On Friday, April 19th, CLASSIXX played at the weekly Friday dance party HOME in front of a sold out crowd at Norad Dance Bar presented by TheHundred and Souls In Action. Concerted Effort was there to capture some of the magic of that night on film. Check out the video below and relive that incredible show!

   

As usual, the night will have solid support, featuring the likes of option4, Vanish, WERQ, and Fun Factory. Since TheHundred is non-profit, tickets are always cheap, so cover is only $6. The party gets started at 9PM. Get there early before it packs out to avoid being left out in the cold! You can RSVP on Facebook here.

Earlier this year, a new dream-pop group, CCERULEANN, exploded into the Denver music scene. The brother-sister duo of Elliott and Marilyn Baker made many take notice with the release of their first single, "Future Wind". We wanted to know a little more about what these guys were about, so we set off to their home studio and got the pair to share a bit of their story on camera. As of now, they've only released a pair of singles on their Bandcamp page, but they have a full EP coming out on the horizon. We'll be sure to tell you more as their story continues to unfold.

We sat down with Denver's School Knights late this summer and had the four-piece band talk about their band, their philosophy and upcoming new music. School Knights has evolved from it's initial two-piece setup to it's current configuration, but they've always maintained the same carefree philosophy that drives their garage rock sound. They'll be hitting the recording studio this fall and will have new music to release, but until then, you can enjoy their latest EP for free at Bandcamp!

TheHundred presents Anna Lunoe from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

Now almost a year strong, the monthly house music party TheHundred has had an impressive run. Their parties have consistently offered a great vibe and amazing talent. Last month, Denver was treated to Anna Lunoe, whose impressive set capped another incredible night.

TheHundred is back again this month, with a party this Saturday, Sep. 22. A collection of talent that includes DJ Ricard, Mike Dee(z), Paul Anthony, option4, and Sammy Bananas will be on hand to keep the party going. RSVP and get more information here. The music starts at 9:00PM and there is no cover before 10PM ($6 afterwards).

Glowing House - 'When The World Stands You Up' from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.
Glowing House, is about to set off on their 'Middle America' tour with Chicago's Exit Ghost, kicking everything off with a show tonight in Denver at Unit E before wrapping up in Chicago on September 9th. Denver's indie-folk darlings Glowing House just released their sophomore album Days Run Out this summer, and now they are set to hit the road to share their music. We're sharing a song you may not have heard if you haven't caught Glowing House live yet - a song that debuted about the same time as their new album but hasn't yet been released. This video was recorded at the first live performance of this song at Mile High Spirits in June.


"When The World Stands You Up" is a short and sweet piece that is loaded with Glowing House's characteristic lyrical attention to detail. The song is built around the idea of an elder passing on advice, with the poignant chorus, "Never write in stone, you'll leave nowhere to go. You'll find what you're made of when the world stands you up."

Glowing House's tour kickoff show begins at 9PM tonight at Unit E with Exit Ghost and special guest Anthony Ruptak. The show is all ages and tickets are just $5. Or you can catch them on the rest of their tour at these dates and locations:

"Holy Underground is a multi-faceted music company that takes pride in operating with a collective mentality. We represent a variety of independent artists who we feel are putting out the best music Denver has to offer, and who have a conscious commitment to pushing the boundaries of our scene. We offer these artists services such as booking, management and publicity, in addition to running a record label HUG Records on the side. Our goal is to get our bands the local and national attention they deserve, and offer a lifeline for our artists to reach their full potential inside and outside our beloved Denver island."

So what does all that mean? It means that Holy Underground is committed to enriching and bringing more attention to the vibrant Denver music scene. Holy Underground is launching with a stable of ten strong local acts that cover a range of music styles: Achille Lauro, Cerulean, Flashlights, Force Publique, Hollagramz, LUST, ManCub, Mombi, Sauna and School Knights. Their goal is to allow these and other future local acts to break outside of the Denver market and garner national attention while allowing them to maintain Denver as a base, in turn making Denver more important to the overall national music scene.


It also means that this Saturday night is shaping up to be a great party, as Holy Underground will be showcasing the electro side of their lineup with ManCub, Force Publique, Cerulean and Flashlights. Steffi Graf from L.A. will keep the party going with a late night DJ set, and DJ Babyshoe will keep the party going in between sets. CRAP Eyewear will have sunglasses on hand to give away as well. Come out and celebrate and be a part of Holy Underground's mission to further the Denver music scene!

The Holy Underground Launch Party is at Larimer Lounge on Saturday, September 1st. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The show is 21+ and the doors open at 8:00PM. Tickets and more information are available online here.

The focus of our Local Shakedown series is to provide a documentary-style behind-the-scenes look at various band's experiences on the radio show, but this often means we don't show the whole on-air performance in those particular videos. From time to time, Concerted Effort will be digging back into our archives to share some of the previously unreleased performance footage in the form of the live performance music video series Local Shakedown Extra.

Local Shakedown Extra: Young Pharaohs - "White Shadows" from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.
This video features unreleased footage from Young Pharaohs' on-air performance back in June 29. If you caught the Local Shakedown documentary, the band spoke of performing three songs, which you can hear in its entirety via the Local Shakedown blog. This video features the on-air version of "White Shadows", a song that comes from Young Pharaohs' album by the same name available here. Check back soon for more Local Shakedown episodes (Hindershot is up next), and more unreleased footage from Local Shakedown Extra.

The fourth day of the Underground Music Showcase meant that the festivities would come to a close, but not  until after one last string of great performances. We were able to catch images from eleven more acts that performed on the last day, including: Allout Helter, Atlas Sound, Esme Patterson, Ian Cooke Band, M & The Gems, The Marrow, Paper Bird, Rachel & The Kings, Rubedo, Shaky Molars, and Wheelchair Sports Camp.

The third day of the Underground Music Showcase was packed with well over a hundred performances throughout the day. We caught as much as we could, capturing images from 17 different acts including: Air Dubai, A Place To Bury Strangers, BLKHRTS, Class Actress, DJ Tower, Flashlights, Gauntlet Hair, Kissing Party, Montbello Drum Line, Panal S.A. de C.V., option4, Pink Hawks, Shabazz Palaces, Slow Magic, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Soundboy Punishment, and TREES.

The second day of the 2012 Underground Music Showcase crammed even more great music into another fun-filled night. With the festivities beginning earlier and the main stage open, day two definitely made it known that the festival was in full swing. There were plenty of highlights that happened this day - check out images from these performers: A Shoreline Dream, Big Freedia & The Divas, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Force Publique, Il Cattivo, Le Divorce, ManCub, Men In Burka, Narky Stares/Teena Pizza, Peter Black, and Signal Path.

Underground Music Showcase 2012 Day 2 from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

It's been a long time coming, but the wait is over: To The Night, the debut official release from Denver DJ and producer option4 is available starting today. About three years ago, option4 was slated to release an album, but an unfortunate incident robbed him of all his hard work. Understandably devastated, option4 had to start the process all over again, but that didn't come until he found new inspiration in the city he currently calls home.


After some time as a resident DJ at Lipgloss and founding a house music movement of his own called TheHundred, the moment seemed right to hit the production studio again to create a collection of songs that reflected his emotions and experiences influenced by the places he's seen and the relationships that he has built. Seeking to combine an appreciation of techno, and funky soul with house music, the four tracks on To The Night represent his interpretation.


The EP opens with the bass-laden "Sunny Side" that juxtaposes a dark tech-house feel with a hint of acid house layered under airy vocals from Aubree. "Darkworld" envelops the listener like a thick, hypnotic fog; sobering yet infectious. "Mile High Bounce" was made with Denver in mind, a tribute to the vibrant late-night/early-morning dance music scene that thrives week after week. The whole album is rooted around the fiery single "Ride On", a tech-house western inspired by a gloomy drive on the west coast that mixes acoustic guitar with thumping bass and delivers an incredible hook.


The album will be available exclusively on beatport.com for one month before hitting other outlets like iTunes, so head on over there to grab a fresh copy for yourself. To celebrate the EP release, option4 will be headlining the Larimer Lounge this weekend - Saturday, August 18. This all-Denver affair presented by TheHundred and Holy Underground will include local support from Babyshoe, Jinro, Matt Ferry and London Dungeon. RSVP on Facebook and get your tickets and more information online here.

Underground Music Showcase 2012 Day 1 from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

This time we took the trip to Radio 1190 with Denver's Rubedo. Starting at their D.I.Y. venue Unit E, get a glimpse of the personalities and philosophies that make up this band. Catch a behind the scenes look of what it's like to be on Radio 1190's Local Shakedown, and watch Rubedo's performance unfold. From our experience, we can say that Rubedo is an incredible band to catch live, and if you haven't done so or been wondering when you can see them again, they'll be performing at Colorado Music Buzz' Higher Ground Festival which takes place August 24-26.

Rubedo: Local Shakedown from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.
Head over to Rubedo's Bandcamp page to stream and purchase their album Massa Confusa released in May of this year and produced by Ikey Owens.

The next installment of our series chronicling Radio 1190's Local Shakedown features the Denver experimental/progressive rock band Holophrase. Flashback to their practice space and ride along with them to Boulder for a performance on Local Shakedown. Then listen to their on-air interview. Features unreleased Holophrase songs performed live at the station.


Holophrase: Local Shakedown from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

Last month Flashlights celebrated the release of their EP So Close To Midnight on limited edition pink cassette tapes with packed out Larimer Lounge show, but that wasn't the only thing new Flashlights debuted that night. For this first time in Denver, Flashlights performed as a three piece band enlisting the help of live drummer Taylor Thomas. Furthermore, in addition to performing the new music they were releasing that night, they debuted as of yet unreleased material. Flashlights mentioned that they were heading more towards dance music, and the last song they played, "Haunt Me Forever", was preview of that new direction. Check out the music video of that song made from the live audio and video recording from that night!


 Flashlights - "Haunt Me Forever" (Live) from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

Keep your eyes on the Flashlights Facebook and Bandcamp pages to follow their updates and get a hold of their new music!

For a while now, Radio 1190's Local Shakedown has been a great outlet for Denver's vibrant local scene. Every Friday from 4PM-6PM, the radio show delivers a well curated mixture of Denver's best home grown music to its station's listeners. To sweeten the deal, Local Shakedown often brings in bands to do live performances in studio and on broadcasts them on air.




Young Pharaohs: Local Shakedown from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

Holophrase, a local Denver rock band with a myriad of influences and an eclectic sound that leans towards experimental and progressive rock is releasing their new EP, Horizons of Expectation, tonight at the Hi-Dive. Although guitarists Luis Etscheid, Jared Henning, and drummer Caleb Henning played music together since they were in high school, the band didn't coalesce until two years ago when they met singer and violinist Malgosia Stacha. Now they are releasing their first EP, with a live show that promises the fusion of both their auditory and visual art. Bad Weather California, Jason Anderson, and Wire Faces also join the night's bill. Check out this video to learn more about the Holophrase story.

On Friday, July 6, ManCub will be rocking the Larimer Lounge once more, this time with Drop The Lime and Cassian on the bill. If you're not familiar with ManCub or you just want to know how ManCub's electro-noise pop sound is made, check out this video. Concerted Effort spent some time in Alex Anderson's studio. The mastermind behind the band talks about how he makes and performs his music. Watch the video before heading out to Friday's show. You can win tickets to this show on Facebook, courtesy of Early Bird // Night Owl and Holy Underground!


ManCub from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

The live ManCub experience is one that is constantly changing. Alex Anderson strives to stay innovative and deliver something new and better every time he takes the stage as ManCub. This Friday will be no exception. ManCub will perform as a duo, but instead of another person on effects pedals and backing vocals, Alex Anderson will be joined by DJ Babyshoe. Together the pair will play a set where they will perform a DJ set with music live remixed and manipulated both through the DJ decks and ManCub's array of effects pedals to deliver a unique live experience.


ManCub will open in local support of these great artists:

Cassian:
The electro, nu-disco producer known for his club-ready, Euro-infused beats just released The Love Cuts EP  a few weeks ago. The Sydney native has been touring the festival circuit, including SnowBall Music Festival a few months ago. Signed to Windish Agency, alongside A-Trak, Washed Out, Chromeo and M83. In 2011 Cassian completed a slew of well received remixes for artists such as PNAU, The Rapture, Bag Raiders, Gigamesh, Citizens! and Miami Horror (who he collaborated with for a joint remix). Denver is his last stop on his US Tour before playing three dates in California before heading to the Dominican Republic.

Drop The Lime:
NYC native Luca Venezia aka Drop the Lime is an electronic producer and DJ and founder of dance label Trouble & Bass. He is best known for his distinct twist on the Trouble & Bass sound, combining his love of Rockabilly with his own take on bass-driven music. Vivian Host describes Venezia's sound as comprising "chopped-up breaks making hairpin turns, breakdowns coming out of nowhere, a foundation of wobbling goblin bass often cut in with tropical, clacking snares", with "enigmatic lyrics in his singularly scratchy, bluesy notes." In other words, Drop the Lime takes the rowdiest parts of electronic, rock and bass music to create an unforgettable dance experience.

The show takes place at the Larimer Lounge on Friday, July 6. The doors open at 8PM and the show starts at 9PM. Tickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 at the door. Tickets and more information are available online here.

Lipgloss, Denver's longest running club night does more than throw a great dance party every Friday night. Sometimes the prospect of quality acts coming to town can't be ignored, and Lipgloss will help throw a one-off party at another venue. That was the case when The Twelves and The Phantom's Revenge came to Denver, and the result was a wicked Wednesday night dance party that instantly became a night to remember. If you were there, you already know, but if you missed it, check out the video below to see why you should keep your eyes out for the next one. Until then, be sure to catch Lipgloss - still every Friday night, but at their new Beauty Bar location. They'll be hosting a big act in their new digs to celebrate their 11th anniversary with the Junior Boys on June 29 - another sure to be can't miss event!

Lipgloss presents The Twelves from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

The Lipgloss anniversary party is on Friday, June 29 at Beauty Bar. This 21+ event kicks off at 9:00PM sharp. Tickets are $7 in advance and are available for purchase online here.