So the Denver music scene has afforded me some great opportunities lately to catch some of my long-time favorite bands live... I just attended the annual Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks Ampitheater in Morrison, Colorado this past weekend, which, despite less than ideal weather, was fantastic. Highlights included a riveting performance by indie/altrock crossover group The Walkmen [http://www.myspace.com/thewalkmen], who played a number of my favorite songs of their recent LP, "You and Me", including "In the New Year" and "House of little savages", as well as such classics as "The Rat".
The weather on Saturday was dreadful and cold, which, in an odd way, sort of reinforced their performance, with their ravenous, soulful lyrics and pounding basslines. The good outcome of the shitty weather was a significant decrease in the "bro-count", which, by all accounts was at a high. Not to be a pretentious, elitist asshole, but I just find it frustrating when some "Bro" from CU or DU shows up with 10 of his underclassman sorority ho's, only because one of his "bros" leaked him a bootleg Passion Pit album through limewire.
I'm all for advancing appreciation of good underground and indie music, but at what cost? Just give me my little personal space where I can dance and take a few photos without you raving like a crackhead at a Sound Tribe Sector 9 show. Anyways, other highlights from Saturday included British shoegaze/lo-fi collective "The Answering Machine", "The Generationals", a prog-rock/indie group from Nawleans, and Brooklyn band "The Decpreciation Guild" [http://www.myspace.com/thedepreciationguild], cop their new album when you can, it's going to be big! Perrenial Indie favorite "Stars of Track and Field" also played an excellent set, along with psychedelic jam-band meets MGMT group "Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's", who took the prize for unique outfits.
Perhaps the most notable "small" band on Saturday though was Toronto electro-pop group "Woodenhands", who played a furiously intense and inspired set in front of a small but appreciative crowd on one of the smaller indoor stages. Their creative improvisation of hardcore vocals, screaming synths, and pounding basslines was fantastic. I loved all their hands-on, analog sound mixing and impromptu electro-jamming, it made for a great experience. Check them out, they have a new release I believe: [http://www.myspace.com/woodhands].
Sunday was notably better in terms of weather, but I felt the overall lineup was roughly the same, as the great small groups of Saturday balance out the great bigger groups on Sunday. Anyways, Montreal dance-electro superstars Chromeo were fantastic, but I already knew this, and it helped me really enjoy their set despite the cold drizzle, obscene number of bro-douches, and accompanying college "party girls." One of my favorite power-pop groups [is that a word?], Tigercity, played a GREAT set downstairs to a dissapointingly small crowd, and sounded fantastic, despite a new drummer. The lead singer is hilarious, he look's like a taller/burlier matisyahu minus the Hasidism, when he opens his mouth and croon out a sweet falsetto verse, you like "where did THAT come from?" haha. Anyways, while waiting for them to start, three [THREE!] random people in front of me, none of them connected to each other, commented they remembered seeing me riding my bike around Boulder wearing the same silly 70's tri-color poly vest I was wearing there. Wow.... shit like that just makes you feel great. What nice, cool people too. 7 degrees of separation, you say? Pshhh... :)
Later that night, I was treated to a great performance by long-time French electro-rockers "Phoenix", who have finally made the mainstream breakthrough with their last Album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix", anyways the obvious downside of the mainstream zombies discovering them was that they played on the huge mainstage, which was somewhat akin to Jamiroquio playing their first album at Madison Square Garden. Ah well, despite having trouble filling the venue with their sound, they played a great set, complete with some classic oldies from "Alphabetical" and "It's never been like that." While some part of you wants to NOT like their beautifully smooth, polished poppy sound, and maybe even make mean-spirited comparisons to Jason Mraz or Maroon 5, you really can't hate these guys, they are great at what they do, and play fantastic live.
Much-hyped emerging electro-psychedelic group "Neon Indian" also played a fairly good set, albeit smothered up somewhat by too much reverb and chaotic, disjointed synths and vocals. given that it was supposedly their first live show ever [Monolith as a first gig; not bad, huh?] I guess I can cut them some slack. Will be watching them in the future.
Passion Pit and HEALTH, both starlings of the altbro indie scene, were predictably mediocre, though I will say Passion Pit does know how to throw a damn good party and get people moving. The whiny vocals and high-pitched synths were a little much for me though, which seemed to reach their climax in a song featuring a tween-ish girls voice singing "Higher and Higher and Higher" leaving me feeling somewhat like a 16 year old girl at her first Hellogoodbye show. HEALTH, arguably the only real "hxcore" [am I spelling that right?] band of the indie-electronica scene, played an incredibly disjointed, amateurish garage-rock style set ,with an occasional glimse of a melody or chord poking out of the noise, before returning to chaos and destruction and good-looking suburban white boy angst. Ah well, it is what it is I suppose, I am not going to convince fans that their band is mediocre, because perhaps its great and I'm just being mediocre, I just need to get with "the cool kids."
Also notable from Sunday was a refreshingly fun and upbeat performance by Aussie indie group "The Grates", headed by an absolutely adorable blonde girl with the most infectious smile ever. Every time she even looked in my remote direction I found myself smiling and blushing. Just one of these people you don't even have to know to know they are just salt-of-the-earth, "good peoples." I always fall for the cute, eccentric indie rocker girls.... haha. I got some great photos of their performance, which I will try and post here soon.
The absence of poser-bro's and the presence of record-heads and music junkies was both notable and refreshing at these smaller shows; a far cry from the mayhem of Of Montreal and Girltalk, with the masses descending as the evening progressed. I'm not trying to be a snob or an elitist, but I just think that it's so refreshing to see average, every-day people, people with real jobs, real concerns, rent, car payment, mortgages, maybe a bad relationship, eaking out the daily grind, who are really passionate about music, who aren't afraid to dig under the surface of what the media machine and the "alt media machine" [which is just as bad] tells us is cool, who dig records and new releases, small underground shows and college radio, who don't neccesarily dress in the latest trends from Urban Outfitters or American Apparel, but scrape together their own style out of creativity and limited finances. I guess there aren't many of these people around, or maybe they are everywhere, maybe we need to judge less based on appearances and money and look into individuality that is real. OK, *end* hateful, elitist rant, hah.
Anyways, on that last note, I am really freakin excited to see a super-cool, super-goofy up-and-coming cat by the name of Mayer Hawthorne next Wednesday, September 23rd at the Larimer Lounge in Denver. Mayer Hawthorne is a Detroit-based record head and beat junky who recently began recording his own deep "Mo-town Soul' type songs "Just for fun and for friends" as he so humbly was quoted saying in a recent interview. Well, it might have started out as just fun, but indie stronghold Stone's Throw records though enough of Mayer's soulful, polished retro-sound to sign him after hearing only 2 songs(!) Guts? You tell me after checking out his new EP, "A Strange Arrangement" [available now on Itunes and Stone's Throw Records.] This guy is a serious kickback to the days of old and you'll be questioning whether this really is a goofy white boy on the mic. Hopefully another step in the direction I want to see music going.
Also new & notable in the Denver Music scene is the upcoming Ladyhawke and Ida Maria show at the Bluebird Theater next Friday, September 25th, in Denver. Both of these fantastic, girl-powered alt-rock/indie dance groups are certain not to dissapoint, I am particularly excited to see Ladyhawke, a brilliant Kiwi girl who's debut album has been making waves all over the indie-dance scene lately. Her combination of powerful, deep lyrics and booming, catchy beats has garnered comparisons to such as as Metric and The Ting Tings. [who also played @ the Bluebird Theater last spring!], needless to say, this is going to be a big night for the Denver Indie scene so get your tix early before they sell out, and come dressed to dance! Also playing: "Semi-Precious Weapons" [NYC group recently voted #1(!!!) of new emerging NY acts in a 'Village Voice' Poll.]
