The Yes We Cans

Opened for: Tokyo Police Club
Where: The Black Sheep
            Colorado Springs,CO
If you like: Voxtrot
                SSLYBY
Listen to: With Headphones
Website: http://www.facebook.com/#!/theyeswecans




                    
                      From Colorado Springs, The Yes We Cans showed that they can play with the best of them. Refined with kicks and hooks aplenty, the future looks bright for this trio. Though the free three song CD-R they gave out pre-show doesn't have all the studio shine of an official release, the sound of a band beginning to find their identity and make something coherent makes it that much more endearing. "Vampire Girl", the first track, shows that The Yes We Cans know how to construct a catchy chorus. It also shows that maturity because they know that with some restraint and use of anticipation, the chorus can be that much more gratifying and surprising when it does finally kick in. The guitar harmony is done with precision and could likely be stuck in your head all day. It's not full of synths or special effects, but the simplicity of what The Yes We Cans created here is refreshing in a musical landscape full of a "more is better" mentality. Look for more material from The Yes We Cans in 2011, and if what they have already is any indication, headlining soon in a city near you.

Download:
The Yes We Cans EP

The Lonely Forest

Opened for: Someone Still Loves You Boris
                  Yeltsin
Where: The Mohawk
           Austin, TX
If you like: The Morning Benders
                Freelance Whales
Listen to: On a Rainy Day
Website: http://www.thelonelyforest.com/
              Download Free Winzip Alternative

             The Lonely Forest(makes you wonder if their name was inspired by another band with another lonely geographical location in their name)hail from Anacortes,Washington. Despite their self-titled EP being well under 20 minutes in length, it's quality not quantity that counts right? The EP opens with the best track of the 5 song EP in the ironic "Turn Off This Song and Go Outside"(more like 4, "Ramshackle House" times in at just under a minute) and closes with the best song of the EP. How can that be? The last song is an acoustic version of the first song, and though i'm still on the fence as to which one is better, they're both unique listening experiences. The third track, an ode to their home state of Washington(I Don't Want to Live There) creates a nice tension that never really quite boils over, but is still enjoyable regardless. "Let It Go" is a nice mid-tempo track, but is ultimately forgettable. Though it's not much, what The Lonely Forest do have is very promising, and if their live show is any indication of what's to come, there's a lot to look forward to. 

Download:

The Lonely Forest EP

The Dont's and Be Carefuls

Opened for: The Pomegranates, Oh No Oh My

Where: The Hi-Dive

            Denver,CO

If You Like: Tokyo Police Club

                  The White Stripes

Listen: With Your Windows Down

Website: http://www.myspace.com/thedbcs
              Download Winzip Free
                                                                  

                  
                    

               This quartet hails from my hometown of Denver. This band was teeming with energy from the beginning of their set to the last second, opening for Oh No Oh My and The Pomegranates they really stole the show(and the dance party we had in the crowd afterwords was pretty cool too). Their inaugural EP, Risk Assessment flys out the gate with the short but sweet "Simple Miracles", and never slows down, taking you on a journey full of catchy keyboard and synth riffs backed by precise guitar bursting with energy and percussion that really adds to, but doesn't distract from the overall formula. Though innovative wouldn't be the words I would use to describe The Don'ts and Be Carefuls, they take the indie-pop four person formula and make an EP worth listening to over and over again, every track just as consistent as the last.  With synth-driven riffs and sing-a-long choruses, who needs innovation? If it ain't broke don't fix it, and it sure as hell ain't broke.

Download:
The Risk Assessment EP