Pee Pee at the Skylark. Not that kind of pee pee.

- UNDERGROUND MUSIC SHOWCASE -

On Saturday, more than 80 bands, DJs and comics took over 11 venues along South Broadway for the seventh annual Denver Post Underground Music Showcase. The result was the most impressive gathering of local music in recent memory.

It was impossible to see everyone you wanted to see. And while you can read full blogs on the day written by myself, John Wenzel and many other local bloggers all linked via denverpost.com/music, here are some highlights, thoroughly abridged…

Jim McTurnan’s solo set at Kozo was mellow and riveting. Lion Sized’s early all- ages set at the Hi-Dive was pummeling. In heaven, Tarmints will always be playing with the Omens, Machine Gun Blues, Black Lamb, American Relay and Bad Luck City — as they did at 3 Kings Tavern.

The Archive’s all-ages set at IndyInk was revealing and fun. Ian Cooke’s set at Fancy Tiger was stupendous. Born in the Flood’s headlining set at the Hi-Dive was life-affirming. Frontside Five playing in front of Thrifty Stick was a thrill and a jolt.

The late-night collaborations at the Irish Rover — Porlolo, Joe Sampson, Bad Weather California, Roger Green, an unplanned Danghead set, among others — were baffling. And Joshua Novak and Pee Pee should always play together, as they did on Saturday at the Skylark.

- Ricardo Baca

Here’s another local blogger’s review of the UMS.

Public transportation is the new limousine service.

- THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR -

Sporadic rain failed to dissuade the indie pop crowd from hitting the Hi-Dive on Tuesday night to catch the remarkably solid lineup of locals the Widowers (which I missed, unfortunately) and touring acts Papercuts and the Ladybug Transistor. I really wish I hadn’t missed the Widowers, as the crowd abuzz with considerable love for the band. Featuring members of Constellations, the Widowers have engendered some serious devotion for only having played a few shows.

San Francisco trio Papercuts followed, splitting the difference between Galaxie 500 and the Velvet Underground with its sleepy, gorgeous garage pop. “Poor and Free” floated on Jason Quever’s swooning, organ-wrapped vocals and drumming so basic and deliberate it made Moe Tucker sound like Neil Peart. How Quever kept his 12-string electric tuned through the jittery, Kinksesque string rakes was beyond me.

The openers were apt complements to the Ladybug Transistor, an ever-shifting Brooklyn collective led by ’70s pastoral pop devotee Gary Olson. With a baritone to rival Ric Ocasek and a catalog of spidery, retro melodies, Olson led the Ladybug through a set heavy with tunes from the band’s latest, “Can’t Wait Another Day.” Minor equipment problems failed to derail songs like “This Old Chase,” which benefited from Ben Crum’s Gram Parsons-flavored guitar.

A set with more variety (particularly songs from band’s opus, “The Albemarle Sound”) would have juiced up the crowd a bit more, but the crisp, effortless playing on “Terry” and “Always on the Telephone” made up for the narrow focus.

- John Wenzel

Nine members. Collect them all!

- NATHAN & STEPHEN -

While we’re not quite sure how the nine band members of Nathan & Stephen are able to harness the unabashed, reckless joy they wield and somehow corral into a 30- minute set of fluorescent pop, we’re glad they’re such talented channelers of energy, life and power pop.

When the band opened for Meese at the Bluebird on Aug. 10, they not only sounded better than they ever have as a band, they also sounded better in the sense that their mix at the board was crystalline — quite an accomplishment for a nine-piece with a couple of horns and a gazillion sing-along choruses.

The band, hot off a No. 3 placement in this year’s seventh annual Denver Post Underground Music Poll, was especially alive during the excellent celebration “Like You Don’t Care” and the uplifting “Stand Back Up.” It’s impressive that the most frustrating thing about this band is that, as good as their debut EP is, it’s only five songs strong.
Singer Nathan McGarvey, with a voice of the coarsest grade of sandpaper, later told The Post that the band is getting ready to record a full-length album — but that it’s taking time coordinating all nine members.

- Ricardo Baca

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