With the implosion of Kings of Leon and the subsequent dissolution of their tour with, Band of Horses were forced to scrape together a series of live shows that more or less matched up with their previously scheduled dates. Being without the mainstream chart power of their prior headliners, Band of Horses was forced to usher their show from arenas into smaller theaters. Luckily for the sold out crowd at the Ogden Theater Sunday night, Band of Horses did not downgrade their stadium-sized sound one bit.

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

Vitamins with Gauntlet Hair, Woodsman and Hearts in Space @ Larimer Lounge, Doors 8:00, $10

Vitamins has booked an amazing tour send off show.  Not only will tonight's audience at Larimer Lounge get to enjoy the fabulous psych rock and seductive female vocals of Vitamins, but also the music of three other hot Denver bands.  Gauntlet Hair is currently making a run for the national scene and will be coming out with their self-titled debut in October.  They have released one single from the album and it is an idine-pop gem full of sunny sounding reverb.  Woodsman is another Denver psych/experimental rock group that has gotten some national attention of late.  Their name is out there due to their constant touring so seeing them in their hometown is a rare opportunity.  Hearts in Space is a local indie/psych rock group that is hot off of their awesome UMS performance.  They rocked the Hi-Dive at UMS and we can only expect the same tonight! I can't wait!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Those Darlins with Motopony and Lil' Thunder @ Hi-Dive, Doors 7:00pm, $10

Come down to the Hi-Dive tonight for a grand ole' (opry?) time.  Those Darlins are a country gone punk group out of Nashville, TN.  The three ladies who make up the group, Jessi, Nikki and Kelley are dubbed the "Darlin Sisters".  These gals may be young, but they sure know how to drink their whiskey and put on a great show.  Make sure to check them out tonight along with Motopony and Lil' Thunder.  It should be a rowdy country brawl accompanied by some feirce twang- a perfect combination for the Monday night crowd down South Broadway!  

Page 9, an up-and-coming act fusing alt rock with powerpop, will be playing a show at The Buffalo Rose in Golden on Friday, August 9 along with Stripe Stripe Fiasco and The Great Valley.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

American Tomahawk and POPCULT @ Illegal Pete's Denver, 10:00pm, Free

Come check out American Tomahawk tonight if you missed his set at the UMS like I did.  Adam Halferty's indie pop project is melancholy but upbeat.  It sounds happy, but once you pay attention to the lyrics you may have conflicted feelings. According to my little sister he is the "Tyler the Creator in indie".  Tonight he'll play with synth-pop youngsters POPCULT.  Some of POPCULT's members have spent the last year touring with The Chain Gang of 1974.  There is no doubt that they can play a live show and its great to see them finally working on a project of their own.  The show tonight is at the Illegal Pete's in Denver (16th St.) and its totally free since its the 3OH!3 after party.  American Tomahawk will play tomorrow at the Illegal Pete's in Boulder (The Hill) with another up-and-coming indie pop act that I love, Majic Flower Evening.  Halftery will then play the Illegal Pete's at DU (Evans) on Saturday and the Larimer Lounge BBQ on Sunday- this guy is on a roll!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Cold Cave, Austra and The Overcasters @ The Bluebird, Doors 8:00pm, $18

Are you into synths but against the wave of happy rainbow synth music out there today?  If you are happily a little bit dark then the Bluebird is your place to be on Saturday night.  Headliners Cold Cave are known for wearing lots of black and lots of leather all while filling our ears with melodious synth lines and our heads with dreary despairing lyrics.  They are touring with another electro-goth group, Austra.  Their music is also all based around the synthesizer but is also more dark and less dance.  The local openers are Denver's guitar-shredding masters the Overcasters.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian with Bosco Delray @ The Ogden Theatre, Doors 7:00PM, $25

This is perhaps the show I been looking forward to most this summer.  Both headliners are great bands who perform fun, fast-paced music that is the best kind to dance to on a Saturday night.  Sleigh Bells is a duo from Brooklyn, NY.  Alexis Krauss, their female vocalist, ROCKS the stage, hair flailing and all, without sacrificing her beautiful vocals. Girl crush? Yes.  The second member of the group, Derek Miller, plays guitar.  The noise-pop created by Sleigh Bells is bass heavy rock that contrasts nicely with Krauss' vocals.  The group does not have a drummer and therefore they bring out a TON of amps, we are talking a wall of amps, for their live show.  Get ready to get loud or else bring your ear plugs.  Sleigh Bells music is all about contrasting the heavy with the soft and beautiful.  Some people find it difficult to listen to, but in my opinion, their work is among the most unique, fascinating and addicting of the past few years.

Neon Indian.  The name almost says it all- take trendy, tribal beats and combine them with the electronic and you get a sound that sounds exactly like what a Neon Indian would sound like, if that were possible.  Maybe what an Indian drum circle would look and sound like with the help of hallucinogens.  Each Neon Indian song is pleasant and fun in beat, while containing lyrics that make you think twice- one of their tracks is called "Should Have Taken Acid with You".  They even sell t-shirts that say only that on them.  Whether you support the strange or not, this Saturday you can at least observe this craziness first hand.  And dance.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Ratatat @ The Ogden Theatre, Doors 7:00PM, $30 Sold Out

Ratatat, an electronic duo that uses real instruments, is one of the most different and talented groups out there when it comes to the DJ scene.  If you have never heard of them, you have still probably heard their work.  They were featured on Kid Cudi's hit track, "Pursuit of Happiness".  Ratatat is made up of a guitarist and a bassists/synth player.  Their music sounds entirely electronic and it is refreshing to me that they do it all while including a guitar and bass.  Their live shows are captivating- it's a dance show but you can still watch them perform as musicians, which is really what we pay for when we go to a concert.  Psychedelic visuals of faces, clips of movies, and swirling images and colors go along with the whole show, making it fun to watch even if you have a rough view of the stage itself.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Bare Bones with The Broken Numbers Band, Caleb Slade and Bear Antler @ Hi-Dive, Doors 8:00PM, $6

We all know that I love Bare Bones, but I have to say it- this Saturday will be their best show ever.  The energy that will vibe the Hi-Dive is unmatchable!  Bare Bones creator and front man, Blake Brown, grew up in Fort Collins with The Broken Numbers Band lead singer Corey Lovett.  The two played punk rock together in a band called H-Hour but eventually were separated.  Blake ended up in Denver and Corey in L.A., but both settled into playing country music and it sounds to me like this is where they both belong.  I know Bare Bones puts on a wonderful show, writes moving and enchanting lyrics and is on the up.  I could only expect the same from The Broken Numbers Band.  The excitement of playing with friends should ignite each band making for a lovely night filled with heartfelt country tunes.  Energy will also come for Bare Bones from their most recent successes.  They have started working with a booking agent, were played on KBCO radio and are headlining their first show (THIS ONE!). Be there to support this incredible local act and their friends.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Bare Bones and Land Lines @ Forest Room 5, 4:30PM, $5

Tonight help Forest Room 5 bring in summer! The first installment of the Patio Concert Series is tonight featuring Bare Bones and Land Lines.  Bare Bones is a rocking alt-country band made up of Denver all-stars.  Since my last piece on Bare Bones they have continued to improve.  The have recently teamed up with a booking agency and next weekend they will headline a show at the Hi-Dive.  Come see this cheaper show to get a preview and you surely will not want to miss next weekend!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Vitamins with Ally, Moon Tides, Hindershot, Offcolor, Hearts in Space,Shady Babes, Twin Peaks and The Belle Jar @ Larimer Lounge, Doors 6:00 PM, $10

Summer is also beginning this weekend at Larimer Lounge.  This Sunday they will have an evening show with several Denver bands that i really enjoy!  Vitamins are a psychedelic-rock group with a female vocalist.  Hearts in Space is another psychedelic-rock group with two stage stealing front men.  Their shows are always fun! Shady Babes is a rock group with a surf and sun feel.  The lead singer and guitarist, Paul Garcia, is also the front man for Pacific Pride.  This is a great all Denver lineup and is not to be missed.

The Westword Music Showcase is fast approaching.  With one month left to decide which acts are worth seeing, I thought I would begin to preview local bands and musical acts that I personally enjoy and plan on seeing on June 18, 2011.  Welcome to Festival Season and welcome to summer.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Crystal Stilts with Overcasters, Force Publique and Double Shadow @ Larimer Lounge, 7:00 PM Doors, $15

Larimer Lounge is featuring a killer lineup tonight.  All four acts are awesome, three are from Denver, and all of them, while containing a thread of experimental similarity are quite different.  The headliners, Crystal Stilts, are a noise-pop group that remind me of a modern day version of The Smiths.  Their catchy guitar riffs are placed alongside lo-fi psychedelic vocals making the group experimental yet classic.  Overcasters are a local rock group with heavy guitar parts and an awesome live show that includes a lot of lights.  Force Publique is also from Denver and have an incredibly unique sound.  I would describe it as dub-rock because it is bass heavy and electronic but it has hints of rock and each song is composed with vocals, a chorus and verses unlike a typical electronic song.  Double Shadow is a DJ group that spins vinyl old-school style and has been tearing up Beauty Bar a few Saturdays per month.  This is an all-star night for Denver plus it includes Crystal Stilts, a group that shouldn't be missed, so take a chance and go out on a Monday!