Sprung from the creatively fertile streets of Denver, Il Cattivo mixes its melodies with heavy rock, unsuspecting soul and promises nothing more than to get you moving.

Formed in 2009 with Brian Hagman (Black Lamb), Matt Bellinger (Planes Mistaken for Stars and Ghost Buffalo), Jed Kopp (Ghost Buffalo), and Holland Rock Garden (Machine Gun Blues) and after a string of revolving bassists, Matty Clark of Denver's Taun Taun stepped into play on their 2011 debut full length, To Bring Low an Empire.
After Empire's release in June, Il Cattivo went on a short midwestern tour with Peoria, Illinois' Lark's Tongue. In December of 2011, Matty Clark and Holland Rock Garden left the band to focus on other endeavors ushering in the newest Cattivos: Arj Narayan (Black Acid Devil) and Matt Cavanaugh (Burn Sand Burn) . The newly banded IL CATTIVO spent the subsequent months writing and writing in anticipation of recording again with the talented Chris Fogal at Black in Bluhm studios in April 2012.
With a new album in hand, Il Cattivo hopes to find both local and national support to help get their music to a wider audience. Much like the bands who inspired them and bands they've shared a stage with, Il Cattivo unapologetically bears their soul with every hard-hitting song. They are a band because they have to be - they weren't made for anything else.

Il Cattivo songs are an obvious catharsis, an exorcism, a sacrificial offering - a desperate way to wring out all of that love, hate, loneliness, passion and insanity that is worn on the sleeves of the hardened hearts.

We'd like to introduce you to a new sound in town, one we're sure will snap your cap. Now, let's get started, meet the boys! Alex, the lead guitar player (the boys call him "Eschen," "Freschen," or just "Esh" if need be), is the voice of logic in the group. You can catch him on a Saturday going for a cruise in his sea-foam green Valiant or playing blues riffs near a tree. Rett Rogers, (known as "Reggie", "Rodge-Podge," or "Rooster," depending on the day) plays the bass and is the most stoic Rider. Folks often mistakenly think he's "on something" but he's just meditating. He digs red cars and black cats. Shoose (born Marko Dmitriy Shusterman, L.A., 1985) is the Riders electric organist, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Famous for his pomme soufflé, he is always on time and likes to flirt with the girls in his Russian native tongue. Da! Finally, Scott Beck ("Becker," "Becherovka," "Beckman," etc), is the rhythmic manager on the 2's and the 4's. He says he favors the drumming styles of Bob Wyatt and Animal. His ideal date includes pizza, a skee ball session, and an action movie (not necessarily in that order), but he digs comedies too.

Mmmm Hmmm

members of the Nicotine Fits