Next up from the Yawpers: ‘Stupid versions of good songs’

The Yawpers are busy, but the band’s version of busy sounds more fun than the usual.

Nate Cook, Jesse Parmet and James Hale are getting ready to release their second music video, a five-song EP of covers, a live record and their next LP. While that’s all getting polished and shipped, they’ve got plenty of shows, including a spot on the lineup at this weekend’s Lynxapalooza in Denver, where they’re stacked up with Dr. Dog, Antlers, Blind Pilot, The Congress and Eldren.

“It’s gonna be pretty awesome if all the rain doesn’t fuck it up,” Cook said.

Everything The Yawpers have coming up sounds pretty awesome. To make their “Sweet Emotion” video, they got as weird as they could and have the Instagram snapshot to prove it, not to mention the surely bizarre memories of everyone who was there.

The call went out on social media: Sunday, August 11th, we are locking out Pete’s Patio from 11pm to close, and shooting our next slap in the face to the art of film making. If you want to join us, YOU MUST RSVP to the attached event. We are providing some free beer, and maybe some food. We’ll see. Also, this video will be somewhat NSFW, so be prepared!

“It actually turned out really well,” Cook said. “We only had three hours to shoot, but we invited a lot of our friends and a bunch of transvestites and dominatrixes and crossdressers, and our friends dressed as crazy as they could. The narrative will become clear when the video comes out. There’s a story there. We were shooting for Lynchian but we ended up with something more ‘Tim & Eric.'”

Besides the band, the breakout star of this video is going to be a mystery dancer in a green suit and gas mask. Why? Doesn’t matter.

“Our apocalyptic greenman in a gas mask was there. It’s pretty wild. The gentleman, who has asked to remain anonymous, is a world-touring tap dancer, so he’s tap dancing in the video,” Cook said.

“Sweet Emotion” will be on The Yawper’s EP of covers, along with some songs that will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the band perform, plus some new ones. The potential title isn’t half bad, either.

“‘Yakety Yak’ is pretty kickass on it. ‘Ace of Spades’ fucking crushes on it, too,” Cook said. “It’s just stupid versions of good songs. We might call it that, actually … ‘Stupid Versions of Good Songs.'”

The EP will be release on Halloween, heralded by a show at the Soiled Dove with fellow local noisemakers Eldren and Dragondeer. In the spirit of Colorado Halloween concerts, they’ll be playing covers. Each band is covering a soundtrack: “The Big Lebowski” for The Yawpers, “Forrest Gump” for Eldren and “The Blues Brothers” for Dragondeer.

Cook said The Yawpers will release the live record shortly after, followed later by the new original LP.

“We’ve been recording entirely to tape. That’s a dream we’ve had for a long time,” he said. “I would say it’s definitely a heavier record with more psychedelic influences. [Literary influence] has always been kind of a tangential aspect of The Yawpers to do, but it’s still there.”

Between the Lynxapalooza and Halloween shows, you can catch The Yawpers live at the hi-dive on Oct. 11 for a New Belgium Brewery party. (And maybe take it easy on the psychedelics before you watch that video.)

Contact Ashley Dean at 303-473-1109 or dean@coloradodaily.com. On Twitter: twitter.com/AshaleyJill.