Still Villain

The members of Still Villain formed in Southern California in 2011. All originate from the east coast. Ryan Abribat (guitar/vox), 28, originally from New Jersey, says "I was on my way out here my whole life. I was living in NJ and eventually NYC, playing in a bunch of different groups. I always wanted to live out west. So I gave up pretty much all I knew and moved out here.”
When Ryan eventually settled in Ocean Beach, San Diego, he shared a fence with bassist Kurt Rosenbecker. Kurt, 30, originally from Connecticut, moved from Boulder, Colorado where he had been living for eight years playing bass with many different bands, most notably U.S. Pipe. U.S. Pipe was a Funkadelic off-shoot of the P-Funk Allstars.
After some neighborly drinking, surfing, and jamming, eventually Kurt asked Ryan to play him some originals. To Ryan's surprise, he really dug the music. Kurt lent his arrangements to the songs and they soon realized they needed a drummer to demo some songs. Kurt called upon his old friend Ryan in Los Angeles.
Ryan Healy's quick learning and precision timing is usually showcased in his drumming for the LA band Desecrate, but he was happy to lay down some tracks for Kurt and Ryan. After some sessions in Ocean Beach and Los Angeles, they needed to find someone local who could match Ryan's drumming.
After responding to an online ad, Brent Corsetto, 28, from Baltimore, Maryland filled the spot. “I just couldn't find a musical fit since moving here, and when I heard their tracks I was an instant fan.” It was perfect timing, as his current musical project was dissolving and he had access to a rehearsal spot which was desperately needed. With Still Villain, Brent is able to showcase his utility, lending a hand with background vocals as well as some guitar work.
So far the trio is working on an EP, and trying to hone in on their sound. “We are trying to fuse punk with blues, while adding a bit of mo-town/soul to the mix. There is definitely a southern rock influence as well because that's what we all grew up listening to. All in all, it’s some pretty hard hitting rock with solid vocal harmonies and memorable choruses.”
That's what you'd expect from a band whose influences range from Rancid all the way to Curtis Mayfield, and also include The Allman Brothers, Brian Setzer, Parliament Funkadelic, and Jimi Hendrix. What sets them apart from other SD bands is the swingin’ vibe of their music coupled with riff-laden guitars and heavy bass grooves. It's music that forces you to shake your hips while getting your air-guitar on.