BandWagon Magazine - May 2020 - Redefining the Music Industry Online by BandWagon Magazine

I am the owl PG. 4 quinn ayers PG. 5 Michael Morrow & The Culprits PG. 6 JUICEBOX PG. 7 KING CRAWDAD PG. 9

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CONTRIBUTORS DAN ENGLAND VALERIE VAMPOLA MICHAEL OLIVIER NATE WILDE

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REDEFINING THE INDUSTRY PG. 12 - 15 3

I AM THE OWL I Can’t See

Michael Olivier

BandWagon Magazine

Context is key in watching a band grow. Each release carries unique

inspiration,

but

music

listeners tend to ignore the longer story told between recording sessions. I Can’t See (out May 8) is an evolution for I Am The Owl: evidence of a hardworking band capitalizing on the kernel of magic they’ve held onto through every practice, demo and live show for years on-end in order to see it to its full potential.

With I Can’t See, I Am the Owl’s sound is heavier, tighter, and more fleshed-out than ever. Engineers Andrew Berlin and Jason Livermore return, bringing with them the punch and polish their mighty Blasting Room studio is known for. This time around though, the band’s nononsense shredding with a twist of experimentation has flourished into a galloping monster of thought-out riffs and rhythms that will have Every Time I Die fans grinning from ear to ear. Guitarists Josh Rivera and Josh Harrelson deliver searing performances for the entirety, of Kyle Krueckeberg. It glues from familiar and catchy to heavy the monster songs of I Can’t See and dissonant. Basically, these together with a standout driving two are the reason why I Can’t See groove and melodic synergy that sounds like the four horsemen is downright sexy. Check it out riding into the apocalypse. on the bridge of “Weight” or the New drummer Jordan Pasquin solo section of “Stranger Danger,” brings a weighty and aggressive which features equally delicious backbone, and keen listeners will guitar by guest Reed Perry. S:7” fixate on the bass performance When a local band comes

into their own in such a way, it deserves to be heard and supported, and heavy music has a way of bringing us together through times of struggle. Buy this EP and enjoy the release I Can’t See brings until this time of social distancing has passed, when we can go see I Am The Owl shred these bangers for us live.

DEAR MOUNTAINS, I’M HERE TO CLIMB. S:4.6”

See Your Local Toyota Dealer | EHRLICH TOYOTA - GREELEY, CO Prototype shown with options.

QUINN AYERS

Feelings Have Cielings Kevin Johnston

BandWagon Magazine

Quinn Ayers’ full-length Feelings Have Ceilings evokes isolated, late-night drives gazing at the neon of his native Las Vegas. The University of Northern Colorado ball-player’s home city is a good metaphor for the record: impressively elaborate and glowing with promise but with a core of loneliness beneath the bling: “Ask me how I feel, I just wanna make some tunes and maybe f–ing fade away,” Ayers laments on the depression-pop anthem “How I Feel.” Heavy on trap sounds, Post Malone influence and hints of Frank Ocean, Feelings Have Ceilings employs almost constant use of autotune and melodyne effects on Ayer’s vocal, sounding like hip-hop hooks on a loop. But hey, it’s 2020 and the “sound of T-Pain” is less a novelty and more part of the fabric of our times, as evidenced by everyone from, hell, Cher to folk god Bon Iver.

A hefty nod of credit is due to Feelings producer Potions, who’s daring pitch-fluttered, reverse swells in “On My Own” provide intrigue atop the dance beats, while synthesized textures of acoustic guitar and orchestral punctuation (on “Sober & Drifting” too) give a current of authenticity underneath the in-the-box vocal and staccato rap hi-hats. The most sincere moment of the album is “With Love, Q.” It leaves the trap beats behind, but still leans heavily on vocal effects and Mellotron. In fact, one of the only clean vocal moments on FHC is the opening of the title track, also the record’s closer. This production choice parallels a touch-less, socially distant reality, where connection only happens through earbuds and glowing screens, begging the question: what will “realness” in music become if the digital world is the extent of the art’s foreseeable future? Feelings Have Ceilings is a successfully layered at-home listen for, say, Migos fans on the hunt for something more sensitive. But it would definitely bang better in the club than on the typical COVID-era platform: your macbook speakers. Here’s hoping Ayers will soon have the opportunity to bring the big bass and college athlete swagger back to a more appropriate venue: A real audience.

MICHAEL MORROW & THE CULPRITS I’m With The Banned

Nate Wilde

BandWagon Magazine

Michael Morrow & The Culprits have proved themselves to be a mainstay in the Colorado music scene with their latest effort I’m With the Banned. Their grasp on classic 1970’s rock with bluesy undertones has made them as iconic as their predecessors (in the Northern Colorado music scene, at least) and their new release exemplifies this to a T. The record kicks off with “The Rambler,” an ode to the road, placing the listener in a drive across desolate wastelands reminiscing about better times. Moreover, it takes us directly to 1972 with vocal harmonies and feelings of despair reminiscent of The Eagles’ “Outlaw Man.” The classic rock, blues-forward guitar solo is noteworthy here, taking the song out full-throttle, a la Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic “Freebird.”

The album’s first single “Cherry Blossom” is The Culprit’s take on one ever-present classic rock theme: songs about women. It comes complete with gutsy blues riffs and lyrics describing her garb: appropriately enough, bell-bottoms. I’m With The Banned gets sleazier with “Hustler,” another straightup dirty blues song about the fairer sex, with an undeniable KISS feel, both lyrically and instrumentally. This should be expected, as The Culprits are also known to don black and white makeup and rock KISS covers in their respected tribute act KISSm. I’m With the Banned closes out with the most purely rock ‘n roll track of the collection, the eclectic “Wayside.” It incorporates the aforementioned KISS-like elements a la “Detroit Rock City,” pays tribute to the rock and roll era of diners, leather jackets, and poodle skirts, and even touches on 80’s stadium rock with shouts that make the listener practically smell the Aquanet in their hair. With young bands like Greta Van Fleet and Dirty Honey bringing back the classic rock style of the 70’s today, Michael Morrow & The Culprits can carry that torch for Northern Colorado as proudly now as they would have back in the day.

Juicebox I Can’t See

Valerie Vampola

BandWagon Magazine

A new band, JuiceBox, emerges from the ashes of Colorado funk outfit Moves at Midnight to deliver a self titled EP. JuiceBox produces retro, funky sounds reminiscent of times before most of us were even sipping on Capri Suns. They combine elements of funk, rock, and R&B with strong horn lines under a 70’s aesthetic umbrella to curate a collection of fun jams to bounce to.

“Starship Joint” pays homage to the Lakeside classic “Fantastic Voyage,” maintaining a steady, jamlike groove and a bassline that mimics that same feel all the way down to the effects. Further, the lyrics of “Ain’t No Thang” and “Booty Jams” invite listeners to move with the Denver-based quintet, much as the classics do. But despite nods to the older generation, the band needs to do a lot more listening to the classics, as there is an underlying element missing from the album as a whole: It seems JuiceBox are still searching for their soul. JuiceBox brings in influences from other genres like alternative rock on songs such as “That’s No Moon,” which breaks into an instrumental interlude with a rock backbeat. They also implement a popular rock

practice, allowing the guitar to make lead appearances, whereas guitarists play a more percussive and rhythmic role in traditional funk music. But rather than the rock touches adding to the overall mix, it makes it seem as if the band is hesitant to commit to either. Though polished, JuiceBox’s EP lacks a certain

attitude that pulls a group out of the garage band aesthetic and onto a curated Spotify playlist. The musical ideas don’t have to be deep – bands like Tower of Power and Jamiroquai made a nice living off selling sugar – but to bring the juice to the next level, the music needs Soul with a capital ‘S.’

KING CRAWDAD King Crawdad 2

Laura Giagos

BandWagon Magazine

Two-piece Northern Colorado rockers King Crawdad entered 2020 like many bands around the world; with high aspirations and a sudden wipe-out of the entire music industry. But a little pandemic isn’t going to stop a band self described as a “hug you can hear” in a time when we could all use one. King Crawdad 2 is Miles Mercer (guitars/vocals) and Nick Perich (drums) tackling their older material in a way they felt it deserved. Very much a live band, they wanted this to shine through, recruiting Northern Colorado producer/ musician Alan Hlavacek (Attack on Venus, Copper Teeth) to record them at his studio in Windsor. The end result is a ripping, twenty minute, three track EP. It feels more like

five songs, but that’s actually one of their greatest strengths. Mercer and Perich display a great sense of movement and syncopation put front and center by the long song format. “We’ve been playing (“Out Of Sight”) for over a decade,” says Mercer. “It started out as a couple of different songs but over time morphed into one. We had all these songs but decided to put them together. We liked how they fit.” The two met at middle school in Windsor, Colorado, and just celebrated their fifteenth year as a band. They’ve had bassists throughout the years, but balancing schedules between the two of them was enough to settle into being a two-piece. That said, they consider the door always open to anyone who wants a chance to play. With Covid-19 throwing a wrench in the spokes of every muafinds themselves on new ground. With everything cancelled, their summer plans were put on hold. Because of social distancing they can’t have band practice. This led them to innovate, finding ways to continue writing and creating music remotely. “It’s almost like an exercise. You’re being forced to create something within the confine of certain rules,” says Perich. “Once it’s all over King Crawdad is coming out of the gate ready to party.”

WITH A LITTLE HELP

FROM OUR FRIENDS

RESOURCES & RELIEF FOR MUSICIANS DURING THE PANDEMIC BY VALERIE VAMPOLA

Chris “K” Kresge was in this same position in 2013, when his friends lost everything in the flood that swept through Lyons and the Colorado Front Range. He found himself there again in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey devastated his friends in Houston. He had what he called a “crazy ass idea” to raise a million dollars for the musicians affected by natural disasters and community devastation, ultimately creating Rocky Mountain Music Relief - an organization that elevates musicians in need. “There is nothing in my life that is not specifically done for musicians in Colorado. I’m known as the guy who supports Colorado,” said Chris K in a phone interview for BandWagon. 10

industry professionals to grants and resourcWith the entire live music es, including information for industry shut down due to the demographic eligible to COVID-19, Chris K recognizes receive aid. that supporting the local mu“When working from a state sic scene is more important of panic, Rocky Mountain Munow than ever. Raising money, especially in times when sic Relief is wading through money is tight across the the information for people, board, is tough, which is why because it's overwhelming,” Rocky Mountain Music Relief said board member and mupartnered with guitarist and sician Cass Clayton. president of Color Red ReThere are grants through cords, Eddie Roberts, and his bigger and more nationalmusician emergency relief ly known organizations like fund Eddie Roberts Payback. MusiCares (funded by the Currently, donations made Recording Academy known through RMMR go to Eddie for the GRAMMY Awards Roberts Payback, which then Telecast) and benefits apgo directly to musicians. But proved for self employed and this is only one of the many gig workers, like musicians, organizations on the radar for through the CARES Act, but Kresge and his team. Rocky Mountain Music Relief Every week, members at pinpoints other resources that Rocky Mountain Music Relief are also niche, like the NOupdate a spreadsheet that MAD Fundraiser for crew and points musicians and music touring support professionals,

or more localized organizations like The Bohemian Foundation. The Bohemian Foundation continues to support the Northern Colorado music community with grants through NoCo Music Relief Fund, Music Event Fund, and Muse. NoCo Music Relief Fund provides up to $1000 to local music professionals who work in contemporary popular music. IMAGINE 2020 Artist Assistance Fund, supported by Denver Arts & Venues, opens their grants to creative individuals in Denver county who are suffering financial losses. The Colorado Artist Relief Fund prioritizes lower-income artists and artists who have no other source of income.

“Arts and culture makes up 4.5% of the state’s GDP. It is important for Colorado’s creative workers to have access to essential funding during this economic interruption and these grants of up to $1000 will help cover basic needs such as food, rent, medical costs and childcare,” said Margaret Hunt, director of Colorado Creative Industries. While some of the programs are trying to ease the empty pockets of Colorado’s musicians, programs like Music Minds Matter aim to ease their minds. Founders Spencer Townshend Hughes and Angela Whaley started in 2018 as Mental Wellness Monday, an outlet for musicians to chat about frustrations and hardships they faced in their industry, after looking for help themselves. Now in the face of pandemic, they pushed forward with their online efforts, hosting free online group

meetings every Monday through Zoom. Through grants from Denver Arts & Venues, they are able to provide individuals certified in mental first aid to music industry workers facing emotional struggles. “We want people to have the conversation at their leisure. And the energy you feel after the meet-up is just wonderful,” said Hughes in a phone interview. Musicians might not be defined as essential in the same way our medical workers and grocery store clerks are, but we still turn to our favorite albums and watch our favorite artists live stream songs to cope with the chaos. Supportive organizations like Rocky Mountain Music Relief are as important to the lives of musicians as music itself is to us.

FOR A LIST OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR TO MAKE A DONATION,

VISIT WWW.ROCKYMOUNTAINMUSICRELIEF.ORG

MUSIC MINDS MATTER MEETS EVERY MONDAY FROM 6PM-7PM MST.

TO JOIN A MEET-UP OR FOR MORE INFORMATION,

VISIT WWW.MUSICMINDSMATTER.ORG 11

Redefining The Industry COULD LIVE STREAMING BE THE WOODSTOCK OF THE COVID ERA? Dan England

“a little fireplace concert where people are gathering around.”

As he prepared to play, Tim Coons felt something he hadn’t felt for a long time before a performance. He felt nervous. Coons is a longtime Greeley musician who was a solo singer, guitar player and the musical director of Atlas Church in Greeley before he formed Giants and Pilgrims with his artist wife Betony. He has his own podcast (Weld Found) and does outreach for the Community Foundation of Weld County. He’s not only used to being in front of crowds, he enjoys it. But this was in front of his computer, on Facebook Live, and darn it did his nerves tingle. Facebook is, after all, a worldwide audience that seems

He decided to play a hymn and audience favorite called “Not Scared Here,” his “Hotel California” if you will, which Coons calls his “warm blanket” song.

for the needs of the community,” Coons said later. The song, to his pleasant surprise, sparked some “feels,” as longtime fans, friends and a few random people watched him sing while Betony painted. He figured a dozen would show up to give him a “like,” but dozens and then hundreds from across the web-highways gathered and began to comment about how they hadn’t seen him in a while.

“I believed I needed to set aside my own need for great production value

“It became a feeling like – almost a virtual front porch,” Coons said,

to care more about how many cute pictures you can post of your kids (“SO ADORBS!!!”) than personal, heartfelt art projects. Plus, it was being recorded, and he wasn’t even sure the sound was good enough.

There’s no doubt that the coronavirus continues to devastate bar and club owners, restaurants and musicians, in addition to just about anyone else. But there may be a bright spot: Musicians are discovering the power of streaming live concerts, and some are even making good money at it. Streaming live, of course, already had a place, but it was secondary to live concerts, in the way that a local AM station was secondary to Spotify. But then the virus hit, and actual live shows disappeared. Streaming took off like Major Tom’s rocket, practically

THERE WERE MOMENTS I WAS SINGING AND WATCHING PEOPLE CHAT ALONG, AND THEY WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT THEIR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES; the event, and Coons paid them to do HOW THEY TEARED UP - TIM COONS

as soon as stay-at-home orders were issued in early March. Chris Martin of Coldplay hosted a show on Spotify. Lady Gaga gave us this generation’s Live Aid with Together At Home where more than 100 artists raised money for coronavirus relief. Even longtime local musicians who’d played live in

clubs on the weekends for 20 years parked themselves in front of a computer and started strumming and humming. Coons, inspired by his own little virtual gig and past shows he’d put on with Betony, hosted 12 concerts for the Weld Recovers fund through the Community Foundation. Northern Colorado artists sang to raise money for

Ben Pu has played as many as seven shows a week for nearly 20 years in the Greeley area and around Northern Colorado. An impressive guitarist, Pu (Puchalski, by birth) worked as a social worker for many years before deciding to play music full time. The idea of playing in front of a computer would have made him laugh, even just weeks before the virus shut down his society. “I love playing live. That’s my thing,” Pu said. “But when that stopped, I asked what was the next best option. This was kind of it.” All of Pu’s shows were canceled; a familiar refrain for most musicians in the world. Facing an empty calendar and the thought of an even emptier bank account, he put on his first Facebook Live solo in midMarch and asked for donations if listeners liked it. He worried about the kind of things that all veterans wonder when they’re playing “live” via computer. He wondered if it would sound good, or whether it would be weird to play without reaction.

so through a grant from the Bohemian Foundation, which puts on Bohemian Nights and a whole lot more in Fort Collins. The first show was April 19. The third and (possibly?) final week will stretch into May. Coons is now sold on virtual shows. And so are many others. In fact, there’s some thinking that streaming live may continue even after we’re allowed to emerge from our homes, rub our eyes

and attend a concert. “There were moments I was singing and watching people chat along, and they were all talking about their emotional responses; how they teared up,” Coons said. “I remember tearing up too. I was feeling so connected even though I was alone with my wife while she was painting. “We are looking to our creatives to band us together in a lot of ways – for us to be together. They really hold the space, and I just think that’s beautiful.”

The thing was, there WAS a reaction, just not the clapping and hooting he’d come to expect. “There was something about it,” Pu said. “People were still dropping in the chat room and saying hello and asking for requests. I was still psyched to play. I think the energy was the same, just completely different,” he laughed. “People we’re still interacting, and that, in the end, made it work.” His fans have helped him through the tough time by donating for the shows, Pu said, inspiring him to do more. He hasn’t missed a weekend since mid-March. In fact, Pu is now one of the musicians playing for Coons’ show to help raise money for Weld Recovers. “They’ve really helped me out by honestly just throwing me a bone,”

Pu said. “They’ve tipped me very well. If it wasn’t for them, man, I don’t know what I would do.” Brandon Harris and his Meat-n-Potatoes band have put on live shows every Friday night, what he calls Covid Fest 2020, on Facebook Live. He’s been busy. “I feel like I have more stuff to do now since the virus hit,” he said. “But I’ve made it that way.” He

played

“live”

for

many years on various online and social media platforms, finding it a good way to promote both his band and his private music lessons. But he’s suddenly making good money playing in front of his computer. He recently made $100 for a 45-minute gig. “Sometimes I have to be in the car for 45 minutes,” Harris said of traveling to live gigs. “Now I can literally stay at my house, post this concert and get tips

Home.

On the second day of the ShelterIn-Place order from Gov. Polis, Sarah Slaton’s news feed was full of musicians moaning about all of their shows getting canceled. She understood. The same thing happened to her. She decided to call Michael Kirkpatrick. He calls himself a modern day minstrel (yes, seriously). He sings, according to his page, about “dreams, nature and sensuality.” He calls his band The Holler!, as if it was a cartoon. He’s probably a good person to call when you’re down. In this case, he was the best person to talk to, as the two discussed ways to bring the community together, like any good minstrel did back in the day. That’s how Slaton came up with NoCo Live from

The live stream concert features a Facebook Live showcase of Northern Colorado artists. They ask for donations by posting their Venmo while they play, something Slaton calls a “virtual tip jar.” Slaton plays too, but she’d also booked nearly 50 musicians to play by the end of April. The showcase takes place every Saturday starting at noon. “I thought it could be a place where people could come back, like they were coming back to their favorite music venue every week,” Slaton said. “We had such a good response.” She gets help from the School of Rock Fort Collins and Scene Magazine, and in mid April she was partnering with brewers such as Odells and New Belgium to showcase

on Facebook. It’s kind of great. If I can make $100 sitting on my couch, that redefines the industry for me.” Still, Harris calls the experience of playing to a computer: “So freakin’ weird. I have asked a few times, ‘Where’s my free beer?’ You’re used to the crowd,” he says of his performing habits.

guy at a club for a good sound, and he can play on a Monday, a dead day in the club industry. He’s even seen an uptick in his lessons as well. “I’ve offered Skype lessons since 2012, but there was always this hesitation about it,” Harris said. “And now, it’s great, people want to do that.”

But he also points out that he doesn’t have to rely on a sound

their beer and donate a few packs to the artists. Slaton has a huge existing network of artists, but she was also contacted by artists she’d never heard of via a Gmail account she created for the organization. She’s tried to bring in both established and new artists. The age range, she said, is 15-70 in just the few weeks she’s hosted. “I’ve been trying to have heavy hitters, people I know or admire, but I also wanted to dabble in new names,” she said. “The network keeps growing.” Dave Tamkin and Co. had 30 shows canceled in April, and in a state of depression, drove around Boulder, glancing at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless. He wasn’t thinking he would have to go there soon, but he was thinking about ways to help them. So following the example of his other musician friends, he went on his patio and live

streamed himself playing for an hour. He asked for donations and collected $300 for the shelter as a result. “I was afraid of doing it,” Tamkin said, echoing the feelings of many other artists, “but I got out of my comfort zone.” He hosted a Social Distance Livestream Concert on April 18 featuring his own live playing as well as past recordings of the Gasoline Lollipops, James and The Rise and Avery Johnson as a fundraiser for Stone Cottage Studio, a recording studio in Boulder formed by filmmakers, songwriters and audio engineers, as well as the Boulder Shelter. The recordings featured the artists performing in that studio. “I think it will be a while before musicians get in the same room together,” Tamkin said, “but this was a great way to have a ‘concert’ and bring the community together.”

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BACKPACKBOY Tim Coons is killing it!! New comment...

Someday, maybe even by this summer, there will be live shows again. But many musicians now also believe live-streaming will last. Pu, for instance, hopes to keep playing on Facebook Live, in addition to actually live, possibly continuing every week.

gig for $10,” he said.

SEND

social media, and the disconnection many feel more so than the connection (the subject of his community foundation podcast, Weld Found) may actually improve now, thanks to the The quality of the reality of globally-impleshows will improve, and mented isolation. “We’ve learned how fast, she said, as more artists get comfortable to use those tools of sowith it. She’s already had cial media better now,” groups presenting their Coons said. “We are usset in HD video. ing them rather than just placing facades online.” “Plus, I think the audi-

The livestream venue could help supplement their income, and while the competition could grow, the right approach could help it be successful.

maybe we could find a venue and just have a music showcase. We are trying to figure out a way to present that in ways to honor social distance but still bring live music to people.”

“You have to pick a day and market it like you would a live show,” Harris “The best thing to said. “But the opportunicome of this has been ty to play on, like, a Monto not only connect with day would be terrific.” fans in town, but it’s an NoCo Live already was awesome platform to talking about filling the play to the people who gaps in the likely event haven’t seen me in years,” that summer concerts Pu said. “We can gather would have to cancel, lots of family and friends including the large mufrom different states and sic festivals. Slaton was just jam out for a night.” in discussions with AEG Harris believes the Live and other promotplatform helps musi- ers. cians feel more valued. “I don’t know how

ence is really forgiving and understands,” Slaton said. “There’s a beautiful vulnerability to the sets and many times it does sound great, honestly.” NoCo Live turned a side-thing into more of a thing-thing for Slaton.

Coons will never forget the first concert he put on during the pandemic: a time when he felt something he hadn’t felt for weeks since the stay at home order was issued. He felt close to others. He felt warm. He “It will make me think a large-scale the concerts Coons does wonder felt connected. lot more about playing a could be,” she said. “But if the loneliness fed by

Triquetrum by Laura Giagos

The Triquetrum is a small bone in your hand, specifically right below the pinky and above the forearm. This is the bone which Bones Muhroni frontman and band leader Crew Rienstra broke riding his razor scooter from his home in Los Angeles, California to pick up beer, putting his right hand in a cast for six weeks.

Triquetrum is also the title of the sixth recording project under the name Bones Muhroni, a project which began in Greeley, Colorado in 2011 when Rienstra attended the University of Northern Colorado, winning that year’s BandWagon Battle of the Bands.

Rienstra always wrote his songs on his guitar. With that no longer being an option as per the injury, he acquired a Yamaha keyboard and began composing tiny songs using the built in drum machine and synth tones. These limited means would ultimately become the satisfyingly titled EP which came out April 22, and his most dynamic work yet. Bones Muhroni and its figurehead himself have been a lot of things over the years: cheeky, folksy, a touch uncouth, but always a good time. Triquetrum is the happy and painful accident that, in my opinion, gave

us his best music to date. It has some of the country quality old friends and fans of Bones have come to love on “The Ballad of Clifford Griffin,” for example, but musically, Rienstra has clearly moved beyond that as his primary sound. The record rides high on Roxy Music influences (although Rienstra says that just happened naturally) and has a taste of deep British 90’s pop like something out of the Trainspotting soundtrack. “The Way She Listened To Music” is the gem of the EP, for which Rienstra brought in veteran Muhroni drummer Ryan Wykert, who also relocated to L.A. from Greeley. Wykert provides a lushness and pulse that makes the song blossom infectiously.

Triquetrum isn’t incred-

ibly dynamic, but thanks to the eight-track recorder Rienstra’s neighbor lent him and some solid mixing and mastering, there’s a vibe that gives it life from beginning to end. The auxiliary musicians Rienstra brings in are solid, adding the right kind of texture to emphasize the context of each song. There’s a lot to the new Bones Muhroni EP, and it’s worth digging into. Riestra is not a typical L.A. musician putting out material and waiting to pop – he’s grinding like everyone else, trying to navigate the new music industry in the shadow of Covid-19. In fact, he sees this as the perfect time to release this EP and its already recorded follow up. If ever there was a time to start listening to Bones Muhroni, it’s now, because – let’s face it, you’re not doing anything else.

17 17

Ron: Weekdays 6am - 10am While spending more time at home, I’ve tried to get a bit more organized by: 1. Weeding out newspaper & magazine articles – Do I really need to save clippings from the NY Times, BandWagon, Westword, Marquee, the Denver Post & Daily Camera about the Top 25 Songs of 2017? 2. Now I can find an obscure CD in 15 seconds – After months of needing to do this, I finally spent 2 full days and organized the many piles of CDs into my library. And while I was at it, I did the same with my DVDs, cassettes and vinyl!

Stacy: Weekdays 3pm - 7pm 1. The National: Juicy Sonic Magic - This special Record Store Day live release and (yes) triple cassette was recorded during The National’s Sleep Well Beast tour - more specifically, the two sold out Berkeley Greek shows. The 45-song tape uses Mike Millard’s taping method. Listen with eyes closed and you’re there. (Watch the short documentary on folk hero Mike Millard and his taping legacy too!)

3. Working my way through the ‘surprises’ in my freezer – “Oh look, here’s that box of Omaha Steak burgers I bought 2 years ago. Let’s thaw them and make lasagna! And perhaps it’s time to finish this bag of Korean dumplings from Costco.”

2. Binge watching The Grand Tour – The BBC broke up the band by firing Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear, so Richard Hammond and James May chose to follow their fellow petrol head rather than stay with the show. The result? Amazon’s The Grand Tour series. Three seasons (and a fourth special) fall flat in some places, though the hosts have chemistry. If the names McLaren, Bugatti, or Koenigsegg get your heart racing, watch it!

4. The ever-fluid balance of what to keep and what to toss – I just had a phone call with a high school friend about my ‘packrat-ness’. 3 days later she asked me to scan her high school yearbook graduation photo so she could post it on Facebook to show support for the Class of 2020. In 2 mins I had my hand on the original photo she gave me when we were 17! Who’s the smart one now?

3. BoredPanda.com – Looking to kill 10 minutes between Zoom meetings? You’ll find high-def photos of Jupiter from NASA, an art gallery for gerbils, a biologist’s recipe for homemade yeast during quarantine, Banksy and how he copes cooped up, squirrel picnic tables, the worst wildlife photos and dad jokes for miles. And yes, they have more kittens than you can shake a stick at!

5. Realizing there are concerts I forgot about seeing – It took me three days but I have organized my concert & sports tickets, event laminates, backstage passes, handwritten setlists and related items. Now I have a cool new piece of art for my office showing decades of very colorful backstage passes!

4. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries – This fun, Australian TV series captures the spirit of Phyrne Fisher, the lead character from Kerry Greenwood’s detective novels. Set in 1920’s Australia, it follows the ever chic and sassy Miss Fisher. Anchored by smart character development, an endearing cast and fabulous costuming, the fact she drives a Hispano-Suiza is the cherry on top.

Margot: Weekdays 10am - 3pm 1. EOB: Earth - On his first solo album, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead explores his love for Brazil and Brazilian rhythms with tamer soundscapes for a refreshingly original, upbeat album. 2. The Dream Syndicate: The Universe Inside Veteran band The Dream Syndicate lose the jangle and get in touch with their jammier side. Lucky for us, it works out well! 3. The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry - This is considered one of the definitive books on the 1918 pandemic. What’s fascinating upon re-reading it now, is how much about human nature doesn’t change. 4. Valley Girl - A fun, underrated 80’s movie with a strong soundtrack made it’s streaming debut on Amazon Prime. Come for the valley girls, stay for The Plimsouls. 5. Select albums turning 40 in 2020 - Talking Heads, Remain In Light; AC/DC, Back In Black; Joy Division, Closer; U2, Boy; Pretenders, Pretenders; Squeeze, Argybargy.

5. Reconnecting with family and friends – It’s been a real treat to step away from the hustle and bustle and reconnect with family and friends. While keeping physically distant, I’ve rekindled friendships and shored up family bonds via the old-fashioned telephone and the ever-funny virtual meeting hot spots.

Benji: Weekdays 7pm - 10pm 1. The Dawn Wall – Holy moly, this movie has everything: kidnapping, amputation, learning disabilities, overcoming obstacles . . . This documentary explores how Tommy Caldwell and his climbing partner became the first to summit the Dawn Wall of El Capitan. Plus, Tommy lives in Estes Park so you’ll be proud of one of our own!

3. May’s Top 20 of 2020 topic on the Colorado Sound – Since Mother’s Day is this month, our topic is “Who is your favorite family act?” The Gallagher brothers in Oasis? Richard and Linda Thompson when they were husband and wife? Or maybe the Soderberg sisters from First Aid Kit. Let us know your favorite family act - submit your nominee at Coloradosound.org 4. Jason Isbell: Reunions – Isbell has called this new record the finest of his career and it’s easy to see why. With “Be Afraid” and “What’ve I Done to Help” already getting serious airplay, Reunions is an early contender for next year’s Grammys. 5. Lucinda Williams: Good Souls Better Angels – Williams delivers her best albums when she’s a little bit angry. From the look of it, she’s downright furious. On songs like “Man Without A Soul” and “You Can’t Rule Me,” she shows off a feistiness not seen in a long time. If I ever need backup for a fight, I’m calling her.

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2. Joe Ely: Love in the Midst of Mayhem – Ely has come out with another terrific album. Finding himself with a lot of extra time during the corona pandemic, he cranked out 10 new songs drawing on his experience with isolation and the struggles he encountered.

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