The best and worst of local music in 2009

Here it is: The annual year-end best/worst list of some of our favorite moments in local music in 2009. Think we missed something? Add your own memories of the past year below.

Best misappropriation of a George Lucas trademark: Boba Fett And The Americans
Lucasfilm is going to need a lot of special-edition re-editing to find a better use for a megaphone and a Boba Fett helmet than leading a guerrilla-style marching band. Armed with a catalog that spans everything from Run DMC’s “Tricky” to “Brass Bonanza” (yeah, that was the Hartford Whalers’ ice music), Boba Fett And The Americans appear flash-mob style and get people literally dancing in the streets. The troupe wields the spontaneity and surprise of its impromptu concerts better than Han Solo handles a blaster, making its unannounced appearances all the more riveting. Better luck next year, TaunTaun.

Best video remake of a song we don’t remember liking: Milton Melvin Croissant III, “Nothing Compares 2 U”
When a video of Milton Melvin Croissant III lip-syncing to Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” began floating around the Internet this summer, we were mesmerized. Maybe it was his piercing stare or his uncanny ability to mimic O’Connor’s every dainty, pathetic move from the early ’90s original—maybe it was the fact that Croissant’s butt made an appearance in the video’s intro. Whatever it was, we liked it.

Best shout out to a local venue by a national band: No Age at the Fillmore Auditorium
It was strange enough to see No Age opening for the Pixies at the Fillmore, but when guitarist Randy Randall gave thanks to local DIY venue Rhinoceropolis for loaning the L.A. band some gear, the clueless, beer-fondling audience stood silent; save for the four or five screaming kids who paid way too much money to see No Age, a band that usually plays Rhinoceropolis on a donation-only basis anyway. Regardless, the contextual implication of a band that plays on the floors of warehouses giving a shout-out at a mega-venue like the Fillmore was pretty fucking cool.

Most over-exposed act: 3OH!3
From the VMA awards Twitter campaigns to the national contests to the autograph party outside the Fillmore Auditorium, 3OH!3 seemed to be fucking everywhere this year. The endless promotion and stream of news didn't stop—though it did seem to peak with the Boulder duo’s collab with Katy Perry—but, at the very least, it was pretty amusing to hear/read/see our area code all over the national media. 

Least expected break-up: The Pseudo Dates
Not long after the release of a full-length album, Denver psych-pop group The Pseudo Dates quietly announced that they would be going on hiatus (read: breaking up). Despite a relatively short span—they formed in late 2007—the Dates had made a noticeable local dent, regularly packing Denver’s divier venues with fans eager to bliss out to super-catchy ’60s-inspired pop songs. At least half the band has already found work elsewhere—bassist Suzi Allegra plays in Fissure Mystic and drummer John Fate backs up Jim McTurnan—but there’s no denying that the Dates will be missed.

Best farewell show: Everything Absent Or Distorted at the Bluebird Theater
Life was always bound to happen while the eight regular members of Everything Absent Or Distorted were busy making plans. After a round of job changes and baby births and engagements within the group, EAOD decided to call it quits. But with the understanding that a funeral should be a celebration and not some bleak, heavy affair, the band threw a farewell shindig at the Bluebird Theater. Blasting through every song in its arsenal (including fan-favorite covers of The National and Neutral Milk Hotel) and more than a few bottles of booze, bathed in bright lights and blowing bubbles, the band put on a show equal parts indie-rock and circus act.

Worst farewell show: Hot IQs at the Larimer Lounge
Note to bands: After cultivating a following willing show up at 6 p.m. to watch your final show, you can at least humor everyone involved by playing your own songs. A couple of months after its “official” send-off at the Bluebird, the band whipped out a clumsy covers set at the Larimer Lounge in lieu of bowing out with the tried-and-true songbook. Sure, the IQs slapped a few favorites (“Duck And Cover,” “Houndstooth,” and, of course, “Firecracker”) on the end, but it’s hard to believe anyone in the audience wanted to listen to the band shine a light on its painfully obvious inspirations instead of reminding us of just why we fell for the band in the first place.

Best local album: Pictureplane, Dark Rift
When Travis Egedy, aka Pictureplane, released Dark Rift this year on New York’s Lovepump United, he set the Denver music galaxy on fire. Like a magnifying glass view of the city’s thrashy underground dance movement, Dark Rift exposed the sounds of a glittery culture based almost entirely around the happenings at Egedy’s home/venue Rhinoceropolis. “Gang Signs” had the deep bass beats; “New Mind” wound us up like a lost Sandra Collins/Crystal Waters collaboration; and “Goth Star” felt like an ecstasy hangover after the most epic rave of 1996. The transitive collection of spacey tempos, airy vocals, and synthetic nods to the days when happy house ruled club sound systems showcased some of Egedy’s best work as a performance artist, DJ, and vocalist. Dark Rift also proved to be the perfect soundtrack for a séance, a hardcore cardio work out, or just a good old-fashioned dance party. 

Best local-band melodrama: The Kissing Party vs. Denver scenesters
We interviewed The Kissing Party’s Gregg Dolan earlier this year, and his statement that there were too many overrated local bands caused quite a stir. Amid a whole lot of silly name-calling and finger-pointing, a more interesting dialogue emerged: Is speaking frankly about iffy acts detrimental or supportive of the local scene and, more importantly, why is it such a pseudo-hullabaloo when a musician lets down the plastic grin and speaks honestly about his contemporaries?