Chris K's Colorado Playlist

Weird that we’re almost in the middle of July.  Hmmmm…. what have I been doing? Busy week for sure … lots of new stuff hitting the desk.  Have fun y’all … 🙂

Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Rocksteady (BIG)Genre/style: rock, funk, adult alternative
Recommended tracks: Rocksteady, Beautiful, Happiness Is…, Smokestack Lightening, Beast of Burden
Notes: ok, so what gives with “Big Head” Todd Park Mohr lately?  Is he like totally schizo or what?  Todd has taken to changing his noticeable influences not just every album, as he’s done for at least the last three now, but now changes mid-stride in the middle of an album.  This past December, keyboardist Jeremy Lawton sends me a dl for the single, Smokestack Lightening (sample #1, track #7).  I’m like shocked … this is BHTM???  This sounds like it crawled out of the belly of the wolf himself.  Then a couple of months ago all of us in radio got the “single” from the new album, Beautiful (sample #2, track #2).  Okay – this is cool.  Not like anything really I’ve heard from the band over the years, and it is a bit “soft,” but it works … folks are diggin’ it … and then I get the album yesterday and come across the title track “Rocksteady” (sample #3, track #1) and “Happiness Is…” (sample #4, track #5), both of which show a funky side to Todd I cannot recall hearing over the past two decades.  Todd’s time in Chi-town has infused him with more than just a bit of that city’s sense of the blues.  There’s a playful soul thing going on here (cool horns btw) that I can’t recall hearing in previous efforts, and is considerably more refined and tasty than a lot of the the classic blues-rock sounding records I do recall.    Oh … and that cover of the Rolling Stones “Beast of Burden” (not sampled) is pretty tasty too 🙂

Jeff Finlin – The Tao of Motor Oil (Bent Wheel)Genre/style: rock, alternative adult contemporary, singer/songwriter
Notes: I have no idea what more can or should be said about Jeff’s work.  He says of the new album, Tao of Motor Oil, that it is a “foray into the mystical experiences of life, itself.”  Jeff’s unique voice and phrasing highlight the journey.  He’s also one hellova producer.

Emily Hurd – Daytime Fireflies (self)Genre/style: alternative adult contemporary
Notes: ok, I’m fessing up that I know very little about Emily other than from her website and the fact that her brother (?) Michael Schenkelberg said she’s moving to Denver (pretty much the same as FoCo gal Lindsey O’Brien, another Chi-town native).  Gotta say, the record has captured my ear.

Jeff Brinkman – To The Bones (Devonshire Records)Genre/style: alternative adult contemporary, singer-songwriter
Notes: Jeff is becoming a popular local out of the Longmont/Lyons area.  If you’re a fan of Dave Matthews and Counting Crows, no doubt you’ll find something here you’ll like also.  A very solid debut record.

Kinetix “Let Me In” from Let Me In (2010)
Apples in Stereo “Energy” from New Magnetic Wonder (2007)
NEW Emily Hurd “Heaven This Way” from Daytime Fireflies (2010)
Megan Burtt “Moves” from It Ain’t Love (2010)
The Epilogues “The Escape” from The Beautiful The Terrifying (2008)
Otis Taylor “Hands On Your Stomach” from Clovis People, Vol. 3 (2010)
Finders & Youngberg “Ball & Chain Blues” from Keep Your Suitcase Packed (2008)
The Informants “Stuck on You” from Stiletto Angel (2008)
The Jurassicasters “I Just Want to Celebrate” from The Jurassicasters (2010)
The Knew “Picnic” from The Knew’s Pulperia (2010)
The Haunted Windchimes “Find the Door” from Honey Moonshine (2010)
Sweet Sunny South “Ghost of Gram” from Carried Off By A Twister (2010)
Fred Hess “Zane” from Crossed Paths (2004)

Chris Daniels “The Spark” from The Spark (2003)
Romano Paoletti “Ragtime Blues” from Story of a Lifetime (2009)
NEW Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore “Keep It Clean” from Saints & Sinners (2010)
Houses “Red Feather” from Fall (2009)
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club “Sour Patch Kids” from Blovdy Tenent Trvth Peace (2004)
Andrea Ball “Letter” from Dial Tone (2010)
NEW Jeff Finlin “Stones Must Roll” from The Tao of Motor Oil (2010)
The Beautiful Loser Society “Talkin’ to the Devil” from Aim Low (2008)
Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams “Hippie In My House” from Midnight Rodeo (2006)
The Gromet “Sink or Sail” from Colorado Captain (2010)
The Hollyfelds “Either Way” from Lo Bueno, Lo Mao, Lo Feo (2010)
Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Simplexity” from Glass Gold (2010)

I have been sitting and enjoying the 4th of July weekend – and I’m now waiting for my kids to show up to take us out for the afternoon.  In the meantime, while I thought I would not post a MMMM this week – I cannot resist.  The new Mollie O’Brien album is one of the best of show so far for 2010 – and I just have to share it with you.

Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore – Saints & SinnersGenre/Style: Americana, folk
Website: http://www.mollieobrien.com/main.htm
Recommended tracks: All, depending on the flavor of your show.  There’s AAA, folk/bluegrass, and blues/jazz radio offerings .. all tied together very nicely.  I’ve sampled four in particular:  #1-Keep It Clean (Charley Jordan), #3-Losers (Dave Van Ronk), #6-Dead and Lovely (Tom Waits), and #7 Saints & Sinners (David Francey).
Notes: Man, what a record!  Full of some of the best players that Colorado has to offer, including:  Rich Moore (guitars, harmonies), Glenn Taylor (pedal steel), Christian Teele (percussion, drums), Brad Goode (trumpet), Eric Thorin (co-producer, bass), John Magnie (accordian, piano), Eric Moon (accordian, piano, organ).  The album was recorded at Colorado Sound studios in Denver by Jesse O’Brien & Kevin Clock.  No doub this record, should it reach all of the public/community radio stations in Colorado, will sweep into the #1 most played position, and land among the most loved releases in this genre, this year.  One of the earmarks of records that maintain some level of airplay sustainability is how deep it is — -and this record is DEEP!  There’s really not a bad track in the collection – neither from a songwriting or performance pov.  Mollie’s rare originals sing brightly next to songs written by some of the greatest songwriters imaginable.  Radio gets a good long look at this record in advance of the proposed September retail release.  Here’s hoping that radio throughout Colorado embraces one of what might well be Mollie O’Brien’s crowning achievements – co-anchored by her husband, Rich Moore – only the second album I’m familar with from this couple; the first being 900 Baseline from 2008.

TOP ROCK PICKS (singles)
Post Paradise – The Ghost in the Airwaves … advance single from forthcoming sophomore release.  http://www.myspace.com/postparadise
The Knew – Before It Ends … lead single from digital ep of the same name.  Free dl of the ep at their website:  http://theknew.com/splash/
SuperSeed – Dreams … lead single from just released self titled debut ep.  http://www.myspace.com/superseed

In the case of each one of these tracks, they may be too “rock” or too “pop” or too “loud” for most of the programs currently underway at most public and community stations around the state.  Exceptions might include JJ Johnson’s Night Howler program on KRFC in Fort Collins, as well as the local show on Thursday nights at KRCC in Colorado Springs.  KDUR in Durango also tends towards the more “rock” side of independent music in the state, along with KVCU (Radio 1190) in Boulder, and KCSU in Fort Collins.  If you’re interested in receiving a copy of these tracks please get hold of the bands.