Something Like Sound

Have you ever wanted great music for a road-trip? Have you thought about driving with the stereo yearning for the kind of music that embodies the spirit of summertime and the open road? Well, assuming that your trip is just a jaunt to the grocery store, I have a set of tunes for you.

The newest release from The Knew, a short three track record called Before It Ends, hearkens to Chuck Berry with more attitude and danceability for the modern listener.  Also, the song “Company” is the first pop song I’ve ever heard that uses the word “haberdashery.”

Before It Ends will see a physical release on 7″ vinyl and is available as a free download at theknew.com. Listen to “Company” below.

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Last year, when SLS was still in its first stages, we got a big boost from local music journalist Dave Herrera at Westword when he asked me to nominate 20 bands for the 2009 showcase. A year has passed and once again I was asked to nominate 20 local bands that had made an impression on me. In the spirit of transparency, I’m going to list the bands I nominated. I decided to choose acts I had not previously  nominated.

Be sure to check out these groups (even if a few didn’t make the final list) and vote for your favorites by clicking here.

In no particular order… Tim’s picks for the 2010 Westword Music Showcase:

Woodsman
Houses
Achille Lauro
Candy Claws
Tjutjuna
Old Radio
Hello Kavita
Gregory Alan Isakov
The Knew
Fissure Mystic
M. Pyres
Arliss Nancy
Fellow Citizens
John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light
Jim McTurnan & The Kids That Killed The Man
Paean
Pretty Lights
Eleanor
Weed Diamond
Flashbulb Fires

In-studio radio performances are often reserved for those few who possess the following: a radio/internet stream and enough sense of memory to actually tune in. I can name more than a few occasions where I have earnestly intended to hear my favorite bands play live sets over the radio waves, but simply lost track of time and space. Fortunately (and this is where the actual reviewing starts) there’s the new in-studio compilation from DU internet radio station KVDU.

The first thing that struck me about KVDU Live Vol. 1 was the ridiculously stacked track listing. It’s hard to go wrong when you’re listening to some of the best bands that Denver has seen in recent years. My personal favorite tracks are “Don’t Be Peaches” from Everything Absent or Distorted, “Asleep at the Wheel” by Old Radio, and the previously unreleased “Tunnel of Love” from Hearts of Palm. The live songs recorded by Widowers, The Knew, Paper Bird, and Pee-Pee also get my stamp of approval.

As far as sound quality is concerned, this collection is crisp, well-mixed, and much better sounding than you would expect for songs recorded in an internet radio station studio. This is due, in part, to the fact that the entire compilation was given the professional treatment and got professionally mastered in Chicago. However, as with any compilation or mixtape, track-flow is incredibly important. For KVDU Live Vol. 1 heavier rock songs are tempered with softer folk and pop songs in a way that keeps things moving while emphasizing each track’s place.

KVDU Live Vol. 1 will be released on May 7 at the Hi-Dive and free physical copies will be available that night. There will be live sets from Mike Marchant and his Outer-Space Party Unit along with Blue Million Miles and Old Radio. Marchant will also be releasing a new solo record, Indulgent Space-Folk Vol. 2 that night.

Listen to Hearts of Palm – “Tunnel of Love”

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Tracklist after the jump

(continue reading…)

Saturday night at the Bluebird started out with a modest crowd and a few bobbing heads and ended with a packed room full of dancing concertgoers. Jonny Woodrose & The Broken-Hearted Woodpeckers got things started with their unique style of folksy rock. I personally liked their song “Chumps” with its line “Don’t let your girlfriend wear your socks on her feet.”

Common Anomaly came from Fort Collins to play their first official Denver-venue-gig that night. Their sound was like a dancy wall-of-sound tempered with occasional singing. Every note was syncopated to the dance-beats, requiring each player to keep their parts tight and together. I would highly suggest seeing these guys live if they happen to make their way down to Denver again any time soon.

The dancing continued with The Photo Atlas. Despite some technical difficulties their set drew the crowd in really got things kicked in to high gear. They played mostly newer material (from their recent EP To Silently Provoke The Ghost) but also got a few older numbers in as well. Be sure to catch The Photo Atlas this Thursday at the Marquis for their SXSW sendoff party.

Finally it was time for The Knew. Before the set began, a screening of a documentary about the group from  PhotoRoadies showed the band’s progression up to the release of Pulperia. It all managed to build the energy in the room as The Knew took the stage. Their set was a full-out dance party complete with fog machines, beach balls, and some of the catchiest hooks coming out of Denver.

After the normal set ended the crowd was not quite satisfied. Upon their return to the stage everyone mustered the energy to dance for another 3 songs (there was also a marriage proposal thrown in there too). Overall, The Knew’s performance was one of the best I have seen this year from a local band.

View a full gallery from the show here.

First order of business: Define “pulpería.” One translation offers this definition, “In America, a grocery store (tienda), where all sorts of provisions and liquors are retailed.” While the newest full-length from Denver-based The Knew may not be Latino grocery-store-music, it is certainly the kind of music that will have you dancing as if you just visited the pulpería to pick up some beer.

Second order of business: Review Pulpería. From the first track, four-on-the-floor drum beats provide the  base for most of the 11 guitar-rock songs. The entire record reminds me of good old surf music (complete with shimmery guitar tone), which mixes well with singer Jacob Hansen’s accessible vocal style. The tracks “Citytown” and “Still On Fire” stand out as two of my personal favorites for their dance-ability and raw energy.

Pulpería will officially be released on Saturday March 6 at the Bluebird Theater (also playing: The Photo Atlas, Common Anomaly, Jonny Woodrose & The Broken Hearted Woodpeckers, and DJ Iridel).

Listen to “Citytown” (via Westword)

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Saturday night I once again found myself at the Bluebird for a farewell concert. To say that the going-away party for Everything Absent or Distorted was not a passionately epic occurance is to undermine the intentions of the entire evening.

Jim McTurnan & The Kids That Killed The Man kicked off the night to a modest (albiet, relatively small) crowd of EAoD fans dressed completely in white. Their set was solid despite being short their usual extra guitarist.

Armed with the tools of rock and roll (i.e. guitars, lots of hair, and mustaches) The Knew continued the show with their brand of music suitable for any party. Perhaps the best parts of The Knew’s set were when drummer Patrick Bowden supplemented his percussion with harmonica parts.

Finally it was time for the band everyone was there to celebrate: Everything Absent or Distorted. During the hour+ set, I am fairly certain that EAoD played every song they’ve ever written (and even a couple of covers). While tuning between songs various members took the time to pay grattitude to those who had supported the group throughout the years.

Highlights of the evening included (but are not limited to) a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland, 1945″ which I think may have been better than the original. A stunning and ruckus rendition of “Japanese War Tuba,” complete with a horn section that included Leanor Ortega (of Hearts of Palm / Five Iron Frenzy) and Shawn King (of Devotchka). And last, but not least, the final number: “Gospel of Slight Rust.” I found myself singing along to the haunting words:

“If you come back you can always find us”

We will be here EAoD, and if you decide to come back some day you will find us waiting, dressed in white.