Kyuss

Infobox musical artist
Name = Kyuss


Img_capt = The original Kyuss lineup, circa 1992
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Palm Desert, California, USA
Genre = Stoner rock/metal
Years_active = 1989 – 1995
Label = Dali, Elektra, Man's Ruin
URL =
Associated_acts = Queens of the Stone Age, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano, Yawning Man, Mondo Generator, Brant Bjork and the Bros, Eagles of Death Metal, Fu Manchu
Current_members = John Garcia
Josh Homme
Alfredo Hernández
Scott Reeder
Past_members = Brant Bjork
Nick Oliveri
Chris Cockrell

Kyuss (pronEng|ˈkaɪəs "KAI-us)" was an influential stoner rock/desert rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums before splitting up in 1995. Since then, members of Kyuss went on to form or feature in several notable bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, Unida, Brant Bjork, Mondo Generator, Hermano and Slo Burn.

History

As Sons of Kyuss (pre-1990)

The band formed in the late 1980s under the name Katzenjammer (literally 'screaming cats'- used colloquially to describe a hangover) before settling on the name Sons of Kyuss in 1989. The name Sons of Kyuss was taken from a creature found in the "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game. In 1990 the band recorded and released their eponymous debut EP, "Sons of Kyuss", which was their only release to feature Chris Cockrell on bass. Later that year, the band recruited a new bassist, Nick Oliveri, and shortened their name to Kyuss.

As Kyuss (1991-1995)

Kyuss' first line-up consisted of vocalist John Garcia, guitarist Joshua Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri and drummer Brant Bjork. The band gradually built a local following in Palm Desert, California and frequently performed at parties in and around the isolated towns of Southern California's desert areas. These impromptu shows, referred to as "generator parties", consisted of small crowds of people, beer drinking, and the use of gasoline-powered generators to provide electricity for the equipment.Citation | last = Billik | first = Kira L. | title = Confused punk rockers' have an identity crisis | newspaper =Buffalo News | pages =G3 | year =1993 | date =14 March 1993| url = ] Homme commented that playing in the desert "was the shaping factor for the band" noting that "there's no clubs here, so you can only play for free. If people don't like you, they'll tell you. You can't suck."

The band then signed with independent record label Dali Records, who released their debut album, "Wretch", in September 1991. Many of the songs on the album were re-recorded versions of those that appeared on the "Sons of Kyuss" EP. Under-produced and poorly financed, album sales were sluggish even as their live shows gained fame.cite web | last = Rivadavia | first =Eduardo | title =Kyuss Biography | publisher = All Music | date = | url =http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfqxq85ldte~T1 | accessdate = 2007-07-04] However, guitarist Josh Homme soon gained a reputation for his downtuned, psychedelic style of guitar playing, and his convention of playing electric guitars through bass guitar amplifiers to create a bass-heavy sound.

In 1992 the band, along with producer Chris Goss, began work on their next album, "Blues for the Red Sun". Released in June that year, the album was critically hailed and is often regarded as a pioneering stoner rock record. By the end of 1993 they were invited to open nine dates for Metallica touring Australia.Citation | last = Morris | first = Chris | title = Kyuss lands on its feet and keeps climbing | newspaper =Billboard | pages =1 | year =1994 | date =15 January 1994| url = ] just before touring in support of "Blues for the Red Sun", bassist Nick Oliveri left the band and was replaced by Scott Reeder.

The band then signed with Elektra Records (Dali Records had hit financial problems) and released "Welcome to Sky Valley"(known more for the aforementioned title, it was actually a self titled release) in 1994. The album received critical acclaim and, musically, demonstrated a much more psychedelic sound. However, personal problems soon tore the group apart and drummer Brant Bjork left following a brief tour of the album, to be replaced by Alfredo Hernández. In July 1995, they released their fourth and final album, "...And the Circus Leaves Town". The album was not as successful as "Sky Valley", though a video was made for "One Inch Man", the album's only official single thus far.

Shortly after its release, Kyuss decided to disband in October of that year. Many sources claim the band did not "officially" break up until 1996 or 1997, but this appears to be false.

Post-break up (1996-present)

Shortly after the break up, Homme and Hernandez rejoined to form Queens of the Stone Age, and soon recruited Oliveri as permanent bassist. In December 1997, a transitional split EP was released, featuring three songs by Kyuss ("Into The Void" (a Black Sabbath cover), "Fatso Forgotso" and "Flip the Phase") and three by Queens of the Stone Age ("If Only Everything", "Born to Hula" and "Spiders & Vinegaroons"). The band has since gone on to achieve international mainstream success.

Hernandez later played with Fatso Jetson, Che and Yawning Man, while Oliveri later formed the band Mondo Generator, named after the only Kyuss song credited solely (words and music) to him. Drummer Brant Bjork went on to form the band Brant Bjork and the Bros, recorded and performed with Fu Manchu, and has recorded several solo albums.

John Garcia went on to form Slo Burn, although the band was short-lived and released only one EP, "Amusing the Amazing", before disbanding in September 1997. In 1998 he began working with the bands Unida and Hermano, with each he has recorded two records. Garcia is now working on a solo album. [cite web | last =| first = | title = Garcia Vs Garcia| publisher = Garcia Vs Garcia official website| date = | url =http://www.garciavsgarcia.com| accessdate = 2007-07-04]

In 2000, a compilation album, "", was released. The album was a collection of the band's most important singles, but also contained B-sides and four songs recorded live in 1994.

Although the band left behind a lot of rarities, some of them were released on their best of album "Muchas Gracias", it seems unlikely any more will be released. Singer John Garcia told Billboard.com in a 2005 interview:

cquote|There are so many untitled songs that have never been heard, that I have up in my little crawl space up above my bed. I don't see those songs coming out anytime in the near future. Everybody's too busy to do stuff like that. It's a job to go back and listen to it, and then if you want to re-record them. [cite web
url =http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000875089
title =Ex-Kyuss Singer Resurfaces In Hermano
accessdate=2007-06-05
date =2005-04-11
publisher =Billboard.com
language = ]

Reunion?

For several years, there has been frequent speculation about the possibility of a Kyuss reunion. When asked in late 2004 about whether the band is ever coming back, Homme replied that this was unlikely to happen in the near future. However, on December 20 2005, Garcia made a guest appearance onstage with Queens of the Stone Age during the encore of their set at the Wiltern LG in Los Angeles. They performed three Kyuss songs together: "Thumb", "Hurricane" and "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop". [cite web | last = Orzeck | first = Kurt| title = QOTSA End Year On A High Note: Josh Homme Reunites With Kyuss Singer In L.A. | publisher = VH1| date = December 21 2005| url = http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1519071/20051221/queens_stone_age.jhtml | accessdate = 2007-06-05] The band has been made numerous offers to reform, all of which they have turned down:

cquote2|The offers come in all the time. They're getting more and more expensive, and more and more elaborate. The money is crazy, but I've never been tempted – I don't really care about the money, I never have. That's not what KYUSS was about, so to punctuate the end of our sentence with that would be blasphemy. KYUSS fans are so fuckin' rad, they're fuckin' badass — but to me, reunions are just not necessary. It's not what it was, it's what it is, and KYUSS was a really magical thing — and if you weren't there, well, you weren't. That's just the luck of the draw. I don't feel the urge to do it for somebody who didn't have the opportunity to see us, or just didn't take the opportunity to see us. I'll let other bands alter their great legacies. KYUSS has such a great history that it would be a total error. I like that nobody saw KYUSS, and that it was largely misunderstood. That sounds like a legend forming to me. I'm too proud of it to rub my dick on it. –Josh Homme, May 2007 [cite web
url =http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=72065
title =Queens of the Stone Ages's Josh Homme Rules Out Kyuss Reunion
accessdate=2007-05-08
coauthors =
date =2007-05-08
publisher =Blabbermouth.net ]

Scott Reeder also commented on a possible Kyuss reunion in early 2008, saying "I think everyone but Josh would do it in a heartbeat". This is due to Homme's commitments with his current band. Reeder also noted that he would "do it for free beer again". [cite web
url =http://www.nonelouder.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1528828%3ABlogPost%3A32531
title =BLAST BEAT 007: SCOTT REEDER
accessdate=2008-04-13
coauthors = Iann Robinson
date =2008-02-21
publisher =nonelouder.com ]

Members

ingles

Videography

* "Thong Song" – 1992
* "Green Machine" – 1992
* "Demon Cleaner" – 1994
* "One Inch Man" – 1995

amples

References