The Colorado Sound S7 EP26 July 2013

chris at ob hmls sunday june 16 2013When you get to do what I do for my life and living everyday it stands to reason that I am very lucky goat.  Thursday night I got to host the Bohemian Nights Thursday Night Downtown Concert Series with Dave Beegle & the Jurrassicasters .. one of the region’s most popular classic rock cover bands the past couple of decades now… and it showed based on the overcapacity record setting crowd we had Thursday night.

Friday night I hosted the Fort Collins Downtown Business Association Summer Sessions – this week with the Matt Skinner Band opening for the Patti Fiasco… and let me say that band leader Alysia Kraft  is one of the most entertaining front persons I’ve ever seen .. locally or nationally.  The band will be up in front of Born in the Flood at Bohemian Nights at New West Fest on Aug 17 … they’ll also (hopefully) be releasing their new album in time for Bohemian Nights at New West Fest, Aug 16-18.  Dave Beegle is currently mixing and mastering … they have, they said, one more mixing session left to go… I heard one specific cut Friday night called “Black Magic” (at least that was the refrain) – that is sure to be a “hit” with Colorado djs.

This week’s headlines were not all included in the show itself. Churchill has broken up.  However, at the time of this writing I can find only one source for this information – and that source quoted a “band representative.”  I imagine this story will be more deeply researched and reported on this coming week by either Westword’s Dave Herrera or the folks at HeyReverb.com which is where the story broke.

In other news …

I got the new Escape Goats release “On the Lam” but not in time for this week’s show … so look for that next week.  No good news on any forthcoming Dave Beegle record however.  He and I talked on Thursday night when his band the Jurassicasters played Old Town Square … he said basically he’s got it going, but can’t determine when it will get done.. it’s been in the “it’s going stage” for over a year now and he’s so busy with other projects right now he can’t find time to work on his own.  He’s also working hard to get the new Lion Drome release done.

Other titles that came in this week – for next week’s show – new releases from Esther Sparks & the Whiskey Remedy, Taylor Mesple, and Foxfield Four.

This week I look forward to hosting Selas​ee & Fafa Family on Thursday night  … and two of my BFGFs (can goats have BFGFs?) .. Liz Barnez and Hazel Miller on Friday night.  All shows are FREE, ALL AGES, and begin promptly at 7PM.  Thurs nights done by 9-ish, Friday nights done at 10:30PM.

VIDEO PICK of the WEEK:  Leftover Salmon has launched a promotional drive for each of the next four singles + Breckenridge Brewery … so about the only way you can get this killer new jam is by grabbing some BB ale … that’s all I know really … enjoy … 

PLAYLIST S7 EP26 July 2013

Acoustic Junction “Goodbye World” from Strange Days (2000)
Kip Winger “Sure Was A Wildflower” from Songs from the Ocean Floor (2000)
(D) AdrienneO “Innocence” from Superchromatic (2013)Monroe Monroe “Adore” from Hello Moon (2011)
Lion Drome “Curve of the Earth” from Curve of the Earth (2013)
(D) Gristle Gals Band “Jukie’s Ball” from Sweet Pea (2013)(N) Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams “Beaver Hat Boogie” from Rocky Mountain Honky Tonk (2013)
Cary Morin “Live A Little” from Streamline (2013)
(N) Whiskey Bottles “Baby, Your Bad Luck” from Grandville (2013)
(D) Rossonian “Garuda” from Rossonian (2013)Varlet “Eastern” from The Drifter (2012)
Rose Hill Drive “Baby Don’tcha Know Your Man” from Americana (2011)
Jon Wirtz “Watching The World Wake Up” from Tourist (2013)
String Cheese Incident “Sirens” from Untying the Not (2003)
Kyle Hollingsworth “The Way It Goes” from Then There’s Now (2009)
(D) Leftover Salmon “High Country” from High Country (2013)
Cassie Taylor “Again” from Out Of My Mind (2013)
(D) Joe Johnson “Who’s Gonna Go Your Bond” [advance single] (2013)
Achille Lauro “Hard Pressed” from Flight or Flight (2012)
Fierce Bad Rabbit “Everything’s Alright” from Spools of Thread (2010)
(D) John Gunther’s Safari Trio “Sisters (featuring John Hadfield)” from Surrender (2013)

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