Another new contest :: Delta Spirit/Dr. Dog on Saturday in Denver

Here's a quicklike last-minute contest for a show in Denver this weekend, since the last one went over so well. On Saturday night, Philadelphia's Dr. Dog is playing the illustrious Hi-Dive with the sunshiney sounds of San Diego's Delta Spirit, and I've got a pair of tickets to give away.

People, Delta Spirit has put out one of my favorite albums of the year with their aptly-titled Ode To Sunshine. There's a raw and vital early '60s Rolling Stones rock taste laced through those sweet bluesy piano melodies. Songs like "Strange Vine" and "Parade" flirt with the reverb-laden surf guitar of a thousand Southern California beach parties from summers long faded. There's a yearning and an excitement running through the handclaps and hearty singalong sections of this album that are the domain of the young and the hopeful.

But my favorite description of Delta Spirit might be the one that said they're "the Violent Femmes gone sepia." Although they don't scrape those same depths of streetpunk/outsider yowl that the Femmes always evoke for me, singer Matt Vasquez definitely does let all the ragged edges of his voice bleed in a very real way that keeps the album authentic. This album lovingly revives the sound of vintage America but with a rough-hewn edge, and is absolutely delightful.

Plus -- if we're gonna go on looks, I've always remembered (with a smile) the way that Amrit wrote that Vasquez looks like he unwinds between shows at The Peach Pit.

Trashcan - Delta Spirit


NEW CONTEST -- WINNER GETS:
- One pair of tickets to Delta Spirit & Dr. Dog @ Hi-Dive (Sat. 9/27)
- Delta Spirit's Ode To Sunshine CD
- Copy of RAGGED Magazine (www.raggedmag.com)


To enter, please EMAIL ME with DELTA SPIRIT SHOW as the subject line, and I'll decide on a random winner over my coffee on Saturday morning. Because of the short notice, I'll probably call you to let you know, so please include a phone number if you're cool with that. I promise not to crank call or drunk dial you.

Ode to Sunshine is out now, seeing a wide re-release on Rounder Records, who were wise to snap these guys up.