Yawning Man

Yawning Man
Origin	La Quinta, California
Genres	Stoner rock Desert rock Psychedelic rock Neo-psychedelia
Years active	1986–present
Associated acts	Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Brant Bjork and the Bros, Fatso Jetson, Ten East, The Sort of Quartet, Oddio Gasser, Yawning Sons, Dark Tooth Encounter, Waterways, Noon Day Mad Dogs, Across the River, Orquesta del Desierto, Dead Issue, Family Butcher, Gusto, Vic du Monte's Persona Non Grata

Yawning Man is an American experimental rock band from La Quinta, California. The band originally formed in 1986, although they released no studio recordings until 2005. They have been noted to be one of the first influential bands in the desert rock scene.

Biography

Yawning Man was born in 1986, originally founded by members Gary Arce, Alfredo Hernández, Mario Lalli, and Larry Lalli. At this time, the band started to play marathon jams from the garage to the desert. The word spread of these 'generator parties', and all kinds of people would show up. Their music heavily influenced the likes of John Garcia, Josh Homme, and Brant Bjork to name only a few; who would later form the legendary stoner rock band Kyuss. When Hernandez played in Kyuss on their last album '...And the Circus Leaves Town' they even recorded a cover of Yawning Man's song "Catamaran".

“

Yawning Man was the sickest desert band of all time. You’d just be up there in the desert, everybody’d just be hanging, partying. And they’d show up in their van and just, mellow, drag out their shit and set up right about the time the sun was goin’ down, set up the generators, sometimes they’d just go up there and drink beers and barbecue. Sometimes it would be a scene; sometimes it would be very intimate. It was very casual and loose and everybody would like, while they’re playing, everyone would just lounge around. They were kinda like a house band. It wasn’t militant like Black Flag. It was very drugged, very stone-y, it was very mystical. Everyone’s just tripping, and they’re just playing away, for hours. Oh, they’re the GREATEST band I’ve ever seen.- Brant Bjork (2002)

”

During this time, 30-40 songs were recorded on 2 different demos but no official Yawning Man material was ever released until 2005.Yawning Man's music began to mutate into strange loops with an almost dark / freeform jazz punk sound, and the name of the band just didn't fit the music anymore. The band changed to The Sort of Quartet.

In 2005, the first LP 'Rock Formations' was released on the Spanish label Alone Records. Rock Formations is a collection of 10 tracks recorded in late 2004 and described as "a melancholic mix of acoustic space rock with elements of surf music, as well as middle eastern guitar style". Months later,'Pot Head', a 4 track EP, slightly darker, with a heavier tone would be released. In 2006, Rock Formations was re-released with a limited edition bonus DVD recorded at W2 club in Den Bosch (NL), on June 17, 2005, during their European tour.

In 2007 Yawning Man was to release a collection of past material on a double CD: The Birth of Sol Music. It was to be a collection of 30 older songs from the late 80’s with an extensive booklet including information about the band and the whole Palm Desert connection. According to band member Gary Arce this release has been postponed indefinitely.

This year will also feature the dawn of guitarist Gary Arce's next project, which may go by the name Echo Friendly Approach or Dark Tooth Encounter. Gary and Billy Cordell are joined this time by Ten East, The Perfect Rat drummer Bill Stinson. Contributions will be made by Australian master didjeridoo player Simon7 (Didjworks) with potentially some other surprise musicians- friends of Gary's from SST Records.

In 2008, An LP called Vista Point was released by Yawning Man. It is a combination of the Rock Formations and Pot Head releases.

In 2011, Yawning Man will return to Europe for a two week Summer tour in June with guitarist Gary Arce, bassist Mario Lalli, and new drummer Bill Stinson.

Members

• Gary Arce (The Sort of Quartet, Oddio Gasser, Yawning Sons, Dark Tooth Encounter, Waterways, Big Scenic Nowhere) - guitar
• Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Orquesta del Desierto, Across The River, Dead Issue, Yawning Sons, Waterways) - bass guitar, vocals
• Bill Stinson (Ten East, Dark Tooth Encounter, The Perfect Rat, Fast Gato) - drums

Former members

• Larry Lalli - bass & guitar
• Randy Rantaso - percussion
• Billy Cordell - bass (Unida, De-Con, The Whizards)
• Alfredo Hernandez - drums

Discography

Studio recordings

Rock Formations LP - 2005

1. "Rock Formations" (5:21)
2. "Perpetual Oyster" (5:22)
3. "Stoney Lonesome" (6:02)
4. "Split Tooth Thunder" (2:58)
5. "Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway" (3:52)
6. "Airport Boulevard" (5:22)
7. "Advanced Darkness" (2:33)
8. "She Scares Me" (4:09)
9. "Crater Lake" (3:37)
10. "Buffalo Chips" (4:27)

Pot Head EP - 2005

1. "Manolete" (6:47)
2. "Digital Smoke Signal" (7:09)
3. "Encounters With An Angry God" (5:01)
4. "Samba de Primavera" (5:03)

Vista Point - LP - 2008

1. "Rock Formations" (5:21)
2. "Perpetual Oyster" (5:22)
3. "Stoney Lonesome" (6:02)
4. "Split Tooth Thunder" (2:58)
5. "Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway" (3:52)
6. "Airport Boulevard" (5:22)
7. "Advanced Darknuss" (2:33)
8. "She Scares Me" (4:09)
9. "Crater Lake" (3:37)
10. "Buffalo Chips" (4:27)
11. "Manolete" (6:47)
12. "Digital Smoke Signal" (7:09)
13. "Encounters With An Angry God" (5:01)
14. "Samba de Primavera" (5:03)

Nomadic Pursuits - 2010

1. "Camel Tow" (5:02)
2. "Sand Whip" (6:54)
3. "Far-off Adventure" (Eastern Interests) (8:28)
4. "Blue Foam" (Water Ways) (6:42)
5. "Ground Swell" (6:16)
6. "Camel Tow Too" (5:00)
7. "Laster Arte" (Nomadic Pursuits) (4:28)

Hotel Wrecking City Traders & Gary Arce LP (2011)

1. Coventina's Cascade (10:19)
2. Traverse of the Oxen (10:21)

DVD recordings

Live at W2 Den Bosch. Netherlands. DVD + rock formations. (CD + DVD release) W2 Concertzaal June 17th, 2005

1. Perpetual Oyster
2. Digital Smoke Signal
3. Rock Formations
4. Stoney Lonesome
5. Split Tooth Thunder
6. Crack, Harden, Dry
7. Manolete
8. Fires of Papa's Chili
9. Advanced Darkness
10. Encounters With An Angry God
11. Buffalo Chips
12. Airport Boulevard

External links

• Yawning Man Unofficial
• Yawning Man Myspace Page
• Monolith Review
• Bro Fidelity Records Myspace