Yawning Man is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 experimental rock

Experimental rock

Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....

 band from La Quinta, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. 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

Palm Desert Scene

The Palm Desert Scene is a group of closely related bands and musicians from Palm Desert in Southern California. Their hard rock sound – which is often described as desert rock – contains elements of psychedelia, blues, Heavy metal and other genres, such as hardcore, as well as...

 scene.

Biography

Yawning Man was born in 1986, originally founded by members Gary Arce, Alfredo Hernández

Alfredo Hernandez

Alfredo Hernández is an American drummer best known as a member of desert rock bands Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Brant Bjork and the Bros and Yawning Man. He is jazz trained.- Career :...

, 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

John Garcia (singer)

John Garcia is a vocalist who has been a member of Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida and Hermano. His vocals have become synonymous with modern stoner rock and the desert rock sound.-Kyuss:...

, Josh Homme, and Brant Bjork

Brant Bjork

Brant Bjork is an American musician from Palm Desert, California, who is a drummer, producer, guitarist and one of the more notable figures in the stoner rock and Palm Desert scenes.-Early career and Kyuss:...

 to name only a few; who would later form the legendary stoner rock

Stoner rock

Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...

 band Kyuss

Kyuss

Kyuss is a 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, and one last split EP in 1997 with...

. When Hernandez played in Kyuss on their last album '...And the Circus Leaves Town

...And the Circus Leaves Town

...And the Circus Leaves Town is the fourth studio album by American stoner rock/metal band Kyuss, released on July 11, 1995.Upon its release, the album was not as commercially or critically successful as the previous Blues for the Red Sun and Welcome to Sky Valley...

' they even recorded a cover of Yawning Man's song "Catamaran".

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

Ten East

Ten East is an experimental/jam rock project based in the Palm Desert and Los Angeles area of the United States. The musicians involved share a common respect for improvised jamming mixed with years of playing and listening to all types of rock, psychedelic, Latin, jazz, blues, surf and punk music...

, 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
  Fatso Jetson
  Fatso Jetson is an American desert rock band from the Palm Desert, California area, formed in 1994 by ex-Yawning Man members Mario and Larry Lalli, along with Tony Tornay. The Lalli cousins are often credited as the fathers of the desert strain of stoner rock later made famous by bands such as...
  
  , Orquesta del Desierto
  Orquesta del Desierto
  Orquesta del Desierto is an American desert rock band from the Palm Desert, California. Founded upon music inspired and written by producer Dandy Brown , members of the band include or have included vocalist Pete Stahl , drummer Alfredo Hernández , guitarist Mario Lalli and guitarists Mike...
  
  , 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

• Alfredo Hernandez - drums
• Larry Lalli - bass & guitar
• Randy Rantaso - percussion
• Billy Cordell - bass (Unida
  Unida
  Unida was an American stoner rock band that was formed after the dissolution of Kyuss and Slo Burn. The band originally consisted of John Garcia , Arthur Seay , Miguel Cancino and Dave Dinsmore . Dinsmore was later replaced by Scott Reeder, who was in turn replaced by Eddie Plascencia...
  
  , De-Con, The Whizards)

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