Monroe Monroe is: Tavis Alley (left), Bella Abbatecola, Lauren Gale and Matt Morse.
Time to rub the sleep out of your eyes, wash the weekend out of your mouth and say, “Thank god it’s Monday!” That’s right. Monday means another edition of Steal This Track and another chance to abscond with some great Colorado music, absolutely free. This week, we have soon-to-be released gems from power poppers Monroe Monroe and fuzzy rockers Overcasters. Get ready to munch some tasty megabytes!
Monroe Monroe is the latest project from Frank “Bella” Abbatecola, former front man of the Legendary Beep Beeps, but — as he made clear during the band’s showcase at the Vinefield Agency Launch Party at Casselman’s Bar and Venue on Friday night — this is a “brand new band.” Though Beep Beeps drummer, Matt Morse, continues to man the kit, the two are joined by Lauren Gale and Tavis Alley of Speakeasy Tiger on bass and guitar, respectively.
Together, the foursome crank out powerful, heartfelt, arena-rocking tunes that walk a fine line between punk and polish. Recalling the sound of early U2, Monroe Monroe know how to hammer a hook and storm the stage. The quartet will release its debut EP soon, but in the meantime, steal “Ready the Fall,” a prime example of the group’s thundering, emotive rock.
If you like what you hear, there are several opportunities to catch Monroe Monroe live in November: on the 3rd at Moe’s Bar-B-Q, on the 5th just down the road at the Hi-Dive and a week later, on the 12th, across the street at 3 Kings Tavern.
Overcasters will release its debut full-length album this weekend at the Gathering of the Clouds Festival. Photo by Tina Hagerling.
If your eardrums haven’t been blasted by the power of Monroe Monroe, they surely will after you hear the latest from Overcasters. The shoe-gazing, speaker-blasting quartet will release the full-length album, “The Whole Sea Is Raging,” at the three-day Gathering of the Clouds Festival.
Building on the fuzzed-out formula presented on the band’s debut, front man Kurt Ottaway (formerly of Twice Wilted and the Tarmints), guitarist John Nichols, bassist Samantha Doom and drummer Erin Tidwell explore more diverse territory on the new album. The result is a potent, pulsating collection of songs that vacillate between ecstatic reverie and melancholic despair — all while keeping the distortion and reverb pegged. Let your kleptomaniac tendencies run free by grabbing “In the Clouds” right now.
If that got your attention, you won’t want to miss Overcasters when they play Gathering of the Clouds, along with Gangcharger (who will also be releasing an album), Achille Lauro, the Swayback, Light Travels Faster, Hearts in Space and many more. Tickets are just $8 a day, or $15 for all three days. It all goes down Oct. 21-23 at the Weather Center, the Overcasters’ home and venue at 1401 Zuni.
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 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 every Tuesday for local music you can HEAR, and the Mile High Makeout every Friday. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to tweet. You can also follow Steal This Track on Twitter. Sorry, Mom.
"
No comments:
Post a Comment