John Garcia (singer)

John Garcia
John Garcia at the Eurockéennes de Belfort 2011
Background information
Birth name	John Garcia
Born	(1970-09-04) September 4, 1970 Arizona, U.S.
Genres	Stoner rock, desert rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1987–present
Associated acts	Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano, Agua de Annique, Kyuss Lives!, Vista Chino

John Garcia (born in San Manuel, Arizona, September 4, 1970) is a vocalist who has been a member of Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida, Hermano, and is currently in Vista Chino.

Career in music

Kyuss

In 1987, while still in high school, Garcia formed Kyuss (originally known as Katzenjammer and Sons of Kyuss) with Brant Bjork and Josh Homme. The band produced five albums in total, all of which featured Garcia on vocals. In October 1995, just three months after releasing the album ...And the Circus Leaves Town, Kyuss disbanded. Their final official release was a 10" vinyl on the now defunct label Man's Ruin Records, which was later re-released on a split CD with Homme's post-Kyuss project Queens of the Stone Age. Kyuss had been on an indefinite hiatus ever since. In November 2010, along with former members Oliveri and Bjork, it was announced he would be touring as Kyuss Lives!, and toured Europe, Australia and New Zealand from March to May 2011^[1] with a new studio album expected to follow.^[2] Bruno Fevery filled in for Homme, who did not want to participate. In November 2012, following a lawsuit filed by Homme and former Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder, Kyuss Lives! changed their name to Vista Chino.^[3]

Slo Burn

In 1996, Garcia formed stoner rock band Slo Burn in Palm Desert, California. Releasing just one EP, Amusing the Amazing, the band's tenure was short-lived, though it was embraced by the former Kyuss fanbase. A total of 9 songs were recorded, but the band did not have enough funds, so the 4 tracks were released as an EP. Bootleg copies of the album that have the remaining 5 tracks exist, unmixed, in varying quality. The band played at Ozzfest in 1997 before disbanding later that year, for reasons never officially revealed.

Unida

Upon leaving Slo Burn, Garcia formed the band Unida, which at one point included former Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder. Unida released one album and a split EP with the Swedish group Dozer. Unida were signed to Rick Rubin's label, American Records, and recorded a second album, which was unreleased due to company partner, Island/Def Jam, not seeing any commercial potential in the music. The band, however, distributed the album themselves, selling copies at their live shows while on tour. The title of the CD is El Coyote, and has alternatively been known as "The Great Divide". The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since that point.

Vista Chino

In early 2010, a European tour was announced, starting with a gig at Roadburn Festival in April. Billed as "Garcia Plays Kyuss", the performances consisted entirely of songs originally recorded by Garcia's former band, Kyuss. His backing-band is composed of Belgian and Dutch musicians from Agua de Annique, Kong, Celestial Season and Arsenal. During their performance at Hellfest on June 20, John Garcia was joined on stage by former Kyuss members Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri while playing "Gardenia" and "Green Machine".^[4]

In November 2010, John Garcia formed Kyuss Lives! with Brant Bjork, Nick Oliveri, and Bruno Fevery. Due to legal pressure on November 2012, Kyuss Lives! announced that they had changed their name to Vista Chino.^[5]

Vista Chino released their debut album Peace on September 3, 2013 through Napalm Records.^[6]

Various projects & collaborations

In 1998, he joined Hermano, a side-project created by producer Dandy Brown. The band has released four albums since 2002.

In 1999, Garcia collaborated with Swedish all-female stoner band Misdemeanor on "Love Song", the fourth track of their EP, Five Wheel Drive.

In 2001, he contributed vocals to the track The Thing That Should Not Be along with drummer Jason Bonham, bassist Jeff Pilson (Dokken,) and guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof for the Metallica tribute album Metallic Assault.

In 2002, Garcia contributed vocals to two tracks on UK band Orange Goblin's album Coup de Grace, "Made of Rats" and "Jesus Beater".

In late 2003, Garcia recorded vocals for the song "Born Too Slow" by The Crystal Method. The song became the lead single of Legion of Boom. The song did moderately well in terms of radio airplay and is highly popular among fans of The Crystal Method^{[citation needed]}, particularly because of the howling vocals Garcia laid down on the track. Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland played guitar on the song. Garcia has performed the song live several times with The Crystal Method.

On December 20, 2005, Garcia would finally team up with Homme again, making a guest appearance onstage with Queens of the Stone Age during the encore of their set at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California. They performed three Kyuss songs together: "Thumb", "Hurricane" and "Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop".^[7] This appearance fueled Kyuss reunion rumours, though Homme has stated publicly that a proper Kyuss reunion is unlikely to ever happen.

In 2006, Garcia collaborated with Canadian band Danko Jones on their third album, Sleep Is the Enemy, contributing vocals to the track "Invisible". He would again collaborate with Danko Jones on their 2008 album Never Too Loud, appearing on the track "Forest for the Trees" along with Pete Stahl.

Garcia has worked on a solo project under the moniker "Garcia Vs Garcia", which was originally slated for a September, 2008, release but has since been delayed indefinitely.^[8]

In 2008, John Garcia collaborated with Belgian band Arsenal on their album Lotuk, contributing lyrics and vocals to two tracks, "Not a Man" and "Diggin' a Hole". The band members of Arsenal also shot a film documenting the making of the album, including footage of Garcia driving around in his hometown.

Discography

• Sons of Kyuss – Sons of Kyuss (1990)
• Kyuss – Wretch (1991)
• Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun (1992)
• Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
• Kyuss – ...And the Circus Leaves Town (1995)
• Slo Burn – Amusing the Amazing EP (1996)
• Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age – Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age EP (1997)
• Unida/Dozer – The Best Of Wayne-Gro/Coming Down The Mountain Split EP (1998)
• Unida – Coping With The Urban Coyote (1999)
• Unida – El Coyote/The Great Divide (un-released 2001)
• Hermano – ...Only A Suggestion (2002)
• Hermano – Dare I Say... (2004)
• Hermano – Live at W2 (2005)
• Hermano – ...Into The Exam Room (2007)
• Vista Chino – Peace (2013)

Guest appearances

• Supafuzz – Supafuzz (1998) "You Don't Even Know Me", "Mr. Policeman"
• Misdemeanor – Five Wheel Drive EP (1999) "Love Song"
• Mondo Generator – Cocaine Rodeo (2000) "Simple Exploding Man" w/ classic Kyuss line-up.
• Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica (2001) "The Thing That Should Not Be"
• Orange Goblin – Coup de Grace (2002) "Made of Rats", "Jesus Beater"
• Gallery of Mites – Bugs on a Blue Fish (2003) "100 Days(Heron)"
• The Crystal Method – Legion of Boom (2003) "Born Too Slow" w/ Wes Borland
• Biblical Proof of UFO's – Interstellar Messages (2004) "Passive Aggressive", "Two Minute Warning"
• Danko Jones – Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) "Invisible"
• Waxy – Chainsaw Holiday (2007) "White Walls"
• Danko Jones – Never Too Loud (2008) "Forest for the Trees" w/ Pete Stahl
• Arsenal – Lotuk (2008) "Not a Man", "Diggin a Hole"
• Monkey3 – Undercover (2009) "Watchin' You"
• Mad City Rockers – Black Celebration (2009) "Stronger"
• Karma to Burn – Appalachian Incantation (2010) "Two Times" (bonus track)
• Mondo Generator – Hell Comes To Your Heart (2012) "The Last Train"

Footnotes

External links

• Unida on Metal Archives
• Slo Burn on Metal Archives
• Kyuss on Metal Archives
• Official Hermano website
• Garcia Vs Garcia website
• Interview with John Garcia, Nov 08