Moovers & Shakers 2008: Backbeat scribes weigh in on their favorite local releases of the year

Widowers, Widowers (Self-released). This highly anticipated debut deftly marries the psychedelic experimentation of the Constellations with Mike Marchant's simple, sunny, pop-folk songwriting. Listeners can admire and enjoy the undeniable hummability and stoner bliss on the surface or lose themselves in lairs and layers of sonic substance and complexity. Either way, it's a one-of-a-kind experience. — Eyl

The World Romantic, One Hundred Million Lights (Self-released). Sure, doe-eyed, melodic, lush, piano-laced rock has been done to death in recent years, even by some notable Denver bands, but this quartet dives in as if it's all brand-new and surfaces with a fresh and sincere take on the genre. James Dzuris's irresistible honey-and-heroin vocals will wear away your resistance. — Eyl

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Wovenhand, Ten Stones (Sounds Familyre). Former 16 Horsepower frontman David Eugene Edwards sprinkled some dark and powerful magic all over the songs on Ten Stones. The album nearly encapsulates the band's incredibly potent live shows with some intense dynamics and buildups fueled by Ordy Garrison's propulsive tribal drumming. — Solomon

Yerkish, Fear Conquers America (Self-released). After recording two EPs, Yerkish has delivered a long-player that showcases the band's growth over the last three years. The newer songs, some of which are odd-metered excursions that ride the line between progressive rock and metal, have gotten more vigorous, and a few older songs were retooled to better represent where the band is now. — Solomon