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Adrienne O Reboots - and Colorado Symphony, Lands Headlining Gothic Flobots Team Up For Show MLK Tribute
Oriental Hosts Wedding The Progression of Celebration for MF Remember The Radio Ruckus Member and Wife by Charlie Sullivan
Denver, Colorado (Dec 18, 2014) – Adrienne, the vocalist/bassist of Denver pop/rock band Adrienne O, has given up her bass guitar to focus solely on being the band’s dynamic front woman – a move that has resulted in the band’s first headlining concert at a major venue.
DENVER -- December 30, 2014 -- The Colorado Symphony and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission invite you to an annual celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy as a leader, visionary, and pillar of the Civil Rights Movement, to be held Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at Boettcher Concert Hall.
The band has also eliminated the use of tracks, adding a fifth musician where necessary to provide keys and synth. Fans who knew and loved the band as it was before are surprised to find that not only the performance but also the
Now in its 25th year, this community concert recognizes individuals and organizations who embody King’s dream of equality, peace, service, and social justice. New this year, the Colorado Symphony will be joined by
Who: MF Ruckus, White Fudge, The Blind Staggers and OROYA What: Meet the Blo-Skis - Ty and Jessi’s wedding part 2 When: Saturday January 10th 2015, 7:00 MST Where: The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO USA
music has a new spirit and dynamism. “I love playing bass, but I was too tied down on stage while playing and singing,” said Osborn. “Now that I’m free to move, and don’t have to think about doing two things at once, I’m having a lot more fun. People are really responding to that.” Adrienne O looks forward to performing the live debut of their anticipated song, “Barcelona”, along with several other new songs and the return of a reworked fan favorite, “Little Vampire.” “Barcelona” is a song about escaping oneself and one’s world informed by Adrienne’s experiences living, studying, working, and partying in Spain. Adrienne O will be playing with Chemistry Club, Monroe Monroe, and One Flew West on Friday, January 23. About Adrienne O Adrienne O (“Adrienne Oh”) is a female-fronted indie pop/rock band from Denver influenced by artists like Florence + the Machine and OneRepublic. Vocalist Adrienne Osborn was previously one of the top 40 water skiers in the world, and a dot-com software developer. Now she is a voice coach and a parkour novice who inspires fans to live deeply and without fear by exemplifying authentic strength and charisma, both personally and musically. Adrienne O and their music have been featured on 93.3’s Locals Only show, 107x, The Colorado Sound, Channel 8 TV’s Denver Loft Sessions, Literati Records podcasts, Callywood Radio, multiple KGNU Innervision Top 30 Countdowns, and the 2013 BolderBOULDER Bootlegs CD. A single from Adrienne O’s first EP, “Two and Two,” won COMBO’s songwriting contest in the Pop category. Another song from their first EP, “Someone Like Me,” was placed in full-length feature film A Remarkable Life. For further information, contact Adrienne Osborn at 303-819-0595 or ao@adrienneo. com.
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Denver’s FLOBOTS, a hip-hop ensemble that uses music as a tool to ignite awareness, action, and positive change. Hosted by Tamara Banks, the program will be conducted by Scott O’Neil and will include symphonic selections by Beethoven and Dvorak as well as African American composers Brian Keane and George Walker. In collaboration with the full orchestra, the FLOBOTS will perform powerful orchestral arrangements of their music, with original arrangements by Tom Hagerman of DeVotchKa, commissioned by the Colorado Symphony. The winners of four Humanitarian awards, as well as the Menola Upshaw Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will be honored during the program; all honorees are nominated and selected by the community and overseen by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission. The concert is part of a week-long celebration of Dr. King’s work as well as a call to community action. For a complete list of events, visit drmartinlkingjrchc.org. Tickets to this FREE concert are available through the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, 2401 Welton Street, and the Colorado Symphony Box Office. The Colorado Symphony Box Office is located at Boettcher Concert Hall on the southwest end of the Denver Performing Arts Complex at 14th and Curtis Streets. For details, visit coloradosymphony. org. The Box Office is open Monday-Friday from 10am-6pm, Saturday 12-6pm, and two hours before every performance. Please note the Box Office will be closed January 1 and 2. A ticket is required for admission. All seating is general admission on a first come, first-served basis and a ticket does not guarantee a seat.
Historically, MF Ruckus and hip-hop/funk brother band White Fudge have never needed an excuse to throw a party, but this time around, the reason is romance. Long time drummer and best bud, Ty Blosser is finally taking the plunge and marrying his long-time girlfriend, Jessi Krosky. This wedding represents more than a normal recitation of vows, cutting of cake and drinking of booze. This wedding symbolizes a foray out of the reckless abandon of youth and into the slightly more controlled abandon of adulthood for not only Ty and Jessi, but an entire family of musicians. The members of these bands have developed quite a reputation in this city for being a raucous clan of professional party-animals. Now, with several members fathering children, buying homes and settling down, a new chapter has begun. This chapter, however, is a far cry from the epilogue. Along with these new milestones comes increased focus and an entirely new vision for the future of MF Ruckus and White Fudge, also known as The Fresh Fudge Family (a name derived from the clever mashing together of “White Fudge” and now defunct project “Forth Yeer Freshman”). Essentially, this wedding represents a marriage of passion and drive with clarity and direction, a clarity and direction not dissimilar to that which Jessi has brought into Ty’s life. Ty has been the cornerstone of both MF Ruckus and White Fudge for over a decade. He has been the glue that holds the group together and the voice of reason whenever things have begun to run off the rails. He’s the mellow-toned big brother, a man of few words who, when he does speak is someone to whom you’d do well to listen because it will either be very wise or very, very funny. Somewhere along the way, he met his bride-to-be Jessi. Jessi has, in this time, become the Wendy to the Lost Boys in this group of Man-Children. She has provided sanctuary, home-cooked meals, rides, and on more than one occasion, kept a foolhardy crew of miscreants from the pitfalls of self-destruction. Jessi has been more than “the drummer’s girlfriend”. She’s the queen, the matriarch, the HBIC (Head Bitch In Charge). Joining the revelry, all the way from Chicago, will be The Blind Staggers featuring long-time MF Ruckus and former White Fudge lead guitar player, Tony Lee. The Blind Staggers are made up of Tony, his brother Damian Christian Wilburn, Tony’s fiance, Laura Zielinski and her brother, known to the general public only as Shrek. Additionally, up and coming instrumental-experimental-dancefunk power trio OROYA will round things out nicely. OROYA features Trade-Ins/Frontside Five’s Rob-Dogg Crawford, the official illustrator of The Fresh Fudge Family, Joshua Finley and everybody’s favorite Sailor Jerry liquor rep, Mr. Joe Pro. As if this wasn’t enough of a family affair, the show will be held at the historical Oriental Theater which has not only been a place of significance for all the bands, but is currently run in part by White Fudge bass player, Andy Bercaw. Toss in a handful of assorted characters from the Denver music scene, a ton of cheap booze and a few surprises, make it all free (donations for bands, bride and groom cheerfully accepted) and you’ve got yourself the recipe for a Kick-ass-erole.
Janaury 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
Not that progress is really necessary, because these guys have a niche that their rabid cult fans greatly appreciate, and this is another very good album. Remember The Radio rolls out their lo-fi magic once again with the release of “Owls From The Firewater”. The bands previous releases “ЯTR-001” (FEB 2013) and “Sharper Moon Rabbit” (DEC 2013) were more of a mishmash of really good songs with the exception of side one of “ЯTR-001” which was definitively a concept. “Owls From
The Firewater” takes on more form; the band takes the listener on a journey and moves in a different direction adding an acoustic twist slowing down the tempo from the start. The intro songs (Wherever We Live, First In Line) start slowly but by the time you hit track three the ever familiar quiet power of ЯTR has started to build and comes to the forefront on Estuary; an instantly memorable song with a Social D power riff feel, and ending with the final track the melodic rocker Nails. The uniqueness of Jon Frailey’s otherworldly vocals and the bands inspired off-kilter tunings and angular guitar lines drenched in static that isn’t meant to be smoothed out still play a prominent role throughout the ten song thirty minute odyssey. The noticeable change with this release is the melodic tempo of the music; the slow roll into that quiet power that has become synonymous with ЯTR’s music. I do wish some of these songs were a little longer but that’s just me being a little selfish; I love the way this band sounds. The songs are based on a series of dreams Frailey had in the summer of 2014 and were taken from an abstract perspective. The album was conceived as one piece written over a three week period. The album is available through a limited pressing of 500 LP’s and as a download at http://remembertheradio.com.
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Kill The Artist, Hype The Trash: Solid Gold From Wiredogs
Why Jazz Matters: Track 10
by Tim Wenger photo credit Chris Dodge
“I feel like we’re ending the year on a really high note,” says Wiredogs front man Dan Aid of the band’s work in 2014, the energy in his voice forcing a smile onto his face. “We got to play Riot Fest and got to play with bands that we really love and really admire.” The band will be carrying that momentum into 2015 and wasting no time building on it- Wiredogs will drop their much-anticipated album Kill The Artist, Hype The Trash on January 24 by throwing a party at the Marquis Theatre with Allout Helter and Slow Caves (see CMB’s review of the album on page 16). The show will be a benefit for Youth on Record, a local non-profit that “works to create positive social change by harnessing the power of music and those who love it,” according to their Facebook page. Wiredogs will be wasting no time bringing the album to the masses following its release. “We’re immediately getting on the road that week and heading out to LA,” says Aid. “We’re (also) going down to South by Southwest in March for the first time.” The group also has demos for over 20 new song ideas, and hope to put out an additional release later in 2015, but for now the big focus is on Kill The Artist, Hype The Trash. The name alone appears to say a lot, and there is a good a reason as any for choosing it. “The name of the album came out of a conversation,” says Aid. “Our drummer Stefan (Runstrom) was a driver for Riot Fest last year when it was out in Byers, and one of the things that he got to do was drive Iggy Pop around. At the end of his set, (Iggy) mooned the crowd. He busted his zipper and he couldn’t quite get his pants up to his hips again, and he couldn’t get them down, so we has just waddling to the car with his British manager and his wife. He gets to the car, his manager tells him to sit down and he pulls his pants off. Stefan was sitting in the driver’s seat while (Iggy’s) manager strips him naked. Then Stefan had to drive him back to town. He drove him to the airport the next day too, and I guess Iggy had been reading an article about the state of the music industry and he said this thing that Stefan remembered. He said that the whole attitude of the industry these days was about killing the artists and hyping the trash.” “He just through it out there so subtly, but to Stefan, he remembered it,” says bassist Mark Hibl. “He profoundly stated what we want to say, and he summed it up in six words. It was perfect.”
by Norman Provizer
Aid. “We knew that the relationships were important enough that we had to keep working together. It made us be very purposeful about the time we spent together, but it was hard to figure that out.” As far as the songs on the album, Aid sought to tell a different story with each one. “The whole album, writing wise, came out of a really hard year for me and for all of us,” he says. “I moved twice, I got robbed at gun point, I came out of a relationship in a pretty dramatic way. Mark started a new relationship. “Incapacitated” is a song that I wrote, just stream of consciousness in the aftermath of the breakup I went through, just not wanting to feel present.” The song “Fear Is A Lie” deals with loss. “I had a high school friend pass away really suddenly, she passed away seven to ten days after I had another friend O.D.,” says Aid. “The last thing that she posted up online was this photo of a wall and across it in big black letters were the words Fear Is A Lie. I wrote that down because I knew I was going to use it at some point. I’ve had a lot of young death in my life, it’s all been traumatic, so that song is about that.” “They’re all about different things in a way,” says Hibl. “About personal things. There are some social messages that we’ve had in a lot of songs before. “Violence” is more of a social message.” “’Violence’ came after we decided that we wanted the album to be called Kill The Artst, Hype The Trash. I had written this super aggressive guitar part, and I couldn’t find the write lyrics. I always want my first lines to be really cool because if you don’t grab people there than you missed out. Then I came up with this first line, ‘This is the violence,’ and I started to think about what I hold media and social media has over my life. I started to think about how that process of being controlled by the technology we have in our lives drives us further apart and drives us away from communicating and away from connection. To me, music is connection.”
One thing Wiredogs actively do not want to do with this record, or anything their band does, is pigeonhole themselves into one genre or one scene. Though their music may lend itself more the the punk rock genre than other genres, they actively play shows across genre lines and in venues that don’t generally book bands. Hip hop, for instance, has been appealing very much to Aid and Hibl of late. “We’ve been wanting to align ourselves with hip hop bands because we feel the energy and immediacy of hip hop music really fits well with punk rock and rock and roll,” says Hibl. “If we like what you’re doing, we are getting better at telling those people that,” says Aid. “I feel like if you don’t reach out and don’t let people know that you like what they do, you’re robbing them of the inspiration to write something new and you’re robbing yourself of the relationship with somebody that’s probably going to inspire you to create something totally new.” “The underground hip hop stuff that’s happening right now is, to me, way more punk rock than punk rock is right now,” says Aid. Aid actually reached out to BLKHRTS about having them on the bill for the album release, but they are in LA these days. “We’re gonna meet up out there. We have such respect for what they do.” “I think we’ve always wanted to write honest music, and just do it the best we can,” says Aid. “We’re learning and growing, and we don’t always get it right, but we’re willing to share that process with everybody. We’re not scared of that process. We know we’re going to fuck up sometimes, but we always want to bring ourselves to the table as honestly as we can.” Online: wiredogsmusic.com
Earlier this year, Runstrom moved to Chicago to live with his wife for the first time since their wedding, leaving the three to figure out how they were going to continue functioning as a band, and more importantly, as a band that is rapidly gaining momentum around Denver. While the challenge has proved a tough one, the three guys have been able to continue progressing and playing key shows, although they’ve had to deal with flying Runstrom in and the challenge of getting just as much work done with less time. They look at the challenge as a positive, another way to tighten themselves as a group, and a way to learn how to maximize their efficiency when they were together. “Part of it was trying to figure out what that relationship was becoming with him not living here anymore, it shook things up but not in a bad way,” says
In 1969, a clarinet player by the name of Bill Frisell graduated from Denver’s East High School. Though born in Baltimore, Frisell came to Denver at a very young age; and in high school, he found himself in the musical company of some very talented, fellow students like Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn and Andrew Wolfolk (all of whom would join Earth, Wind & Fire and end up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for their efforts). After East, the clarinetist with a growing interest in the guitar spent some time at the University of Northern Colorado. He had learned some guitar from Bob Marcus at the Denver Folklore Center and then focused on the jazz side of the instrument by studying with Dale Bruning. By the mid-1970s, he was off to Boston’s Berklee College of Music; and in 1982, he had his first album out under his own name (In Line on the ECM label). Today, the once clarinet-playing Frisell is widely recognized as one of the leading guitarists in jazz history. To briefly illustrate that point, in 10 of the past 11 annual polls of jazz critics from across the globe conducted by DownBeat magazine, Frisell emerged in the top spot among guitarists. The only exception was the 2008 critics poll in which Frisell occupied the second spot under Pat Metheny. Over the years Frisell has visited his old hometown on a number of occasions, performing with his old teacher Bruning and cornetist/trumpeter Ron Miles (who is also an East graduate, teaches at Metropolitan State University and frequently works with the guitarist), as well as others. On January 21 at 7:30 p.m., Frisell is back in town for a special homecoming concert at East High School’s auditorium to benefit the school’s music program. For this performance, Frisell has the group that appears on his 2014 Guitar in the Space Age! CD: pedal-steel player Greg Leisz, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen. On that disc, he revisits guitar music from the 1950s and 1960, from the Beach Boys and Duane Eddy to folk and country sounds. After all, as Frisell has pointed out, the first record he ever bought was the Beach Boys single that had “Little Deuce Coup” on one side and “Suffer Girl” on the other. Frisell, who has developed his own unique style, leads multiple groups, but at the heart of all of those groups is a sound that is pure Americana in all its forms. One of Frisell’s bands is at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York in January and that group has Rudy Royston on drums. While he was born in Fort Worth, Royston also grew up in Denver where he spent a lot of time in the company of Ron Miles before moving east and national recognition. And Miles will be with another of Frisell’s bands performing at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the spring. For information and tickets for Frisell’s concert at East (a school that also produced singer Judy Collins), you can go to ticketfly.com. On January 22, the day after Frisell’s performance, Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden serves up some serious heat in the form of M/F. Productions Latin Jazz All Stars (with trombonist Steve Turre). Also in town during the month are: tenor saxophonist Houston Person at Dazzle on the 2nd and 3rd; alto saxophonist Charles McPherson at Dazzle on the 5th and 6th; drummer Cody Moffett (son of drummer Charles Moffett) at Dazzle on the 17th; and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band out of New Orleans at Cervantes on the 2nd.
January 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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Teach For America Benefit Held at Gothic by Tim Wenger
Chris Guillot, Cherry Sound Records by Tim Wenger
Chris Guillot has been the main man behind Cherry Sound Studios since its inception in 2005. Guillot and Gus Hoffman launched Cherry Sound Records, based out of the studio, two years ago and have put out releases from Covergeist, Joe Bonner, Red Fox Run, Matthew Quiggley and many others in addition to their own music. Guillot’s studio has become known as a go-to recording spot across multiple genre lines and Guillot does the work for many of the city of Denver’s public service announcements as well. Check out what he has to say about himself and where his business is going in 2015. CMB: Tell us about the beginning of Cherry Sound, and how you got into the music business. CG: Well, I grew up with a father, aunt, and uncle who are all musicians. And my godfather was a guy named Norman Petty who happened to be Buddy Holly’s producer. So, I kind of grew up thinking that music as a career was possible. I played music in school, and ended up getting an audio engineering degree from UCD. My first music job (other than playing in bands) was running the music program at the Spot youth Center. That was a true jewel of a place, never to be repeated. I had 7 free studios for people between 14 and 24 years old. All that was required was to take the introductory classes, and to be ready to create. While I was running the Spot, I started a freelance audio production company. The Lawyer who helped me incorporate my business was a guy named Mike Williams. He was also a musician, and asked me to come listen to some mixes at his studio. I went and checked it out, and did a bit of mixing as a trade to help offset his attorney fee. About a year later, he called me up at 9 in the morning (I didn’t wake up early at that time because the Spot was a night job.)….”Hey Chris, this is Mike Williams. You remember me right?” I’m thinking oh no I owe this guy money or something. “Do you remember my studio and gear? I am looking for someone to help me start a more public recording studio business. Do you know anyone who might be interested in being chief engineer, or general manager?” At this point, I am totally confused. I said “Mike can I call you right back?” I went and splashed water on my face, and my mind was racing thinking of who I might be able to refer to him. I was thinking of everyone but me… my collegues from UCD, my intern. Then it dawned on me. I wanted to do it. So, I nearvously called him back, and said that I wanted to do it. He said… “That’s why I called you.” We had a few meetings, and then incorporated Cherry Sound LLC about 2 weeks later. In 2008, I purchased the shares from Mike Williams, and still own it today. Now, Cherry Sound will have been in business for 10 years in June of 2015.
Gus Hoffman Joined the team in 2010. And Gus and I started Cherry Sound Records in 2012. CMB: What were the biggest challenges in getting a label going and gaining any traction? CG: One of the biggest challenges has been the risk of investment. The record industry has changed so much in the last decade… even the last few years, that it hard to know how to navigate and choose wisely. It is expensive, and takes a lot of investment of time and energy with no real guarantee of a return. Ultimately we chose to do this because we love music. And, it is often not possible to make the kinds of records that we want to make due to the budgetary and time constraints that most artists have. We realized that to really make the records that we want, we have to make the extra investment ourselves. The business as a whole is so competitive, and making a break into the national scene is not easy. We have been working with some very cool people, and the momentum seems to be growing. So… we keep going. CMB: How many releases has Cherry Sound Records put out, and what is in store for next year? CG: Cherry Sound Records has released the following: Christopher Guillot “Remember What You Forgot” Mathew Quiggly “Tapestry of Life” Red Fox Run “Skeletons” Covergeist “One More Night” Halle Tomlinson “Falling Snow” Isabelle Fries “Christmas Time” Felix Fast4ward “Gypsy Soul” Joe Bonner “Current Events” PTLD “Post Traumatic Love Dissorder” DJ Cavem “The Harvest” (unofficial, but family, and will be releasing new stuff next year) Next Year: AEoni Record - She is a rad folk artist. Halle Tomlinson will be coming out with a new EP. Chris G -I’ll be coming out with a new EP. Mathew Quiggley will be working on a new record. Dotted Buzz. Bill Mckay solo piano. And, I am working with singles with a couple other Artists CMB: Covergeist’s single “Whiskey, Weed, and Women” is doing pretty well- how are you going to follow up and keep his name hot? CG: We have a bunch with Covergeist. We are going to release a studio video this month. We actually just finished a Christmas tune that we will be releasing in the next week or so. And, he has at least half an album of new material that we will be working on in the start of the new year. CMB: Where can we listen to your artists and find more info? CG: cherrysoundrecords.com or find us on Facebook.
AEG Live held a benefit for the non-profit Teach For America at the Gothic Theatre on December 19, and the event was one of the most exciting of the holiday season and hopes to become a holiday tradition. Dubbed “Sing It To Me Santa,” the night was hosted by Libby Anshutz, Mike Fries, Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Mike Johnston, as well as other speakers, and sought to bring together Colorado musicians, politicians, philanthropists and the general public in an effort to say thanks to the community’s teachers. The evening featured musical performances by Something Underground, Neyla Pekarak of The Lumineers, Ryan Chrys, The Moderators, and Tracksuit Wedding. “I wanted a place a place for my band (Tracksuit Wedding) to perform, and I wanted to invite our friends Something Underground,” Anshutz says. “Our bands have played together a lot. I put together this party and it’s like, we have all these people that can be on the same stage and share equipment, and just rock out a whole bunch of songs together.” The Gothic was the perfect fit for the evening. The groups and their fans are familiar with the venue, and the large stage provides plenty of room for speakers as well as the musicians and their gear. “I had been talking to Scott Campbell about putting together a show using one of our venues,” Anshutz says. She wanted an event that was not going to scare away the general public by coming across as too formal or too expensive, and thought that doing a show with local musicians at a casual venue like the Gothic Theatre was perfect. “I’ve been in the philanthropic community, from the foundation side, for many, many years through what my family does in the community. I am aware of a lot of nonprofits that are out there and a lot of them are kind of tired of fundraisers that are black tie galas, that price people out of the events that can’t afford them. I wanted an event that we were not going to price high, not try to raise a ton of money but still see what we can do.”
What’s Up in the Hip Hop Scene-
Julox and Double O Purv, Keeping It In The Family by Charlie Sullivan
When it comes to local rap artists, Julox has been at it longer than most other local rappers have been on the planet. I’m not saying the man’s old I’m just saying he’s been around long enough to see the genre come full circle and move in a direction that he finds perplexing. “There’s a lot of bullshit rap out there about sex and drugs and guns,” says Ju, “That’s not what it’s all about; I don’t like the direction it’s gone there’s more to it than that bullshit.”“We have a code of conduct on the streets, I’m not saying I wasn’t doing that kind of rap when I was younger,” adds Ju, “I got involved with that bullshit too; I just don’t like it, I’m moving it in a different direction.”To Ju’s credit he’s released 13 albums and roughly 20 mixtapes with his most recent solo album being 2012’s Crawfish, Potatoes & Corn. The man’s toured extensively and has had moments when he’s made an okay living with his music. Ju won’t be throwing in the towel any time soon if ever.In keeping with moving things in a different direction Ju’s recently teamed up with his younger brother Double O Purv and they’ve released their first collaboration Me & My Brotha Vol. 1. The CD is more artistically mature than Ju’s previous releases. The duo provides some surprising diversity combining unique rap styles that play off of each other effortlessly. The brothers craft some vivid pictures with their lyrics and rhymes. The
January 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
Teach For America was chosen as the beneficiary for the event, with funds going to help with their Colorado operations. “While Colorado has the third highest percentage of adults with college degrees, our state ranks at the very bottom for high school graduates continuing to college,” says TFA Managing Director of Regional Communications Sharise Darby. “This extreme divide begins early within our education system and disproportionately affects disadvantaged students. In fact, Colorado’s affluent students are three times more proficient than those growing up in low-income communities and eight times more likely to graduate from college. Teach For America is committed to working in partnership with communities in Colorado to help ensure all children will have an equal opportunity to attain an excellent education. Educational equity can become a reality for all students in Colorado, despite their zip code, ethnicity and socio-economic status.” Specifically, to benefit the community not only in Colorado but around the country, TFA recruits young professionals and trains them to be stewards for progressing education among all walks of life within the communities they serve. “Teach For America– Colorado partners with Adams 14, Aurora Public Schools, Denver Public Schools, Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Sheridan Public Schools, and Pueblo City Schools (D60),” says Darby. “We look forward to continuing our district partnerships and our work of recruiting, training and providing ongoing support for corps members in Colorado for the 2015-16 school year.” Anshutz felt that TFA was a strong partner to have benefit from this event, and that the teachers they work with would view it as a great kick-off party for their holiday break. “Teach For America is an organization that I have known for quite a while,” says Anshutz. “They were comfortable to be brought in on that type of an event. The thing that was most appealing to me about them as a charity was that they have the reach to teachers, and can spread the word to teachers who on that Friday will finish teaching for the semester and go on holiday, and I wanted to make it a celebration for them.” Find out more about TFA, or make a donation directly to the organization, at teachforamerica.org.
pair pushes their sound over the top on more than a few tracks of the CD using Shaolin soul samples and multi-layering techniques. You just can’t go wrong with classic soul. The brothers have always had similar goals they just took different streets to get there.“I want people to know I’m tight with my brother,” says Ju, “We did a track on the CD titled “Both Of My Sons” for our Momma.” Double O grew up watching his brother perform and it was just a matter of time before he jumped into the business. “I always had a dream of cutting music with my brother,” says Double O, “He was always good.” “Now I’m doing it, I’m taking the whole scene more seriously, adds Double O, “I don’t think I’m as good a rapper but I’m working on it.” “Don’t let him fool you,” states Ju, “He was rapping his ass off in high school, he’s got it down.” You can call their music country rap, weed rap, or whatever you want but one thing’s for certain its good rap. Ju and Double O plan on working together on several more volumes of Me & My Brotha as well as other projects. The next CD will be a little more laid back with a little head bouncing. They want to make the music they want to make and they’ll keep putting it out to the people in high places to get it listened to. Give em’ a listen you might be surprised. Online: Twitter: @Julox2
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Coral ThiefColorado Roots
by Tim Wenger
Coral Thief may not be around Colorado much these days, but they are reppin’ our state pretty hard around the country. Their new record Colorado Roots dropped in December and should ensure the band continued fuel for their touring fire for the foreseeable future. Mixing traditional reggae with elements of dub and the occasional ska-punk riff, the record is just about the perfect soundtrack for the modern Colorado lifestyle. “Falling Down Like Rain” stuck out as the strongest track on the record as a danceable but still emotionally provocative tune, representative of the vibe that reggae music has always appeared to be conveying. The album’s first single “Colorado Roots” goes as proof that they still consider CO home despite their constant time outside its borders- the music video for the song, filmed in Crested Butte, goes to second that. Coral Thief has been standing tall as the leaders of the reggaerock movement in Colorado, and this album is proof of why.
Wiredogs- Kill The Artist, Hype The Trash by Tim Wenger Wiredogs are one of the hottest names in Denver music right now, and they will be striking while the iron is hot by dropping the ep Kill The Artist, Hype The Trash at the Marquis Theatre on January 24. The five songs tell five very different stories, set on top of punk rock furor and attitude. What makes Wiredogs special is front man Dan Aid’s ability to tell those stories in a way that just makes you want to jump out of your chair and start a riot. He often appears to be yelling, but upon closer listen it can be determined that he is just so damn passionate about his music that calming down is not an option. Musically, the EP is similar to what they have done before- the biggest signs of growth come in Aid’s storytelling. If you are a fan of punk rock, post-hardcore, or even the heavier side of indie (In The Whale), Kill The Artist Hype The Trash is a record you will definitely want to check out.
PolicultureBridge
The
by Thom Jackson Reggae music and the mountains of Colorado are a pretty good match. Insert Boulder-based reggae outfit Policulture, and you’ve got yourself a damn good time. The group’s new album The Bridge is a very strong take on the genre, electing to stay true to the original, more mellow side of reggae. The addition of horns gives the music a two-tone feel like some old British ska. The album stands out because of its old-school feel- Policulture does not yield to the pressures of incorporating rock or punk into their tunes like so many reggae bands do these days. Perfect music for lighting up and enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather. Online: policulturemusic.com
Online: wiredogsmusic.com
Amzy- We Don’t Walk We Dance by Gunnar Hauge
Online: amzymusic.com Oak Creek BandGlorietta
by Thom Jackson
The Oak Creek Band’s new EP Glorietta takes listeners on a spiritual journey into the minds of four musicians that have watched hard work take their music, and themselves, around the country in a whirlwind of jazzed-up pop-rock furor. The best part is, the journey is danceable.
Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts- Up From The North
by Tim Wenger
I prefer my country with to be mixed a good dose of rock. Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts provide more than just a dose with their new record Up From The North. Chrys and his band of modern country outlaws aren’t afraid to turn up the distortion, pump up the drum beat and break all the rules of what you’d expect country music to sound like with this new release, and it works out just fine. While tracks like “Shoot The Moon” and “I’m Easy” are more traditional, what separates this band is the energy of their music and how it translates to their live show. They utilize many of the elements of classic country as their base, and pile on elements of modern rock and the occasional bluegrassy banjo lick (see “Never Lost”) as their own stamp on the genre. They have accumulated quite the following because their music begs people onto the dance floor, and this new record is memorable because it is one of the records that just makes you yearn to see the band play live. Up From The North is the last great record out of Denver in 2014. Online: roughcutsband.com
Jenna Waters’ vocals are soft on the ear, consistently backed up by tempting horn lines and a rhythm section that keeps its promise of a head-nodding beat. The band’s sound can easily grace a large gamut of the musical spector, from late-night jazz clubs to the patio bar at a Summit County ski resort. Online: facebook.com/theoakcreekband
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by Tim Wenger
Zea and the Copper Children is a new name to us here at CMB. The group recently dropped their album Copper Children at Lost Lake. Their sound is an interesting one- dominated heavily by blues, I was able to detect elements of indie rock, soul and a touch of folk in the songs as well. The track “Nowhere” resonated with me the most, presenting what proved to be an introspective view of life in general- “that’s just the way it goes.” What is most appealing about this band, despite the slow demeanor of the music, is the honesty of the lyrics. Having never heard them before, I found easily drawn in to what Zea Stallings has to say in a way that I haven’t been able to with local music for the last few months. They also have a bit of a naturalistic feel to their music. With some well-timed gigs and a stream of solid promotion, Zea and the Copper Children could make a large footprint not only in Denver, but throughout the mountain towns of Colorado. Online: zeaandthecopperchildren.com
O n l i n e :
We Don’t Walk We Dance is the brand new five song EP from AMZY, the band who just won 93.3 KTCL’s Home for the Holidays competition. Overall the production quality fairs well and the mix comprises the perfect blend of crispy clear instrumentation and vocals; matching the brilliant soundscapes somewhere in the realm of Arcade Fire and Morrissey. The EP launches with the title track “We Don’t Walk We Dance,” which is the quintessential song consisting of a nice arrangement and catchy melodies. “Feet On Ground” opens with a distant sounding guitar riff, as if resonating from inside a cave, and kicks into gear with a crazy distorted vibe on bass. The EP ends on an upbeat double time feel with the song “5 to Midnight”, acting as the presage to a very happy New Year in store for AMZY in 2015.
Zea and the Copper ChildrenCopper Children
January 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.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. Young bands are always struggling with booking gigs. It’s no secret that the Colorado scene is growing and flourishing in ways that we could not have imagined 10 years ago when The Fray broke out. We have several artists that are signing deals with major and independent labels, artists that are planning major tours and organizations like the Durango Songwriter Expo who’s encouragement of young artists is at least partly responsible for the success of writers like Megan Trainor and her “It’s All About The Bass.” But with all that going on the traffic lanes to get into the live venues and festivals are getting more crowded than ever. And that means that artists just breaking into the scene need to have their act more together than ever before. There are five basic steps to setting out on this course. It assumes that you want/need to perform and are not relying on the internet or the luck of a TV game show to propel you beyond your home studio, basement or garage. The first has nothing to do with business. If your music is not ready for “prime time” – meaning that if you are not good enough to have people who bust their butts working a crap day job put down their hard earned six or ten dollars to see you then you need to keep working on it before you take it out. You should have at least 45 minutes to an hour of music that is fantastic…that your friends think is killer and are telling their friends about. If you are getting together in your garage or rehearsal space once a month and trying to figure out what tunes to play and what your style is … you are not ready to leave the ‘wood shed’ and you need to stay out of the crowded lanes of performing in venues around Colorado. Second, if you have your musical act together and you are playing out as best you can – than you are ready to up your game. You will need business tools to do it: (a) a one-sheet plus a website and Facebook fan page – plus other social media (b) a video that SOUNDS GOOD as well as looking good (c) a place to park your EPK (electronic press kit) – most folks use ReverbNation, SonicBids, BandCamp or all three (there are others too) (d) a SoundCloud page where you can upload all your music that represents what you want to sell (e) good photo that is high enough resolution that venues can upload it for their websites to advertise the shows. These sound simple but the fact is what is represented in this paragraph is serous programming… hours of work and then maintenance on a daily and weekly basis. This means you have to delegate these tasks to members of your crew or appoint one person
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to do it and give them some serious good stuff for all this work – like money! Each of these tools are essential. If you don’t understand the importance of any of the items listed above … then do some research and see how and why successful artists are using them. Third is research. I can’t tell you how many people write me on a weekly basis asking to “pick my brain” – (a phrase I find particularly annoying) about how to book their band. The translation of this phrase is, “I haven’t done any research into what to do for booking my band and I would like you to give me all the answers you have researched over the past year … for free…so I can compete with your band for gigs. Really? Research is essential. One brief example: I have had four people contact me in the past month about the Root 40 Music Festival. Here is the sad news. It’s not happening this year. And this is the kind of research you need to do by yourself. I’ve had great metal bands come to me and ask how to get into Swallow Hill to do a gig. Really? Swallow Hill presents acoustic music … so unless you are going to do an entire evening of metal on acoustic instruments (which is a killer idea and might be something that Swallow Hill would love to try) you are being an idiot. Herman’s Hideaway is a great venue and they “play” a really wide variety of acts but you need to check out what they do before you approach Mike, Chris, or Tim about booking your act there. There are so many great resources for doing this. Colorado Music Buzz is one of them! Look at who’s playing what venues – what styles – what cover charges – how many bands per night – local or national or both – all if it. The Fox and Boulder Theater are booked by the same company (and owned by that company) but you are not going to get an opening act slot there unless you do some research into who books them and what they “play.” Every venue and festival has a website and they all say “contact” or “booking” or some other term that implies this is how you reach them about booking your act. So get off the X-Box and do the research first…it will increase your odds of success. And please stop asking others to do this work for you. Fourth, partnering with other acts and “gig swaps.” Rule one to understand is that most acts that are headlining at the Fox or the Bluebird don’t necessarily have the power or control to pick the other acts on the bill. So when you call Leftover Salmon and say ‘we’d love to open for you’ it most likely has nothing to do with them as to who else is on the bill – it is up to the promoter. Why is that the case? Because the promoter’s job is to put “butts in the seats” and if your act has played a Thursday night with three other bands at Lion’s Lair you may not have the drawing power to open for an act at the Gothic. This is true of the DJ world too. Now that you understand that – you know NOT to take it personally when somebody says – ‘we don’t have any say in that.’ Now you are equipped to start asking. You have the right attitude and the ability to sell yourself as strong as you can and do the networking that is necessary to get the most out of this important tactic. As far as the ‘gig swap’ goes – it’s a great way to have a band with a good following in (say Omaha) come to Colorado and play a gig with you to help them build their market in Denver and then you go to Nebraska and do a gig with them to help build your following there. That’s a “gig swap.” It is a very cool way to break out of this market and bring new artists into this market. And Colorado is considered ‘hot’ by most other cities in the country as a live music market. Fifth, understand timing. The other problem that I deal with on a weekly basis is great young artists who have all there poop-in-a-group but don’t understand the timing factor. This
is January 2015. Both AEG and Live Nation have about 95% of their summer season already booked! The Dicken’s Opera House in Longmont is booking April. The headliners for the Taste of Colorado are already contacted and the side stages will book in May. Every festival, concert series, venue and/or promoter has a timing schedule that they work with. If you are pretty sure you are going to have your album ready for release February 15th you will not find a place to play on February 20th. Part of your research needs to be the realization of what each “buyer” of talent uses as their scheduling and booking policy. It doesn’t mean they don’t have holes in the calendars that they just can’t seem to fill – and it is possible that you will get that February 20th date – but it’s unlikely (it’s a Friday night). On the other hand they may have the 18th open and that might work. So be persistent but understand that you are asking them to “invest” in your act and that they are not concerned with bringing great new music to their venue so much as they are concerned with staying in business by bringing the BEST MUSIC into their calendar that will put butts in the seats - and who’s fans will drink! In case you didn’t know it – it’s the booze money that keeps everybody at the venue paid – not the $10 door ticket. If you’re thinking this is a hell of a lot of work, you got it. A great Tour Manager in town named
Musician 101 Round 14 Strength in numbers…
What to do to take it to the next level by the Swami
Back in the 90’s when I had a developmental deal with Sony, I was privileged to have several great mentors. Then the labels still had A/R departments and would look for talented artists to sign and then “train” to be a pro. For me, I was lucky enough to have such encounters. Here in this monthly column I will share with you not only the things I learned from “the big boys” but really from the school of hard knocks and the other school of figuring out what not to do. Each month I will pick a different topic that I think truly makes the difference between amateur and professional.
BAND TOGETHER NATION – WHAT IS IT? Simply put, Band Together Nation (BTN) is a program to bring local artists together, to build, enhance, and impact our community. We asked ourselves the question, “If music sustains us as human beings, how can we as a community sustain musicians and artists?”
January 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
Devon Hand calls it “The Grind” and I have never heard a better term for it. You have to be doing it every week along with the marketing of the shows, development of show and the music, and the strategy for the next level of gigs. Whether you are doing DJ work for an EDM show for your school or friends or your bluegrass band is playing at the local grange hall you have to do all the daily things involved in doing the grind AND keep an eye on the future. And that brings me to booking agents. Here is the simple rule. They are not going to be interested in you until you are doing all this to a point where you are creating your own success. Once you are doing that, then they have something to build on. That is how they make their money…by taking you from the level you are on now - to the next level. Booking agents make their money on how much they can get for your act. In the “old days” of the 1980’s there were about 10 venues along the Front Range that “played” bands for six nights a week. Bands worked 300 nights a year and their shows got really good really fast or they went out of business. They built followings really quickly (six months to a year). If you only play 12 times in six months you are going to find it hard to build the kind of fan base that interests a booking agent. The internet is an incredible tool in compensating for this. It can help. But agents look for success. More on this next month.
Partnership: By partnering with local businesses, and offering discounts or perks from these businesses to our artist members, BTN first order is to help artists save money. Networking: By hosting ongoing events at strategic businesses, BTN offers the unique opportunities to not only communicate with like minded musicians, but to support local businesses that are supporting the arts. Education: BTN will offer specific and targeted education seminars and meetings to our members that will offer direct insight into the happenings of the music industry. Strength in numbers: As the BTN program builds, opportunities for our members and businesses will only grow. Even items like crowd funding, live music events and more can all be taking place under the BTN umbrella. How do I get involved? It’s easy…go to BandTogetherNation.com and sign up. Annual memberships per musician is $10 and business affiliates can market their product and discounts to our members for an annual fee of $45. Got a question or a topic to cover? Hit me up Swami@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com - I am here to help!
Petals of Spain Is Ready To Hit It Big- All They Need Are Ears by Tim Wenger
There is something strong to be said about baby steps. Especially when it comes to music. Just ask Petals of Spain, who since 2008 have been fine tuning their sound and, after a good six years, have chiseled out a nook as Denver’s most promising pop-rock act heading into 2015. The group’s sound caught the ear of Grammywinning producer Frank Filipetti, who contacted the band and said he’d like to work with them on some recording. Early spring of this year will see the release of that effort, in the form of a three or four song EP that saw Filipetti come to Denver for part of the process, and the ecstatic members of Petals head to New York to finish it out. Filipetti came into the project with already comfortable with the band’s songwriting, making only small tweaks to the arrangements in the studio. “Their songs are kind of written for their live performance, so I changed the arrangements on them a bit,” he says. “I made them a bit more record oriented, but by and large they were right there.” Instrumentation for the record was put down at Colorado Sound Studios here in town, utilizing the studio’s classic toys to highlight the band’s style, but the group headed to Filipetti’s home studio in rural New York to record vocals. “The great thing about Colorado Sound is they have a lot of old vintage gear, so that really inspired us to go not in a retro way, but to take a certain amount of sounds and sonic texture from the sixties and seventies and blend it with what they’re doing which is young and modern,” Filipetti says. “I think we came out with something really interesting.” The guys were in a bit of a daze at having such a consummate professional overseeing their work. “It was a pretty unreal experience,” says singer/guitarist Nic Jay.
she moved to Denver,” says Filipetti. “I guess she saw them live. She sent me a couple songs of theirs that they were working on and I loved it. I said, ‘Ya know, I’ll come into Denver and we’ll put some songs together.” Filipetti came out and spent four days tracking with the band at Colorado Sound. “Two days we spent doing the four tracks, and another two days we spent doing overdubs on them.” The guys took some time to go out and experience New York City while they were recording. “We went into town one night and it was an epic thunderstorm over the New York skyline,” says Jay. “It was crazy to see a thunderstorm over the whole city. And we went to see Phil Barrett (of Atomic Music Group and formerly of Denver group The Foot) and went to a really sick show at this place called Cameo in Brooklyn. We partied pretty hard that
night.” They also did a photo shoot while in the city for use on the new album. Petals is also working on shopping the songs out for placement, with the help of Filipetti’s manager Joe D’Ambrosio. “Right now we’re talking with (D’Ambrosio) trying to figure out contracts,” Jay says. “What he wants to do is get us in some big movies and some commercials.” Jay feels that the song “Daydream” is the most commercially viable of the bunch, but all of the songs will be shopped. “Obviously I don’t want to send them out until we are ready to make a presentation, but I’ve done a couple of channels, and when I meet with people about engineering I play the tracks and people are freaking out over them, they love them,” says Filipetti.
Vocals added at Filipetti’s studio injected a taste of Frank’s Grammy-winning ethos into the music, though the members of Petals of Spain basically flew out to New York having no idea what lay ahead. “We were all on the same flight and Hunter was on a different flight,” Jay says. “We met up with (him) in Times Square and we took the metro north for about an hour ride. We weren’t sure what to expect.”
Since the conclusion of recording, the band has been focusing mostly on rehearsing and writing as opposed to live gigs in order to have more material ready for Filipetti when he (hopefully) asks. 2015 will see the results of not only the band’s but the production team’s efforts, which promises to lift Petals of Spain to new heights. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, for me anyway,” says Johnson. “It’s like I’m watching it happen to someone else rather than myself, but I’m sure once the ball starts rolling it will hit me pretty hard.” “We’re (also) going to be sitting down with a pre-production team about doing a video,” says Jay. “We’re kind of missing on the video end of things. I don’t know if this video will be for the new stuff, or for something we did on the last album.” Look for bonus material that didn’t make the EP to be released as singles later on in the year, another good reason to plug yourself into Petals of Spain’s Facebook page at facebook. com/petalsofspain.
What they found was a slice of heaven. A huge house complete not only with a swimming pool and a shelf full of Grammy’s but a state-of-theart studio built in what, they came to learn, used to be a church. “The house was built around this old church part, I don’t know the whole story there,” Jay says. “We were walking through, and he’s got platinum records hanging on the walls and his six Grammy’s sitting up on his fireplace in the studio.” The guys were welcomed with open arms. “(Frank) sits down and is like, ‘Hey I want to play you guys this band I just found,’ and he busts on one of our tracks.” “It was surreal,” says drummer Dylan Johnson. Also surreal is the way Filipetti was introduced to the band- it was almost out of sheer luck. “My daughter first told me about them when
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Hopefully, the songs will get into the ear buds of some prominent A&R reps as well. “They all could be commercially viable I think,” says Johnson.
January 2015 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com