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MUSIC reviews
BandWagon Magazine
Banshee Tree PG. 4 Julie Koenig PG. 6 King Crawdad PG. 8 Southern Avenue PG. 10
BANDWAGMAG.COM Publisher
ELY CORLISS
Editor
BandWagMag BandWagMag
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Bohemian
Light Festival
KEVIN JOHNSTON
art director
PG.18
CARTER KERNS
CONTRIBUTORS
DAN ENGLAND GABE ALLEN VALERIE VAMPOLA
REVEREND PEYTON’S
BIG DAMN BAND
BANDS AND MUSICIANS Submit your MUSIC for review:
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Banshee Tree Banshee Tree
Gabe Allen
BandWagon Magazine
These days it seems like anyone who owns a guitar also has a Spotify page. That’s why it’s so surprising that one of the hardest touring bands in Northern Colorado is releasing its first ever album this month. Banshee Tree’s eponymous debut drops August 20, and it’s a dizzying journey through the band’s eclectic influences. For the past few years, Banshee Tree has played in barrooms, theaters and music
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festivals all over Colorado and Wyoming. Although the band’s music showcases each member’s impressive chops, the recurring theme is vibrant energy. Dancefloor denizens will sway to neo soul for one song and spin their partner to gypsy jazz for the next. This theme carries on into the record. Crisp production accentuates carefully arranged music without quelling the undeniable grooves of a rock solid rhythm section. Drummer Michelle Pietrafitta leads the way — confidently switching between genre bending beats that fade into the mix and creative fills that harness the vibe of the room. A band that once played exclusively swing starts off by defying expectations. The opening track, “Indigo,” is a sexy soul-jazz odyssey that veers into mathy syncopation during the chorus. The lyrics might be trippy or spiritual depending on who you ask.
swing roots with singer/guitarist Thom LaFond delivering a catchy, fast-sung chorus. During the solo section, the band finally lets loose, embarking on an incredible 5-minute jam. After an excellent, albeit genre appropriate, fiddle solo, the music devolves into a series of breakdowns drawing from progressive metal, contemporary jazz and waltz. Finally, LaFond returns for a final verse.
“Canary’s Gone” is a highlight, returning the band to their gypsy
Longtime fans will recognize “Spare Me,” the album's lead
single, and “Moth in a Box,” the band’s usual show-ender, while “True Distraction” is an enjoyable soul-rock jam that invokes wanderlust. From start to finish, Banshee Tree will have heads bobbing.
Banshee Tree celebrates the release of their selftitled debut August 20 with a concert at The Fox Theater in Boulder, featuring Fruta Brutal & The B-Love Experience.
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Julie Koenig
Renaissance Woman Valerie Vampola
BandWagon Magazine
Julie Koenig’s debut album Renaissance Woman explores what it means to be woman – both the strengths and vulnerabilities – through the singer-songwriter genre and jazz. Unapologetic about her features and her attitude, Koenig uses them to draw strength and elicit feminist ideals. She opens with “The Lady is a Tramp,” a jazz standard by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Here, she takes the slanderous name and runs with it, saying the only “trampy” thing about her is that she doesn’t fit the Barbie doll or Stepford wife image, employing a fierce set of original lyrics on being rambunctious and demanding. In “Anthropology/Counting Calories,” Koenig’s original lyrics over a Charlie Parker tune muse about the freedom she feels when she isn’t concerned about her figure. She closes with “Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues” by Ida Cox, where she wails about not settling and not submitting to men who mistreat women and disrespect relationships.
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Her feminist grounding also comes through in the musicians she selected: Mckenna Reeve on drums, Domi Edson on bass, and Amaya Arevalo on piano – all of whom are notable, Coloradobased female jazz musicians. Koenig’s vulnerable side comes through on her song “Fig Tree,” an original melody written atop an excerpt from Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar. It tells the story of a woman who can see a multitude of life scenarios at her fingertips, but stricken by the fear of choosing only one, time and age slowly leaves her with no choices. A tribute is payed to pianist and singer Nina Simone, with Koening’s take on “Nobody.” Moved by Simone’s somber interpretation, she shares in that loneliness by using this one moment on the album to accompany herself on piano. Spending most of her career playing jazz standards across Northern Codlorado, Renaissance Woman gives Koenig a rebirth in establishing herself as a songwriter, telling stories about what it means to be a woman, including the strengths, the vulnerability, and sometimes the unglamourous side.
Renaissance Woman is out now everywhere you stream music. Head to juliekoenigsings. com for more and catch Koenig live, September 16th at 477 Distilling in Greeley.
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King Crawdad King Crawdad 3
Laura Giagos
BandWagon Magazine
Back with their fourth release, quixotically titled, King Crawdad 3 , Fort Collinsbased rock outfit King Crawdad has hit an impressive new stride, producing an EP alive with the particular energy they are clearly looking to translate. Taking their latest material to the renowned Fort Collins recording studio The Blasting Room and adding Tucker Valentine into the mix on bass,
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King Crawdad 3 stands as some of their best work yet. It punches where it needs to punch, it kicks out the jams when it needs it the most, and it shows a band really honing in on their sound. Before adding Valentine on the bass, the band was driven by guitarist/vocalist Miles Mercer and drummer Nick Perich. Cutting out a piece of the Northern Colorado rock scene for themselves, Mercer and Perich primarily performed as a two-piece leading up to King Crawdad 3 . With the addition of the bass, the band is exploring new sound palettes while building on the two piece structure which first gave them their identity. In signature King Crawdad style, each track of the fourtrack EP tops a plodding five minutes, but instead of it feeling tired, they find a way in which to blend their songs,
making none of them feel like six minute ballads. Instead, it reads like a whole album super-packed into twenty minutes, like a reverse speed punk band. And while it can feel repetitive to the casual listener, there are amazing grooves to be found. “Expert Breastmilk” absolutely hauls and is sprinkled with some
very clever recording choices, showing a band who has learned to both rock on stage and have fun in the studio. Purchase the record directly at kingcrawdad.bandcamp.com and catch King Crawdad at Lost Lake in Denver on Friday, August 20; Steamboat Springs August 21, and Crested Butte August 22.
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Southern Avenue Be The Love You Want
Dan England
BandWagon Magazine
At their best live, Southern Avenue finds enough soul, R&B and pop to please middling blues fans while maintaining enough roots and respect for the genre to satisfy hardcore blues veterans. The difference between the Memphis-based band’s virtuosity and energy on Be The Love You Want and their live performances is pronounced, and yet, it seems the band took steps to alleviate the issue. The production seems louder, tougher and sharper,
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with brassy horns and a clearer sound than their previous release Keep On. The songs take on a shorter pop identity, giving less room for guitarist Ori Naftaly and keyboardist Jeremy Powell to flash their amazing abilities. This may be because the band wanted to feature frontwoman Tierinii Jackson and her drummer sister, Tikyra – a shrewd pop move, no doubt. Tierinii is one of the more dynamic and talented singers on the national scene, and her sister sings brilliant backup. One track, “Heathen Hearts,” features only their vocals and a sparse beat, and it shines. While trimming up the songs and putting Jackson out front feels like an attempt to get more fans, focusing on the Jacksons does limit the full band experience. More traditional songwriting and more soloing from Naftaly and Powell would satisfy old-school fans, displaying all of what Southern Avenue has to offer.
Still, this album is a joy. “Be The Love You Want,” the opening, title track, hits like a wallop, and “Move Into The Light,” (a co-write with Jason Mraz) is better than 95 percent of what’s on the radio. “Let’s Get It Together,” and single “Push Now” manage to capture Tierinii’s considerable stage presence, making the album worth it. Perhaps it’s unfair to compare Southern Avenue’s latest
recording with their knock-offyour-socks live show, but they came close on Keep On. Treat Be The Love You Want as an hors d'oeuvre until you can feast upon their prodigious on-stage talents this summer.
Be The Love You Want is out August 27 via Renew records. Catch Southern Avenue on tour this summer, in Crested Butte September 1 and in Boulder via ETown September 2. More at southernavenuemusic.com.
SPOTLIGHT ARTIST OF THE MONTH
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tarting now, 105.5 The Colorado Sound and BandWagon will bring you a Colorado Spotlight Artist of the Month! We couldn’t imagine a first choice better for that late summer festival season than Greeley’s hometown heroes The Burroughs.
THE BURROUGHS
Releasing a single inspired by a particularly unforgettable night dancing to the classic funk band ZAPP at the Moxi, The Burroughs continue to expand their soulful, strength-innumbers sound, featuring vocal highlights not just from Johnny Burroughs himself, but from the entire 9-piece band. The track, “Baby Get Down,” dropped late last month, and the accompanying video is set for an August 13th premiere. The tune is heavy on playful funk, and the video follows suit (matching tracksuits, that is) with Bootsy Collins-style call-and-response vocals and call-and-response dance moves heavy on the, well, bass. Written, arranged, performed and produced completely by members of the band at Mighty Fine Productions, grininducing background vocals were recorded in a small closet by Hayden Farr (baritone saxophone) and Alec Bell (trumpet). “Listening to Johnny sing, ‘Girl shake your rump’ in my closet will be a cherished memory for me.” says Farr with a laugh, reinforcing the comical lightheartedness of the tune. So prepare to shake your rumpadump to the video along with guest dancers Alicia Viezcas, Gracie Eaton, and Gabriella, and suit-up to catch the Burroughs live, nationwide this summer (even at Salmonfest in Alaska) and back home in Colorado on August 20 at the Louisville Street Faire.
FOR MORE, HIT UP THEBURROUGHSSOUL.COM
REASONS TO LISTEN TO THE COLORADO SOUND • MORE COLORADO ARTISTS • KNOWLEDGEABLE DJS WHO LIVE HERE • NO COMMERCIALS • • UNIQUE PROGRAMMING YOU DON’T GET ANYWHERE ELSE FROM BEASTIE BOYS TO BILLIE HOLIDAY •
105.5FM & ONLINE AT COLORADOSOUND.ORG 11
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The Infamous LP LP's vulnerable, irreverent pop hits Edge Fest BY GABE ALLEN
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n 2007, LP had already spent a year-and-ahalf on L.A. Reid’s label, Island Def Jam Music Group, and she had no album to show for it. No one knew what to do with her. She dressed like Mick Jagger, belted melodies like Mariah and walked into every room like she owned the place (and might steal your girlfriend too). “They put me off in like four different musical directions,” LP tells BandWagon. “I don't think they could deal with what I looked like and what I sounded like.” After the label executives took her off the road, LP spent months writing song after song spanning folk, hard rock, indie and pop. Finally, fed up with trying to find her sound, they told her she would have to perform in a perverse iteration of a battle of the bands to keep her spot with the company. “Jay-Z was there and L.A. Reid and everybody. They made me perform three or four songs in completely disparate directions with these studio guys as my backing band,” she says. “Then they brought up all these Fall Out Boy type bands. I was one of the artists dropped at the end of the session.” Fourteen years later, none of the Fall Out Boy sound-alikes are of note, but LP is at the height of her career as an international pop star. She has billions of streams to her name and devout fans from Italy to Poland, Mexico and all over the world. “It went from ‘who do you think you are?’ to ‘who are you?’,” she says. It almost seems like she’s gloating — her last two music videos have featured bacchanalian celebrations with posses of models in picturesque locations. After years of grinding, she has earned a good time and she’s here to party. On August 28, LP will bring the party to Edge Fest 2021, a multimedia outdoor arts festival in the hip, burgeoning West Edge district of Cheyenne, WY. In its 6th year, Edge Fest pledges to keep it “free to the beautiful people of the front range of Colorado and Wyoming,” with LP and Tai Verdes, plus local bands, art, food and beer to fuel the festival feel.
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Attendees will get a live peek at LP’s forthcoming album Churches, due October 8. The record’s four alreadyreleased singles suggest a change towards an EDM-oriented sound, different from 2018’s Heart to Mouth, which presented eclectic rock stylings. One thing, though, hasn’t changed at all. LP is an irreverent truth-teller who doesn’t hold back on putting her deepest-felt emotions into her lyrics and delivery. The androgynous songstress comes across both irreverent and vulnerable. In her web bio, she writes, “my music errs on the histrionic side, but that’s how I feel, you know.” Like many artists, LP found herself lost in reflection during the pandemic. A recent single, “One Last Time,” was inspired by a news story: relatives of severe COVID-19 victims were forced to say goodbye to their loved ones over video chat.
“It made me think back to all of the deaths that I’ve lived through,” LP says. “Many years out, they’re still not there anymore, that’s it. Anyone who's gone through it understands the enormity of that.” Another single, “Goodbye,” explores a further kind of loss, wherein LP describes the catharsis of experiencing pain and letting it go over a euphoric, washed-out pop soundscape. “We’re all dealing with our own level of trauma and bullshit. Sometimes, when I’m trying to figure things out, I write about it,” she says. If “Goodbye” feels like a breakup song, that’s because it is. “Every other record cycle has a severe breakup on it,” LP says with a laugh. “I don’t know what that says about me, to which a choir of ex-girlfriends says, ‘I do!’” LP has become adept at filtering her own dramatic inclinations through a pop-tinted filter. The result is music that
toes the line between boldly unique and accessible. And, of course, it is all grounded by her incredible vocal range and rich vibrato. But it wasn’t always so easy to find that one-of-a-kind voice. Back when she was grinding out songs under Island Def Jam’s management, LP felt directionless. After trying to fit into so many different genres, she lost sight of what she wanted to sound like. “When you’re a younger artist, all you can think about is ‘get me on tour,’” she says, but ultimately, her ability to write prolifically is what sustained her career. After losing her first big label deal, she got a gig as a contracted songwriter. “I was just writing as many songs as I fucking could,” she says. And she was good at it. After years of writing at a breakneck pace, she wrote “Love Will Keep You Up All Night" for the Backstreet Boys, "Beautiful People" for Christina Aguilera, "Cheers (Drink to That)" for Rihanna and "Change My Mind" for Celine Dion. It wasn’t what she had envisioned for herself, but LP was becoming a very successful musical ghostwriter. “I went through almost two years with no hope of being an artist in my own right,” she says. But of course, good things often come when you least expect it. While grinding out hits for other artists, LP was subconsciously honing her craft. Writing for others gave her the confidence and skill set to re-emerge as a singer / bandleader. “It happened through, like, a long fucking haul, that's impossible to duplicate,” she said. “I’m an eclectic artist — that’s why it was difficult for a record company to find me a place in the world. Ultimately I had to find it myself.” When listening to LP’s music now, it’s hard to imagine a version of her that doesn’t know exactly who she is and how to convey it. But, as with any master artist, it takes years of work to build that kind of confidence.
CATCH LP AND TAI VERDES AT EDGE FEST ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 28TH AT CIVIC COMMONS PARK IN THE WEST EDGE DISTRICT OF CHEYENNE, WYOMING. THE EVENT IS FREE AND BEGINS AT 5PM. VISIT WWW.EDGEFEST.COM FOR MORE. 15
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ROLL OVER REVEREND REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND CLINGS TO NOSTALGIA FOR HARD TIMES BY VALERIE VAMPOLA
CATCH THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND LIVE AT THE MOXI THEATER IN GREELEY ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 29 WITH SAM MORROW. TICKETS AT MOXITHEATER.COM 18
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he Reverend Peyton always had an appetite for nostalgia – everything from the traditional country blues that influenced his guitar picking, to the vintage 1950’s outfits he and his wife Breezy wear on stage. Those touches complement their rowdy rockabilly and southern roots sound, so the Rev decided to take it all the way on his new album. He recorded it using "the best technology available in the 1950’s." That meant analog. If you don’t know what that means, go ask your grandfather or any recording engineer worth their weight in two inch tape. Rev Peyton has confidence in the Big Damn Band’s live shows, so it was important to him that he captured that same energy and sound in their latest album Dance Songs For Hard Times. The process of recording everything analog meant each track was recorded in one take from beginning to end - no splicing and no layering.
“What makes me so proud is, when you do that, play it live [to an 8 track], that’s what it sounds like when we play it on stage,” the Rev tells BandWagon.
(usually with his thumb), while using his “It was an upending of our entire life,” other fingers to play more melodic or Peyton says. “I was even afraid to go to different groove figures. The Rev has put the grocery store.” his own twist on the style by adding licks Still, they wanted to record an album – or strumming stylings that match that of even over four days in their house without Chuck Berry. power. Undeterred, the Rev sat by On stage they are as rowdy as can candle light and let the music pour out. be and make a lot of noise for a three Keeping their distance, they rehearsed piece, but translating that energy can synchronized via voice memos, sending be tricky in the studio. The trio partnered recordings back and forth between the up with Nashville’s Vance Powell, who three of them. They walked into the has worked with Phish, Chris Stapleton studio the most unprepared they had and Jack White and could deliver a ever been for an album recording, having completely analog record for them, had only two full rehearsals as opposed translating that big damn sound they to an entire month’s worth. But the lack of bring to the stage. rehearsing also meant there was less of “There’s a reason people like tube a script the Rev felt he needed to follow. amps. Even when you go to a digital They allowed themselves to “wing it” studio, they still use them. Analog tapes where they normally would play it safe, still sound better – they sound beautiful,” especially for recording on an 8-track. says Peyton. “Everything was still very fresh as a Playing live and seamless was not the result. It wasn’t hashed out, so we took stressful part of the process, for it only took chances, and we had a lot of room to the Big Damn Band two to four takes to nail wiggle around,” says the Rev. each track. The scary part was the lack of So when Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn preparation when walking into the studio. Band hits the stage with Dance Songs for The trio was used to a full month of Hard Times, they have confidence their daily rehearsals leading up to a session, fans will have that same live experience but quarantining made that difficult, blasting the album in their cars or especially because the Rev and Breezy both contracted the virus at the beginning bluetooth speakers.
The “big band” are just a trio: the Reverend on guitar, Breezy on the washboard, and Max Senteney of March while they were out on tour. This “A band like us is going to sound playing drums. They don’t have put a massive toll on their general well better doing it live,” Peyton said of a bass player. The Rev plays being in the short and long. Breezy faced their both shows and new album. harsh fevers and was admitted both in a technique he picked “We want to retain as to the hospital, suffering up from the country blues much of that scarring on her lungs, while musician Robert Belfour, humanity as we the Rev suffered vertigo who keeps a steady can.” and tinnitus. And as if that beat over the low weren’t enough, all the guitar strings while his father was battling cancer.
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Bohemian Light BRINGS HEAVY HITTERS BACK TO FAMED FORT COLLINS FESTIVAL BY DAN ENGLAND
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he Bohemian Foundation will put on a music festival this summer in downtown Fort Collins, and though the headliners are big names, fans of Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest should temper their expectations somewhat.
Love L.A.,” “Short People” and the many hits he wrote for others, earning him an induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Black Pumas, a soul duo, were nominated for the Grammys Album of the Year in 2021 along with three other nominations to their credit.
The festival’s new name previews the scaled-back version of the past that’s featured Bonnie Raitt, Blondie, Cake, DeVotchKa and The Fray. Dubbed the Bohemian Light Music Festival, live concerts will commence two nights instead of three, featuring psychedelic soul band Black Pumas and singersongwriter Randy Newman. The free festival runs on Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15 in Old Town Fort Collins.
Black Pumas had a great breakout year, said Laura Wilson, live music manager for the Bohemian Foundation, with the Grammy nominations as well as their performance for President Biden’s inauguration and should bring great, soulful energy to their Saturday night concert. Newman, despite his age, should bring out fans of all ages that Sunday because of his Toy Story songs and his many years as a household name.
Newman, whose goofy and catchy style fit right in with the Toy Story movies which featured his hit “You’ve Got A Friend In Me,” is also known for “I
“It should be a great way to wrap up our festival weekend,” Wilson said of Newman, “bringing out…the young folks who know his film scores and adults who know his decades of sharp and often satirical songwriting.” Though technically stripped down, the festival still features more than 45 Colorado bands across four outdoor venues. Bohemian organizers know it’s a smaller
version of New West Fest, but the realities of COVID-19 made it difficult to put on a show of past years’ magnitude. “We really wanted to provide a live music festival if it was possible,” said June Greist, communications director at Bohemian. “We usually have an entire year to plan, but this year was a bit different because of the uncertainties around COVID-19.” Planning, therefore, turned into a condensed affair, Wilson said. “The health of our community is our primary concern, so we have had to be nimble and flexible in planning as the months passed,” Wilson said, “but we were always hopeful that it would be possible, and are delighted that we can have Bohemian Light this year.” The performances are free, first-come, first-serve and will be enclosed with limited capacity. The exact capacity may not be known until mid-August, Greist said. The venues will also be cleared several times throughout both days to allow as many people to experience the festival as possible. Both Black Pumas and Newman will perform on the Mountain Avenue main stage. Food trucks will be available too, but no goods and services will be allowed this year. The foundation doesn’t know if future festivals will look more like the New West Fest of years past, this year’s limited cap event, or if one will take place next year at all, Greist said. “It’s too early to say,” she said. “But they do hope to continue to bring a festival to the community.”
BOHEMIAN LIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE IN OLD TOWN FORT COLLINS ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 FROM 1-8 P.M FEATURING BLACK PUMAS, RANDY NEWMAN AND MORE. TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF ALL PERFORMANCES WILL BE AVAILABLE AUGUST 2 AT BOHEMIANLIGHTFESTIVAL.ORG AND ALL SHOWS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC. SELECT PERFORMANCES WILL ALSO BE STREAMED LIVE TO THE WEB. 22
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