Denver
  • Denver

Another week, another Mercury music section to twirl your cornrows to as you learn that Guns N' Roses are doing a Las Vegas residency. Just like Celine! Rock 'n' roll dies pretty hard, eh? You have to admit: Axl in Vegas makes a certain amount of sense. But enough about shitty has-beens! This week we've got a bunch of new, local, cool bands to tell you about.

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Ex-Crosstide member Bret Vogel compulsively makes music under the Incredible Yacht Control banner. Now he's assembled a great band to bring these songs to a live audience.
LISTEN:

Incredible Yacht Control - "Japanese Skyline"
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Technique is overrated. Still Caves' two guitarists had never played in bands before, and their drummer took over the vocal mic when no one else wanted to. Despite this, they make great, freewheeling garage rock that actually rocks.
LISTEN:

Still Caves - "Dutch"
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Denver (pictured above) recorded an album. The songs and the playing were all there, but the record didn't sound as good as it should have. So they remixed it and re-released in on Mama Bird records, and now it sounds terrific—fitting for the just-as-terrific band that's playing pure country as god intended.
LISTEN:

Denver - "The Way It Is"
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Helvetia shares a name with a part of Hillsboro (both of them take the name from another word for Switzerland). Their low-key, post-hardcore psych is new to town, and very welcome.
LISTEN:

Helvetia - "RyBro"
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Plus a bubbling bouillabaisse of Up & Coming shows to burn the roof of your mouth.