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Graphic by Bryan Danknich
The Metropolitan
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The Rapture
Members: Luke Jenner (guitarist/vocalist), Matt Safer (bassist),
Vito Roccoforte (drummer), Gabriel Andruzzi (multi-instrumentalist
including saxophone and percussions).
Locations: The band debuted in San Francisco; had a brief
residence in Seattle and finally transplanted themselves in hipster
haven New York City.
Sound: Public Image Ltd. meets Fugazi meets The Faint meets
Happy Mondays.
The Look: Five boys causing a biblical storm on the dance floor while
sporting fitting pants, shaggy hair and the indie rock ‘fro.
Scene Points: Members of the band draw influence from their
experience as club DJs; they released an EP on seminal indie label
Sub Pop; they have played with the Nuzzle, Sex Pistols and Sunny Day
Real Estate; also they have appeared on The Jimmy Kimmel show, reportedly
with David Faustino (Bud from television’s Married…With
Children) at the taping.
Album Review: Following a short string of minor releases,
The Rapture gained considerable recognition when their single, “House
of Jealous Lovers,” produced and released by the DFA, was picked
up by DJs and spun into dance club history. This electro-punk sound
was The Rapture’s calling and they were soon under the radar
of critics and fans. The major label debut, “Echoes,”
is an album which doesn’t quite live up to its potential. As
a whole the album is enjoyable, but nitpickers should be wary.
Quote: “I hear new shit every week for what kind of
band we are. The evolution has gone something like this: post-punk,
no wave, post-post-punk, new wave, new new wave, new no wave, electro,
electroclash, electropunk, punk funk, disco punk, disco pogo, indie
dance … I guess my point is that, in the end, it doesn’t
really matter,” said Roccoforte in an interview by Magnet Magazine.
The Rapture shakes their groove thing Nov. 20 at Larimer Lounge,
2721 Larimer, Denver. Openers include Beans and Navy Girls. Show is
21+. Music starts at 9 p.m. Tickets available through TicketsWest.com
or calling 1 (800) 325-SEAT.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Members: Karen O (vocals), Nicolas Zinner (guitarist), Brian
Chase (drummer).
Locations: O and Chase met at Ohio’s Oberlin College;
subsequently O transferred to New York University where she met Zinner.
Sound: The Strokes meets Sonic Youth meets Blondie meets Patti
Smith.
The Look: Hair in their eyes and tight black clothes, they are two
trendy boys and one aggressively fashionable girl.
Scene Points: The art punk trio is rumored as The Strokes’
favorite band; they’ve toured/played with The Liars and The
White Stripes; made an appearance on David Letterman; and O confessed
to shoving Courtney Love into potato salad backstage at the famed
music industry convention “South by Southwest Fest.”
Album Review: Considered a part of the garage rock revival,
Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been both blessed and cursed by the hype machine.
While the excitement surrounding them and their musical ability has
landed them hot opening gigs and major label attention; they have
also been victim to much more scrutiny than other bands of their ilk.
Their major label debut “Fever to Tell,” though eagerly
anticipated and sought after for review, received a mix of criticism
and praise. The first half of the album is pure gold with the raunchy
inventiveness expected of YYY, while the second half falls into pop
doom with ballads and strange experimental punk. Most critics wrote
highly of the few songs typical of the YYY sound, though the unexpected
and uncharacteristic songs were much less favored. It’s something
to wonder how the discord of the album would have played out to critics
if it wasn’t the work of O and clan.
Quote: “The problem with all of the attention and all
of the hype is that it quickens the pace of things. So, we have to
put the brakes on and re-sort ourselves out. Things were moving a
little too fast for us, and we just basically wanted to write songs
and play shows,” said O in an MTV News article.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs gladly gives out fashion tips Nov. 20 at Gothic
Theatre, 3623 S. Broadway in Englewood. Other scene-sters include
The Locust and The Swayback. All Ages admitted. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Tickets available at TicketWeb outlets, TicketWeb.com or calling 1
(866) 468-7621.
Graphic by Bryan Danknich - The Metropolitan
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