Weaving through Denver Music, Art, Culture, and Life
Record reviews of local and national records of any age and genre
Two local bands make some fantastically furious noise with two new EPs. Denver fans of loud, noise-addled shoegaze rock and wild, frenetic screaming punk will rejoice!
Rock’s favorite luchadores, Los Straitjackets, continue to set the wave for shimmering yuletide surf-rock joy with their latest release, “Yuletide Beat,” available for pre-order from Yep Roc Records now. A follow up to their massively popular 2002 holiday release “Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets,” the new record has been made available in a VERY limited edition (1,000 CDs/1,000 vinyl copies) for order now.
If you’re familiar with Radio 1190 (KVCU Boulder, The University of Colorado at Boulder’s independent station) in general, or their weekly Friday afternoon show dedicated to the local scene in particular, you already have a pretty good idea of the significance of this release. “Local Shakedown, Vol 3,” is the third installment of the radio station’s compilation of the best of the local best, and this year’s promises to be the best so far.
Germano: The first time I heard the ethereal, esoteric and often terrifying music of Lisa Germano on her CD “Happiness” in 1994 (through oversized headphones attached to my DiscMan), I was immediately addicted.
Perkins: Elvis Perkins’ musical genre falls somewhere between dixieland jazz and “freak folk,” between Hollywood and Bourbon Street. He and the other members of ” Elvis Perkins In Dearland” are about to release the new 6-song “Doomsday EP,” a perfect melange of their sound, October 20.
Madness, legendary 2 Tone/Second Wave UK ska/punk band from the mid’70s, is releasing their first record of original material in ten years, on Yep Roc! records. “The Liberty of Norton Folgate” is slated for release on September 29, 2009.
You can pre-order the record here, or stream it online HERE.
Both live and on record, The Alltunators masterfully mix honest and passionate acoustic constructions behind Jessica Slater’s heartfelt lyrics and sweet and earnest, soft-spoken vocals, and add brilliant, bluesy jams behind Andy Miller’s sassy juke joint crooning. . . . The result is a summery Sunday afternoon feeling – fresh, relaxing, almost drowsily comforting.
I had a chance to interview the band recently about where they’ve come from, and where they’re going.
