Seven Non-Headlining Bands We Can't Wait to See at Monolith this Weekend

But with Monolith's stacked, two-day, multiple-stage lineup, there's a whole lot going on in the daylight hours, too. Here are seven bands that'll have us to the festival grounds bright and early.

Fresh off their sophomore release, The Midnight Organ Fight, Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit are tactfully versed in walking the fine line between the coarse and baroque, but it all sounds like poetry when embodied by Scott Hutchinson's firm accent. The band swelled from Hutchinson's side project to a four-piece, a fitting reflection of their delicately stacking song structures. Their live record, Liver, Lung, FR!, is a demonstration of their subdued side, but no facades here. Frightened Rabbit in concert is much like having a beer with a best friend. Their most endearing characteristic to look for will be their genuine delivery of lines like, "You won't find love in a whore." 

Frightened Rabbit - "Behave"

2. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down (Saturday, Sept. 12 - 2:30 p.m. Esurance stage)

When Thao Nguyen is on stage, she creates an even greater contrast between her whispers and belts, adding dozens of degrees between her songs’ highs and lows. But with an album of new material, her performances are about to get even more dynamic. While the Get Down Stay Down has already perfected an infectious folk-pop sound that masked Thao’s melancholy lyrics, the band's sophomore effort, Know Better Learn Faster, takes a different approach, offering more straightforward, celebratory songs. Whether the band delivers reasons to cry or dance, we’re down either way. 

Thao - "Chivalry" 

3. Gregory Alan Isakov (Saturday, Sept. 12 - 1:30 p.m. Esurance stage)

A few months back, singer/songwriter and local favorite Gregory Alan Isakov—of Boulder, Colo.— told Paste that he’s been dreaming of playing the main stage at Red Rocks for a long time. This year is his chance, and we’re just as psyched as he is. Born in South Africa and raised in Philadelphia, Isakov makes quietly lush, deeply vibrant music more rooted in the starry night sky than any terrestrial locale.

Gregory Alan Isakov - "Black & Blue."

4. Monotonix (Sunday, Sept. 13 - 3 p.m. Southern Comfort stage)

This past Tuesday marked the release of Monotonix's first LP, Where Were You When it Happened?—a question we can hopefully reply to with an intricate tale of debauched, live, raw-rock insanity that rivals everything we’ve heard and read about this trio of Tel Aviv badasses. With stories describing beer chugging, full-band audience immersion (drums included), fire and blood (plus an infectious, genuine, oddly heartwarming enthusiasm all over the Internet), it’s hard to believe these guys are only releasing their first album this week. If our experience equals half the intensity of these stories about the band’s mastery of live performance, we will be sated. And it certainly doesn't hurt their cause that they sound like early Queens of the Stone Age crossed with Jesus Lizard.

Monotonix - "Body Language"

5. Ok Go (Saturday, Sept. 12 - 4:45 p.m. Esurance stage)

The consummate (read: only) treadmill-dancing pop band’s propulsive drumbeats will get you up on your feet and moving. But Ok Go is more than just the poppy sensation of a few years past; the group has a varied sound and even bursts forth with occasional Jack White-esque squeals, they clearly love to perform live, and they don’t take themselves too seriously, which is always a plus. See for yourself: Ok Go live in London 2006.

Ok Go - "Ant Music."

6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Saturday, Sept. 12 - 4 p.m. Southern Comfort stage)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart initially bonded over a love of obscure artists like Black Tambourine, Dear Nora and The Exploding Hearts. They make dreamy twee-pop with a spiky guitar edge. They like Diet Snapple. They played their first concert at a birthday party. They have a song called “Young Adult Friction” and another called "A Teenager In Love." And what's not to love about that?

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Young Adult Friction" 

7. The Love Language (Sunday, Sept. 13 - 3:30 p.m. Radius Earphones stage)

After a booze-fueled meltdown, Stuart McLamb got sober, and started punching the clock at a bustling hotel restaurant, which eventually led to this project. While waiting tables, he began mapping out rhythms in his head. The resulting Love Language album runs a playful gamut from old-school country to sunshiny pop to big-band swing, and it’ll be interesting to see how this bedroom-recording artist translates to the stage with a 7-piece band.

The Love Language - "Stars" (clip)