Now that the internet is such a thing (deal with it), we have the distinct fortune/misfortune of watching artists grow in front of our eyes. Their flaws are our flaws. It's more a race about who "gets it" first, and the earlier you can realize there's something to get, the more stoked you are when an artist climbs the towering summit of Mount Jam and puts out something undeniable. Kurt Vile is one of those dudes that we've all pretty much enjoyed from the very start, because he started out good and is rapidly turning into someone great. "Jesus Fever" is the second single/mp3/whatever from Vile's upcoming Smoke Ring For My Halo (out on Matador, March 8th), it's fully realized and confident, Vile seems now comfortable with his pained, lax mumble and is able to project it outwards without losing any of the downcast, foot-shuffling quality that attracted us to his music in the first place.
Photographer John Francis Peters
January 07, 2011
