Arliss Nancy—Dance to Forget 2009

Last week I mentioned a little bar in Fort Collins, Colorado named Surfside 7. This week I’m bringing you a pretty fantastic band from the Front Range who thought well enough about the bar to thank them in the liner notes of their debut record.

Arliss Nancy’s Dance to Forget is the best barroom record of 2009. There, I said it.

Dance to Forget is equal parts Bob Seger, early Old 97’s and indelible stamp of their CO contemporaries Drag the River; an eleven track, booze-fueled romp through heartache & lust, desperation & salvation. This is country-infused old-school rock music at it’s independently produced best.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for songs about fighting, fucking, drinking and smoking, and this record delivers quality foot-stompers on this subject matter in SPADES. Much like my beloved Afghan Whigs this record sounds like a filthy one-night-stand. This is a soundtrack to a night of the kind of whisky-drinking fun that ought to come with bail money (it doesn’t, so feel free to call me instead.) This record is Trouble dished out in four minute increments; the kind of music that makes you want to make bad decisions, and smile the whole way down. For me, that’s love at first listen.

Though entirely listenable, there are a few standout tracks. “Blessings I Ain’t Never Had” with it’s Georgia Satellites-esque opening riff could easily find a home on any contemporary Country radio station, and groove-driven “Revelry for Beverly” is positively anthemic.

The best part? The band is giving the record away for FREE under a Creative Commons 3.0 license. Seriously, music this good for FREE?! This is too good to pass up, gang. So click here to download the album, and give it a listen. If you agree with me (which I’m pretty sure you will if you have taste someplace other than your mouth) head over to Death to False Hope Records and toss these cats a few bucks.

Then, this New Year’s Eve, put this record on and make some bad choices. You’ll thank me for the best night of your life when you call me for bail.