Brant Bjork. On Bjork’s fourth solo record, KEEP YOUR COOL, Brant rocks, swings and soars to new heights by cutting through the petty and getting back to the sweaty. This record takes you from insightful, unconcealed testimonials to getting laid in the back seat of a trans-am. With the momentum of these four highly diversified albums under his belt, Brant Bjork takes an even more interesting turn with his most introspective and laid back record to date, LOCAL ANGEL.
Brant Bjork and The Bros have toured for much of the past 3 years all over Europe, The States, Canada, and Australia. BB & the Bros live shows are fast becoming recognized as the best live rock and roll going and as Aussie rag BEAT put it, “The closest thing we’ll get to seeing the Hendrix Experience.” The Bros first group record, SAVED BY MAGIC, was released in August 2005 on DUNA RECORDS and their 2nd record, SOMERA SOL, was released in May of 2007. The amazing live shows are organic, groovy and sexy and the band gains fans rapidly where ever they play. Brant Bjork and the Bros are guerilla rock revolutionaries…taking back the rock and letting it roll.
Brant Bjork & The Bros : Low Desert Punk Live @ Safari Sam's
Brant Bjork & The Operators : My Ghettoblaster
Brant Bjork & The Bros @ Safari Sam's, California, 2006 Photos by Nick Pfirman