Alien Crime Syndicate

After the 1997 dissolution of Meices, the prior project of singer/guitarist Joe Reineke, Alien Crime Syndicate assembled in San Francisco. Drummer Nabil Ayers, bassist Jeff Rouse, and guitarist Mike Squires joined the lineup, after which the group relocated to Los Angeles and secured a major-label contract by summer. In 1998 the label dropped them just before the album’s scheduled release, prompting a move to Seattle where they rebuilt and accumulated substantial stage time. Dust to Dirt was recorded and issued on Collective Fruit, resulting in prominent tours and meaningful radio exposure. From the Word Go came next, though Warner Bros. had originally intended to release it before parting ways with its president; Will Records then acquired the rights and put the album out in 2000, sending the band back on the road to sharpen its live presentation across the Northwest. By 2002 the updated XL From Coast to Coast appeared, folding influences from the Replacements and Urge Overkill into the band’s spacey power pop approach.