Who’s Playin’ What – Where? Weekend of Sept. 30, 2011

Seems like this may be the beginning of the season of harvest in music, too – at least here in Denver. This weekend features a few awesome CD releases from local bands, and more! Read on to find out about two back-to-back Hot Congress release nights and an alt-country visit from Brooklyn to the Lion’s Lair. Is it just us, or is the heavy weight of Rocktober just around the corner?

Hot Congress Posts a Double-Shot Weekend

This Friday and Saturday nights, September 30th and October 1st, the Hi-Dive will be host to a veritable local’s paradise, as local music and art collective Hot Congress release new collections from two of Denver’s up and coming bands.

Friday night showcases some fantastic Denver indie-meets-post-punk with the release party for Kissing Party’s  “Waster’s Wall” album (officially out on October 18). One of Denver’s most promising acts at the moment, Kissing Party bring together a sort of Belle & Sebastian feel to their sound, with a tint of bubble gum and a Manchester shadow. Sometimes when I close my eyes and listen to Joe Hansen’s guitar on these songs, I find myself wondering when he and Johnny Marr played together, and where those basement tapes might be. Add Gregg Dolan and Dierdre Sage on vocals and Lee Evans and Shane Reid’s bass & rhythm tracks and you’ve got a trainwreck of poppy post-punk in which you’d pay to be crumpled up. Have a taste (below) before you plan to be at the show. Local duos Amazing Twin and Shaky Molars open – two more local bands well worth catching live for the first of (take my word for it) many more times.

[wpaudio url=”https://www.denverthread.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo/sounds/KissingParty-AshleySmashley.mp3″ text=”Kissing Party – Ashley Smashley”]

Saturday night brings the CD release party for Sun Red, a five-piece born out of the wreckage of Denver’s (Die)Pilot, full of sweeping and tenacious prog-esque constructions spearheaded by Gene Brown’s strong vocals. Their sound wavers across indie lines that corral such masters as Stephen Malkmus or Lou Barlow, but is very much something they’ve concocted on their own. Chris Durant’s stern rhythms accentuate complex, sympathetic stringplay between bassist Trevor Noel Gagstetter and guitarist Daniel Sullivan that frrames the vocals well. Check out “Terrorform” (below this) for a taste, then get to the 1st act of this double shot to pick up their brand-spanking-new “Breathes Ages” EP Friday at the Hi-Dive. Local faves Safe Boating Is No Accident, Colfax Speed Queen and Fingers of the Sun open up – be sure to get there early to take in the whole vibe.

[wpaudio url=”https://www.denverthread.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo/sounds/Terrorform.mp3″ text=”Sun Red – Terrorform”]

That’s eight bands – all local, all great – over two nights at the same venue, all for $15, if you go both nights. Single day tickets are only $7!

Could we be any more emphatic in our insistence that you camp out with Hot Congress this weekend? Really?

Lonesome Heroes make two Colorado stops as an add-on to the Daydream Western tour

Austin’s (by way of Brooklyn) Lonesome Heroes made a 1,974-mile-long art project out of their latest record, Daydream Western (due for worldwide release on November 8th, 2011), by commemorating its centerpiece song “Highway 287” with a tour along the largely two-lane road that shares the singles’ name. they drove a 1967 Shasta camper from where 287 begins at the Gulf of Mexico all the way up to Glacier National Park in Montana, and showcased their own sweet alt-country-meets-indie pop all the way.  Their sound invokes a Malkmus/Reed feel that runs sweetly through a Jesus & Mary Chain influence – if the Reid brothers had grown up somewhere along the Utah/Idaho border rather than in the UK.

This Friday, September 30th, they’re adding another stop at Avogadro’s Number up in Fort Collins ($10 cover), with opening performances by Rosewood Divine & Alycia Kraft, Jen Korte (apparently sans The Loss) and Bevin Luna. Then, on Sunday, October 2nd, they’ll take up residency for a night at the venerable Lion’s Lair ($5 cover), along with The Magic of Colfax, The Symbols and Good Neighbor. Take a look (below) at a clip from last summer’s stop in Avogadro’s Number to get a sample of what you’re in for.