Something Like Sound

Finally hearing the new Danielle Ate The Sandwich record is an event that has been a year in the making. It was July last year when I sat down with Danielle to talk about her music, where she had been and where she was going. Since that time I have been fortunate enough to hear the progression and development of many of the songs that made the final cut for her new record Two Bedroom Apartment.

The most readily apparent feature of Two Bedroom Apartment is its ability to connect to the listener on a common level. While the home recorded nature of past DAtS records has been replaced with the clarity of a full studio production and backing musicians, it still feels as though each note was sung in order to evoke emotion.

At various DAtS shows last year I distinctly remember hearing “Canada” and the Joan Baez-esque protest song “Soldier.” Hearing them again provides a bit of nostalgia while new songs such as “Public Property” strike a new chord. Actually, “Public Property” may be my favorite track; it is haunting and beautiful in both sound and lyric.

“I’m not yours anymore / I belong to everyone.”

However, listening to Two Bedroom Apartment isn’t like watching Leonardo DiCaprio drown at the end of Titanic, there are a few lighthearted tunes as well. “We Are Hotdogs” is an older song redone while “El Paso” sings about eating at Weinerschnitzel and watching infomercials.

Two Bedroom Apartment is available July 6 via danielleatethesandwich.net, iTunes. Watch “Public Property” below and “American Dream” after the jump

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This year’s Westword Music Showcase was a balancing act between seeing groups we’d never seen before and old favorites. The day’s schedule put some of our favorite groups on during the same time-periods, as well as pitting groups we’d heard great things about against groups we knew to be spectacular. The solution we decided on was this: with a few exceptions, we’d spend no more than 25 minutes at a particular set, giving us time to rush to other shows going on at the same time and catch the end of their act. While we hated to leave some of our favorite acts early, we also got to see a good portion of Denver’s amazing music scene.

Mike Marchant

We started the day off at Bar Standard for Mike Marchant’s set. As always, the passionate playing of Marchant and the rest of his band was emotive and powerful. The group ended their set with a medley of songs. As always, Marchant’s much-vaunted songwriting ability and huge stage presence provided a great way to kick off the day.

Houses

Every Houses show seems to be exponentially better than their last, and we couldn’t resist sticking around the Bar Standard to catch the beginning of their act. Although the massive band was playing on a stage the size of a small apartment’s living room, their presence filled the whole of the venue. The venue filled up as Houses took the stage, and the group’s unique combination of indie and classic rock didn’t disappoint. Sadly, after we heard some of our favorite songs, we faced our first scheduling conflict of the day and left to see Achille Lauro.

Achille Lauro

This band has become much better live since last time we saw them. They easily filled up the huge space of the Curious Theatre and the on-stage banter between band members filled a void that was present in the past. Although we only caught the end of the set, we were happy to hear some of our favorite songs – “No Breaks” and “Friend’s War,” included in the mix.

Danielle Ate the Sandwich

Though we’ve seen Danielle countless times, with her being up next in the Curious, we couldn’t help but stay for a few of her songs. Charming as ever, Danielle was joined by her occasional bassist Dennis for what is always a treat. We heard a few delightful and quirky songs from her upcoming album Two Bedroom Apartment before leaving for the next act.

Kinetix

After the soothing and relaxed playing of Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Kinetix’s set at City Hall was auditory whiplash. Kinetix may be, musically, the polar opposite of every band we’d seen so far, but the passion and energy they played with easily allowed us to switch gears. While their style makes it temping to call them a jam band, Kinetix is much more than this – interesting and catchy hooks combined well with a powerful beat that got a packed crowd moving. This was the most exciting act we’d seen all day, and kept us going as the day wore on.

Accordion Crimes

Next was Accordion Crimes at Sutra. An incredibly high-intensity band, Accordion Crime’s music matched the packed, hot, and sweaty atmosphere of Sutra. The group was extremely tight and blew us away with their musicality. Despite a few technical hic-ups, the show was very powerful and passionate.

Ian Cooke

The Curious Theatre was running a few minutes later than most of the other venues and we were lucky enough to catch the end of Ian Cooke’s set. Having seen Cooke’s solo set a few weeks ago at the D-Note, it was amazing to see how different he was with a full band. The full band provided a much fuller sound to the songs and gave a wholly different character. Songs that are beautiful from their simplicity in his solo act become beautiful from their exceptional orchestration in his full set. The two or three songs we saw from Cooke were enough to remind us of his incredible musical talent.

Hello Kavita

The 4:15-5:00 slot provided another tough choice – favorites Hello Kavita, Candy Claws and Astrophagus were playing, exceptional national act Neon Indian started at 4:30, and a number of great bands we’d not seen live were playing at the same time slot. While we wanted to get to as many of these bands as possible, we just couldn’t skip the exceptional band Hello Kavita at the Curious. Their set started off a bit disappointingly, their first song or two not being as clean as we’re used to. However, the band seemed to make a few adjustments as their act went on, and the relaxed pop sounds of the band filled the air of the Curious Theatre and made us remember why we like this band so much. Forced to move on to the next act after a few songs, we were very sad to have to miss the end of Hello Kavita’s set.

Candy Claws

Candy Claws’ almost indescribable music is a great treat, and we were happy to head to Vinyl to see their ethereal poppy set. The band seems extremely focused and professional when they perform, but the music they play has a tone of unbridled, child-like joy. The huge band barely fit on the stage they were put on, but they were still able to delight the audience. Their less-than-standard approach to pop music was a perfect preface to Neon Indian, playing on the main stage.

Neon Indian

Neon Indian’s minimalistic psychedelic pop filled the air as we entered the main stage for the first time. While the large crowd enjoyed the music, Neon Indian isn’t fit for an outdoor stage. Too much of the group’s brilliant music was lost due to crowd noise and a lack of boundaries to contain it. Certain sounds, subtle and masterful in their recorded music, were overpowering in the outdoor stage. As such, we left after a few songs, heading indoors again.

Chain Gang of 1974

City Hall was packed for the super-intense music of Chain Gang of 1974. Both die-hard fans and newcomers filled the venue, dancing and screaming to the up-beat music of Kamtin Mohager and back-up musicians. Mohager is more of a rock star than anyone else in the Denver music scene, strutting around the stage like Keith Richards and filling the stage with an intense presence. More importantly, his intensity backs up his music, which is at times psychedelic, at times punk, and at times pop, but always dancy and powerful. This was quite the switch from the previous few groups we’d seen, but it was a welcome change and a great way to set the mood for the passionate performers we’d end our night with.

John Common and the Blinding Flashes of Light

With the Curious Theatre still running a bit late, we were able to catch the end of John Common and the Blinding Flashes of Light’s set. It was standing room only in the venue and the huge crowd wasn’t disappointed. The group lived up to its name, as their intensity of playing was almost disorienting. Although we only caught the last few songs the group played, we’re already looking forward to seeing them again when the UMS comes in July.

Snake Rattle Rattle Snake

While the Curious was full for John Common, it seemed to overflow when Snake Rattle Rattle Snake took the stage. The group brought the crowd to its feet by halfway through its first song, and the band’s pounding dance rhythms kept the audience dancing the whole way through. While we had originally wanted to see some other groups playing at the 6:15 time slot, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake’s music kept us glue to their set (and had we wanted to leave, the massive crowd seemed un-navigable). Easily the highest-energy group of the day, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake was a great way to end the local portion of the showcase.

Superchunk

After seeing an incredible group of Denver musicians, Superchunk’s indie rock/punk playing seemed a bit lacking in intensity. Perhaps this was due to them being outdoors, but the group’s fabled energy didn’t seem to come across. Still, the music was excellent, and more than made up for their lack of intensity.

Ghostland Observatory

Finally, after a surprisingly short wait, the headliners come on the main stage. Ghostland Observatory is famed for their amazing light shows and huge stage presence, and their performance on Saturday showed how deserving of that fame they truly are. While their music was not our favorite style, the performance nevertheless made it a show worth going to. After a long day, only an exceptional show could have kept us interested – and Ghostland Observatory provided exactly what we needed.

“It’s a city holiday today, right?” said a young woman parking her car on S. Broadway Saturday morning. “It’s the Westword Music Showcase – we must be able to park for free!” That sort of passion for music and love for the Denver music scene was the highlight of the day. Each concert we’ve been to since last year’s Westword has seemed to be better than the last, and this year’s showcase was a culmination of the great music scene Denver continues to develop.

Check out The Flat Response for some great recordings from Saturday’s concert, including Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Dirty Projectors, Flashbulb Fires, and Superchunk. http://www.theflatresponse.com/

There have been few shows that were as odd as what I witnessed at the D-Note last night. When I say “odd” I do not mean to imply that the evening was a bad experience; by all means it was a lovely night full of wonderful music. It was just that the circumstances found many of the night’s musicians out of their normal spheres.

Danielle Ate The Sandwich

Seeing Danielle Ate The Sandwich is always a treat. Her stunningly beautiful voice and equally matched lyrics tend to leave me awestruck. Unfortunately for Danielle about 3/4 of the patrons at the D-Note were more interested in eating their pizzas than paying any attention to the musician on stage. However she wasn’t one to succumb to the ornery crowd and made light of the situation.

Ian Cooke

Avant-pop cellist/singer-songwriter Ian Cooke was in a casual mood when he took the stage. His set brought the crowd songs about large, flightless Australian birds (and their fruit bat lovers), spicy chicken cruchwrap supremes, in addition to several of his more popular tunes (Vassoon, Music, and Darkening are always my favorites).

Candy Claws

By the time Candy Claws took the stage, the crowd had dwindled to a few committed fans (in fact, there were almost more people on stage than in the crowd). However, the 7 members of Candy Claws appeared unfazed by the poor turnout and proceeded to play several new songs from their upcoming album Hidden Lands. However, they didn’t just play new material; their performance of “Catamaran” was the highlight of the evening.

To see more photos click here.

It’s warm outside, so that means it’s time to go out and hit the shows. Here are a few that feature stellar poster-art and great lineups.

Vampire Hands with Woodsman & Tjutjuna (5/26 at Hi-Dive):  This $6 show pairs 2 of Minneapolis’s finest experimental rock bands with 2 of Denver’s best. Expect to hear new material from both Woodsman and Tjutjuna since both groups have new releases coming out soon (or already out).

DU May Days Musicfest feat. Shiny Toy Guns & Chali 2na (5/27 at Driscoll Greens): Nothing says awesome quite like “free.” The DU May Days Musicfest is great for several reasons: 1. The bands (the lineup is pretty solid and keeps getting better every year). 2. Free food (usually better than what you’d expect). 3. It reminds CSM students that we haven’t been in school for the past month and that DU still has another couple weeks to go.

Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Ian Cooke, & Candy Claws (5/28 at D-Note): Arvada won’t know what hit them after this show. It’s an invasion of sorts: Fort Collins folk singer-songwriter Danielle Ate The Sandwich will bring her unique ukulele styling while fellow Ft. Collinites Candy Claws play their unique style of ambient-indie-dream-pop. Ian Cooke’s amazing cello work will tie everything together quite nicely.

Hot Congress & Long Spoon block party (6/5 at Meadowlark & Larimer Lounge): This mini-music-fest showcases some of the best in what Denver’s music collectives have to offer. The lineup is ridiculously stacked and the evening’s events will feature prize giveaways and food vendors. For more information and a more in-depth preview of the block party visit the Hot Congress website.

Westword Music Showcase (6/19 in the Golden Triangle neighborhood): Westword just announced the full lineup for their annual music showcase and it is shaping up to be the don’t-miss event for June. They’re basically taking over an entire neighborhood for a day of great music and entertainment. Added bonuses this year include cheap tickets (only $15 in advance), more all-ages venues and a VIP option.

Here’s one to file under “not something you see every day.” Danielle Anderson (aka Danielle Ate The Sandwich) has taken to auctioning a variety of random items (including a toaster) on eBay with the hopes of drumming up a little capital to support her upcoming record Two Bedroom Apartment which is slated to drop on July 6. Among the items up for bids are several knick-knacks (including a Magnum P.I. breakfast tray) and costume pieces from her videos (and from the cover she did for Westword back in September). Each winner will receive a copy of the new record. Watch the video below and click here to bid.

Being on vacation is great. No work, no school, nothing to do. To fight boredom I decided to head to downtown Fort Collins for some Northern Colorado-grown folk and indie-rock on a Sunday night. Rather than writing about each band I’m just going to post a few photos from the night’s sets. Enjoy.

The Riflemen

Danielle Ate The Sandwich

Paean

Sour Boy, Bitter Girl

Hey everyone, here are a few shows of note:

TONIGHT: Young Coyotes and Fiery Furnaces (Bluebird, 8pm). Rumored to be Young Coyotes last show, if you haven’t seen this dynamic duo yet this might be your last chance. While you’re at it, download our compilation, they’re on there with “When I Was In The Fire.”

December 4: Take, Candy Claws, & Old Radio (Lion’s Lair, 9pm). See Candy Claws live and in person (as opposed to their global internet tour). Also, Old Radio puts on quite an enjoyable show (not to mention this one is only $5, so don’t miss it). Celebrate National Cookie Day in style!

December 12: Hot Congress CD Release Show (Oriental, 8pm). A few weeks back we covered the Hot Congress Prevue Party and picked up a copy of their very first compilation. Well, now they’re giving it a proper celebration and release. Performing that night will be Achille Lauro, Vitamins, Fissure Mystic, and Action Packed Thrill Ride.

December 12: The Wheel with Houses, Bad Weather California, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Taun Taun and more! (Bluebird, 8pm). If there was ever a show that combined a bunch of my favorite local bands it would be this one. Unfortunately you’ll have to choose because it’s also on Dec. 12.

December 18: Flashbulb Fires CD Release Show (Hi-Dive, 10pm). We’ve got a full review of this group’s first full-length Glory coming next week and I can tell you that it is definitely worth checking out. Also playing that night: Danielle Ate The Sandwich.

December 31: Paper Bird & These United States New Year’s Party (Hi-Dive, 9pm). Ring in the New Year with a little bit Paper Bird’s brand of “joyful music.” Also rock out to the alt-indie goodness that is These United States.

In a continuing effort to get you to actually listen to my recommendations, here are some more links to free and legal downloads of Colorado bands.

Albums and EPs

Hearts of Palm – complete collection

Chain Gang of 1974 – Guerilla EP

Everything Absent or Distorted – The Lucky One EP

M. Pyres – & New Past Tense EP

Pretty Lights – Passing Behind Your Eyes

Katie Herzig – Live In Studio: Acoustic Trio

(only available until Nov. 15 for free)

Live Recordings (from The Flat Response)

Houses at the Hi-Dive (UMS – 7/24/09)

Danielle Ate The Sandwich at the Bluebird (10/17/09)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

When classes ended at the Colorado School of Mines in May of 2009 we got a wild idea: let’s curate a compilation of our favorite local acts and give it away for free! Over the span of 6 months we managed to gather a group of songs that reflect the diversity and quality of the Denver music scene. It is my hope that everyone can find a track that they enjoy on this compilation and discover something wonderful and new. Please support the artists who contributed by purchasing their music and attending their concerts.

Track List

1. The Photo Atlas – “Jealous Teeth”

2. The Epilogues – “King Arthur”

3. Dualistics – “Last Call”

4. The Heyday – “Come In Or Stay Out”

5. Neighborhood Hero – “Remembering”

6. Young Coyotes – “When I Was In The Fire”

7. Houses – “We’re Alright”

8. Hello Kavita – “Sunday (It’s A Chrome Tide)”

9. Rob Drabkin – “Sweet Things”

10. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – “Handsome Girl”

11. Paper Bird – “St. Louis”

DOWNLOAD COLORADO SOUNDS

A note to other local artists: we’ve already begun work on the second compilation! If you want to be considered please drop a comment down below.

Gregory Alan Isakov has played an interesting role for the past several months. Rather than being the one with his name up on the marquee, or the man with the hot spot on the festival schedule, he’s been the humble opener. Perhaps it was this humility (and the down-to-earth atmosphere) that made his grand headlining show / vinyl release party at the Bluebird all the more enjoyable.What was even more amazing: the entirely Colorado-local lineup sold out the venue.

The first act was singer-songwriter Andy Thomas (who may possibly be the busiest guy in Denver, holding down jobs at Suburban Home Records & Westword while also drumming for Only Thunder). Thomas, armed only with his acoustic guitar, belted through a quick, folksy set that had a slight punk-feel (similar, I suppose, to Chuck Ragan, but more stripped down).

Friend to the blog Danielle Ate The Sandwich was next. What I found more amazing than just the set was the fact that the house was fairly packed by the time Danielle (& her bassist Dennis) took the stage. Not much more can be said about Danielle’s set than has been said in past reviews: it was charming and her music quickly drew in everyone present. As I recall, the sound-quality that night was superb, and Danielle’s set played incredibly well with the crowd.

Changing things up a bit, Eleanor took the stage with a full-band presence that their mellow pop-styling. The experience was moving, especially for singer Ryan Brasher, who apologized for getting choked up during the second song. Among the highlights were the songs “Would I Have Chosen You?” and the set-closer “It Takes One To Know One.”

By the time Gregory Alan Isakov and his band took the stage, the crowd had reached maximum capacity. Kicking off the set with “Big Black Car,” Isakov & Co. played through nearly every song from 2007′s That Sea, The Gambler and 2009′s This Empty Northern Hemisphere. What captured my attention was the sheer beauty, quality, and simplicity of Greg’s work. Isakov was not the only one who played a solid set, his band was spot-on.  After over an hour, everyone left the stage only to return twice for encores. I sincerely doubt that anyone in the crowd left that night feeling as though their money wasn’t well spent.

There are a few loose ends to tie up here. First, we got a video interview with Greg, it will be posted when I find the time to edit the footage. Second, our friend Lance from The Flat Response was there, perhaps he’ll post the sets from that night (I know I’d appreciate them). Finally, This Empty Northern Hemisphere is now available on vinyl, go pick up a copy from Suburban Home Records.