Making this official. I am very proud to announce that beginning March 1, SpokesBUZZ and the Mishawaka Amphitheater are official underwriting sponsors of The Colorado Sound radio program, and all related productions. Dates to be confirmed but watch and listen for news about The Colorado Sound Presents @ the Mishawaka. It’s going to be one hellova summer folks. 🙂
(Sunday, Feb 16, 2014) “You have to be great.” That line has been on loop in my mind since the middle of the week, when I met with Dani Grant from SpokesBuzz and the Mishawaka Amphitheater for lunch, and to discuss her organizations’ support of The Colorado Sound, and The Colorado Sound’s support of some upcoming events at the Mish.
“You have to be great.” Typically, in a normal week, I listen to 3 or 4 new album/ep releases or roughly 30 t0 40 cuts. Of course, those are not all full cut listens – most are 8-second rides – needle drops – looking for that OMG moment when I have to listen more intently to a single track – in the hopes I break a future hit (we djs are always looking to break a hit).
On top of producing the show, I am also on a few event committees. This week I had two sessions where as a member of a committee we evaluated submissions for a couple of upcoming summer festivals. In all, almost 200 acts will be scheduled for five event-days, from over 500 submissions (either a committee recommendation or actual online submission).
“You have to be great.” What does that mean exactly? Buyers look for it. DJs look for it. Fans look for it. “Man, I gotta great deal!” “Man, I saw a great show!” “Man, I booked a great band!” “Man, you gotta hear this great song I found!”
Today’s “radio” is truly anything video related. YouTube is the single most dominant source of new music discovery in the world. Today, more and more, buyers rely on video instead of strictly audio as a way of auditioning acts for an event. Video doesn’t lie. The presentation put forth speaks for itself – especially when the video is from a live performance (and especially from a “smart phone” video). Video quality + audio quality + visual quality + performance quality all now matter in “you have to be great.”
Katie Herzig is a Fort Collins native, a graduate of both Rocky Mountain High, and Colorado State University. While she was in college she fronted the very popular folk-rock act Newcomer’s Home. Katie went solo, moved to Nashville, and along with Pretty Lights stands as one of the two most successful artists to emerge from Fort Collins. She’s got a brand new album set to drop in April – and in the meantime, she just released this new video from her last album.
Earth, Wind & Fire “Reasons” from That’s the Way of the World (1975)
Lannie Garrett “Pickin’ Up After You” from Comes Love (1995)
Jesse Furay Lynch “I Wish It Would Rain” [single] (2014)
Mosey West “Hurricane Eyes” from Bermuda (2014)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Josephina” from Black Beehive (2014)
(N) Bad Brad & the Fat Cats “Other Side” from Take A Walk With Me (2014)Churchill “The War Within” from War Within EP (2013)
(D) Mountain Standard Time “Canyon Road” from Sunny (2013)
(D) Swim Through Frequencies “Other Languages” from Rhythm of Complacency (2013)(D) Glitta Kings “Carving In the Stone” from Girls in High Heels Shouldn’t Dance On Glass Tables (2014)
The Motet “Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed” from The Motet (2014)
Selasee Atiase “One Day” from African Gate (2010)
Al Hood & Dave Hanson “Just A Little Taste” from Just A Litte Taste: Al Hood Plays The Writing Of Dave Hanson (2008)
Newcomers Home “Hold On” from In the Hour (2004)
Katie Herzig “Wish You Well” from Apple Tree (2008)
The Fray “Love Don’t Die” [single] (2013)
OneRepublic “Feel Again” from Native (2013)
(D) The Samples “The Whole World Can Sing” from America (2014)(D) Dianne Reeves “Dreams” from Beautiful Life (2014)
The ReMinders “Africa On My Mind” from Born Champions (2012)
(D) Kinetix “One Life to Live” from One Life (2014)
String Cheese Incident “Can’t Wait Another Day” [single] (2012)
Matt Skinner Band “I’ll Keep Loving” from Native Stranger Pt I – Fandango (2013)
Patti Fiasco “Nobody’s Girl” from The Patti Fiasco (2011)
Danny Shafer “I Am” from Wherever You Are (2013)
GogoLab “Honey Trap” from Border Patrol (2013)
Friday night was a special event. As you might know, unless I’m working a show, Miss Pattie and I rarely actually go out. I traded out a sound gig this weekend to attend the benefit for Love Hope Strength. Love Hope Strength is a local Colorado / Denver based non-profit, that seeks to provide diagnostics and treatment for cancer worldwide by promoting their work and engaging participants at concerts globally.
From their mission statement: At Love Hope Strength we turn concerts into lifesaving events. Through our GET ON THE LIST campaign we register marrow donors resulting in matches from concerts around the world. Through unique events, like Everest Rocks and Kilimanjaro Rocks, we build cancer centers, giving people access to early detection and quality cancer care. More info at http://www.lovehopestrength.org
The concert to benefit Love Hope Strength was stimulating, engaging, funny, warm, and musically splendid. Where, as they mentioned, they might get 50 people signed up at a Red Rocks show, 5o of those among the 300+ who were on hand Friday night got ON THE LIST.
On stage guests included project founder/executive producer Megan Burtt with friends Chris Daniels, John Magnie, Reed Foehl and Tyler Depres (Science Partner) with members of the Congress, SHEL, Bop Skizzum, Chimney Choir, Rachel & the Kings, the Epilogues, and Covenhoven. Audience “guests” were too numerous to mention – and the room did look to be sold out with standing room only by show time.
A note about this and other shows (the few) I’ve been too at the Soiled Dove Underground — show began promptly at 8, there was an intermission at about 8:50, and the second act ended at 1030, allowing plenty of time to mingle with the band and pony up to the merch table. My wife and I were out of there before 1130, a real treat for a local show.
Radio stations and print media around the state will have the LOVE HOPE STRENGTH benefit compilation IN GOOD COMPANY within the next week. Also coming to radio via Rocky Mountain Music Network = Estes Park artist Brad Fitch record Columbine Blue. Brad looks uncannily like John Denver (he does a John Denver tribute show) – so much so that even a limo driver used to ferrying luminaries got a bit whigged out when he met Brad, and who reportedly remarked, “John Denver is dead, right?”
Some radio news to report this week. KVNF Mountain Grown Community Radio seeks a weekday morning host for NPR’s Morning Edition and Regional News from KVNF. This person will serve as the primary voice for KVNF’s regional news coverage. As such, the ideal candidate has a strong voice and professional news delivery that fits into both NPR and KVNF’s programming and journalistic philosophies. This position will be part-time, contract labor, 12-20 hours per week. Hours will be 6-8:30 AM weekdays. More details at http://kvnf.org/post/kvnf-hiring-morning-news-host
I discover “new” bands every single day of the week, either because they send me cds, or links, or I discover them accidentally. I don’t know how I discovered Anchorage … but at least the name resonated with me since I lived there as a kid for 7 years. New music this week:
Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Resignation Superman” from Beautiful World (1997)
the Subdudes “Papa Dukie & the Mud People” from Behind the Levee (2006)
(D) Blake Brown & American Dust Choir “Rise n’ Fight” from The American Dust Choir (2014)
(D) West Water Outlaws “Caught in the Headlights” [single] (2014)Rose Hill Drive “Pictures of You” from Americana (2011)
(D) Dr. Izzy Band “Dirt Bed” from Blind and Blues Bound (2014)
Boa & the Constrictors “Married to the Blues” from Boa’s Blues (2013)
(D) Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene “Motor Vixen From Hell” from Motor Vixen From Hell (2014)Drew Emmitt “Take the Long Way Home” from Long Road (2008)
(D) Samuel Mouton “Smoke and Chill” from Paradise (2013)
Nathen Maxwell & the Original Bunny Gang “Stick To My Guns” from White Rabbit (2010)
Carmen Sandim Sextet “Sampa” from Brand New (2011)
India.Arie “Slow Down” from Voyage to India (2002)
Sherri Jackson “Simple Pleasures” from Catalyst (2000)
(D) Jon Snodgrass & Dead Peasants “On the Outside” from Songs of Tony Sly: a Tribute (2013)
Beautiful Loser Society “Hank’s Lament” from The Desperate Promenade (2013)
Great American Taxi “One of These Days” from Reckless Habits (2010)
(D) Katie Herzig “Little Bit of Love” from Secret Road – As Heard on TV (2014)Jeff Brinkman “Strange” from Strange (2012)
Devotchka “Along the Way” from A Mad & Faithful Telling (2008)
(N) Tennis “100 Lovers” from Small Sound (2013)
(D) Calders Revolvers “See To Believe” from See To Believe (2014)(N) Whiskey Blanket “Batto Nox” from From the Dead of Dark (2014)
Bop Skizzum “Known It All Along” from Coloradical (2012)
GogoLab “Tumbleweeds” from Border Patrol (2013)
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 