Infectious Grooves
Landscapeyes
OriginVenice, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenreFunk metal[1][2]
Years active
  • 1989–2000
  • 2008–present
Label
Spinoff ofSuicidal Tendencies
Current members
Past members

Infectious Grooves is an American funk metal supergroup led by vocalist Mike Muir and initially a side project from his group Suicidal Tendencies. The current lineup also includes guitarists Dean Pleasants and Dave Kushner, bassist Robert Trujillo, and drummer Jay Weinberg. To date, the project released four albums between 1991 and 2000.

Muir and the band appear in the 1992 film Encino Man, playing the song "Feed The Monkey" during the film's prom scene finale.[3]

Though Muir's sense of humor was often obvious with Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves often brought out a goofier type of humor, incorporating comedy skits involving an anthropomorphic reptile named Sarsippius.[4] A mascot costume of Sarsippius was later created and often appeared during the band's live performances.[5]

The Infectious Grooves were on hiatus between the release of their fourth album, 2000's Mas Borracho, and 2007, while the band's personnel were busy with other projects. According to Muir, Infectious Grooves had been working on new material.[6] In April 2008 the band began a one-month tour across Europe, featuring Stephen Bruner on bass, Eric Moore on drums, Dean Pleasants, and Tim Stewart on guitars.

Most of the band's original lineup reunited for the Orion Music + More festival in June 2013, with ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin filling in for Adam Siegel.[7]

The band toured in 2024 with Dave Kushner on guitar and Jay Weinberg on drums. At the time, Weinberg filled in for Wackerman during his assignment with Avenged Sevenfold. [8] Wackerman joined that band on November 4, 2015, replacing Arin Ilejay.

Band members

Current

Former

Touring

Discography

YearTitleLabelUS Billboard peak[9]FormatOther information
1991The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move... It's the Infectious GroovesEpic198CD
  • Debut album
  • The second track, "Therapy", features backing vocals by Ozzy Osbourne.
1993Sarsippius' ArkEpic109CD
1993The Great Infectious Cover-UpEpicUnchartedCD
1994Groove Family CycoEpicUnchartedCD
1997Friends & Family, Vol. 1SuicidalUnchartedCDCompilation featuring three IG tracks
1999Cyco Miko - Schizophrenic Born Again Problem ChildSuicidalUnchartedCDCompilation featuring two IG tracks and two 'Suicidal Grooves' tracks
2000Mas BorrachoSuicidalUnchartedCD
2001Friends & Family, Vol. 2SuicidalUnchartedCDCompilation featuring three IG tracks
2008Year of the CycosSuicidalUnchartedCDCompilation featuring three IG tracks
2020Take U on a Ride (EP)UnchartedEP

References

  1. ^ Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. ABC-CLIO. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-3133-6600-0. A side project, Infectious Grooves, embraced funk metal in its brief period of fondness in the early 1990s.
  2. ^ Childers, Chad (October 23, 2013). "Favorite Robert Trujillo Song – Readers Poll". Noisecreep. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Encino Man - Original Soundtrack | Album | AllMusic", retrieved 2024-12-22
  4. ^ Colin Larkin (ed.) (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Heavy Metal. Second ed. Guinness Publishing. pp. 176/7. ISBN 0-85112-656-1.
  5. ^ "Infectious Grooves The Whisky-A-Go-Go 1/31/2014". Heavy Metal Hill. February 1, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  6. ^ "Elektra Entertainment". Elektra Music Group. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
  7. ^ "Infectious Grooves at Orion Music + More 2013". Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  8. ^ "Infectious Grooves' 2024 Reunion Shows with Jay Weinberg". February 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "Artist Chart History - Infectious Grooves". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 18, 2007.