Denver Music Blog

​Longtime Denver dance music stalwart Vitamin D has a new album coming February 24 and, from the sounds of the tracks he has posted on his MySpace, it should be a good one. He announced it back in July and today, he released this image of the album cover. Not sure if this is the final art or not, but as a fan and collector of vintage vinyl, I certainly hope it is. It fits the music within too, which clearly pulls samples and ambiance off an album or two with a cover just like this one. Plus, it got me to go and give a hard listen to what will be inside (which is great, by the way), and isn't that exactly what an album cover is supposed to do? Have a listen for yourself at Vitamin D's MySpace page.

Photo by Leah Maupin

​We've just learned of a promising new group based here in Denver (with a connection to the Netherlands too, apparently). It's something of a local eclectic supergroup, comprising two members of other well-known and excellent acts that work in diverse styles. Mysterious, too -- they aren't revealing their identities to the public just yet (although if you're really into the Denver music scene, and squint hard at that picture, I bet you can figure it out). They're calling it electrogaze dreamhop, and I guess that's a workable description. It definitely has roots in the shoegaze/dream pop of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive and a complex, rhythmic drive. Dense, gauzy and gorgeous, it's a great sound that showcases some solid songs. It's already gotten noticed too -- XLR8R featured the debut track "Fight" on its website as a download/stream, and had some nice things to say about it. You can grab it there, or jump over to the group's own website at brimliski.com and listen to a stream of the whole EP.

​Due to MSTRKRFT's last-minute Monolith no-show (the flu, I guess) I caught a set from Savoy, Boulder's answer to MSTRKRFT/Justice, after they were moved to the SoCo stage and I had a slot open up in my schedule. And I have to say I was well and pleasantly surprised -- after their extended, body-rocking set, I can't say I missed seeing MSTRKRFT at all. They more than filled that slot in my heart. And the hearts of the ton of other folks crowded around me asking, "Who is this?" while having their faces rocked off.

The threesome (two computer/mixer dudes, one drummer) announced that their EP was available for free and I grabbed it this morning. Guess what? It's pretty damn good! It lacks the gut-wrenching impact of their live set, but on the other hand it supplies some much-needed dynamics that weren't there in their performance -- live it was FULL ON pretty much constantly. As such, it's a solid intro to their work, as long as you know they are a good bit more intense on stage. Anyway, don't take my word for it -- go grab it yourself from the Savoy website. and add them as friends on MySpace so you'll get a bulletin about their upcoming October CD release party for the full album.

Darren Mahuron

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Speaking of Mile Hi-Fidelity, here's another show favorite. Those who tuned in more than once likely heard "Wrong or Right" by this band, which we spun quite a few times. If you're drawn to the raw, emotionally-charged song stylings of Lucero, then Fort Collins-based Arliss Nancy is going to strike an immediate chord. While various comparisons often get tossed off and attached to certain acts -- only to be parroted ad-nauseum by subsequent music scribes -- most generally fall short of describing a certain band's sound. This one, however, is unmistakable and dead-on. We'd be lying if we didn't acknowledge that the music of Lucero casts a giant shadow on the songs of Arliss Nancy, mostly due to frontman Cory Call's tattered bellow, which instantly recalls that of Ben Nichols.

Hunter Brown's boy band-worthy visage earned him the nickname "Baby Beckham" from a Jive Records exec.

​Yes. It appears so. Meet Hunter Brown, an eighteen-year-old artist from Denver, who's already amassed an impressive pedigree. Over the past three years, Brown has worked Dr. Dre associate Kirv (aka Kevin Irving) and collaborated with fellow Denverite, Frank E of the aptly dubbed Red Hot Beats productions  -- yet another local artist made good, who's produced tracks for Flo-Rida and Plies -- and Fingazz, a well regarded West Coast producer who's worked with Lil' Rob and Mr. Capone-E, among others. After a stint cutting tracks in Los Angeles with a producer named Sundafu, Brown is back at home and from the looks of it, primed to be among the first urban artists from Denver to make a splash. For those who loathe this style of music, Brown won't change your mind (in other words, keep moving -- there's nothing to see here, really). If, however, you have a soft spot for the type of slick, auto-tuned melodies and prefab beats that are the bread and butter of stations like Hot 107, the Party and KS-107.5, then this shade of Brown was tinted just for you. Check Brown's tunes -- including "I Like the Way," which features a hook built around an interpolation of Hi-Five's "I Like the Way (the Kissing Game)" -- after the jump.

Paul Arellano

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What in the hell are they putting in the water up in Fort Collins? Seriously? Seems like every ten minutes or so our neighbors to the north are churning out another batch of noteworthy artists. Meet Shel, the latest FoCo outfit to cast us under its spell. Comprised of four sisters, the group glides effortlessly atop the lilting, sublime voices of the Holbrook sisters, Sarah, Hannah, Eva and Liza. But Shel's appeal goes way beyond the vocals. These gals are exceptional musicians as well, with each member playing an array of instruments including violin, electric bass, piano, mandolin to drums. The sisters, which got their start backing their singer-songwriter dad Andrew, have already attracted the attention of soundtrack supervisor extraordinaire, Chris Douridas from KCRW, who listed their six-song EP, Try To Scream, as "one of the most impressive debuts of the year." Couldn't agree more. Check out the video for the Shel song that caught Douridas's (and our) attention, "Latest Greatest Blueberry Rubber Band" after the jump, and then catch the group at Heavenfest this Saturday, August 8 at 1 p.m. on the Rock Stage.

Photo by Eicke

I like Denver-based, danceable post-punk outfit the Ideal Fathers a lot. I like the bleepy, chirping 8-bit soundscapes of chiptunes a lot. So you can imagine my excitement today when I stumbled upon a completely kickass chiptunes remix/reimagining of one of my very favorite Ideal Fathers tracks whilst wasting time (er ... I mean, "looking for stuff to blog") on MySpace. The track is -- or was, anyway -- "Failing at Friendly is Not an Option," a fine track that closes out the band's debut EP and that you can download here. Through the magic of computers and knobs it has been transmuted into the bleeping awesomeness of "Failing at Nintendo is Not an Option" and it is my favorite thing of the day.

If you're already a fan of the band, it could be a gateway drug into the wonders of chiptunes. Vice versa for chiptunes fans. And if you want to own this track for yourself, as I so desperately do, you may be in luck. The band says they are considering including it on their upcoming remix EP, made up mostly of awesome DJ Soup remixes. For now, you'll have to visit the band's MySpace page to hear it.

As the scene continues to expand into new genres, we'll openly see areas of focus becoming saturated as they becomes popular. Dance rock? Check. Synth rock? Check. Butt rock...well no, but any takers? While we haven't reached critical mass yet with female fronted bands, we have noticed an influx of women stepping to the forefront, showing they can rock just as much as the dudes can, sometimes harder.

Case in point, the Battleship Agenda. The guitar riffs are catchy, the breaking points create the needed intensity and the vocals hold a mild-rasp of innocence, compliments of Kat Barnes, a one time singer for Random Hero. Imagine a finely tuned composite of Pat Benatar and Fefe Dobson (wow, what happened to her?) tackling post-punk inspired themes. With that formula on the table it would be hard to not expect a few ballads in the future.

 

Photo by Cory Casciato

Meet Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Yes, the name. We know. Not big fans ourselves. Still, trust us: This is your new favorite singer-songwriter. If you have a functioning pair of hearing devices, we think you'll agree. This bewitching little gal (aka Danielle Anderson) from Fort Collins has the most beguiling voice we've heard since Jude Avers. And her songs are equally mesmerizing, with incisive lyrics on par with Rosie Thomas. Don't just take our word for it, either. After you check out her take on "Rich Girl" after the jump, head over to her MySpace page and listen to "Bribes," "Ode to Optophobia" and "Handsome Girl." Stunning. Absolutely stunning. We're bananas over the moon for Danielle Ate the Sandwich. (Thanks, Greta.) And you should be, too. Catch her at Walnut Room on Thursday, March 26.