Chris K's Colorado Playlist

I got curious this morning, so I logged into the KRFC Spinitron playlist generator and took a look at what the most spun Colorado releases have been for the past six months…. and yes, loud/metal does chart here … seems like KRFC, among all the public radio stations I research each month not only airs the most Colorado music overall (over 800 titles aired this past year) but hands down airs the most loud/metal rock.  Props to JJ Johnson (the Night Howler – Sat nights at midnight) for that.

Here are the 50 most played current titles of the past six months.

1.  Euforquestra – Soup (Reggae/Ska) 2009
2.  The Subdudes – Flower Petals (Americana) 2009
3.  Fierce Bad Rabbit –Everything Is Alright (Rock, alternative) 2009
3.  Grant Gordy – Grant Gordy (Acoustic, bluegrass, jazz) 2010
4.  Great American Taxi – Reckless Habits (Americana, roots rock) 2010
5.  Honey Don’t – Honey Don’t (Americana, bluegrass) 2009
6.  John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light – Beautiful Empty (Rock, adult alternative) 2009
7.  The Informants – Crime Scene Queen (Blues) 2009
8.  SHEL – Try to Scream (Acoustic, americana) 2009
8.  Vices I Admire – The Politics of Apathy (Rock, alternative) 2009
9.  Runaway Express – Howlin’ At the Moon (Folk, folk-rock) 2010
10. Other Side of Clearview – Sweet Release (Rock, alternative) 2009
10. Nathaniel Rateliff – In Memory of Loss (Folk) 2010

11. Chuck Pyle – The Spaces In Between (Folk) 2010
12. Arliss Nancy – Dance to Forget (Rock, alt-country) 2009
12. Meese – Broadcast (Pop) 2009
12. Motorhome – Almost Vegas (Rock, southern/country-rock) 2009
12. Romano Paoletti – Story of a Lifetime (Americana, country) 2009
12. Otis Taylor – Clovis People, Vol. 3 (Blues) 2010
13. Colcannon – Three Days In May (Celtic) 2010
13. Gregory Alan Isakov – This Empty Northern Hemisphere (Folk) 2009
14. 20XIII – Take Two and Call in the Morning (Loud/Metal) 2009
14. Boulder Acoustic Society – Punchline (Rock, americana) 2009
14. Clobber Jaw – Toxic Syndrome (Loud/Metal) 2009
14. Barbara Ernst – April Child: Mistura Bela (Beautiful Mixture) (Jazz, Brazilian, vocal) 2010
15. The Piggies – Rusted Bullets (Rock, alternative) 2009
15. The Varmints – Feel Surreal (Rock, alternative) 2009
16. Allegaeon – Allegaeon (Loud/Metal) 2009
16. Apples in Stereo – Travellers in Space and Time (Indie Pop) 2010
16. Megan Burtt – It Ain’t Love (Adult Pop) 2010
16. Devil Got Five – Devil Got Five (Loud/Metal) 2009
16. Emmitt-Nershi Band – New Country Blues (Acoustic, bluegrass, jazz) 2009
16. Tequila Mockingbird – Luck And Trouble (Rock, adult alternative) 2010
16. Tickle Me Pink – On Your Way Down (Loud/Metal) 2010
17. Crow – Kingdom of the Fly (Loud/Metal) 2010
18. Todd Adelman & the Love Handles – Todd Adelman & the Love Handles (Americana, country-rock) 2009
18. Autumn Burn – Ashes of a Tormented Soul (Loud/Metal) 2010
18. Head for The Hills – Head for the Hills (Bluegrass) 2009
18. Kyle Hollingsworth – Then There’s Now (Rock, adult) 2009
18. Matt Morris – When Everything Breaks Open (Adult Pop) 2010
18. Rhythm Angels – Girls Like Us (Americana, folk) 2009
19. Blue Canyon Boys – House Full of Sorrows (Bluegrass) 2009
19. The Congress – The Congress (Rock, roots rock) 2010
19. The Delta Sonics – Never Enough (Blues) 2009
19. Martin Gilmore – Martin Gilmore (Folk, americana) 2009
19. Aakash Mittal Quartet – Videsh (Jazz, world) 2009
19. Otis Taylor – Pentatonic Wars And Love Songs (Blues) 2009
19. Wild Angelz – Love Denied (Loud/Metal) 2010
20. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – Things People Do (Folk) 2009
20. Greg Harris Vibe Quintet f/ Venus Cruz – Glass Gold (Jazz, neo-soul) 2010

The Subdudes “Any Cure” from The Subdudes  (1989)
Crowboy “Babylon” from Making Up For Lost Time (2008)
Chain Gang of 1974 “Funk Giants” from White Guts (2010)
12 Cents for Marvin “Russian Roulette (Tragedy Version)” from Change (2006)
Kinetix “Let Me In” from Let Me In (2010)
Flobots “White Flag Warrior” from Survival Story (2010)
Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Northside Hunter” from Glass Gold (2010)
Lelah Simon “151” from Third Week of April (2009)
Six Months to Live “Sole Operator” from This Is What Happens (2009)
Chris Daniels & the Kings “Depot Street” from That’s What I Like About the South (1989)
Hello Kavita “Colorado” from To A Loved One (2009)
Angie Stevens & the Beautiful Wreck “The Current that Carries” from Queen of This Mess (2009)
Aakash Mittal Quartet “The Street” from Videsh (2009)

Sugarloaf “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” from Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You (1975)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters “Beautiful” from Rocksteady (2010)
NEW Ash Ganley “Universe Acceptable” from Universe Acceptable (2010)
Sweet Water Well “Zoeology” from Watermelon (1997)
The Big Motif “The Daily Motion” from Big Motif (2010)
Born in The Flood “If This Thing Should Spill” from If this Thing Should Spill (2007)
Nathaniel Rateliff “Brakeman” from In Memory of Loss (2010)
Great American Taxi “American Beauty” from Reckless Habits (2010)
Apples in Stereo “Dream About the Future” from Travellers in Space and Time (2010)
NEW Eric Shively “Baby (Can’t Sleep)” from Eden’s Light (2010)
Sixteen Horsepower “Coal Black Horses” from 16 Horsepower (1995)
NEW David Rynhart “A Puddle On the Ground” from By the Hollow Tree (2010)
Ricky Sweum “Hot Sonny Day” from Pulling Your Own Strings (2009)

I don’t know if it’s the weather or simply that this week I received more roots, blues, folk & jazz than anything else, or it’s just my mood — whatever — this week’s features stay true to roots … from the very 50s/60s influenced rhythm & blues of Bobby Walker to the jangle jangle of ivories tickling some boogie-woogie from Adam Bodine … to some pretty austere sounding modern country-folk from Chris McGarry … add in the ladies Julie Geller, the Mile Markers, and Danielle Anderson aka Danielle Ate the Sandwich and we have a folksy, bluesy, jazzy kind of Monday morning … maybe it’s the rain and gray skies 😉

Here’s some tasties from this week’s picks .. it’ll take ya 3 mins to enjoy …

Bobby Walker – Way Back When (ep) (Bobby Walker Music)
Genre/Style: Blues, rhythm & blues
Website: http://www.bobbywalkermusic.com/fr_home.cfm
Notes: There’s a level of authenticity that may be – perhaps – only appreciated if you lived in the moment in which something was first created.  Certainly when it comes to covering songs considered classics, you’d better be able to bring that authenticity to the table, or not bother trying in the first place.  That’s what makes Bobby “BB” or “Bad Bob” (depending on the year and state of residence) Walker so special… it’s that authenticity that makes his interpretations sound as fresh as if not only were they just being recorded for the first time today, but also that he carries the past into the present with him.  This guy’s voice is special… and given that he is one of the elder statesmen of Colorado music, going back to the early to mid seventies, it’s a real treat that we get such great records now in his career.  That’s a sign of longevity … and that authenticity we were talking about.

Julie Geller – You’re With Me (Beating Heart Records)
Genre/Style: folk, adult contemporary, jewish
Website: http://www.juliegeller.com/
Notes: Julie performs on this record with an impressive array of regional session musicians, including e-towners Christian Teele (drums) and Chris Engleman (bass), along with Jesse Manno, John McVey, Eric Moon, and Bill Pontarelli sitting in on various tunes.  The album itself doesn’t work for me completely.  Stylistically, Julie is as comfortable with adult contemporary with a 70s white girl soul feel on “Insides Out” as she is with the more adventuress and lively gypsy folk feel of “Here We Go Again” (sampled) and it can be a dizzy trip listening to the album beginning to end.

The Mile Markers – Take to the Road (self)
Genre/Style: americana, bluegrass
Website: http://www.myspace.com/themilemarkers
Notes: for a young band there are a couple of very endearing moments on this debut that features two lead singers in Julie Stratton (vocals, guitar) and Bevin Foley (vocals, fiddle), who each also take turns with the songwriting.  The players are formidable – they have some chops.  As with most young bands, they have not quite fleshed out their own voice entirely, but moments like “Revival” and “My Baby’s Poor” (sampled) show considerable promise in that direction.

Danielle Ate the Sandwich – Two Bedroom Apartment (Youngest Daughter Records)
Genre/Style: folk, modern folk
Website: http://danielleatethesandwich.net
Notes: Danielle Anderson has now endeared herself to millions of fans with her homemade videos and recordings on YouTube.  This is her first professionally produced album.  From her own website description of the new album:  “Two Bedroom Apartment, Danielle Ate the Sandwich’s third project, will be her first professionally recorded studio album.  Danielle’s voice shines with crystal clear recordings and layers of vocal harmonies.  Collaborating with other musicians, Danielle’s songs are taken to a new level with instrumentation that create the perfect ambiance for her poetic storytelling.  Recorded in Denver, Colorado, at Macy Sound Studios, Two Bedroom Apartment is an impressive step in the songwriting career of Danielle Ate the Sandwich.”  I could not have said it better myself … a strikingly good effort from Danielle and her supporters on this record.

Chris McGarry – And the Weary Eyes Reply (self)
Genre/Style: americana, folk, alternative-country-rock
Website: http://www.myspace.com/chrismcgarry
Notes: someone once said to me that “all country is nothing more than crying about shit.”  Okay — I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion LOL. No doubt my “friend’s” opinion would not be changed by listening to this record.  McGarry carries that kind of rough hewn, tobacco stained, moonshine still, holy roller tent revivalist feel to things on this record.  It’s dark, moody, broody, and very pensive at times … strong charcoal and wood flavor, so those predisposed to lighter fare might leave this one to those with stronger tastes.

Adam Bodine Trio – Blue Mud (self)
Genre/Style: jazz, blues
Website: http://www.adambodinetrio.com/
Notes: Adam cracks me up.  On this record he immerses himself and the rhythm section into the holy cradle of where jazz emerged, blues and stride among other things.  Very crafty this guy, with sometimes astonishing chops to match his imagination.  The damned rhythm section ain’t too bad either.  Interesting note here:  bassist Kalin Capra plays here with Adam and also with the Mile Markers.