American Authors | Review & Interview

Brooklyn, NY band American Authors graced the 303’s own Larimer Lounge last night as the opener for Lousiana indie rock band Royal Teeth.

Where have you been all my life? That’s all I have to say. These guys have amazing chemistry.

American Authors put on a show that was passion-loaded and one hundred percent awesome. I was dancing and singing along side stage - and so was everyone else. Simply the way they interact with one another on stage makes them a force to be reckoned with.

They bring a unique sound to indie rock. With banjo riffs and animated drum beats, they don’t perform songs - they perform anthems. Their music is relatable and honest, and that’s much more than most bands can give you these days. They are a refreshing act to witness as they allow equal contribution from all of the members. They exude appreciation and humility - and they totally rock. Seriously. I don’t know what’s wrong with you if you don’t want to dance your ass off when you hear these guys.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the boys before they played - and believe me, they are just as lovely and genuine as their music makes them out to be.  Enjoy getting to know Zac, Dave, Matt, and James of American Authors - and keep your eyes peeled for their first full length album coming out soon!

HANDS | Larimer Lounge | June 14

Yet another late and lovely night at the Larimer Lounge in Downtown Denver to see Los Angeles indie-rock shahs “Hands” perform. I met a couple of the guys the night before at Superhumanoids, and just the fact that they were out supporting other bands was an immediate thumbs up. These dudes enjoy whiskey on the rocks - and fully deserve a round when they come to your city.

After Denver bands Common Anomaly and We Like Monsters graced the stage, Hands set up and began the evening with my favorite song, “Videolove.” With a dreamy intro, heavy drums and the tings of tin cans - singer Geoffrey Halliday sang with his perfectly indie-rock suited chorals  to kick the night off.

The subtle electronic additives in Hands’ music make it energetic, fun and danceable. Let me just say that these guys know how to perform. Every single member in the band interacted with the audience in some way during the show. Bassist Alex Staniloff is quite the anomaly when it comes to bassists - he actually moves to the music and puts on quite the show. Hands’ new album “Synesthesia” is heavily endorsed by Staniloff’s vibrating bass lines.

Drummer Sean Hess was completely on-beat the entire night. With hard hits and a perfect flow, his beats carry many of the songs and add to the jammability (term coined here first) of the music. This dude is a drumming machine - no pun intended. I started getting real critical because he wasn’t messing up. He also drums without shoes. Riddle me that, Batman.

Finally, dreamy guitarist Ryan Sweeney and his fabulous hair accentuated the rhythm excellently with melodic riffs. The dance grooves produced last night had the ladies in the crowd totally swooning. Not to mention, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more women at an indie-rock show. Good work, dudes.

During “Trouble” (arguably on of the best songs on Synesthesia), Ryan shook it (a tambourine) and tiny galactic synths glazed over the eyes of everyone at Larimer. The guys interacted with one another on stage proving their excellent creative chemistry. If you haven’t been listening to these rad summer jams, you really should be.

A fan after the show put it best. “Hands” presents a succinct and clear approach to indie-rock. It lacks moody sentiment and highlights the will to party. Even their name gives them a unique edge. While the music is formulaic, it incorporates an entirely original sound. Comparable, some say, to the likes of Hot Chip or Tanlines, I disagree and present that they’re the next big epidemic in indie music in all of the best ways.

If you aren’t completely convinced after you hear their new album “Synesthesia” - I still recommend checking them out live. And when you do, I think you’ll find that (in the words of their song “Brave Motion”):

“It makes no sense - you’re in love, again.”

Check these swell fellas out in a town near you. When you do, let me know what you think at autumn@ultra5280.com!

Halloween at the Bluebird Theater: Air Dubai, The Epilogues, Monroe Monroe, ManCub

All Hallows Eve in the Mile High City was pretty rockin’ this year despite it falling on a Monday night. While many people chose to celebrate over the weekend, those interested in keeping their festivities local couldn’t have asked for a better line up than at The Bluebird Theatre on Monday night. Air Dubai, The Epilogues, Monroe Monroe, and ManCub all came out in full “cape and cowl”, ready to rock the east end of Colfax and help their fans celebrate Halloween.

This show was the grand finale to a four-day mini tour hosted and co-headlined by Air Dubai and The Epilogues, hitting each end of the state and featuring different acts from the respective areas as they went. With In The Whale, The Photo Atlas, My Body Sings Electric, and Monroe Monroe all being featured as main support to the co-headliners on separate nights, it was nearly impossible to pick a night you wouldn’t love to attend. Monday night went off without a hitch, as the costume-adorned audience found the Bluebird’s capacity at a perfect medium: packed full of fans, but not crowded to the point where it was uncomfortable. With ManCub opening the night with their distinct brand of techno-electronic beats, and Monroe Monroe following them with their Indie-punk energy, the crowd was obviously warmed up and excited to see The Epilogues take the stage at 9:30.

In their typical style, the band played a generous mix of new and old favorites like “King Arthur”, “Futurebox”, and “The World is Yours”. Fans were excited to hear lead singer Chris Heckman announce that their new music video for their song “The Fallout” will be released “very, very soon”. The Bluebird went wild as they finished their set with their radio single “Hunting Season”, made famous by it’s airplay from local radio station KTCL and their “Local’s Only” segment. Fans seemed very happy with the set, as the band also seemed happy to finally be home after a long, and fun weekend.

Air Dubai finished out the evening with fun for both new and old fans. Celebrating the release of their newest EP, “Day Escape” which just hit stores this past week (available online at www.airdubaimusic.com/ or on iTunes), the crowd was treated to a great mix of fan favorites like “Lasers”, “Modern Gold”, “Warm Days”, and“I Know How”, as well as new tracks like “Summer Solstice”, “Lights Out”, and “Still Searching”. Their certainly something new happening with tracks found on “Day Escape”. It might be the fact that all but one song on this new CD was recorded in California this past August, but in my opinion there’s a bit of a vintage, summery vibe to these tracks, and I LOVE it. Check out Castro’s review of the record -> HERE <-  Overall, this was one of the stronger sets I’ve seen Air Dubai play, probably thanks to the newest tunes added to the setlist. The band sounded on top of their game, and didn’t seem to stutter over any new material. Dressed like The Wiggles, the band gave the crowd an amazing set from beginning to end, closing with their radio single “restless Youth”. 


Currently The Epilogues don’t have any tour/show dates listed on any of their websites, so be sure to “like” them on Facebook to keep updated. Air Dubai is playing a big show November 19th at The Fox Theatre in Boulder. Be sure to grab tickets soon, as the band just announced a free copy of their new EP "Day Escape" with an e-mailed proof of purchase to their Boulder show! Hope to see you all out there showing Denver’s artists some love!

-Maddie

Toro Y Moi at The Larimer Lounge-Review

Check out more photos of Toro Y Moi on our Flickr page

Toro Y MoiLarimer LoungeSXSW

Openers Flashlights had a celebratory announcement to kick off the show; they had just signed a deal with Atlantic Records! They got the audience started on the right foot with their mix of auto-tuned electro dance. Think Cut/Copy meets Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. You get the picture.

Next up was Adventure, from Baltimore MD. Their laid back stage presence didn't prevent us from getting into the show, though. Adventure manages to inject a wide array of urban synth loops into their otherwise poppy sound, throwing us back to memories of 80's synth bands such as New Order.

When Toro y Moi graced the stage, the sold out Larimer Lounge was heavy with anticipation. Immediately, expectations were met and exceeded as they began to play. Tracks from Underneath the Pine, Toro y Moi's newest album, made up much of the set list. Chaz Bundick and his counterparts managed a superb, precisely played hour-long set with little to no banter between songs. Toro y Moi will be continuing their tour through the midwest and on to the east coast. If you are fortunate enough to see him live you can bank on dancing non-stop straight through the set.