Rhett Miller and his band the Old 97’s haven’t been sitting around collecting rust. Although it’s been a few years since the alt-country/pop indie rockers have put out a new CD, the group’s back with a vengeance and sporting the new record “Blame It On Gravity.”

The Old 97’s are not only defying gravity, they’re defying the odds. The band has been around since the mid-90s, but lately the group’s been gaining a new momentum. In 2006 the Old 97’s were featured in Vince Vaughn’s hit comedy “The Break-Up.” The actor had personally written the band into his movie script, and the film features a live performance by the rockers during the movie’s pivotal scene.

Now “Blame It On Gravity” is redefining the group’s alt-country roots. The new CD captures the key elements of rock, punk, pop and country genres, and the Old 97’s fuse those components together into a solid set of songs. The record’s been gaining the band rave reviews from music critics around the country and the group’s tour date roster is growing daily.

“It’s been 15 years since we started – we obviously rode out the last wave of the music industry,” said front man Rhett Miller. “The industry is changing and now we’re on New West Records. We’re trying to get out to as wide an audience as we can, but we always want to be honest to ourselves and make music we like.”

The Old 97’s were happy to be out of the corporate music loop and made the decision to record “Blame It On Gravity” in they’re hometown of Dallas, Texas. The group spent four months in the studio perfecting the new record.

“With ‘Gravity’ we’re all about expanding our fan base,” said Miller. “We also want to keep our core fans happy with this new record. It’s as poppy as anything we’ve ever done, but this time that sound meets country. We are pushing in several different directions on this CD. We even have hints of psychedelia. We’ve opened that door — and we’d like to explore that more on our next record. That record will have more of a garage-psychedelic sound.”

Miller and his band buddies plan to ride the “Blame It On Gravity” wave. The Old 97’s just filmed the CD’s debut video “Dance With Me” and invited fans to appear as extras on the set. The video’s already earning a buzz from the VH1 cable station execs, and Miller said he was just invited down to meet with the station suits.

“Obviously it’s a great feeling having a record that’s taking off like this,” confirmed Miller. “We’ve never had such a good reaction and as high a chart position with an album debut. We’ve already done ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno. We’re letting the industry know we’re back.”

Catch the Old 97’s at the Gothic Theatre in Denver Tuesday.

¥ 

THE GOP — WE MEAN GRAND OLE PARTY

One of the most anticipated indie rock nights of the week will take place Friday at the Fox Theatre. That’s when The Fiery Furnaces, local band The Swayback, and Grand Ole Party host a triple-threat night on the Hill.

If guilt by association is a sin, than you can fully charge Grand Ole Party with the crime. Rilo Kiley guitarist Blake Sennett produced the band’s latest CD “Humanimals”. That’s not all, Grand Ole Party has served as openers for both Rilo Kiley and Vampire Weekend.

Grand Ole Party is getting noticed in its own right for Kristin Gundred’s rock-solid vocals and the band’s fusion of indie rock-and-soul sounds. The power-trio walked off with the “Best Alternative Band Award” in its hometown of San Diego in 2007. Now Grand Ole Party is looking to expand its following into Colorado.

“We like to celebrate rock in our music, but we also like to add some funky sounds,” said guitarist John Paul Labno. “We’ve been influenced by acts like OutKast, The Beatles and James Brown. Being a three-piece we always try to overextend ourselves and create this massive sound. We like to make music that people can dance to, but we like to write literate lyrics.”

Labno says that Sennett really helped put the polishing touches on “Humanimals.”

“It was our first record, so Blake really helped us capture the songs,” said Lanbo. “The record features songs we had accumulated, but we’ve written so many more since the CD came out. We’re now performing seven new songs at our shows — they’re all for the second record. Now, we’re getting ready to play the Fox in Boulder. We love playing live — that’s when our energy really comes out. The show’s a little rawer than the record.”

Catch Stephen Marley at the Fox Saturday. Delta Nove hits the club Wednesday.

LOCAL MUSIC SHOWS

Be sure to catch Something Underground at Nissi’s Friday. Sunday, Nina Storey headlines Nissi’s. Saturday, Big Head Todd and the Monsters play their annual show at Red Rocks. Monday, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club hits the Larimer Lounge in Denver.