Brant Bjork

Drummer Brant Bjork's musical family tree is more like Sherwood Forest. He was the original skins-pounder for Kyuss, a legend in stoner-rock circles, and his musical association with fellow Kyuss members Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri subsequently extended (briefly) to Queens of the Stone Age and (for a longer haul) Oliveri's solo project, Mondo Generator. He also kept the beat for the mighty Fu Manchu on some of the band's best albums and has issued several recordings under his own name that feature him singing and playing guitar. Bjork's new platter, Local Angel, on the independent Duna imprint, is a real departure from his previous work -- a song cycle so quiet and personal that he's likely to perform it in a solo-acoustic format during a future tour. This time around, though, he plans to scale the rockier peaks displayed on last year's Keep Your Cool alongside drummer Mike Peffer, bassist Dylan Roche and guitarist Cortez, who are collectively known as the Bros.; they headline a show that also features Half of Zero and Audio Dream Sister. Like Homme and Oliveri, Bjork is tirelessly inventive and loves to spread his creative seeds. There's no telling where they'll bloom next.