Alien Crime Syndicate
Encyclopedia
Alien Crime Syndicate, often abbreviated to ACS, were a rock
band formed in San Francisco, California
, in 1997. From 1999 to the band's breakup in 2005, the lineup consisted primarily of Joe Reineke (vocals, guitar), Jeff Rouse
(bass, backing vocals), Nabil Ayers
(drums), while guitarists Jason Krevey, Mike Squires
and Mike Davis were also members of the band.
Following the breakup of previous band The Meices, Joe Reineke formed Alien Crime Syndicate with Jeff Rouse in San Francisco, before they relocated to Los Angeles
following a deal with Revolution Records
. After recording their debut album, the label folded, with the band relocating to Seattle, adding Nabil Ayers, formerly of The Lemons, and Jason Krevey to the lineup. They released one EP in 1999 before releasing their debut album entitled Dust to Dirt
in 2001. Will Records
then acquired the Revolution recorded album, entitled From the Word Go
, issuing it the same year.
By 2001, Jason Krevey departed the band and was replaced by former Nevada Bachelors
guitarist Mike Squires. XL from Coast to Coast
was released the following year, through Ayer's The Control Group
label, with the album's first single "Ozzy" becoming a minor hit on local radio. The album was re-released, following a deal with V2 Records
, while an EP entitled Break the Record was released in 2003.
The band released their fourth and final album, entitled Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal
, in 2004 through The Control Group, after leaving V2, with Mike Davis joining the band in place of Squires. A tour supporting Tommy Stinson
followed, while they also performed as his backing band. However, by 2005, Alien Crime Syndicate disbanded with the members going on to various projects.
in San Francisco, California the same year. By the summer, they relocated to Los Angeles and were signed to Revolution Records
. The band, with Shawn Trudeau, recorded their debut album with producer Gil Norton
at Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood. However, by 1998, Alien Crime Syndicate were dropped from the label following the folding of Revolution Records.
The band relocated to Seattle, Washington adding drummer Nabil Ayers
, formerly of The Lemons
, and guitarist Jason Krevey to the lineup before performing live shows locally. Originally intended to be a 7", the band released a five-song EP
entitled Supernatural
in 1999 through Ayer's Collective Fruit label. Supernatural was well received, earning comparisons to U2
while Mike DaRonco of Allmusic stated that the EP was "in a league of its own." The band continued to play locally, including a show with The Western State Hurricanes
while they also toured California.
, at Orbital Audio and Jupiter Studios in Seattle. Produced by Reineke, the album featured new material, as well as re-recorded songs from their unreleased album, and was released in February 8, 2000 through Collective Fruit. The band toured in support and with their music receiving decent radio play. When the rights to their unreleased album, entitled From the Word Go
, were acquired by Will Records
, Collective Fruit stopped pressing the Dust to Dirt CD so the band could tour in support of the Will album, which was released on July 18 the same year.
Reviewing From the Word Go, Stewart Mason of Allmusic said that "Joe Reineke's brand of lightly psychedelicized, guitar-heavy power pop rockers is more appropriate for the kind of pop/rock obsessives who will appreciate the jangly strums, vintage synth sounds, and appealingly retro-feeling fondness for singalong choruses repeated once or twice too often." He also stated that "[t]hose who like Carl Newman
's pre-New Pornographers
band Zumpano
might consider Alien Crime Syndicate a kindred spirit with an outer space preoccupation replacing Zumpano's '60s fixation." The band continued to play live shows in the Northwest in support of the album. The same year, Rouse joined Loaded
, at the invite of drummer Geoff Reading
, replacing previous bassist Dave Dederer
for the band's tour of the US and Japan in support of Dark Days
.
guitarist Mike Squires
. The album was recorded at Orbital Audio Studios in Seattle and was produced by Reineke. To release the album, entitled XL from Coast to Coast
, Ayers founded The Control Group
record label with the album released in January 2002. It received some positive reviews, with critics noting Urge Overkill
and The Replacements influences. The first single "Ozzy" received regular radio play on Seattle's KNDD
, becoming a minor hit, while the single and album were both listed in the top-selling records at local independent record stores in Seattle Weekly
.
The band subsequently signed a deal with V2 Records
, who re-released the album three months after its initial release. The European and Japanese, released through Toshiba EMI, editions of the album included a cover of Elton John
's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart
" which featured Duff McKagan
, formerly of Guns N' Roses
, and Kim Warnick
, of Visqueen and formerly of the Fastbacks
. The cover was also included on the Break the Record EP released in 2003. The band toured in support, playing at the Fremont Fair
while they also supported Sugar Ray
on their tour of Six Flags
amusement parks.
was released on April 20, 2004 to positive reviews, with John D. Luerssen of Allmusic stating that the album was "a kickass rock & roll record" and that "when they hit their marks [...] ACS is as immediate as it is fun."
Alien Crime Syndicate toured the West Coast in support of the album, before touring with Guns N' Roses, former The Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson
, in support of his solo album Village Gorilla Head
, both as the supporting act and Stinson's backing band, replacing The Figgs. They toured both the US and Europe with Stinson, while they also recorded the live shows for a possible DVD. By 2005, Alien Crime Syndicate disbanded.
, before forming Sirens Sister
with Vendetta Red members Zach Davidson and Leif Anderson as well as Ben Libay following the breaup of the band. They released one album entitled Echoes from the Ocean Floor, in 2006, before Rouse left the group. He also reunited with Loaded, along with Mike Squires, in 2006, going on to release an EP, Wasted Heart
, in 2008 and album, Sick
, in 2009 while they also completed the recording of their third, The Taking
, in 2010. He also formed a solo project titled To the Glorious Lonely.
Ayers joined John Roderick's The Long Winters
, touring with Keane and releasing the album Putting the Days to Bed
. His music store, Sonic Boom, was also named the top independent music store in the US by Rolling Stone
magazine in 2006.
, power pop
, hard rock
, indie rock
, pop rock
and pop punk
. The band has also seen their music compared to U2
, Zumpano
, Urge Overkill
, The Replacements, Weezer
and Fountains of Wayne
.
EPs
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in San Francisco, 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...
, in 1997. From 1999 to the band's breakup in 2005, the lineup consisted primarily of Joe Reineke (vocals, guitar), Jeff Rouse
Jeff Rouse (musician)
Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
(bass, backing vocals), Nabil Ayers
Nabil Ayers
Nabil Ayers is an American musician and entrepreneur. He is a co-owner of Seattle's Sonic Boom Records, and the founder of The Control Group. As a drummer, he has performed with various acts, most recently The Long Winters. Ayers was described by music journalist Kurt B...
(drums), while guitarists Jason Krevey, Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
and Mike Davis were also members of the band.
Following the breakup of previous band The Meices, Joe Reineke formed Alien Crime Syndicate with Jeff Rouse in San Francisco, before they relocated to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
following a deal with Revolution Records
Revolution Records
Revolution Records was a record label that was launched in 1996 as a subsidiary of Giant Records. Brian Wilson signed on the label.There was also an earlier label 'Revolution Records', an English distributor of RCA recordings, based at 490A Old Kent Road, London S.E.1, on which various classical...
. After recording their debut album, the label folded, with the band relocating to Seattle, adding Nabil Ayers, formerly of The Lemons, and Jason Krevey to the lineup. They released one EP in 1999 before releasing their debut album entitled Dust to Dirt
Dust to Dirt
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jason Krevey – guitar, vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsProduction personnel*Joe Reineke – production, mixing*Jon Ervie – engineering...
in 2001. Will Records
Lakeshore Records
Lakeshore Records is the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment . They started out as WILL Records.Will Records were started by Skip Williamson in the early 90s...
then acquired the Revolution recorded album, entitled From the Word Go
From the Word Go
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Shawn Trudeau – drumsProduction personnel*Gil Norton – production, mixing*Ben Hillier – engineering, mixing...
, issuing it the same year.
By 2001, Jason Krevey departed the band and was replaced by former Nevada Bachelors
Nevada Bachelors
Nevada Bachelors were an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1997. The band's lineup consisted of Robb Benson , Mike Squires and Ben Brunn . Dusty Hayes was the band's drummer from their formation until 1999, and was replaced by Jason Finn...
guitarist Mike Squires. XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast is the third album by alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released in 2002 through V2 and The Control Group, incorporating influences like The Replacements and Urge Overkill...
was released the following year, through Ayer's The Control Group
The Control Group
The Control Group is a relatively small record label, founded by Nabil Ayers. Notable artists to have albums released by this label include Kings of Leon and The Killers.-Bands Signed with TCG :*Alien Crime Syndicate*El Perro Del Mar*Figurines...
label, with the album's first single "Ozzy" becoming a minor hit on local radio. The album was re-released, following a deal with V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
, while an EP entitled Break the Record was released in 2003.
The band released their fourth and final album, entitled Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal
Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsAdditional personnel*Mike Davis – additional guitars on "Rescue", "The American Way", "Forever is Rock N' Roll"...
, in 2004 through The Control Group, after leaving V2, with Mike Davis joining the band in place of Squires. A tour supporting Tommy Stinson
Tommy Stinson
Thomas "Tommy" Eugene Stinson is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N' Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect...
followed, while they also performed as his backing band. However, by 2005, Alien Crime Syndicate disbanded with the members going on to various projects.
Formation (1997–1999)
Joe Reineke was previously a member of The Meices. After releasing four studio albums, The Meices disbanded in 1997, with Reineke forming Alien Crime Syndicate with bassist Jeff RouseJeff Rouse (musician)
Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
in San Francisco, California the same year. By the summer, they relocated to Los Angeles and were signed to Revolution Records
Revolution Records
Revolution Records was a record label that was launched in 1996 as a subsidiary of Giant Records. Brian Wilson signed on the label.There was also an earlier label 'Revolution Records', an English distributor of RCA recordings, based at 490A Old Kent Road, London S.E.1, on which various classical...
. The band, with Shawn Trudeau, recorded their debut album with producer Gil Norton
Gil Norton
Gil Norton is a British record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Park, Counting Crows, Terrorvision, The Triffids, Del Amitri, James, The Feelers, The Beekeepers,...
at Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood. However, by 1998, Alien Crime Syndicate were dropped from the label following the folding of Revolution Records.
The band relocated to Seattle, Washington adding drummer Nabil Ayers
Nabil Ayers
Nabil Ayers is an American musician and entrepreneur. He is a co-owner of Seattle's Sonic Boom Records, and the founder of The Control Group. As a drummer, he has performed with various acts, most recently The Long Winters. Ayers was described by music journalist Kurt B...
, formerly of The Lemons
The Lemons
The Lemons was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1991. The first lineup of the group consisted of Jimmy Paulson , Greg Lovell , Brent Saunders and Jeff Ramirez...
, and guitarist Jason Krevey to the lineup before performing live shows locally. Originally intended to be a 7", the band released a five-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Supernatural
Supernatural (EP)
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drums...
in 1999 through Ayer's Collective Fruit label. Supernatural was well received, earning comparisons to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
while Mike DaRonco of Allmusic stated that the EP was "in a league of its own." The band continued to play locally, including a show with The Western State Hurricanes
The Western State Hurricanes
The Western State Hurricanes was a short-lived Seattle-based indie rock band in the late 1990s. It is best known as a precursor to the more successful group the Long Winters: both bands were fronted by songwriter John Roderick, and many Western State Hurricanes songs were later revamped into Long...
while they also toured California.
Dust to Dirt and From the Word Go (1999–2001)
Alien Crime Syndicate recorded their new album, entitled Dust to DirtDust to Dirt
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jason Krevey – guitar, vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsProduction personnel*Joe Reineke – production, mixing*Jon Ervie – engineering...
, at Orbital Audio and Jupiter Studios in Seattle. Produced by Reineke, the album featured new material, as well as re-recorded songs from their unreleased album, and was released in February 8, 2000 through Collective Fruit. The band toured in support and with their music receiving decent radio play. When the rights to their unreleased album, entitled From the Word Go
From the Word Go
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Shawn Trudeau – drumsProduction personnel*Gil Norton – production, mixing*Ben Hillier – engineering, mixing...
, were acquired by Will Records
Lakeshore Records
Lakeshore Records is the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment . They started out as WILL Records.Will Records were started by Skip Williamson in the early 90s...
, Collective Fruit stopped pressing the Dust to Dirt CD so the band could tour in support of the Will album, which was released on July 18 the same year.
Reviewing From the Word Go, Stewart Mason of Allmusic said that "Joe Reineke's brand of lightly psychedelicized, guitar-heavy power pop rockers is more appropriate for the kind of pop/rock obsessives who will appreciate the jangly strums, vintage synth sounds, and appealingly retro-feeling fondness for singalong choruses repeated once or twice too often." He also stated that "[t]hose who like Carl Newman
Carl Newman
Allan Carl Newman is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He was a member of the indie rock bands Superconductor and Zumpano in the 1990s. Following the breakup of those bands, he reemerged as the leader of The New Pornographers in 2000....
's pre-New Pornographers
The New Pornographers
The New Pornographers is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia.-History:The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voices Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a...
band Zumpano
Zumpano
Zumpano was a Canadian indie rock group in the 1990s.The band, whose power pop style resembled such contemporaries as Sloan and The Super Friendz, comprised vocalist/guitarist Carl Newman, keyboardist Michael Ledwidge, bassist Stefan Niemann and drummer Jason Zumpano.The band formed in 1992 after...
might consider Alien Crime Syndicate a kindred spirit with an outer space preoccupation replacing Zumpano's '60s fixation." The band continued to play live shows in the Northwest in support of the album. The same year, Rouse joined Loaded
Loaded (band)
Loaded is an American hard rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan , lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse Loaded (also known as Duff McKagan's Loaded) is an American hard rock band...
, at the invite of drummer Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading
Geoff Reading is an American musician. In his career, Reading has been a member of a number of groups, including Loaded , Green Apple Quick Step, New American Shame, The Disciples Geoff Reading (born February 23, 1968, in Rochester, New York) is an American musician. In his career, Reading has...
, replacing previous bassist Dave Dederer
Dave Dederer
Dave Dederer, best known as guitarist and singer for The Presidents of the United States of America, was born on October 5, 1964. An alumnus of Seattle, Washington's The Bush School and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, he founded The Presidents with fellow Bush School alumnus...
for the band's tour of the US and Japan in support of Dark Days
Dark Days (Loaded album)
-Personnel:*Duff McKagan – vocals, bass, guitar, piano on "Misery", production*Dave Dederer – guitar, production*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocals, percussion, production...
.
XL from Coast to Coast (2001–2003)
The band spent a year writing and recording their third album. However, Krevey departed and was replaced by Rouse's Loaded band mate and former Nevada BachelorsNevada Bachelors
Nevada Bachelors were an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1997. The band's lineup consisted of Robb Benson , Mike Squires and Ben Brunn . Dusty Hayes was the band's drummer from their formation until 1999, and was replaced by Jason Finn...
guitarist Mike Squires
Mike Squires (musician)
Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
. The album was recorded at Orbital Audio Studios in Seattle and was produced by Reineke. To release the album, entitled XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast
XL from Coast to Coast is the third album by alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released in 2002 through V2 and The Control Group, incorporating influences like The Replacements and Urge Overkill...
, Ayers founded The Control Group
The Control Group
The Control Group is a relatively small record label, founded by Nabil Ayers. Notable artists to have albums released by this label include Kings of Leon and The Killers.-Bands Signed with TCG :*Alien Crime Syndicate*El Perro Del Mar*Figurines...
record label with the album released in January 2002. It received some positive reviews, with critics noting Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill is an alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, United States, consisting of Nash Kato , and Eddie "King" Roeser . Their cover of Neil Diamond's song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" appeared prominently in the movie Pulp Fiction, and became a hit in 1994...
and The Replacements influences. The first single "Ozzy" received regular radio play on Seattle's KNDD
KNDD
KNDD , also known as "107.7 The End", is an alternative rock radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between Downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle...
, becoming a minor hit, while the single and album were both listed in the top-selling records at local independent record stores in Seattle Weekly
Seattle Weekly
Seattle Weekly is a freely distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly...
.
The band subsequently signed a deal with V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
, who re-released the album three months after its initial release. The European and Japanese, released through Toshiba EMI, editions of the album included a cover of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Don't Go Breaking My Heart
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonym "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" , and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Tamla Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers...
" which featured Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, formerly of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, and Kim Warnick
Kim Warnick
Kim Warnick was co-founder, bassist, and lead vocalist of the Seattle band Fastbacks between 1979 and 2002, and bassist with Visqueen from 2001 until her retirement from performing in 2004....
, of Visqueen and formerly of the Fastbacks
Fastbacks
The Fastbacks were a Seattle punk rock band. Formed in 1979 by songwriter/guitarist Kurt Bloch , and friends Lulu Gargiulo and Kim Warnick , they disbanded in 2001...
. The cover was also included on the Break the Record EP released in 2003. The band toured in support, playing at the Fremont Fair
Summer Solstice Parade and Pageant
The Fremont Solstice Parade is an annual event produced by the Fremont Arts Council , an organization that supports the arts and artists in and around the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Started in 1989 by Barbara Luecke and Peter Toms, the parade quickly grew to tens of thousands of...
while they also supported Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
on their tour of Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
amusement parks.
Ten Songs in the Key of Betrayal and Tommy Stinson (2003–2005)
Despite the label picking up the option for their next album, Alien Crime Syndicate left V2 Records and returned to The Control Group. The band entered pre-production with producer Gil Norton who helped with arrangements and songs. The album was recorded at Orbital Audio and was produced by Reineke, with Norton serving as executive producer. Squires left the band prior to the recording of the album and was replaced by Mike Davis, who recorded additional guitars on three songs. Ten Songs in the Key of BetrayalTen Songs in the Key of Betrayal
-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsAdditional personnel*Mike Davis – additional guitars on "Rescue", "The American Way", "Forever is Rock N' Roll"...
was released on April 20, 2004 to positive reviews, with John D. Luerssen of Allmusic stating that the album was "a kickass rock & roll record" and that "when they hit their marks [...] ACS is as immediate as it is fun."
Alien Crime Syndicate toured the West Coast in support of the album, before touring with Guns N' Roses, former The Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson
Tommy Stinson
Thomas "Tommy" Eugene Stinson is an American musician best known for his work as the bassist for The Replacements and Guns N' Roses as well as the post-Replacements groups Bash & Pop, where he performed guitar duties, and Perfect...
, in support of his solo album Village Gorilla Head
Village Gorilla Head
Village Gorilla Head is the debut album by Guns N' Roses and former The Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson released on Jul 27, 2004 through Sanctuary Records...
, both as the supporting act and Stinson's backing band, replacing The Figgs. They toured both the US and Europe with Stinson, while they also recorded the live shows for a possible DVD. By 2005, Alien Crime Syndicate disbanded.
Post-breakup activities (2005–present)
Rouse joined Vendetta RedVendetta Red
Vendetta Red is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington that formed in 1998. They released an EP, 6 Kisses, A Blatant Reminder of Why We Are Alive, in 1999 and two albums, Blackout Analysis in 2000 and White Knuckled Substance in 2001, before signing their first major label deal...
, before forming Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister
Sirens Sister is an American rock band based in Seattle, Washington. The group was formed in 2006, following the breakup of Vendetta Red, former members Zach Davidson, Leif Andersen and Rouse, as well as local drummer Ben Libay, formed Sirens Sister, initially in Bakersfield, California before...
with Vendetta Red members Zach Davidson and Leif Anderson as well as Ben Libay following the breaup of the band. They released one album entitled Echoes from the Ocean Floor, in 2006, before Rouse left the group. He also reunited with Loaded, along with Mike Squires, in 2006, going on to release an EP, Wasted Heart
Wasted Heart
-Personnel:Loaded*Duff McKagan – vocals, guitar*Mike Squires – guitar, backing vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, backing vocals*Geoff Reading – drums, backing vocalsProduction personnel...
, in 2008 and album, Sick
Sick (Loaded album)
Sick is the second studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009 in Europe and April 7 in...
, in 2009 while they also completed the recording of their third, The Taking
The Taking (album)
The Taking is the third studio album by American hard rock band Loaded. It was produced by Terry Date in Seattle, Washington, and was released on April 19, 2011 through Eagle Rock Entertainment. Writing for the album began in 2009, while the band were touring in support of Sick...
, in 2010. He also formed a solo project titled To the Glorious Lonely.
Ayers joined John Roderick's The Long Winters
The Long Winters
The Long Winters is an American indie rock band based in Seattle, Washington.-Early history:Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He later returned to Seattle, formed the Bun Family Players and the The Western State Hurricanes...
, touring with Keane and releasing the album Putting the Days to Bed
Putting the Days to Bed
Putting the Days to Bed is the third full-length album by indie rock band the Long Winters. It was released in the US by Barsuk Records and distributed in Europe by Munich Records in 2006...
. His music store, Sonic Boom, was also named the top independent music store in the US by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine in 2006.
Musical style
Alien Crime Syndicate's music have often been described as a space rockSpace rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
, power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
. The band has also seen their music compared to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Zumpano
Zumpano
Zumpano was a Canadian indie rock group in the 1990s.The band, whose power pop style resembled such contemporaries as Sloan and The Super Friendz, comprised vocalist/guitarist Carl Newman, keyboardist Michael Ledwidge, bassist Stefan Niemann and drummer Jason Zumpano.The band formed in 1992 after...
, Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill
Urge Overkill is an alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, United States, consisting of Nash Kato , and Eddie "King" Roeser . Their cover of Neil Diamond's song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" appeared prominently in the movie Pulp Fiction, and became a hit in 1994...
, The Replacements, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
and Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
.
Band members
- Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar (1997–2005)
- Jeff RouseJeff Rouse (musician)Jeff Rouse is an American musician who is best known as the bassist for both Alien Crime Syndicate and Duff McKagan's Loaded. Previously, Rouse was a member of a number of Seattle based groups such as Vendetta Red and Sirens Sister while he also has his own solo project titled To the Glorious...
– bass, backing vocals (1997–2005) - Nabil AyersNabil AyersNabil Ayers is an American musician and entrepreneur. He is a co-owner of Seattle's Sonic Boom Records, and the founder of The Control Group. As a drummer, he has performed with various acts, most recently The Long Winters. Ayers was described by music journalist Kurt B...
– drums (1999–2005) - Jason Krevey – guitar, backing vocals (1999–2001)
- Mike SquiresMike Squires (musician)Mike Squires is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist in the hard rock group Loaded, the group led by Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan....
– guitar, backing vocals (2002–2003) - Mike Davis – guitar (2004)
Discography
Studio Albums- Dust to DirtDust to Dirt-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jason Krevey – guitar, vocals*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsProduction personnel*Joe Reineke – production, mixing*Jon Ervie – engineering...
(2000) - From the Word GoFrom the Word Go-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Shawn Trudeau – drumsProduction personnel*Gil Norton – production, mixing*Ben Hillier – engineering, mixing...
(2000) - XL from Coast to CoastXL from Coast to CoastXL from Coast to Coast is the third album by alternative rock group Alien Crime Syndicate released in 2002 through V2 and The Control Group, incorporating influences like The Replacements and Urge Overkill...
(2002) - Ten Songs in the Key of BetrayalTen Songs in the Key of Betrayal-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drumsAdditional personnel*Mike Davis – additional guitars on "Rescue", "The American Way", "Forever is Rock N' Roll"...
(2004)
EPs
- SupernaturalSupernatural (EP)-Personnel:Alien Crime Syndicate*Joe Reineke – vocals, guitar*Jeff Rouse – bass, vocals*Nabil Ayers – drums...
(1999) - Break the Record (2003)