Category: Misc.

The Colorado Sound LIVE365 – UPDATED

I just updated the online station …. I’m still adding a cut or two, and the promo bits .. but otherwise, here’s who’s playing:

3 Twins
8traC
A Boy and His Kite
a. Tom Collins
Achille Lauro
Acoustic Junction
AdrienneO
Air Dubai
Andrea Ball
Andy Palmer
Austin Young & No Difference
Bad Weather California
Beast
Beats Noir!
Big Gigantic
Big Head Todd & The Monsters
Blackwood Creek
Blue Canyon Boys
Boenzee Cryque
Bop Skizzum
Born In The Flood
Cabaret Diosa
Carbon Choir
Cassie Taylor
Cat-A-Tac
Catch Bees
Chimney Choir
Chris Daniels & the Better Days Band
Chris Daniels & the Kings
Cique
Cocktail Revolution
Coles Whalen
Colfax Speed Queen
Cowboy Dave
Crowboy
Damon Wood
Dan Fogelberg
Danielle Ate The Sandwich
Dave Beegle
Dave Beegle/Beth Quist
Dave Preston
Dawson James
Debajo Del Agua
DeVotchKa
Dianne Reeves
Dressy Bessy
Drew Emmitt
Earth, Wind & Fire
Eddie Turne
El Toro De La Muerte
Elephant Revival
Esme Patterson
Ethyl & The Regulars
Euforquestra
Everything Absent Or Distorted (A Love Story)
Fafi aka 3Percent
Fierce Bad Rabbit
Firefall
Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids
Flashbulb Fires
Flobots
Fox Street Allstars
Foxfield Four
Future Jazz Project
Gary Stites
Glass Delirium
Gogolab
Grant Farm
Grant Sabin
Great American Taxi
Gregory Alan Isakov
H2 Big Band
Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams
Hazel Miller
Head for the Hills
Hearts Of Palm
Heather Marie Philipp
Hello Kavita
Hezekiah Goode
Honkytonk Homeslice
Hot I.Q.’s
Ian Cooke
Instant Empire
Ivory Circle
James Van Buren
Janine Santana
JD Feighner
Jeff Brinkman Band
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Jill Sobule
Joe Sampson
John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light
John Davis
John-Alex Mason
Jon Wirtz
Josh Dillard
Joshua Novak
Joshua Trinidad
Judy Collins
Julie and Andy Monley
Juno What?!
Katie Herzig
Kinetix
Kristi Stice
Kyle Hollingsworth
Leftover Salmon
Lindsey O’Brien Band
Lion Drome
Lisa Bell
Liz Barnez
Lonesome Traveler
Lord Of Word and the Disciples Of Bass
Lothar & the Hand People
Love.45
Matt Hoffman
Matthew Moon
Megan Burtt
Mike Clark & the Sugar Sounds
Monroe Monroe
My Body Sings Electric
Nathen Maxwell & The Original Bunny Gang
No Fair Fights
O’Brien Party of 7
Old Soul
Omniism
OneRepublic
Opie Gone Bad
Otis Taylor
Paper Bird
Patrick Dethlefs
Petals of Spain
P-Nuckle
Post Paradise
Pretty Lights
Psychodelic Zombiez
Pull the Alarm
Rachel and the Kings
Rainville
Reed Foehl
Richie Furay
Rick Roberts
Rose Hill Drive
Rossonian
Ryan Chrys
Selasee Atiase
Selina Albright
Sera Cahoone
SHEL
Sherri Jackson
Sixteen Horsepower
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Soul Merchants
Stingray Jones and the Mad Men
Strange Americans
Sugarloaf
Take To The Oars
Ten Pound Elephant
The 8750 Reggae Band
The Apples In Stereo
The Astronauts
The Changing Colors
The Christines
The Congress
The Dirty Lookers
The Epilogues
The Fluid
The Fray
The Gromet
The Haunted Windchimes
The Informants
The Knew
The Love Royale
The Lovely & Talented
The Lumineers
The Motet
The Patti Fiasco
The Photo Atlas
The Poor
The Primroses
The Railbenders
The Rainy Daze
The Reejers
The ReMinders
The Remus Tucker Band
The Samples
The Swayback
The Whiskey Bottles
The Widow’s Bane
The Yawpers
Thom Chacon
Tin Horn Prayer
Tommy Bolin
Vices I Admire
Wendy Woo Band
Wheelchair Sports Camp
Whiskey Blanket
WhiteWater Ramble
Wovenhand
Yo, Flaco!
Yonder Mountain String Band
You, Me and Apollo
Zach Heckendorf
Zephyr
Zeut
Zuba

Hell Must Have Frozen Over I Think

chris at ob hmls sunday june 16 2013Most radio stations don’t play “local” music – and if and when they do it’s largely a highly popular act and the total volume of local music played is well under 1% of the total catalog.

The average number of songs per hour on a typical commercial station will come out to about 10 … maybe 11 if there’s a light commercial load …maybe 12 at nights/over nights.  Non-commercial stations such as KRFC (Fort Collins) or KUNC (Greeley) will typically play 12-13 songs per hour for most shows.  Most non-comm stations air less than 1 “local” cut per hour .. with KRFC (Fort Collins) and Open Air 1340 (Denver) being the exceptions regionally.

All that said, if a commercial station decided to air just one cut per hour that would equal 8-10% of their mix — an astronomical value given the history of commercial radio in airing local music at all to begin with… to expect 2 per hour or 20% of the mix .. well that borders on complete and utter insanity, right?  Hmmm.

A couple of years ago (almost 3 now really) I drove from Hartford south along I95 to Virginia and then west along some back roads to  I40 … to New Mexico and then up the inside route of Colorado up to Denver.  It was an 8 day road trip and being a “radio guy” I listened to a great deal of what this country offers in the way of programming.

Of course I also took 12 hours of CO music with me as well, along with some fav Americana/alt-country stuff.  It was September.  It was football season – and there’s a lot of sports talk radio … but in reality, there’s mostly religious radio.  There isn’t too much in the way of “cool” music out there… fo’sho’

We are spoiled here in Colorado.  I’ve spent my entire radio career in NoCO, with a brief six month first-gig stint in Roswell NM in ’78.  At one time every label of any size had a promo office in Denver or Boulder.  This was where the AAA radio format grew wings, and the New or Alternative Rock format took shape … KBCO for AAA, KTCL for ALT.

There were also some pretty heady experiments such as KDEN, which had originally been KYOU (Greeley) – today it’s called Willie or the Wolfe or something like that.  KDEN was a very early Americana/Folk station… very acoustic, very laid back … very short lived.  That was about ’90-’91.

KSQI (96.1 K-SKY, Greeley/Fort Collins), the station I was at (88-91), was also known for “taking chances” with the content.  All in all there’s been a lot of great radio done in this region over the decades — more than in some other fairly progressive areas in fact.

So, I’m driving home tonight from emceeing the Thursday Night Downtown Concert Series in Fort Collins, and I decide to listen to the radio instead of an internet station (The Colorado Sound of course … silly).  I flip on this new station, Radio949.  It’s not a strong signal, though clean, it only hits mile marker 252 going south before it crashes out.  Radio949 is a Clear Channel station … booooooooooooo right?  Hmmm.

Yeah, not so much boooo… a good friend said to me tonight she listened to 949 today but didn’t know very much of what they played.  I knew almost nothing of what they were playing – but then I haven’t listened to anything remotely pop and non-CO in over a decade now.  So it all sounds new and alien to me anyway <shrug>.

After 949 crashed out I dialed up KUNC at 91.5.  I didn’t know most of what they played – although I recognized Otis Taylor in there … and I think I heard a new (?) Steve Earle cut.  The differences between the two stations is in texture … 949 has a more rock edge… more popular in tone and texture.  More Matchbox Twenty, less Steve Earle.  KUNC is more Steve Earle and no Matchbox Twenty.  While driving down 25, both were very enjoyable experiences…

Let me not forget the incredible efforts of KRFC (Fort Collins) and KCSU (Fort Collins)… both of which offer compelling non-pop/non-commercial programming, typically to highly niche audiences .. KCSU out on the edges of rock/pop, hip-hop/rap, metal, punk, EDM, etc … and KRFC out along the edges of Americana/AAA and Colorado music… KRFC plays more Colorado music than any other station in the state by 10x as much as the statewide average.

I said I think hell has frozen over … where else in the country has the kind of radio that exists in Northern Colorado right now?  Where else in the country are there four stations that feature “local” music in their daily mix?  Where else in the country is a Clear Channel owned station willing to take a chance by committing somewhere between 10 & 20% of their hourly air time to “local” music?

Go ahead, queue up the stations … KUNC, KRFC, KCSU, and Radio949 … do it between 9AM and 2PM, and again between 9PM and midnight .. that’s when all the stations are airing music at the same time.  How long before you bump into something local?  Bet it ain’t long.  That’s why hell must have frozen over.

TOP 100 Jan-June 2013

chris at ob hmls sunday june 16 2013

I went back and pulled every single bit of data I had on hand from each of the past six months.  Titles released to and added by radio between Jan 2012 and June 2013 were factored.  It’s my extreme hope that you’re one of the hard core who actively seeks out new music from here in Colorado.

You won’t find everything represented here … there’s no metal, no extreme punk, hard core, rap or other out on the edge types of music. Nor is there any classical or New Age represented.  Sorry …. if it were getting played at any of the stations I monitor it would show up.  And that isn’t to say that there are not independent shows around the state that  do feature those styles by national/international acts.

Same with jazz… there are a lot of jazz shows around the state.  Jazz would definitely have a bigger impact on the charts if more of it was making its way to jazz jocks around the state.  There are always six to ten jazz records out, and outside of KUVO and KRFC I’m just not seeing the spins at other stations… occasionally I’ll spot something on KGNU, but aside from that it’s pretty skinny out there when it comes to Colorado jazz being repped.  

(CC) = Colorado Connection = perhaps like Sera Cahoone you were raised here and moved on.  Or the Piedmont Brothers Band that has some of our most classic musicians on their records – even though technically the band is based out of Georgia and Italy.  Tim O’Brien may not live here anymore, but he’s an integral part of our musical history – as is Bob Lind, Javon Jackson, India.Arie, Tia Fuller, Katie Herzig, Judy Collins, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and others.

You may not recognize the names that follow, but  I hope that you’re intrigued enough to search a few out and buy their music.

TOP 100 Jan-June 2013

1. DeVotchKa – Live with the Colorado Symphony (Cicero Recordings) Indie/New Alternative [Nov-12]
2. The Lumineers – The Lumineers (Dualtone) Americana [Apr-12]
3. Otis Taylor – My World Is Gone (Telarc) Blues [Jan-13]
4. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Maestro and the Elephant (self) Rock [Jan-13]
5. Cassie Taylor – Out of My Mind (Yellow Dog) Blues [May 13]
6. Thom Chacon – Thom Chacon (Pie Records) Folk [Mar-13]
7. Jeff Brinkman Band – Strange (self) Rock [Dec-12]
8. Elephant Revival – It’s Alive EP (Ruff Shod/Nettwork) Folk [Nov-12]
9. Joe Sampson – Kill Our Friends (Fellow Creature Recordings) Folk [May-12]
10. WhiteWater Ramble – Roots & Groove (WWR) Americana [Feb-13]
11. Sera Cahoone (CC) – Deer Creek Canyon (Sub-Pop) Americana [Nov-12]
12. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker (LoS Records) Americana [Apr-12]
13. Beautiful Loser Society – The Desperate Promenade (self) Americana [Jan-13]
14. Paper Bird – Rooms (self) Indie/New Alternative [Feb-13]
15. Blue Canyon Boys – Next Go Round (self) Bluegrass [Jan-13]
16. Churchill – The War Within EP (A&M/Octone) Rock [Apr-13]
17. The Congress – The Loft Tapes EP (self) Rock [Mar-13]
18. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king} (Youngest Daughter Records) Folk [May-12]
19. a. Tom Collins – Stick & Poke (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [Apr-13]
20. Andy Hackbarth – Treadmill Horses EP (January Records) Pop [Apr-13]
21. Head for the Hills – Blue Ruin (self) Bluegrass [Jun-13]
22. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade (self) Rock [Sep-12]
23. Esme Patterson – All Princes, I (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [Sep-12]
24. SHEL – SHEL (Moraine Records / Mad King Records) Folk [Aug-12]
25. Jeff Scroggins & Colorado – Western Branches (self) Bluegrass [Jun-13]
26. Bad Brad & the Fat Cats – Eyes on the Prize (self) Blues [Feb-13]
27. Jon Wirtz – Tourist (self) Jazz [Jan-13]
28. Flobots – The Circle In the Square (Shanachie Records) Urban Contemporary [Aug-12]
29. The Haunted Windchimes – Out with the Crow (Blank Tape) Folk [Apr-12]
30. Bonnie & The Clydes – Wrong Side Up (self) Americana [Jul-12]
31. Mike Clark & the Sugar Sounds – Round and Round (Blank Tape) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
32. A Boy and His Kite – A Boy and His Kite (self) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
33. Wire Faces – King Cataract (Hot Congress Records) Rock [Jan-13]
34. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman (Suitcase Town Music) Folk [Jun-13]
35. Chris Daniels – Better Days (self) Americana [Jul-12]
36. You, Me and Apollo – S/T [EP] (self) Indie/New Alternative [Dec-12]
37. Brad Goode – Chicago Red (Origin Records) Jazz [Feb-13]
38. Euforquestra – Let Us In (self) Rock [Apr-12]
39. Trout Steak Revival – Flight (self) Americana [Nov-12]
40. Hezekiah Goode – Two Billion Acres of Salt (self) Americana [Jun-13]
41. Catch Bees – Narratives from a Factory Town (On Joyful Wings) Indie/New Alternative 6-Feb-13
42. Josh Dillard – The Bright Light of Shipwreck (self) Folk [Jun-13]
43. Manuel Lopez Trio – Searching Out (Dazzle Recordings) Jazz [Jan-13]
44. Beats Noir! – Where the Sun Goes Down (self) Urban Contemporary [Oct-12]
44. Grant Sabin – Anthromusicology (Blank Tape) Rock [Jan-13]
45. Joshua Novak – Ephemeron (self) Rock [Jan-13]
46. Churchill – The Change EP (A&M/Octone) Rock [Mar-12]
47. Grant Farm – The Grant Farm (self) Americana [Mar-12]
48. Land Lines – Land Lines (self) Indie/New Alternative [Nov-12]
48. Lisa Bell – The Italian Project (self) Pop [Feb-13]
49. O’Brien Party of 7 (CC) – Reincarnation, The Songs of Roger Miller (Howdy Skies Music) Folk [Jun-12]
50. The Gromet – Barren (self) Rock [Nov-12]
51. Strange Americans – A Royal Battle (self) Rock [Jun-12]
52. Farmington Hill – Bridge to Nowhere (self) Americana [Mar-13]
53. Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band f/Erica Brown – Tangled Road (self) Blues [Jan-13]
54. Wendy Woo Band – Live (Woo Music) Pop [Jun-13]
55. The Swayback – Double Four Time (self) Rock [Mar-12]
56. Ryan Chrys – A Lick & A Promise (self) Americana [Feb-13]
57. Danny Shafer – Wherever You Are (Tolstar Records) Folk [Apr-13]
58. Beki Hemingway – I Have Big Plans For The World (Salt Lady Records) Rock [Apr-13]
59. gogoLab – Border Patrol (self) Jazz [Feb-13]
60. Patrick Dethlefs – Fall & Rise (self) Folk [Jun-12]
61. Raincheck – Raincheck (Dazzle Recordings) Jazz [May-12]
62. Mosey West – Merica (self) Rock [Apr-12]
63. Kristi Stice – Under the Willow (self) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
64. Poet’s Row – Poet’s Row (self) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
65. Dennis Wanebo – Running On Gravity (self) Pop [Feb-13]
66. 3 Twins – De Nada (Sleeping Elephant Music) Americana [Jun-13]
67. Tyler Ward – Hello. Love. Heartache. (self) Pop [Mar-13]
68. Darryl Purpose – Next Time Around (Blue Rock Artists) Folk [Oct-12]
69. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Punches and Hugs (self) Blues [Apr-12]
70. The Jekylls – The Sweet Factory (self) Americana [Mar-12]
71. A Shoreline Dream – “333” (self) Rock [Sep-12]
72. The Changing Colors – Joan & the King (Blank Tape) Folk [Apr-13]
73. The Epilogues – Cinematics (Greater Than Collective) Rock [Oct-12]
74. Rob Drabkin – Little Steps EP (self) [Feb-13]
75. Abi Robins – Such A Mess (Morning Bird Records) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
75. Andy Palmer – Hazard of the Die (self) Rock [Apr-13]
76. FaceMan – TalkTalkTalk (self) Rock [Feb-13]
77. Achille Lauro – Flight or Flight (Hot Congress Records) Indie/New Alternative [Mar-12]
77. Chimney Choir – compass (self) Indie/New Alternativew [Jun-13]
78. Austin Young & No Difference – Blue As Can Be (Vizztone) Blues [Mar-13]
79. Cary Morin – Steamline (self) Blues [Apr-13]
80. Rachel & the Kings – Tonic (Rmitchell Records) Rock [Jan-13]
81. Pretty Lights – Around the Block [single] (self) EDM [Apr-13]
82. I’m With Her – Songs We Said Goodbye To (Boss Koala Records) Americana [Oct-12]
83. 4H Royalty – Where UFOs Go To Die (self) Rock [Jun-12]
84. Fox Steet Allstars – Tough Talk (self) Rock [Feb-13]
85. Bad Weather California – Sunkissed (Family Tree) Indie/New Alternative [Feb-12]
86. Carmelita’s Lovers – Ghosts of Our Former Selves (Nething Music) Rock [Jan-13]
87. The Centennial – Nervous System (self) Indie/New Alternative [Feb-13]
88. Instant Empire – Keep UP! (Hot Congress Records) Indie/New Alternative [Jan-13]
89. Boa & the Constrictors – Married to the Blues (self) Blues [Oct-12]
90. OneRepublic – Native (Mosely/Interscope) Pop [Apr-13]
91. Katie Glassman – Snapshot (self) Americana [Jun-12]
92. Sam Lee – Raise Your Flag (self) Pop [May-13]
93. Sofie Reed – Simplicity Chased Trouble Away (self) Blues [Aug-12]
93. Science Partner – Rocky Mountain News (Hot Congress Records) Indie/New Alternative [Sep-12]
94. Zach Heckendorf – The Cool Down (self) Pop [Jun-12]
94. Polarity – King of Hearts (Tapestry) Jazz [Nov-12]

Americana / Alt-country / Bluegrass
1. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
2. Thom Chacon – Thom Chacon
3. WhiteWater Ramble – Roots & Groove
4. Sera Cahoone (CC) – Deer Creek Canyon
5. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker

Blues/R&B
1. Otis Taylor – My World Is Gone
2. Cassie Taylor – Out of My Mind
3. Bad Brad & the Fat Cats – Eyes on the Prize
4. Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band f/Erica Brown – Tangled Road
5. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Punches and Hugs

Folk / folk-rock / singer-songwriter
1. Elephant Revival – It’s Alive EP
2. Joe Sampson – Kill Our Friends
3. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king}
4. SHEL – SHEL
5. The Haunted Windchimes – Out with the Crow

Indie/New Alternative
1. DeVotchKa – Live with the Colorado Symphony
2. Paper Bird – Rooms
3. a. Tom Collins – Stick & Poke
4. Esme Patterson – All Princes, I
5. Mike Clark & the Sugar Sounds – Round and Round

Jazz/Instrumental
1. Jon Wirtz – Tourist
2. Brad Goode – Chicago Red
3. Manuel Lopez Trio – Searching Out
4. gogoLab – Border Patrol
5. Raincheck – Raincheck

Pop / Adult Contemporary / Crossover
1. Andy Hackbarth – Treadmill Horses EP
2. Lisa Bell – The Italian Project
3. Wendy Woo Band – Live
4. Dennis Wanebo – Running On Gravity
5. OneRepublic – Native

Rock / AAA / ALT / AOR
1. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Maestro and the Elephant
2. Jeff Brinkman Band – Strange
3. Churchill – The War Within EP
4. The Congress – The Loft Tapes EP
5. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade