The FlashBangs

Bands in Denver's indie scene always wonders why they rarely manage to break out of Colorado. The answer is simple: Even our most promising bands are often weak, desperately opportunistic copies of what was cool on the coasts two years ago. There are exceptions to the rule -- like Vaux and Matson Jones -- but they also prove it by actually succeeding. Viva La Blah Blah Blah, the debut by the FlashBangs, is a disc so packed with the sheer joy of making noise that it renders whining about South By Southwest utterly irrelevant. The sound is rock and roll, straight up, that hints at the Runaways, L7 and Sahara Hotnights without falling back on cliche or gimmick. Or a fucking dance beat. Will the FlashBangs bring A&R execs and national media flocking to the Mile High City? Nope. But they'll make this scene far more habitable and free of bullshit. Solid, rocking, unpretentious and pure: Denver needs more releases and bands like this.