Chairlift
It’s rare that the first band on a three-group bill outshines everything that follows, but it sure is excellent when it happens.
The Court and Spark show at the Larimer Lounge on June 29 was sparsely attended, especially early, but Chairlift opened the show with a set that was as intoxicating as the band’s folk-rooted pop is addictive.
The Boulder three-piece, with occasional subtle drum-machine backing, worked its delicate synth-and-guitar instrumentation into a delightful meld of indie rock and folk music that was a loose weave as opposed to a tight braid. The vocals and arrangements, heavily influenced by Rilo Kiley and other members of the indie elite, were exceptional.
The band is fronted by Caroline P., her name according to the band’s MySpace page, and she has a natural charisma and an adorable voice that captivates, woos and charms. Aaron D. is the Blake Sennet to her Jenny Lewis in this project, which seems to be more of an equal partnership than Rilo Kiley’s songwriting dynamic.
And the music flowed naturally from these talented young songwriters, notably the excellent and college-radio-ready “Don’t Give a Damn.” The group is soon leaving Colorado for the bright lights of New York City, but has at least one more Colorado show: July 14 at Burnt Toast Restaurant on The Hill in Boulder.|Ricardo Baca
The BellRays
This Southern California garage band has a way of bringing the pain as if it were from Detroit. The rock is as furious as it is celebratory, and when you bring the gospel stylings of singer Lisa Kekaula into the mix, the music explodes off the stage like a wayward pit bull, snarling and charging its way to the back of the room.
As with any BellRays show, the June 30 gig at the Larimer Lounge was a sweaty affair. The high point of the night came when Kekaula and her band of merry men took down the room with the 3-year-old “Revolution Get Down.”
Everyone has their favorite songs, but this one is so undeniable that it’s impossible not to feel the rat-a-tat of the tambourine, the unruly guitar and the authoritative wails that owe as much to Al Green as to Mick Collins. Kekaula’s voice is so dynamic it can wheel around any corner, and this is one of the band’s tracks that truly gives her the room to play the entire field.
While the material from the new “Have a Little Faith” album sounded great, it never quite reached the intensity of this little gem.|Ricardo Baca
Katie Herzig
Katie Herzig, the familiar face and voice behind the now-defunct Newcomers Home, is on to something hot with her solo career. In her short set June 30 at the Walnut Room, which had her visiting from her new home in Nashville, she romanced the crowd with familiar songs from her past (both solo and band tracks) while nodding to an exciting future.
“We’ll be filming a video for this song in L.A. soon,” she said before leading into an affable track that showcased her radio-
ready voice with aplomb. But the song that followed, “Sweeter Than This,” is a piece of songwriting that should easily get her onto AAA radio.
Her imagination and desire – not to mention her skillful musicianship – deserve praise and, more important, airplay.|
Ricardo Baca
