Although formed in 2005, all three members of retro-futurist group
the Aliens had previously played together in
the Beta Band, a cult-favorite Scottish outfit. Singers/guitarists
Steve Mason and
Gordon Anderson formed
the Betas in Edinburgh in 1996. Originally dubbed the Pigeons, the duo added bassist
Steve Duffield, drummer
Robin Jones, and DJ/keyboardist
John Maclean during production on their landmark debut EP, Champion Versions. Soon after completing those recording sessions,
Anderson fell ill and left
the Beta Band, subsequently cutting a series of self-released LPs under the name
Lone Pigeon (including 28 Secret Tracks, Moses, and Auckley Craw). In the meantime,
the Beta Band emerged as darlings of the international music press, culminating in the 1998 release of their classic
The Three E.P.'s.
Although follow-ups like 2001's
Hot Shots II and 2004's
Heroes to Zeros enjoyed critical acclaim and consistently reached the upper rungs of the British pop charts,
the Beta Band was openly critical of its own efforts and played a farewell show in Edinburgh on December 5, 2004. Shortly after the split,
Maclean and
Jones resumed their collaboration with
Anderson as
the Aliens, and the trio made its studio debut in mid-2006 with an EP titled Alienoid Starmonica. Eschewing
the Betas' dub and trip-hop influences for psychedelia and glam, the record earned a positive critical response and set the stage for the full-length
Astronomy for Dogs, released one year later.
Gordon Anderson struggled with health problems throughout the first half of 2008, prompting
the Aliens to cancel a string of shows and briefly shelve their plans for a second album. Upon his recovery, the group performed at several European festivals and found time to record
Luna, which was released in the U.K. later that year. A stateside release followed in 2009.
–
Jason Ankeny, Rovi