John McBain (musician)

Last updated

John McBain
Born (1965-04-23) April 23, 1965 (age 58)
New Jersey, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • producer
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1989–present

John McBain (born April 23, 1965) is an American musician, producer, and mastering engineer from New Jersey. He was a guitarist for Monster Magnet, Hater, and Wellwater Conspiracy, among others. He is also active as a solo artist and has contributed to The Desert Sessions. [1]

Contents

Career

Hater

After leaving Monster Magnet, McBain moved to Washington State to create the garage rock group Hater, [2] along with Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) and Brian Wood (brother of Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood). The band released two albums of their brand of garage/psychedelic rock: their self-titled debut in 1993 and their follow-up, The 2nd , which was recorded in 1995 but released in 2005.

In 1997, after Hater broke up, McBain participated in the first Desert Sessions, a musical project led by Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme. There he befriended ex-Kyuss/Fu Manchu drummer Brant Bjork.

He was a live member of the Queens of the Stone Age for their first three shows, and co-wrote the song "Regular John" which appears on their self-titled debut album.

Wellwater Conspiracy

In 1997, McBain and Matt Cameron created the Wellwater Conspiracy along with Ben Shepherd. Their debut release was Declaration of Conformity, released in 1997 on the Third Gear label. Shortly after the release, Cameron was chosen to replace Jack Irons as drummer for rock group Pearl Jam. However, Cameron maintained both groups, contributing to a further three Wellwater Conspiracy albums. Notable appearances include keyboardist Glenn Slater of folk rock group The Walkabouts, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss.

Solo career

In 2004, McBain moved to San Francisco, refining material that he had accumulated which he believed was not in step with the Wellwater Conspiracy's garage rock style. In February 2006 he released The In-Flight Feature on Duna Records [3] (founded by Brant Bjork). In 2012 McBain collaborated with Carlton Melton on their Smoke Drip 12 inch LP [4]

Discography

With Monster Magnet

With Hater

With Devilhead

With Wellwater Conspiracy

Solo work

Other contributions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyuss</span> American rock band

Kyuss was an American rock band, formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987. The band disbanded in 1995, and since then, members of Kyuss have gone on to form or play in several notable bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees, Fu Manchu, Dwarves, Eagles of Death Metal, Mondo Generator, Hermano, Unida, Slo Burn and Them Crooked Vultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Oliveri</span> American musician

Nick Steven Oliveri is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as a former bassist of Kyuss and later Queens of the Stone Age from 1998 to 2004. Oliveri is also a solo artist and frequent contributor to his friends' albums and tours, including Winnebago Deal, Masters of Reality, Turbonegro, Moistboyz, Svetlanas and Big Scenic Nowhere among many others. He is currently the frontman of his project, Mondo Generator, a punk and metal hybrid that he formed in 1997, and the co-founder of the stoner rock power trio, Stöner. He has also worked periodically with the Dwarves since 1993.

The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Twiggy Ramirez, Dave Catching, Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan, John McBain, Ben Shepherd, Josh Freese, Chris Goss, Alain Johannes, Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Ween, Les Claypool and many others from the Palm Desert Scene have contributed as songwriters and musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Cameron</span> American drummer

Matthew David Cameron is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Pearl Jam. He first gained fame as the drummer for Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of the band's studio albums until its break-up in 1997. In 1998, Cameron was invited to join Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour and then became a permanent member of the band. In 2010, Cameron became simultaneously a member of Pearl Jam and the reunited Soundgarden. He remained with Soundgarden until its disbandment after the death of lead singer Chris Cornell in 2017. Cameron, along with guitarist Kim Thayil and Cornell, is one of three members to feature on every Soundgarden studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palm Desert Scene</span> Music culture in Southern California often described as "desert rock".

The Palm Desert Scene is a group of related bands and musicians from Palm Desert, California. Their hard rock sound – sometimes described as desert rock – contains elements of heavy metal, psychedelia, blues, punk, alternative, grunge, and other genres. It often features distinctive repetitive drum beats, a propensity for free-form jamming, and "trance-like" or "sludgy" grooves. The involved musicians often play in multiple bands simultaneously, and there is a high rate of collaboration between bands. The Palm Desert Scene is also notable for fostering stoner rock pioneers Kyuss. The term "stoner rock" is sometimes used interchangeably with the term "desert rock". However, not all Palm Desert scene bands are "stoner rock" and not all stoner rock bands sound exactly like those in Palm Desert. Palm Desert has been named by Blender magazine as "one of the top seven rock n' roll cities in America".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Shepherd</span> American musician

Hunter Benedict Shepherd is an American musician best known as the bassist of rock band Soundgarden. Shepherd has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Garcia (singer)</span> American singer

John Garcia is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the vocalist and founding member of stoner rock bands Kyuss, Slo Burn, Unida and Hermano. Garcia also performed in Vista Chino, formerly Kyuss Lives!, with former Kyuss members Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri. Garcia has since decided to pursue his solo career, having formed his band, John Garcia and the Band of Gold, in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brant Bjork</span> American musician

Brant Bjork is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is perhaps best known as the drummer and founder of the influential Californian stoner rock band Kyuss. Bjork has also played in Vista Chino, along with former Kyuss members John Garcia and Nick Oliveri. He is currently the frontman and co-founder of the stoner rock power trio, Stöner. Bjork is one of the more notable figures in the stoner rock and Palm Desert scene and maintains a prolific solo career with over a dozen released albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fu Manchu (band)</span> American stoner rock band

Fu Manchu is an American stoner rock band, formed in Orange County in 1985. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout the 80s and 90s, but has remained consistent since 2001. The band currently consists of founding guitarist turned lead vocalist Scott Hill, bassist Brad Davis, lead guitarist Bob Balch and drummer Scott Reeder.

Alfredo Hernández is an American drummer best known as a former member of desert rock bands Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Brant Bjork and the Bros and Yawning Man, and as a current member of the band, Avon.

Wellwater Conspiracy was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. The band was created by members of the grunge-era side project Hater. Wellwater Conspiracy featured Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and ex-Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain. The band originally featured Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd, who left the band in 1998. Various other artists have contributed to the band's albums, notably Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, and Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil.

Hater was an American rock supergroup that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. The band formed as a side project mostly under the direction of Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd. Additional members included Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist John McBain, bassist John Waterman for the self-titled album, Devilhead vocalist Brian Wood, brother of Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood, and Alan Davis on bass for The 2nd.

Adam Kasper is an American, Seattle area record producer and engineer, with platinum and gold awards, working with such bands as Aerosmith, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, The Tragically Hip, R.E.M., Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. He went to Capital High School in Olympia, Washington.

<i>The In-Flight Feature</i> 2006 studio album by John McBain

The In-Flight Feature is John McBain's debut solo effort released in 2006 on Brant Bjork's label Duna Records. The In-Flight Feature was the result of material accumulated over several years that McBain didn't think was suitable for his then current band the Wellwater Conspiracy. It is mainly instrumental with several songs having no vocals at all and is heavily influenced by 1970s space/progressive rock. Guest appearances include Jon Kleiman and Tim Cronin of Monster Magnet.

Fatso Jetson is an American desert rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1994 by Yawning Man members Mario Lalli and Larry Lalli, along with Tony Tornay. They are often credited as the fathers of the desert strain of stoner rock later made most famous by their slightly younger neighbors Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age. While musically similar to some of their stoner brethren, Fatso Jetson incorporate a broader variety of musical influences that includes punk and surf.

Rancho De La Luna is a recording studio in Joshua Tree, California that was founded in 1993 by Fred Drake and David Catching. After Drake's death in 2002 to cancer, the studio was operated by David Catching and Drake's collaborators Tony Mason, Ted Quinn, Dean Chamberlain, Billy Bizeau and Fred Burke until 2004. It has since doubled as Catching's home, where he serves as engineer,producer,joins as guest musician and cooks for bands.

<i>Declaration of Conformity</i> 1997 studio album by Wellwater Conspiracy

Declaration of Conformity is the first studio album by the American rock band Wellwater Conspiracy. It was released on June 17, 1997, through Third Gear Records.

<i>Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives</i> 1999 studio album by Wellwater Conspiracy

Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives is the second studio album by the American rock band Wellwater Conspiracy. It was released on February 9, 1999, through Time Bomb Recordings.

Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep.

References

  1. John McBain (2007). "Desert Sessions Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  2. "John McBain Biography". Allmusic. 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  3. "Amazon page for In-Flight Feature". Amazon. 2006. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  4. "Headphones required: John McBain's psychedelic guitar". Erenlai. 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  5. "All Hail the Crown". Shawn Smith Collective. 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.