Blitzen Trapper (tonight)

They're opening for Smoosh and Aquaduct (unfamiliars). Here is their site, and here is one of their songs (track 1: Devil's a-Go-Go):

best song going (6)

Here's the video:

best song going (5)

Last Thoughts on....

Still buzzing from surprisingly good Lebanese food from Golden, I found my way to row 35, seat 24. It started to rain. The women next to me, a nurse in her early sixties with grey hair to the small of her back, leaned in close and said:

"The first time I saw him was in 1968, Toronto.
Half way through his set, he put down his acoustic guitar
and picked up an electric one. Then he said,
‘everybody, this is The Band.’ We thought he meant ‘the band,’
but he really meant ‘The Band.’"

Undaunted, I waited for him to make his way to center stage, like I’ve seen him do six times before (and the nurse had seen him do many, many more times over nearly half a century). Lately, he’s stayed behind the piano, leaning into the mike to gurgle words that resist rhythm as he shifts on his boot heels and does what comes naturally. Tonight was no exception.

Though I made peace long ago with his “voice of sand and glue” as a just medium for social commentary made of the same, tonight’s version was particularly abrasive. Highlighted by musak-esque blues rifts, worn and watery, and insipid lyrics about shooting stars instead of shooting viet-cong, his voice of “sand and glue” sounded much more like one of broken glass and gravel. While Red Rocks Amphitheater is unparalleled in showcasing the acoustic complexities of large acts with intricate and intense arrangements, it did little to rescue Dylan’s set. Rather, Shiprock and Creation Rock, those ancient keepers of acoustics, seemed to conspire against him, letting his rhythms pass through them, unharnessed, into the darkness around us.

As we hiked the mile back to Jane, the jeep, these deflated rhymes and rhythms followed us, begging us for respect. Disillusioned and broken-hearted, I had none left to offer and crawled into bed dreaming of Arcade Fire, who plays Red Rocks on September 17th, and of what music is becoming rather than waxing nostalgic for what it has been.

songs of the week 5

Midnight Lovers
Matthew Dear
Asa Breed (2007)

Down To This
Soul Coughing
Ruby Vroom (1994)

I'm not sure I want it this way....

The guy in the back cracks me up!!!

best song going (4)

Battles - Tonto

Battles pics

Battles @ the Larimer Lounge

I had a crummy view so hopefully Clay will post a vid, but it was a good show even though it took them and endless amount of time to get set up. I'm still standing there, waiting. One of the keyboardist/guitarists was using Logic Pro — no pre-recorded stuff but he was playing through it. They used a lot of hardware and would play over loops they'd create on stage. The drummer had serious skills, which pretty much always yields bountiful goodness.

songs of the week 4

Mistaken for Strangers
The National
Fake Empire (2007)

Married to a Frenchman
Polysics
Hey! Bob! My Friend! (2001)

The Calendar Hung Itself
Bright Eyes
Fevers and Mirrors (2000)

Oh yeah. I'm gonna make this man mine!

best song going (3)

songs of the week 3

just won free tix to Battles on Sunday night. If their album Mirrored is any indicator, it could be one of the better shows of the year.
Ddiamondd
Battles
Mirrored (2007)

The Return of Sathington Willoughby
Primus
Brown (1997)

best song going (2)

Dan Deacon last night in Denver playing Ohio

Clay adds:

Marnie Stern in Denver this morning

Clay adds:

songs of the week 2

You're In Trouble
Ratt
Out of the Cellar (1990)

Devastation
Besnard Lakes
Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse (2007)

The Cox Kids (blog exclusive!)

My high school buddy Roc and his family drove through town yesterday, and were in my apartment long enough for us to cut a track! In other words, download (right-click save) and listen to this (Aaron Cox on vocals, Jessica Cox on keyboards):

All I Wanted Was a Chicken Wing, But I Got Shot By the FBI

Blitzen Trapper

You Portland folks might want to consider catchin' one of your local bands on June 28. check the sched: here or check it and listen to some of their rockin' tunes here. I'd say they sound like Wilco-meets-Pavement-meets-Lynyrd Skynyrd, and I'd think their show would be a fun one to catch. They'll be in Denver on 7-31 so we'll probably check 'em out then.