Steal This Track: Monroe Monroe, Dustin Morris and Churchill
By Eryc Eyl | December 5th, 2011 | No Comments »
Denver's Monroe Monroe is: Bella Abbatecola (left), Matt Morse, Tavis Alley and James Morrison. Photo by Rebecca Reynolds.
If you like your music filled with ringing guitars, pounding drums and plenty of angst, you’re probably already a fan of Monroe Monroe. Arising from the ashes of the Legendary Beep Beeps, the band emerged last year, fully formed and sounding like they’d played together their whole lives. Since then, the lineup has changed, but the sound remains the same, thanks to the singular and relentless vision of frontman/auteur Francis “Bella” Abbatecola.
The band’s new album, “Hello Moon,” draws on Abbatecola’s lonely, arduous experiences over more than five years in Antarctica for its lyrical inspiration, and on his love of big-as-life anthemic rock and roll for its music. With Beep Beeps drummer Matt Morse and bassist James Morrison (Young Cities) providing the rhythmic drive, and guitarist Tavis Alley (Speakeasy Tiger) adding texture, Abbatecola fronts the band with charisma and power that somehow teeters on the highwire between bravado and an utter lack of confidence. His heart-breaking voice and ringing guitar cry out as if to fill the harsh, unforgiving expanse of Antarctica.
“Hello Moon” will be released over the course of several shows in the area this week. The party begins on Thursday at the Brick House in Boulder, then moves to Road 34 in Fort Collins on Friday (both with In The Whale and Wire Faces. Monroe Monroe then brings the party home to the Hi-Dive in Denver, where they’ll share the stage with In The Whale, the Photo Atlas, and Input with Caleb Slade. All the details are on Facebook, but you don’t have to wait for these shows to get a taste of the album. Steal “Love Language (Wild Hearts)” and get ready for the rock.
Singer-songwriter Dustin Morris has been playing around Denver for a bit with a band called Greater Fiction, but has recently begun showing his true colors as a solo performer and with the Dustin Morris Quartet, featuring members of Speakeasy Tiger and Faceman. On first listen, Morris’s songs might sound like typical triple-A fare, unremarkable and a little generic. However, the proficient musician’s deft guitar work, funk-influenced grooves and a touch of quirkiness give the music a fresh feel that rewards repeated listens. Steal “No Room for a Dreamer” to hear the freshness, then get to Herman’s Hideaway early on Thursday to catch the band’s 7:45 set. Morris doesn’t play publicly that often, so this is a great chance to see (and hear) what he’s all about.

Churchill is: Joe Richmond (left), Mike Morter, Tim Bruns, Bethany Kelly and Tyler Rima. Photo by Steve Stanton.
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.
If you’re a band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — to Eryc Eyl for consideration.
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 for local music you can HEAR, and the Mile High Makeout for stories about Denver musicians doing extraordinary things. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to tweet. You can also follow Steal This Track on Twitter. Sorry, Mom.


