Album Review :: The Knew / Pulpería

What did we say before? Here it is:

Out-of-towners were treated to a great performance by one of Denver’s most likeable rock bands, who I suspect are not far from having one of their songs show up in a Nissan ad or a Jennifer Garner movie. You laugh, but The Knew will be laughing all the way to the bank, sucka.

In re-reading that, it almost sounds like a knock against one of Denver’s finest rock bands, however the mainstream appeal of The Knew cannot be ignored and should not be dismissed. Pulpería is the next step for these local boys before breaking out of the respectable size of Denver’s local market and moving on to bigger, louder things.

The 11 song album feels like a set ripped straight from a show at The Skylark. It’s full of crowd-pleasing, clap-your-hands style tunes like “Picnic” and several that are just begging for a live performance (“United” and “National Icon”). It’s difficult for bands like The Knew who have made their mark playing small rocks clubs to translate the same sound and energy to studio work, and while they haven’t fully accomplished it here, it’s clear they’re making strides towards being a band that can play both arenas with great success. At their core they are a straight up rock band, but there are enough touches of country twang and the unpolished indie sound in Pulpería to make it stand out from similar albums. From my homer point-of-view, these characteristics give the album a “Denver sound,” which is something they should be proud of.

My guess is that the crowd at their album release will be large and diverse. It will be proof that the city is behind this foursome as its next big thing. Whether you’d be hearing them for the first time, want to support an album you’ve been itching to get your hands on, or want to hobnob with some of Denver’s finest members of local music scene, The Bluebird Theater will be the place to be on March 6th when The Knew officially unveil their latest, greatest offering.

02.13.10 :: Editors @ The Ogden Theater

Opening Act--------------------

I missed seeing The Antlers the last time they were in town, but I didn’t realize just how much I missed until walking in to the Ogden on Saturday night. It had been a long arduous week and the saké in my belly had made its way to my head. Whatever was going on in my complicated little mind, much of it came to fruition that night, and The Antlers played a part in drawing it out of me. It was a night of epic sad-bastard music and it definitely struck a chord. As I’m sure you’ll recall, we were not alone in listing Hospice as one of our favorite albums from 2009. They used the entire set to sample the album and I was nothing short of blown away by what I heard. Early on they played Sylvia (my favorite from Hospice) and when Peter Silberman beautifully belted out the chorus and the lights came up, I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction of the audience. The band was eerily silhouetted by the back lights which washed over the faces in the crowd; some totally into it, some staring wide-eyed, every one locked in on the band.

Hearing the songs from Hospice live was like hearing them for the first time, most notably because of the vocals. On the album the vocals are mixed so low, they almost feel like they are playing backup to the instruments. Silberman emphatic pipes made sure they would not be hidden at the live show and the sound mix by the crew at The Ogden was one of the best I’ve heard at the venue. It was so loud and so clear that at many points I literally got goose bumps. I love that feeling.

When I was sketching this review I kept telling myself to keep it impersonal, but it simply can’t be done. Before they left the stage, The Antlers played Wake which, as I said as I was leaving that night, is a song they can end every show with for the rest of their career. It’s also one of several songs they played that made me bite my lip to keep from welling up. It was a beautiful set.

Headliner--------------------

I talked Editors up almost as soon as I got my hands on An End Has A Start back in 2007. That summer they headlined one of the best shows I’ve seen in Denver (along with Louis XIV and Hot Hot Heat), and I was itching for them to come back and give us another great performance. And then I heard In This Light And On This Evening. After Saturday’s show I’ve come to realize just how great of a title that is. It rambles on, it doesn’t really flow, and it stands apart from their previous album titles.

While I enjoyed fan favorites like Racing Rats, Blood, and Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors and was pleasantly surprised by a couple of new songs I thought I was going to hate (Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool and the new album’s title track) there was much to be disappointed about with the show. Guitarist Chris Urbanowicz has been the driving musical force behind all that was appealing to Editors previous works. I didn’t fully enjoy their set for the same reason I didn’t like ITLAOTE: Urbanowicz was underused. On some songs he was relegated to not even playing a keyboard, but tapping a sound pad with his guitar slung needlessly across his back. He looked bored. The last time I saw them, I watched him whenever front man Tom Smith would allow for it. It seems like they have a hard time fitting the new material in with their older stuff and it’s jarring to the audience, like a song and dance number thrown into the middle of a spy movie.

The musicianship is still there, and there’s no doubt that Editors are still underappreciated on this side of the Atlantic, but I fear they won’t be winning the hearts of many American fans during their current tour.

Empty’s 10 Most Favoritest Albums Of The Aughts

Now that we’ve had sufficient time to let 2009 sink in and, more importantly, wade through the myriad “Best Of” lists, we’ve decided to put together a list of our own. Because, you know, no blog worth its salt lets a decade go by without some sort of superlative list. Anyway, if you want to hear the decade through Empty’s ears, take a listen to the following list of our favorite albums from 2000 through 2009…

Passover The Black Angels 2006 They missed their mainstream window of popularity by about 35 years, but The Black Angels play better 70’s “pot rock” than most bands of that era. They got a little too psychedelic for their own good on their follow-up, but Passover is nearly flawless in its dirty, distorted execution.

 

Demon Days Gorillaz 2005 Operatic in its composition and varied in its delivery, it’s easy to overlook Demon Days’ artistic value and focus on its pop success. While it was friendly to both radio and club, the scope and message of the album was something not enough people truly appreciated.

 

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots The Flaming Lips 2002 With a title like this, you pretty much knew what you were in for when you gave this CD a spin. Wayne Coyne and Co. treated us to a magical musical adventure filled with robots, karate, and love songs. Awesome.

 

Neptune The Duke Spirit 2007 Like The Black Angels, The Duke Spirit borrowed heavily from 1960’s and 70’s era rock on Neptune (Jefferson Airplane being the most recognizable influence), but did so with a more modern twist. Less plodding and more in your face, this is an album that challenges you to get in line and shut up.

 

Turn On The Bright Lights Interpol 2002 What seems to be the most polarizing album on any “Top Of The 2000s” is one we would fight tooth and nail to defend. Although it is highlighted by tracks like Untitled 1 and NYC, we love PDA as it is one of the most enjoyable songs to play on Rock Band 2. That’s got to be worth something…

 

Hot Fuss The Killers 2004 Say what you will about The Killers’ releases afterwards (mediocre crap to all-out audio sewage), Hot Fuss could very well be the soundtrack for the decade. Everybody knows the hits, but if you give the whole thing a listen you’ll find that every song on the album carries its own weight.

 

Stankonia Outkast 2000 When the topic of “best hip-hop album of all time” comes up, Stankonia should never be left out of the conversation. With their fourth release, Big Boi and Andre 3000 expanded on the steps taken with Aquemini and redefined what the genre could be. And If you don’t like it, you can take it up with Father Guido Sarducci IV.

 

Give Up The Postal Service 2003 A hipster opus, Give Up set the stage for the mellow electro-pop sound to come in the second half of the decade. It’s also worth noting that Ben Gibbard became the center of the hipster universe in the aughts by playing in Death Cab For Cutie and bedding/wedding Zooey Deschanel.

 

Technicolor Health Harlem Shakes 2009 Wonderful and terrible things are associated with this album, which is one we think will be a gem that our children will someday discover down the road. Harlem Shakes gave us only one album in the 2000s yet managed to sum up the sounds of the decade before promptly breaking up and riding off into the sunset…

 

Is This It The Strokes 2001 Another genre molding album, Is This It was all the rage upon its release. Since then it may have lost its luster for some, but not for us. This album is another that will stand the test of time. It’s specific to its decade and will wind up transcending it.

Album Review :: Real Estate / Real Estate

It has become increasingly more difficult to differentiate between bands latching themselves on to the “surf-rock” movement. Many have members so young in age that it would be out of line to suggest that any one of them had borrowed or even been influenced by another’s style, but it’s only natural to compare. What makes one album or band more enjoyable than another is their take on a certain style. What have they done, not necessarily to further the genre, but to set themselves apart from their peers? That leads to the real bottom line: Why should anyone buy this music or take the time to listen to it?

New Jersey’s Real Estate welcome you to their latest release (self-titled) with a track called “Beach Comber” which is literally about walking on the beach, but metaphorically about something much more substantial. So goes the rest of the album. It very purposefully has the feel of a solo moonlight walk on the beach or sitting in a lakeside hammock staring at the water, but always thinking and reflecting about bigger things. Musically it fits very comfortably into the surf-rock nook; plucky guitars, slow bass grooves, the occasional hand drum here and there, and everything plugged into an echo box. Where Real Estate has set itself apart from other bands of this genre is with the way the songs are composed. Songs like “Black Lake” and “Atlantic City” flow in and out of each other, sometimes seamlessly, with lyrics so softly mixed that you occasionally have to actively listen for them make sure they are actually there. The diversity of the ten tracks makes them all-at-once new and familiar and together they are a beautiful set.

The only trick with producing a record like Real Estate is that to achieve that “hammocky” comfort the music needs to feel familiar. Such is the trap of the genre, you might feel you’ve heard the same song either on the disc itself or by some other band. Here it works for the album on the whole, and Real Estate has done better than most at separating themselves from the pack, but if you already have that go-to, lazy day, get baked, surf-rock CD, this one might not drastically expand your collection. That being said, if you are in the market for something that fits that description, Real Estate would be an ideal place to start.

"Black Rock" by Real Estate

REAL ESTATE on MySpace