Harmony and Me: 79 STARS

Justin Rice’s part time job as mumble core hero can only be rivaled by Greta Gerwig; if they had a child, it would be the first time since Stan Brakhage that a delivery room video could make it on the festival circuit. (Rice’s other job, FYI, is singing in the adorably poppy indie pop band Bishop Allen.) In Harmony and Me, Rice plays Harmony, a guy still getting his heart broken by an ex-girlfriend. He mopes around while a cast of quirky characters try to cheer him up with off the cuff jokes, jeers, taunts and a few piano lessons. This shoestring budget film had a casting coup by landing Pat Healy and that one guy who played Leo’s cousin in The Departed.

Angora says: “The dialogue was so fucking clever, Justin Rice a great lovable loser, a contemporary hipster Woody Allen. The entire film was simmering with underlying humor; I think I had that almost-laughing smile on my face the whole time. The plot wasn’t the strongest though. Remind me what happened?”

Fritz says: “His ex-girlfriend only has moments of screen time, but her shadow crushes Harmony everywhere he goes. Is she the “Me” in the title or are we the “Me”? This enigma is twisting my mind so much my eyes are bleeding, but in a good way. I’m a sucker for Rice and to add the comic heartbreak element, I’m sold. This is a festival gem.”

Unnamed Intern #2 says: “This movie was funny. The dialogue was very sharp and witty and I get the feeling writer/director Bob Byington was sure of this while making the film. My main problem was that scenes did not seem connected and if you were to rearrange them, the story would still be the same. That said, individually each short scene could draw a few laughs, particularly one at a funeral service with a very honest description of the deceased. At only 70 minutes running time, the functional-at-best cinematography can be forgiven.”

- Harmony and Me is playing # Friday, November 13, 6:45 PM @ Starz FilmCenter and Saturday, November 14, 7:00 PM @ Starz FilmCenter

Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench: 90.6 STARS

Guy and Madeline have a fleeting affair in Boston until Guy, a jazz trumpet virtuoso, leaves Madeline for a more outgoing girl. This entirely un-obnoxious musical begins only shortly before their breakup, and follows their separate lives through gorgeous low-fi musical vignettes and their separate attempts at love, which inevitably fall short. The musical aspect ranges from Madeline breaking into song in the middle of her crappy restaurant job, to the camera lingering intimately on Guy teaching his mother piano, or playing an entire jazz number with a band in a small room. The viewer senses they’ll find each other again, as they think of each other often, but it’s more of a nice surprise to find out how that happens (hint: music proably plays a part in their staying together).

Angora says: “My favorite moments of the film were the simple shots of everyday life, which were made enchanting. That’s what the film is, for me–a simple idea with such beautiful execution that depth was added.”

Fritz says: “If Glee ran for a thousand seasons, it still wouldn’t have as much genuine emotion as this musical. Perfect hybrid of art film and musical, takes away the melodramatic plot of Hollywood musicals, but keeps the showy dance numbers. This film reminded me how great tap dancing is. Mark my word; tap dancing is the new break dancing!”

Unnamed Intern #2 says: “Great film. Artfully shot in black & white and the use of mostly medium and close-up shots made for a very intimate connection to the characters and their music. This film reminded me of another recent realist style musical, Once, only for fans of Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Miles Davis. The subtle plot also had a french new wave feel and was reminiscent of one of my favorite films, Jean-Luc Godard’s take on the musical, Une Femme Est Une Femme.”

- Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is playing on Tuesday, November 17, 9:45 PM @ Starz FilmCenter, Wednesday, November 18, 4:30 PM @ Starz FilmCenter, and Wednesday, November 18, 6:45 PM @ Starz FilmCenter

the Vicious Kind: 76.3 STARS

Caleb (Adam Scott) is clearly a sad bastard, as he starts welling up with tears when no one is looking. And it’s no wonder: he has this shitty construction job with a coworker who’s a few crayons short of a lunch box; he’s not on speaking terms with his father; he’s all alone for the holidays; and his innocent younger brother Peter is claiming to be in love with this girl Emma, who he’s bringing home to Dad for the holidays and who Caleb suspects to be a raging whore for reasons unidentified. Caleb‘s strange behavior becomes more and more erratic as he’s caught taking photos (possibly of Emma?) and generally creeping around the family’s yard, and he finally corners Emma in a grocery store, calling her a whore and threatening her life and grabbing and smooshing her face in an uncomfortable manner. Caleb discovers his father was an adulterer before Caleb’s mother died of cancer, the audience discovers Emma sort of looks like Caleb’s ex-girlfriend who really fucked him over, explaining the erratic behavior, and then Caleb and Emma bang each other, and everything is ruined and no one is changed for the better. FIN

Angora says: “The acting was phenomenal–Scott is SUPER talented at crying on command; but this will probably blend in with all the other desolate indie flicks about how terribly fucked up people are.”

Fritz says: “Everyone wants to be an auteur. Sometimes it’s best to know your role; I know for a fact that I could never spit-shine my Italian loafers as good as our servant, what’s his name. . .maybe Jose, so I don’t try. Film suffers a lil bit from focusing on the trees and missing the forest.”

Unnamed Intern #2 says: “Very well produced, brilliantly acted, and pulled off some funny dialogue even though the tone of the film was pretty somber. Overall it was a little depressing to watch another movie that reminded me people are ‘vicious’ to one another and tend to stay that way.

Odile! Sorry, my dog just ate cat poo.” (it’s true, his dog got into the kitty litter box at this point)

- The Vicious Kind is playing Sunday, November 22, 12:30 PM @ King Center

Truffe (or “Truffle”): 79 STARS

Due to global warming, Montreal has become a hotspot for the black truffle trade, inflation sending even the most talented truffle-sniffer, Charles, into poverty. Compelled by the love of his lady Alice, and his desire to support her, he takes a job with a shady fur company that is revealed to be a front. The company plants this horrific computer-chipped fuzzy scarf monster inside Charles’ stomach that possesses him to hunt truffles underground in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district. Other possessed employees crash through windows to deliver said truffles, canned for mass production, door to door with giant refrigerators strapped to their backs–why they need refrigerators for canned goods, I’ll never know. Alice must save her drone boyfriend before the toothy furry worm monsters strangle her or the robots running the corporation kill her. She fights everyone with a piece of wood with a nail in it.

The delightfully bizarre story, old jazzy soundtrack, and gorgeous B & W cinematography suggest another time period altogether, save the random glimpses of Bush on the television or the hummer the in-laws drive, perhaps inviting parallels between this tale and the first world’s economic dependence on oil?

Angora says: “This film was so so gorgeous. Also a pure joy of mine was to watch those little scarf monsters scurry around in packs, out to cause terror. The downside is that this film is way more fun to talk about than it was to watch; I think Fritzey even fell asleep. I think some of the human interest got lost in the bizarre plot.”

Fritz says: “If you told me this was a French horror film, I’d get it. But French-Canadian, WTF!?”

Unnamed Donnybrook Intern #2 says: “Stylish black and white cinematography. The look of the movie was eerie and made me a little uncomfortable since the story was quite silly (fuzzy muppet snakes!). It was similar to a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film (Amelie, Delicatessan), which is a good thing.”

Here’s the trailor for Truffe, which you probably won’t understand, but at least you can see how cool it looks:

- Truffe is playing Friday, November 20, 11:45 PM @ Starz FilmCenter and Sunday, November 22, 12:00 PM @ Starz FilmCenter

Passenger Side: 87 STARS

In Passenger Side, Scott drives his former junkie brother around the greater Los Angeles area on a mission that isn’t quite clear, but it does involve a masturbating tranny hooker, who delivers a show for a cheap forty bucks (sidenote: Denver tranny hookers, there are better deals out there, don’t think you’re so special next time). As the brothers drive from random destination to random destination, the plot fills in and they reconnect through a lot of smoke screen nonsequitur dialogue. This film looks like every shot could double for a photo shoot in a fashion magazine. The day, the road, and the brothers keep going on this beautiful mediation on LA funded and produced by the Canadian Film Board.

Angora says: “Adam Scott is back at it again, banging his brother’s girlfriend. What a dick!

I wanted to take a road trip through Joshua Tree with these guys and blast Dino Jr. and talk about hypothetical situations. It felt ’90s and modern at the same time, and everything–the cinematography, the dialogue, the acting, and even the neat plot, that snapped fittingly into the perfect twist at the end–was meticulously thought out and successfully done.”

Fritz says:” The grimy underbelly of LA never looked better. It is really hard to keep a film interesting when the majority of the film is shot in a car, but Matt Bissonnette (who brought the great 2006 film Who Loves the Sun to DIFF) succeeds. This script in the hands of lesser talent would be unwatchable, Bissonnette keeps focus and delivers a great film.”

Unnamed Intern # 2 says: “The cinematography was really beautiful, almost too much with regard to the plot of the film. I like my dry, honest humor accompanied with raw and true visuals. Still, I enjoyed it and am glad Adam Scott is not my brother.

‘Marie Antoinette was right, the peasants are revolting.’ A quote from the film that I’m sure I heard first around the Donnybrook Manor.”

- Passenger Side is playing Friday, November 20, 6:30 PM @ Starz FilmCenter and Saturday, November 21, 4:00 PM @ Starz FilmCenter

OFFICIAL REJECTION: 81 STARS

At the festival, you’ll be asking filmmakers a lot of question post screenings, and if you’ve ever looked at these titans of independent industry in awe, this film is a window into the world you worship. After getting their feature rejected from the big boy festival, this writer/director tandem takes to the road to follow their dream in an off-off-Broadway festival where independent films live. Their journey is full of corporate bashing, delusional characters, and incompetent festivals. The film lifts the curtain and shows the festival cogs in motion.

Angora says: “Documentaries are pass or fail for me–either I’ll love it or I’ll hate it. So I guess I loved this one. Not only was it informative for nubes to the film scene such as myself, but it exposed the flaws in the way ‘indie’ flicks get famous. At times these smaller directors came across as entitled, bitching that the swag they get is different than the swag billionaire directors get. Ya think? But overall the indie festival circuit came across as paradoxically both harrowing and glamorous.”

Fritz says: Go see this film and afterward find the nearest Starz employee or volunteer and give them a hug for putting on such a great festival.

Unnamed Intern #2 says: This was a good introduction into the way film festivals are run if you are an independent film maker, and how sometimes they hardly run at all (Chicago IndieFest). An appropriate film to show at a film festival and it was nice to watch a documentary and then not feel bad about clicking ignore when asked to support some cause’s page on the Facebook.”

- Official Rejection is playing # Wednesday, November 18, 6:30 PM @ Starz FilmCenter and Thursday, November 19, 9:15 PM @ Starz FilmCenter

Stay tuned to see what wacky mishaps Donnybrook gets themselves into at the festival! Wacky!

Most Likely To: synthesize 1980 with 2009 .

The music of 1979-82 has cast a long shadow over the music of 2000-09. Neo-post-punkers have crawled out of the woodwork in numbers almost equal to the originals, with bands that nod to Joy Division, Gang of Four, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Wire grabbing the lion’s share of critical and commercial attention. The combos with a (Howard) jones for the likes of the Human League, OMD, and Tubeway Army haven’t received anywhere near as much love.

Partly this is because the synth-based bands had greater commercial success (at least stateside) the first time around than the guitar groups, so the techno-pop sound is more immediately dated to U.S. ears and is harder to sell as something cutting edge. Unfortunately, that success usually came after those bands had moved out of their more artistically ambitious earlier days into more commercial periods.

Most people associate groups like The Human League and OMD with songs like “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” and “If You Leave” instead of “Empire State Human” or “Electricity,” so bands that began on the cutting edge ended up being considered the embodiment of ‘80s cheese and any attempts to revisit their sounds were regarded by the broader public as exercises in kitsch. It also didn’t help that the some of the earliest Phase II adapters of the sound were the obnoxiously “outrageous,” attention-starved fops of the electroclash movement, who managed to make everyone sick of the synth-pop revival before it ever managed to get off the ground.

Still, bands like The Faint, The Knife, Joy Electric, and Freezepop have managed to garner loyal followings with idiosyncratic takes on the classic synth-pop sound. Now Cold Cave, a Philadelphia and New York City combo with an impeccable indie-rock pedigree (members formerly did time in Some Girls, Xiu Xiu, and Parts & Labor) have chimed in with a debut album that filters the synth-pop aesthetic through an indie-rock filter, resulting in a sound that is nostalgic without sounding dated and nods to albums like Travelogue or Organisation more than Dare or Crush.

For instance, on “The Trees Grew Emotions and Died,” Cold Cave take a synth figure that the Silicon Teens might have deployed but blunt its inherent brightness with a corrosive layer of guitars and a lo-fi boy/girl vocal line, taking what would have been shiny and perky in the hands of Daniel Miller and making it somewhat scuzzy and vaguely disquieting. Much the same way a word like “advertisement” sounds completely different when spoken by an American or a Brit, Cold Cave take the vocabulary of an earlier time and speak it with a different accent. It’s a neat trick and one that makes Love Comes Close much more than an exercise in genre revivalism.

Cold Cave mine the mother lode of the ‘80s wave of techno-poppers but don’t slavishly ape any of them. On the title track, they mate a vocal melody that recalls New Order’s “Your Silent Face” with the synthesized vox humana and thrift store guitars of mid-period OMD, while on “Heaven Was Full” they layer a Gary Numan-style synthesizer drone atop a chugging rhythm track more typical of Soft Cell. Vocalist Wesley Eisold possesses a baritone somewhere between the Human League’s Phil Oakey and Stephin Merritt, and employs it to its best effect on the brief “Hello Rats.”

The penultimate track on Love Comes Close, “Youth and Lust,” is the album’s standout. An insistent, almost jaunty, synth pulse and propulsive rhythm track sweep Eisold’s crooning verses along until they’re punctuated by deadpan spoken word counterpoints by keyboardist Caralee McElroy. Whistling and wheezing synthesizers swirl around the melody, creating the kind of song that disappoints the listener only by the fact that it ends.

The downside of Love Comes Close is that it’s awfully short and several tracks – most notably the ones holding down the opening and closing spots - don’t really add up to much more than noisy filler. At their best, though, Cold Cave demonstrate the ability to craft work that compares well to their influences without stooping to imitating them.

Listen to “The Laurels of Erotomania” from Cold Cave:

Here’s an excerpt of the Empty Review:

“Holiday Shores is a group of young Floridians. Their set was sandwiched between Candy Claws and Evangelicals, but I was only there to listen to Holiday Shores’ set and get a few PBRs from the friendly bartenders at Hi-Dive. They virtually rebuilt their garage setup on stage, cramming guitars amongst amps, and setting up a makeshift table with a sawhorse and a piece of plywood to hold their keyboards and various effects machines. If you’re a fan of their recorded stuff, you should definitely check them out when they come to your town.”

For the full post check out Empty Reviews!

Empty Reviews was kind enough to share some pictures with us. Ooh! Pretty…

Soundcheck is a bi-weekly(ish) concert guide featuring local Denver bands accompanied by a custom audio stream which will allow you to hear the bands before they play their show, similar to a live soundcheck (get it?!?!).

It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to curate this column. Soundcheck was popular when it debuted and I felt like I was getting back to the roots of this website, which is to contribute to the already lively arts scene we have here in Denver. Unfortunately, not long after I had started publishing this semi-weekly calendar of local music, my schedule became out of control and I no longer had time. Now I’m happy to have once again found the time–or at least I’m going to attempt to devote time to showcasing Denver’s brilliant musicians.

I thought this would be appropriate timing to reanimate this popular column with a Remebrance-Of-the-Decade edition. Unfortunately many of these bands aren’t with us any more. In that way this is different from a regular Soundcheck column in that normally I want it to showcase bands that are actively playing around town and encourage readers to go see hard working musicians live. What I’ve done is compile a list of albums I remember most from Colorado bands. Before you scroll down to the list, however, I must make some admissions and lay out the rules.

I decided to allow only one album by each band in order to even the playing field. I didn’t think it would be fair if the list only consisted of, oh let’s say five bands (mostly containing similar members) because that could have easily happened. Although it may look that way, it was not a rule that the participants be fans or affiliated with Donnybrook Writing Academy, though that obviously helped my decision (what do you expect? we’re elitists).

Finally, I’ll admit that I have only lived in Denver since late 2003, and probably didn’t start paying attention to local music for another year or two after that. I know there are albums that I have missed and I apologize if one of those deserving records never made it on to my radar. This list also doesn’t necessarily portray my favorite bands playing around town now. There are at least a handful or so of bands I’ve seen playing live in Denver lately that I just can’t include here b/c I haven’t connected with an actually album. Obviously this won’t be as much concern in the next ten years. MP3’s only right?!?!?!

Now scroll down below where you’ll find my list (including the tracks I chose for the soundcheck) but first click that little audio player below.

*Most biographies taken from artists Facebook pages, some taken from Myspace (you really still use Myspace?)*

20. “Like A French Girl On Holiday”  by  Roger, Roll from  Dodging and Burning (Rope Swing Cities|2008)
Members: Eric Peterson, Emily Hall, Allison Sheldon
“A solo operation-turned-team effort, Roger, Roll is a chaotic revolving door orchestra from Denver that somehow resembles the explosion of a star. And loves you a lot.”

19. “Expect the Worst”  by  Overcasters from  Revolectrocution (Weather Center Sensory Media|2008)
Members: Kurt Ottaway, Erin Tidwell, John Nichols, Matt Regan
“Overcasters songs call from the psychedelia of the ‘60s and the echoing guitar sounds of post punk. Even the visual spectacles at their shows are equally calming, projected bubbles of light languidly floating over the stage. Ottaway’s biker growl is smoothed into a haunting, Win Butler-esque yell, a more accessible version of that vocal summoning of inner demons; and Tidwell’s rhythmic acrobatics are more a constant, continuous churning behind the music. They fall into characteristic black blues, grinding rock; but always settle back into cool, calm, contented waters.”
They’re playing Saturday, Dec. 19th 8pm. Weather Center Holiday Mixer/Gangcharger CD Release show at Weather Center (1401 Zuni St)

18. “Trade Places”  by  Ian Cooke from  The Fall I Fell (Vasoon|2007)
Members: Ian Cooke, Sean Merrell, Ian O, Whit Sibley, Kelly O’Dea
“This lanky pushover makes art for your ears using his cello and voice as core instruments for songwriting. Components of his style are pulled from classical music, pop, folk, avant-garde, world music, and jazz.”

17. “The New One”  by  Hot IQs from  An Argument Between the Brain and the Feet (Morning After|2004)
Members: Elaine Acosta, Eli Mishkin, Bryan Feuchtinger
This past year the Hot IQs chose to break-up. Their farewell show was June 19th at the Bluebird w/ Bad Weather California and Foma (from San Francisco)

16. “Prescription Kills”  by  The Daily Afflictions from  Dive On In (self-released|2007)
Members: Tim Dean Ott, Khurrum Ansari, Alex Venetucci, and Western Homes
Unfortunately, these guys fizzled out shortly after recording their album.

15. “This is How We Do Things”  by  Slim Cessna’s Auto Club  from  Jesus Let Me Down (Smooch|2005)
Members: Slim Cessna, Munly Munly, John Rumley, Dwight Pentacost, Danny Pants Grandbois, Chadzilla, Bob Ferbrache
“Engaging, riveting, sad and humorous; demanding the audience to participate both live and while listening to their albums; Slim Cessna’s Auto Club has been branded with every musical description possible. This seems fitting, as SCAC describes their music as American; and after a decade of working and living as SCAC, they have created their own genre.”
They’re playing Friday, Dec. 4th 10pm. Slim and son George Cessna play the late show at Club Cafe w/ Rob Loveclutch and Ian Green. Special Guest: The Inseams (Unfortunately for us in Denver this show is in Pittsburgh, PA)

14. “Saw Your Head”  by  Porlolo from  Storm and Season (pomade the sun|2007)
Members: Erin Roberts
“we’re a bunch of dang peacocks. guts on the outside, we love our guts.”
Last time we checked Erin moved away but we want her back!

13. “Earring In The Shag”  by  The Swayback from  Long Gone Lads (LGL|2008)
Members: Martijn Bolster, William Murphy, Eric Halborg
They’re playing Sunday, Nov. 15th 9:30pm at Starz Denver Film Festival @ Walnut Room (3131 Walnut Street) with special guests Andy Monley and the High Horses with Churchill | Swayback set 10:30-11

12. “Get Me”  by  Laylights from  Auricle (self-released|2008)
Members: Tyler Hayden, Ian McCumber, Martin Baker, Holland Rock-Garden
Another drink for our fallen homies. I believe they are broken up.

11. “Yonnas”  by  The Pirate Signal from  The Pirate Signal EP (Axumite|2006)
Members: DJ A-What and Yonnas
“You know how people are always like, “man, I’m so tired of music right now, I wish there was something new that excited me.” Well, quit you’re bitching, cause here it is.”
They’re playing Friday, Nov. 13th 8pm at Marquis Theatre (2009 Larimer St.) w/Air Dubai; Saturday, Nov. 14th 10pm at UACK Benefit at Gypsy House (13th and Marion)

10. “heart and spine”  by  d. biddle from  rabbit and the moon (self-released|2008)
Members: Duncan Barlow, Johnathan Till, Jeff Davenport, Drew Burleson
“d.biddle began when Duncan Barlow (Endpoint, Guilt, and By the Grace of God) decided to record a few acoustic songs, but over time the project slowly developed into a rock band that gained the reputation as the best live band in Denver, Colorado. There were a few incarnations on the road to the current band, which enlists music veterans Johnathan Till (Hearts of Palm and Roper), Jeff Davenport (Meese, Porlolo, and Dust on the Breakers), and Drew Burleson (Lion Sized and the Symptoms).”

9. “Pendulum”  by  Blue Million Miles from  Of Building Walls (self-released|2008)
Members: Jeff Shapiro, Ethan (?), Sam McNitt, Johnny Lundock
“What we can tell you is Brown Bear has lost his right ear. Donkey’s always judging, always watching. Driving, primal blasts and swirling chaos destroy us. Echo makes us vibrate. The cigarettes won’t smoke themselves. The louder, the better. There’s space enough for everyone in the spotlight, but no one cares enough to find the switch.”
They’re playing Friday, Nov. 20th 8pm at 3 Kings (60 S Broadway) w Lion Sized and Accordion Crimes

8. “Titaness”  by  Widowers Widowers (self-released|2008)
Members: Mike Marchant, Mark Shusterman, Mark Weaver, Cory Brown, Brian Marcus, Crawford Philleo
“We’re currently working on a new record, which will render our previous effort irrelevant.”
They’re playing Saturday, Dec. 5th 9pm Moonspeed CD Release at Larimer Lounge (2721 Larimer St.)

7. “2027″  by  Tarmints Toil Like Devils (Denver Coffee Achievers|2006)
Members: Class A Bobby J, Andrew John, Sonya Decman, Kurt Ottaway
Since they broke up Kurt formed Overcasters, so go check them out!

6. “Credit Whore”  by  Cat-a-Tac from Past Lies And Former Lives (Needlepoint|2007)
Members: Warren Wonders, Connor Bailey, Andy Tennant and Jim McTurnan
“Retired. 2003-2008.”
Cat-a-Tac’s new front man’s project Jim McTurnan and The Kids That Killed The Man appeared on Tuesday, Nov. 10th 7pm on Fox/The Deuce and you can see them live Tuesday, Nov. 17th 8pm at Walnut Room (3131 Walnut Street) for Starz Denver Film Festival Music Lounge.

5. “Metal Body”  by  Bela Karoli from  Furnished Rooms (Helmet Room|2007)
Members: Julie Davis, Carrie Beeder, Brigid McAuliffe, James Han
“retro-future chamber-pop”

4. “Impressed”  by  Wentworth Kersey from  O (Plastic Sound Supply|2008)
Members: Jeffrey Stevens, Joe Sampson
“Frontier man, Wentworth Kersey, is an ambient americana sci-fi folk artist from Denver. Mister Kersey began his musical career while playing “A Soundtrack for Suicide” at the “Youth Hipster Halfway House” during a lost era of western greatness. Currently he enjoys drinking coffee, eating waffles, playing Arkanoid on SNES, and recording rotary dial telephones. His two nephews, Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens (george&caplin) and Joe Kersey Sampson (a dog paloma), are presently recording his TRILOGY of EPS to be released in 2008 and 2009.”

3. “Eager”  by  The Wheel Desire and Dissolving Men (Public Service|2007)
Members: Nathaniel Rateliff, Joseph Pope III
“Combining the endearing swagger of Jacques Brel, the moody mysticism of Leonard Cohen and the pastoral plucking of Nick Drake…”
They’re playing Thursday, Nov. 12th 8pm at Fox Theater (1135 13th St, Boulder) w/ Mason Jennings; Friday, Nov. 13th 8pm at Bluebird Theater (3317 E Colfax Ave) w/ Mason Jennings

2. “Still Life With Machine Gun”  by  Everything Absent Or Distorted The Soft Civil War (Needlepoint|2006)
Members: Jody Pilmer, John Kuker, Ryan Stubbs, Robert Rutherford, Bryce Merrill, Joe Grobelny, Andy Maher, Trevor Trumble
“The eight piece employs a collaborative songwriting process where there is no one singer or drummer, and incorporate horns, banjos, accordions, synthesizers, and fuzzy guitars…”
As the most recent (and most depressing) in the current trend of bands breaking-up, EAOD played their farewell show October 24th at the Bluebird.

1. “Shot a Rifle Spitting Blade”  by  Born In The Flood from  Born in the Flood (self-released|2005)
Members: Nathaniel Rateliff, Joseph Pope III, Matt Fox

“I made three ‘GoDonnyBrook.com’ posters, each composed of three 11×17 sheets…I put them up on the main kiosk in the center of the CU campus. I’ll also be thinking ‘godonnybrook.com’ while I walk around, before bed, when I wake up, and while drawing pictures of cats in class.”

By the way, the Soft Focus has a show at Meadowlark this Thursday, Nov 12. Here are a few tracks if you want to check them out:

Then Pam Steele told us she was going to indoctrinate small children with the Donnybrook modus vivendi:

“A simple Facebook status update or mere baked goods (however delicious) could never be enough to thank you for the myriad wonders you, collectively, have shared with Denver, and the world, as a whole. I, however, am doing what I can to bring your message of cultural elitism and superiority to the most malleable members of our society–underprivileged, illiterate pre-Kindergarteners. I have made it my life’s work to share my, albeit minor, cultural and academic knowledge with those not lucky enough to be able to read, drink booze, or even competently skip rope. In service of this lofty goal, I am compensated merely with moderately-priced health care, a wage few would consider livable (certainly not yourselves), and regular assaults on my person by the aforementioned youngsters. It is my sincere hope, though nothing I would dare expect, that you might deign to give to me a pair of tickets to see an enriching and culturally edifying performance by such masters of popular music as Art Brut.”

Anyways, those were the best two. It was a good contest and an excellent show. Feel free to continue postering, graffiting, indoctrinating, tattooing, and any other means of guerilla marketing on behalf of Donnybrook. As long as it’s favorable. Thanks!

November is horror film refugee month at most theaters. A sad month where audiences realize just how bad the latest Saw installment truly is, or don’t show up at all. Either way, the horror fair, while still in town, loosened the screws on the Tilt-o-Whirl, gave the carnies the night off and hired a different set of meth heads to take tickets and check seatbelts. So, why bother with a sub-par product when the Starz Filmcenter brings out the best in show for horror fans. Dario Argento’s Suspiria.  I don’t really need to say more than, “Suspiria is screening” to fill up the theater, but if you need more: This is a 35mm archival UK Technicolor print with 5 minutes of never before seen footage. Do yourself a favor and swing by the Starz Film Center on Friday or Saturday at 10pm to enjoy the best Italian horror movie ever!

When they formed in 2004, Champaign, IL’s Headlights marched right up to Phil Spector’s famous wall of sound and carved out their own niche. But, never content to rest on their laurels, Headlights evolve with each release. They’re now touring in support of their latest recording, Wildlife, which offers listeners a darker and more refined version of the band’s sound On Wildlife, Headlights add a touch of shoegaze-inspired longing to its musical repertoire. Fans can still count on shared male-female vocals, courtesy of Tristan Wraight and Erin Fein, to play a prominent role in the band’s live show. The two vocalists help keep the songs fresh and unpredictable, regardless of which area of the emotional spectrum they embrace.

– Hi-Dive 7 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80223

Nov 6th: Art Brut

Because he has seeped into the collective unconsciousness of rock kids everywhere, Art Brut front man Eddie Argos is an unsung hero. Without even realizing it, at least 1 in 3 showgoers at any local concert on any given night can quote at least one lyric from Art Brut’s debut, Bang Bang Rock And Roll. (”We’re going to be the band that writes the song that makes Israel and Palestine get along.”) While that is reason enough to witness Argos and company perform in person on Friday night, it’ll be fun to hear them play songs from their latest Frank Black-produced release, Art Brut vs. Satan. Plus we at Donnybrook love them so we are giving away tickets!!! Don’t be late because local openers Jim McTurnan (ex-CAT-A-TAC) and the Kids That Killed the Man will kick the night off with a set of tight, well-honed tunes.

– Bluebird Theater 3317 E. Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80206

Nov 8th: Dirty Projectors

Looking for a mainline dose of cerebral, off-kilter music that slouches towards rock glory on the backs of innumerable genres? Thought so. Sunday’s bill at the Bluebird Theater is an alternative tuning enthusiasts dream. Headliners Dirty Projectors are a Brooklyn-based, multi-instrumentalist clan led by Dave Longstreth whose newest release Bitte Orca is a kitchen sink affair that should translate into one spirited and entertaining live show. Dirty Projectors couldn’t have chosen a better opener in tUnE-YaRdS (aka Merrill Garbus), a one-woman lo-fi tornado of ukelele, odd-ball percussion, and an unforgettable voice.

– Bluebird Theater 3317 E. Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80206

This week’s Denver’s Most Fuckable Rockstars are….

Andy and Kinsey from Houses!!

Name: Andy and Kinsey

Band: Vocals and various instruments, Houses

Wait, are they married to EACH OTHER?: Yes.

Why They’re This Week’s Most Fuckable Rockstar: This supergroup took Denver by storm when they took the stage last year- it was difficult to see the group up there having so much fun with the music and NOT completely crush on them.
Also, married folks who play music together are just so cute. See my previous column about The Hollyfelds for more on that.

Probable Lovemaking Style: Houses plays folk-rock, and is one of the more super-ambitious bands in Denver, having embarked upon an epic journey of releasing an EP for every season in a year. So the kids who run Houses probably have a precocious lovemaking style. But it’s unseemly of me to comment on the sex life of marrieds, anyhow, so we’ll just move right along here, shall we?

Possible Drawbacks: Man, writing this column in general has drawbacks- Houses, please forgive me and do not be offended by this ridiculousness. It’s all about the music, man!! THE MUSIC!!!!

Where You Can Find Them: Houses will play their fall EP release party on November 14th at the Larimer Lounge. www.myspace.com/housestheband

In anticipation of Art Brut’s high-energy kick-ass rock show at the Bluebird Nov 6 with Surfer Blood and Denver’s own Jim McTurnan, the Bartender invited Eddie Argos to have a drink and a chat. Discussions were had. Stories were almost told about debauchery with Brian Jonestown Massacre.

First things first, what would you like to drink? And don’t say tea because we don’t have any.
Vodka, Cranberry and a dash of soda.

On the internet it says you guys are from South London. Tell me a little about your home and making a living there as a musician.
We’re not from South London. We’re from all over. We all live in North London now though. To be honest with you we are very rarely at home as we are always on tour. We don’t mind though, we like being on tour.

Do you have any memories of drunken debauchery in Colorado?
We played at the Monolith festival. That’s in Colorado right? We played the same day as The Brian Jonestown Massacre. I have some amazing debauched stories about them. I don’t think it’s my place to tell you them though.

Have you ever tried rocky mountain oysters? - I have some pickling in the jar at the end of the bar if you want to try one.
Yes thanks. They sound delicious

Frank Black worked on your last album, Art Brut vs. Satan. Did you guys ever get wasted together?
On the first night we all went to his hotel room and shared some pretty strong micro brewed beer he likes. He took us out drinking a couple of times too. He is a good drinking companion.

Thanks Eddie, We’ll see you at the show and maybe I can get the real story about hanging out with the Jonestown boys. Better yet we could have a tale of debauchery to tell ourselves.

We’re giving away FOUR PAIRS of tickets to Art Brut at the Bluebird on Friday! This is an open-ended contest giveaway: do something that will please us, like writing a nice status update, or Tweeting about us, or baking us cookies, and then send an email to GoDonnybrook@Gmail.com telling us what you did and why you deserve the tickets. In your email, please include your full name so we know who to put on the list, and we’ll let you know if you’ve won.

Keep drinking and rocking,

The Bartender

Beck’s Record Club is kind of awesome: a group of musicians (and sometimes Giovanni Ribisi!) get together and cover a full album. Last time they covered ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico.’ The site says “This time around the group includes Devendra Banhart, Ben, Andrew and Will from MGMT, Andrew from Wolfmother, Binki from Little Joy, and Brian and Bram returning from the first Record Club” all playing Leonard Cohen’s ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen.’ This screams “something I need to hear” immediately.

Also I don’t know what this says about me, but I’m equally excited to hear the next Ace of Base cover record. Yup.

Without further ado, the video for “Teachers”:

Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen “Teachers” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

From the site: “For those new to the Record Club, it is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. An album is chosen to be reinterpreted and used as a framework. Nothing rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. As you will hear, some of the songs are rough renditions, often first takes documenting what happened over the course of a day. There is no intention to ‘add to’ the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens. And those who aren’t familiar with the albums in question will hopefully look for the songs in their definitive versions. ‘Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ by Leonard Cohen was chosen by Andrew from MGMT. For those interested, our close second choice was Ace Of Base, which we’ll keep on the list for next time.”