Last Saturday night, Denver got a taste of southern rock from the most unlikely of sources: an Icelandic rock band with a knack for rhythm & blues. If you’re looking for some new music to get you through your week, look no further than Kaleo’s dynamic new album A/B. Although the band played Denver before their debut album was available to the masses, it didn’t stop fans from dancing along beginning to end of the set.

press image courtesy of Atlantic Records. — *press image courtesy of Atlantic Records*.

Kaleo's show at the Gothic Theatre kicked off with the same opening track as the record, “No Good”. A foot-stomping, hand-clapping sing along, the raucous crowd didn’t hesitate to let the band know how happy they were to have them on stage. The band's first record, self-titled Kaleo, featured six songs, five of which went to number one on the charts, leading to a slew of performances across Europe in 2013. Their latest release, A/B feels just as promising, and the radio single “Way Down We Go” is already burning up the charts. The album is an eclectic yet fluid mix of sounds and feelings, guiding the listener through a journey with vocalist and lead guitarist JJ Julius Son. Tracks like “No Good”, Glass House”, and “Automobile” pay homage to the band’s American home of Austin, Texas with southern-style guitars, bluesy solos, and soulful lyrics reminiscent of the “good ol’ days”. The tracks “All The Pretty Girls”, and “Vor í vaglaskógi” (a unique take on a traditional Icelandic ballad) showcase the bands diversity in style and sound, as well as lead vocalist Son’s haunting precision with his falsetto. The high note towards the end of “Vor í vaglaskógi” seems impossible to hit live for someone with such a low chest voice, but when it came time on Saturday night, JJ Julius Son hit it with ease, and the Theatre fell silent in awe.

Since the album had not been released prior to their Denver performance, the crowd was very different than your typical performance. Without the ability to sing along, it felt like much of the audience continued to chat together throughout the set, but although they were talking, it was clear they were listening as well. The audience clapped along as the band commanded, hollered at all the right moments, and respected the intensity that came along with ballads. This feeling of respect met with unfamiliarity was reminiscent of a fantastic house band playing at a bar (albeit with much, much better material than i’ve ever stumbled across at a local dive), creating an exuberant atmosphere enjoyed by all, without creating the dividers often felt by performers with diehard fanbases or more experiential set. Now that the record is out and I’ve become more familiar with the tracks, thinking back on the show makes it even more enjoyable, realizing that the strength and power felt in the moment by certain songs has translated into the recording. Creating a record that captures the same energy as a live performance is a feat not easily accomplished, and Kaleo has done just that. The anticipation for my next chance to see them live has only grown with each listen. We yet know the next time Kaleo will be in Colorado, but you can prepare yourself by listening to A/B, which is now available on iTunes, Spotify, or from your favorite local record shop.

by Maddie Casey

José González is not a household name. The Swedish-born artist of Argentinian heritage was studying to complete a degree in Biochemistry when his quiet, hauntingly melodic songs filled with guitar and vocal melodies began to catch attention of other musicians across the country. Within a matter of two years, his music was being heard across the world whether you knew it or not, and biochem was put on the backburner so he could focus on his art. Some tracks off of his first record, Veneer were featured in shows like The O.C., One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights and Bones heavily throughout 2008. The mass of new fans he’d garnered through these placements were left to assume that these quiet, introspective melodies were all we would get out of González, yet he continued to enthrall his audience by choosing to collaborate with electronic groups like Zero 7, Massive Attack and The Knife throughout 2009. He’s toured Europe and Canada on and off over the past seven years, but this past Monday we welcomed the talented José González back to Colorado for his first visit since his innagural US tour in 2008.

Joined on the road by Icelandic songstress Ólöf Arnalds, Monday’s show at The Gothic was a perfect showcase of European singer/songwriters. Arnalds’ adorable personality was complimented by her interaction with the crowd: asking for us to sing the bass line to certain songs, or “la la”ing with her during a chorus. Her Peppy soprano showcased a flawless vibrato while she sung about her friends, her children, and her homeland all in her native Icelandic tongue. A quick, 30 minute set of her playing her guitar and a lute was a great ice breaker for the unassuming audience, not entirely sure what we’d be in for once the elusive Mr. González took stage.

Touring in support of his first release since 2007, I think many (including me) were concerned that González would focus solely on his new material - a heartbreaking potential for the many who had only discovered his music since his last visit to the States. By the end of track three, González and his band has quickly calmed those nerves opening with “Stories We Build, Stories We Tell” from his February release Vestiges & Claws but then quickly dipping into fan favorite “Killing For Love” by track three. The four-piece band accompanying González on stage were a fantastic fit for the performer. A keys/percussionist player and a guitarist accompanied the singer to produce his now trademark harmonies, and both a drummer and another percussionist kept a driving beat without overpowering the all-important finger picking coming from González’s beautiful Alhambra guitar. Hearing much more fleshed out versions of familiar tracks was a welcome change to the assumed course of the evening; a full band compared to just a solo performer on stage gave new breadth to the songs that many in the audience were already very familiar with. The lighting, the accompanying instrumental pieces, the performance, and the ambiance in the room could not have been more perfect. I don’t feel like I could describe Monday’s show more accurately than by saying that it truly gave life to the music González creates. It felt as if everyone in the room was all perfectly, equally entranced in the moment together - there were no people talking and disturbing others, no one dancing too intensely, no nothing that one comes to expect from a typical concert setting. Everyone was strictly there to be in the moment and let the music take them over, making this possibly the most sublime concert experience I’ve ever had. Ending the show with the song “Leaf Off/The Cave”, the band faded into a progressively slowing chant of the chorus as the backing lights faded to black, perfectly mimicking the feeling of a summer sunset over González's mountainous backdrop.

If you’ve never taken a listen, I highly encourage you to find some candles and a pair of speakers during the next rainstorm, and just lay back and let José González’s music lead you into a musical meditation. If he ever comes back to the states, I recommend doing everything in your human ability to see him play. That show was everything a singer/songwriter performance should be - hand down one of my favorite performances of 2015 without question.