Rock Club Denver Vol. 2

Best of 2013 — January 2014

Random Access Memories — Daft Punk

Best of 2013 was the inaugural annual recap theme. Its basis was simple enough, using the lists provided by Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, Stereogum, Rolling Stone, Spin and NPR’s end-of-year lists, find 5 songs from any of those albums.

This yearly tradition has become a favorite of ours as it gives us a chance to dig back and find albums music critics loved that we missed or agree with. Not only that, but because of the vast options, the odds of a repeat song is pretty minimal.

Despite that, this was the introduction of the first house rule for Rock Club Denver.

House Rule # 1: If you play a song that’s already been played, you’ve gotta take a shot of whatever liquor is available.

Mike M.
With one Rock Club under my belt, I felt a lot more comfortable knowing the vibe of the occasion. Best of 2013 provided the opportunity to go back and find albums I loved and ones I missed.

1. “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” — Queens of the Stone Age: I’ve been a fan of QOTSA since I was introduced to them when Songs for the Deaf was released in 2002. I distinctly remember buying that album during my first week of college in 2002. I had just settled into my dorm and walked to Atomic Records in Milwaukee, which was an established East Side staple close to campus. That intro album to QOTSA (thanks to finding out that Dave Grohl was on drums), made me an instant fan. …Like Clockwork is another favorite of mine from QOTSA. “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” is a killer lead track and really sets the mood for the album.
2. “Doin’ It Right” — Daft Punk: Like QOTSA, I have been a fan of Daft Punk for a long time. Like many, Homework was one of my earlier introductions to electronic music and established my fanhood of the style. Random Access Memories, which would go on to win Best Album at the Grammys, was a unique departure from the norm for Daft Punk but still had some unbelievable jams. This was one of my favorites of the album.
3. “Diane Young” — Vampire Weekend: One of Vampire Weekend’s louder and more ferocious songs and became one of their most popular.
4. “When A Fire Starts To Burn” — Disclosure: Thanks to this playlist theme I discovered Disclosure and this album would go on to be one of my most listened to afterward.
5. “Gun” — CHVRCHES: Like Disclosure, this theme introduced me to CHVRCHES. I was immediately surprised and captured by the band and this song.