UCD Advocate

High Five, Lo-fi!

Cera is a cute bass player

Michael Cera wishes he were a bassist in a shitty band, and it’s so cute. Scott Pilgrim Versus The World isn’t the first time the young actor played the part. You might recall his role in the teen romance Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, where he played in an “all gay” punk band called the “Jerk Offs”. And if you’re like me, you’re still dealing with the nightmares.

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Feature

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Rock in 140 characters

Picture this: It’s Aug. 16, 1974, in downtown Manhattan. After blasting through a set of short, fast songs that would later be dubbed “punk,” a guy named Joey Ramone steps outside the back entrance of CBGB’s. He pulls out a small electronic device and types in a few words about how the set went. “The Ramones just played our first gig at CBGB’s. Hopefully the first of many.” Full story

Fresh Sound

Dan Craig Band

Dan Craig Band’s Alchemy opens with the sweet sounds of bowed instruments and mandolins, both of which carry the melody throughout his exploration of the deep, melancholy realms of a pop-country serenade. However, Craig’s descriptive lyricism leaves the listener wondering if he’s actually describing anything real.

Ray LaMontagne

Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dog’s new album, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise, makes me believe in magic again—the kind where I’m 5 years old and summer isn’t plagued by work or worry.

With this album playing in the background, it doesn’t matter that I’m 22 and staring at the last rays of summer. LaMontagne’s voice is keeping me tied to an alternate gravity that will undoubtedly end in fiery destruction if he ever stops singing.

Candy Claws

Candy Claws’ new release, Hidden Lands, is a spacey, strange, and marvelously sparkly new age offering, complete with synthesizers and vocals that are too wispy to understand.

Arcade Fire

The Suburbs is by no means a bad album. Compared to Arcade Fire’s past greatness, however, it is slightly disappointing.

Drake

In light of the first full-length album that follows Aubrey “Drake” Graham, miles after his mixtape-prompted radio singles, Thank Me Later incorporates the necessary effort and maturity to forget all about the former “kid from Degrassi,” as you should.

Nathaniel Rateliff

In Memory of Loss is a haunting, patient, and deeply introspective album.

Christina Aguilera

It’s silly to be disappointed that an album titled Bionic comes off robotic, but in the case of Christina Aguilera’s latest, it’s hard not to be.

Andrea Ball

A quick glance at her Blogspot and MySpace pages and you may discount Andrea Ball as just another run-of-the-mill singer. But she's not.

Coheed and Cambria

With the release of Coheed And Cambria’s Year Of The Black Rainbow, listeners get another well-orchestrated metal symphony.

Web Content

My Westword Showcase: Bands, Beer, and Sunburn

I started drinking at 10 a.m. on the morning of the Westword Music Showcase. That’s two hours before I would’ve normally greeted the day on any other Saturday. But since my band was slated to play the ass-early noon set, I met my other bleary-eyed members of Le Divorce at Le Central for le eggs and le booze to prepare for le rock.

Show Report

Jonathan And BPro @ Larimer Lounge

On Aug. 26, Jonathan And BPro transformed the stage of the Larimer Lounge from a grungy rock club into a stylish dance party. Think melodic electro-pop like La Roux with male vocals or Sam Sparro’s Black And Gold.

St. Elias @ Hi-Dive

Saturday night at the Hi-Dive showcased a party of local acts in honor of St. Elias’ latest release, Altered Beast. Before the beast could be unleashed, however, Accordion Crimes and Ideal Fathers warmed up the crowd with some antics of their own.

Prizzy Prizzy Please @ Hi-Dive

Prizzy Prizzy Please isn’t in the punk rock game because the band members have a grudge against The Man. Prizzy only has one modest intention: As laid forth on the song “Thought Command” of the quartet’s debut album, Prizzy wants to explore the galaxy, in search of gold.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers @ Red Rocks

Night two of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers confirmed that Petty isn’t stopping or slowing down. Touring to support the new album, Mojo, the first release from the group in almost eight years, Petty made it clear he has gotten his mojo back.

Lion Souljahs @ Herman’s Hideaway

The dance floor at Herman’s Hideaway is still vibrating from Saturday, April 24, when Lion Souljahs, Mono Verde, Fatty Jenkins, and The Say-So Crazies filled the venue with the rich sounds and bold beats of reggae, blues, and ska.

Bonobo @ The Ogden Theater

Going to see DJs perform at a concert venue is a confusing concept. I’m never sure if you are supposed to dance or simply stand still and watch them press buttons on their computer. Fortunately, London trip-hop group Bonobo had an array of instruments to occupy the stage and distract a little from the DJ.

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Concert Watch

Hometown Pride: Paean

Coming from ancient Greek, the word “paean” means “triumphal or grateful song”—and Fort Collins’ Paean will bring a handful of them on its first proper LP. Fittingly titled Songs For Us To Sing, the album will be released Friday, April 30, at the Hi-Dive.

Guest Star: Cannibal Corpse

Death metal wouldn’t be as brutal if there weren’t controversy to it. The members of New York band Cannibal Corpse are all too familiar with controversy—their violent lyrical content and gruesome album imagery have been banned in Germany, the U.S., and Australia. But getting banned or censored doesn’t stop or slow down this shock-metal band in the slightest.

More Cowbell

This week's picks of shows to see (or not see): Lion Sized, Shat, and more.

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