Jon Brion

  • Glen Ridge, NJ
    hometown
  • Rock
    genre
  • 1982
    started
  • Bio
    full story
  • Share
  • Similar
Close

About Jon Brion


Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion grew up in a musical family: his father was director of the Yale concert and marching bands, his mother sang in jazz bands, and his siblings, Randy (a conductor/arranger in L.A.) and Laurie (a violinist), were both avid music students. Young Jon didn't deal with instruction or practice well, but his natural affinity for improvisation and melody more than made up for his impatience. Unwilling to conform to the conventional school system, Brion attended special education class at Hamden High School in New Haven, CT, and the day he turned 17, he left school for good. Moving to Boston in 1987, the young musician formed many bonds that he would keep long into his professional career, including producer Mike Denneen (owner of Q Division, Boston's premier studio and record label) and 'Til Tuesday vocalist Aimee Mann. Also while there, Brion tuned his improvisational musical abilities: "I used to watch TV with an unplugged electric guitar, on the couch, and commercials would come on and I'd try to play along. It was one of the prime things I concerned myself with for several years, getting to the point where if I heard it, I could play it. Then I started working on getting my brain to do multiple things at once. And having my hands translate them." This proficiency led to increasingly frequent studio work on the West Coast, eventually resulting in his move to L.A. While in California, he and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Falkner formed the Grays, an underground superstar group which released the 1994 album Ro Sham Bo, before quickly fading as the other members (Falkner, Dan McCarroll, and Buddy Judge) went on to individual musical success. Throughout the '90s, Brion found himself increasingly in demand in the studio, producing and collaborating on albums by Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, David Byrne, and the Eels and soundtracks including the Grammy-nominated Magnolia.

In addition to his prolific studio work, he also has held a long-term position as "the house band" Friday nights at the high-profile Hollywood nightclub Largo. At his live shows, the crowd can expect anything from guest appearances by Aimee Mann, Michael Stipe, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, or Grant Lee Phillips, and Brion is infamous for making up songs on the spot (often from titles shouted from the audience). He also is beloved for his quirky cover versions of songs by Cheap Trick, the Beatles, and Cole Porter, proudly likening his on-stage antics to "spraying musical Raid on the classics, until each dying song flips on its back and wiggles its little musical legs in surrender." Whatever music he was involved in, his eclectic touch undeniably shaped the sound of many progressive alternative musicians throughout the '90s. ~ Zac Johnson, Rovi

Scroll up Scroll down

Music

From position 0, showing 1 items, asking 10
See All
  • Knock Yourself Out
    jon-brion
    Video
    Knock Yourself Out
  • 37188
    SoundStream
    SoundStream
    song name
    0:00
    Audio powered by
    All the music you want, just 10 bucks a month. Try it free.
    • Norman's Walk
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/3/5/3/2/7/932472353.mp3
    • Resolution
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/9/0/3/7/932473095.mp3
    • Aggie Fights
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/9/1/3/7/932473195.mp3
    • Moth Rock
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/9/2/6/2/7/932472629.mp3
    • Oh, and One More Thing
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/3/9/1/3/7/932473193.mp3
    • Theme
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/1/7/7/7/890777715.mp3

Photos

From position 0, showing 1 items, asking 10
See All
  • Jon Brion
    Courtesy of Milan Records

News

From position 0, showing 10 items, asking 10
See All
Next Page
  • Jon Brion
    Jon Brion's song for Synecdoche, New York revealed
    Paste
    and Winslet sit, as if the memory has taken on a life of its own. It's an unforgettable moment, one made all the more affecting by the quietly entranc...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Spoon's Britt Daniel teams up with Jon Brion for new record
    Paste
    Although Spoon news has been a bit sparse since the band's 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and its subsequent tour, singer and guitarist Britt Daniel has re...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Keane Strips Down With Jon Brion In L.A.
    www.billboard.com
    U.K. rock act Keane was joined by producer Jon Brion on stage last night (Dec. 7) for several songs during its 14-song set at the Largo Theater in Wes...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Brad Mehldau Taps Jon Brion to Produce Forthcoming Double Album
    Paste
    Highway Rider, the upcoming two-disc release from jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau ... Brad Mehldau Taps Jon Brion to Produce Forthcoming Double...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Jon Brion Working on Score for Miranda July Film
    www.pitchfork.com
    Inventive composer and producer Jon Brion (Punch-Drunk Love, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kanye West, Fiona Apple) is writing music for the ...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Best Coast Talks "Grown-Up" New Album, Working With Jon Brion
    www.pitchfork.com
    likes watching TV and going to Cardio Barre. But writing this new record is the first step to the more grown-up me." For the follow-up to 2010's break...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Best Coast Team With Jon Brion, Urban Outfitters for Sophomore Album | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    in the United States through the Alternative Distribution Alliance. Gone is the lo-fi fuzz of "Crazy for You," which has since sold 85,000 units, acco...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Jon Brion to Release Soundtrack Album for Animated Kids Film ParaNorman
    www.pitchfork.com
    Super producer Jon Brion has scored the animated zombie comedy ParaNorman, in theaters August 17. His music will be released as an accompanying album ...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Sky Ferreira Shares "Everything Is Embarrassing" Video, Works With Cass McCombs, Jon Brion on EP
    pitchfork.com
    her excellent track "Everything Is Embarrassing" features Ferreira pouting and posing across a city-- on a rooftop, in a stairwell, on a train, and in...
    Read More
  • Jon Brion
    Unaired Jon Brion Show Features Lost Elliott Smith Performance
    Paste
    Prepare yourself: The level of talent on display in the video below is nothing short of mind-blowing. Today, a Youtube user named AlRosePromotions upl...
    Read More

Tour Dates

From position 0, showing 1 items, asking 50
See All
  • May 31 Friday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Largo at the Coronet
    Buy Ticket

Discography

From position 0, showing 6 items, asking 10
See All
  • ParaNorman [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2012)
    Jon Brion
    ParaNorman [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2012)
    Relativity Music Group
  • I Heart Huckabees (2004)
    Jon Brion
    I Heart Huckabees (2004)
    Rhino
  • Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Jon Brion
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
    Hollywood
  • Punch-Drunk Love [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2002)
    Jon Brion
    Punch-Drunk Love [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] (2002)
    Nonesuch
  • Meaningless (2001)
    Jon Brion
    Meaningless (2001)
    www.jonbrion.com
  • Magnolia [Original Motion Picture Score] (2000)
    Jon Brion
    Magnolia [Original Motion Picture Score] (2000)
    Reprise
Are You Jon Brion? Claim this page | Learn more about Artists.MTV | FAQ for Artists
Jon Brion Bio | Jon Brion Tour Dates | Jon Brion Music | Jon Brion Photos | Jon Brion News | Jon Brion Discography |
MTV | MTV Jobs | Privacy Policy | User Content Agreement | Copyright | Artist Index | Social Projects Agreements | Ad Choices |
Portions of this page powered by
This site contains content from artists, fans, and writers from around the internet in it's natural form. Such content is not representative of Viacom Media Networks.

©2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. MTV and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

  • Explore
    • Popular
    • Emerging
    • Genres
      • Rock
      • Hip Hop
      • Indie
      • Electronic/EDM
      • Country
      • Pop
    • Collections
    • Artist To Watch
  • Search
  • Are you an artist?
    • Claim Your Page
    • Learn More
    • FAQ
    • Opportunities