Hot IQs/Lion Sized
Two of our city’s most galvanizing acts joined forces to release new EPs at the Hi-Dive on Nov. 17.
Lion Sized, featuring former members of The Symptoms and current members of D. Biddle, kicked it off with its lacerating, articulate post-punk. The boys have probably heard the Fugazi comparisons, but they’re apt and complimentary. The breathless set barely paused between the taut, squirrely songs.
Following a triumphant turn by Everything Absent or Distorted, Hot IQs climbed on stage. Honed by a month of national touring, Denver’s best indie-rock trio mixed tracks from its debut album and the ambitious new “Dangling Modifier” EP. The band’s musicianship has blossomed noticeably. If they maintain this velocity, the rest of the country will have no choice but to sit up and take notice.
– John Wenzel
The Life There Is
The drummer, wearing big headphones, is playing over an intricate drum machine beat. The meandering lap steel is messing with your head, and the vocalist is kind of creeping you out, manipulating his voice into some perversely listenable theramin-like instrument.
The Life There Is, an intoxicating Colorado band that played the Larimer Lounge on Saturday, no doubt owns Radiohead’s discography. Not many bands could pull off such an homage, but this artful band makes it seem easy, and perhaps even unintentional.
The group seems to be in transition; a couple songs were of a different, less-experimental aesthetic. But the mix was particularly solid on Saturday, with vocals barely peeking out through the varied instrumentation, guiding each track down a different road than before. The band’s use of the lap steel is genius, and the layering of percussion was equally powerful.
– Ricardo Baca
Demetri Martin
Despite his Comedy Central specials and “Trendspotting” gig on “The Daily Show,” Demetri Martin flies mostly under the radar. Perhaps his cerebral one-liners and subtle delivery have something to do with that. The Boulder Theater was only about half full at Martin’s Nov. 16 stand-up set, but the $30 tickets made it easy to see why more people didn’t show.
Along with Irish comedian David O’Doherty and fellow ex-“Conan O’Brien” writer Leo Allen, Martin presented a literate and subversive stand-up not usually seen in the comedy club circuit. Flow charts, bells, guitars, keyboards and endearingly crude drawings served as props, although Martin self-deprecatingly noted that he had surpassed Carrot Top for the number of props on stage.
– John Wenzel
Starlight Mints
The Starlight Mints, which rocked the Larimer Lounge on Nov. 17, are almost vaudevillian in the presentation of their bawdy pop. The music irreverently dodges pop formula, and while their affiliation with the Flaming Lips is more geographical than musical, the band still fits under the “oddball” classification.
They prove this on their current record, “Drowaton,” which jumps all over the place with its inspired synth pop. It often feels like the soundtrack to a carnival, which is perfect given the multimedia freakfest that is the group’s live show.
The Mints played to the Larimer crowd last week, and their fervent all-ages following lapped up every synth-sweep. The band was even potent enough to drag the 21-plussers, sans drinks, from behind the all-ages barricade.
– Ricardo Baca
