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Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda Pinyata Allows Users To Make Colorado Home, Connect in New Ways Throw Party at Walnut Through Photo Sharing by Tim Wenger Room Pete Pidgeon will re-launch Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda as a Colorado band at The Walnut Room at 3131 Walnut Street on Friday, February 6, 2015. The group will be supported by Andy Palmer performing a solo set to start the evening at 8 p.m. and a late-night set with BowieGrass (ft. members of Disco Floyd and Hangman’s Hymnal). Pidgeon relocated to Colorado from New York City in October and has already booked over 60 eclectic shows. The most notable of these was his pairing with Reed Foel, CR Gruver & Tori Pater (Polytoxic), Jonathan Meadows (The Congress), and others for the 10th annual Last Waltz Revisited which sold out the Boulder Theater and packed 3000 attendees into Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium. Other highlights include being brought on as the house guitarist in The Armoury’s (Denver) Wednesday night house band The Hump Day All Stars (ft. Eric Imbrosciano, Stephen Thurston, Ben Rubin, and Devon Parker); being hired as the guitarist for the Jacob Larson Band (ft. Adrienne Osborn, AJ Salas, Jon Gray); two live performances and interviews on KRFC in Fort Collins; becoming the full-time guitarist for Thurston Group (ft. Stephen Thurston, Cory Baker, and Patrick McDevitt); and sideman guitar work with SuperCollider, Canyon Collected, Dechen Hawk, and Funkma$ter. Pidgeon has also performed solo shows in Denver, Boulder, Windsor, Fort Collins, and Loveland. The Colorado reincarnation of Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda is comprised of Casey Sidwell on bass (Zach Heckendorf, Dragondeer, Megan Burtt, John Common), Jared Forqueran on drums (Andy Palmer), and Adam Bodine on keyboards (Adam Bodine Trio). After living through the hustle and grind of New York City, Pidgeon notes that, “In Colorado, agents, talent buyers, radio hosts, and industry folks are all in it together with the musicians. They come out to shows and make the scene feel like a family. Humanity is the major difference I’ve noticed between the two cities.” Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda is well-established nationally - boasting 3 full-length albums and 2 EPs featuring such acclaimed personnel as Levon Helm (The Band, Bob Dylan), David LaBruyere (John Mayer), Gabe Wallace (Gorillaz), and many other powerhouses. The February Launch will signify that Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda is now a Colorado band, committed to the local music community, and accelerating at an exponential rate. The February 6th Launch will foreshadow the band’s 2015 “All the Little Things” album release. When asked what his aspirations are for 2015, Pete stated, “To play Film on the Rocks, sign with a wellconnected manager, and find an Executive Producer who would like a fund the remainder of our new record and take credit for ensuring that one of Levon Helm’s final recordings sees the light of day.” Due to limited availability, advanced tickets are recommended and can be purchased at: www.ticketfly.com/event/751171-pete-pidgeonarcoda-denver or at thewalnutroom.com.
All the world really needs is another photo-heavy social sharing app, right? What if this supposed site allowed us to connect more efficiently with those around us (or far away)? Well, we are all in luck- Steven Puri has dropped an app that he truly believes will revolutionize social photo sharing. Pinyata allows users to share photos as a story, day by day, and for followers to become part of the story that a user has created. According to Puri, Pinyata allows users to “Be in the story.” What this means for music fans is that if an artist you follow is posting, you can directly be a part of what is happening. We gave Puri the opportunity to explain in detail why he feels that Pinyata will continue to gain steam even though they are up against the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and more. CMB: What advantages are there for musicians using the app, as opposed to Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation, etc?
SP: What we’ve noticed is that fans are going crazy because their content and comments are SEEN by their favorite artists. Many other platforms (like Instagram, Twitter, etc.) are awesome, butwerenotdesignedtoTELLSTORIES TOGETHER. So if I’m a musician and a fan goes to my show, we can BOTH post our experiences of the concert in my Pinyata story -- everyone can! Everyone’s photos live together and as the performer I can like and comment on all the photos. Fans love being recognized instead of being invisible. Because of this new way of sharing stories, we’re getting over 1,000 signups a night and over 82% of our users openPinyata DAILY. For musicians it’s an amazing way to engage their fans more deeply than posting a #selfie on FB, Twitter or IG - all of which are awesome products, but are not exactly optimized for telling stories together. Also - as new fans sign-up, we recommend artists in each genre to them so often bands are picking up new fans who love how they tell stories on-and-off stage. CMB: Is the app strictly photo
High Tide Low Tide to Facing West Sign With Drop Album, Kick Off Pando Records Tour Facing West, formerly Two Girls With
High Tide Low Tide has never been a stranger to adversity. The end of 2014 was nothing short of exactly that. After playing one of their biggest shows with Citizen, (RunForCover Records), they parted ways with one of High Tide Low Tide’s founding members, drummer Giles Cool. Once again the band was at a standstill being that they were unable to play shows, or properly write their sophomore follow-up to “40 Years In Heaven Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead”. Without missing a beat they sought out ways to rectify the situation, and held tryout sessions to fill the position. They finally solidified the lineup with a young and talented Mason Kolodziej. With Mason on board they began to reestablish themselves in the Denver scene.
Fast forward to the present after having a few shows under their belt with the new lineup, and a solid list of new songs for the new album they are once again gaining the momentum they strive for. High Tide Low Tide has a busy schedule for the first quarter of 2015. They are scheduled to hit the studio once again with producer Felipe Patino, who also engineered and mixed “40 Years In Heaven Before The Devil Knows Your Dead”. Following that they will hit the road with their mates in The News Can Wait, (originally from Austin, TX), where they will be going on a West Coast tour to Los Angeles. At this moment in time, HTLT is firing on all cylinders. They’ve never been so agile and ready for anything. They have experienced the lows that would take even the most promising musical careers out. With such devastations, and having to rebuild, their skin is thick an impenetrable. They are relentless and ready to give it everyt hing they have in 2015. New Album Title: TBA Tour Kickoff: February 27th in Albuquerque, NM
Guitars, has signed a deal with Pando Records for upcoming releases. Below is a statement from the band:
2014 ended with exciting news as we signed our 1st label contract on 12/13/14 with Pando Records an ADA/WMG label managed by Denver’s own Scottie Flint. After various shows around town Sidney and I were fortunate to be able to play at a Battle of Bands with MILE HIGH SCENESTERS at Herman’s Hideaway on September 20th. Although we were not the first place winner our original music struck a cord with Mr. Flint. After some conversations we went into Nick Nodurft’s Rusty Sun Audio with Producers J. Bertrand and Scottie Flint to begin recording new material. ‘Anchor’ the 1st single was released on January 13th with the remaining songs to be released in the Spring of 2015. We are now formerly known as 2Girls with Guitars as with the contract we created a new band name FACING WEST. We thought the name would reflect the beautiful Denver location and the vibrant Denver music scene! Caitlin said “This is a dream come true, working with the great people at Pando Records that are seeking to find ways to release positive music reflecting who we are as growing musicians.” Sidney said “The Denver music scene has been unbelievably generous to provide an environment for young musicians to chase their dreams. We are so grateful for the support and encouragement from the professional musicians we’ve gotten to work with and learn from everyday.”
based? SP: In addition to photos, right now you can also post GIFs from the web and make comments. We’re working right now on the ability to post short video clips! CMB: Elaborate on the creation of the app, and how the idea first came to be. SP: A bunch of us were just sitting around talking about how we used to love Facebook but now none of us really posted on it. We loved it back in the day when we were all posting a bunch of photos of what we were doing and just being silly and fun. Then one day we looked at each other and said “heck - why don’t we build that for ourselves?” As it turned out, a lot of other people wanted a place to post their stories together - each story feels like a community that’s come together around an artist or an interest. That’s how we’ve grown. CMB: Any plans to expand on the idea in the future? i.e. new add-ons, another app, anything else in the works? SP: Lots of stuff - mainly we respond to every user that writes us and we keep notes on what people are loving and what they want changed. We’re small so we can respond pretty quickly and build new features like video. CMB: What else do people need to know about Pinyata? SP: The main thing to know about Pinyata is that when you’ve posted your 3000th selfie and you’re ready for a fun way to engage more deeply with the people you care about friends, family or fans - Pinyata is here. And to our users - we love and appreciate you and your comments and suggestions how we navigate into the future. We wake up every day
looking for ways to delight you. Thank you for having me. Get the app through the App store on your smartphone.
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Online: facingwestmusic.com
Online: facebook.com/htltband
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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Colorado Music Hall of Fame Welcomes New Class of Inductees
musicians who loved and respected the music. That album, which began as a backstage idea between banjoist John McEuen and the inventor of bluegrass banjo Earl Scruggs at Chuck Morris’ Boulder club Tulagi, went on to become a Grammy-nominated album that is one of the few recordings to land a place at the Smithsonian Museum. In their later incarnation as the Dirt Band, they had a second career with five Top 10 hits on country radio, and they were the first American band to tour the old Soviet Union. John McEuen, Jeff Hanna, Bob Carpenter and Jimmie Fadden closed the evening with Hanna’s voice and Fadden’s drumming and harp being the standout “wow” in their set. Estranged renegade founding member Jimmy Ibbotson showed up for the set and added a loose but powerful contribution of two of his most quirky and wonderfully haunting songs.
by Chris Daniels
The Colorado music scene is booming like never before. Young artists like the Lumineers, the Fray, Flobots, and One Republic are breaking out with major mega-hits, plus artists like Pretty Lights, Elephant Revival, Tennis, Paper Bird, Shel, and Nathaniel Rateliff (and about 20 others I’m neglecting to mention) are making Colorado one of the top music markets in the country. With this wealth of new talent, it is easy to forget that they all stand on the shoulders of the men and women who came before. Thankfully, that is what the mission of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF) has been for the past five years: “to establish a permanent institution in the service of those traditions… to help shape our state’s musical future.” CMHOF is a work in progress. There are so many artists who helped build the music scene in Colorado it will take the CMHOF some years to get all the “classes” recognized for their contributions. There is progress! An actual “hall” for the CMHOF finally becomes a reality at the old Trading Post at Red Rocks. The remarkable story of the negotiations with the City of Denver plus renovations and eventual expansion and remodeling of that building is a story for another time but the good news is that the new CMHOF facility will open sometime at the start of this summer’s concert season at Red Rocks. And because the mission of the CMHOF is not rock ’n’ roll or EDM or hip hop or bluegrass but “music”—including related concerns like Red Rocks, Caribou Ranch, radio stations, DJs, clubs and venues that have built this remarkably diverse Colorado music scene—it will take a while to catch up to the young musicians breaking out today… but they’ll get there too. On January 9th, 2015, the 2014 class of i inductees played for 1,870 of their closest friends, family and fans at the Paramount Theater. The 2014 class represented a “sound” that became synonymous with the Colorado mountains for a period of about 20years starting in the mid-1960s. Beginning with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose early members included Jackson Browne, was a west-coast ‘jug band’ that moved to Colorado in the late 1960s after their early hit “Buy For Me The Rain” put them on The Tonight Show and in the film Paint Your Wagon and in major venues around the country including Carnegie Hall. Once in Colorado, the band went on to reach the Billboard Top 10 with the Jerry Jeff Walker song “Mr. Bojangles,” and the iconic album Will The Circle Be Unbroken that brought the traditional bluegrass and country music community in Nashville together with a bunch of young scruffy Colorado mountain
The Americana tradition that all these bands grew out of created a “Colorado sound,” like Seattle’s “grunge” or Chicago’s electric blues. It came into vogue in the 1970s. Even more than earlier CMHOF inductees John Denver and Judy Collins, this Colorado sound put songs on the charts and the area on the industry map. For me personally, Poco was the knockout set of the night. The band was the aquifer that many super groups dug into for their inspiration including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Loggins & Messina and eventually The Eagles. Born out of the 1960s folkrock band Buffalo Springfield, local guitar and steel wizard Rusty Young started the band—coming together with Richie Furay from Buffalo Springfield, Jack Sundrud, George Lawrence, Michael Webb, George Grantham, Jim Messina, Randy Meisner (“Take It To The Limit”) and Timothy B. Schmit (lead vocals on “Crazy Love” by Poco and “I Can’t Tell You Why” by the Eagles), with the incomparable Paul Cotton rounding it out the lineup. It would take too long to explain all the comings and goings of the players through Poco and into groups like Logins & Messina and the Eagles or to unravel the good and bad feelings that went along with all of that. All that was set-aside for this night, and Poco delivered the concert’s most stunning set of hits and harmonies. Anyone who was there would have heard the origins of the Eagles—some would say the more musically challenging version of the Eagles—along with the magic that this band created until last year when Rusty Young announced that Poco had done its final show. The amazing performance they gave was one of the most memorable of the night. You can argue for any one of the class of 2014 being the “biggest” artist. It all depends upon the rubric you use. For pure “star power,” Manassas with Stephen Stills, Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Calvin ”Fuzzy” Samuels, Paul Harris, Dallas Taylor, Joe Lala, Kenny Passarelli, and John Barbata probably take the cake. Steve did not show up, which was no surprise, but Jeff Hanna, Jock Bartley, Richie Furay and young Nathaniel Rateliff did a beautiful job of creating some of the music from Manassas and Steve Stills the former Gold Hill volunteer firefighter
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and resident. Two members went on to play in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Passarelli was the session and touring bassist for Joe Walsh and Elton John plus the co-author the James Gang/Joe Walsh anthem “Rocky Mountain Way.” Last and certainly not least was longtime Colorado favorite Firefall. I have known them for many years - dating back to when I gave Jock Bartley banjo lessons at Nick The Greek Music in Boulder. We did joint shows with Magic Music and Firefall from 1974 to 1976 in places like the Glenn Miller Ballroom at CU Boulder. Jock is the powerhouse leader behind keeping the band together for 40 years. Firefall represented the intersection where the country and Americana roots of this Colorado sound turned the corner into rock ’n’ roll. Under the guidance of producer Jim Mason (Paul Stookey, Chris Hillman, Richie Furay) and the songwriting of Rick Roberts, the band produced such hits as “You Are The Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” “Mexico” and “Cinderella” (written by Larry Burnett), to name only a few. The band had three - million-plus selling records, with one song receiving almost 7 million radio airplays (yes, you do hear “You Are The Woman” in every Safeway, King Soopers and dentist office on the planet!). Rick Roberts and Jock Bartley came out of Gram Parsons’ Fallen Angels Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers (Parsons is arguably the father of this school of music); they also had Michael Clarke (deceased) coming out of the Byrds in the band, and Mark Andes coming out of Spirit and going on to play with Heart. Larry Burnett was the band’s second acoustic player and song writer and multiinstrumentalist David Muse and percussionist (Joe LaLa (deceased) rounded out the original lineup. Firefall and the Dirt Band are the two bands that are still going strong, and the set Firefall put on confirmed their power and versatility is just as dynamic if not more so with David Muse and Mark Andes back in the lineup and the groove of Sandy Ficca’s drumming and Steven Weinmeister’s lead vocals. Now for those who know the inside history of the band, you will be pleased to know that both Rick and Larry joined the band for their final song of the set. Rick is working with Jim Mason on a new project and Larry is playing music in Washington D.C., but it is their songs that gave Firefall the platform from which they launched a 40-year dynasty. And here is where I have to tip my hat to Jock Bartley. I‘ve kept a band together for 31 years. It is no easy task. You serve roles that run the gamete - from project visionary to babysitter and everything in-between. It takes a passion for the music that is never ending, a drive and energy that is unfathomable to most musicians and skin that is thicker than a rhinoceros with chainmail to do it…and Jock does all that and plays one of the most distinctive and melodic lead guitars in the business. From his days as the student of the great jazz guitarist Johnny Smith to the iconic guitar lick that runs through their hit “Mexico,” you can always tell Jock’s signature sound and phrasing. It was a night of Colorado luminaries and just good friends. Governor John Hickenlooper spoke of his love for the music in the state;
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
comedian and Animal Planet veterinarian Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald inducted Firefall (he was also a bouncer/bodyguard for inductee Barry Fey and the Rolling Stones); Harold Feldman, inductee from Flash Cadillac, was there; record producer and Warner Brothers recording artist Tim Goodman came out from the East Coast; Jay Marciano and Chuck Morris represented AEG Live; and Byrds and Firefall drummer Michael Clarke’s sister represented him with his giant photo on stage. It felt more like a gathering of old friends at a massive party than an induction ceremony and concert. The class of 2014 is going to be followed by another set of Colorado institutions, with Joe Walsh & Barnstorm (“Rocky Mountain Way”) and on to the Eagles), Dan Fogelberg (the John Mayer of his generation) and Caribou Ranch. What makes this even more exciting is that the Colorado Music Hall of Fame will celebrate its grand opening for their home at the old Red Rocks Trading Post (now the new CMHOF museum) this spring at the kickoff of the 2015 Red Rocks season. As Governor Hickenlooper said at the class of 2014 induction, “Colorado is a great home for music, with 98 venues presenting 668 concerts in 2014—we’ve got more music here than anywhere … way more than Austin, Texas!” A work in progress—from chairman Chuck Morris to director G. Brown and all the members of the CMHOF board—they all would be the first to acknowledge they have a long way to go. There is a lack of diversity and recognition of the jazz, R&B and soul/funk/blues artists like Grammy-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves, award-winning jazz trumpeter Ron Miles, blues legend Otis Taylor, funk pioneers Freddi Henchi & the Soulsetters, award winning bassist Charlie Burrell, and legendary Earth, Wind & Fire vocalist Philip Bailey. There are other areas to be covered, including Latin music warriors Conjunto Colores and all the class of bluegrass and jam-band artists from Hot Rize to String Cheese and the etown radio show. Is there concern in the music community that these remarkable artists are not represented? You bet. But as G Brown, Director and tireless worrier for this remarkable achievement will tell you, the CMHOF is a work in progress and a nonprofit that needs YOUR help and input to be the best it can be. Someday artists Philip Bailey, One Republic, Jill Sobule, Hot Rize, the Lumineers, Pretty Lights, and the Freddi Henchi Band - and so many more will all be there. The hall will have completed its planned expansion at Red Rocks and there will be “room for all at the inn.” So stay tuned. This is a remarkable undertaking. Colorado, the governor, and the dedicated men and women who make up the officers and board members of the non-profit Colorado Music Hall of Fame have plans that will knock your socks off. You can find out more (and even donate to the hall) atcmhof.org.. What makes all this possible is the incredible music fans in Colorado! We all thank you. The CMHOF would not be there if it were not for you!
help from his father. “He helped me get into a treatment program,” Groves says. “And it did take a lot of treatment.” After the in-patient program, he spent six months in a sober living home with others in a similar situation. “After that I was able to begin living a more clean lifestyle.”
Boulder DJ, Evoke, Struggles Through Addiction and Rehab to Find Himself as a Musician by Tim Wenger
Withdrawal. The term does not seem to bring to mind much other than misery, sorrow, longing. Not many can say that the word itself represents a positive time in their lives. But for Alden Groves, it represents a new beginning. “The album is drawing parallels between my experiences with addiction and my experiences with relationships,” says Groves, a 20-yearold Louisville EDM artist who has taken the word Withdrawal and plastered on the label of his debut album that dropped January 22 on SectionZ Records. “Lyrically, most of the songs are addressing the other person in a relationship and they’re also me talking to myself about withdrawing from a substance, like you’re going to come through and you’re going to be better because of it.” Groves takes aggressively angry lyrics and aims them at a past version of himself. After struggling with heroin as a teenager, he has used music as a driving force to get his life back together. “I’ve been clean two and a half years,” he says. “For about four years, I had used basically anything you could name. It started with drinking and smoking weed, and it pretty quickly turned into ecstasy.” From there, it just got worse. “I happen to have the brain chemistry that progresses to wanting more and more, and pretty quickly I ended up on the harder shit.” Ecstasy is a well-known party drug, and for Groves it opened the doors to the rave scene, which soon consumed his life. A downward spiral ensued, landing him friendless and at the brink of having absolutely no one left in his life. “For me, I had to hit a point where I realized I didn’t have anything else going for me,” he says. “All my friends didn’t want to hang out with me anymore because I had stolen money from them. My parents were fed up with me. I was basically just doing drugs.” The plummet continued until Groves was finally able to look around him and notice that everything, and everyone, that he had once had in his life was now gone. At rock bottom, he gathered his wits enough to approach his father. “I really didn’t have any friends left, and then ultimately I had to tell my day ‘I need help.’” He was put into an in-patient rehab program for two months, where he cleaned up and gained a strong system of support, with much
At this point, music re-entered Groves life, this time playing a much more positive role than the raving he had done previously. He had been singing for most of his life, but fell out of it when he started partying. He began singing again once his body had regained health. As another hobby, he started playing the video game Guitar Hero, getting so good at it that his father offered to buy him an actual guitar if he was willing to commit as much time to it as he had the video game. “I just had to focus that same addictive, repeat it over and over again, philosophy onto doing something productive,” Groves says. “Once I got a guitar, I could easily do that. Once I got clean and quit smoking and my lungs got back to normal health, I realized I should start singing again. I’ve been practicing on the daily ever since.” During his party days, Groves had begun dj’iing, largely because “I could be fucked up and still do it,” he explains. “Once I got clean I was like ‘Wow, this is really simple.’” He set a goal to grow his musical ability, and put himself out into the scene. These days, he has taken his skills in the EDM world and mixed it with live vocals, creating a sound that gives his music appeal not only to the dance crowd but to many who otherwise shun the idea of electronic music. “Electronic music with vocals is something that isn’t done a lot, and what’s awesome about electronic music is that the possibilities are endless,” he says. “What that also means is that you are looking at this huge blank canvass. You can do anything.” After doing some sober teen events as a DJ, Groves hopes to step out into the live performance realm in Boulder and Denver. He also has an album out. “My plan right now is to do some dj’ing with live vocals and a little bit of guitar,” he says. “I’m trying to do the electronic thing but making it not like I’m in this box alone and no one can see me.” “At some point I’d like to go to college, but at the moment I’m going full delusional and chasing the dream,” Groves says. “I’m putting everything into it because the way I see it, that puts me a step ahead. I’m not trying to do hitech stuff. I’m not trying to create these really detailed stories. What I’m really trying to do is convey these emotions that I’ve experienced as accurately as possible so that people can relate to it.” Online: soundcloud.com/sectionz-records/ sets/evoke/s-rQBt3
throughout the community. “A lot of this is not to just do it for myself, but to start this company and view it as a whole business, to be able to do it for other bands as well, to build up a roster that we trust and work with,” Bastos says.
Danny Bastons and His Group The DBC Kicking Off Tour This Month -Working On Video Collection by Tim Wenger
Danny Bastos knows as well as anyone that in the music world, it’s all about community. His group The Danny Bastos Collective, or The DBC, maintains a stage-cramming eight person lineup at its core, with guest and fill in musicians often making appearances at the group’s shows. The Collective has been around in its current state since 2011 and have built a following spanning the jam, rock, and funk scenes in Colorado through constant gigging around the state. They have dropped an EP titled The DBC EP and will be following it with a tour kick off at Casselman’s Bar and Venue on February 25. A heavy element of world music stands out in the band’s sound. As loose as the term “world music” can be, there is no other way to put iteclectic horn lines sail above funky guitar riffs, with Bastos’ vocals sitting nicely in the pocket alongside scratch-and-click percussion. They occasionally break to allow Bastos to jam out a nice, smooth guitar solo, only to bring everything back to a catchy and melodic chorus hook. The “collective” approach is ringing true for The DBC, with Bastos and percussionist John Bunting working to help establish a network of players made up of members from bands
The DBC has been actively working to befriend and support as many groups as possible around town with the idea of making the talent known not only in Denver, but around the country. In Bastos’ mind, there is no reason why Denver should not be on par with the biggest music markets in the country as far as organization and the ability to showcase talent. “The list goes on with all of the talented people in this town, but there’s no headquarters- so let’s build one,” Bastos says. “That way, we don’t just make more money, (everyone) makes more money. The guarantee level rises. Better venues, better talent, more industry, more promotion, more press.” From any insider’s standpoint, this seems like solid gold. Internally, The DBC is making big steps as well. They leave for a tour in late February that will wind them through the mountains of Colorado and down to New Mexico, supporting a new self-titled EP, The DBC. While in New Mexico, the group will also be filming a music video. Roman Martinez, a professional filmer, currently living in Los Angeles who is close with the band, will be handling the directing and filming of the video. “We have a repore, so immediately once I knew we were going to be filming this I called him,” says Bastos. The video will be dropped on YouTube and will be part of a DVD collection of videos showcasing each song on another record to be released around Record Store Day (mid-April). Check out the band’s website to grab the new EP and keep up with where you’ll find them around town. Online: thedbcdenver.com.
Across the United States, countless bands have drawn influence and motivation towards their garage-rock dreams from The Strokes. Here in the Mile High City, we are fortunate to be able to witness that talent manifest itself in new directions, and our readers have suggested a few groups worth checking out if The Strokes tickle your fancyKronen- https://www.facebook.com/KronenBand
Robby Wicks Band- https://www.facebook.com/robbywicksband
Panther Martin- facebook.com/panthermartinband
Slow Caves- facebook.com/slowcaves
The Outfit- facebook.com/choosetheoutfit
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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Saturn Return Throws Out The Rule Book
sensibilities of the first release it also takes on a more experimental approach to the music. The album provides some stellar multi-layering and Zucker’s vocals are magnanmonious, Bielec wouldn’t have settled for anything less. The recordings have incredible texture, swirling delays, and wonderful vocal manipulations. The listener is in for a treat when they lend their ear to the album.
by Charlie Sullivan
The dynamic duo of Timm Bielec (drums, bass, synths) and Michael Zucker (vocals, guitars) hooked up some time ago working together at Differential Productions. More recently the two joined forces creating the progressive/alchemaic rock act Saturn Return who come to us via Boulder and New York. The duo got the ball rolling with the release of A Hidden Metric in the spring of 2014 through the Differential label. Their initial EP was a three song progressive pop gem that the two describe as a very spontaneous recording session.
“I like a lot of layers,” says Zucker, “There should be something to listen too within the music.” To assist with quantifying the band’s sound Bielec and Zucker have featured guest vocalists Emily Shreve and David Sandoval both of whom record with Differential, “I liked the idea of having ties to other artists from the label,” says Zucker, “It was a great experience and we want to get the other artists more involved with future projects.”
“We knew we wanted to record something together so we kept it real simple,” says Bielec, “The song structures are very simple you know A, B, A, B, we didn’t want to complicate things.” “The session went better than we thought it would,” adds Zucker, “We weren’t quite sure what would come of it but after hearing the pieces we knew we wanted to do more.” With all of the other projects Zucker has going Bielec took it on himself to sit down and start the process for the bands second release. In September of 2014 Zucker received a package from Bielec and in it was all of the new material that Bielec had recorded with a manuscript of his poems which would later become the lyrics for the new release. After listening to the recording it didn’t take Zucker long to sit down and start hammering out the guitars and vocals. “Timm sent me some incredible music with all of these poems,” says Zucker, “I fashioned all of the lyrics from manuscript, which by the way, you get when you download the album.” Out of the sessions came the December 2014 release of Electronica Mystica. While the album maintains the alchemaic rock
When pushed about future releases, “Fuck yeah,” replied Bielec, “This is great music we want people to diversify their musical horizons.” Beilic and Zucker will be back in the studio over the Spring Equinox. The duo wants to iterate that they want to throw out the rule book and push new boundaries with Saturn Return’s music. “Saturn Return has given us the opportunity to radically express ourselves,” states Bielec, “We want that raw expression to come through to the listener.” With any luck we may see Saturn Return hit a few metro stages when Bielec heads out from New York in the spring. “You are the music while the music lasts.” Online: saturnreturnband.bandcamp.com/ album/electronica-mystica
PRESS PLAY: HOT VIDEOS FROM HOT ARTISTS
Racing On The Sun has been gigging both in and out of town much more frequently over the last six months, and they have no plans of slowing down. The band just dropped a video for the song “Self Destruct” and CMB caught up with front man Alfonso Cervantes to get the lowdown. CMB: Tell us about the process of making the video.
AC: The process of making this video was one of the most fun experiences ever! We filmed the solo mirror shot in our practice space and the performance shots in a friend’s apartment. Our manager Jesse Spencer of Harbingers Artist Development shot, directed and edited the video and we couldn’t be happier with the end result. He made it fun. Shooting a music video can be awkward and taxing because you’re playing along to the same song for hours and hours but Jesse made it a blast.
CMB: What are your fall/winter plans? AC: Our future plans are to release our new EP, play as many shows as possible and a tour is secretly in the works!
Between The Covers: Auction Held For Items of Legendary Caribou Ranch Studio by Torch
Caribou Ranch held one of the world’s most famous recording studios. Jim Guercio converted a barn on his 4,000 acre ranch into the studio in 1972, and sadly it burned down in 1985. In the time span it was open over 150 artists recorded there such as: Chicago, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchel, Tom Petty, The Beach Boys, U2, Phil Collins, and a huge list of talent. It was THE place to record an album. Artists stayed on the ranch in cabins that were all beautifully decorated in various western themes. Jim didn’t reopen the studio. He eventually donated a large portion of the land to Boulder County, and more than two decades later he sold the remaining 1,600 acre ranch for just over 32.5 Million dollars. On January 24th, all the contents from Caribou Ranch that didn’t burn went up for sale at an auction in the Denver. The room held only about a third of the people who showed up to be a part of the sale. The hallway was jammed with people and they ran short of bidding paddles and resorted to writing numbers on sheets of paper for registered bidders. It was hot and stuffy like opening fresh steamed rolls in an already warm kitchen buzzing with a feast. Hungry, everyone was hungry for a slice of music history, a chance to hold an own an item that was maybe used by, or admired by, or had a brush with some of the greatest musicians Rock and Roll has ever known. A simple brass bed frame sold for just over $1,700 an amount exceeded it’s suggested value by $1500 because it John Lennon slept in that bed. Other similar beds sold for as low as $220-$688. It is that brush with a moment in time that people were buying. Everyone took the chance to touch or play a piano played by
CMB: What is your place in the Denver music scene? AC: We have always received such as warm welcome from the Denver scene despite us starting out as a “Northern” band. We love the Denver rock scene and consider ourselves the new kids but we hope to move up!
Elton John and Carole King, Billy Joel and more divine fingers. The famous Steinway Grand Piano bid out just over 90K bringing a total after fees to just over 110K!! All the instrumental items fetched outrageous prices $531 for a duck taped cowbell, $344 for a triangle with wooden striker. (Yes that is the same instrument you got in grade school when you had no natural talent or ability to sing, ting, ting.) Those were originally valued between $20-$40. This was a completely emotionally driven sale; the original approximate prices had nothing to do with what took place at the auction, an ashtray and a book of matches sold for $500! It took only seconds for something you started bidding on to go from the possible price range to the “holy shit!” price range where you froze as so not to even mistakenly bid. One of the auctioneers was so funny as two guys were in a bidding war over a ladies Caribou Ranch t-shirt, she paused the bidding for a second and added pointing at the men telling them, “You know it’s not going to fit either one of you.” We all laughed and it continued at $10 increments up to $170 plus fees. There were a few good deals on some of the Victorian furniture but anything that had CR emblazed on it, sold for bags of gold. The auction started at 3:00 in the afternoon and ended around midnight far exceeding any expectations as the bidding of so many people wanting their piece of the pie took a long time. The auction house had bottled water, soda, and beers, which ran out along with some snacks, which ran out. Nobody anticipated the size of the crowd and the draw of the added internet bidders. The unspoken sentiment was one of sadness, a time frame passed, an era gone, something incredibly special was gone and being dismantled before our eyes one piece at a time. There was a viewing prior to the auction, and you could buy a book with the list of items for $30. People walked around gently touching everything, telling stories about moments in music and dreaming of this special place. I learned that the gold album was usually not the actual album demonstrated by the Dan Fogelberg gold album which had more tracks in the grooves than song titles, it was something like five songs on the front side and seven tracks. My partner in crime taught me that one. He later went on and bought three GIANT western themed photographs that had to be hauled home in a truck. I wanted the old ranch bell that sounded the time for meals; it sold for $13,750. The question we all pondered was, if the fire hadn’t burned the studio, what other great music would have come from the incomparable Caribou Ranch? The grand total of the night was just over $850,000.
music online? AC: You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, iTunes, spotify, google play and everywhere else under Racingonthesun. Online: facebook.com/racingonthesun
CMB: Where can we find your
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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Qbala- Dark Side of the Rain
by Tim Wenger
Perditus
by Tim Wenger
Instead of the punch in the face that Fort Collins emcee Qbala has thrown with her previous two releases, Dark Side of the Rain delivers an emotional hit straight from the heart. The beats and background music are very ambient, each craftly highlighting the mood of the track. The subject matter is so personal that most people would prefer to keep it buried down, but this EP shows that Qbala is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve and expose feelings from deep inside. The fact that she is able to talk about sex, love, and overcoming adversity both personally and professionally (and make the lines rhyme at the same time!) is a huge step not only for this one rapper, but for Colorado music in general.
Sometimes, beautiful things happen when one gets lost. Such seems to be the case with the two piece group Perditus, who after finding themselves “lost in Aurora” have dropped an album that is both melodic and spiritual. The duo raps and harmonizes, synthesizes and sings. They present pop music with honed vocals, and they present dance music that actually takes talent. The twelve tracks the group has presented are creative, diligent, and well put together, showing diversity that could land Perditus gigs everywhere from swanky night clubs to smoky dive bars (vaping counts as smoking, right?), but perhaps what their sound is most suited for is the raging Friday night house party.
Online: qbalamusic.bandcamp.com
Online: perditus.bandcamp.com
Chris Daniels & The Kings Featuring Freddi Gowdy Funky To The Bone
by Jennifer Marriott
Hot Damn! This album is great! If you are ready to dance your butt off, this is the album to buy. One track “Dance, Dance, Dance” is an old Freddi Henchi Band tune revived again by Chris and Freddi, along with the title track “Funky to the Bone”. There are so many great songs on this album it is hard to separate them. The track “Joy” will have you singing along, and days after you will still be singing it, as it sticks to the roof of your mouth like sweet yummy peanut butter. It is rare to find an album that you could put on at a party and let it run all night. There’s not a clunker in the mix. It’s Funk, it’s fun, it’s fan-effing-tastic! If you were to compare it to something try “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars, or St. Paul and the Broken Bones. Way to go Daniels! You’ve blown our minds again with your lyrics, horns, humor, and soulful vocal stylings! Check out the CD release party at Herman’s Hideaway on Valentines Day along with the lovely Miss Hazel Miller. And if you are feeling the funk, they are trying to release it on vinyl too so, check out the album kickstarter video at kickstarter.com/ projects/1484251587/chris-daniels-and-thekings-with-freddi-funky-to-t SirDevon
by Tim Wenger
Sometimes, you meet a young kid with undeniable ambition. Such is the case with seventeen year old SirDevon. His take on the rap genre is open, honest, and a pure representation of his life. Through his music, he is clearly finding his identity as well as a solid foot to stand on. The beats are catchy, the rhymes are smooth, and the overall vibe demonstrates not only SirDevon’s ability to put his feelings on tape, but to craft a sound using talent honed by surroundings- a solid sound for the Mile High City. Online: m.soundcloud.com/sirdevon-wulaksound
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Hydrogen SkylineHey Sly King Drone
by Thom Jackson
It turns out that freethinking creativity actually does flow in Colorado Springs, and Hydrogen Skyline is proof. Their new EP Hey Sly King Drone is a fast-paced, electro pop-rock ear bud blaster that makes for great party music. Tempting female vocals top synth, keys and guitar work to create a sound appealing to fans of both EDM and rock alike- a common ground that the two scenes desperately need- think of a modern (and much more hip) alternative to Ace of Bass. Online: hydrogenskyline.com
Cary Morin- Tiny Town
by Tru Blue
It’s a rare occasion when you hear a down home blues beat that sets your feet to tappin’ in an instant. Cary Morin’s Tiny Town CD does just that. It’s full of perfectly written and performed good time music masked with broken hearted blues. Cary Morin’s story telling prowess is as good as any in these parts and his brand of self-described Native Americana Fingerstyle Blues is authentic in every way. Morin was awarded the prestigious INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALENGE 2013 & 2014 COLORADO CHAMPION as well as the COLORADO BLUES SOCIETY 2013 & 2014 SOLO CHAMPION for his Sing It Louder CD. You can see him perform solo and with the Young Ancients in Fort Collins, where he resides, and beyond. Find Cary’s CDs at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/carymorin or find out more about him at CaryMorin.com.
Wasteland HopSymbiotic Clock
by Tim Wenger
Wasteland Hop is hip hop, heavy on wide ranging talent, and heavy on the diva. With their new EP Symbiotic Clock, the group expands on the full-band hip hop notion popularized in our state by groups like Flobots and adds their own creative take- pop influenced female vocals. The songs are very harmonic, a happy balance of male and female leads. At times I sensed hints of R&B, at others the group’s indie rock influences stood tall. The progressive ears in Colorado’s music community are beginning to look beyond purebred indie rock, and with their clever blend of genres and musical talent Wasteland Hop is poised to let this EP put them at the front of the next exhibit. Online: wastelandhop.com
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
Anthony RuptakBetween The Hangman and The Halo
by Tim Wenger
Some artists have a natural ability to paint pictures with their music, and Anthony Ruptak is one of them. His new release Between The Hangman and The Halo has a feel of intricate precision, and an emotional folk kick as strong as any in Colorado. Each track on the album sounds as if it could serve as the intro song in a music scoreperfectly setting the mood for the storyline to come. Mellow but stout, Ruptak’s music has the ability to leave a lasting impression on the listener by shining light on emotions that everyone has but few can showcase. The album, although not a collection of songs that necessarily cause you to move your feat, is a very strong listen. Online: anthonyruptak.bandcamp.com
The Manager’s Corner by Chris Daniels
I’ve managed my own band for 31 years and I’m in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. All that’s nice but today’s music business is changing at light-speed and you have to be more engaged in the ‘biz’ than ever. Some things have not changed, careers are still built on some tried and true elements: great music, performance and timing. But today’s artists must work harder than ever to succeed. The good news is that we have new tools to help young musicians grow their fan base. The book I wrote for the course I teach at CU Denver on artist management is called “DIY: You’re Not in it Alone.” While you are ultimately responsible for your own career, these days it’s essential to make the most of all the help that is offered along the way. Usually my articles are ‘stand alone’ but this month I am writing to continue a topic I brought up in January. In the 1980s bands in Denver, Colorado could play 300 nights a year. How you might ask? Simple, there were 12 or more clubs on the Front Range that “played” bands for between three to six nights. That’s right one band – (not the typical 3 bands a night) played at the same club for six nights in a row … sometimes for a two-week engagement! Herman’s Hideaway played one band for three nights (not three bands for one night), Basins Up in Larimer Square played bands for six nights and acts like Freddi Henchi would play back-to-back six night stands. In Denver there was also Cajun’s Warf that played 6-nights, The Little Bear in Evergreen played one band for 6-nights and bands like Chris Daniels & The Kings did two weeks in a row. In Boulder the Walrus and JJ McCabes were 3-night gigs. The Blue Note was a 3-night gig and in Ft. Collins Dirty Sams (later Sams Old Town Ballroom) was a 6-night gig. In the mountains there was Meeche’s Mogul that was a 6-night gig as was HP Cassidy’s and Dainers. In Winter Park the Slope played bands 6-nights and the Snake River Saloon in Keystone was a 6-night stand. There were clubs in Durango, Colorado Springs, Vail, Aspen and Steamboat that all played bands for multiple nights. A smart bandleader or booking agent could put together a 12-week rotation playing 50 weeks a year. In those days building a fan base was not the only result of this system. The biggest advantage for the band was that they perfected their stage show. They either got really good at keeping dancers on the dance floor and being an entertainer (not just a musician) or they didn’t get asked back. Compare that with today. Herman’s Hideaway, Lions Lair, Toad Tavern, 3 Kings, The Bluebird, and too many others to name, typically have three bands and sometimes as many as five bands in one night. There are some clubs that do multiple nights – specifically Black Hawk casinos like the Monarch and some country rooms but they are the exception to the rule. And the same is true for DJs in the area: multiple DJs doing sets through a given evening instead of one DJ for the night or even a DJ for more than one night. Artists under the old system needed to have three hours of music that was smoking hot, not just enough to make it through a 30 minute set. But the old system is gone. How do young artists in 2015 get enough time in front of an audience to get really good at performing? How do they build a fan base that will come out night after night to dance and
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party with the band? Right now an artist that is doing a lot of gigs in Colorado may rack up 70 gigs in a year – and that is less than two days of playing a week. So smart artists are finding ways to use versatility as a way to get in more playing time and more time in front of an audience. Same goes for DJs. Smart artists are testing songs at open mics and doing offnight shows with parts of the band (duo or trio playing acoustic versions of their songs). DJs are doing private parties, weddings and the like to pay bills and learn about how to program a full night of music – not just one set. It’s not as easy as it sounds. My dear friend Hazel Miller does everything from church gigs to touring with Big Head Todd as a backup singer. She’s hosted Karaoke nights, her jazz trio and sung the national anthem all over the place. I’m not sure I would classify Hazel Miller as a young artist but by being versatile she builds her sage chops and makes a living playing music fulltime. If you have ever had the joy of going to one of her shows you will discover that she “works” an audience about as well as any performer I’ve ever seen and some of that is just simply the “10,000 hour” principle - you become a master at anything you do if you can keep at it (developing your craft) for 10,000 hours. I wish I had a better solution. I wish there was a chance that venues would go back to having bands play for multiple nights but I am afraid that era is over. If you are Tech9 or Garth Brooks and you can sellout three or four nights at the Fillmore or even the Pepsi Center you get multiple plays. But for the most part – that era is gone. As far as building your fan base the simple answer is the internet. But it is more complicated than that. Social media is beginning to divide along age lines, bloggers are often very specific in what kind of music they cover and you can waste hundreds of not thousands of dollars on “boosting” your internet reach without seeing any tangible results. In a recent article in Digital Music News a teenager commented that Facebook was “dead to me.” There are analytics coming from just about every internet “branding service” and “specialists” who have companies promising to “boost” your visibility - and some actually do that well. When working with the current trends on Instagram, Twitter, ReverbNation, Youtube, Tumbler, Pinster, Facebook and any number of others it’s not always easy to tell the truth from the fiction - or what amount of time and energy to devote to social media for a given band or Kickstarter project. This month my band is doing a Kickstarter funding project for our new album and I have been working with a number of internet specialists. What’s interesting is that despite a lot of time with new Google+ strategies, Linkedin, keywords and the newest trending social media sites, the best results are coming from direct old-fashioned appeals to our fan base through the tried and true methods we have been using for the last two years – mostly Facebook fan-site, Twitter and email blasts from our website. Social media is a fantastic tool but like any marketing plan you need to look at where you will connect with your audience, your fans. Young artists must know who their followers are and then concentrate their efforts on three to four outlets that have the best chance of creating meaningful interaction with them. It could be a Facebook fan-site with Instagram along with linking those together with your YouTube videos, Twitter and website…or it could be another strategy altogether. Where does your “act” or music intersect with fans on the internet? For example, if you or your music has a broad demographic you will need a Facebook fan-page for the analytics and the ability to go beyond 5,000 followers. Yes, it’s old but
according to the top marketing people at AEG (Sara Williams) and Live Nation (Mel Gibson) it’s still the number one tool for marketing shows (no matter if it’s EDM or country). A Facebook fan-site has many tools available to help you analyze the “engagement” of your fans. On the other hand if you are living and working in the world of cutting edge music (punk to hardcore to EDM) and your demographic is in the 15 to 30 age group, Facebook is probably not your best bet. Whatever your “connecting point” to intersect with your fan base is – it takes a ton of effort and time to build a meaningful network of followers. But hey, what else you gonna do? You are not able to develop the fan base through 300 nights of gigs. You will have to learn time management because of all the interactions necessary to maintain those connections and engage your fans. You have to think about your strategy. I can’t prescribe the best coalition of outlets for your project. What I can promise you - is that if you create a ‘plan’ for maximizing the time you spend and you use all the tools that best suit your fan base - you will get the best results that are possible for your music
Music Publishing: Here’s A Story About a Man Named Plumb by Benom Plumb
Yes, it’s true. I’m related to “Jan” from The Brady Bunch. Yes, it’s also true, that I am a real professor at CU Denver, “Professor Plumb”, as in the popular board game Clue. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, my great-uncle Neely Plumb was a well-respected composer, arranger, record producer and music industry professional in L.A. He began his career at RCA Records in 1959. His daughter was Eve Plumb, the actress who played “Jan” (Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!), on that oh-so loveable, yet annoyingly strange iconic TV show, The Brady Bunch. It is also true that “Jan” is the character from the Bunch everyone loves to make fun of! Anyone remember those SNL skits??? When it comes to Uncle Neely though, he was very successful. If you’ve ever heard of the films “The Sound of Music”, “The Good, The Bad, The Ugly”, “True Grit”, “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Romeo and Juliet” or “Taxi Driver” – Uncle Neely was either a record producer, arranger and/or composer on all of those platinum selling movie soundtrack albums. He even produced some early tracks for The Carpenters. On the A&R side, Uncle Neely was responsible for bringing Jefferson Airplane to RCA. He told my Dad the story about when he first brought Jefferson Airplane to RCA, his boss rejected the band. Bummer!!! Jefferson Airplane of course later signed with RCA and released many successful albums on the label. Oh, and he also had a hand in producing and arranging Sheb Wooley’s massive hit, “Purple People Eater”. The problem is that he didn’t partake in any royalties on that massive hit – no music publishing income, no record producer royalties. But more on Uncle Neely in a moment… What is music publishing? Music publishing is the copyright ownership, management, licensing and royalty collection of songs. The music and lyrics that is, the underlying composition in a sound recording. The song always comes first. A recording artist always performs a song, but they don’t always write the song. On the flip side, a songwriter always writes a song, but they don’t always perform the song. Imagine Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” or Beethoveen’s “Symphony No. 5”. Those prolific composers wrote the music and then the musicians brought the music to life in their performances. Of course, it is possible to be both the songwriter and the recording artist. This is how we think of most “artists” today. When it comes to the flow of money, however, you have to think of the “song” and “recording” separately. There are always two rights involved:
February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
And this is the new reality. Instead of working 300 shows a year - you will most likely max out in your market playing 50 or 100 shows a year. You have to build both your performing chops, through as many varied gig possibilities as you can dream up -- and you also have to build your fan base through wise use of the internet and social media. There are a ton of books and articles about the best practices for marketing and connecting on social media – from best times to post to how to engage your fans by talking about them as well as yourself. All of that is good information and if you contact me I am glad to make some suggestions. Your fans expect a two-way communication not just advertisements and a monologue about your next gig. They want you to like their interests and their band and their post about their favorite guitar-playing cat not just blindly show up at your next gig. Take some time and learn, even if you think you know it all. It’s changing faster than we can dance - and we are all dancing as fast as we can. rights to the song itself – that’s the music publishing side. Who wrote the chord changes, the melody, the lyrics and sometimes, arranged the structure of the song? Then there are the rights to the sound recording of that song (often called the “master recording”). Who performed and produced the recording of the song? We’d all agree there’s a big difference in writing out the melody to “Rhapsody In Blue” on sheet music versus listening to the recording of a professional orchestra performing “Rhapsody In Blue”. That’s the song v. the recording of the song. So what about Uncle Neely’s situation with Sheb Wooley’s “Purple People Eater”? Sheb Wooley originally wrote the song, but it needed some additional work from its raw form. It was a common practice to have some sharp record producer guys come in and re-work a song without credit, which often would have included music publishing and record producer royalties. Back in the day, if you were the record producer on salary at a large record company like RCA (yes, they used to do that) – and they need your help to finish a song - that’s just how it goes. It was your job. The funny (and sad) part of this story is that Uncle Neely had the option to be cut in on the record and publishing royalties, but he thought “Purple People Eater” was such an utterly stupid song that he waived his rights to these royalties. Uncle Neely told my Dad he thought the song was so dumb it wouldn’t ever make a dime. After the success of “Purple People Eater”, Uncle Neely never waived his publishing or producer royalties again. So here’s the rub: No matter how terrible or dumb you think a song is, don’t ignore the possible income streams due to you. You just never know if or when a song is going to hit. Music publishing has sometimes been referred to as the “real estate of the music business”. In my humble, yet experienced opinion, I find that to be true. You write a hit song today and in 30+ years, long after your prime and live performing years are over - you still get a check for music publishing income. This is why Michael Jackson purchased some of The Beatles music publishing catalog as a financial investment many years ago. And if other artists “cover” your song, then you enjoy the income from their versions of your song. But that’s just being lazy and letting the song do all the work for you. I kid. A great song can really mean a lifetime of income. For example, the I Love Lucy theme song still earns six-figures a year in music publishing income. Wouldn’t that be nice? We will always need great performers and well-produced recordings for songs to reach their fullest potential. But without songs there is no music, and without music publishing, there is no music business.
Foco’s Downtown Artery Offers Venue, Studio, Rehearsal, and Crash Space for Artists by Tim Wenger
For any artist who has ever been out on tour, or even just headed out of town for a quick weekend run of shows, the question of ‘Where the hell am I going to crash tonight’ can be a common one. Independent artists don’t generally make enough money to afford a motel night after night, and your back can only tolerate so many nights in the van. Another common worry in this crowd is finding the right venue to play in a new town- one that is artist-centered and will put you in front of the right crowd, during the right time slot, for the right door price. Often, bands are lucky to hit two out of three of these needs, whether it be for lack of research or lack of a DIY-tour-friendly venue in that town. In Fort Collins, a relatively new establishment is seeking to fill the void left by the defunct GNU experience gallery space. Kicking off in 2011, the Downtown Artery at 252 Linden Street is serving the artistic community of northern Colorado and beyond as an art gallery with studios for creative to rent out, venue space for DIY shows, a recording studio dubbed State Line Studio, and they even have a couple of rooms they rent out to traveling artists for super cheap- (free if you happen to be playing their venue).
Room rates for artists not playing at the venue will be super low, starting around $30 per room. Rooms can accommodate multiple people.
The spot originally opened up on Mulberry Street, but settled into their new digs in June of 2013 year and is currently working to upgrade the recording and venue facilities. “Now that we’re here we are able to expand,” says Collin Ingram, Director of Music at the Downtown Artery. “We are renting out the entire building, so what we’re looking to launch in June is a proper 300 person music venue downstairs, in addition to a sort of café and wine bar. There’s also going to be a full recording studio down there and two different rehearsal spaces for local bands.” The rehearsal spaces will be managed by a company called Cohere Bandwidth, who will have hourly rates for the rooms. There will be two fully back lined rooms fenting at $20 per hour. “I am most excited to finally be able to give our musicians something really lovely,” says Cohere Bandwidth founder Angel Kwiatkowski. “They deserve it. Old Town Fort Collins will finally have a onestop destination for musicians, which includes lodging, rehearsal spaces, performance venue, cafe/bar, recording studio and a record label.” Ingram is equally as excited about all that is going on. “One of the cool things that we’ve been able to do is that we’ve partnered with GNU,” he says. “They had to close down about a year ago, but they are using our gallery to put on their shows now. The cool thing about that is that they enable this sector of the music scene that wouldn’t necessarily get to play at one of the bigger venues or wouldn’t be appropriate to play in a bar. It sort of centralizes the house party music scene to a bit. Anything that wouldn’t fit in anywhere else gets to fit in through GNU, through us.”
Another offering of the Downtown Artery is the State Line Sessions. Each session showcases and artist performing in the studio, with the video produced and edited by the professionals at the Artery. “We’re able to incorporate the recording studio and work with the videographers who rent out spaces here to put together videos,” says Ingram. The idea is to give independent artists something awesome for promotional and press purposes. “I think that the bigger groups tend to be able to have access to that kind of stuff, but it’s a lot more difficult for small groups to. I think that for a band that’s trying to get their feet off the ground, having a really good video is a really important thing.” “The coolest thing we’ve been able to do this last year is find a way to get all different kinds of people, all different kinds of musicians, all different kinds of artists in this space,” Ingram says. “Consequently, I think a bunch of different communities that wouldn’t have come together under different circumstances have come together under this roof.” Amy Bradley is the contact for artists looking to host an art show or display their workamy@downtownartery.com. Musicians looking to book a gig, contact GNU experience gallery at gnugallery@gmail.com. For recording and other music-releated inquiries, contact Collin Ingram at collin@downtownartery.com.
All events at the Downtown Artery are all ages, with liquor permits being acquired for special events. The expansion plans seek to provide a much nicer and much more professional music venue, recording studio, and rehearsal spaces. The Artery will also offer a coffee shop/wine bar.
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February 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com