Bay Area based indie hip-hop band Le Vice classifies itself as Urban-Indie-Rock- Electro-Funk-Hip Hop-Pop, but we just call it good music.
It is easy to fall into the pit-trap of trying to pin down their sound. Le Vice could be described in a myriad of different ways from hip-hop curators to playful grunge revivalist and nothing would sit out of place with its music. They’ve been steadily making music since 2010.
The band’s latest release, Neverland (download here), oscillates between insightful musing on city life and coy jabs at popular culture; the title is in reference to the famous Neverland of Peter Pan. Singer Alex Lee’s lyricism is a straightforward slap in the face. Leedoesn’t miss a chance to flip phrases or slip in a name drop. A stand out moment during one of their more electro-funk songs "Pho Q (We Just Wanna Dance)" is when a line from the bridge "life is too short" becomes a shout out to the rapper Too Short by adding a refrain on the end reminiscent of the rappers favorite word.
To know and love Le Vice is to see the band live. Local tour dates are listed below and on the band’s website.
–Dario Slavazza
09.07.12 | The Independent with Los Rakas | San Francisco, CA
09.22.12 | Luigi’s Fun Garden | Sacramento, CA
10.27.12 | The New Parish | Oakland, CA