Steal This Track: Vices I Admire
By eryc eyl | December 15th, 2009 | 7 comments
Vices I Admire, from left-right: Mark Towne, Dave Curtis, Daniel Battenhouse, Mickey Dollar.
People often ask me how to dip their toes into the kiddie pool of local music. Well, I don’t wish to seem immodest, but Steal This Track is a great place to start. Every Tuesday, here on REVERB, you can download a track from an area artist absolutely free. Once you hear it, you can decide if you want to wade in deeper to find out more, or even take the plunge by checking out a live show. Best of all, there’s no Speedo required.
Vices I Admire has come a long way since its humble 2002 beginnings on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins. While its 2005 debut, “Plan B,” captured some ears and earned the band a local following, the long-overdue follow-up, “The Politics of Apathy,” is a gigantic leap forward. With a new bassist (former Fray low-ender Dan Battenhouse) and more mature songwriting, the quartet — which also includes original members Dave Curtis on lead vocals and guitar, second guitarist Mickey Dollar and drummer Mark Towne — unleashes a menacing, melodic and dynamic sound that is certain to lure new fans.
“The Politics of Apathy” borrows liberally from the angst-ridden, heart-on-black-sleeve post-grunge of the mid-’90s and updates it with dense harmonics and meaner, more punk-influenced rhythms. Though there are some rough and uneven spots in the album’s nine tracks, it starts off strong, fierce and strutting with this week’s track, “Keep Killin’ Me.”
The song begins with a deceptively simple and sparse bass line that is quickly and violently interrupted by scorching guitars and Curtis’s powerful scream. As the tune progresses, the soft-loud-soft dynamic creates the kind of tension and release that makes you want to reach for the “repeat” button. Click below to see if I’m lying.
Stream it:
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Steal it:
Vices I Admire | “Keep Killin’ Me” (right-click to save to your computer)
Vices I Admire will officially release “The Politics of Apathy” at the Bluebird Theater on Jan. 1. Tickets are $10, but you can find $5 coupons on the band’s website.
And speaking of the website, the band is making the whole new album available for free download from its site, starting this week. That means you can not only steal “Keep Killin’ Me,” but also the record’s other eight tracks. Score!
If you’re a band or musician ready to unleash some fresh sounds on the readers of Reverb, email your tracks to Eryc Eyl for consideration.
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
Eryc Eyl is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years. Check out Steal This Track every Tuesday for local music you can HEAR, and the Mile High Makeout every Friday.
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