British music star Newton Faulkner's hit CD is called "Hand Built By Robots," but this is one artist that knows how to work the acoustic angles of the music business. The U.K. performer's CD has reached double-platinum status in England and Faulkner is now hitting the U.S. club circuit. That's not a bad feat for a 23-year old artist.

Faulkner's becoming known for his laid-back style of songwriting, plus his intricate fingerpicking and percussive drum work on the guitar. Think of him as the U.K. hybrid of Jack Johnson and Keller Williams. American audiences are enjoying Faulkner's musical stylings and he has a solid schedule of shows booked in the U.S. this summer.

"This will be the first time I'm playing Colorado," said Faulkner. "I started gigging relentlessly when I was 16. I studied guitar and theory at this academy for contemporary music in England, but my first band was a Green Day cover group. I also played in a ska and punk band before I went solo. Then I really got into the acoustic stuff. I love the fact that you can do that anywhere and you can use any part of the instrument."

Faulkner uses his guitar as a drum, and the percussive sounds help round out the musician's acoustic-based tunes. The artist is also known for his string-tapping abilities, and he's a pretty strong songwriter to boot. Add those factors together and you have one of the fastest-rising stars on both continents.

"I try to keep the songwriting, the singing and the playing on the same level," said Faulkner. "I also write lyrics about absolutely everything. The songs I write are mostly observational, but they're also about personal experiences and random concepts. I like writing a song that carries a message -- and isn't just about talking about how hot a girl is or how depressed you are."

Faulkner is very relaxed about his fast-rise to fame and says everything happened by "being in the right place at the right time."

Boulder can see Faulkner's Colorado debut at the Fox Theatre Saturday. Friday, The New Deal and Pnuma Trio share a double-bill at the club. Monday, Capleton headlines the Fox. Big Daddy Kane plays the venue Thursday.

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

The new b.side Lounge is getting into gear with its second week of shows. Located at the old Trilogy location, the venue is already bringing in some hot local and national acts. Friday, local band Zuvuya takes over the b.side Lounge stage, and Saturday Detroit indie rockers Bump headline the downtown club. The band is heading into Boulder on the "Magical Mitten Tour" along with The MacPodz.

Bump is getting notoriety in the Midwest for its melding of garage rock, hip hop and rap rock sounds. The band's been nominated for the Detroit Music Awards and has shared stages with RAQ, Mofro and Umphrey's McGee. Now Bump's getting ready to show its stuff to Boulder.

"Detroit has the huge hard-core punk, electronic and garage rock scene," said guitarist Chris Sterr. "We mix up all those elements, but we're more rock 'n' roll meets progressive rock. We have lots of melodies, arrangements, and odd time signatures in the music."

Bump is also known for its brand of "science-fiction rock." The art rock band's upcoming rock opera CD "Astronomica" will feature those futuristic sounds. As if that's not enough, Bump plans on releasing a real-live comic book to accompany the new record.

"We're going to use the comic book to help promote 'Astronomica'," said Sterr. "It will be like the old days, when people got an album and had a booklet to go along with it. We're also going to promote the comic at book fairs, but this is just one piece of the puzzle of our band."

In late breaking news, the b.side Lounge just announced that famed sax player Skerik will be bringing his Maelstrom Trio to the club Wednesday.

LOCAL BANDS HIT BOULDER -- AND TUESDAY ROCKS IN DENVER

Friday, the Boulder Theater hosts an evening with local Grateful Dead cover band Shakedown Street. Saturday, Radio 1190 presents Boulder's Paper Bird and Bad Weather California.

Local musician Stuart Davis is relentless about promoting his career -- and it's paying off. The artist's newest show will be held Saturday at Immersive Studios in Boulder (3063 Sterling Circle East). The event will feature Davis performing a spoken word comedy show and playing some tunes. The concert will be videotaped as part of a special the musician is submitting to Showtime, HBO and Comedy Central.

Tuesday is the night to check out national bands in Denver. Panic! At the Disco hits the Fillmore that night, and R.E.M. and Modest Mouse play Red Rocks.