Vilebred

Vilebred, bred from a Vile. What exactly does that mean? Well it turns out, quite a bit, as Vilebred’s front man, Sam Vile, has a great musical Pedigree. Some of you may recognize the last name, the same as his award winning brother, Kurt Vile.

Sam doesn’t live in Kurt’s shadow however, they two are very different, and amazing talents in their own ways. Enough about Kurt though, this piece is about Sam, and the rest of Vilebred. If you don’t know who these guys (and gal) are, you are missing out on some of the most creative local music this county has to offer.

Since their humble beginnings in 2003, the band has been through various permutations, but still retains founding members Sam Vile (of course) and drummer Will Donahue. The band is currently promoting their latest release, “EEEP!”, with live performances and radio show appearances throughout the Philadelphia/Tri-State region.

Their experimental sound draws on aspects from many 90s rock bands, but also bears the stamp of newer acts like The Black Keys, MGMT, Radiohead, and the Gorillaz. The addition of bassist Dug Gillin (from The Nodd) and keyboardist Chelsea Sue Allen, as well as occasional help from guitarist Jared Pennington and multi-instrumentalist Paul Vile, has aided in bringing these influences to the forefront of Vilebred’s sound.

Sam Vile has one of the best rock voices around. He can sing anything, and he has an intensity that is extremely rare. He reminds me of Curt Cobain in many ways. Donahue has serious chops, he can randomly start beating on a table and you’d think it was suppose to be that way. I’ve seen these two play dozens of times, just the two of them, and they never cease to surprise me with an amazing new song or arraignment.

Chelsea and Dug are recent additions to Vilebred, they are both amazing performers in their own right. Chelsea handles the keyboard duties for Vilebred, but has a great, melodic voice to lend as well. Dug is a great bass player, and a great guitars in general and his voice adds another dimension of power that really gives great things to the mix.

The newest addition to the band is Sam’s brother Paul Vile. Paul is one of those people who can play anything you put in his hands. He’s handles a variety of duties, everything from guitar and banjo, all the way to electric Harmonica with distortion. He’s a funny character and a great addition to the band.

The band is proud of their reputation for absurd live performances, which have (at times) included puppets, ad-lib audience participation, and covers ranging from doo-wop numbers to anthems from Jim Henson films. Every Vilebred show is party, please wear your dancing shoes and leave your silly pride at home!

They will be playing a bunch of shows locally! - Tumblr.com (Delco Local Music)

Vilebred came together over a decade ago, they just didn't know it then. The boys of the band met as youngins' at church, but don't look to them as the new Jars of Clay. Whether spending their youth together at church added to their music, drummer Will Donahue says, "I'm not sure, I'd like the listeners to be the judge of that." Either way, a long-term friendship grew and now they are all grown up and ready to punch a clown. Bassist Paul Donahue describes the honesty in their relationship, "We were all friends and/or siblings before the band formed so we all know each other well enough to burp and poop in front of each other."

Their music is a blend of humor and modern rock. If you like Cake or The White Stripes you will quickly become a fan. Will says "Sam [Vile] is a very clever lyricist, and while he writes about some stuff that is very serious to him, he does it in a very playful and random way." The band looks forward to sharing all the new music on their upcoming EP Idiot Alert. One of their favorite songs to perform currently is "Walking Nothing," Sam Vile (vocals, guitar, and keyboard) says the song "scares me with its heaviness, lyrically and musically." Paul describes it as "a basic blues song and then escalates into a Sam Vile extravaganza." Another highlight is the title track from their debut album, "Kamikaze Blues." Jared Pennington (guitar) says "it's always fun and people always get into it no matter where we play."The boys are a little divided on the level of notoriety they are planning for the band. Sam and Will are looking for a little infamy out of this. "I'd rather be in the Sex Pistols than Genesis," says Will. Jared and Paul plan to be just be good old-fashioned famous rock stars. As for now they share a close bond as old friends and musicians. Paul sums it up the connection between them and the music, "Random humor is the heart of our friendship." They will be playing Bean and Burlap on Saturday, June 19th, doors open at 7:30 p.m. - Examiner.com (Brooke Hoffman)