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Denver Harbor
| Denver Harbor—has kind of a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? You can almost smell the salt air, see the ships coming into port, hear the seagulls circling overheard, looking for… Okay, reality check: You really want to know what Denver Harbor looks like? Forget the sea, scratch the Norman Rockwell imagery, and picture a tough, working-class Mexican-American neighborhood in Houston, Texas’ East End that’s just now bouncing back from years of neglect; a place where a few years ago even residents wouldn’t walk the streets after dark. Hell, Denver Harbor is the name of one of Houston’s most feared street gangs—get the picture yet? It’s in Denver Harbor where singer/guitarist Will Salazar spent the better part of his youth; and today, after a whirlwind early career that saw him catapulted to the upper ranks of punk-rock renown, Salazar is returning home, so to speak, with a new band, to reclaim the sounds that got him here in the first place. And if you think you know what to expect from Salazar and his San Diego-based crew this time around, well, might we suggest spending some time alone with Denver Harbor’s debut, because Scenic is far more than the sum of its parts. In 2002, Salazar and guitarist Chris Lewis (also of Pivit) closed the book on their band of seven years, Fenix*TX, after 400,000 records sold, heavy MTV and radio exposure, a single (“Threesome”) that remains a radio favorite, and gigs other bands would’ve killed to land—including repeat stints on the Vans Warped Tour. The pair aimed high in settling on a rhythm section, joining with brothers Ilan (drums) and Aaron (bass) Rubin, formerly of ’90s-punk up-and-comers F.o.N. One listen to Scenic—particularly the explosive drumming that kicks off the disc with “Xenophobia”—and it’s easy to understand why. At just 15, Ilan is already one of the planet’s most feared timekeepers: Not only did Alternative Press devote a full page to his skills before F.o.N. had even released an album, but Modern Drummer christened him “Best Undiscovered Drummer Under 18” when he was 12, and his Woodstock ’99 appearance landed the student of Blink-182’s Travis Barker in the Guinness Book Of World Records as the youngest musician ever to play that festival. Together, under the direction of lead songwriter Salazar, this insanely talented quartet have combined their knowledge, influences, and respective followings into a musical powerhouse that’s not just a reflection of where music has been, but also a blueprint of where they think it should be headed. Though its heart beats with a driving punk-rock pulse that’ll bring fans back to some of Fenix*TX’s hardest-hitting moments, Scenic draws inspiration from the rock gods Salazar worshiped while growing up: Its songs ring with the jagged post-punk ambience of the Cure, the skittering reggae-punk of the Police, the huge dynamic crashes of Nirvana—and those are just the most obvious signposts. “All I Want” is a classic ’80s power ballad updated for the aggro ’00 decade; “Move On” is a post-grunge barnburner that’d do Queens Of The Stone Age proud; and the fan-favorite single “Outta My Head” is a dubbed-out, punked-up summertime-smash-in-waiting. Eclectic? You bet—but while you might not know what to call Denver Harbor’s sound, you know you like it. Prior to Scenic’s release, Denver Harbor released three MP3 singles through the online music haven purevolume.com, earning themselves a steady position in the site’s Top 40 download charts. Since their first show in March of 2003, the band has hit the road hard, landing prime slots alongside Sugarcult, Story Of The Year, and Flogging Molly. Since then the band has shared the stage with big acts like The Used, Bad Religion, Dashboard Confessional, Yellowcard, and more. Quite a long way from Salazar’s humble beginnings back in Houston, and light years from even Fenix*TX’s world, but like the town that inspired its name, Denver Harbor is a passionate force that’s only poised to get stronger. If you don’t already know them, don’t worry, we won’t tell: There’s still plenty of time to say you knew them when. |
| www.denverharbor.net |
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