(Sunday Jan 11) WOW … what a great week in Colorado music and radio. On Monday Jan 5, Colorado Public Radio announced that they had purchased 102.3FM in Denver, and that Open Air 1340 would move to the new frequency. Friday night, Jan 9, Manassas, Firefall, Poco, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame class of 2014.
Denver has never had a metro grade signal attached to a format that is as dedicated to local music as what we’re about to hear, beginning Jan 27. And that’s taking nothing away from the efforts made in this region to support local music on the radio going back to the 60s. 950 KIMN is in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame partly for the support they gave to local bands like Boenzee Cryque and others. KLZ FM, KFML, KAZY, KBPI, KBCO and KTCL have all supported bands from our area going back through our Colorado music and radio history. None, however, have featured it as prominently as Open Air 1340 does.
What this does for SOME Colorado music regionally is nothing short of amazing. All formats are limited in scope – so no, not all styles of Colorado music will be represented. Based on what Open Air has done to date, I wouldn’t expect any major changes in what they play. However, if people won’t support it financially – by way of sponsorship or membership dollars – others will be reluctant to follow CPR’s lead. #fingerscrossed Stations like KRFC and Radio 94.9 in Northern Colorado and Open Air 1340 in Denver are really setting standards for a level of support of local music that we’ve quite frankly never seen before.
Friday night was incredibly special. A sold out house at the Paramount was on hand for a performance by some of Colorado’s music legends, and relative newcomer and potential future hall of fame member Nathaniel Rateliff who did the opening tribute set to Stephen Stills/Manassas with Jeff Hanna (NGDB), Jock Bartley (Firefall), and Richie Furay (Poco).
Firefall’s impassioned set included original members Jock Bartley and Mark Andes, with fellow original members Larry Burnett and Rick Roberts joining the “newer” lineup for the last couple of songs. Poco’s set was electrifying – but I’m pretty biased. Supported by the Richie Furay Band, original members Rusty Young, Richie Furay, Paul Cotton, and Timothy B Schmidt turned it up to a level that literally left the sold out room roaring for more, song after song, in a set that included classics Call It Love, Bad Weather, Keep On Trying, Rose of Cimarron, and Good Feeling to Know. The only person missing was original drummer/vocalist George Grantham, who fell and did some rib damage a few days before the show.
Among those into folk and country music in Colorado the names Jimmy Ibbotson and John McEuen are staples in the scene, going back to 1970 when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band moved here from Los Angeles. Jimmy has remained as the sole original member still living in Colorado to this day, and although he left the band in 2004, seeing him on stage made the last 11 years disappear, if only for a couple of songs. Of all the great things that came out of “the Dirt Band” moving here originally, it was their album “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and the title track that has remained as the lasting legacy of their time spent here.
And before we get to the finale, CMHOF executive director G Brown announced that the next induction, coming later this year, will include Dan Fogelberg and Barnstorm (Joe Walsh, Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale).
OFFSTAGE BEYOND THE MUSIC
In the current episode running now at the Offstage Beyond the Music page CMHOF executive director G Brown talks about his vision for the hall of fame over the years. COMING IN FEB – Wendy Woo and her husband Charles and I sit at their dining room table and talk shop.
PLAYLIST S9 EP2 2015
(D) = debut of lp/ep/single
(N) = new cut from previously debuted lp/ep
HOUR 1
Freddi / Henchi and the Soulsetters “Funky to the Bone” from Crown Princes of Funk: The Last Set (2010) Sugarloaf “Colorado Jones” from Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You (1975) (N) Longest Day Of The Year “Ride on the Carapace” from Carapace (2014) Instant Empire “Without Wires” from Instant Empire (2011) Bad Weather California “Keep It Together” from Back Seats (2013) Safe Boating is No Accident “Lover/Undercover” from Bonus Features (2014) The Sound and Color “Tug of War” from The Sound and Color (2015) Paper Bird “Lonely Too Long” from When the River Took Flight (2010) Finnders & Youngberg “Lonely Too Long” from I Don’t Want Love You Won’t Give Until I Cry (2013) (D) Cary Morin “Obstacles to Negotiate” from Tiny Town (2014) Ben Markley ~ Clint Ashlock Quintet “Chasing Light” from The Return (2014)
HOUR 2
Bob Lind “Elusive Butterfly” from Elusive Butterfly (1966) Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids “Good Times, Rock & Roll” from Best of Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids (2010) (N) Bill Frisell “Pipeline” from Guitar In the Space Age (2014) Devotchka “100 Other Lovers” from 100 Lovers (2011) The Apples in Stereo “Same Old Drag” from New Magnetic Wonder (2007) Dressy Bessy “New Song (From Me to You)” from Dressy Bessy (2003) Leftover Salmon “Get Up and Go” from High Country (2015) Slim Cessna’s Auto Club “Viceroy Filter King” from Always Say Please and Thank You (2000) String Cheese Incident “So Far From Home” from Song In My Head (2014) Jon Wirtz “Country” from Tourist (2013)
Colorado Case Company a Fort Collins based, Colorado family owned business specializing in insulated soft cases, gig bags, case covers and rigid cases for most instruments, including hard to fit instruments.
SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado non-profit with a mission to develop the professionalism of artists, promote and connect progressive cultural destinations, amplify music scenes, and grow local economies. See event calendar for Spokesbuzz band shows.
The historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Northern Colorado’s Musical Playground, and seriously one of the most badass music venues in the state.
Please visit my friends’ sites. They keep this thing going. Much appreciated.
PS … January Offstage Beyond the Music guest is G Brown, executive director of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.
VIDEO PICKS DECEMBER
TOP 40 Spins December 2014
242 titles tracked
114 (47%) titles identified as played at least once in the reporting period
Stations/shows surveyed: 15
(CC) = Colorado Connection
(D) = album/ep/single debut on chart
(R) = re-enter
[date] = Date added to reporting list
(1) 1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free (Thirty Tigers) Bluegrass [Sept 6, 2014]
(4) 2. Ark Life– The Dream of You & Me (Greater Than Collective) Rock/AAA [June 28, 2014]
(17) 3. Euforquestra – Fire (self) Rock/funk [Feb 22, 2014] (D) 4. Bill Frisell– Guitar In the Space Age (Okeh Records) Instrumental [18-Nov-14]
(6) 5. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman(Suitcase Town Music) Folk/singer-songwriter [June 22, 2013]
(3) 6. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat (Communion Records) Indie/New Alternative [Aug 14, 2014]
(2) 7. Leftover Salmon– High Country (LoS) Americana/jamband [Nov 8, 2014]
(9) 8. Nathaniel Ratefliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run (Mod y Vi Records) Folk [Sept 1, 2013]
(9) 9. The String Cheese Incident – Song in My Head(SCI Fidelity) Rock/AAA [April 12, 2014]
(16) 10. A Shoreline Dream – The Silent Sunrise (self) Rock/alternative [Sept 6, 2014
(5) 11. Reed Foehl – Lost in the West (NeverFoehl Records) Folk/singer-songwriter [Sept 13, 2014]
(7) 12. Big Head Todd & the Monsters –Black Beehive (Shout! Factory) Rock/AAA [Jan 25, 2014]
(8) 13. Elephant Revival– These Changing Skies (Its Evolving Records) Folk [Aug 1, 2013]
(10) 14. Young Ancients – Y/A (self) Americana [Feb 22, 2014]
(R) 15. Calder’s Revolvers – Sunday Morning (self) Rock [13-Jun-14]
(11) 16. You Me & Apollo – Sweet Honey (self) Indie/alternative [April 26, 2014]
(12) 17. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore–Love Runner (Remington Road Records) Folk [Dec 21, 2013] (D) 18. Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth (Yep Roc) Rock/AAA [20-Dec-04]
(R) 19. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Rocky Mountain Honky Tonk (self) Americana/alt-country-rock [7-Jul-13]
(R) 20. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters (self) Bluegrass [1-Oct-13]
(R) 21. Katey Laurel – Periscope (self) POP/adult contemporary [1-Aug-13]
(R) 22. Honey Don’t – Heart Like A Wheel (self) Americana [1-Nov-13]
(13) 23. The Motet– The Motet (self) Urban Contemporary/funk [Jan 4, 2014]
(22) 24. Fruition & Grant Farm – Meeting On the Mountain (Grant Central Records) Rock/jamband [Oct 1, 2014]
(15) 25. Musketeer Gripweed – Floods and Fires(self) Rock/jamband [March 29, 2014]
(34) 26. Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the World (8 Minutes 20 Seconds) Urban Contemporary/EDM [July 2, 2013]
(28) 17. Kyle Hollingsworth – Speed of Life (SCI Fidelity) Rock [Sept 6, 2014]
(21) 28. The Longest Day of the Year – Carapace (self) Rock/AAA [Nov 1, 2014]
(24) 29. Strange Americans – That Kind of Luster (self) Rock [Aug 23, 2014]
(R) 30. Matt Skellenger – New Radio (self) Jazz/Instrumental [18-Oct-14]
(14) 31. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [April 5, 2014]
(33) 32. Chain Station – Dancin’ With the Law (self) Bluegrass [March 14, 2014] (D) 33. Various – SpokesBUZZ Compilation V (SpokesBUZZ) variety [20-Dec-14]
(23) 34. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Totem (self) Indie/New Alternative [Nov 8, 2014]
(R) 35. Slopeside– One Land Town (self) Rock [5-Jul-14]
(22) 36. Chimney Choir – (compass) (self) Folk [June 1, 2013]
(R) 36. Mosey West – Bermuda (self) Rock/alt-country-rock [2-Nov-13]
(R) 37. Matt Skinner Band – Native Stranger (Tapedero Productions) Americana/country [9-Nov-13]
(R) 38. Monocle Band – Monocle Band (self) Folk/folk-rock [1-Sep-13]
(30) 39. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Living Asleep (self) Rock/AAA [July 19, 2014]
DROPPED OUT OF TOP 40 / DECEMBER
18. Dana Landry Trio – Memphis Skyline
19. John Oates – Good Road to Follow
20. Katie Herzig – Walk Through Walls
25. Ark Life – Very Fine Friends (single)
26. Drag The River – Drag the River
27. Josh Dillard – The Bright Light of Shipwreck
29. Chimney Choir – Motion (single)
31. Moors & McCumber – Against the Grain
32. 3 Twins – De Nada
33. Ben Markley-Clint Ashlock Quintet – The Return
34. Drew Schofield – 150 Million (-1) EP
35. Lauren Brombert – Love’s Carousel (single)
35. Sofie Reed – Red Hen
ADDED TO TRACKING / DECEMBER
Andy Babb and the Big Beautiful Band – Strange Existence
Brothers Keeper – Todd Meadows
Cary Morin – Tiny Town
Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth
Potcheen – Take No Prisoners
Various – SpokesBUZZ Compilation V
STATION BY STATION
[XX] = number of reported current year (2013-2015) titles
Stations monitored for spins = KAFM, KBUT, KDUR, KGNU, KOTO, KRCC, KRFC, KRZA, KSJD, KSUT, KUNC, KVNF, OPENAIR 1340, The Colorado Sound radio show and The Colorado Sound LIVE365
KAFM (Grand Junction) [24]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. David Starr – Alive Again
3. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive
3. Quemando – Paradise
3. The John Weeks Band – The John Weeks Band
KDUR (Durango) [10]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Chain Station – Dancin’ With the Law
3. Born to Wander – S/T
4. J. Miller – One More High, One More Low
5. Big Gigantic – The Night Is Young
KGNU (Boulder) [22]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
3. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman
3. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman
3. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
KRCC (Colorado Springs) [10]
1. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
2. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
2. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat
3. A Shoreline Dream – The Silent Sunrise
4. Eurforquestra – Fire
KRFC (Fort Collins) [145]
1. Leftover Salmon – High Country
1. The Longest Day of the Year – Carapace
1. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey
2. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
3. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
KUNC (Greeley) [13]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman
3. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
3. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive
3. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Rocky Mountain Honky Tonk
KVNF (Paonia) [10]
1. Leftover Salmon – High Country
2. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
3. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
3. Fruition & Grant Farm – Meeting On the Mountain
3. Honey Don’t – Heart Like A Wheel
OPEN AIR 1340 (Denver) [30]
1. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman
1. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Totem
2. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
3. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – Look It Here/Trying So Hard Not To Know
3. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey
THE COLORADO SOUND [42]
1. Eurforquestra – Fire
1. Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth
2. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
2. Calder’s Revolvers – Sunday Morning
2. Katey Laurel – Periscope
Here ya go …you can listen to the TOP 20 recap of the year while you’re reading. I also broke it down into 5 song segments below if you’re prefer that.
I had a hellova year. I hope you did too. Courtesy of KUNC, the Colorado Sound is now on an additional 20 FM frequencies around the state, bringing the total up to 45 hours a week of programming across 33 frequencies. Check out the stations and times page so you know where to tune in on when you’re up skiing.
Thanks to both KUNC and Radio 94.9 Colorado I had the incredible pleasure this year to sit down and have chats with Chris Daniels, Dave Glasser, Eddie Turner, Richie Furay, and Reed Foehl for the new podcast series Offstage …Beyond the Music. Coming up the week of Jan 3-9 to start off the new year, Colorado Music Hall of Fame executive director G Brown will be my guest – talking about the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and his books.
Speaking of …congratulations to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame class of 2014: the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Manassas, Poco, Firefall, Richie Furay, and Steve Martin who will all be inducted on Jan 9, 2015 at the Paramount in Denver.
I started this blog to celebrate Colorado music and the stations that support it. I can’t say enough about the incredible network of stations I track each month. The number of stations airing Colorado music today in any measure is unprecedented. The volume of Colorado music aired each month is pretty mind-blowing. On average, of some 300 titles I track each month, about 45-46% get aired at least once in a month, by at least one station.
When you look below at the STATION BY STATION breakout, one station stands out by the number of titles aired ..not only for the year, but month in and month out, consistently over the past two to three years now. When KRFC music director Scott Foley sent out the station’s most played titles for 2014, 60% were Colorado titles. I have been a part of many discussions throughout the years where someone has said that radio should play “local music.” KRFC is living up to the dream.
As the year wound down I also received an incredible invitation to join the board of directors for SpokesBUZZ. I am very excited for the opportunity to help so many great acts work towards realizing their own dreams in this crazy music thing we do…
Support Provided By
I owe a huge thank you to some very special people without whom this show, and the accompanying Live365 station, and Offstage …Beyond the Music would not be here today. First, thanks to Steve Law DDS and Denver area musician, for his contribution last winter that kept The Colorado Sound Live365 on the air for the few months I needed some funding.
Thanks to my friend Chuck Grewe, who once shared the stage with me in a band in the 90s, and his brother Bill. They own Colorado Case Company. And a very special thank you to Dani Grant and her husband Matt Hoven, owners of the Mishawaka Amphitheatre and Chippers Lanes, respectively. Dani is also the founder and driving force behind SpokesBUZZ. To each of my incredible friends – thank you.
Colorado Case Company a Fort Collins based, Colorado family owned business specializing in insulated soft cases, gig bags, case covers and rigid cases for most instruments, including hard to fit instruments.
SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado non-profit with a mission to develop the professionalism of artists, promote and connect progressive cultural destinations, amplify music scenes, and grow local economies. See event calendar for Spokesbuzz band shows.
The historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Northern Colorado’s Musical Playground, and seriously one of the most badass music venues in the state.
Please visit my friends’ sites. They keep this thing going. Much appreciated.
BEST RE-ISSUE(s) 2014
Before I can even get to the charts I have to acknowledge two records I got my hands on this year that are at the TOP of my THANK YOU list for the year: Zephyr/The Deluxe Edition “box set” that includes both the original 1969 Zephyr album remastered + select live cuts, rehearsals and more
…and as a gift from both Eddie Turner, and subsequently a remastered version from David Givens, I got two copies of Zephyr/Heartbeat that came out originally in 1982, and was stuffed into basements when bandleader Candy Givens died in 1984.
Eddie gifted me with original vinyl that I had cleaned up and digitized by Kevin Clock at Colorado Sound Studios. Kevin was the engineer on the record originally. Thanks to David for an advance of a newly remastered version that he suggested may be reissued in 2015.
I believe David has plans to reissue the entire Zephyr collection, including what many think of as the best album from Zephyr, “Sunset Ride.” Personally, I put “Heartbeat” at the top of the list, but to each his own: both albums have considerable charm, shaped less by Candy’s stylistic changes than the two guitarists who shaped the music Candy sang over, Jock Bartley (Firefall) on “Sunset Ride,” and Eddie Turner on “Heartbeat.” “Sunset Ride” is decidedly jazzier, while “Heartbeat” has a bit more of the new-wave sound that was emanating from the early 80s.
One great band – three great guitarists – Tommy Bolin, Jock Bartley, Eddie Turner. No doubt slated for future induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.
TOP 20 FAN FAVORITE TITLES 2014
The one thing about fan favorite polls is that an act’s fans really want you to pay attention to what they like – so they rally around their “candidate.” Sometimes, bands don’t know these polls are even taking place, and at other times they don’t care about polls so they don’t tell their fans. Regardless of all of that, these bands’ fans came out and threw down to see their favorite win the Fan Favorite prize of 2014. This year fans voted for 85 unique titles. Here are the top 20.
1. Matt Skinner Band – Native Stranger (country)
2. Kristina Murray – Unravelin’ (country)
3. Dave Perron – Foot to the Pedal (folk)
3. Slopeside – One Land Town (acoustic-rock)
4. Gumbo le Funque – Funky Way (blues, funk)
5. Knocean – Knocean (reggae)
6. Deadwood Saints – 6th and Trinity (rock, alt-country-rock)
7. Bonnie & the Clydes – Music for the People: Part I EP (country)
7. Katie Glassman & Snapshot – Dream A Little Dream (country)
7. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Time (You’re Doing Fine) (rhythm & blues)
8. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive (rock/blues)
8. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Living Asleep (rock/pop)
8. Reed Foehl – Lost in the West (rock/singer-songwriter)
9. AdrienneO – Lines EP (rock/alternative)
9. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me (rock/folk-rock)
9. Euforquestra – Fire (funk/reggae)
9. Hot Rize – When I’m Free (bluegrass)
9. J. Miller – One More High, One More Low (country-folk)
9. The Fray – Helios (rock/pop)
9. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey (rock/blues)
9. Young Ancients – S/T (Americana/blues)
THE TOP 50 2014
I made some changes to how I did the TOP 50 most aired titles this year. Instead of only listing records that came out between Nov 1 2013 and Oct 31 2014, I went back and ran the numbers for titles that were entered into tracking from May 2013 to Oct 31 2014.
#5-1
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free (Thirty Tigers) Bluegrass [Sept 6, 2014]
2. Euforquestra – Fire (self) Funk/reggae [Feb 22, 2014]
3. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive (Shout! Factory) Rock/blues [Jan 25, 2014]
4. The String Cheese Incident – Song in My Head (SCI Fidelity) Rock/jamband [April 12, 2014]
5. The Motet – The Motet (self) Funk [Jan 4, 2014]
#10-6 6. Elephant Revival – These Changing Skies (Its Evolving Records) Folk [Aug 1, 2013]
7. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run (Mod y Vi Records) Folk [Sept 1, 2013]
8. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman (Suitcase Town Music) Folk [June 22, 2013]
9. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat (Communion Records) Pop/Indie [Aug 14, 2014]
10. Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the World (8 Minutes 20 Seconds) EDM [July 2, 2013]
#15-11 11. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me (Greater Than Collective) Rock/folk [June 28, 2014]
12. The Railsplitters– The Railsplitters (self) Bluegrass [Oct 1, 2013]
13. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore– Love Runner (Remington Road Records) Folk/americana [Dec 21, 2013]
14. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey (self) Rock, blues, alternative [April 26, 2014]
15. Honey Don’t – Heart Like A Wheel (self) Country/americana [Nov 1, 2013]
#20-16 16. Kyle Hollingsworth – Speed of Life (SCI Fidelity) Rock/pop [Sept 6, 2014]
17. Reed Foehl – Lost in the West (NeverFoehl Records) Folk/singer-songwriter [Sept 13, 2014]
18. Musketeer Gripweed – Floods and Fires (self) Rock/blues [March 29, 2014]
19. A Shoreline Dream – The Silent Sunrise (self) Rock/alternative [Sept 6, 2014]
20. Young Ancients – Y/A (self) Americana [Feby 22, 2014]
21. Katie Glassman & Snapshot– Dream A Little Dream (self) Americana/western swing [Nov 30, 2013]
22. Mosey West – Bermuda (self) Rock/alt-country-rock [Nov 2, 2013]
23. 3 Twins – De Nada (Sleeping Elephant Music) Americana [June 20, 2013]
24. Chimney Choir – (compass) (self) Folk/alternative folk-rock [June 1, 2013]
25. Monocle Band – S/T (self) Folk/pop [Sept 1, 2013]
26. Rob Drabkin– Little Steps EP (self) Rock/pop/AAA [Aug 1, 2013]
27. Finnders & Youngberg – I Don’t Want Love You Won’t Give Until I Cry (Swingfingers Records) Americana/bluegrass [Aug 1, 2013]
28. Various – SpokesBUZZ Vol. IV: Band Together (SpokesBUZZ) Various [Dec 14, 2013]
29. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [April 5, 2014]
30. The Patti Fiasco – Small Town Lights (self) Rock/country-rock [July 23, 2013]
31. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Rocky Mountain Honky Tonk (self) Americana/alt-country-rock [July 7, 2013]
32. Tallgrass – Better Than Medicine (self) Rock/Americana [March 1, 2014]
33. Cassie Taylor– Out of My Mind (Yellow Dog) Blues/rhythm and blues [May 18, 2013]
34. Josh Dillard – The Bright Light of Shipwreck (self) Folk/folk-rock [June 1, 2013]
35. Katie Herzig – Walk Through Walls (Marion-Lorraine) Pop/adult contemporary [April 26, 2014]
36. Dragondeer – Don’t That Feel Good EP (self) Rock [March 14, 2014]
37. Grant Farm – Plowin’ Time (self) Rock/country-rock [May 10, 2014]
38. Head for the Hills– Blue Ruin (self) Bluegrass [June 1, 2013]
39. Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life (Concord) Urban Contemporary/jazz/soul [Feb 11, 2014]
40. Drag The River – Drag the River (Xtra Mile Records) Rock/alt-country-rock [Oct 1, 2013]
41. Jeff Scroggins & Colorado– Western Branches (self) Americana/bluegrass [June 1, 2013]
42. The Wild After – Lesson Learned EP (self) Rock/pop [Jan 4, 2014]
43. John Oates– Good Road to Follow (PS Records) Pop/AAA/Americana [Sept 13, 2014]
44. Matt Skinner Band – Native Stranger (Tapedero Productions) Ameicana/country [Nov 9, 2013]
45. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Time (You’re Doing Fine) (self) Blues/rhythm and blues [Dec 7, 2013]
46. Megan Burtt – In Good Company: Vol I: The Colorado Sessions (self) Various [Nov 1, 2013]
47. Joe Johnson – New West Sound (Blank Tape) Americana/country-folk [Aug 1, 2013]
48. Yonder Mountain String Band – EP13 (Frog Pad) Americana/bluegrass [Sept 1, 2013]
49. Kristina Murray – Unravelin’ (self) Americana/country [Nov 2, 2013]
50. Five Iron Frenzy – Engine of A Million Plots (self) Rock/alternative [March 1, 2014]
TOP 5 STATION BY STATION 2014
KAFM (Grand Junction) [65]
1. The String Cheese Incident – Song in my Head
2. Euforquestra – Fire
3. Big Head Todd & The Monsters – Black Beehive
4. The Williams Brothers Band – Live At The Mesa Theater
5. The Motet – The Motet
KBUT (Crested Butte) [30]
1. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
2. String Cheese Incident – Song In My Head
3. Head for the Hills – Blue Ruin
4. Elephant Revival – These Changing Skies
5. WhiteWater Ramble – Roots & Groove
KDUR (Durango) [45]
1. Euforquestra – Fire
2. The Motet – The Motet
3. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
4. String Cheese Incident – Song In My Head
5. Jeff Scroggins & Colorado – Western Branches
KGNU (Boulder) [70]
1. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
2. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore – Love Runner
3. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
4. Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the Sun
5. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman
KRCC (Colorado Springs) [30]
1. Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the World
2. Euforquestra – Fire
3. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat
4. Elephant Revival – These Changing Skies
5. A Shoreline Dream – The Silent Sunrise
KRFC (Fort Collins) [250]
1. Young Ancients – Y/A
2. Euforquestra – Fire
3. Various Artists – Spokesbuzz Vol. 4
4. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Time (You’re Doing Fine)
5. You Me & Apollo – Sweet Honey
KRZA (Alamosa) [20]
1. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
2. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey
3. Finnders & Youngberg – I Don’t Want Love You Won’t Give Until I Cry
3. Gabrielle Louise – The Bird in My Chest
4. Cassie Taylor – Out of My Mind
KSUT (Ignacio) [25]
1. String Cheese Incident – Song In My Head
2. The Motet – The Motet
3. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive
4. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters
5. Elephant Revival – These Changing Skies
KUNC (Greeley) [25]
1. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive
2. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman
2. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore – Love Runner
3. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
4. 3 Twins – De Nada
KVNF (Paonia) [40]
1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free
2. Katie Glassman & Snapshot – Dream A Little Dream
3. Euforquestra – Fire
4. String Cheese Incident – Song In My Head
5. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
OPEN AIR 1340 (Denver) [85]
1. Gregory Alan Isakov – The Weatherman
2. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman
3. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run
4. Elephant Revival – These Changing Skies
5. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
THE COLORADO SOUND [175]
1. The Wild After – Lesson Learned EP
2. String Cheese Incident – Song In My Head
3. The Motet – The Motet
4. Musketeer Gripweed – Floods and Fires
5. Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life
AN HOUR OF MY FAVORITE VIDEOS
I don’t know about you but I don’t have the time to really sit and watch a lot of music videos. They really are destination viewing. Here’s about an hour’s worth that I’ve assembled from throughout the year that I particularly like. They’re not in any real order, except how I felt like mixing them as a set.
Included in the set: Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Head for the Hills, Gregory Alan Isakov, SHEL, Taarka, Young Ancients, Ark Life, Strange Americans, My Body Sings Electric, Katie Herzig, Rob Drabkin, and Hot Rize.
(Sunday Jan 11) WOW … what a great week in Colorado music and radio. On Monday Jan 5, Colorado Public Radio announced that they had purchased 102.3FM in Denver, and that Open Air 1340 would move to the new frequency. Friday night, Jan 9, Manassas, Firefall, Poco, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame class of 2014.
Denver has never had a metro grade signal attached to a format that is as dedicated to local music as what we’re about to hear, beginning Jan 27. And that’s taking nothing away from the efforts made in this region to support local music on the radio going back to the 60s. 950 KIMN is in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame partly for the support they gave to local bands like Boenzee Cryque and others. KLZ FM, KFML, KAZY, KBPI, KBCO and KTCL have all supported bands from our area going back through our Colorado music and radio history. None, however, have featured it as prominently as Open Air 1340 does.
Friday night was incredibly special. A sold out house at the Paramount was on hand for a performance by some of Colorado’s music legends, and relative newcomer and potential future hall of fame member Nathaniel Rateliff who did the opening tribute set to Stephen Stills/Manassas with Jeff Hanna (NGDB), Jock Bartley (Firefall), and Richie Furay (Poco).
(
(
(
KAFM (Grand Junction) [24]
KRFC (Fort Collins) [145]
OPEN AIR 1340 (Denver) [30]
THE COLORADO SOUND [42]
G holds the franchise on Colorado music history. The former Denver Post music journalist is the author of “
Years
Before I can even get to the charts I have to acknowledge two records I got my hands on this year that are at the TOP of my THANK YOU list for the year: Zephyr/The Deluxe Edition “box set” that includes both the original 1969 Zephyr album remastered + select live cuts, rehearsals and more
of Zephyr/Heartbeat that came out originally in 1982, and was stuffed into basements when bandleader Candy Givens died in 1984.
KAFM (Grand Junction) [65]
KBUT (Crested Butte) [30]
KRCC (Colorado Springs) [30]
KRFC (Fort Collins) [250]
KUNC (Greeley) [25]
OPEN AIR 1340 (Denver) [85]
THE COLORADO SOUND [175]
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 