The Denver Sound

About the list: "The Denver Sound" can be described as a dark and brooding mood with a strange mix of americana, polka, punk, dark cabaret and vaudeville including some east-european influences and ...whatever.

   

No

 Album art Artist Active

Notes

 

 

1

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16 Horsepower

 

 

 

NO

The mother of (almost) all “gothic country” bands. To paraphrase a popular movie: "One band to rule them all, One band to find them, One band to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." Their influence and importance on the genre can not be overstated.

 

 

2

 

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Wovenhand

 

 

 

YES

When 16 Horsepower withered down, David Eugene Edwards took his music in a harder, darker, sheerer and more enigmatic direction. Wovenhand refers to two hands clasped in a prayer. On later albums they have moved towards an even harder sound. 

 

 

3

 

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Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots

 

 

 

 

 

NO

We find many names for those we love. Frontman Jay Munly appears under ”Munly”, ”Munly Jay Munly”, ”Munly Munly”, “Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots” and “Munly & the Lupercalians”. Often decribed as "a thinkin' man's country music". “Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots” was the finest hour.

 

 

4

 

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 Slim Cessna's Auto Club

 

 

 

 YES

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club is one of the stalwarts of the incestious Denver scene. It would be almost an insurmountable task to enumerate all band members, since almost every talented musician in Denver at some point and to a shorter or longer time have played in SCAC.

 

 

5

 

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The Denver Gentlemen

 

 

NO

The Denver Gentlemen is without any doubt the best example of the enigmatic "Denver Sound", which can be described as a strange mix of americana, polka, punk, dark cabaret and vaudeville including some east-european influences and ...whatever. A cult followed.

 

 

6

 

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Tarantella

 

 

 

 

NO

Tarantella is probably the best band you never heard. Taking their influences from the Southern Hemisphere, particularly Argentina, they created a unique sound. Their songs are sung alternally in english and spanish. Still gothic, of course.  

 

  

7

DBUK preview

 

 

 Denver Broncos UK

 

 

 

 

YES

 
DBUK is a side-project to Slim Cessna's Auto Club and Jay Munly's projects. Despite the fact that DBUK have only released a single "The Red Cross Is Giving Out Misinformation / Immaculately Warded Children" they are no. 7 on the list. The line-up is exquisite.

 

 

8

 

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DeVothcKa

 

 

 

YES

DeVotchKa (russian for "girl") began originally as a backing band for burlesque shows. DeVotchKa are one of four bands on list that are still active, which is quite an achivement considering the hostile environment for this kind of music. 

 

 

9

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Kalamath Brothers

 

 

 

NO

Kalamath Brothers was active between 1999-2002 and in 2001 they released their only and self-titled album. The site Westword wrote: "It's Nashville meets Appalachia by way of Heironymus Bosch." Very apt words.

 

 

10

Goodbye The Czars album

 

 

The Czars

 

 

 

 NO

The Czars was active for ten years, between 1994 and 2004. In 2004 the band fell apart when five out of six band members left the band during a period of nine months. Their last album have, incidentally, the title "Goodbye".  


 

    

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