Chris K's Colorado Playlist

Big Head Todd and the Monsters “Beautiful” from Rocksteady (2010)
Liz Barnez “Laughin’ Yellow” from Liz Barnez Band (1993)
Baily Stauffer and the Katy Janes “Chasing the Change” from Bend or Break (2010)
Lindsey O’Brien Band “Broke My Heart” from As Long As It Matters (2008)
The Motet “Push” from Dig Deep (2009)
Jeff Brinkman “Sometimes” from To the Bones (2010)
Dan Craig “Enough” from Alchemy (2010)
David Rynhart “A Puddle On the Ground” from By the Hollow Tree (2010)
Andrea Ball “Dial Tone” from Dial Tone (2010)
The Swayback “Queen’s Dance” from Long Gone Lads (2008)
Chris McGarry “Backwards Through My Veins” from And the Weary Eyes Reply (2010)
18 Switchbacks “El Bandito” from 18 Switchbacks (2010)
Adam Bodine Trio “Ricochet Rations” from Blue Mud (2010)
Apples in Stereo “Told You Once” from Travellers in Space and Time (2010)
Dressy Bessy “Anyone Can See” from HollerandStomp (2008)
Fuzzy Killing Machine “Forgiven” from Enjoy & Destroy (2010)
The Samples “Close to the Fires” from Samples (1990)
Hello Kavita “Colorado” from To A Loved One (2009)
Bobby Walker “Barefootin’” from Way Back When (2010)
Eddie Turner “In The Morning” from Miracles And Demons (2010)
John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light “Same Scar” from Beautiful Empty (2010)
NEW – Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams “Sinners and Saints” from Sinners and Saints (2010)
Sixteen Horsepower “Black Soul Choir” from Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes (1996)
WhiteWater Ramble “Gypsy Funk” from All Night Drive (2010)
Grant Gordy “Blues to Dawg” from Grant Gordy (2010)
After Midnight Jazz Band “Autumn Leaves” from Autumn Leaves (2009)

Yesterday I filled in for the 3pm-5pm show host at KRFC.  I programmed a Colorado Connections show, where all the music was connected in some fashion to Colorado.  Here’s the playlist.

Drew Emmitt “Gypsy In My Soul” from Long Road (2008)
The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band “Fallin’ In Love” from THe Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (1974)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters “Rocksteady” from Rocksteady (2010)
Bobby Walker “Rainy Night In Georgia” from Way Back When (2010)
Earth, Wind & Fire “That’s The Way of the World” from That’s the Way of the World (1975)
OneRepublic “Secrets” from Secrets (2009)
Matt Morris “Live Forever” from When Everything Breaks Open (2010)
Apples in Stereo “Dream About the Future” from Travellers in Space and Time (2010)
The Reverend Horton Heat “Mi Amor” from Mi Amor (1998)
Eddie Turner “Monkey See, Monkey Do” from Miracles And Demons (2010)
Dianne Reeves “Today Will Be A Good Day” from When You Know (2008)
Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore “Dead and Lonely” from Saints & Sinners (2010)
Badfinger “You’re So Fine” from You’re So Fine (1974)
Sam Bush “Sailin’ Shoes (Live)” from Ice Caps: Peaks Of Telluride (1999)
White Water Ramble “All Night Drive” from All Night Drive (2010)
Great American Taxi “One of These Days” from Reckless Habits (2010)
The Smithereens “Too Much Passion” from Too Much Passion (1991)
the Richie Furay Band “Real Love (Bonus Studio Track)” from Alive (2009)
Chick Corea “What Game Shall We Play” from What Game Shall We Play (1972)
Elton John “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” from Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (1974)
Otis Taylor “Hands On Your Stomach” from Clovis People, Vol. 3 (2010)
Flash Cadillac “I Wish You’d Dance” from Sons of the Beaches (1975)
The Starlite Ramblers “Diggin’ Holes” from 1992 (1992)
Something Underground “Lovity Love” from Intention & Release (2010)
Fuzzy Killing Machine “Forgiven” from Enjoy & Destroy (2010)
Yo, Flaco! “Rent” from The Skinny (2004)

Yeah yeah, I know .. it’s Wednesday – not Monday.  Monday was the day the new charts got published… today’s the day to share some new music … and in particular the new release from my friends, Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams.  Enjoy.

Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams – Sinners & Saints (self)

Genre/Style: Americana, country, honky tonk
Website: www.hibeams.com/index.cfm
Sampled/Recommended Tracks:

• Tear It Down
• Sinners & Saints
• Whipporwill
• Mission Avenue
• Pill Poppin’ Country Weirdo

Notes: It seems like artists (songwriters and singers especially) always seem under pressure to produce something better than what they’ve done before … or maybe not … or maybe we all just feel that way.  I’ve had the new Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams record Sinners & Saints now for a couple of weeks.  I’ve listened to it in the car, and at home while working at my desk.  I’ve waited patiently while bassist and de factor band business manager Ben O’Connor asked me to wait to play it on my show and/or blog about it here.  Halden himself came and said to go ahead and do it.

First things first though and that is the cover itself… so many faces … so many famous names .. band guitarist/mandolinist Greg Schochet, according to Halden, likes to make people guess.  I’m bad at guessing, so Halden told me who they are.  BTW, Halden painted all of them himself, crafty artist that he is.  He also says, “The idea being that these are people I hold very dear as influences/inspiration.  And they are Sinners & Saints, both.  They are all artists of one kind or another, and, as a traditionalist, I feel like they all have something to say to us.  Many of them are mentioned in lyrics of the songs, or are referenced in the notes, or are, in fact on the album.”  Pretty cool, huh?

Now for the music part.  I’ve known Halden and the fellas far too long now to be 100% objective in my observations.  I’ve done sound for them many times and I’ve booked them for shows I’ve been in charge of promoting.  And I consider them all good friends.  With that disclaimer in mind, I love this record.  It’s their best yet.  (hear that Halden?)  It represents the sound of a band that is well worn and comfortable together from more than just a handful of shows … they’ve played hundreds over the past decade.  And yes, Halden is a traditionalist — lyrically and vocally, sounding as if he crawled straight out of the country music scene in Texas in the mid to late fifties, especially on such ballads as Whipporwill (is that an ode to Hank Sr?) and Mission Avenue.  Halden even reprises his drug-culture-hippie-in-my-house-country with Pill Poppin’ Country Weirdo.  Tear It Down and Sinners & Saints shows the deeper and far more introspective and reflective side of Halden’s songwriting (catch those clips and think about where he’s coming from).

Once this record gets out to the network, it’s going to hit big … they almost charted nationally with their last record … and I’ve got no doubts they’ll try again and succeed with this one.