Boys on the Side

Being in the Deftones is a full-time gig . . . but Chino and the guys, however, still seem to find time to embark on a full range of side bands and projects, some of which have actually released their own albums and toured, while others have remained largely casual or studio-bound doings.

TEAM SLEEP

Probably one of the most well-known in the Deftones universe, this group, which “officially” came together around 2000, is led by Chino and delves into dream pop, shoegaze, post-rock and electronica stylings. Besides Mr. Moreno, the band also includes guitarist Todd Wilkinson, DJ Crook, drummer Zach Hill and bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Rick Verrett. Trivia: DJ Crook contributed beats to the song “Teenager,” a track that was originally going to be a Team Sleep tune, but later ended up on White Pony.

KUSH

This rap-metal project is made up of Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter, B-Real from Cypress Hill and Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers from Fear Factory. Considering Carpenter’s insane love of heavy-heavy (and we mean heavy) guitars, no one should be surprised the axe-man opted in 2000 to find another venue to channel his inner Meshuggah. While Kush performed at SmokeOut in 2002, no album has yet to surface.

SOL INVICTO

Carpenter has another band, this one involving Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill on drums as well as Richie Londres and AJ Cookson handling production and synthesizer duties. So far, Sol Invicto has remixed a few Deftones tracks, and a debut album is expected later this year.

PHALLUCY

Not to be outdone, Deftones drummer Abe Cunningham is also a member of Phallucy (yes, it’s a combination of the words “phallus” and “fallacy,” thanks for asking). The band released an 11-track album, Valium, in 2001 and current members include Sonny Mayugba on guitars, David Garcia on vocals, drums and keyboards and Cunningham on—you guessed it—drums. If you believe the band’s MySpace page, Phallucy sounds like “a little Smashing Pumpkins and a bit like Jane’s Addiction.”

THE BAMBOO PARACHUTE

In 2000, Chi Cheng released this album of spoken-word poetry.