Agent 51
Encyclopedia
Agent 51 was an American rock
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 from Poway, California
Poway, California
Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...

 (located in San Diego County), formed in 1995 and originally called Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...

. They released three albums on various record labels before going on indefinite hiatus in 2005. Over the course of their career their music evolved from straightforward punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 to incorporate aspects of classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...

 and Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

. At various times during their career the band has maintained a mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

 about their origins which purports them to be rogue secret agents, on the run from a clandestine government organization with ties to extraterrestrials.

Formation

Agent 51 formed in Poway, California in 1995 under the name Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...

. Initially the band were part of a thriving local punk rock movement that included other groups such as blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...

 and Unwritten Law
Unwritten Law
Unwritten Law is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Poway, California and currently recording for Suburban Noize Records. They have released seven full-length studio albums and have toured internationally, including performances on the Warped Tour...

. Founding member Chris Armes had attended Poway High School
Poway High School
Poway High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in the city of Poway, California. Established in 1961, it serves ninth through twelfth grade students from the communities of Poway and Rancho Bernardo. The school mascot is the Titan...

 with blink-182 member Tom DeLonge
Tom DeLonge
Thomas Matthew "Tom" DeLonge, Jr. is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists for the American pop punk band Blink-182 as well as the guitarist and lead vocalist for the alternative band Angels & Airwaves...

, and Armes' previous band Openfast had played as openers for blink-182 on several occasions. This experience contributed to the impetus for forming Area 51.

The band's original lineup consisted of Chris Armes on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 and vocals, Jared Herndon on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

, and Eric "Airwick" Davis on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

. Herndon soon left and was replaced by Greg Schneider, while Davis moved to second guitar and Rob Hunter joined as drummer. Shortly before releasing their first album the group changed their name to Agent 51 because there were already several bands in existence using the name Area 51.

Early albums and mythology

Their first album, Red Alert
Red Alert (album)
Red Alert is the debut album by the Poway, California punk rock band Agent 51, released by Alphabet Records in 1998. It established the band's presence in the local punk rock scene. Some of the songs and the album artwork detail the band's fascination with UFOs, extraterrestrials and the possible...

, was released in 1998 by local label Alphabet Records. The album gained them notoriety in the local punk rock scene, and an independent music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 was filmed for the title track. Armes took the stage name "Broken Armes" at this time due to an injury he suffered in 1997 which left his arm in a cast. In order to record his guitar parts on Red Alert he removed the cast himself and recorded while still injured.

Around this time the band began disseminating the mythos that they were rogue secret agents on the run from the government due to their knowledge of secrets related to extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...

 life. To match this theme the band wore matching black suits while performing. It also became common for the band to cover songs from the classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...

 and 1970s metal genres in concert, such as AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...

's "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Highway to Hell."

By the recording of their second album in 2000, Hunter had been replaced on drums by Mike "Mikey L" Levinson. The album, Just Keep Runnin', was released that year on the band's own label Suburban Hooligans Records. The music was faster and slightly less punk-based than Red Alert, and included several songs which had become favorites in the band's live set over the last few years such as "Who's Gunna Riot?" and "The Last Pirate Standing." The album's artwork and liner notes greatly expanded on their secret agent mythos by describing each member as a rogue agent enhanced with super powers through extraterrestrial DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

 and technology, as well as detailing their struggle against a secret government organization called "The Agency." The band played on the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

 that summer on the Ernie Ball
Ernie Ball
Ernie Ball was an American entrepreneur, musician, and innovator, widely acclaimed as a revolutionary in the development of guitar-related products. He began as a club and local television musician and small business entrepreneur, building an international business in guitars and accessories that...

 side stage, winning Ernie Ball's Battle of the Bands competition. They also recorded the theme song for the short-lived San Diego public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...

 cable TV show "Radiation Nation." The song was later included on the 2001 Warped Tour compilation.

Just Keep Runnin caught the attention of Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...

 of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...

 and his label Adeline Records
Adeline Records
Adeline Records is a record label which was formed in Oakland, California in late 1997. It is co-owned by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, his wife Adrienne Armstrong, and Jim Thiebaud, professional skateboarder...

, who re-released it in 2001 with 2 bonus tracks recorded with new bassist Sean Scura, as Schneider had by then left the group. The band continued to tour, playing at San Diego's Street Scene
Street Scene (San Diego music festival)
Street Scene was a music festival that was held each summer in San Diego, California from 1984 to 2009. Street Scene was one of America's largest annual music festivals, growing to include over 70 musical acts covering different musical genres and styles on multiple stages.-History:Beginning in...

 and other festivals.

Success and break-up

Agent 51's next album was 2003's The Red & the Black, released on southern California label Surfdog Records
Surfdog Records
Surfdog Records is a record label and music publishing company based in Encinitas, California, The United States of America with close ties to the local music and surfing communities. Its roster is diverse and includes artists of the rock, punk, swing, rockabilly, reggae, lounge and alternative...

. With it the band moved towards a sound more reminiscent of classic rock and Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 bands such as AC/DC, Motörhead and Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...

. They also distanced themselves from their secret agent mythos by not mentioning extraterrestrials or conspiracies, and by ceasing to wear their matching suits in concert. The song "She's My Heroine" received airplay on local rock radio station 91X, while "American Rock n Roll" was used in the opening episode of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

's The Real World: San Diego
The Real World: San Diego
The Real World: San Diego is the fourteenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season...

and "Air Raid" was later used in the video game Big Mutha Truckers 2
Big Mutha Truckers 2
Big Mutha Truckers 2 is the sequel to the video game Big Mutha Truckers.-Outline:...

. The album was nominated in several categories at the 2003 San Diego Music Awards
San Diego Music Awards
The San Diego Music Awards are an awards show held annually in San Diego, California to recognize the best bands and artists in local music. The awards have been held since 1991 and were originally organized by the city's main local music publication, , which eventually became the alternative...

 and won for "best punk album."

Despite their growing popularity, however, Armes announced that he was leaving the band due to musical and financial pressures. Davis and Levinson formed 51 Guns in the summer of 2004, along with drummer Adam Rapps of Pivit
Pivit
Pivit was an American punk rock band hailing from Poway and Cardiff, California, formed in late 1994 by original drummer Mark McLemore, lead singer Chris Moore, and guitarist Eric Sisson in San Diego County, California. In 1995, they recorded their first demo entitled Find the Fuzz...

. Agent 51 remained inactive until June 2005.

Reunion and recent activity

On June 5, 2005 Agent 51 played a reunion show at SOMA
Soma San Diego
SOMA is a popular all-ages concert venue in the Midway District area of San Diego, California, right next to the San Diego Sports Arena. Over the years it has become one of the more popular concert venues in the city. Claiming to be one of the best all ages venue in the "SoCal" music scene, Soma...

, an all-ages music venue in San Diego. This performance featured the most recent lineup of the band including Armes, Davis, and Scura, with drummer Adam Rapps replacing Levinson. The band once again wore matching black suits and made reference to "The Agency" and other aspects of their secret agent mythos. The band remained mostly inactive after this reunion show. Davis resumed playing with 51 Guns, who renamed themselves Arm the Angels in 2006. Scura moved to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...

 but eventually returned to San Diego. Levinson left 51 Guns, reuniting with Schneider to form The Megas
The Megas
The Megas is a 5-issue mini-series from Virgin Comics and film director Jonathan Mostow . Mostow is already reported to be developing the property into a feature film.- Credits :...

, a video-game rock band based in 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...

. Armes, meanwhile, announced his involvement with The Rattlesnake Aces. Agent 51 played a "comeback" show with Pivit
Pivit
Pivit was an American punk rock band hailing from Poway and Cardiff, California, formed in late 1994 by original drummer Mark McLemore, lead singer Chris Moore, and guitarist Eric Sisson in San Diego County, California. In 1995, they recorded their first demo entitled Find the Fuzz...

 and Arm the Angels in February 2008 with the lineup of Armes, Davis, Scura, and Levinson, with Greg Schneider also performing on several songs. The band's penultimate performance was in July 2008, again with Pivit and Arm the Angels. The band proclaimed their show in September 2009, with Pivit once more, was to be their last reunion show. To coincide with this concert, the band and Alphabet Records re-released "Red Alert" on iTunes and other digital retailers.

Band members

Agent 51 lineups
(only official members listed)
(1995)
as Area 51
  • Chris Armes - guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    , vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

  • Jared Herndon - bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

  • Eric Davis - drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

(1995–1999)
Demos and More
Red Alert
Red Alert (album)
Red Alert is the debut album by the Poway, California punk rock band Agent 51, released by Alphabet Records in 1998. It established the band's presence in the local punk rock scene. Some of the songs and the album artwork detail the band's fascination with UFOs, extraterrestrials and the possible...

  • Chris Armes - guitar, vocals
  • Eric Davis - guitar, vocals
  • Greg Schneider - bass
  • Rob Hunter - drums
  • (2000)
    Just Keep Runnin'
  • Chris Armes - guitar, vocals
  • Eric Davis - guitar, vocals
  • Greg Schneider - bass
  • Mikey Levinson - drums
  • (2001–2003)
    The Red & the Black
  • Chris Armes - guitar, vocals
  • Eric Davis - guitar, vocals
  • Sean Scura - bass
  • Mikey Levinson - drums
  • (2005)
    reunion show
  • Chris Armes - guitar, vocals
  • Eric Davis - guitar, vocals
  • Sean Scura - bass
  • Adam Rapps - drums

  • Recent members

    • Chris "Broken" Armes - guitar
      Guitar
      The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

      , lead vocals
    • Eric "Airwick / E-Rock" Davis - guitar
      Guitar
      The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

      , vocals
    • Sean Scura - bass
      Bass guitar
      The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

      , vocals
    • Mike "Mikey Hell" Levinson - drums
      Drum kit
      A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....


    Past members

    • Jared Herndon - bass (1995)
    • Rob Hunter - drums (1995–1999)
    • Greg Schneider - bass (1995–2000)
    • Adam Rapps - drums (2005 reunion show)



    Discography

    The discography
    Discography
    Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres...

     of Agent 51 consists of three studio album
    Studio album
    A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

    s, one 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...

    , one demo
    Demo (music)
    A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

    , and one music video
    Music video
    A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

    .

    Studio albums

    Year Album details
    1998 Red Alert
    Red Alert (album)
    Red Alert is the debut album by the Poway, California punk rock band Agent 51, released by Alphabet Records in 1998. It established the band's presence in the local punk rock scene. Some of the songs and the album artwork detail the band's fascination with UFOs, extraterrestrials and the possible...

    • Released: 1998
    • Label: Alphabet
    • Format: CD
      Compact Disc
      The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

    2000
    }
  • Format: CD

  • |-
    |2003
    |The Red & the Black
    • Released: April 22, 2003
    • Label: Surfdog
      Surfdog Records
      Surfdog Records is a record label and music publishing company based in Encinitas, California, The United States of America with close ties to the local music and surfing communities. Its roster is diverse and includes artists of the rock, punk, swing, rockabilly, reggae, lounge and alternative...

    • Format: CD

    |-
    |}

    I Just Keep Runnin' was re-released in 2001 by Adeline Records
    Adeline Records
    Adeline Records is a record label which was formed in Oakland, California in late 1997. It is co-owned by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, his wife Adrienne Armstrong, and Jim Thiebaud, professional skateboarder...

    .

    Extended plays

    Year Album details
    2003
    }
    • Released: 2003
    • Label: Surfdog
    • Format: CD

    |-
    |}

    I Agent 51 is a pre-release teaser with four songs from The Red & the Black.

    Demos

    Year Album details
    1998
    }
    • Released: 1998
    • Label: MP3.com
      MP3.com
      MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...

    • Format: CD, music download
      Music download
      A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...


    |-
    |}

    I Demos and More consists of demo
    Demo (music)
    A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

    s and finished tracks for
    Red Alert.

    Music videos

    Year Song Director Album
    1998 "Red Alert" Red Alert
    Red Alert (album)
    Red Alert is the debut album by the Poway, California punk rock band Agent 51, released by Alphabet Records in 1998. It established the band's presence in the local punk rock scene. Some of the songs and the album artwork detail the band's fascination with UFOs, extraterrestrials and the possible...


    Other appearances

    The following Agent 51 songs were released on compilation albums and as music download
    Music download
    A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...

    s. This is not an exhaustive list; songs that were first released on the band's albums are not included.
    Year Release details Track
    1998 Pete's Comp: Kids in America
    • Released: 1998
    • Label: Alphabet
    • Format: CD
      Compact Disc
      The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

  • "Fight for Your Right"
    (originally performed by the Beastie Boys
    Beastie Boys
    Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

    )
  • 1999
  • Released: 1999
  • Label: none
  • Format: download
    Music download
    A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...

  • "Hardcore Hooligan"
  • 2001 Warped Tour 2001 Tour Compilation
    Warped Tour 2001 Tour Compilation
    The Warped Tour 2001 Tour Compilation is the sixth installment in the annual compilation series accompanying the Warped Tour. It was the last of the series to be a single disc; subsequent installments would all include two CDs of music.- Track listing :...

  • Released: June 19, 2001
  • Label: SideOneDummy
    SideOneDummy Records
    SideOneDummy Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label whose roster focuses mostly on punk and related genres. Founded in 1995 by Joe Sib and Bill Armstrong, who continue to run it today, the label has built a reputation for its diverse roster of artists ranging from third wave ska...

  • Format: CD
  • }
    |-
    |2002
    |Every Dog Will Have Its Day
    • Released: June 25, 2002
    • Label: Adeline
      Adeline Records
      Adeline Records is a record label which was formed in Oakland, California in late 1997. It is co-owned by Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, his wife Adrienne Armstrong, and Jim Thiebaud, professional skateboarder...

    • Format: CD

    |
    • "Wrecking Ball"

    |-
    |2005
    |91X Loudspeaker
    • Released: 2005
    • Label: Budweiser True Music
    • Format: CD

    |
    • "Sandra Dee"

    |-
    |2006
    |
    • Released: 2006
    • Label: none
    • Format: download

    |
    • "Automatic Addicts" (demo)

    |-
    |}

    I "Radiation Nation" was originally recorded as the theme song for a local San Diego punk rock television show.

    II This is an early version of "Wrecking Ball"; the song was re-recorded for The Red & the Black.

    External links

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