Once again, Steal This Track has come to save your Monday — maybe even your whole week — with free downloads of fresh Colorado music. Today, we have tunes from two bands who will be releasing CDs on Friday, Apr 20, at the Hi-Dive (7 South Broadway in Denver). First, we’ll give you the debut from a band of familiar faces, aptly named . Then we’ll check out the latest offering from one of Denver’s oldest bands, . Prepare to purloin.
In Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Dr. Jekyll was the responsible, socially acceptable, productive member of society, while his alter ego (or perhaps more accurately his id), Mr. Hyde, is capable of truly terrible things. The Jekylls include Tony Asnicar and Graham Haworth of , Eryn and Keith Hoerig of , and Jody Rodney of ’80s throwbacks . The band’s name implies that the members’ other projects are the ugly, morally reprehensible Mr. Hyde, but it would be a mistake to take that analogy too far. In fact, this outfit provides an opportunity for all five members to shake off the confines of their better-known work and launch into some good ol’ retro rock and roll.
There are some traces of country and rockabilly in Eryn Hoerig’s been-done-wrong lyrics and the distinctive voice with which she delivers them, as well as in Asnicar’s unmistakable lead guitar, but the Jekylls’ debut, “The Sweet Factory,” seems to have emerged from a half a century in the past. All surfy guitars and sassy harmonies, the band rocks through the record’s 10 tunes with the carefree swagger of musicians who have nothing to prove and who are pursuing this particular lark for the fun and love of it. Steal “Where Were You” to get the Jekylls’ vibe, then pop down to to catch the band live and grab a copy of the album for yourself.
If you need another reason to get down to the Hi-Dive on Friday night, we’ve got one. Denver institution the New Ben Franklins will release its latest work, a concept album mysteriously titled “” marks that two-decade longevity by dipping into a little bit of every kind of music that has influenced DeVoe, from New Wave to new country, from Britpop to garage rock. Meanwhile, a narrative thread runs through the record that will charm fans of the Hold Steady.
While DeVoe — playing as he did on the band’s last record with Tom Oberheide (things with strings), Mark Kosta (things with skins), and Benjamin Williams (the rumbly thing with strings) — can write a song that breaks your heart, the record’s strongest moments are when the quartet rocks full throttle. In an alternate universe where rock radio has survived, “Detroit Party Jesus” would be in heavy rotation. Steal the heroin ode, “Horse,” to hear the New Ben Franklins at their most comfortable, confident and careless. You can pick up the whole album on Friday night at the Hi-Dive.
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 for local music you can HEAR, and the for stories about Denver musicians doing extraordinary things. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to . You can also follow Sorry, Mom.
