‘Rowdy Love,’ the killer second album from the Americana band Denver, is
earning them raves from the press and fellow musicians alike. Denver
sold out its hometown (Portland, OR) album release show, which also
featured legendary songwriter Michael Hurley on the bill. Next up is an
appearance this weekend at Timber! Music Fest, which also features J.
Mascis, Charles Bradley, Damien Jurado and Horse Feathers. Additionally,
the band will be headlining The Tractor Tavern in Seattle on Sunday night.
“When we BBQ in our driveway, we prefer to do it listening to Denver, the band.” – Shovels & Rope
“Rambunctious… ‘Rowdy Love’ lands somewhere in between icons like Townes
Van Zandt and Hank Williams, and modern favorites like Wilco and
Blitzen Trapper (whose frontman Eric Earley produced the LP).”
-Laura Leebove, Wondering Sound, July 10, 2014, full album stream
"Rowdy Love is, true to its title, bummed out, hopeful, joyful and
conciliatory... For fans of The Rolling Stones, Hank Williams, Guy
Clark."
- John Freeman, Country Weekly, June 26, 2014
“Ramshackle but right.”
-Ned Lannamann, Portland Mercury, July 14, 2014
“Dubbing Denver ‘heavy’ would be an understatement. But good country
shouldn’t tread lightly. After all, it’s an American institution
wallowing in booze and breakups. Drink it in, but expect a hangover.”
-Mark Stock, Willamette Weekly, July 16, 2014
“Glowing… [Music] you’ll want to listen to while drinking a beer in your backyard, thinking deep deep thoughts.”
-Kyle Mitchell, Music Savage, June 25, 2014
Showing posts with label denver. Show all posts
Showing posts with label denver. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
DENVER DELIVERS ‘ROWDY LOVE’ (JULY 15 / MAMA BIRD RECORDING CO.)
BLITZEN TRAPPER’S ERIC EARLEY PRODUCES NEW DENVER ALBUM
DENVER, the band, has confirmed the July 15th release of their second full-length album, Rowdy Love, via Mama Bird Recording Co. A personal favorite of tour mates Shovels & Rope, Denver sits comfortably on the vanguard of a new generation of Americana music.
“When we BBQ in our driveway, we prefer to do it listening to Denver, the band.” – Shovels & Rope
Sharing vocal and songwriting duties, Birger Olsen, Mike Elias and Tom Bevitori are the heart of Denver, while the rest of the line-up has long included several of Portland’s finest players. Currently, the band consists of drummer Sean MacNeil, bassist Billy Slater (Grails) and the legendary Lewi Longmire on lead guitar. Past and future editions include Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt, Ben Nugent (Dolorean), Ryan Spellman (Quiet Life), Ray Raposa (Castanets), Tom Menig and many others.
Paste praised their 2012 self-titled debut’s “perfect tunes,” while KEXP hosted a live session and proclaimed, “sweet harmonies and tight arrangements abound.” Statements like these become all the more relevant with Rowdy Love, as Denver teamed up with Earley and Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Norfolk & Western) for their first trip to a proper studio. Recorded live in just two days at Selzer’s Type Foundry Studio, Rowdy Love certainly showcases all the endless chops at Denver’s disposal.
The record’s true focus, however, lies in the rare way Olsen, Elias and Bevitori’s distinct voices co-exist. There’s a natural melding of styles that’s evolved from afternoons on Olsen’s back porch, late night’s around Elias’ fire pit, and every last time they’ve nailed “The Weight” harmonies at the old Triple Nickel. Denver’s three songwriters may come to the process with varying style and influences, but Denver’s songwriting is universally honest and bare, whiskey-fueled, sweat-soaked, and steeped in working class life. Some might call it country. Some might call it rock. Some might call it a few drunks on a stage. Either way, bullshit and irony have no home here.
Paste Magazine has the first mp3 "Carry On," saying, "the whisky-drenched tunes of Denver are packed with sweet harmonies and rowdy arrangements": http://www.pastemagazine.com/
Mike Elias said "I wrote 'Carry On' in the midst of uncertainty with my marriage. It's a middle ground song of not knowing whether to keep running away from the problems of my life or standing up and facing them."
Veterans of Pickathon, Denver has confirmed a set this year at the Timber! Music Fest alongside J. Mascis, Charles Bradley, Damien Jurado, and others.
Denver Tour Dates:
July 17th & 18th - Adrift Hotel - Long Beach, WA
July 19th – Record Release at Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR (w/ Michael Hurley)
July 24-26th - Timber! Music Fest - Carnation, WA (w/ J.Mascis, Charles Bradley, Damien Jurado, Horse Feathers, etc.)
July 27th - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
DENVER, the band, has confirmed the July 15th release of their second full-length album, Rowdy Love, via Mama Bird Recording Co. A personal favorite of tour mates Shovels & Rope, Denver sits comfortably on the vanguard of a new generation of Americana music.
“When we BBQ in our driveway, we prefer to do it listening to Denver, the band.” – Shovels & Rope
Sharing vocal and songwriting duties, Birger Olsen, Mike Elias and Tom Bevitori are the heart of Denver, while the rest of the line-up has long included several of Portland’s finest players. Currently, the band consists of drummer Sean MacNeil, bassist Billy Slater (Grails) and the legendary Lewi Longmire on lead guitar. Past and future editions include Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt, Ben Nugent (Dolorean), Ryan Spellman (Quiet Life), Ray Raposa (Castanets), Tom Menig and many others.
Paste praised their 2012 self-titled debut’s “perfect tunes,” while KEXP hosted a live session and proclaimed, “sweet harmonies and tight arrangements abound.” Statements like these become all the more relevant with Rowdy Love, as Denver teamed up with Earley and Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Norfolk & Western) for their first trip to a proper studio. Recorded live in just two days at Selzer’s Type Foundry Studio, Rowdy Love certainly showcases all the endless chops at Denver’s disposal.
The record’s true focus, however, lies in the rare way Olsen, Elias and Bevitori’s distinct voices co-exist. There’s a natural melding of styles that’s evolved from afternoons on Olsen’s back porch, late night’s around Elias’ fire pit, and every last time they’ve nailed “The Weight” harmonies at the old Triple Nickel. Denver’s three songwriters may come to the process with varying style and influences, but Denver’s songwriting is universally honest and bare, whiskey-fueled, sweat-soaked, and steeped in working class life. Some might call it country. Some might call it rock. Some might call it a few drunks on a stage. Either way, bullshit and irony have no home here.
Paste Magazine has the first mp3 "Carry On," saying, "the whisky-drenched tunes of Denver are packed with sweet harmonies and rowdy arrangements": http://www.pastemagazine.com/
Mike Elias said "I wrote 'Carry On' in the midst of uncertainty with my marriage. It's a middle ground song of not knowing whether to keep running away from the problems of my life or standing up and facing them."
Veterans of Pickathon, Denver has confirmed a set this year at the Timber! Music Fest alongside J. Mascis, Charles Bradley, Damien Jurado, and others.
Denver Tour Dates:
July 17th & 18th - Adrift Hotel - Long Beach, WA
July 19th – Record Release at Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR (w/ Michael Hurley)
July 24-26th - Timber! Music Fest - Carnation, WA (w/ J.Mascis, Charles Bradley, Damien Jurado, Horse Feathers, etc.)
July 27th - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Denver artwork & bio
This “Ramshackle All-Star Country Band” fashions itself a sort of modern-day Highwaymen. DENVER’s co-founders and chief songwriters Birger Olsen, Mike Elias and Tom Bevitori (Alela Diane’s Wild Divine) exchange lead vocals, swaying drunkenly between dusty saloons and that lonesome country air. The band has since filled out its line-up with a stellar supporting cast, which includes Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt, drummer Sean MacNeil, and a rotating crew of Portland’s finest.
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