Fake Ugly
Washington DC's music scene isn't just hardcore and post everything else. Enter Army of Me and their potent modern rock sound - equal parts Brit Pop (ala Radiohead and Morrissey) and the much missed bravado of the late Jeff Buckley. Melodic hooks abound with singer Vince Scheuerman's singular delivery.THE SCIENTIST AT WORKThis rock quartet from Washington, DC came together in early 1999. After a few name changes and the addition of a lead guitarist, they settled on the name of Army of Me and began to play up and down the East Coast. Vince Scheuerman (vocals, guitar), John Hutchins (bass), DennisManuel (drums), and Brad Tursi (guitar) exhibit a joy for playing rock and roll while producing thoughtful evocative songs.Scheuerman and Hutchins (childhood friends) both grew up in a religious cult in Gaithersburg, Maryland. From this repressive upbringing, both were drawn to music as an outlet for the frustration and insecurity they felt trying to live and operate in mainstream culture. They began playing together in various bands when they were 17."Preaching to the youth converted. Sending in the known perverted. Never doubt your place in heaven. I'll see you in hell." – Long Way DownScheuerman and Hutchins went on to college at University of Maryland and while they were in school, Army of Me began laying a foundation. Both graduated, Hutchins in American Literature, Scheuerman with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Despite touring, Scheuerman was able to hold down a day job running a scanning tunneling microscope at the National Institute of v3 and Technology for a short time. As Army of Me began touring full time, he was forced to give up the day job as a scientist. Scheuerman, who is the principle songwriter, approaches his full-time music career with the same discipline and hard work he used in school."Let's get something done, too much idle time is wasted. Let's cut to the chase and don't be afraid". - BreatheLike a true student Vince studied voice and jazz guitar. But Army of Me is not all theory and heartless musicality. One listen, and you can hear the sensitivity, humanity, and compassion shine through. Hutchins is described by those who know him as the cohesive force keeping the ship sailing smoothly. Creativity at his core, you can hear it in his bass lines, see it in his stage presence, and in his AOM website design. Manuel, the drummer, has character and you can hear it in his distinctive playing (a la Russel Simmons from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Dave Grohl). He's also accomplished in the world of sound/engineering/recording and has a secret fetish for quantum physics. Brad's experience, influence, and smooth guitar style simultaneously haunts the listener and lifts Army of Me's music; stretching boundries and creating new limits. His exuberance is infectious, his style is precocious, and his attitude is assiduous.Scheuerman and Manuel met in 1996, but didn't start jamming together until 1999 with Hutchins joining soon after. Playing as a trio for a while they found that adding a lead guitar created a more dynamic effect and brought a new dimension to their music. Their first two demos were four-song and five-song discs and both sold out, resulting in Brian Baker (Minor Threat and Bad Religion) producing their third recording effort and first full album. This self-titled debut album (released when the band was called Cactus Patch) came out in November 2001. The uniqueness of Army of Me is reflected on the ninth track, which carries the full name of "Falling (From Love, Like a Leaf From a Tree in Autumn, in the Deciduous Forests of North America)." In May 2003, Army of Me released the "Fake Ugly" EP, produced by Ted Comerford, and mixed by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let's Active). This newer release saw Army of Me writing about more diverse subjects such as the day to day trepidation of living in Washington DC after 9/11 and the sniper attacks, as well as American culture placing t