Ultraversary 7 Artist Spotlight: South of France

Local talent duo, South of France is quickly making a name for themselves within Denver’s emerging indie-pop scene. Their dream pop undercurrents and sweet his and hers lyrics make for a familiar yet surprisingly fresh performance. The band was formed when intstrumentalist/producer/songwriter Jeff Cormack met singer/songwriter Kelly Lueke in Los Angeles back in 2012. Since then they’ve been able to share the stage with greats like Portugal. The Man and The Flaming Lips and as of this Saturday, local heroes Ultra5280!

South of France has been on our “Must See Acts at UMS” list for the past few years and it only made sense to ask them to be a part of our debut into the Colorado festival scene. (Coachella ain’t got nothing on our lineup – looking at you special guest DJ Tobias Krause).

South of France captures the art of the duet without the kitchiness that duos sometimes come with. Their melodies are dancey and rhythmic while their lyrics embody real emotion and experiences. We are honored to have them hail from our beloved town of Denver and even more honored to share the stage with them this weekend.

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Happy 303 Day!

The State of Colorado has become a recent hotbed for an amazing music scene. One of the lucky things we get to do around here is listen to many of the amazing bands that claim the 303 area code. From festivals like the Underground Music Showcase to the Westword Music Showcase, Denver bands are becoming everyday names all over the country. In celebration of "303 Day" we decided to share some of our favorite 303 artist in this awesome playlist. Give it a listen and be sure to go out and support local music today. Here are some photos of many of the local artist we have gotten a chance to cover over the years by our own Robert Castro.

Tennis

South of France

Kid Astronaut

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

CRL CRRLL

Brent Cowles

Povi

Rob Drabkin

Flaural

A Fond Farewell To The Epilogues....

Friday night was a time for celebrating at Summit Music Hall. It was a fond farewell to the guys in The Epilogues. A Denver staple for many years we were there to send them off in grand fashion along with many other Denver musicians who have been inspired by the band for many years. A great lineup featuring Eros and The Eschaton, Flaural, and South of France set the tone for the entire evening. There was laughing, crying and more importantly celebrating. We wish the best of luck to you guys (we already told you how we feel)! It was truly a ride to remember!

Music | New Music: South of France - "Washed Up" | Video

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Denver’s beloved indie-pop duo South Of France have returned to deliver their own compelling sense of style to the music and the fashion world alike.  The band have unleashed their newest single “Washed Up” in conjunction with the launch of their collaboration with cutting-edge clothing brand Akomplice, available NOW on the Akomplice webstore. “Washed Up” is out now on iTunes and Spotify via Play + Record.


 
Now, South Of France carve out another facet in their ability to bring their sunny tunes to life in all dimensions.  The video for “Washed Up” shines light on the vision of both the band, directors Jasper Gray and Frank Pickell, and production house Futuristic Films.  The creation came about in a unique way as described by Futuristic Films, as they, “ended up shooting on a sub-zero January night with a skeleton crew at the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver.   With a little bit of DIY ingenuity, we were able to take advantage of the awesome production value of having the museum as our set.  The end result is a strange, ever changing world that just felt right for the music.”
 

Launched by multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Cormack in 2012, South Of France, began as a lo-fi garage rock project until Jeff was introduced to Kelly Lueke. Upon discovering their amazingly similar taste in music, the two joined forcesand soon settled into their signature reverb-soaked indie pop harmonies. Their debut LP Another Boring Sunrise was critically lauded and the band have since shared stages with TV On The Radio, Portugal. The Man, Jimmy Eat World and many others. The duo recently married and are hard at work on their next album. The band recently played two shows with the Flaming Lips in Aspen and are set to open for Bob Mould at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, CO on May 7th. and have shows coming up in NYC this June as well- stay tuned for more details soon!

Jimmy Eat World | The Ogden Theatre | July 20

I must preface this review by saying I will do everything in my power not to write a love letter, but beings as we’re talking about Jimmy Eat World, it might be hard not to. The year was 2006, I was young and excited and falling in love with music for the first time. That year was the first time I dipped my big toe into the vast waters that is the concert scene, kicking off my eventual career with one night with Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, and Mates of State at the Fillmore Auditorium. I can say with full confidence that even after nearly a decade, Jimmy Eat World still gives one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Playing at The Ogden this past Saturday in support of their newly released album Damage, the show was as full of energy as I remember it being all those years ago. 

South of France (Photo Credit: Matt Smith) 

Opening the evening was a last minute addition, Denver band South Of France. One of the members of the touring main support act, X Ambassadors, was ill, leaving the band unable to perform. Lucky for Jimmy, Denver's ongoing weekend festival The Underground Music Showcase (The UMS) was able to spare one of Denver’s finest to fill the room with mellow indie sounds. With both a male and female vocalist trading leads back and forth, it was dynamic and chipper - the perfect style of music for lazy summer days camped out beachside back East. Playing a quick 30 minute set full of “oohs”, and beats from a tambourine, the band seemed excited to have such a big opportunity, and certainly made the most of it.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World (Photo Credit: Matt Smith)

The audience seemed relentless in their wait for the headliners to begin. Denver is no stranger to Jimmy Eat World: beings as the band hails from Arizona, Denver is one of the closest major markets to tour. After playing here for nearly 20 years, it has become apparent what a soft spot the city has for this band. With fans young and old and everything in between, it was a wonderfully eclectic audience on Saturday night, proving that good music transcends age. With the four-piece taking the stage promptly at 9:30, lead singer Jim Adkins took a quick moment to introduce the band and greet the audience before diving into their set. Playing hit after hit off of their eight full-length albums, the impressive diversity of musical styles throughout their catalog was quickly established. Opening with their current radio single, “I Will Steal You Back”, the band followed it with five songs all coming from five different albums, making it easy for fans from any era to immediately be pleased. Playing fan favorites like “Pain”, “Hear You Me”, “Your New Aesthetic”, and “Work”, the band also hit on big cult classics like “Polaris”, “Lucky Denver Mint”, and the infamous “Goodbye Sky Harbor” in which Jim Adkins loops himself into a beautiful build up over three minutes. Saturday night it appeared that Jim’s loop pedal was broken, so the band instead treated fans to a heavy interlude halfway through the song - a new twist and pleasant surprise. 

Jimmy Eat World (Photo Credit: Matt Smith) 

Closing out the night with hits “A Praise Chorus”, Sweetness”, and “Bleed American” three of the singles off their self-titled album, the band returned for an encore of the beautiful “Chase This Light”, “Big Casino”, and the smash hit “The Middle”. Before beginning their last song, Adkins took a minute to thank their crew, and thank the fans for coming out. Noting that the band will be having their twentieth anniversary next year, Adkins spoke about how meaningful it’s been to have Denver continually backing them throughout their careers, and how much they genuinely love performing here. A sweet, but simple gesture, it was certainly enough to make me proud of my city, and how well we treat a band I feel gave direction to both my life and my career path. If you haven’t picked up a copy of the band’s new album Damage, it’s available online now through their website, or for your quick listening pleasure on Spotify. They may joke about their age and longevity like it’s a bad thing, but it is truly a rarely achieved feat for a band to have that kind of relationship, passion, and commitment for such a long time. To some people age is a bad thing, but I hope Jimmy Eat World treats it the way one does with wine, and will come to realize that the years have only made them better. Here’s to twenty more years of incredible music from incredible performers. I know I’ll still be here, singing just as loudly as I did in 2006 - Cheers!

-Maddie

Setlist: I Will Steal You Back | My Best Theory | Appreciation | Your New Aesthetic | FUTURES | Kill | Work | Never Getting Back Together (Taylor Swift Cover) | Damage | Heart Is Hard To Find | Hear You Me | Let It Happen | Pain | Always Be | No Never | Polaris | Lucky Denver Mint | Goodbye Sky Harbor (Abridged Solo) | A Praise Chorus | Sweetness | Bleed American | Encore: Chase This Light | Big Casino | The Middle