John Reis

John Reis

John Reis (b. 1969 and also known by the pseudonyms Speedo, Slasher, and The Swami) is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket From the Crypt, which he formed and fronted (as Speedo) for the entirety of its career from 1990 to 2005. Prior to this he was the guitarist in the post-hardcore band Pitchfork, and also played in Drive Like Jehu during the early 1990s. In 1999 he formed the Hot Snakes, and in 2000 also formed the Sultans, in which (as Slasher) he sang and originally played bass before switching to rhythm guitar. He played in both these bands until their breakups in 2005 and 2007 respectively. He also released a solo recording under the name Back Off Cupids, which was recorded in 1994 but not released until 1999. Over the years he has performed in many other musical acts including Conservative Itch, Stacatto Reads, Custom Floor, and Beehive and the Barracudas. He is the owner of Swami Records, a label he founded in 1999 (he uses the title The Swami in this capacity). He frequently works with bands in a studio capacity and releases albums by many southern California groups through his label. He also hosts the "Swami Sound System" program on San Diego radio station 94.9 (KBZT). Reis remains an influential figure in the San Diego underground music community and recently announced a new musical project named The Night Marchers.

Early life

Reis was born in 1969 in the Ocean Beach area of San Diego, California to Portuguese-American heritage.

Family

Reis is married, and he and his wife had their first child in 2006.

Musical career

Reis became involved in music in 1984, playing in a punk rock band called Conservative Itch at age 15. In 1986 he formed the post-hardcore group Pitchfork with friend Rick Froberg, in which he played until the group's disollution in 1990. Following this he formed two new bands: Drive Like Jehu included Froberg and was the more experimental, exploring styles such as post-punk, post-hardcore, math rock, and early-1990s emo. Rocket From the Crypt, meanwhile, was envisioned as a more back-to-basics rock band and involved other San Diego-area musicians. Both groups released debut albums in 1991 through local labels Cargo Records and Headhunter Records. Rocket From the Crypt was soon re-invented as a punk-inspired rock & roll band with a horn section, developing a reputation for creative and energetic live shows. The group released many vinyl singles and put out their second album Circa: Now! in 1992. Reis' heavy involvement with Rocket From the Crypt sidelined Drive Like Jehu at this time, but both groups were soon signed to major label Interscope Records as a pair.

In 1994 Rocket From the Crypt took a six-month break while Reis returned to work with Drive Like Jehu, recording the critically acclaimed album Yank Crime. At this time he also recorded an album's worth of solo material under the project name Back Off Cupids, but the majority of this work went unreleased until 1999. In 1995, with little fanfare, Drive Like Jehu disbanded and Reis resumed working with Rocket From the Crypt full time. The group experienced a flurry of creativity that resulted in a trilogy of releases that year, culminating in the acclaimed album Scream, Dracula, Scream! They became well-known in the alternative music community, filmed several music videos, toured internationally, and experienced a surge of popularity in the United Kingdom. They released a follow-up entitled RFTC in 1998, but Interscope turned their attention to higher-grossing acts and soon the band left the label. This was followed by the departure of longtime drummer Adam Willard from the group in early 2000, resulting in a hiatus of sorts during which Reis explored other musical endeavors.

In 1999 Reis started the record label Swami Records, primarily as a means of releasing music by a number of San Diego-area bands including several he was involved with. He also formed two new bands: Sessions with drummer Jason Kourkounis resulted in the formation of Hot Snakes (which also reunited Reis with Rick Froberg), while collaborations with drummer Tony Di Prima led to the formation of the Sultans. Both bands essentially explored stripped-down versions of the musical formulas Reis had established in Rocket From the Crypt, with Hot Snakes incorporating some of the more experimental elements of Drive Like Jehu while the Sultans used a more straightforward rock & roll approach. During this time Reis recorded and acted as producer for a number of groups, including Superchunk, Selby Tigers, GoGoGo Airheart, and the Red Onions. He also performed on and off with other bands including Stacatto Reads, Custom Floor, and Beehive and the Barracudas.

Rocket From the Crypt regrouped in 2000, signing to Vagrant Records and bringing in new drummer Mario Rubalcaba. Reis continued to record and perform with Rocket From the Crypt, Hot Snakes, and the Sultans for the next several years, dividing his time between all three groups. Between 1999 and 2005 he recorded 2 albums with Rocket From the Crypt, 2 with the Sultans, and 3 with Hot Snakes. In 2003 his younger brother Dean Reis joined him in the Sultans. Rubalcaba also became a member of all three of Reis' bands, replacing Kourkounis in Hot Snakes in 2004 and Di Prima in the Sultans in 2006.

2005 marked the end of Reis' multi-band involvement, with the breakups of Hot Snakes in July and Rocket From the Crypt on Halloween. He then focused his attention on Swami Records, putting out numerous releases that Fall and Winter and organizing tours in support of the label. He began hosting the "Swami Sound System" program on San Diego radio station 94.9 (KBZT) and continued to play with the Sultans occasionally until their disbanding in January 2007.

Recent activity

Reis continues to operate Swami Records and acts as a producer and occasional studio musician for various artists and releases on the label, while focusing on his new role as a father. He recently constructed his own recording studio and opened a bar called The Bar Pink Elephant in San Diego's North Park district. He has begun a new musical project called The Night Marchers which includes himself, Gar Wood and Jason Kourkounis of Hot Snakes on guitar and drums, and Tommy Kitsos of the CPC Gangbangs on bass. He describes the new group as "a combonation [sic] of everything I've been a part of dating back to my prepubescent days in Pitchfork. Similar to Hot Snakes but not as sinister yet still maintaining some of the drama and subsonic boom. Akin to the rockin' fun of RFTC but without the same kind of riffery. Like the Sultans but not as straightforward yet still maintaining the sense of melody and pop of the 2nd record." The band is finishing their album and then plans to perform at his bar. Reis is also preparing several posthumous releases of Rocket From the Crypt material. He also continues to host the "Swami Sound System" program on San Diego radio station 94.9 on Saturday nights.

Discography

With Pitchfork

• Saturn Outhouse (1989) - guitar
• Eucalyptus (1990) - guitar

With Drive Like Jehu

• Drive Like Jehu (1991) - guitar, backing vocals
• Hand Over Fist/Bullet Train to Vegas (1992) - guitar, backing vocals
• Yank Crime (1994) - guitar, backing vocals

With Rocket From the Crypt

Albums and EPs listed only, for a complete listing of releases see Rocket From the Crypt.

• Paint as a Fragrance (1991) - guitar, vocals
• Circa: Now! (1992) - guitar, vocals
• All Systems Go (1993) - guitar, vocals
• The State of Art is on Fire (1995) - guitar, vocals
• Hot Charity (1995) - guitar, vocals
• Scream, Dracula, Scream! (1995) - guitar, vocals
• RFTC (1998) - guitar, vocals
• Cut Carefully and Play Loud (1999) - guitar, vocals
• All Systems Go 2 (1999) - guitar, vocals
• Group Sounds (2001) - guitar, vocals
• Live From Camp X-Ray (2002) - guitar, vocals
• R.I.P. (2008) - guitar, vocals

Solo releases (as Back Off Cupids)

• Back Off Cupids (recorded 1994, released 1999) - vocals, all instrumentation

With Hot Snakes

• Automatic Midnight (2000) - guitar, backing vocals
• Suicide Invoice (2002) - guitar, backing vocals
• Audit in Progress (2004) - guitar, backing vocals
• Peel Sessions (2005) - guitar, backing vocals
• Thunder Down Under (2006) - guitar, backing vocals

With Sultans

• Sultans (2000) - bass guitar, vocals
• Ghost Ship (2000) - bass guitar, vocals
• Shipwrecked (2004) - guitar, vocals

External links

Swami Records