Brant Bjork Trio - Once Upon A Time In The Desert (Album Review)

Release Date: September 20th 2024. Record Label: Duna Records. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Once Upon A Time In The Desert - Track Listing:

1. U.R. Free

2. Backin' The Daze

3. Higher Lows

4. Down the Mountain

5. Magic Surfer Magazine

6. Sunshine Is Making Love To Your Mind

7. Rock And Roll In The Dirt

8. Astrological Blues (Southern California Girl)

9. Do You Got Some Fire?

Line-up:

Brant Bjork - guitar & vocals

Mario Lalli - bass

Ryan Güt - drums

Review

Desert Rock/Stoner Rock icon Brant Bjork is back with a new project simply titled Brant Bjork Trio and this is their debut album Once Upon A Time In The Desert. This time round Brant has recruited another legend of the Desert Rock scene Mario Lalli on Bass Guitar and Ryan Güt on Drums once again. The record is a classic mix of Desert Rock and Stoner Rock sounds that Brant has helped define for the best part of over thirty years with his work with KYUSS, FU MANCHU and his other countless projects. 

I was expecting Stöner 2.0 before hearing the record and it’s a totally different beast with this record more closely aligned to Brant’s recent solo work and his earlier bands such as Brant Bjork and the BrosBrant Bjork and the Low Desert Punk Band whilst still being quite different as well. As the record has a sublime Classic Hard Rock sound influenced by the Seventies Californian Rock scene. The album has an excellent feel good factor throughout which harks back to the classic days of Stoner Rock. Brant Bjork Trio have a joyful and playful attitude appearing within the lyrics which you’ll experience within the opening tracks of U.R. Free and Backin The Daze.

The record does feel quite personal at times with Brant singing about his youth and the adventures perhaps the whole band got upto. If you dig hazy Psychedelic grooves with a fresh SUNNY attitude then Brant Bjork Trio is here to save the day but they do add moments of seedy 70’s RAWK AND ROLL when the time calls for it of course.

The instrumental sounds are first rate which is what you would expect with a band consisting of the talents of Brant Bjork, Mario Lalli and Ryan Güt. You can hear echoes of the members other bands such as Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson being added into the mix for a cool retrospective Desert Rock sound especially when Mario’s bass fully takes centre stage on tracks such as Higher Lows, Down The Mountain and Magic Surfer Magazine.

Once Upon A Time In The Desert works best when it’s acting as a celebration of the iconic sounds all three members have created over the years and give it a Classic Rock twist with some surprising modern day elements appearing especially on the second half of the record. There are some tender Blues Rock grooves which have a slight WEEDIAN haze courtesy of the spicy lyrics that allows Brant Bjork Trio to become more rebellious with their music.

The second half of the album is perhaps more influenced the 1970’s Rock landscape with a deeply rich style of melody and raw sounding guitars but still having that quintessential Stoner Rock rhythm on tracks such as Sunshine Is Making Love To Your Mind, Rock And Roll In The Dirt and Astrological Blues (Southern California Girl).

Brant Bjork has also relaunched his record label Duna Records after an eighteen year hiatus with Brant saying: 

“Things come and go and sometimes they come back again. With that said, It's an exciting time for me to be officially re-launching Duna Records. Duna was a vision I had in the mid-'90s and it finally became a reality in 2002 until its hiatus in 2006. Duna Records was and will continue to be my personal record label that is a home for all things creative amongst myself and others that are close to me. 

The timing couldn't be better for Duna to begin a new life. I'm very lucky to be able to sustain a life as the musician that I am. I certainly wouldn't be able to do so without all of the musicians, music industry partners and of course, the fans that have supported me for 25 years. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my musical journey and show my appreciation than to re-launch Duna Records and release new and old music directly to my fans, the way it was always meant to be. Thank you and stay tuned for more desert rock." 

With the promise of more Desert Rock to come in the future that’s always worth celebrating in my book. However, let's keep with the present and this record which is helped along by superb production values, that allows the kings of Southern California Desert Rock deliver a record that feels like a GREATEST HITS PACKAGE and not a debut release.

Once Upon A Time In The Desert has all the makings of being the standout Desert Rock album of the year. 

WOW, what an album. That’s my final word on the album. You know what to do.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Once Upon A Time In The Desert will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Duna Records from Friday September 20th 2024.

BRANT BJORK TRIO links

Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Spotify ⎜ Duna Records website

BRANT BJORK TRIO to release new studio album "Once Upon A Time In The Desert" on September 20th via Duna Records; first single streaming!

BRANT BJORK TRIO announce the release of their new studio album "Once Upon A Time In The Desert" on September 20th, marking the return of Brant Bjork's beloved desert rock label Duna Records (distributed worldwide by Cobraside Distribution). The trio also releases their new single "Backin' the Daze" and announce 2024 European and Japan tours.

Watch Brant Bjork Trio's new video "Backin' The Daze"

Brant Bjork has spent over a quarter-century at the epicenter of Californian desert rock. From cutting his teeth drumming and composing on the legendary Kyuss’ landmark early albums, to propelling the seminal fuzz of Fu Manchu from 1994-2001 while producing other bands, putting together offshoot projects, and over the last 20 years embarking on his solo career as a singer, guitarist and bandleader, founding his own record label and more, his history is a winding narrative of relentless, unflinching creativity. Brant Bjork is considered a founding pioneer of the stoner rock and desert rock music scenes.

In 2024, the Brant Bjork Trio featuring old friend and influential desert rock pioneer Mario Lalli (Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson, Desert Sessions) on bass guitar and Brant Bjork band alumni Ryan Güt on drums will release a breakout full-length LP on Bjork’s newly relaunched Duna Records, distributed worldwide by Cobraside Distribution. "Once Upon a Time in the Desert” is the result of a long collaborative friendship between Bjork, Lalli and Güt. The power trio recorded the tracks at Donner & Blitzen studios in Southern California with another long-time collaborator Mathias Shneeberger, who has recorded and engineered many classic desert rock albums over the years.

The music the Brant Bjork Trio creates together is a heavy, fluid groove, organic desert rock & roll — a genre created by these veteran independent musicians — and their new record "Once Upon a Time in the Desert” expresses the principles of those styles born in the So Cal desert. Pure, heavy and grooving. So Cal desert blues that only these desert originals can deliver.

BRANT BJORK TRIO "Once Upon A Time in the Desert" Out September 20th on Duna Records
Preorders coming soon!

TRACKLIST:

1. U.R. Free
2. Backin' The Daze
3. Higher Lows
4. Down the Mountain
5. Magic Surfer Magazine
6. Sunshine Is Making Love To Your Mind
7. Rock And Roll In The Dirt
8. Astrological Blues (Southern California Girl)
9. Do You Got Some Fire?

Brant Bjork shares some insight into the new album and relaunch of Duna Records:

“Things come and go and sometimes they come back again. With that said, It's an exciting time for me to be officially re-launching Duna Records. Duna was a vision I had in the mid-'90s and it finally became a reality in 2002 until its hiatus in 2006. Duna Records was and will continue to be my personal record label that is a home for all things creative amongst myself and others that are close to me. The timing couldn't be better for Duna to begin a new life.

To celebrate this new beginning, I have recorded a new record with the Brant Bjork Trio and it will be Duna's first official returning release. As you might know by now, due to extensive touring in the U.S., South America, Australia, Europe and Japan, the Brant Bjork Trio consists of my longtime drummer Ryan Güt and my longtime desert brother Mario Lalli on bass. Mario and I share a very unique and very special musical history that began when I was 13 years old! I always knew we would be playing together in my band and my patience paid off. To have Mario and Ryan as the rhythm section in a trio... so rad! Together, Mario and I produced the new record, appropriately titled 'Once Upon a Time in the Desert'; and we are beyond excited to get this music out and into the hands and ears of all the fans new and old.

I'm very lucky to be able to sustain a life as the musician that I am. I certainly wouldn't be able to do so without all of the musicians, music industry partners and of course the fans that have supported me for 25 years. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my musical journey and show my appreciation than to re-launch Duna Records and release new and old music directly to my fans, the way it was always meant to be. Thank you and stay tuned for more desert rock."

After completing successful tours of Europe and Australia earlier this year, the Brant Bjork Trio will be kicking off the second leg of their European tour later in July, followed by a tour of Japan in October to promote the release and relaunch of Duna Records. In 2025, the band will tour the UK, selected European regions, USA East Coast, New Zealand and more.

BRANT BJORK TRIO is

Brant Bjork - guitar & vocals

Mario Lallo - bass
Ryan Güt - drums

BRANT BJORK TRIO links

Facebook ⎜ Bandcamp ⎜ Instagram ⎜ Spotify

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for all of the info,