If you’re feeling fashionable and adventurous on Saturday night, I’ll be DJing the closing Mix and Assembleparty for the fabulousCreate Denver Week festivities.
Starting at 7pm at the Hi-Dive on South Broadway, I’ll be spinning some tunes with Julio from Cause=Time, Eryc Eyl from Reverb, and the formidable Robert B. Rutherford of the Donnybrook Writing Academy (have you checked out his new super column Backlog?).
Julio and I (or as I like to say, Me & Julio…) will be selecting your ear candy during the earlier set from 7pm-9pm, and there will be mingling, dancing, and silent-auctioning, with these gorgeous concert posters from Ink Lounge Creative (for shows like The Hold Steady, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Nada Surf, and Death Cab).
After we finish up, the other two DJs will take over (peacefully) and there will be a fashion show from local designers from 9:30-10:30, then live music from Bad Luck City and Cloud City! It’s FREE until 10pm (or three bucks after), so you have no excuses. Come enjoy!
The Denver Post ran a story last month detailing the work of a very cool ongoing study about the city’s high “Creative Vitality Index,” which measures economic factors related to the music community. Through a series of qualitative interviews (I got to wax lyrical a few months ago over mimosas; it’s how we do research here) and analysis of quantitative data, they discovered that music matters in Denver — “even more than it does in self-declared music cities like Seattle, Austin, Chicago and Portland.” According to the study, the amount spent per person on music-related items in Denver is twice the national average, and so are the number of folks who are employed full-time in music-related jobs. This doesn’t surprise me at all, although to an outsider, Denver might be the last place you’d look.
One of the best ways to see this blooming, inclusive, high-quality, diverse scene –and one factor cited in our high Creative Vitality Index– is our Underground Music Showcase. This late-July showcase festival saw a doubling in attendance from 2008 to last year’s marvelous fest. The bands that play are 90% buzzworthy local acts (although last year I helped to bring some 10% rad national acts to our streets, and I believe this year will be no different). All 300 bands, singer-songwriters and comedians play in a walkable radius at venues ranging from the usual rock clubs to the non-traditional art galleries, and knitting stores, the church, parking lots, and Persian rug shops. All of the hip South Broadway neighborhood pours out into the warm summer streets with music coming from every open door and strip of lawn. This July also marks the tenth anniversary of this festival I warmly like to call “the SXSW of Denver,” and it really does feel like it to me. It’s massive; absolutely one of my favorite weekends of the whole year.
Today our alt-weekly The Westword named many of the noteworthybands in Denverrightnow, and it made me even more excited for this mega-display of our city’s grandeur.
This year the event is July 22nd-25th, and wristbands and badges are on sale now for ridiculously cheap — $25 for a wristband and $60 for a badge! Come visit. Seriously.
The UMS looks and feels like this:
(I’ve happily got a cameo, waiting in line at the Irish Rover on a warm rainy night in my favorite purple dress)
One of my favorite bands right now, in Denver or otherwise, is the ebullient collective known as Houses. The focus of my first Queen City Spotlight a few months back, these folks continue to illuminate the local scene with their expansive, golden songs that explode off the stage every time I’ve seen them.
Here’s a track from the new EP, one that’s become a high point of their live show – imagine at the five minute mark where the “ba-ba-ba-duh-daaaaa“ing starts, but everyone in the crowd yelling along as loud as they possibly can.
It’s everything that makes Houses the perfect soundtrack to my summer.
The Golden Triangle sounds like a mystic land of enigma from which no one returns, but it’s actually the area of Denver that the 15th annual Westword Music Showcase will overrun Saturday with 85+ ace bands, both local and national.
Even less expensive (as in F-R-E-E) are the five pairs of passes that Fuel/Friends has to give away to YOU and your selected companion. If you wanna come join us all day Saturday, please send me an email with “WESTWORD GIVEAWAY” as the subject line. We can maybe even have a beer or milkshake at the fest.
I feel fortunate to have a vibrant, active, effusively talented music scene to soundtrack life in Colorado, and the Westword (our local alt-weekly) is one of the two great festivals we have to look forward to this summer, with this tightly-curated day on Saturday.
There’s also a band I don’t know called “Lyin’ Bitch and The Restraining Orders.” And that’s just brilliant.
RELATED: The lineup for the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase (July 23-26) is also starting to be unveiled. Bookending the late summer to the Westword’s June soiree, the UMS is the largest indie music festival in Colorado, and last year we absolutely killed it. This year I helped with the lineup and am even more excited, if that’s possible. Check it out, and support both avenues for discovering (really good) local music!
I saw These United States twice in Austin and their live set absolutely crackled with rough and rowdy energy. They are the perfect headliners for our First Annual Denver Hillbilly Prom this Friday night at the Hi-Dive. I am wearing a peach and white striped Gunne Sax/Jessica McClintock dress from the early ’80s and –of course– my cowboy boots.
Y’all come out, and for those of you who can’t, check out this fabulous (deafening) performance from the Hype Machine/Music Slut SXSW Party last week:
Catch These United States on the road if you can, because their sets were packed full at SXSW:
Mar 25 @ The Sub (College of Santa Fe) Santa Fe, NM
Mar 26 @ Sundown Saloon Boulder, CO
Mar 27 @ Hi-Dive, w/ Lurleens Denver, CO
Mar 28 @ Pioneer Inn Nederland, CO
Mar 29 @ The Dusty Bookshelf Manhattan, KS
Mar 30 @ Slowdown Omaha, NE
Mar 31 @ The Nomad Minneapolis, MN
Apr 2 @ KRUI Live In-Studio Iowa City, IA
Apr 2 @ The Mill Iowa City, IA
Apr 3 @ The Hideout Chicago, IL
Apr 4 @ Founders Grand Rapids, MI
Apr 5 @ P.J.’s Lager House Detroit, MI
Apr 5 @ House Ann Arbor, MI
Apr 6 @ Village Idiot Maumee, OH
Apr 7 @ Scene Metrospace East Lansing, MI
Apr 8 @ Canal Street Tavern Dayton, OH
Apr 9 @ My Old Kentucky Blog live session Indianapolis, IN
Apr 9 @ Locals Only Indianapolis, IN
Apr 10 @ The Comet Cincinnati, OH
Apr 11 @ Transylvania University Lexington, KY
Apr 11 @ Al’s Bar Lexington, KY
Oct 20-24 @ CMJ Music Marathon New York, NY
[our fine poster designed by the fearsome Todd Roeth, in the back of our car somewhere between Texas and New Mexico last night. True story.]
Something different for the Monday Music Roundup this week: Seven songs from the seven Colorado bands that we are presenting at SXSW for our first Mile-Hi Fidelity day party!
A bunch of myfavoriteColoradopeople are getting together to throw y’all a nice little fiesta with some of the finest tunes being made in our state. We will also ply you with free drinks, and the famed Gigbot Photobooth will be there (free high-quality hipster Glamour Shots of you and all your friends!). We plan to rock it. Please do come by and say hello on Friday, and take a listen here today.
King Arthur – The Epilogues
Starting with a very enthusiastic countdown, this Epilogues track hints at the sound of the brother-fronted Denver band: dark but danceable, brooding but melodic.
Twice My Weight – Meese
Just saw the new Meese album performed live last week (my Denver Post photo essay here), and it sounds catchy as hell, all glitchy hooks and fraternal harmonies. As Julio says, “call me crazy, but I could see a number of songs off of their forthcoming album on one of those Gossip Girl (in a good way) type shows at the part when the main couple in the show are about to break things off, but they decide to give it another go by having an intense makeout sesh.” Red Orange Yellow – The Photo Atlas
The Denver dance-punk phenoms The Photo Atlas released their debut album on the hip and happenin’ Stolen Transmission label, founded by the fascinating Sarah “Ultragrrl” Lewitinn. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them live; I look forward to pogoing around a bit on a Friday afternoon.
When I Was In The Fire – Young Coyotes
I don’t even know what I need to say about Young Coyotes that hasn’t already been proclaimed from the rooftops. Despite a personnel change and a new coyote in the fold, they still have the shout-out-loud exuberance, shimmery songs, and heart-thumping percussion that made me want to run away with them the first time I saw them, back at the Underground Music Showcase last summer.
Anthem – Born In The Flood
I saw Born In The Floodopen for Kings of Leon two years back, and I was mightily impressed. You can hear why they were such a good match to share the stage with KOL here on this song– an anthem worth blasting loud, indeed. They also won our Denver Post Underground Music Showcase that summer, and keep getting better. En fuego!
Hey Hope – Overcasters
Formed from members of half-a-dozen other Denver bands, The Overcasters have an otherworldly grip on the stage when they play, all haunting echo, reverb, and an undercurrent of elegant melody. We’ll end the day with their set, which one Denver music fan wrote is all “volume and beauty … in equal parts, oil lamp projecting trippy colours behind them. Your clothes vibrated, the rest of the world melted away and you were immersed in pure sound, a make-you-smile-for-hours great sound.”
We hope to make you smile for hours. See you next Friday.
*****
Also… since we’re talking about my favorite Young Coyotes, tomorrow they have two new EPs for sale! On March 10th, you can get both five-song EPs for digital download on Brother Bear Records.
The Basement EP consists of five tracks previously recorded in the band’s basement. The Exhale EP contains all new material recorded at Coupe Studios in Boulder, CO. Both EPs will be available for sale at all major online retailers and Basement will also be available for free download (!) on the band’s website. Sounds like:
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I’m gonna try my hand at this DJ business as part of Denver’s New Music Mondays over at the Larimer Lounge on January 19th. A new event on Monday nights, folks can bring their own vinyl or iPod contributions to add between sets to this record party. Should be a cool time of new music discovery with local, national and international tunes, brought to you by the Monolith Festival folks.
If you’re in Denver, come check it out. And don’t tell them I have no idea how to actually DJ (shhh!).
NEW MUSIC MONDAYS GUEST DJ SCHEDULE Dec 1: Jim McTurnan (Cat-A-Tac) + Joshua Novak (Songwriter) Dec 8: Brian F Johnson (Marquee Magazine) + Nicole Covington (Gothic Theater) Dec 15: Kurt Ottaway (Overcasters) + MondoGarage (Garage/Spy Fi) Dec 22: Chris Martucci (Laylights) with Miles & Baumer Jan 5: Eryc Eyl (Westword) and DJ Ginger Jan 12: Citrus Sauthoff (U.S. Pipe) and Julian Wakefield Jan 19: Heather Browne (Blogger, I Am Fuel/You Are Friends) with Meese!
For the most current schedule updates, check here.
Monday night on Election Eve, the Beasties and Jack Black’s Tenacious D hit Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium, and you can still WIN tickets over from the fabulously shiny little Gigbot! According to the robot, this is an “amazing, once-in-a-lifetime show that’s so sold out it makes you cry like the time you heard Spank Rock on a Wishbone commercial.“
Here’s a quicklike last-minute contest for a show in Denver this weekend, since the last one went over so well. On Saturday night, Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog is playing the illustrious Hi-Dive with the sunshiney sounds of San Diego’s Delta Spirit, and I’ve got a pair of tickets to give away.
People, Delta Spirit has put out one of my favorite albums of the year with their aptly-titled Ode To Sunshine. There’s a raw and vital early ’60s Rolling Stones rock taste laced through those sweet bluesy piano melodies. Songs like “Strange Vine” and “Parade” flirt with the reverb-laden surf guitar of a thousand Southern California beach parties from summers long faded. There’s a yearning and an excitement running through the handclaps and hearty singalong sections of this album that are the domain of the young and the hopeful.
But my favorite description of Delta Spirit might be the one that said they’re “the Violent Femmes gone sepia.” Although they don’t scrape those same depths of streetpunk/outsider yowl that the Femmes always evoke for me, singer Matt Vasquez definitely does let all the ragged edges of his voice bleed in a very real way that keeps the album authentic. This album lovingly revives the sound of vintage America but with a rough-hewn edge, and is absolutely delightful.
Plus — if we’re gonna go on looks, I’ve always remembered (with a smile) the way that Amrit wrote that Vasquez looks like he unwinds between shows at The Peach Pit.
NEW CONTEST — WINNER GETS: - One pair of tickets to Delta Spirit & Dr. Dog @ Hi-Dive (Sat. 9/27) - Delta Spirit’s Ode To Sunshine CD - Copy of RAGGED Magazine (www.raggedmag.com)
To enter, please EMAIL ME with DELTA SPIRIT SHOW as the subject line, and I’ll decide on a random winner over my coffee on Saturday morning. Because of the short notice, I’ll probably call you to let you know, so please include a phone number if you’re cool with that. I promise not to crank call or drunk dial you.
As I approached from blocks away, the crowd was spilling in the street as they waited to get in through the half-lowered garage door entrance. A converted police car flashed multimedia exhibits onto the faded warehouse wall, with music pulsing loud enough to be heard at the Convention Center. Pandemonium!
Inside the thousand-degree gallery, I did some general browsing of the political artwork covering the walls, and then the requisite gawking and people-watching (most eclectic crowd ever – mixing political pinstripes with the indie kids and watching them try to dance side-by-side). This non-Dem was admittedly a little creeped out by a few of the near-deistic portrayals of Obama in various painted settings; a friend and I were talking about how we felt like we’d entered his shrine. But overall it was a cool expression of passion and commitment by the artists who contributed, with a few ace lighthearted inclusions (Stephen Colbert! Slaying evil!).
Comedienne Sarah Silverman started things off with her hilariously deadpan ruminations on the convention and the election, and she was dipped into an enthusiastic two-armed welcome (totally almost like this) by San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom (SCU Broncos represent!). Newsom then introduced Seattle’s mayor Greg Nickels, and after many words and rousing rhetoric, the five musicians finally climbed onto the small stage. Throughout the 70-minute show each artist took turns on lead, with various duets, group singalongs and covers. It was lighthearted and felt like a rare living-room collaboration.
This Is Not A Test (live 8/2/08, Newport Folk) – Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward Zooey was completely charming, and performed this song with her guitar. Halfway through she stopped abruptly and laughed at a small mistake she made, saying it was the first time she’d ever played guitar in public since she usually rocks the piano.
Love Hurts – Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris Johnathan Rice and Jenny Lewis sang this ’70s staple, and in a move of complete awesomeness, they dedicated it to Obama and Hillary.
Little Boxes (Malvina Reynolds cover) – Jenny Lewis & Johnathan Rice They didn’t sing this song. But they did lots of duets together, all lovey and gazing into each other’s indie-alt-country-couple eyes, and sounding good.
See These Bones (live on MOKB Sirius) – Nada Surf I loved every note and word that spilled from Matthew Caws last night (recall my fondness). I was unabashed dork fangirl, coincidentally ending up right at Matthew’s feet for the set, and I didn’t even bother to check my singalong enthusiasm. He kept eying me in bemusement as I sang “the lights of this city are more or less blinking…” with possibly more enthusiasm than he did.
Weightless (live on Leno) – Nada Surf You know those gorgeous Beach Boys harmonies at the end of this song? Picture the full gallery crowd and those other four voices on stage all swelling together behind Caws’ lead vocals. Jenny Lewis admirably played band leader, cupping her hand around her ear and waving her arms in encouragement. Nada Surf drummer Ira Elliott stood off to the right (in front of that massive Obama/Lincoln meld) and kept time with fancy claps for the whole song. You can take the drummer off the stage …
Cath (live at BBC6) – Ben Gibbard This song appeared on last night’s setlist but was substituted with “Sound of Settling,” which was great by me because we all got to “Ba baaa! Ba baaa!” heartily instead.
Military Madness (live 10-22-06, Bridge School) – Death Cab for Cutie, Gillian Welch, Neil Young The five musicians closed with this Graham Nash cover about military madness and solitary sadness. Ben Gibbard led on the piano, and despite one false ending (another chorus? should we stop? let’s do both) it was a stirring closer. This live mp3 is one I saw at the Bridge School Benefit in CA a few years ago with a slightly different lineup. ZIP: UNCONVENTIONAL ‘08
Name: Heather Browne Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel." —Hunter S. Thompson
“These chords are old but we shake hands / 'cause I believe that they're the good guys.”
—Josh Ritter, "Good Man"
"I am fuel, you are friends / we got the means to make amends."
—Pearl Jam, "Leash"
Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. If you represent an artist or a label and would prefer that I remove a link to an mp3, please email me at browneheather@gmail.com
Submissions
Got something I should hear? Email me at browneheather@gmail.com. Digital's usually best, but music submissions can also be sent to: Fuel/Friends, PO Box 64011, Colorado Springs, CO 80962-4011.
If you’re feeling fashionable and adventurous on Saturday night, I’ll be DJing the closing Mix and Assemble party for the fabulous Create Denver Week festivities.
Name: Heather Browne
