Critic's Choice

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More About

• Fort Collins
• Tim O'Brien
• Jon Linn
• Adam Trujillo
• Punk Rock

The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien's semi-fictional memoir of Vietnam, is considered one of the greatest war books of all time. Although Fort Collins's The Things They Carry hasn't quite reached that level of acclaim, its gritty, relentless post-punk is every bit as visceral. The troupe formed in 2002 from the remnants of three legendary Fort Collins groups: Bassist Jason Cope and drummer Jon Linn served in the ballistic outfit Tanger; guitarist Adam Trujillo swung his ax in Endmile; and vocalist Abe Brennan was the drill sergeant of Wretch Like Me. The quartet recently released its eponymous debut EP, a seven-song salvo of chiseled, cerebral aggression that draws equally from the contorted dynamics of Shudder to Think, Jawbox and Shellac. This band of brothers will unload its ammo on Friday, July 22, at the hi-dive, with fellow Fort Collins-based act Monofog and Utah's I Am Electric. It's no Apocalypse Now, but The Things They Carry's grim, thunderous assault might make you think the world is indeed ending.