Vaux

When Vaux released its first album, There Must Be Some Way to Stop Them, on Volcom Recordings in 2003, we could sense something was percolating; this band was on the verge of something explosive. Fans waited to see the band perform live or release the next album, wanting to witness Vaux seizing its potential, and nothing happened. Vaux fell off the radar. Now, nearly three years later, the Denver natives are back with a solidified sound — very the Bronx-meets-Thrice, with Queens of the Stone Age on backup. In fact, a major-label debut album, Beyond Virtue, Beyond Vice, was due for a November 8 release, but the band split with Atlantic/Lava Records at the end of October. On songs like “Cocaine James,” the sextet uses a rocking bass line to bump up the stoner rock element, but still maintains its strength: contemplative post-hardcore vocals, which also blend with modern rock guitar riffs to particularly powerful effect on the current radio single, “Are You With Me.” With Beyond Virtue — which the band promises will be in our hands as soon as possible — Vaux has taken ownership of its sound, and the infectious grooves will have you swaying even in your car. — Chelsea Ide

Vaux, the Letters Organize, and Vera Lynne are scheduled to perform on Friday, November 11, at Modified Arts.