Man, has it been almost a month already since Hearts of Palms reconvened for a pair of back-to-back shows at the hi-dive? Guess so. Evidently, it's been long enough for the dynamic duo known as Locker Partners to piece together a trio of super slick videos that are poignant and well produced (natch -- we'd expect nothing less from Emily Crenshaw and Mary Grace Legg) captured over the course both unforgettable evenings. What was it Cinderella once sang? Don't know what you've got til it's gone? *Sigh* Indeed, friends. Indeed. Check out the other two clips after the jump.

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Been a minute since we posted Distrakt's handiwork. Besides griding in the rap game, the Colorado Springs-based MC has been hella busy on the visual front, from creating videos for artists like Georgia Ann Muldrow to creating his own video games. And when we scoped his latest claymation short (emphasis here is on short; the clip is barely over 30 seconds long) we couldn't resist sharing it with you. If this whole rap thing doesn't pan out for the dude, he has a huge future in animation. "If you like normal, everyday rappers, you'll hate me," he promises. No hate here, Distrakt. Only love. Check it out.

​Sixteen Candles: Are you about to turn sixteen, or do you know somebody who is? Then pay close attention to this next item: Evidently, the one and only KS-107.5 drive time mixmaster extraordinaire DJ Chonz is willing to get behind the decks for you or your loved one's sweet 16 bash. You read that right. (We know. We nearly choked on our ham sandwich when we caught wind of this news concerning our boy. We still think someone's pulling our leg.) Anyhow, don't know how much it's going to set you back to give your party a colossal goose by having the RadioBum kingpin on the ones and twos, but trust us, it's worth it, dawg. Chonz throws down like no other, and his calendar is undoubtedly filling up as we write this. Get at Jonny Shuman at Upfront Entertainment if you're interested.
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​Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream, which is the fastest selling album in Britain this year, nabbed the top spot at Twist & Shout for the week ending November 29. Tom Waits' Glitter and Doom Live, released last week on Anti, came in second while Them Crooked Vultures moved down to number three. Blakroc and Lady Gaga rounded out the top five. See the full breakdown after the jump.
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Global Dance Festival 2009 (Official Video)

Monolith may get more press, but of the summer's Red Rocks festivals, Global Dance Festival is not only bigger and more well-established, it's also a better place to see lots of gorgeous, half-naked women (see the video embedded above, which may be NSFW depending on your workplace. Yowza.) And this year, GDF promoters the Triad Dragons are reaching out to the community to choose the fest's headliners. The list of possible choices includes most of the popular DJs and live acts of the electronic dance world, including DeadMau5, Richie Hawtin, Kaskade and the Chemical Brothers. Currently, DeadMau5 is the clear favorite, with almost a quarter of the votes cast. Close behind him are Armin Van Buuren and Tiesto (17 percent and 13 percent, respectively). If those choices don't quite line up with what you'd like to see at the festival, make sure to hit the Triad Dragons MySpace page to vote for your favorite and/or bitch about who's winning.

​Here what the area's local-centric specialty radio shows were spinning this week. We're currently tracking the playlists a number of different shows, including Radio 1190's Local Shakedown, KTCL's Locals Only, 99.5 the Mountain's Homegrown Show*, the Colorado Sound, which originates at KRFC and is re-broadcast all over Colorado, and the Colorado Wave*, which is syndicated on a number of stations across the country. See the full playlists posted after the jump.

*These playlists haven't been made available yet, but will be added as soon as they are.

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Tom Murphy

Syndrome of a Down

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Syndrome of a Down, Dugout Canoe, Talk Normal and Zombie Bite
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Rhinoceropolis
Better Than: A show where the experimental bands are experimental in the same way.

Playing it's second show, Syndrome of a Down was a duo comprised of two guys using the pseudonyms "Reeves Impediment" and "Jean-Luc Retard." Before things got started, "Jean-Luc" told us it was going to be 21 minutes, to which "Reeves" added, "You're going to wish you had never been born. It's 21 minutes of your life you'll never get back." The guys then sang along to pre-recorded songs including "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and one by Charles Manson. The vocals were pitch-shifted low and high and done in an intentionally slow manner as though a tape machine battery was dying, and it was somehow hilariously bad.

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A.H. Goldstein

Pacific Pride

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Pacific Pride, Weed Diamond, Green Typewriters
November 27
hi-dive
What it was like: Making the most of a menu of three or four chords.

The stark sounds of Pacific Pride's CD release show at the hi-dive on Friday seemed especially fitting this weekend. Following the sumptuousness and excess of the Thanksgiving holiday, all three bands offered fitting relief from the feeling of overindulgence, with sets marked by sparse chords, minimalistic instrumentation and straightforward lyrics. The simplicity worked for the headliners, as well as for supporting acts Weed Diamond and Green Typewriters. Each ensemble offered their own unique combination of bare elements -- Pacific Pride served up falsetto lyrics and finger-picked chunks of electric guitar chords; Weed Diamond doled out purposeful, hypnotic backbeats; and Blue Typewriters' set rode on the emotional power of Gioja Lacy's plaintive vocals. But even with these nuanced differences, a common theme was clear: None of the sets included any fancy frills or unnecessary ornamentation. Instead, it was direct and unapologetic club rock, distorted anthems characterized by simple structures and emotive delivery.More >>

​Ah, man, it's that time of year already? Time to start hearing all about how everybody's preparing their livers for South By Southwest, yada, yada, yada? Yep. Appears so. Even though it's still more than three months away, the shadow of Austin's annual booze and schmooze fest looms large. And since only 200 bands -- out of about six bajillion or so -- has been announced so far, there's not really much to talk about yet. Aside from A Shoreline Dream, the sole local band on the list thus far, there's not much that jumped out at us. That said, ahem, did we mention just how stupid fun it is to trek down to the Lonestar for a week of idyllic, never-winter weather (well, unless it's raining, which is has in the past), sinfully delicious barbecue and drinking your face off?