DeVotchKa y SONS OF TOWN HALL

As a city, Denver, Colorado, USA is known for producing musical acts that are somewhat down to earth. Bands like The Lumineers, and The Fray included.

In contrast to these bands, the quartet are about as alternative as you can get, even beginning their career as a backing band for burlesque shows before creating their own music. Their first album, “SuperMelodrama” was released by the band independently in 2000 and they were immediately noticed off the back of it, touring with the likes of Calexico and Flogging Molly as a result.

Their second album came in 2003, and “Una Volta” saw the band return to their roots somewhat in its promotion. The record was mainly promoted via a tour with burlesque sensation Dita Von Teese, and their music was shown to a wider audience the year after, when their song “How It Ends”, off their third album of the same name, was featured in the trailer for the Liev Schreiber film “Everything is Illuminated”.

In 2006, however, they were to have their first major worldwide exposure. While the band were off the road, they were asked by directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to score their first film Little Miss Sunshine. The film became a phenomenon, one that led to the band being nominated for a Grammy for their work on the soundtrack.

Since then they’ve played stadium shows supporting Muse, scored another film in the form of 2009’s I Love You, Phillip Morris and released further studio albums. They remain one of the most thrillingly unpredictable bands of our time, and one whose next move will be just as exciting as the ones that came before it.