The Dont's and Be Carefuls at the Meadowlark

The latest in a long line of noteworthy bands from the unlikely creative breeding ground of Greeley, The Don'ts and Be Carefuls (due at the Meadowlark on Thursday, May 21) have been making their mark on audiences since spring 2008. Putatively a dance-punk band, these guys have gone beyond that...

By Tom Murphy

May 21, 2009

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The latest in a long line of noteworthy bands from the unlikely creative breeding ground of Greeley, The Don'ts and Be Carefuls (due at the Meadowlark on Thursday, May 21) have been making their mark on audiences since spring 2008. Putatively a dance-punk band, these guys have gone beyond that well-worn genre. With their youthful exuberance and refreshingly innocent songwriting, even early on the Be Carefuls had more in common with the eccentric pop sensibilities of Jonathan Richman than the ultra-catchy bastard children of post-punk that have plagued us the last several years. The fact that the group doesn't stick to one type of pacing, texture and mood, even within the context of a single song, sets it apart from its obvious musical kin. This is one band that's as playful as it is compelling.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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